First, the hilarious and adorable Mindy Kaling tells Entertainment Weekly about a book she pretends she’s read but never has, and what book she’d kill a bug with. Having spent a childhood phase carrying a Harriet the Spy-inspired notebook on me, this was my favourite part:

What was your favorite book as a child?
As a child, my favorite book was probably Harriet the Spy. You’ve seen pictures of me [as a child in the book]. I wasn’t child actor material at all — I wasn’t a conventionally cute child. I think if there’s one thing that I regret never having gotten a chance to do as a kid — and there’s literally only one — it would have been to audition for Harriet the Spy. That was such a great book because it was not about how cute she was. In fact, she wasn’t especially adorable or anything. She was such just an adventurous city kid and she had weird confidence even though she wasn’t that popular. She was a nosy little chubby kid who was special, and it was always one of my favorite books growing up.

Mindy’s book is released November 1 and my birthday is November 16. Just saying.
(via @outisthrough)

Meanwhile, Maria Bamford posted a fun video about a bunch of books she bought for $90.

That’s a good haul! Can someone please recommend a good used book store in Montreal?
(via The Hairpin)

So, the blog is officially back! I will be posting more regularly, if still sporadically.  All three of my readers will be pleased.

If you or someone you know would like to talk about books on the internet, please get in touch!

Ashley manages digital marketing and strategy for a music management company or, in her words, is a “one-woman nerd department.” She has met Justin Bieber and you haven’t. Follow her.

What kind of a reader are you?
It depends, mostly on what I’m reading and how much time I have. If I’m reading something that’s well-written and I’m into the story I read like the book is oxygen for my lungs. My beauty sleep suffers, I miss my transit stop, I tune out all conversations. I could get through a book in a night or two if I’m really into it because I get into my own little world where nothing else exists, and I read fairly quickly.

If I’m reading something mindless, something I’m not that into, or something that’s a bit difficult to get through I can be very sporadic – read a few minutes before bed and pass out. A couple months ago I bought a book in the airport strictly because it was the thickest thing I could find for my long flight (bad call) and it took me almost twp months to get through it! Painful, I know, but I have a hard time not reading a book all the way through.

The worst was the time I had to read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood because someone recommended it to me as their favourite book and gave it to me as a gift. They asked me about it every week, so I had to get through it. I hated it!

I also rarely re-read anymore. I did when I was younger because I think I just had so much more time on my hands and the selection seemed more limited. Post-high school I tend to get most books from the library because they’re just too hard to constantly lug across the country (I move a lot). So sometimes it’s hard for me to remember much about what I read because I go fairly quickly and only read it once. But then I know if a book sticks with me it must be really good.

Tell me about the last book you couldn’t put down.
I just finished reading The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (note: outside of Canada the book is titled: Someone Knows My Name). Great storytelling, I couldn’t put it down and I got so wrapped up in the life of Aminata, the main character. It was a really sad and heartbreaking story in some ways, but powerful and uplifting in others. At the core it was about the characters and their experiences and relationships. I of course have never been involved in the slave trade, but I could still relate to Aminata and her pain, her struggles and determination. I love books where I get to know the characters and find a way to connect with them.

I also really enjoyed the book because even though it was fiction it was based on real events in history. It made me really think about the slave trade and how it shaped the world today, including my own personal world. It made me want to revisit my African history books. It’s awesome when one book can inspire you to read something else, or just make you really think about the world around you.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read about music?
I do work in music, but oddly I don’t read that many books on music. I tend to stick to magazine articles and blogs when it comes to music, because generally I like music for the music, not necessarily the story behind it. And I’m always looking for the next music or music trend that interests me, which is easier to find in a quick hit blog/magazine format. That said, I’m interested in reading more biographies from bands/musicians – so far none have stuck with me enough to write here. In fact, many of them tend to be pretty awful or anti-climactic. Recommends anyone?

Also, I read fiction more than non-fiction and there are not that many fiction books with music as a central theme that seem to stand out. The main character in High Fidelity runs a record shop and centres much of his life around it – does that count? Regardless, Nick Hornby’s books are fun reads.

Tell me about the first book that made you love reading.
I don’t think I can remember that far back. There were books my parents read to me as a child that made me love stories even though I couldn’t read yet.

But I do remember how I really got into reading when my family moved from Calgary to Chicago I was just starting Grade 1. When I started grade 1 at six years old every kid in the class could already read! All we had done in my kindergarten class was finger painting and these kids could read?! I think I could write my name and a couple of basic words, but essentially I was the stupid kid in class, which mortified me. So I promptly did everything in my power to get myself out of that role and made my mom do hundreds of flash cards with me.

By Grade 2/3 I was a reading machine and would read anything I could get my hands on. My teacher got me interested in the Boxcar Children series so I’m pretty sure that was the first thing that got me really into reading. I was determined to go live in a boxcar in the woods all by myself – it seemed like a great escape.

Charlotte’s Web was another one that got me really excited – it is still one of my faves. I also got really into Nancy Drew books from a young age because I loved a good mystery.

I remember being about 8 or 9 and going through one Nancy Drew a day. My mom would be calling me for dinner, but if I was reading Nancy I was so involved in the story it was like my other senses were gone, she would have to come physically shake me to get me out of my trance. I was torn between running away and living in a boxcar and becoming a pre-teen detective.

So the short version is: I got into reading because it was something I wasn’t good at, I overcompensated and ended up developing a love. Reading was truly my escape as a child, and really got my imagination working in overdrive. I much preferred books to TV as a kid because I could paint my own pictures in my head. When they came out with a Nancy Drew TV show I hated it because it kind of ruined the fantasy world I built it my head.

Do you judge a book by its cover?
Sometimes. If I’m trying to decide between two books a great cover can definitely sway me. But often I already have an idea of what I want to read and I won’t pass it by just because it has a crappy cover.

What’s your favourite book for beach reading / summer reading?
For beach reading sometimes I like best sellers that don’t really make me think too much like Dan Brown or Steve Berry‘s latest. I think I’ve read every John Grisham book. They aren’t super well-written or engaging for me now, but I got into them when I was 11 or 12 and wanted to be a lawyer. Now I have to read the new ones to continue the tradition, so the beach is a good place to do that.

Has a book ever influenced the way you think about your life or about the world?
Totally! Has anyone ever answered no to this question? In some way or another I would say every book I’ve read has influenced my life. Whether it’s my perspective on myself, my relationships or world view. Maybe a book made me dream of my future – ie: being a teen detective or lawyer. Maybe it educated me either because it was a non-fiction book, or told a story that could be true or spawned further research. Maybe it made me examine my relationships or my own personality and actions. Books are a large part of what has shaped me, and I’m going to continue reading to keep learning about the world and myself! (That sounds like a cheesy educational ad, but it’s true).

What book do you pretend to have read but never have?
Please don’t hit me, but somehow I have never read The Catcher In The Rye. I have a whole bunch of mostly lame excuses on why this is the case. I blame it on my constant moving in my teens because I would expect it to show up on the school curriculum, no? It’s been on my list for years, but it’s always missing or checked out from the library, or I forget that I keep meaning to buy it. Eek – the excuses need to end, can I borrow it from someone? Or if you’re in the bookstore with me please remind me to buy it! I’m not really ashamed of reading anything – I’ve read a lot of badly written ‘trashy’ stuff but I don’t feel bad about it.

[Ed. Note: Ashley has since read The Catcher In The Rye, as you may have noticed in the photo above. Did it live up to your expectations, Ashley?]

If you were a book what book would you be?
A well-read paperback with a few pages missing. I would have a colourful and/or obnoxious cover.

Tell me about your favourite place to read.
The deck in summer. Bed in the winter. But I tend to do most of my reading on public transit because it’s the only time I have.

Ashley’s Must Reads
Paint It Black by Janet Fitch (warning – it’s depressing)
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
She’s Come Undone and This Much I Know Is True by Wally Lamb
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Green Eggs And Ham by Dr. Suess
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Cleavage by Theanna Bischoff (we’ve been friends since jr. high and she has a book – pretty amazing!)

Carmen Negrelli is a young lady from Newbury, Ohio. She primarily spends her time looking for adventure, waxing nostalgic over her past, and dreaming about her future. She is also the director Film POP, POP Montreal’s film festival. One of her favorite hobbies in school was disappointing English teachers by failing to “reach her potential” and she is trying to make it up to them, starting here, at Is Well Read.

Mrs. Stevens, Anupama, this one’s for you..

What kind of a reader are you?
I’ll start by saying I pretty much only read fiction. I read books like I watch TV, once I get started its nearly impossible for me to stop until there is some kind of resolution. I have a hard time controlling myself when watching television series because I will always cue up the next episode until the plot is resolved…or until I fall asleep. It’s the same with a book, It consumes my time until its finished (or, again, until I fall asleep).

I freakin’ love motherf***in’ books.

Tell me about the last book you couldn’t put down.
Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom. Man, I would really love to talk this one out with someone else who has read this (seriously, if you’ve read it get in touch, I want to know what you made of it).

I haven’t always been on the same page as Johnny, when I first read The Corrections I thought it was harsh. Too harsh, with characters too unlikable to be fully formed or relatable. Then I read How to Be Alone and all the essays really hit home for me. They are just essays about his life, his thoughts, his interests etc. They are self-aware and smart and funny and I just love them. They aren’t harsh, they are sharp but also warm. I re-read The Corrections after How to Be Alone and on a second reading found it also to be sharp rather than harsh.

I first encountered an excerpt of Freedom years ago in The New Yorker and have been waiting for it on the edge of my seat ever since.

Patty and Walter Berglund were the pioneers of old St. Paul-The Gentrifiers, the hands-on parents, the avant garde of the whole foods generation.

That’s the first sentence from the inside of the book jacket and approximately the opening of The New Yorker excerpt and Jesus H. Christ what a sentence it is. If I told you I don’t know these people, that they aren’t my parents, that they aren’t a part of me or what I will become, I would be being desperately un-truthful. This sentence sort of encapsulates the essence of the book for me, There isn’t exactly judgement cast on the type of people Walter and Patty are, its just a portrait. Its the sad observation that being better than your parents were, buying organic, being a smug forward-thinking member of the liberal middle class, will not save you from the tragedies of being alive and the whims of your animal instincts. It seems to me that our contemporary understanding of how to be ‘Better’ doesn’t mean much to Franzen, its superficial and fleeting and trite and false. I don’t know, that’s how it read for me anyway, in part. There’s a lot more subtleties and complexities to it, but that’s why it’s a great book, and why I’d like to talk to someone about it.

I think of Franzen like Thackeray or Balzac. He captures the flaws and pitfalls of the contemporary upper-middle class and frames them in extremely compelling dramas. His writing is beautiful and intentional and his stories are exceptionally relevant and expertly crafted. He may be a bit of a crank but a mind-blowingly perceptive one who makes beautiful books.

I’d also like to give a shout out to Jean Stafford’s The Mountain Lion which I just read, that book is so atmospheric and bizarre. Its really epically good. It starts out like a sentimental book about siblings written in the ’40s. As the kids get older their characters develop and things become slightly off-kilter somehow and they get more and more skewed until all of a sudden it ends, brutally. It captures the confusion of growing up perfectly and is unabashedly direct about the dark realities and difficulties of personal development. It’s a very insightful and remarkable book, its rugged and true, but with strong elements of surrealism. Sort of in the vein of The Yellow Wallpaper but more subtle and slower to unfurl. I think it might be one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Has a book ever inspired you or affected how you interact with the world?
Yes, absolutely, all the time. Almost every book I have ever read affects how I interact with the world and the people in it.

I think that conversations and relationships serve to teach us about ourselves as much as bring us closer to another person. In a book the experience of forming relationships takes place entirely within one’s self, leaving one a lot of room for self-exploration and reflection. Books help me realize my character flaws and strengths and define my needs and desires. Going through imaginary experiences with imaginary people in books helps me learn to be better to the flesh and blood people I love.

When I read a book I think is particularly good or gorgeously written I get fever-pitch levels of inspiration, like my fingers start shaking and my brain and my chest sort of start hurting and I have to spend a half hour writing to release all that inspiration induced pressure. Then I read over what I’ve written, decide its nonsense, become disappointed in myself for not being James Joyce, kick myself for being undisciplined and self-involved, then pick up my book again to banish my anxiety and disappointment and build up inspiration again.

In general, interacting with other peoples’ pieces of art inspires me to create. I think this is because when you read a book or experience a different medium of art, you are experiencing someone else’s attempt to communicate and express themselves, if something inside you resonates with their expression it helps you define more clearly what you need to express and what medium you need to use. It goes back to the idea of reading being a sort of conversation, the cycle of consuming, reacting, and making art is a dialogue on a grand scale, that’s why books are important. That’s why art makes the world a better place. I know I’m sounding cheesy and grandiose and trite at the same time, but I really really really believe this to be true so please forgive me.

How do you choose what books to read?
Well, my mom gifts me most of my books. The woman has impeccable taste in everything and is so effing smart it’s unreal, so I don’t at all mind letting her curate most of my collection. When I buy myself books it’s usually a new or hitherto unread title from an author whose other work I like.

Tell me about the worst book you’ve ever read.
You know, to be perfectly honest, I like most books I read, and the ones I don’t like I don’t necessarily think are bad, I just don’t like them. One of the only books I’ve ever started and not finished is Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland. Its not that Its too hard or too long or bad, in fact I can see how its good, I just don’t care enough to finish it.

In high school I had read Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead for a scholarship essay competition and I felt that that book was a complete and utter waste of my time. I was downright pissed at that book, and at Ayn too. I didn’t even know anything about the conservative associations with Ayn Rand at that time and I barely even remember what happened in the book but I remember I thought it was dull, trashy, and wholly irrelevant. Just thinking about it makes me gag a little and I don’t even remember specifically why. That’s the only book I recollect having a strong negative reaction to. I’m sure my essay was absolute drivel. I can certainly tell you it didn’t get me any scholarships.

How would you compare the process of reading a book to watching a film?
You know I approach both similarly. They are both ways to fill my time, ways to be kept company while I am alone, or to be alone while other bodies are around. Film and books are both escapes, opportunities to exist in alternate realities.

With film more of your senses are engaged, more of the alternate reality is already illustrated for you. Reading and watching movies are both very personal, internal experiences with an external object.

A movie for me is a spectacle, a monument testifying to the joint efforts of a group of people. It is the pride, disappointment, or indifference of a collective that makes a movie and a book is more of an individual statement (even though it can take a lot of people to put out a book).

A movie crashes over me like a tidal wave and a book creeps up over my ankles until all of a sudden I’m in over my head. (if that makes any sense).

You move around quite a bit, are there any books that you take with you wherever you go? What do you do with the books you can’t take with you?
I am a hoarder in the process of reform. I keep everything I’ve ever owned, made, or been given in my room at my parents’ house in Newbury, Ohio. Whenever I go home I spend a long time with my bookshelf and its knick-knacks and photographs.
I don’t take very many books with me generally because I like to use the library or borrow books or treat myself to a new book from my local independent bookstore (like DRAWN & QUARTERLY for example) every now and again. The number one thing I take with me wherever I go is bedding. If you have a pillow and a sheet you’ll be set wherever you end up (and a toothbrush and pyjamas and a spare shirt. Oh, and a portable music playing device).

If I were to travel with a book it would be Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. This has been my favorite book since I read it. It changed my life although it’s difficult to explain how. I lent it to my friend George in high school—who I have fallen out of touch with but who I loved, respected, and admired more than I can say—and he said that he felt thirty years older after reading it. That sentiment is dead-on, pretty much the scope of human interaction and interpersonal relationships is covered in this book. It is the definitive thesis on love as far as I’m concerned.

There is this also this book Sabriel, it’s part of a young adult series. Its one of the few books I have read multiple times. I saw the cover at a bookstore when I was younger and was spell-bound, my parents got it for me for Christmas that year. Its really good and dark, involves magic (specifically necromancy) and the undead and romance and has a female hero. When I turn the pages of that book it calms me down and makes me feel safe. Every word is an old friend. I recommend it for all teenage girls (in body or spirit).

What fictional character or author would you like to hang out with in real life?
Well obvi I want to Marry Mr. Darcy, perhaps 2005’s Keira Knightly Pride and Prejudice Mr. Darcy, or the classic Colin Firth Darcy, but ideally Darcy as he exists in my imagination. Darcy is the perfect man, imperfect enough to make him more perfect than perfection’s picture.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I would also like to hang out with Jonathan Safran Foer, I think we could be buds, I like the style of his sentences and his word choice. I like that he is sentimental.

After The Mountain Lion I can say with some certainty I would not like to spend time with Jean Safford, that is a chilling prospect. I would also love to hang out at Brideshead one summer with Sebastian and Cordelia.

If you were a book what book would you be?
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Or maybe Wuthering Heights.

Human relationships, for better or worse, are my main focus in life and Brideshead is sort of my soul book. I can’t say too much more than that without this being a diary entry. Brideshead is one of those things that is so important to me that if I meet someone who doesn’t like it, as embarrassing as it is, I’m sincerely a little hurt. I don’t even like bringing this book up with people because I’m so afraid they may not like it, which could only mean they wouldn’t like me either. So read it, and if you like it let’s talk about it, if not, let’s be friends but don’t EVER bring it up.

I included Wuthering Heights because, as the film version’s Netflix description reads, it’s: ‘romantic, dark, cerebral’ and Kate Bush’s re-telling is pretty rad too. Its drama resonates strongly with my Piscean soul.

Can you remember the first book that made you love reading?
I can’t really! Maybe some book about a dune buggy in 2nd grade? I remember I was having trouble learning to read and it was really disappointing to me. I wanted to read well very badly. All of a sudden in second grade everything came together and I could read that dune buggy book no problem and I’ve been stoked about books ever since.

The Narnia series were the first time I remember being excited about an author and a series, I was really proud of myself when I finished them.

Carmen’s Must Reads
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
This book is wicked, in every sense of the word. It is one of the classic Victorian romances I love so much, but even people that don’t like Victorian novels or romance or ‘chick lit’ will like this because although it follows a similar structure as other Victorian novels, it expertly exposes all that is false and sentimental in them. It is a sharp satire of English middle and upper classes of the time and is still a juicy read.

The Wanderers by Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun is wonderful, I love love love him and recommend all his books. This one is particularly well suited for those of us in the process of growing up, or anyone at a cross roads in their life, pretty much anyone, period. Its about the, apparently, timeless dilemma of whether leaving your comfort zone makes a person wiser, brings them closer to what they are searching for, or makes them more and more restless until nothing is satisfactory. It also addresses the question of whether ‘staying home’ makes a person contented, or stagnant.

The Mountain Lion by Jean Stafford
Because its excellent, and also because I don’t hear people talk about it much and I think it is very much worth reading, talking about, thinking about. It’s a really great book.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is sort of structurally a perfect book in my opinion. Its beautifully written, it is delicate and intentional, it may seem slow but then, all of a sudden, by the end, heart breaking.

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Look, this book has probably been assigned to you, and maybe, like me, you didn’t read the whole thing at first, because life sometimes gets in the way of finishing 12 million page books about whaling. I just want to tell you, when I finally did get around to reading it in its entirety, this book is incredible. And worth every second it takes to read every word. You will hit a wall of seemingly irrelevant information about whales and whaling, but push through it, I promise its worth it. This book is funny, engaging, insightful, and beautifully crafted.

My goal for 2010 was to read more Can lit. So here, in no particular order:

Books by Canadians that I read and loved in 2010

Lemon by Cordelia Strube
I loved this book so hard. I wish I could call Lemon on the phone to tell her I miss her and ask how things are going.

Holding Still for as Long as Possible by Zoe Whittall

The Show that Smells by Derek McCormack
“The top note—sugar. pink popcorn, pink cotton candy, pink bubble gum. the middle note sawdust—pink sawdust! the bottom? blood! the blood of little boys, the blood of little girls. a bead in every bottle.”

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

Essex County by Jeff Lemire

Overqualified, One Bloody Thing After Another & Lockpick Pornography by Joey Comeau
My lovely friend Janice bought me Lockpick as a birthday gift at Montreal’s Expozine. She didn’t realize she was talking about Joey in front of Joey until he offered to sign the book:

February by Lisa Moore

Etcetera and Otherwise by Sean Stanley
“I wined and cheesed and discussed things with people who knew less than I, but seemed more inclined to reveal it.”

Ronald Reagan, My Father by Brian Joseph Davis
Writing about this book before I’d even read it was the best move I made as a blogger in 2010, as Google searches for “Nancy Reagan” and “Nancy Reagan couch” brought me a ton of traffic. Am considering making Nancy Reagan on a couch a monthly feature.

How Should A Person Be? by Sheila Heti

Wrong Bar by Nathaniel G. Moore
This book almost gave me a seizure.

There are more, but these are the ones popping into my head, so they’re the ones that make the list (it’s all very scientific). I want to keep the patriotic reading alive in 2011, so please post your suggestions in the comments!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to nerd out in an Is Well Read interview in 2010. My Christmas wish list consisted almost entirely of your Must Reads.

As always, if you would like to talk about books on the internet: jaclyn.iswellread@gmail

This child would be horrified by my Christmas list. (source)

What kind of a reader are you?
I take a book almost everywhere I go. I like to be able to read—even if it’s just for a few minutes—whenever I have spare time out in the world. Since starting to work 9 to 5 I rarely sit down and read for an hour anymore, so I try to get my reading in other times, in small bursts. I never read two books at once. I always either finish my current book or give up on it and move on. Trying to read two or more at once just ends up confusing me and I start mixing up plots and characters, especially in short story collections. I usually have at least 2-3 books on my shelf waiting to be read, and I can barely remember a time when I didn’t have a book on the go.

Has a book ever influenced your life or the way you think about the world?
I think Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged changed the way I think about literature, if not the world. Not in a crazy “I believe in Ayn Rand’s wacky theories!” kind of way; reading Atlas Shrugged and enjoying it for its story and writing while simultaneously thinking Ayn Rand is a crackpot has made me into a defender of the idea that books’ entertainment/literary value can be separated from their authors’ wacky ideas. I always get mad when people discuss Ayn Rand and her books as though they’re the same thing. Yes, they contain and usually espouse her theories, but Atlas Shrugged was a weird blend of sci-fi, political thriller, action, and mystery that takes it far beyond being a manual for crazy philosophy. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited
about the 2011 movie.

How do you get your books?
I buy almost all of my books used from Abe Books. Sometimes I look up the prices on first editions of books I like to see if I can afford them. Usually, the answer is no. I don’t borrow a lot of books because my book taste is somewhat narrow, but I love lending people books.

Tell me about the last book you couldn’t put down.
The Narrow Corner by Somerset Maugham. It’s this weird story of a doctor who is asked to travel from China to some far away island to treat some rich guy. And it’s about the characters on the boat he travels on, the various people he meets and the stuff that takes place on the islands they visit. Like most Somerset Maugham novels, it’s hard to picture what the novel’s about from the beginning of the story, which is part of why I love his books so much.

Are there any book lovers or critics who you trust for book recommendations?
For non-fiction books I tend to trust Tim Harford (an economics blogger/Financial post writer) or The Economist‘s books and arts section. They usually promote interesting books and I’ve followed a number of their recommendations. Mostly, though, I either wander into a bookstore and look around or go with an author I already know. A couple family friends of mine have also been good recommenders of books—one got me into Somerset Maugham and the other got me interested in autobiographies, which I read a ton of for a while.

Tell me about the worst book you’ve ever read.
There are so many books I didn’t like that I had to read for school, but one stands out. Vernon God Little, by DBC Pierre, just pissed me off so much that after about 15 pages I was sick to death of the character and the writing style. I put it down and have since lost the book, thankfully.

Tell me about the first book that made you love reading.
I don’t remember exactly which book it was, but it was almost certainly something by Bill Peet, an author who wrote children’s
books.

If you were a book what book would you be?
Something by Somerset Maugham. I’ve read so many of his books (something like 14 novels and 3 books of short stories) that there doesn’t seem to be any other possible answer.

Andrew’s Must Reads
The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Any of Somerset Maugham‘s short story collections

While I’m promoting book blogs, don’t forget to check out the seasonally appropriate Advent Book Blog, where book lovers recommend their favourite reads in the days leading up to December 25. They have recommendations from some awesome people, so if you like the Must Reads portion of my blog, you will most definitely want to check this out. Oh, and Anna contributed! You see how it all connects?!

Thanks for your thoughtful answers Rick!

What kind of a reader are you?
I’m the type of reader who has to have a good book going at all times. If it’s non-fiction, I could have up to three books on the go at any time, since it’s easier to return to non-fiction after a month or so and pick up exactly where you’ve left off. Over the past couple of years, I have been primarily interested in finding a good novel that I can enjoy as a reader, and to learn from. I often have a pen by my side to mark up my books as I read, especially if I discover a particularly well-written phrase or passage. I admire great writing.

Tell me about the last book you couldn’t put down.
That’s a great question and easy to answer. John Irving, he of  The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules, and A Widow for One Year, released his 12th novel a year ago entitled Last Night in Twisted River. It was vintage Irving, and a book that was impossible to put down. Now, others may not share this view (including my wife) but I loved it. It was a delightful and comical yarn with rich characters, fantastic dialogue and a great story.

Can you remember the first book that made you love reading?
At the risk of aging myself considerably, it wasn’t just one book but a series of more than 50 novels: the Hardy Boy Mysteries. I think I was no more than eight years old when I started that series and I loved them. My parents were fierce believers in the public library system. They dragged me along on their visits to the library and, of course, I became hooked. And I’ve been hooked every since!

Has a book ever influenced the way you think about your life or the world?
Yes, I remember it quite vividly. It was a coverless, well-worn paperback by the great American story-teller James A. Michener called The Drifters. Michener was famous for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific and other historical (and geographically-based) books such as Chesapeake, Hawaii, Texas, to name just a few.

I was 19 at the time, and had decided against attending summer school that year to fly off to Europe and live on $5-a-day (yes, you could do that then!). I rode the train, back-packed and hitch-hiked my way through 14 countries, and it was a trip that changed my life. Michener’s book, about a group of itinerant young people travelling through Europe who finally ‘find’ themselves, was very moving and memorable.

After all these years, I remember thinking then that I had to get my life in order, and that book—combined with my European travels with bright, successful young people my own age—reinvigorated me. I had found a purpose in life, a definable goal. I returned to Canada, energized in the belief that I was destined for journalism and writing. It pushed me to work harder, to raise my grades sufficiently to enter two fine universities (the University of Western Ontario and Carleton University’s School of Journalism) and to become a writer.

What made you want to write a novel?
I’ve always known that I’d attempt a novel. But the story behind Upcountry, which is based on a true situation that a close friend of mine experienced, really began as a screenplay. I had been telling Shelley, my wife and a trained marriage and family therapist, about this 2003 story. It was about the pain and suffering this woman had gone through with her abusive husband. Right then and there, Shelley and I decided that it had to be told in some way, and that spousal abuse would be the central premise of what became a screenplay called The Last Carousel. As we marketed the screenplay, I continued to believe that our story would make a good novel. My agent in Chicago agreed. Her reply was simple: “Get busy!”

How was the process of writing a novel different from the types of writing you’ve done in the past?
For me, the writing process, whether it’s a screenplay or a novel, is the same. There is a truism in the movie-writing business that you need to know the beginning, middle and the end of a story before you sit down and write a single word. So, for Upcountry, I was fortunate in that I had a 120-page outline to work from. It took me about five months to write the first draft. However, the difference in the quality of that first draft, and the end product, was night and day. I am fortunate in having the love of my life to assist me every step along the way. She is the best collaborator, plot developer, voice coach, dialogue creator and critic a writer could have. Right now, we are working on a very detailed outline for the sequel to Upcountry, and once that’s done, I’ll settle in for what will likely be six months of writing—and she’ll do much of the editing. Unless we’re travelling, I write every day with a goal of 750 to 1,000 words.

Which authors or books have influenced your writing style or writing process?
As I’ve said, I’ve loved most of John Irving’s work. There are few writers, in my opinion, who can craft characters as diverse and interesting as Irving. But, since his death last year, I have returned to the books of another American icon, John Updike. Updike was without peer. His ability to capture the essence of the human condition with such clarity and humour was unmatched. He too was a Pulitzer recipient, and should have been awarded a Nobel as well. And I’ve loved his works.

But I’ve also been influenced by other writers as well—as in what NOT to do. Take the phenomenal success of Stieg Larsson for example. His trilogy of novels (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc.) has sold millions of copies. Every writer, including myself, would love to be in his company! But I fail to see how they got so popular. In fact, there were huge passages in his first book that kept me thinking that this novel needed a good editor. I pledged to finish that book, probably because I didn’t want to be the only person in the world not to have read it. But then I attempted his second book in the triology (The Girl who Played with Fire) but since have abandoned it. I’ll wait to see if Hollywood can bring me back.

Has writing your own novel influenced the way you read others’ works?
Absolutely! My daughter says I’m the most impatient reader she knows, since I’ll give a writer very little time to grab my attention. Perhaps only 80-100 pages, at most. For example, for many years, I’ve enjoyed Pat Conroy’s novels (The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, to name a couple). But his latest release (South of Broad) was very difficult to like, and so I dropped it. There are a number of other famous novelists today who live and write off their laurels. Their books succeed in spite of themselves…but that’s another issue. But I firmly believe that you have to engage your readers immediately with your story, or you will lose them. I don’t think I’m alone in my impatience. And as impartial as I am, I think I’ve done that with Upcountry. It’s a story that grabs you right away and carries you on quite an adventure!

What types of readers are you hoping will enjoy Upcountry?
I’d like 100,000 of any stripe! (Just kidding…well, not really). Seriously, I have been surprised at the reactions I’ve been getting from both men and women because Upcountry‘s two main characters are fraternal twin sisters who struggle with their painful, haunted pasts. But I think my book succeeds because it’s a decent story with well-developed characters. My readers, at least so far, have told me they came to love each of my characters and how I tried to explore their thoughts, fears and motivations. I had a lot of fun with this book. You’ll see some of these characters again.

R.M.’s Must Reads
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner was a powerful and haunting novel, and I’m looking forward to reading his second big one, A Thousand Spendid Suns.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, I’d recommend serious readers to go back and read Updike’s five-novels involving Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom (Rabbit, Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich, etc.). Even though his series was written over a 30-year period during the last century, they are essentially timeless treasures.

I am currently reading Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom and it is very good (which will push me to pick up his first success, ‘The Corrections.)

A couple of late, great Canadian writers come to mind, as well: Mordecai Richler’s Barney’s Version is fabulous, and Carol Shields’ novels are awesome (The Stone Diaries, Larry’s Party and Unless).

For easier but just as entertaining fare, I’ve loved the diverse works from writers ranging from Elmore Leonard and Vince Flynn, to Michael Connelly and Rosamunde Pilcher. What do all of these writers have in common? They are (or were) superb story tellers. I would love for people to say that about me some day.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my favourite topic: writing!

It took some convincing to get Holly to do this because she was embarrassed that most of the books she reads are “chick lit.” But she reads more frequently than almost anyone else I know and the point of this blog is to find out what people are reading, not judge them for what they’re reading…so don’t judge! Holly is an early childhood educator from Toronto. 

What kind of a reader are you?
I’m a reader who likes to get lost in a book and escape to a different world. Whether it’s for five minutes of reading or two straight days, I love the feeling of escaping to a different reality and imagining what it’s like to be those characters.

Tell me about the last book you couldn’t put down.
The last book I couldn’t put down was Saving Grace by Ciara Geraghty.  It tells the story of an Irish girl suffering from great loss, trying to move on with her life and find herself along the way.  It has a fresh-faced Bridget Jones feel to it, including some lovely romantic bits as well. I believe I read this one in less than a day!

Has a book ever influenced the way you live your life?
There is one book that has influenced my life and changed the way I think about the world, it is The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon.  My two great friends (one of them writes this blog!) bought it for me for my 18th birthday, and I will never forget the first time I opened the book.  I remember feeling amazed, and in awe of the raw beauty and talent this young man displayed in his short life.  I still get the same feeling every time I open it up!  Some pages are incredibly beautiful and depict wonderful beauty, whereas others are so dark leave you feeling angry and breathless.  The book is a collection of pages from over 17 journals Dan Eldon (the youngest Reuters photojournalist ever) had created before being stoned to death at age 22 in Somalia. What struck me most about Dan Eldon, was all that he had accomplished in his life, a free-wandering soul looking for adventure anywhere and everywhere, and helping out anyone he could along the way.  I remember reading his mission statement for SAFARI AS A WAY OF LIFE.  ”To explore the unknown and the familiar, distant and near, and to record in detail with the eyes of a child, any beauty, (of the flesh or otherwise) horror, irony, traces of utopia or Hell.  Select your team with care, but when in doubt, take on new crew and give them a chance.  But avoid at all costs fluctuations of sincerity with your best people.”

Dan Eldon and his journals remind me that anything is possible, and there is a world of possibilities out there for me to experience.  We all have the chance to influence others and make a difference, whether it be big or small!  This book is a perfect example of a man who experienced more in 22 years, than most people do in a lifetime. In one word, this book INSPIRES me.

What do you like to read with your students?
The books I love to read with the children at my school are any kind of Robert Munsch story (especially new ones such as Mud Puddle, Down the Drain and Put Me in the Book. Robert Munsch stories make me feel like a kid again, the kids love the sound effects and accompanying actions!  We also love any kind of Dr. Seuss book, one of our faves is Wacky Wednesday.  Some great new kids book are The dot and Ish, both by Peter H Reynolds.

What are some of your favourite chick lit reads?
Anything by Jill Mansell (my fave is An Offer You Can’t Refuse) or Emily Giffin (my fave is Love the One You’re With),  Anyone who knows me well, knows I love a great chick lit book any day of the week!  Make it into a movie, and I’ll love it even more!

How do you get your books — buy, borrow, trade?
I prefer to buy books new or used, so I can add them to my own collection. I also take turns borrowing from the library, so I don’t end up broke!

If you were a book, what book would you be?
I would be a “chick-lit” paperback, full of adventure and ROMANCE!

Holly’s Must Reads
The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
We Are All The Same by Jim Wooten
Notes From The Hyena’s Belly by Nega Mezlekia.