book meme (or, the brief return of lazy blogging)

Blogging has been sparse. I don't apologize--life beckons. It will continue to be sparse until at least the end of September, when I will be coming to you live from a new house and a new time zone. Details, if you care, can be found over multiple posts here.

Anyway, I saw this one over at Henley's place, and I thought it was cool, so I decided to grab it even though I wasn't tagged.

One book that changed your life:

It's cliche, but if I'm being honest, I can't think of another single book that shook up the way I thought the way Atlas Shrugged did.

One book you have read more than once:

Dancing Naked in the Mind Field by Kary Mullis

One book that you would want on a desert island:

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child


One book that made you laugh:

Novel by George Singleton

One book that made you cry:

Atonement by Ian McEwan


One book you wish had been written:

I wish that Bill Hicks had written a book before he died.

One book you wish had never been written:

I don't know--pick any insidious self-help book that reduces the complexities of human relations into catchy slogans and simple answers.

One book you are currently reading:

American Pastoral by Phillip Roth


One book you have been meaning to read:

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Now tag five people:

Anybody who wants to, run with it...