The Golden Strawberry

I looked at technorati to find out who linked to us, in order to re-jig the blogroll. I discovered this Meme from August, in which we were tagged by Baby Washington. Well, better late than never. So here are my choices:

1. One book you have read more than once

Jennings goes to school by Anthony Buckeridge. Fossilised fishhooks! I loved the Jennings books between the ages of about 10 and 15; marvellous ripping yarns that have informed my writing style since. Recommended to small inky-fingered children everywhere.

2. One book you would want on a desert island

Orwell In Tribune by George Orwell. It's so damned fantastic, and has articles on everything from communism to toads to second-hand books. To think that he was writing these columns weekly, whilst writing 1984 and Animal Farm, almost makes me want to throw my laptop across the room in frustration. Inspirational would be a better word to describe it though.

3. One book that made you laugh

Incompetence by Rob Grant. You may recognise that name - he created Red Dwarf along with Doug Naylor. Either this or Colony is guaranteed to make you chuckle too often in public. Incompetence is set in "a Europe of the near future, in which nobody can be sacked on the grounds of age, sex, race or incompetence". I took this on holiday and read it three times in two weeks.

4. One book that made you cry

I honestly don't think any have. This isn't because I'm macho, I just usually avoid sad books which will make you cry. Instead, I re-read Incompetence.

5. One book you wish you had written

1066 and all that by W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman. This is the sort of alternative history I would love to write, but would probably lack the means - and the talent. Mostly, this is a parody of student's mistakes and malapropisms, such as "John was so bad that the Pope decided to put the whole country under an Interdict, i.e. he gave orders that no one was to be born or die or marry (except in Church porches)." My favourite-ist part of the whole book is:

THE INDUSTRIAL REVELATION

During these Wars many very remarkable discoveries and inventions were made. Most memorable among these was the discovery (made by all the rich men in England at once) that women and children could work for 25 hours a day in factories without many of them dying or becoming excessively deformed. This was known as the Industrial Revelation and completely changed the faces of the North of England.

6. One book you wish had never been written

Any by Richard Littlejohn. Do I have to pick one? Well, OK then.

7. One book you are currently reading

Peter Rex's biography of King Edgar, which is worth a read even if you aren't as unhealthily obsessed with tenth century Anglo-Saxon England as I am.

8. One book you have been meaning to read

The Future of Socialism by Tony Crosland. I know it's one of the intellectual cornerstones of modern leftish thought and all that, but I just haven't felt in the mood to really get stuck into it.

9. One Book That Changed Your Life

Has to be Reasons to be Cheerful by Mark Steel. It taught me many, many things. It told me that you can be funny and make a political point, and that being left-wing was the way to go. Although my views have evolved since reading the book, and re-reading it now I can see a few problems with what Mark Steel has to say, it would be stupid and wrong to play down the effect this book had on my life. And it, along with the Jennings books, my parent's puns and Red Dwarf, was probably among the main inspiration for my own particular sense of humour. Mark Steel may not have found another convert for the revolution in me, turned me into a political animal with his own lefty blog. And for that I'm eternally thankful.

10. Now tag five people

Hmmm.... how about Pub Philosopher, Don't Trip Up, Doctor Feelgood, Mission: Ramble and Adam. Enjoy!

Cory