Hi, genericwhitegirl! Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Cannonball Read getting-to-know-ya. (And for providing such great responses to the pre-interview questionnaire.)
Since this is a community of people reading and reviewing books to help kick cancer’s ass, it seems only right that we start with your favorite book or books. You mentioned that while you’ve really enjoyed the Children of Time series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, and Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, you’ve always preferred non-fiction. Can you share your top three non-fiction selections and what you enjoyed about them?
I think my top three would be:
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick is about six North Korean defectors . It is beautifully written and reads at times like dystopian fiction. You’ll not only understand why they defected, but learn why many stay and firmly believe they have nothing to envy from the rest of the world.
Word by Word – This was a fun, witty book by lexicographer Kory Stamper. Besides learning what a lexicographer does, which is edit dictionaries and catalog how words are used, Stamper’s spontaneous etymology lessons and stories of tackling definitions (both mundane and controversial) are downright delightful.
Blind Descent by James Tabor follows two supercave hunters looking for the deepest cave on earth. And if dark, confined spaces bother you, don’t worry, it gets worse! They also scuba dive in tight underground waterways.
While reflecting on the books you’ve enjoyed lately, you realized that you’ve shifted away from your previous non-fiction preference to books that are more satirical in nature. You commented that you think you just learned something new about yourself! Any thoughts you’d care to share about why this shift happened? Looking back, was it gradual or do you see a hard left turn on your reading habits?
I decided it was time to diversify back in 2010 when someone took a look at my bookshelf one day and asked if I had anything that didn’t involve death or murder (I was a true crime junkie at the time). That’s also when I started writing about the books I read and got involved in the Cannonball community, where I get most of my new book recommendations. Looking back at a lot of my favorites I realize now how much I enjoy satirical stories. Some of my favorites are 1984 by George Orwell, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago, and Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. Over the last 15 years I’ve gradually transitioned to many new genres but have yet to delve into a few like romance and self-help.
Your favorite TV shows feature anti-heroes as the main characters: Dexter, Breaking Bad, Plur1bus. (I’m not including KAOS because Jeff Goldblum is such a delightful ball of chaotic energy in every thing.) Who do you find to be the biggest anti-hero or villain in your comfort TV show, The Great British Baking Show?
Oh man, that’s a hard question. I watch that show specifically because there’s so little drama! But if I had to pick I’d say it’s gotta be Paul Hollywood, the bad boy of baking.
When we talked about movies, you shared that Tombstone is a great move that you’ll always watch when it’s on TV. You also shared that you love The Sixth Sense, The Others, Labyrinth, and The Princess Bride. These others are all movies that feature a reveal of some sort. Which one surprised you the most?
I think it would have to be The Others. It’s not just surprising, but it makes you think about things on such a deep level. You know, like, how do you know what reality really is? Could you go through life just completely misunderstanding EVERYTHING? And it’s just one of those great movies that you have to see at least twice to find all the easter eggs you missed the first time.
If you could only have one of these movies available to watch for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why?
It would have to be The Princess Bride. Just like the grandfather says, it has “fencing, fighting torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…” But then there’s also Mandy Patinkin and Billy Crystal and inconceivable! and really, who could ask for more?
I’m going to take a minute to be selfish as we shift to talking about music for a hot minute. One of your favorite bands is Led Zeppelin. They are legendary in the rock music world and are perhaps most famous for Stairway to Heaven. I’m going to take this opportunity to share the BEST performance of Stairway to Heaven. It’s not by Led Zeppelin but by Heart, and performed in their honor at The Kennedy Center.
Well that was transcendent! Thanks so much for sharing. And now I’ve come back after having gone down a YouTube rabbit hole with my 10-year-old son about Led Zeppelin and Heart and big hair and how songs are written and Swedish song writing aaaaaand I’m back! Since you were kind enough to share that, I’ll share this one:
It’s a cover of The Sound of Silence by Disturbed and always leaves me speechless. Let me know what you think! And since we’re on the topic of famous covers, I’m also a huge fan of Johnny Cash’s rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.
As someone who enjoys organizing, are you familiar with the clutterbug profiles? Have you taken the clutterbug test?
I’m a ladybug according to the test but I think I might also have cricket characteristics too. My house isn’t too cluttered and I really enjoy going through closets and cabinets and organizing. I’ve taken to organizing my relative’s spaces as much as they’ll let me and sometimes fantasize about starting a business after I retire from my day job!
You have a cocker schnoodle pekihuahua named Winston that you adopted a year ago and he’s the goodest boy ever! Do you have a favorite story about him or picture you’d like to share?
Although we aren’t sure of his age, Winston is young, only 3-4 years old. But he doesn’t seem to know how to play very well. He’ll run around with a toy for about 30 seconds or chase my sons briefly before short-circuiting. This is when he maniacally runs a lap around the living room, hides under the couch, and crashes out. It’s like he can’t take more than a minute of fun before becoming uncontrollably happy and then needing a nap from the excitement.
Finally, we’re going to play Kiss Marry Kill with the cast of Breaking Bad. Your options are Walt, Jesse and Gus Fring. Whom would you Kiss, Marry or Kill? You can make one substitution from Skylar or Saul if necessary.
Hmmmmm, I’ll go with Jesse, Skylar, and Gus. I had to invoke a substitution because those men are too toxic to marry and Skylar got a bad rap!
Now that you’ve learned all about genericwhitegirl, head over and see what she’s been reading lately. Or swing by the interview page and meet some fellow Cannonballers!