One Book (Warning: It's a Meme)

Prudence, the cool chick behind Women Knead the Dough, totally called me out on the fact that I write about books ALL THE TIME so I have NO EXCUSE not to do this meme.

Hmmph.

One book you have read more than once?
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott. I plan on reading it a few more times, too.

One book you would want on a desert island?
The Castaways' Devotional Bible. I couldn't find it on Amazon, for some reason.

One book that made you laugh?
Thomas' Calculus, by I Don't Know or Care. Indefinite integrals? Derivation? How the heck do I know, you number psychos?! It makes not a lick of sense to me. Yeah, I laughed, the laugh of someone doomed to test, fail, repeat for the rest of her college career. When my report card came and I saw that 'D,' tears welled in my eyes, tears of joy! I would never have to do calculus again! Then, I laughed some more.

One book that made you cry?
The Book of Ruth, by Jane Hamilton. I cried buckets and I blame Oprah 100 percent for making me read it. The main character -- her voice, her point of view, her experiences -- will stay with me always. To me, it's a masterpiece.

One book you wish you had written?
White Oleander, by Janet Fitch. Yes, it's another Oprah's Book Club book. What's your point? This was Fitch's first novel. Announcing it on her show, Oprah claimed that she begged to voice the audio book, and she convinced me that this was the Best Novel of All Time Period. Can you imagine that happening to you as a first-time novelist? Fitch's debut deals with the foster care system, and I've always been interested in foster kids' plight. It held my rapt attention. I laughed, I cried. Also, I think I could write a book like this, like, in reality. No, really.

One book you wish had never been written?
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Because, damn, us right-wingers had everybody fooled until The Posterboy for Mean-Spirited Self-Righteousness came along! And, no, I'm not linking to it.

One book you are currently reading?
Use Me, by Elissa Schappell. It's a short story collection. Wait, it's a novel! Either way, I like it. Schappell hooked me during an early scene in which a 15-year-old girl, recovering from her third abortion, has to pull boys' underpants out of a show dog's butt. She still has me tonight, reading about a mom addicted to nursing her three year old.

One book you've been meaning to read?
Two that I'm supposed to review: It Hit Me Like a Ton of Bricks, by Catherine Lloyd Burns, and To Hell With All That, by Caitlin Flanagan. I've started the latter, and so far, it's quite good, even though it's not normally my kind of book.

I'm not tagging anyone, but if you do this, please let me know. I'd love to read your answers.

Also, I am way behind on book/DVD/music CD reviews. Stay tuned for lots of reviews and giveways in the coming week or two.

P.S. Speaking of Anne Lamott, have you read this? You have to fill out a survey to read it, but it takes two seconds. I'm going to print it out and save it with my boys' scrapbooks. Also, Operating Instructions? You've read that, right?