Your bio says you joined Cannonball to “once again” prioritize reading in your life. Has it worked?
You betcha! Based on data alone: last year I only managed to read one book, this year I’m up to 25! I thrive on goals and deadlines, so participating in Cannonball Read has really motivated me to return to the written word. I sometimes feel quite overwhelmed with entertainment options – there are so many great TV shows and games at my fingertips. Committing to a Half Cannonball has meant that, when given the choice, I now pick up a book instead of the remote (usually!).
You’re a horror junkie and a Stephen King fan – which is your favorite King movie or TV adaptation?
Ooooh that is so hard… I’m tempted to say none of them! I just don’t feel like his work translates well to the screen. But if I was forced to choose, I’d say The Mist (the movie, not the TV show). King himself admits that he wishes he’d thought of that particularly brutal ending when writing his novella!
How do you decide what to dive into next from your To Be Read pile?
I try to mix it up and make sure I’ve got a few different genres on the go. Lately, I have three places where I read: at home, on the bus, and during my (rare but precious) lunch breaks. At home I stick to what I think of as ‘hard’ fiction, on the bus I pick something a bit more grounded in reality, and during my lunch break I’ll read something non-fiction for professional development. But during the Christmas break, I’m planning to temporarily abandon this structure and allow myself to marinate in horror novels until my heart’s content.
What was it that first helped you fall in love with reading? Was it a particular book? A person? Something else?
Despite not continuing the tradition myself, I come from a line of Librarians! Both my mother and grandmother have actual brick-and-mortar libraries named after them! They definitely inculcated a love of reading in me from an early age. In full knowledge that no-one is going to name a library after me any time soon, I’ve tried to honour the tradition by setting up a small but popular lending library in my office at work.
As for my first book obsessions: like many millennials, I can firmly lay the blame at the feet of Goosebumps and Animorphs!
Do you reread favorite books, or think life’s too short and there are too many new books out there?
Life is too short! Although I admit to re-reading the Harry Potter series a few (okay, eight +) times… What can I say? They’re like slipping on a pair of comfortable UGG boots.
Is the Corgi in your bio photo yours? Tell us everything!!
That is Clementine the Corgi! She loves laser pointers, stealing toast from people’s hands like a land shark, countless hours of fetchies, and her best friend Uncle Murphy the Golden Retriever. She’s three years old and a constant source of love and laughter. I grew up with cats and knew very little about dog ownership before welcoming Clementine into my family. Now I cannot imagine life without her. Corgis are a serious commitment – incredibly smart and loyal. We spend a lot of time keeping her busy with puzzles, toys, and training. She’s the best.
