Bookish Q&A

It has been a long day, so I’m going to take it easy on myself and answer random questions about my reading life. How would you answer these questions? Feel free to tell me in the comments. And if you have book-related questions for me, put them in the comments too! I’ll definitely answer!

What are my go-to genres?

• Historical Fiction
• Family Drama
• Fiction
• Memoir
• Non-fiction Politics/History – written by journalists
• Pop Culture
• Books on writing

What book(s) are on my nightstand right now?

I went upstairs to look and realized it is the perfect representation of the go-to genres I listed above. I didn’t even plan that!

• Unbelievable: My Front Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History, by Katy Tur (Political/Journalism)
• Inheritance, by Danni Shapiro  (Memoir)
• This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub (Fiction/Family Drama)
• Writing is My Drink, Theo Pauline Nestor (Writing)
• Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Director of Taxi, Cheers, Fraiser, Friends, Will & Grace, and More (Pop Culture)

What is my favorite childhood book?

It’s a toss-up between:

• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margret, by Judy Blume
• Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett

Do I dog-ear book pages or use a bookmark?

• I use a bookmark or something that acts like a bookmark. Right now, I am using the ticket from Andrew’s high school graduation. I’m not opposed to dog-earring a book, but I try not to do it often.

What is my ideal reading setting?

• Depends on the season. In the winter, I love to sit on the couch with a warm blanket on top of me, wearing my favorite pajamas, drinking a hot beverage, and relaxing by the pellet stove.
• In the summer, at the pool or on the patio.
• I also miss my commute to work. I used to read on the train or listen to a book on Audible in the car. I read a lot more books that way.

What is my favorite indie bookstore?

• How much time do you have? I don’t have a favorite indie bookstore because I love all of them. They are all so charming, and I love exploring them all. Besides the endless shelves of books, book-themed gifts, and staff recommendations, I mostly enjoy the people. They are a combination of random strangers and old friends who are book nerds like me. They come from all walks of life and are not shy about telling me about the book I’m holding in my hand and letting me know what they think of it. And, when there are kids in the store, I want to put a book in their hands and offer to pay for it. The saddest thing is when I see a child asking their parent for a book and is told no. It breaks my heart every time.

What book am I embarrassed to say I’ve never read?

Oy! Okay, here we go.

• To Kill a Mockingbird (I know, I know!)
• The Thornbirds
• Anything by Jane Austen

The Lightning Round

• What I am reading right now – Unbelievable, by Katy Tur and Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast (my first non-fiction graphic novel!)
• First book I remember reading – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
• Last book I read – Playing with Myself by Randy Rainbow
• Last book I bought – Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
• Paperbacks or ebooks – I prefer paperbacks, but I read both
• Favorite classics – The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, Romeo & Juliet
• Least favorite classic – The Old Man and the Sea
• How many books do I read in a month – 4 or 5 books

That’s all I’ve got! Don’t forget to play along by answering any of these questions or ask me a question in the comments

XO,

Elisa