<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Sithy Things]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://aggiesprite.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[LC Aggie Sith]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://aggiesprite.wordpress.com/author/aggiesprite/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Book List Challenge]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>A few days ago, our blogger friend <strong>Nicole</strong> <a href="http://www.autumn-people.com/?p=9196">posted</a> her list of personal book likings and dislikings. She took her cue from <a href="http://www.lynnspace.com/blog/?p=4649">Lynn</a> over at <em>Violins and Starships, </em>which should win best blog name on the interwebs. Anyway, reading books is something I love to do. I also love to make art out of them, but that&#8217;s for another blog.</p>
<p><strong>1. Your favorite book:</strong> Soooooo difficult, but I really can&#8217;t pick just one.</p>
<p><strong>2. Your least favorite book:</strong> In the last decade, that would be <em>The Da Vinci Code</em>. I wanted to throw it away by the end of the second chapter.</p>
<p><strong>3. A book that completely surprised you (bad or good):</strong> Hm&#8230;. I would have to say I didn&#8217;t expect to like <em>The Giver, </em>by Lois Lowry. I read it since Eldest was assigned the book for school, and found it well-written, even for adults.</p>
<p><strong>4. A book that reminds you of home:</strong> <em>Postal de Tierra Adentro (Postcard from the Inner Land), </em>by C. O. Padilla. Literally, a book about my hometown.</p>
<p><strong>5. A non-fiction book that you actually enjoyed:</strong> <em>The Monuments Men, </em>by Robert Edsel.</p>
<p><strong>6. A book that makes you cry:</strong> <em>A Knight in Shining Armor, </em>by Jude Deveraux. Yes, it&#8217;s a romance novel. But I found the concept of souls meeting again, instead of bodies, to be enchanting.</p>
<p><strong>7. A book that’s hard to read:</strong> <em>Ulysses, </em>by James Joyce. GAH!!</p>
<p><strong>8. An unpopular book you believe should be a bestseller:</strong> I don&#8217;t really know of any.</p>
<p><strong>9. A book you’ve read more than once:</strong> All of them, except <em>Pet Sematary.</em></p>
<p><strong>10. The first novel you remember reading:</strong> <em>The Secret of the Old Clock, </em>by Carolyn Keene. Yes, Nancy Drew was my portal into the world of reading.</p>
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<p><strong>11. The book that made you fall in love with reading:</strong> <em>The Mysterious Affair at Styles, </em>by Agatha Christie.</p>
<p><strong>12. A book so emotionally draining you couldn’t complete it or had to set it aside for a bit:</strong> <em>Unwind, </em>by Neal Schusterman.</p>
<p><strong>13. Favorite childhood book:</strong> <em>Fox in Socks</em>, by Dr. Seuss. Why? Because it helped me learn English.</p>
<p><strong>14. Book that should be on a high school or college required reading list:</strong> Any and all of the <em>Politically Incorrect Guides.</em></p>
<p><strong>15. Favorite book dealing with foreign culture:</strong> <em>Anthropology, </em>by Alfred Kroeber. As old as it is, it is still considered a masterpiece in the field. Outdated, and some of it debunked, it offers a fascinating window into the study of cultures.</p>
<p><strong>16. Favorite book turned movie:</strong> Hm, can&#8217;t think of any that stand out.</p>
<p><strong>17. Book turned movie and completely desecrated:</strong> <em>Starship Troopers, </em>by Robert Heinlein. *sobs*</p>
<p><strong>18. A book you can’t find on shelves anymore that you love:</strong> None come to mind.</p>
<p><strong>19. A book that changed your mind about a particular subject (non-fiction):</strong> <em>The Art of War, </em>by Sun Tzu.</p>
<p><strong>20. A book you would recommend to an ignorant/racist/closed-minded person:</strong> On the very cold, remote, off-chance anyone of that temperament would take any advice from me, I would recommend <em>The Story Bible, </em>by Pearl S. Buck.</p>
<p><strong>21. A guilty pleasure book:</strong> Everything by Teresa Medeiros. Yes, bodice-rippers, but with a lot of humor.</p>
<p><strong>22. Favorite series:</strong> I have quite a few. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Paladin series by John Ringo, Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes (though I stopped at <em>The Case is Altered</em> because it got a bit ridiculous).</p>
<p><strong>23. Favorite romance novel:</strong> <em>Wuthering Heights, </em>by Emily Bronte. They love so much and so deeply, it turns to hate and destroys them and they all die. Awesomeness!</p>
<p><strong>24. A book you later found out the author lied about:</strong> I&#8217;m with Nicole on this. I don&#8217;t watch or listen to Oprah Winfrey.</p>
<p><strong>25. Favorite autobiographical/biographical book:</strong> <em>Me, </em> by Katherine Hepburn.</p>
<p><strong>26. A book you wish would be written: </strong><em>Where Do We Go From Here? A Study in Fractal Time Travel Through Heaven and Hell. </em></p>
<p><strong>27. A book you would write if you had all the resources:</strong> See above.</p>
<p><strong>28. A book you wish you never read:</strong> <em>Pet Sematary, </em>by Stephen King. I need to turn all the lights on now.</p>
<p><strong>29. An author that you completely avoid/hate/won’t read:</strong> Nicholas Sparks. James Joyce. E L James.</p>
<p><strong>30. An author that you will read whatever they put out:</strong> Neil Gaiman. John Ringo. Brad Thor. Teresa Medeiros.</p>
<p>Well, that does it for me. I hope some of y&#8217;all pick up the challenge and post it on your blogs. It will be fun to see what other books are out there for us to enjoy.</p>
<p>Or to revile 😉</p>
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