How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?
First of all, I had literally no idea how many times I participated! Thanks to the immortality of WordPress, I now know I have been participating since Cannonball Read 5 (!) so this is my 6th time. I have fluctuated between doing a half and full cannonball, and this year I am back for the whole enchilada. It doesn’t change how I read, but it has changed how I retain what I read. Because I now write reviews for each book, I can better recall titles, authors, and content, so I am more easily able to make book recommendations to others, which I love.
What’s your favorite book-to-movie adaptation?
I tend to stay away from the book to movie adaptations for books I really love, because they can lead to heartache or rage, or a combination of the two. It’s been forever since I have seen this movie, but A Time to Kill sticks out as an excellent adaptation. I had a serious John Grisham phase in high school, read them ALL and I would say that movie is in some ways better than the book. And pretty boy McConaughey doesn’t hurt.
Do you reread favorite books, or is your TBR pile too demanding?
Every year for the past 5 years I have reread Christopher Moore’s satirical and hilarious The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror in December because, I mean, it’s right there in the title. Who doesn’t want a “heartwarming tale of Christmas terror” once a year? And it is delightful in both book and audio form. Other than that it is rare that I reread anything: so many books, too little time! I had been on a kick where I reread one of my favorites, 1984, yearly-ish buuut that’s a little too real in today’s political climate, ifyouknowwhatimean.
Which do you find easier to write, the 5 star or 1 star reviews?
Definitely the 5 star. It’s rare that I give a 1 star. If I detest something bad enough that I would give it a 1, I stop reading. Life is too short to waste time on bad books.
You’re a member of THREE book clubs, plus Cannonball? Impressive. What’s the secret to a successful book club?
Someone needs to take the lead and facilitate, have a few questions prepared to get the ball rolling. At my local library book club, the first thing we do is go around in a circle and give the book a rating on a scale of 1-5, and one word that sums up our feelings on the book. This lets us gauge how we feel about it, and gets conversation going. Also, the number one rule of book club for me is to talk about the book! We can also talk about other things, but nothing makes my eye twitchier than an hour book club where only 5 minutes is spent talking about the book because I always finish the book (English major probs). I have empathy for those that don’t finish, and feel like anyone can contribute, regardless of how far you get.
What’s your favorite cheese-centric recipe?
The best cheese for me is cheese left to its own devices – I can put together a pretty impressive cheese board! The key is to have different flavor profiles represented; don’t just stick to your standard cow’s milk cheese. Throw some goat’s milk cheese and sheep’s milk cheese into the mix! Always represent some of the cheese faves: cheddar, havarti with dill, herbed goat, brie. Add in tasty accompaniments like crackers, marcona almonds, dried fruit and olives and people will sing your praises. And at the end of the day, all you did was take cheese out of the fridge and put it on a plate! Bonus points for fun cheese knives: my pal sent me a pair that say “Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to diss a brie?” She so gets me.
