Vegetable? Mineral? Could it beeeeee the opposite of utopias? Is it a tree? A building? Can it leap tall buildings? I'm with Lady Di, I give up....

I read non-fiction, including self-help, how-to, but mainly memoirs. 2 of the memoirs of our boomer sisters that I read was Dianne's "Whose Face Is In The Mirror" and Sharon's "Eagle Born to Fly." I read books on sociology and psychology. I read really heavy stuff about our society, like, "Transforming a Rape Culture." I like any biography of overcoming adversity. I read fiction if it has a basic theme that is in my field of interest, such as "Black and Blue" by Anna Quindlan about a woman surviving domestic violence. Or Pat Conroy who wrote "The Prince of Tides" etc. I don't read fun books because I have no sense of humor. I don't read fantasy because I find it too fantastical to envision. Right now I'm reading "Meet the Beatles: A cultural history of the band that shook youth, gender, and the world." This is a great analysis of our generation. I am reading "First Things First" by Stephen Covey. I like reading anything about our soul, such as by Thomas Moore or Gary Zukav. Oh, and lately I've been discovering the need for taking charge of my finances for my future, and to care for my mother, so I am reading all of Suze Ormann. I read a lot of books to review for authors of books themed alike to mine. The most recent I was asked to review is "Rewrite the Script" which is a memoir. As a child, I read anything with nature and animals, and loved to examine the books on breeds of horses and dogs. The two books that changed my life were "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron and "The Courage to Heal" by Ellen Bass. Books books books. In love with books. That was a good question. P.S. Yes, I am still around!

PL, have you read Loving What Is?

At this time in my life: Well-written ravelogues that do include some research/consideration about the local history, people and events. I do specialize in buying/collecting on travelogues written by women or those who have done mega-trips on bike. Have about 15-20 such books in my packed, growing collection.

Miji have you read the biography of the Tibetan (or Nepali?) mountainclimber, who accompanied New Zealander Sir Edmund Hilary to Mt. Everest. We're kinda forgetting the Sherpas must have incredible lungs, mental and physical strength to be at such altitudes....and no world-wide recognition for them....

Occasionally I read mountain-climbing travelogues, but don't gravitate to books that exclude local interaction by the visiting author with local people, etc. Nor do I watch those survivor tv shows where endurance athletes do incredible things in foreign countries. It feels arrogant..to me...to put these people from North AMerica at the centre of the story often in Third World country, instead of incredible stories with local people and their local culture/complex hsitory. Enough attention on us North Americans....for Pete's sake...! (But I do enjoy tv shows that feature a North American host in foreign country, showing historic places, explaining and interactig with locals.) Sorry for the rant. Life is short, gotta prioritize my reading from thousands of available books.

Over the past few decades, I do enjoy reading books on social issues. Enjoy various biographies, usually individuals who have undergone adversity in life/have changed lives for others.

Sci-fi at this time hasn't moved me so far. Though I understand there is a broader/more diverse definition sci-fi worlds. And fantasy novels was something I gave up after Tolkein and C.S. Lewis in my teens.

I did go through a period of reading detective/mystery fiction. With a focus on female mystery writers: ie. Amanda Cross, Sara Paretsky.

I regret at this time I don't seem to have the patience or feel intellectually tired to read some of the incredible award winning novels/ literature. But one day... Occasionally I will read some novels written by upcoming dynamic novelists who were born/raised outside of North America. Whole worlds I feel I missed/grazed by when I did my English literature degree long ago.

Gimster, I've read that book and bought five copies for friends and my sister. It's really amazing, isn't it?

Princess Lenora, I don't believe that you don't have a sense of humor! Not for one minute...

It's been awhile since I read it myself, but I remember the feelings I had when reading it. I passed my copy on to one of my sisters.

Well, maybe I'll let my sense of humor escape once in while, when I am no longer in the mood to be miserable. Gimster, I will put that book on my list. Right now. Thanks!

Jawjaw, you win the three-headed alien earwarmer prize for getting the definition.

Dystopia is the opposite of utopia. It's about worlds gone terribly and sometimes creepily wrong, quite often because of corrupt politic regimes (Anne, are you taking notes?) Well-known books about dystopian societies includes George Orwell's 1984 and A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Wow! Way cool! I won! I won! And its a...its a...huh? Three-headed? Ah...Alien? Ahhh...I--ah...I won...(insert heavy sigh), I won...