How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?
This is my fourth round of CBR. I started with CBR6 at my sister, badkittyuno’s, suggestion. I didn’t take it terribly seriously. I read about the same as I would have every other year only now I would write reviews for what I read. Then last year I made the mistake of requesting the audio version of a book when placing a hold at the library instead of the hard copy. It changed my whole CBR game. I could ‘read’ in the car. I canceled my Sirius XM subscription a few months later and hit my first double cannonball.
How do you decide what to tackle next from your To Be Read list/stack?
The unglamorous reasoning is that I’m a big library user, another CBR change to my reading habits, so a lot of what I read when I read it is based on due dates (especially if it has a wait list and can’t be renewed).
But I like to balance my reading. If I’m listening to a denser non-fiction book in my car, I may read a YA novel on my lunch break. If I’m reading a thriller or more lofty literary work in bed at night, then I may listen to a funnier audio book like a celebrity memoir as a break. And sometimes, I’ll just get on a genre kick or discover a new author and go through everything they’ve ever written as fast as possible.
What’s the first book you recommend to new friends?
My coworkers aren’t big readers (gasp) so I don’t get a lot of real world experience offering suggestions. If someone asks I tend to go with authors over specific books: Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes, Gillian Flynn and John Green just to name a few…
If you were to get a book-related tattoo, what would it be? (Or if you already have one, what does it say?)
I have 6 tattoos but nothing bookish. Badkittyuno and I have discussed getting a Lumos tattoo, but my husband nixed it because he’s lame and also not a huge fan of tattoos.
Do you reread favorite books, or think life’s too short and there are too many new books out there?
I think, excluding the last three years, I have read The Perks of Being a Wallflower every year since high school. I’m clearly due for another go! I also would reread favorites from Jen Weiner, Augusten Burroughs and Jen Lancaster over and over but CBR opened up the floodgates to new books and authors so I reread a lot less now.
Pumpkin Spice Everything: overrated, or best thing ever?
I prefer my lattes flavored with vanilla or not at all! When PSL first blew up I ignored it, to each their own, but now every fall my Target has a whole section of unnecessarily pumpkin flavored foods (like whipped cream and oreos) and it just makes my eyes roll…
