Better late then never

Marty had tagged me a while ago on a meme, and I've finally gotten around to doing it. The subject is books, and that is a subject dear to my heart. I'm a book lover, but I have to admit that I'm a lover of mainly fiction. I don't read much non-fiction, primarily because I'm such a junkie when it comes to newspapers, magazines, web sites, blogs, etc. I get enough information from all those sources that I don't feel the need to read non-fiction works.

Oh, but novels. I love picking up a book and getting lost into the tales and adventures that some very talented writer has imagined. My reading style is primarily one of finding an author I like, then reading everything they've ever done, then move on to the next. Some of my all time favorites are---JRR Tolkien, Alexander Dumas, James Clavell, Robert Ludlum, Leon Uris, Tom Clancy, David Eddings, Raymond Feist. For the last two or three years, my genre of choice has been fantasy fiction.

As a disclaimer, I will say that for most of the questions that follow, The Bible would have been my first and foremost book of choice; but that would go without saying. These are my choices from a strictly secular point of view. Here goes.

One book that changed your life:
When I was a kid, I loved to read. I would get the flashlight and read under the covers at night. I will have to say though that the book that set me on the path to adult reading was The Hobbit. I read that in a high school English class, and I think that was the first time I realized how special it could be to enter into a world and story that was created in the mind of another human being. Of all the talents in the world, it is the novelist that I most appreciate. That love of reading has been with me my whole life.

One book that you've read more than once:
I’ll give you two books that I’ve read more than once, because I can’t decide which one is my favorite. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I’ve read at least once a year since the first time I read it, just after high school. The other is The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas. I’ve read that at least a dozen times.

One book that you would want on a deserted island:
SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea by John Lofty Wiseman. (seems like a no-brainer to me)

One book that made you laugh:
Marty had a baseball theme going with all his picks, I think I’ll follow suit. There are, of course, many moments of laughter in many books; but, I’ll pick Ball Four, by Jim Bouton. It was basically a journal he kept during his comeback season with the expansion Seattle Pilots; but, he also told many tales, some very controversial, about his years with the Yankees.

I just thought of something else. For a long time I was into the Destroyer series of cheap paperbacks. I loved Remo Williams and Chiun, who saved the world on a daily basis. I’m not even sure on how many books there were, well over a hundred I know, and they were hilarious.

One book that made you cry:
This is a hard one. The first thing that popped into my head was Old Yeller, but I read that when I was about 10 years old. Since then, I can’t think of any. I’ll take a stab and say one of Leon Uris’ books, such as Mila 18 or Exodus.

One book you wish had been written:
The definitive handbook on how to raise your children properly so that they never ever frustrate you to the point of wanting to scream, pull your hair out, and desire to sell them to the next traveling circus that passes your town.

One book you wish hadn't been written:
On the Origin of Species---Charles Darwin. If he hadn’t written it, however, I don’t suppose it would have made much difference. Satan would have found some other way to kick start the whole religion of evolution; and that is exactly what it is, a man-made religion.

One book you're currently reading:
With me, the question isn’t so much what book are you reading; it’s more what author are you reading. I just finished three books by David Gemmel, (a fantasy fiction author) and now I’m waiting to go out and get some more from him. I’ve read all his books available in our library system, so I’m having to find his books in the bookstores. I’m stopping at the library today to find something to tide me over.

One book you've been meaning to read:
The Assault on Reason---Al Gore. If there ever was an expert on assaulting reason, it’s Al Gore. As soon as I go out and get a lobotomy, I’ll read this first thing.

I'm suppose to pick like 6 people to tag; but, I won't put anybody on the spot with this one. This one takes some time. If you're up to the challenge, go for it.