I’ve been walking around the livingroom all morning. Hopping from one bookcase to another, gently caressing the spines of all my books trying to decide which eight would be represent me and my life.

See Sister #2 has just gone back to college and for the first session of her ‘The Reflective Woman’ class she had choose eight objects that reflected her. Kind of a rad idea, I think. Her books included ‘Fargo Rock City’ ‘Backlash’ ‘In Search of Deep Throat’ and some how to make an American quilt book or something like that.

Yes, the Sister Club picked on her mightily for that one.

But I love the idea, so I’ve been pacing trying to pick eight books that represent me.

Our Band Could Be Your Life By Michael Azzerad
This book, subtitled ‘Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991′ fits me because it talks at great length about The Replacements. If you’ve done any reading of my archives or iwilldare.com you know that I am a crazy, insane, Replacements fanatic. Paul Westerberg possesses some sort of magical song-writing ability to make me and thousands of other fans think he’s writing just about us, or that he knows exactly what we feel. I always say his songs read like her cracked my heart open and read what was written there. I also always say that if I were a song I’d sound like ‘Achin’ to Be.’

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This is a given. It’s a book about four sisters. There are four sisters in my family. Oddly enough three of the four March sisters could easily describe three of the four Chromey sisters.

I’m Jo, the tomboyish writer. Sister #2, is Meg, the mature, nuturing one.
Sister #3 is Amy, the bratty one who likes pretty things. Sister #4 has to be Beth because that’s the only one left over. She’s never really thrilled that she has to be the one who dies, but tough noogies. She really doesn’t have a say in the matter.

Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
This is by far my favorite love story of all time. I chose this book because someday I hope to have a love like that portrayed in this amazing novel.

Free Speech for Me but not for Thee by Nat Hentoff
It was a tie between this wonderful book by Hentoff and The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison and Jay. It wasn’t an easy choice. I wanted to choose something to represent my flaming passion for the first amendment and issues of free speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. This Hentoff book won out because not only is it a bit of an easier read (having been written in this century) but because it discusses how both the left and the right (wings of the political spectrum) are constantly censoring each other.

The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
I had to work in one of Irving’s books because he’s one of my all-time favorite writers. Plus, it’s about a crazy, whack-job of a family. Sorta like my family. But overall, despite everything the family loves each other, exactly like my family.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The island of Nollop is located off the coast of South Carolina and is populated by people that revere literature and the written word. I would move there if the island truly existed. I love this book because not only does it address the love of words, but it shows how destructive censorship can be.

Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner
A fat writer girl with abandonment and father issues. This could almost be my autobiography.

The Day I Turned Uncool: The Confessions of a Reluctant Grown-Up by Dan Zevin
Ok, I just finished this book last night. But I loved, loved, loved it. It so very much defines where I am right now at this moment in my life. Zevin seems to understand why I am oddly fascinated by the thought of matching furniture and somehow horrified by it all at the same time.