Friday, January 21, 2011

Trivial Pursuit for Book-Lovers

Children's: What Little House book tells of the Ingalls family's prolonged snowbound existence on the Dakota plains?

Classics: What Norman Mailer epic lands a squad of unlucky Marines on the Japanese-held island of Anopopei?

Non-Fiction: What author admitted in her memoir Operating Instructions that she thought motherhood "would be more like getting a cat"?

Book Club: What tale of two U.S. academics in London won Alison Lurie a Pulitzer?

Authors: What author once starred with his brother Malachy in a two-man musical review called A Couple of Blaguards?

Book Bag: What author landed his novels Bloodbrothers, The Wanderers and Clockers on the big screen?

17 comments:

Karen said...

I *think* that the Ingalls book was _On the Banks of Plum Creek_. (But it could have been _On the Shores of Silver Lake_? It's been decades since I've read them.)

Harriet M. Welsch said...

Children's: The Long Winter

Classics: ?

Non-Fiction: Anne Lamott

Book Club: Foreign Affairs

Authors: Frank McCourt

Book Bag: Richard Price

FreshHell said...

The Long Winter. Most depressing LIW book of all time.

Karen said...

Ha, of course it was The Long Winter. That's what I get for refusing to refresh my memory by walking over to my bookcase and reading the titles.

Karen K. said...

Hey, I actually know several of these! I feel smart now.

Children's: The Long Winter
NF: Ann Lamott
BC: Foreign Affairs (I've read this and it's good)
Authors: Frank McCourt

Alison said...

Calvin actually requested Long Winter as a story this morning...

Anonymous said...

Woah -- I knew several of these right off the top of my head!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Children's: The Long Winter
Classics: The Naked and the Dead

Memory said...

The only one I know is THE LONG WINTER. I need to read more!

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) said...

Nonfiction is Anne Lamott! I FINALLY know one, woo!

Anonymous said...

I know I'm probably supposed to answer all questions, but I am so excited that I finally know the answer to one of your questions:

1 = The Long Winter

I can't believe how long I have been following your trivial pursuit and never know anything. You have made me very happy today with that first question.

Care said...

Crap, I thoguth I knew one of these but my brain refuses to give up the answer...

Care said...

frank McCourt!!!

And I have read a book, two even, by Ann Lamott. Huh.

Marie Cloutier said...

Author:Frank McCourt.
The rest? no idea :-) Great questions as always Jeanne!

Jeanne said...

Children's: The Long Winter
Classics: The Naked and the Dead
Non-Fiction: Anne Lamott
Book Club: Foreign Affairs
Authors: Frank McCourt
Book Bag: Richard Price

Collectively, we got them all--and there were so many people playing this week! Wow!

Iris, there's really no "supposed to" about this game. Lots of people only know one. I used to pick out the cards on which I knew three (out of six), but picking cards out randomly seems to work just as well--what's obscure to me is not necessarily obscure to others!

Marie, glad you like the questions. They do come from the cards of a game called "Trivial Pursuit for Booklovers" that a former student, Karen, sent me. (I call her a former student because she was at the college, but she never took a class from me!)

Karen said...

In that sense, you may refer to me as a student. I continue to learn--including from you, via this blog.

Jeanne said...

Aw, Karen, you've warmed my heart on this cold, cold morning!