A little on the books

1. One book that changed your life: One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte - It was the first “real” novel that I remember reading. And the story was quite entertaining as well. It’s basically the book that got me into reading.

2. One book you have read more than once: The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger - This is my favorite book of all time, so it makes sense that I would probably read it more than once. Plus, I was in many different English classes that had this book as required reading. Go figure. Maybe that’s why I grew to like it so much? Who knows.

3. One book you would want on a desert island: Bone (One Volume Edition) by Jeff Smith - Fantasy, tragedy, comic relief, adventure, and mystery all bundled up in one great big comic book. It’s not your typical comic book. It’s a friggin’ comic epic worthy of your time. What other book would you need on a desert island if you’ve got this?

4. One book that made you laugh: Naked by David Sedaris - Just a fantastic memoir and personal story. I would like to write something similar one day.

5. One book that made you cry: Sorry, none so far.

6. One book you wish you had written: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss - For many, the subject of punctuation and grammar is as interesting as watching your grass dry after a morning rain. So Lynne Truss deserves lots of credit for making such a repulsive topic interesting (and relevant) again. I picked this book simply because I would like to change people’s bad habits in such a simple way.

7. One book you wish had never been written: On Photography by Susan Sontag - Yeah, believe it. This book can put anybody to sleep and make any aspiring photographer want to jump ship. I think this book was required reading material in all of my classes last year, and I’m sure this year, it’ll most likely be the same. Why can’t photographers be great photographers and entertaining writers all at once? Photographers are seriously the most boring people in the world so imagine reading a photographer’s philosophical thoughts on photography (yeah, say that 10 times fast). Too deep into their own work to have a life most of the time. I hope I get out before it’s too late and I end up sucked into the vortex of DULL that is photography. Geez.

8. One book you are currently reading: The Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate Ascher - More like a textbook than a book, but nevertheless, this bundle of pages is as interesting as anything you’re sure to ever lay your hands and eyes on. It’s all about how big cities (particularly NYC) work and run. Coupled with the fantastic illustrations and explanations, this book is a must-have for any New Yorker. It’s really really really good.

9. One book you have been meaning to read: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - I like reading about how societies interact, react, and feed off of the souls living within it. I find Gladwell’s theory really thought-provoking as well, so why not read up on it, right? I will someday.

[Peter asked me to fill this out]