Tagged (part 1)

Stuff and Nonsense by Amy Cockram is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

Back in February I was tagged by Annalisa in her blog "Wake up, eat, write sleep." I've been very tardy in answering her questions - sorry, Annalisa.

I have to answer Annalisa's 11 questions, and then ask 11 questions of my own to another 11 people.  I haven't yet decided on my questions, of even if I know 11 people who might want to do it, but here are my 11 answers anyway.  There might be a part 2 of this post if I think of my 11 for 11...

Q. Which book, that you're supposed to love, do you actually hate?
A. That's difficult, as I've now decided that I have so many books and so little time that if I don't like a book, I won't force myself through it.  I love Tennessee Williams who loved D.H. Lawrence, so I always feel like I should try more D.H. Lawrence but I don't get on with his writing style.  Likewise I love Howard Jacobson who is a big advocate of Dickens' genius, but right now I am finding it tough to come to terms with the Victorian prose style again in "Oliver Twist" (although I loved "Bleak House"). I know people who love Thomas Hardy, but I loathe him (sorry Alicia, sorry Gill).

Q. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
A. John Carter.  And, whatever the marketing people might think, removing "Of Mars" from the title doesn't alter the fact that it is largely set ON MARS.

Q. Name four people (dead or alive) you would like to invite for dinner.
A. My husband - of course - Mark Kermode, Stephen Fry and Germaine Greer.  I don't think any of those choices will surprise people much.  I thought of inviting a famous person with a reputation for being stupid to bring down the average intelligence of the group so that, in comparison, I wouldn't seem stupid in front of people I admire.  However I decided that to do that would be a) mean and b) a waste of a dinner space.

Q. Can you remember your first teacher?
A. She was called Miss Bell and she had long, blonde hair.

Q. In which order should Star Wars be watched: IV, V, VI, I, II, III or I, II, III, IV, V, VI?
A. You should watch IV, V and VI, and ignore I, II and III altogether.

Q. Which fictional character would you like to be for a day?
A. I can't decide between Stephanie Plum on a day when she gets to spend time with Ranger and Morelli and doesn't get shot at, or Thursday Next on a day when she gets to spend time with Mr Rochester and Landen Parke-Laine and doesn't get shot at.

Q. Sweet or savoury?
A. Chocolate.

Q. Do you have a tattoo? How many?
A. I have one. 

Q. Do you still have your first teddy bear? (I do.)
A. I think it is still at my parent's house.  It was so worn that at various times its arms and legs fell off and had to be sewn back on.  I do remember an instance when it was a torso with a head.

Q. Oggy, oggy, oggy... Does anyone know what comes next? (hehehe)
A. Oi, oi, oi.

Q. What are you reading right now?
A. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran