PROMPT Three: Variant.

Prompt: What book would people be surprised to learn that you enjoyed?

I thought about this, but I don't know what surprises other people. Not in my reading habits. In what I eat on French toast, definitely.

Except... in this case, someone tried to steal this book from me during high school chorus, shouting that it "had a dirty cover" or something. So maybe he really was surprised. More likely just disruptive, knowing him.

I remember in the mid-80s that I'd sometimes "blank out" my book-memory, so I could re-read a book afresh. To see my reactions better. I read fast, so I didn't always notice them in my hurry to read and finish and know what was going to happen next.

I did that with Tanith Lee's _Drinking Sapphire Wine_.

That second time, I was shocked -- not surprised -- by the book.

I still love it. I have read it countless times since, and that was back when my very favorite books got partly memorized due to excessive re-reading. :> The Jang protagonist is never given a name, but is still one of my most favorite characters ever. By the time I found this book, I was already addicted to Tanith Lee's work, and had read between 10-15 of her titles.

Years later, I'm not exactly sure why -- I just remember how strong the shock was. And how honestly surprised I was to be shocked. No matter how outré, her writing rarely shocked me.

Looking at the opening recently, had I read any Regencies then that I might not have been so shocked. :> Alas, I hadn't.