Another Book Meme...

I haven't seen this one before, and when I spotted it over at Tigerish Waters, I knew I wanted to have a go, despite not being tagged... But then again, Rita didn't explicitly tag anyone...

1) Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
Anything by St. John of the Cross (way too advanced for my little blonde brain) and pretty much anything by St. Augustine of Hippo (too tedious for words... and his stuff in the Office of Readings goes on and on and on... and I know I should find it instructive...)

2) If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael, Giovanni Guareschi's Don Camillo and Chesterton's Father Brown for a Murder Mystery Weekend. It would be fun to see who got the right answer quickest!

3) (Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
Probably The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The inaccuracies I've heard about would be so tedious I might even be tempted to gnaw open my radial arteries to speed up the process!

4) Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
No, I don't do that one... but I have bought Witness to Hope by George Weigel ages and ages ago and haven't yet gotten around to reading it...

5) You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP).
Fiction: The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. I love spy stuff, high-tech gadgetry and page-turning excitement. Non-Fiction: The Spirit of the Liturgy by the Holy Father in his previous existence as Cardinal Ratzinger... it explains why I get so worked up about liturgical abuses.

6) A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
Latin: so I can pray the Divine Office in the Extraordinary Form (They had more saints to choose from!)

7) A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
I refuse to choose just one! The Sinner's Guide by Venerable Louis of Granada. Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort. The Imitation of Christ by St Thomas á Kempis. I re-read these ones frequently anyway, though not every year.

8) I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?
Ummmmmm... I've discovered that it's a bad idea for me to browse internet bookstores just after payday. Much better to wait until someone recommends a book, and buy that ONE. Of course, it's also far less fun to do it that way, so I rarely follow my own good advice.

9) That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.
Big room. Lots of shelves, but nothing above head height, as I can't climb ladders or steps easily. Large french windows looking onto a lawn down to a river or lake. Lots of central heating. Squishy armchairs which can be curled up in. And lots of books. All the classics by the saints, and lots more books on the Church and her teachings by other good writers. Nothing heretical. And a small section of murder mysteries and spy thrillers for when I need to veg out.

Ok, I'll tag Fr. Tim Finigan (I usually avoid tagging him as he rarely bothers, but I might be lucky and get another link out of it!), Fr. Ray Blake (although he didn't seem to enjoy the last tag I gave him!), Fr. Zuhlsdorf (I don't hold out much hope... I've never seen a meme on his blog, but boy, imagine the answers he'd give!!), Jeff the Curt Jester (I'm fascinated to know what his answers would be), Karen (she generally tags me, so it's payback time!) and Newhousenewjob (as she's been away from the blogosphere for a while, she might enjoy this one.)

UPDATE: Karen has completed the meme, despite being eight hours behind the rest of humanity. Fr. Z completed it, which was a bit of a shock... luckily it wasn't in Latin. I'm intrigued that he wants to be able to read Chinese though! The Curt Jester gritted his teeth and completed "yet another book meme" and Fr. Ray is saving his for a day when he hasn't got anything better to do (so I won't hold my breath there then!) That just leaves Fr. Tim and Newhousenewjob...