Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Books are good for the soul...

So, I got double-tagged by this blog chain letter type thing (Greta and Jacob). Fun times, I say. But, then I started thinking about the experience of being double-tagged. Does this mean that the second tag negates the first? I know that you can’t triple-stamp a double-stamp, but I’m not sure if you can double-tag a single-tag. Then, I thought, “What if rather than negating the first tag, a second tag actually reinforces it? Does this mean I have to type in bold?” (I actually thought about this for a while.) I concluded that a second tag does, indeed, reinforce, not negate. So, here’s my book blog, the reinforced edition.

1. One book that changed your life: Writing the Natural Way by Gabrielle Lusser Rico. The book itself was pretty good, but the situation in which I read and interacted with it—my Creative Writing class at DTS—has been one of the more life changing things I’ve ever done. I took the class in order to do something I thought I might enjoy. Turns out I found something I was meant to do.


2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire/Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Love the little wizard!

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: The Baseball Encyclopedia. Who could ever get tired of reading that?

4. One book that made you laugh: Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson. Funny dude! Not only made me laugh, it also made me want to move to the woods in the northeast. Weird, I know.

5. One book that made you cry: I honestly can’t think of any that fit this one. It’s either because I’m reading the wrong kinds of books or because I’m a shell of a man completely devoid of compassion and sensitivity. Probably the latter.

6. One book that you wish had been written: Making Texas More Like California in Six Easy Steps

7. One book that you wish had never been written: Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons or Faithful by Stephen King or anything else on the topic of the event that must not be named.

8. One book you’re currently reading: None, really. But I recently finished Psychology, Theology and Spirituality by Mark McMinn, The Search for Significance by Robert McGee, From Exegesis to Exposition by Robert Chisholm, Introducing Biblical Hebrew by Allen Ross and The Summer That Seminary Killed My Husband by Greta Bruneel.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. I’m not a huge fan of Edwards the linguist (too wordy) but I love Edwards the theologian and figure I should at least read the magnum opus.

10. Now tag five people: How about three? R. Jeff, Bittner, and Leani. I was going to put Derek Jeter in my list of three, but since he won't respond to my e-mails and repeated phone calls anymore, I figured I should let it go.

3 comments:

Heather said...

Let me know when that TX to CA book comes out. Can't wait to read how the Pacific is pumped in.
BTW, loved your piece in the Wittenburg Door.
Bet I can guess which classes you're finishing up at DTS...

Jacob Glidewell said...

Benji, Benji ... The reason you've never cried while reading a book is because you've spent too much time outside the church. Once Our Building of Faith has castrated you as well, you'll cry during the long distance phone ads on TV ... like I do.

Anonymous said...

well Benji, How many times have you read Harry Potter? I like the books about the event that must not be mentioned. Although, at first I thought you were refering to death which didn't make any sense, but I then checked the link and it all came into focus.