How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?
This is my fourth CBR. I participated a lot early on just for fun (completely missed two in a row and then decided to lower my expectations to a half Cannonball, which I did manage) but got overwhelmed with the reviewing portion and watched from afar for a while. I decided to jump back in for a full Cannonball this year because I read so little last year (between general pandemic anxiety and some more personal difficulties). It changes the way I read in that I tend to be more strategic – I read 2-4 shorter books in a row to prepare for a longer one. One new thing I’m trying this year is that I put aside 26 physical books I want to read into a giant pile next to my bed (a mix of newly purchased, borrowed from friends and need to be returned, been on my shelves for ages, and been in the middle of for ages and it’s time to put up or shut up). The other 26 can be anything.
How do you choose what to read next?
Generally, I go into my physical and online libraries and go for whatever “calls” to me. But this year, as I mentioned, I have The Pile.
Unlikeable protagonists: an interesting storytelling challenge, or completely annoying as a reader?
For sure an interesting storytelling challenge that, when not handled correctly, can be completely annoying as a reader. For me, even when it’s done well and I can appreciate the book as a whole, I tend to feel much closer to a book when there are characters in it I can root for and connect with.
What’s your favorite book-to-movie adaptation?
Princess Bride, for sure. And Bridget Jones’s Diary. In that I liked the books just fine, but the movies are automatic rewatches, and I have no desire for a re-read.
What was the last place you ordered take-out from? Are you a regular there, or were you trying something new?
