Some examples of my favorite genres are mystery, fantasy, science and historical fiction, thriller, horror, young adult, and all around fiction in general. These interest me because they aren't real, and can distract from the realness of today's society. It also allows for abnormal things to occur or just happen in general.
5. Have you ever picked up a book and been excited to turn the next page, then the next, then the next? What book? Why couldn't you stop reading? Is there a book you had to just trudge through to finish?
Yes, I have had this happen. Many times. Sometimes I would stay awake until the wee hours of the night reading just so I could finish the story, or not have to stop from knowing what happened next. As I said, this has happened with many books, but some I can think of were Percy Jackson and the Olympians (I've only read up until the fifth one, so no spoilers please), the entire Harry Potter series (of course), the Chemical Garden trilogy (here's the first book), and the first book of the Artemis Fowl series (which happens to be the only one I've read). I couldn't stop reading because they were just so interesting and caught my attention, while still keeping that whole mysterious feeling about it. Yeah, I've had some books that I've had to trudge through to finish, like the Divergent series. Though sometimes if I do this, and then go back to read the series later, I can get through it faster.
7. What was the first book you remember reading? Why does this book stand out in your memory?The first book I remember reading is actually a series, the Magic Tree House. These books are still being published, with the most recent one being Balto of the Blue Dawn, released January 5th, 2016. I think I liked them so much because I could relate to wanting to be taken away to another world by reading the books out of Morgan Le Fay's library. These books stand out in my memory because of their uniqueness to other children's books, as well as they were the main books I had read aloud to me, and the ones I learned to read with.
8. What is your favorite book or series? Why is this your favorite?
If you know me at all, I'm sure you already know the answer to this question. But I'll answer it anyway. My favorite series is the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. I discovered it around 4th grade. I'd always known I didn't really fit in with the other kids in my class. I didn't go to public elementary school; I went to a private Lutheran school, and had been going there since preschool. There were about 20 kids in my class, but by the time I left after 5th grade to go to Carver Middle School, there were 15: 11 girls, four boys. Although I'd practically grown up with these kids, I wasn't seen as one of them in their eyes, and was always the one who didn't have a partner. So as I started to realize these kids weren't going to accept me, books became my haven. I was the kid with 5-6 books, or more, stacked on my desk, and I'd be reading them all at the same time. At least one of these was a Harry Potter book. The world created by Rowling offered me an escape, and I felt at home with the golden trio as I walked with them through the halls of Hogwarts time after time.
12. Do you think that someone who reads a lot might become a stronger writer? Do you think we pick up vocabulary, sentence structures, themes, etc. from the books we read that come out directly or indirectly in our own writing?
I do think that someone who reads a lot will become a stronger writer. Especially if they're visual learners. I do think that we pick up all of these things from the books we read, especially if a lot of them are of a certain genre. And these things we've picked up from reading peek out at the reader from our own writing.
13. Do you think you'd ever write a book someday? Do you know what it'd be about? How would you want to be described on the "About the Author" at the front of the book?
I've considered this many times over, and I think I would like to write a book someday. I just wouldn't want to make it my main career at first. It'd be hard to live off of a salary that doesn't exist. I have no idea what it would be about, but I am writing something of the fantasy genre. There's no telling if that would be published, though. I'd like to be described very vaguely, with just the basics. The readers are more interested in the story than about me.
I know what you mean about having to "trudge" though the Divergent series...by the time I got to the third book I needed closure but the characters and scenario were wearing thin on me. I like what you said about bits of what we've read "peeking out" in our writing, and I hope you do try writing a book one day! Thanks, Emily!
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