How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?
This is my 5th year. I think I read both more thoughtfully and with less anxiety. My first year, I was anxious and writing reviews as if they would be graded. That influenced the books I chose and the way I read them. As I became more integrated into the community, I have become less self conscious about my reading choices and more focused on what I have to say about what I am reading. This community has broadened my scope of reading, and made me so much more sensitive to intersectionality and representation in pop culture.
How do you decide what to tackle next from your To Be Read list/stack?
It’s an alchemy of what’s on my kindle or shelf, and my mood. My tbr list is vast. I’ll never get through it.
Did you hit your goals for CBR9? Do you have any new ones for CBR10?
This year I wanted to Double Cannonball, and I’m working on a review of a two book series that will bring me to 104 reviews. Next year I think I’ll stick to 52.
Which do you find easier to write, the 5 star or 1 star reviews?
I think 5 star. I went back and looked at my reviews, and I write many more positive reviews than negative. My favorites are when something about the book taps into something I’m passionate about or outraged over. My favorite review this year is the one I wrote about Christina Lauren’s Dating You, Hating You. The review wasn’t so much about the book as about the condescending roundup of romance in the NYT Review of Books.
What’s your favorite book-based movie?
Dr. Strangelove. Dr. Strangelove is possibly the most perfect satire/comedy/portrait of war and masculinity on film. It’s as relevant now as it was in 1964. I’ve never read the book on which it was based. Does that count?
Eggnog: cozy deliciousness, or a winter abomination?
Both. Well made eggnog is one of the joys of winter. The cheap stuff from the store is an abomination. The best eggnog I’ve ever had was at a 3 day New Year’s party on a farm in rural Massachusetts. The milk and eggs were fresh and some of the alcohol was homemade. The memory may be made rosier by the alcohol content of that eggnog. I’m always looking for a good recipe.
