Matt reserved the tuxes. That just leaves arranging the flower bouquets, and my bridesmaids are sticking around to help with that after the shower on Saturday. Almost there. Woo!
And now, I meme. I'm not generally much of a meme sort of person, but I saw this book meme in Bojojoti's LJ the other day and it grabbed me. Maybe because I don't talk about books nearly as much as I should, and I'd like to remind myself and others that I do, in fact, read:
1. One book that changed your life?
I would say the Bible, but that's pretty much a given. So instead I'll change things up and go with Women With Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden. Because if I had any lingering doubts about whether I had ADD when I picked up the book, by the time I finished it I not only had no doubt but also had a greater understanding of my type of the disorder and what I could do to keep it from interfering with my ability to be a functional adult. I highly recommend it not only for anyone who suspects they might have ADD, but also for anyone who is in any kind of relationship with a woman who has ADD, because this will help you understand what it's like to be her and why she does the seemingly stupid things she does. And, hopefully, make it a little easier for you to forgive and accept the way she is.
2. One book you have read more than once?
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I read this one way back when it first came out, having only a passing familiarity with "that Sandman guy." I loved it enough to recommend it to friends a few years later, and when they tried to enthusiastically discuss it with me and I found I didn't remember a lot of what they were going on about, I picked it up again and found new layers that I'd missed the first time, as tends to happen. I've read it again since then, and it's come to feel like an old friend.
3. One book you would want on a desert island?
The Bible. I'm not just saying that because I have to. Spending time in the Word centers me and gives me a sense of peace and calm like nothing else, save prayer. It would keep me from losing my mind.
4. One book that made you laugh?
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman (again) and Terry Pratchett. It's like Monty Python meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (another book--series of books, really--that made me laugh) meets the Book of Revelation. Irreverent and naughty and hilarious.
5. One book that made you cry?
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. If you've read it, you know what and why. If you haven't read it, you should. And then keep going with the rest of the series (to date), because it only gets better.
6. One book you wish had been written?
I've got about three partial manuscripts on the back burner that I wish could write themselves.
7. One book you wish had never been written?
I don't tend to think that just because I don't like or agree with something, it loses its right to exist and be enjoyed by other people who don't share my brain or my beliefs. That said, the world would probably be better off without any book that was written with the intent of inciting people to evil acts. Or without unbalanced propaganda in general.
8. One book you are currently reading?
I'm slowly but surely working my way through A Confederacy of Dunces. It's... not as funny as all the blurbs on the cover led me to expect, but it has its moments. Mostly I just feel sorry for the main character, who I suspect is an undiagnosed high-functioning autistic. He reminds me of this kid in my sister's ED class when I was interning, and what he'll probably turn out to be without the proper intervention, and... yeah. Kind of a painful read, which is why it's taking me so long. But I'm also re-reading Stardust (another Neil Gaiman fairy tale) in anticipation of the movie, and finding that I like it much better than I remembered. And it's moving along much more quickly.
9. One book you have been meaning to read?
The Catcher in the Rye has been sitting on my shelf started but not finished for years. Ditto 1984. I always plan to get back to them.
10. Now tag five people.
Er... no. But if you run with it, please comment and let me know. I'd love to read your version.
