Reading is fundamental.

I’ve been very frustrated with myself lately—I cannot seem to finish a book. Before I started law school, I was a voracious reader. In addition to my required, English-major texts, I usually finished at least one “pleasure book” each month. Now, I’ve been plodding through Going After Cacciato by Tim O’Brien for nearly six months (and not because it’s a bad book—quite the opposite is true), and the Primo Levi biography that I bought two years ago is still serving (very effectively) as a doorstop.

There are many more books that I’d like to read, so in honor of my pre-New Year’s resolution to get crackin’ on that, and in honor of the many, many, MANY books I actually have managed to finish in the past, I present to you a literary meme that I got from my dear friend Chai (who read two books on her recent flight to India, so she’s currently my hero).

1) One book that changed your life?

I’d have to go with either Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man or Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. They represent radically different themes and styles, but they are both executed so artfully that they’ve resonated with me for years. I read them both at about the same time (in AP English my senior year of high school), and they helped propel me to study literature in college.

2) One book you have read more than once?

Sooooooo many choices, since I love to re-read. I’ve probably read Farenheit 451 more times than any other book, as it seemed to appear on every reading list from 6th grade on. Not that I minded—I think it’s one of the greatest books ever written.

3) One book you would want on a desert island?

Probably Memoirs of a Geisha. I only wish they hadn’t made a movie out of this one—it really didn’t do the book any justice. I might also consider bringing Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, but the irony might just be too much.

4) One book that made you cry?

A Farewell to Arms. I know, I know, Hemingway was an arrogant, misogynistic bastard. But I adore his simple, no-nonsense prose, and I think he wrote a damn fine love story here.

5) One book that made you laugh?

Burroughs’ Naked Lunch. And anything by Kurt Vonnegut.

6) One book you wish had been written?

Hmmm. Not sure I understand the question. I wish I had written a book, but I suppose there’s always still time for that, right?

7) One book you wish had never been written?

Lord of the Flies, without question. Words cannot express how much I loathe that book. Unfortunately, it was on almost as many reading lists as was Farenheit 451. I would also be satisfied if William Faulker had never written a word.

8) One book you are reading currently?

Going After Cacciato, as previously mentioned. I really enjoyed The Things They Carried, so when a colleague suggested that I read O’Brien’s earlier work, I jumped right in.

9) One book you have been meaning to read?

The new James Dean biography, written by his former roommate and sometimes-lover. I’ve read LOTS of books about the young star, but this one should be especially interesting, since the author has kept mum for so many years. Then there’s always that Primo Levi monstrosity...

Your thoughts?