Anything But This Question! (Sydney Salter)

College application essays have been the focus of my household for the past few weeks. My daughter calculates that she's written over 7,000 words about herself, activities--and, yes, the books that have most influenced her life.

Confession: I am so relieved not to have to answer that question, the one about favorite books.

Part of me would love to write some of these college essays, especially the wacky, creative ones that drive my straightforward, logic-loving daughter crazy. I'm much more interesting now than I was at 17. Partly because I read so much.

But the book question drives me crazy. I don't have a favorite book. Never have. I've reread a few titles more than once, but that's mostly been due to assigned reading--or the need to revisit something I didn't "get" the first time around. I mostly love to read new stuff--and I welcome any genre, topic, characters. Does that make me an "easy" reader? (I swear, I attempt to read monogamously). I keep thinking of that line about Violet from It's A Wonderful Life, "You like all the boys." But in my case it's books. Don't make me choose just one!

So, given that I'm not applying to college--phew!--I'm going to bow out of answering this question.

Please forgive me.