Describe yourself as a reader - are you a lifelong reader? A newer reader? At this point I think I consider myself both. I absolutely loved reading as a kid - one of my fondest memories was doing the March of Dimes readathon for charity in elementary school and just crushing it. In my twenties, I was super busy with work and running a household, so I really fell out of reading. But while I was out on maternity leave with my daughter, Angela lent me some books to fill my time and my love of reading bloomed again!
What are your top 3 favorite genres? Is there a genre you would never read? My top three genres right now are romance, thrillers, and nonfiction. I’m pretty open to trying any genre, as long as it is a compelling read.
What is your preferred reading format? Physical books are probably my favorite, but a great case can be made for e-books (easy to travel with) and audiobooks (which give me the ability to multitask).
Do you have any unique reading quirks? I usually have multiple books going at once (although I try to make sure they are different genres so I can keep track of them easier). Also, I am one of those nuts whose preferred audiobook speed is 2.25x or faster.
What author would you love to meet? I have had the best luck in meeting so many of my favorite authors - I’ve been to Book Bonanza and many signing events in the Philly and NYC areas. But probably top of my list now would be Christina Lauren, Ali Hazelwood or Morgan Matson.
Top 3 books you’re looking forward to in 2025? Only 3? That’s going to be tough. Let’s go with: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton, and A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young.
Any indie bookstore recs? I don’t have any local indies but when we travel we always are on the lookout for great bookstores. Two of our favorites from this past summer were Malaprops in Asheville, NC and Buxton Books in Charleston, SC.
Do you have any reading hot takes or controversial/unpopular opinions? Too many to list but here’s a few:
Illustrated covers where the people have no facial features drive me absolutely nuts. They all look the same!
Special editions - why are there so many? Especially for books that aren’t especially current. Who is asking for all of these? Most of them just seem like a cash grab to me.
When authors change the style of the covers in the middle of a series - why are you doing this to people? Listen, I will never understand people who complain if one book in a series is like half an inch taller than the rest but I can get behind being annoyed if the covers of the series don’t match.
Yucking other people’s yum - please don’t do this. We all read for different reasons - to escape our reality, to learn something, etc. and our reasons for reading can change from day to day. It’s not cool to hate on other people’s choices of title, author, genre, whatever. My feeling is if someone is picking up a book at all, that should be celebrated.
Audiobooks count as reading.
I started as a guest blogger too. Love the shout out to Central Jersey (which is a real place). Wow! That is too fast an audiobook speed for me. I would be lost. Yes! I hate when people feel the need to yuck someone's yum. I actually did discussion posts about multiple things you mentioned up there. Great minds....
ReplyDeleteAngela, so happy that you did this Q&A with Michelle! I think I knew she was your sister, but didn't know you guys were twins. Loved hearing about your reading Michelle. I agree with your #4 and #5 opinions so very much. Working in a library and moderating book groups, I always told patrons and friends that not every book will work for every person. If it doesn't work for you, move on to something else. If it's for a book group, don't force yourself or miss the meeting because you didn't care for it. Come tell us why. The best discussions are often had there. Mostly, I just want people to read, find joy in that activity, and yes, yes, yes - audiobooks are 'books' too!! Take care and you are very appreciated by all of us!!
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