Book Meme

Melodee tagged me for this book meme a while ago, but in a woeful lapse of bloggishness, I was neither reading nor writing blogs for a busy spell in my life. Life's still busy, but I missed the blogs. So, I write this now in honor of Melodee's last two days in Billings for a while!

One book that changed my life:
The Shadow of the Almighty. This is Elisabeth Eliot's account of Jim Eliot's life and death. It sparked my interest in missions literature and powerfully demonstrated a vibrant and sacrificial faith.

One book I've read more than once:
Anne of Green Gables. Such a delightful read -- Anne is a kindred spirit for all those with the imagination to befriend her!

One book I'd want on a desert island:
Hmmm... Maybe Les Miserables. It took me over a year to finish it (reading it on breaks from college). This time, I'd actually try to read the extended passages in French that I skipped the first time around.

One book that made me laugh:
Marley and Me, which is a story subtitled "Life with the World's Worst Dog." It just so happens that Marley is a labrador retriever who seems to embody "retrieverism." Oh, how many of Marley's stories have I lived through with Maggie, Spot, Piper and Migo!

One book that made me cry:
Where the Red Fern Grows. I remember weeping bitterly when the dogs died (my mom was reading it aloud to us, so it's been a while). btw, I'm a sucker for stories where dogs die. I stopped reading Marley and Me at the last chapter because I was reading it on a plane and knew he would die in that chapter and didn't want to be blubbering all over the person next to me.

One book I wish had been written:
Bridget Jones' Diary. I would have written it from a little bit less, um, explicit perspective, but the author put her finger on the pulse of millions of women in my generation, and it would be amazing to connect with your readers like that. Could you write a Bridget Jones story from a biblical worldview?

One book I wish had never been written:
The Paradox Principle of Parenting. We had to read this for a counseling class, and it was so bad that I found myself only underlining parts with which I disagreed and writing sarcastic comments in the margins. It felt so unedifying that I stopped reading it and threw the book away.

One book that I am currently reading:
Good to Great. I'm inching my way through it (a few pages a month, to tell the truth), but it's gotten rave reviews from businesses and non-profits, so I know I can learn much from it.

One book I've been meaning to read:
Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics -- I've bought many books that I intend to read, but these (I only have 2 of them) represent some of my loftiest post-graduation aspirations.