30 Days of Books - Day 8
Aug. 11th, 2010 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
perzephone
Day 08 – A book everyone should read at least once
This is a hard question for me to answer. No two people have exactly the same experiences in their lives, so how can I say that everyone 'should' read a certain book.
I can make a generalized exception in the case of religious texts. I'm not talking the Left Behind series, either. I'm talking about the Christian Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Satanic Bible (if you want to know about LaVeyan Satanism, anyway), etc. If you want to know what people honestly believe, if you want to know what your pastor is talking about in his sermons, if you want to know why people are knocking on your door at the buttcrack of dawn on a Saturday to tell you 'the good news', pick up one of the books. Read it. Read a few different versions of it, different translations. Don't fall into the habit of letting other people interpret these things for you - pick up the books, read them and make your own decisions about them. Decide what the words mean for you in your own life. Decide for yourself if it's valid or bullshit.
I don't know if it's because I'm Pagan, and Pagans seem to be interested in these things, but it seems like ever since a fateful day in 2001, religion is becoming more of a turning point in politics and global communication. It can either be a schism to tear the world apart, or we can start looking for the common ground and become united, if not in direct beliefs, but in experiences. You don't have to be Christian to be a decent, ethical person. You don't have to be an atheist to believe in the scientific method. You don't have to be Pagan to respect the planet you live on, and you don't have to be Mormon to understand the importance of community. Until people are willing to expand themselves beyond what they have had other people teaching them, no one will ever realize that.
Day 09 – Best scene ever
Day 10 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 – A book that disappointed you
Day 12 – A book or series of books you’ve watched more than five times
Day 13 – Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)
Day 14 – Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender)
Day 15 – Your “comfort” book
Day 16 – Favorite poem or collection of poetry
Day 17 – Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)
Day 18 – Favorite beginning scene in a book
Day 19 – Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)
Day 20 – Favorite kiss
Day 21 – Favorite romantic/sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 22 – Favorite non-sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 23 – Most annoying character ever
Day 24 – Best quote from a novel
Day 25 – Any five books from your “to be read” stack
Day 26 – OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending
Day 27 – If a book contains ______, you will always read it (and a book or books that contain it)!
Day 28 – First favorite book or series obsession
Day 29 – Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
Day 30 – What book are you reading right now?
This is a hard question for me to answer. No two people have exactly the same experiences in their lives, so how can I say that everyone 'should' read a certain book.
I can make a generalized exception in the case of religious texts. I'm not talking the Left Behind series, either. I'm talking about the Christian Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Satanic Bible (if you want to know about LaVeyan Satanism, anyway), etc. If you want to know what people honestly believe, if you want to know what your pastor is talking about in his sermons, if you want to know why people are knocking on your door at the buttcrack of dawn on a Saturday to tell you 'the good news', pick up one of the books. Read it. Read a few different versions of it, different translations. Don't fall into the habit of letting other people interpret these things for you - pick up the books, read them and make your own decisions about them. Decide what the words mean for you in your own life. Decide for yourself if it's valid or bullshit.
I don't know if it's because I'm Pagan, and Pagans seem to be interested in these things, but it seems like ever since a fateful day in 2001, religion is becoming more of a turning point in politics and global communication. It can either be a schism to tear the world apart, or we can start looking for the common ground and become united, if not in direct beliefs, but in experiences. You don't have to be Christian to be a decent, ethical person. You don't have to be an atheist to believe in the scientific method. You don't have to be Pagan to respect the planet you live on, and you don't have to be Mormon to understand the importance of community. Until people are willing to expand themselves beyond what they have had other people teaching them, no one will ever realize that.
Day 09 – Best scene ever
Day 10 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 – A book that disappointed you
Day 12 – A book or series of books you’ve watched more than five times
Day 13 – Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)
Day 14 – Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender)
Day 15 – Your “comfort” book
Day 16 – Favorite poem or collection of poetry
Day 17 – Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)
Day 18 – Favorite beginning scene in a book
Day 19 – Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)
Day 20 – Favorite kiss
Day 21 – Favorite romantic/sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 22 – Favorite non-sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 23 – Most annoying character ever
Day 24 – Best quote from a novel
Day 25 – Any five books from your “to be read” stack
Day 26 – OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending
Day 27 – If a book contains ______, you will always read it (and a book or books that contain it)!
Day 28 – First favorite book or series obsession
Day 29 – Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
Day 30 – What book are you reading right now?
