Falcon's Bookshelf

Do you have a guilty pleasure book?
Well, not really a book per se, but I do really enjoy fanfiction. I love reading re-interpretations/expansions of some of my favorite stories (all things Jane Austen, Sunshine by Robin McKinley, Christy by Catherine Marshall, and dips into Twilight by Stephanie Meyer).

What is your favorite genre?
My first love is fantasy (dark, light, magical realism, I’m here for all of it.) My second love is a toss-up between mysteries and horror/supernatural. Threaded through all of them, I love humor.

Which do you avoid?
Westerns. I don't like how Native Americans have often been portrayed.

What is a book that you’re afraid to read?
None, but I am sometimes afraid of what books reflect about what humans are capable of doing.

What is a book you dislike/hate that everyone loves?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. All respect to the author, I just couldn’t get into it. Esme, if you’re reading this, this is the book that I wouldn’t ‘fess up to not liking back when.

Do you remember the last time you put down a book without finishing?
Not really.

Which book is currently sitting on your nightstand?
Colored Television by Danzy Senna, Mercury by Amy Jo Burns, and Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie R. Rendon.

What’s the last great book you read?
Just one? No way. I loved Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (fantasy) last year. This year, my favorites include The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown (magical realism), The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (fantasy), I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter Beagle (fantasy), Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin (contemporary), Dixon Descending by Karen Outen (contemporary), Extinction by Douglas Preston (sci-fi/thriller), The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet (fantasy), and This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C. Wells (thriller). So far.

What is the last book you recommended to everyone you know?
Depends on the audience. For teens who love detective mysteries, my favorite read is Maureen Johnson’s Truly, Devious (Stevie Bell) series. For those (teens or adults) who love fantasy (and humor), literally anything by Sir Terry Pratchett. Pratchett’s fantasy Discworld series is fantastic, both literally and figuratively.

Are there any classic novels you read recently for the first time?
Nope, but there are still quite a few in my TBR pile. I will say that in addition to Jane Austen's books, I also love Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

Do you enjoy audiobooks?
I do when I’m walking or driving, or want to listen to a book while my hands are otherwise occupied with chores, etc. This is a relatively recent development in my life, though. Up until about a year or two ago, I never really listened to audiobooks often. I saved time reading them myself plus I didn’t have much commute time.

Do you have a favorite audiobook?
No, but I do have favorite audiobook narrators, January LaVoy being one of them.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, what, where, how).
this: soft rain, mellow wind chimes, hot tea, a comfy couch, and a great book. A fur baby curled up next to me. Bliss.

Do you have a favorite book no one else has heard of?
Rather randomly, my middle school library had a copy of Christy by Catherine Marshall sitting on the shelf. Although not really one of my favorite genres, I fell in love with the main character’s (that would be Christy) verve and determination. In a way, she became a model for how I want to live my life.

Which writers – novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets – working today do you admire most?
Up until recently, I would have said Sir Terry Pratchett, as his writing was so very clever. However, one of my other favorite authors (still writing) is L.E. Modesitt, Jr. He’s written and published nearly 90 novels over the last 30-some-odd years. His stories are engrossing, and he always has interesting characters and spectacular world-building. I particularly love his Saga of Recluce, Spellsong Cycle, and Imager Portfolio series. Love, love, love.

What’s the last book you read that made you laugh?
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. It’s fantasy, yet it’s also funny. Where else has one of the main characters been a snarky (yet loveable) sentient spider plant? I want to re-read it. Like, right now.

What’s the most interesting thing that you learned from a book recently?
Pando. It was referenced in the book Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino and I was, like, what in the world? I had to do some research. Turns out, Pando is the largest tree in the world, located in Utah. It looks like multiple trees, but it is in fact one organism, with a root system that covers over 100 acres. Pando weighs around 6000 tons, i.e. 1000+ elephants, i.e. holy mackerel! They know it’s a single organism because each stem/trunk possesses identical genetic markers. Basically, Pando just keeps cloning itself. Awesome.

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally, or intellectually?
Both, though I hate to cry when I read and so usually avoid sad books.

What book might people be surprised to find on your bookshelf?
I don’t think anyone who knows me would be surprised by anything on my shelves. I have a little bit of everything, and a lot of some things. I am an open book. Possibly they might be surprised at the sheer volume of books I have? I have 11 bookcases and not enough room.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine?
Samuel Vimes in Discworld by Sir Terry Pratchett. Also Christy, from Christy by Catherine Marshall.

Who is your favorite antihero or villain?
I’ve always been rather fond of Erik (a.k.a. the Phantom) from The Phantom of the Opera.

What kind of reader were you as a child?
I was an avid reader and completely devoured books, usually to the tune of 2-3 a day. I loved detective mysteries, horror, humor, and fantasy, and just about any other fiction that crossed by radar. Dinosaurs were cool, too.

Which childhood books and authors stick with you the most?
Answering this question tossed me down the memory rabbit hole big-time. As a very young child, I loved Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird, The Berenstain Bears by Stan & Jan Berenstain, and Dr. Seuss (who didn’t!?). Later on, I was a big fan of Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol, Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene, and Trixie Belden (various authors). I gobbled up Mary Downing Hahn’s Wait Till Helen Comes and her other books. I adored Patricia C. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest series (which are also super hilarious) and Elizabeth Winthrop’s The Castle in the Attic. Other favorites include: • Fantasy: Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain), Katherine Applegate (Animorphs), Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising), Bruce Coville (pretty much everything), Anne McCaffrey (ditto), Robin McKinley (ditto) • Humor: Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Ralph Mouse), Roald Dahl (everything), John D. Fitzgerald (The Great Brain), James Howe (Bunnicula), Louis Sachar (Sideways Stories) • Mysteries: Caroline B. Cooney (everything), Joan Lowry Nixon (ditto), Gertrude Chandler Warner (Boxcar Children) • Supernatural: Richard Peck (Blossom Culp series), R.L. Stine (everything) • Contemporary/General: Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley Twins/High series), Gary Paulsen (Hatchet series), Choose Your Own Adventure series (various authors) My absolute favorite author as a tween/young adult was Gordon Korman. His books are hilarious. I had never (and have never since) laughed as hard as I did when I read The Twinkie Squad in middle school. I subsequently handed it off to my mother, who responded likewise. I became an instant life-long fan. Some of my other favorites from his repertoire include Son of the Mob, Son of Interflux (no relation to the first title), and A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag (I'm fighting a guffaw just remembering the zany events in that book! Side note: must add to my personal collection. How have I not already done so?!)

Have your reading tastes changed over time?
Not particularly, my favorite genres then are still my favorite genres now. However, I do happily read across all genres and some of my favorite books fall into these other categories (see Christy above).

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?
Based entirely on my own personal favorites as a/an: • Adult: Jane Austen, Sir Terry Pratchett, and L.E. Modesitt, Jr. • Teen: Gordon Korman, Mercedes Lackey, and Anne McCaffrey • Child: Roald Dahl, R.L. Stine, and Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

What do you plan to read next?
The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. I am also chomping at the bit for the 6th book in the Truly, Devious/Stevie Bell series (as yet untitled) by Maureen Johnson.

What book would you most like to see turned into a movie or TV series that hasn’t already been adapted?
Any of Sir Terry Prachett’s books, (hot tip: some of them have already been adapted). There was a great adaptation of his book Going Postal in 2010. I would love to see an adaptation of the other books with Moist von Lipwig’s character (Making Money and Raising Steam). Other personal favorites would be Monstrous Regiment, The Truth, and Mort (the first Discworld book I ever read).

What’s the last book you read that made you cry?
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy. A beautiful story of losing everything and finding yourself again. Also, a mouse.

What’s the last book you read that made you furious?
American Spirits by Russell Banks. Not at the author, at the events portrayed.

Where do you find your books?
Where do you look when you’re searching for your next great read? Usually, I just browse library shelves first (hurray if the library is genrefied and/or has genre labels on the spine!). I’ll also browse the library’s ebook/audiobook app, as well. I look at awards lists for inspiration. I’ll also just browse at whichever bookstores happen to be nearby, just to see what catches my eye. I am quite likely to flop down on the floor wherever I am and just start reading. I would also like to note some of my other favorite authors here, who somehow did not get mentioned above: David Eddings (fantasy), Raymond Feist (fantasy), Piers Anthony (fantasy), Dean Koontz (thrillers), Joan D. Vinge (fantasy), and Elizabeth Peters (mystery) a.k.a. Barbara Michaels (thrillers) a.k.a. Barbara Mertz (actual name). That’s all for now!