twenty-something

Thank the stereojoes for this one.

Estimate the total number of books you've ever owned in your life.
Huh. That's a tough one. I'd say, including everything since my Little Golden Books when I was a kid, maybe 752? It's so hard to guess because I'm not even sure how many are on my tiny bookshelf in my tiny apartment, let alone all the books packed away at my mom's, all the forgotten books I consumed as an English major in college, and all the books that have gotten lost or discarded along the years. And do comic books count?

So 752 could be high or low, and maybe outrageously so, but it's my guess.


What's the last book you bought?
Kaplan GRE Exam: 2005 Edition and The Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE.
That's right -- it's time to start thinking about grad school. And that means studying for a lame-ass enterance exam. How fucking fun.


What's the last book you read?
Best American Short Stories 2004.
Not the best of the series, but some good stuff in there. I need to give a couple of the stories a second read to see if they were as good as I thought.


List 5 books that mean a lot to you.
These aren't the Top Five -- but they are five good 'uns.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles.
This is possibly my favorite book, and certainly one of the most important. I recognize this is the very thing that made me realize I was gay. I reread it about once a year and still find myself just completely enamored by the relationship of Gene and Phineas. (Fun fact: I've often fantasized about naming a son or dog after Finny -- more so dog, now that Julia Roberts stole my thunder.)

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.
Love Sedaris. Love this book. But then again -- who doesn't? There's a reason why this man is so loved. "Jesus Shaves" is just pure brilliance. Doesn't get much better than this!

Watchers / The Voice of the Night / Lightning by Dean Koontz.
Yes, three books... three books by Dean Koontz. Shock! Horror! I haven't read a Koontz book since the 90s, but I used to consume them like nothing else and, for a long stretch starting in the 7th Grade, he was my favorite author. Now I sort of cringe at the thought of it, but I recognize the author as important to my development as a teen and a writer. These three novels will always have special places in my heart. Watchers, the story of a super-smart golden retriever who talks to his owner through *ahem* Scrabble tiles, was the first to get me hooked on Big K. Night was the first book I read in a day, enraptured by the story of two teen best friends and their, um, wacky sociopathic (if homophobic) adventures. And Lightning I still admire as a touching, well-constructed science-fiction tale (and, done right, I think it would make an amazing film).

The Object of My Affection by Stephen McCauley.
Before delicious Paul Rudd starred in the uneven film version with Jen Aniston, there was this superior novel by fellow University of Vermont alum McCauley. The book is just damn near perfect, a quick read that is so easy and enjoyable that it almost feels superficial but, really, there's an amazing depth and heart in this story that's oft-copied but never successfully reproduced. The characters are vibrant and the plot is undeniably human. If all you've seen is the film, you have to read this. You have to.

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone.
Speaking of Little Golden Books, here's one starring Sesame Street's Grover. It's notable because this is the first book I remember. My mom would read it to me in a dead-on Grover voice all the time and I would love it. I can still here her saying "Hello everybody" and then reading through this book's compelling plot, the fear in her Grover-voice building as it reached its climax. Remember, kids: there's nothing to fear but fear itself. And yourself, if you're a monster.