Friday Fives – bookish edition

 How many of you still read books for entertainment?

I do still read, constantly.  However, I just can’t find time to read a book. I still consume books… daily.  These days, I do it all through audiobooks.  I prattle on about that here.  I read something a few years ago that always sticks with me.  The average American household has less than 5 books in it, and one of those is the bible.

What is that one book you just could NOT put down while you were reading it?

Kathy Griffin’s ‘Official Book Club Selection’.  Also gotta mention Springsteen’s autobiography.  Not just a page turner, but incredibly well written.

Btw, I don’t really read books for ‘entertainment’.  More for relaxation.

What book are you currently reading listening to?

Waging Heavy Peace – Neil Young

What book absolutely blew your mind?

 Lamb – the Gospel of Christ according to Biff, his childhood pal.  This book just blew my mind.  So incredibly super really great.  Mind you, I am not just un-religious… but pretty militantly anti-religion.  I was raised Catholic, though. I would also like to tell you about a near ‘religious experience’ I had with this book.  I was alone in a car for many hours on Christmas day reading it (just by chance) on zero sleep for several days.

This book also turned me on to the amazingness that is author Christopher Moore.  Since this book, I have gone on to read many of his.  Again, I prattle on and on about my love for this guy on my books page.  Just hope over here and do a control F on his name.

and….

Probably how well written that Springsteen book was.  You see how he is the voice of a generation.  I can barely think of my favorite writers who write that well.  He spend 7 years on it, and used no ghostwriter.  No ghostwriter is INCREDIBLE.   All rock memoirs are written with ghostwriters, usually the very impressive Anthony Bozza.  Rock stars don’t generally have the time or attention span or literary capability to do that.  The ghostwriter thing is perfect.  A dude hangs out with you for about a year.  He asks you pointed questions, and you tell him anecdotes.  They put it together for you.  Not the Boss.

Generally speaking, every famous person who has written a book uses a ghostwriter.

If you died today and the last text you received was written on your tomb stone, what would it say?

mostly done

 

 

ew… that is actually pretty perfect.  and… kinda creepy out of context of the conversation  Props to the Arizona Monkey Boy for that gem!  In case you don’t remember, we kinda made the Az Monkey Boy famous here.  As a bonus, we have his answers to this week’s five right below.

*** can I point something significant out here?  I just realized I went through an ENTIRE post about books (not my questions, either.  all from my editor) and I never once mentioned Alice in Wonderland.  That is a breakthrough!

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Friday Fives – a suggestible edition

Recommend one:

1. Book

Easy – Alice in Wonderland. Deeper choice – Lamb, the Gospel according to Biff * detailed reviews of both in the ‘what I am reading‘ section.  Do a control F, there is likely about 5 different books on Alice on there from the last 6 or 7 years.

2. Hobby, personal pursuit

Easy – guitar      deeper choice – learning to sing at age 42

3. Song

Easy – Tangled up in Blue   deeper choice – Lake Marie (John Prine)  Deeper still?  Too soon to Tell – Todd Snider

4. Web Site

Easy – Fark.com     deeper choice – the Oatmeal

5. Something of your choosing (ie- author, video game, food, movie, etc).

Easy – fantasy football.  It gives me a reason to watch every football game.  I am in two leagues right now. One is college buddies and the other is just family.  The college one has Peyton Manning for my QB.  however, in my family one, I am playing against my nephew this weekend and HE has Peyton Manning.  So, I will be a bit conflicted this weekend.

deeper choice – home brewing.  It’s fun, and very satisfying.  It’s empowering getting drunk off your own stew.  Plus, it feels like you are getting one over on the ‘man’.  Plus, I get to hear this for almost every pint poured:  you made this?  It’s amazing!

Friday Fives – books and trucks and phones and you

 

1. What was the last book that took your breath away?

Lamb: the gospel according to biff. Seriously, one of the best and most important books I have ever read.  I had a bit of a religious experience while listening to it, and that is not meant to be punny or dismissive.  In fact, let’s just talk about my experience reading that book.

I am very nonreligious.  I imagine myself as a Buddhist, and recovering Catholic.  So, I didn’t want to read religious dogma.  This book is not that at all.  It is a re-telling of the life of Christ as imagined by his best buddy.  So, I had the book on tape for my drive to Phoenix over the holidays.  I found myself driving from Phx to Show Low (about four hours) by myself on Christmas day… heading up to join the family.  For some reading, I hadn’t been sleeping at all.  Not a wink over four days.  This triggers a mild psychosis.  So, imagine this.  I am driving alone through the high desert on Christmas day nearly delirious from lack of sleep and I had the pleasure of this amazing book.  It’s better than the bible.  It tells you what the life of Christ was actually probably like, and through life experience you see why he is famous for certain things.

If those pinheads