How long have you been helping out with the book club? What made you decide to become a CBR volunteer?
I started helping out with CBR in 2017? 2018? Ummm, yeah. My years have blurred tremendously. I decided to help out when MsWas asked because I love the community CBR has built. For the past year plus due to personal stuff I have taken a backseat, but it’s wonderful to know everyone is still there. One of my goals for 2020 is to get back to reviewing/participating/volunteering. This year I read my requisite 52 books, but I just had to look up my number of reviews: 2. Ouch. Not my best showing. Thankfully! No one here judges when life gets in the way of fun and kicking cancer’s *ss.
In a previous review, you mention your ’aggressive reader’ who’s just graduating from board books to paper pages. She is beyond fascinated with Mommy’s books, and is ready to read them and abuse the heck out of them.” Do you come from a family of readers, or did you discover a love of books on your own? Has yours learned to deal with hers a little more gently?
I do come from a family of readers! There are very few things we enjoy more than all sitting together silently reading. My sister (Ellepkay) and I have even been known to take a sister’s weekend away where we just read together (although she just gifted me a Jane Austen role playing game for Christmas, so you better believe that’s coming out next trip!). It’s something I want to make sure is ingrained in my kiddos. The older of my two has definitely learned to be gentle with books, and has now fully upgraded. We’ve even started books without pictures on every page (she’s 4). The younger of the 2 though… I thought his big sister was destructive. Nope! This beastie is the Destroyer of Books. He’s ripped apart multiple board books already, and it’s a constant battle to keep him away from the grown up books. I remind myself this too shall pass, and in the meantime keep a close eye on what he’s carrying around. Although I lost the dust jacket to my copy of The Song of Achilles over Christmas and have yet to find it…
How many times have you participated in CBR?
I started back at CBR6! So this will be year 6 coming up… although I think I have only completed a full Cannonball twice. It’s okay though. Gotta keep trying! I like when I get into the regular groove of reviewing, as it definitely improves my critical thinking when it comes to what I’m reading. And when I’m active all the time I find great new books I wouldn’t know about otherwise!
When your To Be Read stack gets demanding, how do you decide what to read next?
When my TBR stack gets demanding?! It’s not a question of when, it’s a question of always. I can’t remember the last time my TBR list was under 100. If someone out there wants to pay me to lay about and read what I want all day, please contact me ASAP! Otherwise, how I usually end up deciding is either based on when it’s due back at the library (there’s a hold list? I’m reading you first), or if I’m trying to work through my TBR shelves at home (yes, it’s plural), then I use a complex, yet random system, of bugging my husband: left or right, left or right, etc. until he narrows it down to one book at random. It works well for me that way. Less pressure, and then I will often pick up something I’ve been lingering on, and end up loving it.
According to your bio, you’re a fan of kissing books. Are there any genres you’d like to explore more?
Kissing books are my favorite for sure, but I do try to branch out. I have a crazy long commute, and never listen to romance (hearing it is just weird to me), so I try out all sorts of books there. I listen to a lot of nonfiction, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy. Pretty much everything, but traditional romance. Kissing books are for reading in hand, and then clutching to your chest when they make you swoon!
It’s January! Is it cold where you are? Do you prefer tanktops and sandals, or layers of scarves, hats, and gloves?
It’s supposed to be cold where I live, but so far we’re having a pretty mild winter. Hi, climate change! How ya doing? I’m truly a SoCal weather kind of person: 70+ degrees and sunny 300+ days a year. That’s my preferred. Unfortunately, that’s not where we live so we do have winter and miserably hot summers, and just put up with it until I win the lottery and buy myself a vineyard outside Santa Barbara.