Friday and Stardust

It's another Friday and it's time for more memes! Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee and this week's question is:


What living author or authors would you invite to dinner? (Try to think beyond J.K. Rowling)

What a genius question. I love throwing imaginary dinner parties for authors! And why not J.K., that would be amazing! But I've come up with a different list:

• George R.R. Martin from Game of Thrones fame for the necessary discussion of character death
• Salman Rushdie, Satanic Verses and Shame, for the controversy
• Toni Morison, from Beloved, because Toni Morison, there should be no reason
• Neil Gaiman, from American Gods, because he's a genius
• Harper Lee, from  To Kill A Mockingbird, because she's a genius!

Book Beginners is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice. And this week 

I'm using Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I love the Claire Danes movie so I decided to start reading the book!

BB:

'There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.And while that is, as beginnings go, not entirely novel (for every tale about every young man there ever was or will be could start in a similar manner) there was much about this young man and what happened to him that was unusual, although even he never knew the whole of it.' p.1

I love this beginning! It's like the beginning of a fairy tale but with a load of 21st century self-reflection!

F56:

'Billy lowered his head and ran, headlong, at the unicorn, as if he were about to butt it with his forehead. The unicorn lowered its head also, and Billy the Innkeeper met his unfortunate end.' p.56

I don't think this is much of a spoiler since Billy is a very minor character. I love the casual introduction of the unicorn though.

So, how about you? Who would you invite to your dinner party? And what have you been reading?