Book Meme

Drub tapped me for another meme that’s been making the rounds. Since this is easier than figuring out what to write, and slightly meatier than just trotting out funny search terms, I’ll comply with my instructions.

You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?

Well, I’ve already got John Waters‘ Crackpot half-memorized from years of reading it again and again, and since that would surely be one of the first books to go in a major purge, I’d have to choose that one.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

Constantly. At one time or another there’s been Alec Scudder, Hiro Protagonist, Joe Kavalier, Ponyboy Curtis, et al.

The last book you bought is:

If I don’t count trade paperback collections of comic books, it would be The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst, a classic of the genre I should have picked up a long time ago. (My last comics trade was volume 4 of John Byrne’s work on the Fantastic Four.)

The last book you read is:

Something to Be Desired by Veronique Vienne, a fantastic collection of essays about graphic design, culture, and stuff.

What are you currently reading?

Monthly doses of Metropolis, Wired, and an unruly list of comic books. I’m between books, although I just grabbed Room With a View from the bookshelf while going to double-check Scudder’s name in Maurice.

Five books you would take to a deserted island:

  • The Bible. Seriously, I’ve been meaning for a long time to read it straight through, and a desert island would be the safest place for me to do that without strangling someone who can’t admit that it’s very infuential, very didactic, and frequently altered historical fiction.

  • Robinson Crusoe, because the irony would be delicious.

  • Low Life by Luc Sante, a personal favorite that would also let me indulge in homesickness.

  • William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, because in the real world it’s really hard to concentrate on this stuff enough to enjoy it as much as I’m prone to.

  • A blank sketchbook. I’d also want to do a whole mess of writing and drawing, or I’d go crazy.