A Book What?

I was recently tagged by Sophia for a Book Meme.

For starters, I had to look up the word meme. Apparently a meme is a unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

Huh? Is that supposed to be fustian way of saying a list?

Not exactly. According to Wikipedia, the word meme was coined in 1976 by Richard Dawkins and stems from his gene-centric theory of evolution which suggests that memes represent units of cultural information much the same way genes represent units of hereditary information. Examples include tunes, catch-phrases, clothes fashions and other traditional customs and practices. When memes gather in groups they form meme-complexes.

Fair enough. I’m not entirely sure my entry in this game of book tag will contribute much of anything to the cultural landscape but I’ll play along. Either way, I think I’ll stick with the word list.

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Here is a list of answers to various questions regarding books.

1. One book that changed your life: How to Talk Dirty and Influence People, by Lenny Bruce.
- Reading this book as a teenager opened a whole new world of possibilities for driving my mom nuts.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Suess
- Make that more than 100 times. My kids loved my attempt to replicate the underwater voice.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman
- This one may come in handy.

4. One book that made you laugh: The History of White People in America, by Martin Mull
- There are obviously scores of books that would fit into this category but this is one I particularly like because it is so absurd.

5. One book that made you cry: I’ll Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch
- It also made my mom cry when I gave it to her for Mother’s Day (in an ongoing attempt to make up for the above mentioned nuts driving) and the way we say good night to the kids each evening.

6. One book that you wish had been written: As I Was Saying: How to Finish a Sentence Without Your Wife Interrupting You.

7. One book that you wish had never been written: The Disapparation of James, by Anne Ursu
- This is the worst book I have ever read. The characters we poorly developed, the plot went nowhere and the ending was abrupt and unfinished. A perfect candidate for The Sunday Trumpet but I can’t imagine forcing my way through it again. Bleh!

8. One book you’re currently reading: Population 485, by Michael Perry
- We are reading this for our community book club. There is a lot of puke.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: The Qur’an
- I’d like to know what all the fuss is about.

10. Whom to tag next. Let’s see…how about Gitsul, SaraTee, Meg, Gina, and OneEar.