The Bookish Time Travel Tag

I wasn’t tagged but Helen at She Reads Novels invited anyone to join in – and I thought, I’m anyone – so here you go. (Acknowledgment to The Library Lizard, the originator of this tag)

1. What is your favorite historical setting for a book?

I don’t think I have a favorite. So, instead I’ll just mention a period that I’d like to read more of – The Wild West (second half of the 19^th Century, North America). I’ve only read two Westerns in my 100 Greatest Novels Quest: Blood Meridian and Death Comes for the Archbishop. Both were excellent, though neither is a typical Western. I’d like to read more of this genre – typical or not.

2. What writer/s would you like to travel back in time to meet?

I’m going to say both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. It’s a fun thought – but seriously, what could I say to em? Whattya think of J.K Rowling? Regardless, it goes almost without saying, this meeting would have to be in a small English pub, while throwing back a pint. I’d also need to get a tweed jacket with elbow patches, and a pipe.

3. What book/s would you travel back in time and give to your younger self?

The Catcher in the Rye. I didn’t read this when you are supposed to – in High School. I’m not sure how much my opinion would change, because I was not terribly angsty even in H.S., but perhaps I’d find a little more empathy for Holden.

4. What book/s would you travel forward in time and give to your older self?

I was just mentioning to another book blogger, that I will probably reread Ulysses someday. I am fairly certain I will appreciate it more when I am not necessarily older, but better read.

5. What is your favorite futuristic setting from a book?

This distant future of Dune.

6. What is your favorite book that is set in a different time period (can be historical or futuristic)?

I was set to give a three way tie to: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, and The Count of Monte Cristo – but then I thought of my current read, which is both future and backward in time. How? Ayn Rand was certainly writing about some time period in the future from her own, but which is now definitely in the past from my own.

7. Spoiler Time: Do you ever skip ahead to the end of a book just to see what happens?

Nope, I never do this.

8. If you had a Time Turner, where would you go and what would you do?

This is not a book related question right? So, I’d go back to the 2009 Kentucky Derby, bet $1000 on the Superfecta: Mine that Bird, Pioneer of the Nile, Musket Man, and Papa Clem. That would give me $2.7 billion before taxes.

9. Favorite book (if you have one) that includes time travel or takes place in multiple time periods?

I haven’t read a lot involving time travel – in fact, if I limit it to my 100 Greatest Novels Quest, only one thus far: SlaughterhouseFive whose main character, Billy Pilgrim, is unstuck in time.

But I’m going to throw in, for honorable mention, 100 Years of Solitude, which covers – you guessed it – 100 years.

It just hit me, if I give credit to Gabriel García Márquez for writing a novel of 100 years, I should mention James Michener. It’s been a long time since I read him, but the two novels I read: The Covenant and Hawaii covered thousands of years.

10. What book/series do you wish you could go back and read again for the first time?

This was the easiest one to answer. I’d love to have my memory purged of any knowledge of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and read them anew with no expectations or preconceptions.

I’m going to follow Helen’s example by not tagging anyone specifically. But of course, feel free to follow suit, and let me know in the comments so I can read your responses.

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