I borrowed this idea from this post on the Contains Moderate Peril blog; a prompt that is apparently making the rounds across the indie blogosphere, and it seemed like a fun exercise. Reading has always been an important part of my life and identity, so writing about reading is naturally a favorite topic of mine.
Who: An author you would like to have a “one-on-one” with?
Bill Bryson would make for an entertaining dinner guest. Bryson has a way of making even the most mundane and dry topics interesting. He’s a true storyteller with decades of consistent non-fiction bangers under his belt; my favorites being A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of Nearly Everything.
What: What genre do you gravitate toward most?
I’ve become far more selective as I’ve gotten older. I realize more and more how little time there actually is. So, accordingly, I’ve DNF’d more and chosen my TBR like a man on borrowed time, because in reality, we all are. Recently, I’ve been reading a mix of “serious” literature and cozy fiction. I’ve found that I’ve outgrown paperback thrillers, and I’ve been reading far less non-fiction than I used to.
Where: Where do you prefer to read?
Most of my reading these days is done in bed, cuddled up with my dog, under the blankets, a fan gently oscillating at our feet. I’ve always preferred to do my reading in the supine position, or cozied up on my side.
When: What time of day do you prefer to read?
Any time of the day is a good time to read, but most of my recreational reading is done at night, as I lie in bed before sleep. My body has become accustomed to associating reading with wind-down time, so the act of reading on its own is enough to send my body into relaxation mode.
Why: Why is your favourite book your favourite book?
In theory, my favorite books are The Lord of the Rings series, though in my heart, my favorite book will forever be The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Other than R.L. Stine, no one ignited my love for reading more than C.S. Lewis and the world of Narnia. The Magician’s Nephew opened up a whole new world. It showed me that literature could weave entire new worlds into existence.
An honorable mention goes out to Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny, for very similar reasons. I remember seeing the cover while going through my friend’s bookshelf and being instantly intrigued. Of the books I borrowed from him, this was the only one he never got back.
If my favorite book were judged based on the book I’ve read the most, the answer would undoubtedly be The Nighttime Book by Mauri Kunnas. Over my childhood and middle-grade years, I probably read this picture book hundreds of times. There is something about the warm artwork and the intimacy of the book’s exploration of the forbidden overnight world that seemed so foreign, and a little dangerous, to a kid like myself with a bedtime, that lit up my imagination brighter than any other book could.
Leave a Reply