Book Meme Bonanza!

I've been tagged for a lot of memes this week. I feel popular! I feel like Carrie at the prom! Trusting that there's no bucket suspended over my head, I'll begin:

Bibliolatrist tagged me for a six-word story. This was more difficult than I thought.

While packing, she fantasized about agoraphobia.

Ella at Box Of Books wants to know about readers' comfort zones.

What kind of a book are you most comfortable reading? Biographies. Especially ones about authors. Serve 'em up with a snack of jalapenos and popcorn and a large Coca-Cola with lots of ice and I'm a happy bookworm.

What kind of book do you love to hate? Something that is kind of touchy-feely and has a "deep" message and if I don't "get it", I'm either stupid, shallow or heartless.

What was the last book you surprised yourself by liking? The Oxford Murders. I don't like math or mysteries, but I found this novel enjoyable.

What was the last book you surprised yourself by disliking? The Book Of Proper Names. I thought that since it was a modern French novel, it would be cool, edgy and entertaining. Zero-for-three on that one!

What would be the worst book to be marooned on a desert island with? Maybe a biography of Dakota Fanning or Miley Cyrus?

What would you take if you suspected you might be marooned in the near future? I need to take Middlemarch since I'm due to read it again in 2009. I also might take a blank book.

What forces you to read outside your comfort zone? Guilt. Shame. Peer pressure. My Tough & Cool Inner Bookworm. The usual.

Just A Reading Fool has tagged me for a Best/Worst Classics Meme.

What is the best classic you were forced to read in school, and why? To Kill A Mockingbird. I read it during the 1975-1976 school year. This was during the time that we were celebrating (and celebrating and celebrating!) the bicentennial, and the nation was continuously congratulating itself for being so wonderful. TKAM made me realize how far we'd come in such a short time and also recognize how far we still had to go.

What is the worst classic you were forced to endure in school, and why? I'm not sure that I can answer this question fairly. I really hated Julius Caesar in 10th grade. This was my introduction to Shakespeare, and it almost put me off of him for good. Actually, I hated almost everything we read in 10th grade, but that could have been the teacher. Never before or since have I had an English teacher that could make books so unappetizing, even to me.

Which classic should every student be required to read, and why? Fahrenheit 451, Of Mice And Men and To Kill A Mockingbird. They're good stories, the language is easily accessible and have the potential for great class discussions.

Which classic should be put to rest immediately, and why? I'm hoping that teachers are no longer ga-ga over Portrait Of Jennie. A ghost story that's muddled nonsense that was probably written for a quick buck.

Why do you think certain books become classics? They become classics because they have characters, themes and ideas that readers of all ages can identify with, often on a visceral level.