• Lolita – just because the name Lolita holds so much meaning.
• Dracula – I actually bought a copy a few months ago, so he’s made himself at home in the bookshelf. Maybe I’ll wait ’til Halloween and really creep myself out.
• Half of a Yellow Sun – I will be reading this one sometime this year, as it is on my list for the Dewey’s Books Challenge. So is The Book Thief, which I’ve noticed on plenty of other BTT lists this week.
• Never Let Me Go - because I need to know the secret!

Given more time (an an earlier start to this post) I could go on, but if I keep going this will turn into Booking Through Friday.

Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse – a biography has made you love an author more?

Well, I’ve certainly been put off of an author’s books after having read one of their books, but I usually don’t pay much attention to their biography. I will confess to boycotting Tom Cruise’s movies because I think he’s a total ass as a person, but as far as authors go, I can’t think of anyone.

James Frey certainly got a lot of flak after his true biography came out, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from reading his books. I just haven’t read any more of his books because they don’t interest me.

I love Christopher Moore because he’s funny (I can’t wait to read Fool), and I like him even more because he used to be a local and one of his books uses this area as a setting. But he could have never lived here and I still would like him.

Ann Coulter might qualify, but again, I just avoid her books because I have no interest in reading that crap. If she wrote amazing fiction, I might forgive her for her militant conservatism. Maybe. Since she’s not writing anything I’m interested in, I don’t really have to worry about it.

So….I guess my answer is no. And please don’t disillusion me and tell me that all my favorite authors are closet Nazis.

Since “Inspiration” is (or should) the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

Lots of things:

People
This means you. In fact, my tbr pile is all your fault. I find plenty of interesting books by reading everyone’s blogs.

Authors
Technically, they’re people too. But I’ve been known to pick up a book by a particular author just because I’ve enjoyed their previous work.

Places
I like travel memoirs. I’ll go on binges with these books, especially when I have a hankering to be an ex-pat. Not that it would happen, but I can dream, right? Or live vicariously through others.

Mood
This is hard to explain, but I’m guessing you know what I mean. I like variety, and depending what I’m in the mood for, my reading tastes vary. Also, when I’m browsing through a bookstore, my mood affects what I end up bringing home.

Cover art
I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover. There have been plenty of books purchased because their covers caught my eye.

I’m sure there are other inspiring things, but that’s what popped into my head for now.

But, enough about books … Other things have words, too, right? Like … songs!

So, today’s question?

• What songs … either specific songs, or songs in general by a specific group or writer … have words that you love?
• Why?
• And … do the tunes that go with the fantastic lyrics live up to them?

You don’t have to restrict yourself to modern songsters, either … anyone who wants to pick Gilbert & Sullivan, for example, is just fine with me. Lerner & Loewe? Steven Sondheim? Barenaked Ladies? Fountains of Wayne? The Beatles? Anyone at all…

About 5 or 6 years ago, when I worked in a different office that was not organized like a Dilbert cartoon, I could listen to the radio or CDs. In the morning I had a tendency to play Metallica CDs, or some other head-bangerish music, because I happen to like that kind of noise, and it helped to wake me up (at the time, I started work at 6am). So one day a co-worker comes into my office, listens for a moment, and then says:

“Let me get this straight. You used to be a teacher. And you drive a Honda. And you listen to this?”

I guess the music didn’t jive with the otherwise conservative image he had built for me.

So yes, I like loud, obnoxious music, preferably music with no socially redeeming qualities. I also refuse to listen to rap. And country. And opera…no can do on the opera. In regard to my obnoxious music habit, I can very easily block out the lyrics and rock out to the beat.

Except…my very favorite-tist musician is Dave Matthews. Not a lot of opportunity for head banging there. This is probably the only music where I pay attention to the lyrics, although even then I don’t think any of the songs especially speak to me. But I do love Gravedigger, and Grace is Gone, and Two Step, and Old Dirt Hill, and I could go on, but I won’t. Let’s just say I have a ridiculous amount of space on the iPod devoted to the Dave Matthews Band.

I always feel vaguely like a Dead Head when I confess to liking Dave Matthews, because let’s face it, the man most likely plays stoned most of the time. And as much as I’d like to see him live, I’d probably end up with a contact high if I went to a concert.

Any other DMB fans out there? If not, can we still be friends??

It’s a week or two later than you’d expect, and it may be almost a trite question, but … what were your favorite books from 2008?

I was going to do a post on this last week. But then I decided not to, because my favorites change on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis. Now here I am, one week later, thinking about it all over again. So these are the books (as of this one moment in time) that I remember as being particularly fun or enjoyable reads (not necessarily great literature, but fun…because, you know, I’m all about the fun):

Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Marisha Pessl
Peony in Love, Lisa See
Belong to Me, Marisa de los Santos
I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
The Sugar Queen, Sarah Addison Allen
The Lace Reader, Brunonia Barry
Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Last Queen, C.W. Gortner
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson

Ask me again tomorrow and I’m sure the list would look quite different. If I were in a more thoughtful, serious mood, I’m sure books like The Septembers of Shiraz would make it onto the list. Maybe it made it on to your list?

Not quite. I haven’t read either A Dirty Job or You Suck yet, although I do have You Suck.

3. Did you LIKE everything?

No. I never did mange to finish Coyote Blue. And I tried twice.

4. How about a least favorite author?

Dario Castagno.

5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t?

Salman Rushdie and Isabel Allende. Too many long sentences and not enough dialogue. They both exhausted me.

Today is Thanksgiving here in the U.S.

Now, you may have noticed that the global economy isn’t exactly doing well. There’s war. Starvation. All sorts of bad, scary things going on.

So–just for today–how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?

This can be about books, sure–authors you appreciate, books you love, an ode to your public library–but also, how about other things, too? Because in times like these, with bills piling up and disaster seemingly lurking around every corner, it’s more important than ever to stop and take stock of the things we’re grateful for. Family. Friends. Good health (I hope). Coffee and tea. Turkey. Sunshine. Wagging tails. Curling up with a good book.

So, how about it? Spread a little positive thinking and tell the world what there is to be thankful for.

1. I’m thankful for Hamburger (who is currently asleep on the couch, despite the fact that dinner is still 5 hours away), because he let’s me be me.
2. I’m thankful for books, because they give me places to go and people to see, even when I’m not traveling.
3. I’m thankful for moms who like to cook Thanksgiving dinner, so I don’t have to.
4. I’m thankful for Thanksgiving, because I have 5 days off work (sometimes it’s the little things that make you happy).
5. I’m thankful for whoever it was who invented the internets (not Al Gore), so I can stay in touch with all of my internet friends.
6. I’m thankful for you (yes, you), because you read my blog and leave wonderful comments.
7. And finally, I’m thankful I’m not a turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Americans out there.

And Happy Thursday to everyone!