To make it up to you...

Because I've been so negligent, and because I missed you all so...I thought I'd start a meme. And by the way, I finally gave in and looked up the definition and history of the term "meme", because that's how geeky I am. Yes, I'm back and I'm geeky. Or, as the Boy might say, "full of jolly goodness". Take your pick.

If this thing isn't as original as I think it is, forgive me. I've been busy not showering. If you don't have a blog, feel free to post your answers in the comments. And if you answer and aren't on my blogroll, please tell me or email me or something so I can see your version, 'cause I'm damned nosy that way. And for the dear Lord's sake, somebody else do this thing or I'm going to feel like a total idiot.

If you had to pick five fictional literary characters who would best embody you (in some aspect, either now or in the past), who would you choose?
Meg Murray
Jane Eyre
Christina Parsons
Mrs. Richard F. Schiller
Tess d'Urberville

Which five books (any genre) have had the greatest influence on you?
Catch 22
The Lord of the Rings
Traveling Mercies
The Neverending Story
The Heart of Darkness

What is your favorite commonly censored book?
The Wizard of Oz

If you would ever burn a book (God forbid), which book would it be? Why?
Watt, by Samuel Beckett.
I am one of those people who think like I read. Try having your brain start thinking like this for a week straight. You'd hate it, too. The horror.

Are you a monogamous reader, or do you like to read around?
Book slut. Always an orgy. No less than 5 books at a time.

Last one, and be honest: Do you skip ahead to the ending?
Skiperdoo.

Writing this, I realized that a lot of these books are ones I read as an adolescent or college student--they affected me so strongly because they introduced me to different ideas of how the world worked, perhaps. I find this interesting--and worrisome--because that's the age group that is the target of so much censorship (a vile activity if ever there was one, IMHO). Also, it looks like I'm stuck in a time warp.