‘Let’s Have Dinner’ is an original feature here on the blog. It was inspired by Jamie’s ‘If We Were Having Coffee’. On Jamie’s post, she catches her readers up on what is currently going on in her life, reading and non reading wise. My posts are more collaboration with other bloggers. Click here to read last month’s dinner post.
Who are YOU? What your’s name, and where do you blog?
Hi! I’m Emily, and I’ve been blogging at Forever Literary since the summer of 2012. I’m also a writer for Lit Up Review, but you already knew that since you’re on the Lit Up team too.
How are you? What’s going on with you right now?
I’m great! Since it’s senior year, my main focus right now is college applications. I’d love to head to the East Coast, but we’ll see. *crosses fingers* How about you?
Since we’re having dinner, we should probably put our order in. What are you having for dinner?
Hmm, there are so many options to choose from, but I think I’m in the mood for sushi. Cheesecake for dessert.
Do you ever eat and read? I know I’m guilty of this! ;D What about blog and read?
I absolutely eat and read! (Not right now though, since we’re having this conversation.) I rarely have time to just sit down and read, so I’m constantly trying to sneak in a few pages here and there—during breakfast, between classes, etc. But unfortunately, my multitasking skills haven’t progressed to the point where I can blog and read. (Although how great would that be? Imagine all the reading and blogging you could get done.)
Do you like to browse at bookstores or order and pick up your books?
I used to find all my books by browsing the shelves at my local library, but ever since I started blogging, I’ve found out about books through the Internet. I rarely wander in bookstores or libraries these days, which makes me sad sometimes.
What is one thing that you have in common with your favorite character?
I don’t think I could pick a favorite overall character, but one of my recent favorites is Simon from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. One thing we have in common is that we both fall for guys with good grammar. 🙂
What’s the most relatable book you’ve ever read?
I related to the protagonist’s reluctance to learn how to drive in The Chance You Won’t Return by Annie Cardi. (I passionately hate driving. Hence my desire to move to the East Coast.)
Wait stop… what music is playing while we have dinner?
A playlist of pop songs from the early 2000s. The “2000s pop” Pandora station is my go-to any time I need music because the songs make me so nostalgic and are still so catchy. *hums Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten”*
What’s a book you’re dying to get your hands on? *Doesn’t have to be unreleased
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs! It’s been almost two years since I read the first two books in the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series, and I don’t know how I’ve made it this long without the third.
What’s one thing that surprised you about blogging?
How hard it is to get followers, let alone readers. I never expected it to be easy, but before I started blogging, I kind of thought that you just had to create great content and readers would slowly but surely come to you. I quickly realized that content alone isn’t enough; you have to put yourself out there and make a conscious effort to connect with others.
I know you’ve been dying to say it… what’s one book you can’t believe I haven’t read?
*checks your Goodreads TBR* You’ve read Heist Society, but you haven’t read the next two books in the series? How?
As dinner continues, what’s your drink of choice?
Water. Always water. I’m just a health nut like that.
Do you prefer blue or black ink?
Black ink. I’m not sure why—maybe because it’s what printers use, so it looks more professional and natural to me?
Is there a book that you think would translate well into a video game?
I’d play a video game based on The Walled City by Ryan Graudin! Both the action and the setting (a city without laws) could translate well to an interactive format.
Are you more of a standalone or a series reader?
I gravitate more toward standalones because I hate waiting for a year or more to find out what happens next. I do love binge-reading though, and I’ll often wait until every book has been released to start a series. (Unless it’s by one of my favorite authors and I can’t wait to start reading.)
What’s one bookish trope (ex. ‘chosen one’) that you can never get sick of?
I love the “join the team” trope, in which a group of characters with different talents work together to solve a problem. There’s something so satisfying about watching a group of people use their differences to their advantage. My favorite book using this trope is the The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, which features four extremely intelligent children collaborating against a villain aiming for world domination.
Favorite book quote?
Aside from the cliché (but brilliant) “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite” from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I’m partial to this piece of wisdom from Anne of Anne of Green Gables: “It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
Have you read Harry Potter? (Obligatory question). And if not, why not?
Yes! (Ravenclaw forever!) I’m tempted to re-read the series now that the illustrated versions are coming out.
What’s your favorite movie?
Wreck-it Ralph is without a doubt the best movie ever made, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. The brilliant plotting, clever puns, adorable characters, and thought-provoking ideas about good vs. bad create the most brilliant film to have ever graced the big screen.
Is there a book to movie adaption where you preferred the movie to the book?
Confession time: I liked Mockingjay—Part One way more than I liked the book. I thought the action fell a bit flat on the page and became more engaging on the screen. And more importantly, I hated the ending of the book, but that part obviously wasn’t in the movie. (But I’m wary about Mockingjay—Part Two because of that ending.)
What book do you recommend the most?
Hmm, I’m actually not sure about that one. I feel like I talk about the Mysterious Benedict Society series all the time though. (See? I already mentioned it in this conversation!)
Have you ever had a book spoiled for you?
My brother ruined the Divergent trilogy for me while I was still reading book one! I became disenchanted either the story after Insurgent anyway, but I was still mad.
Can utopian books even exist, since there needs to be some sort of conflict for a plot?
That’s a great question. I know many people say that dystopias and utopias are different, but I’d actually argue that they’re the same thing, and the name you use depends on your perspective. While most of us would hate to live in the world of Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, some people may see a world without love as a perfect utopia. By that logic, I guess utopian books do exist—just under the name of dystopia. But as for the book you’re envisioning, I don’t see it getting published, as it would most likely be terribly boring. I wouldn’t be interested in reading it (or living in its world—that would be a dystopia for me!).
Do we share any favorite books?
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is one! I used to think I disliked magical realism, but this book changed my mind with its stunning writing and epic, generation-spanning storyline.
Of the classics that you’ve read, which one do think has lesson(s) that are the most applicable today?
A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is so relevant today. Between the debate over defunding Planned Parenthood and the continual onslaught of laws meant to restrict women’s access to healthcare, the reproductive rights of women (especially lower-income women) are very much under fire. I can’t imagine our world becoming as horrifying as this book’s setting, but it’s still a powerful cautionary tale. (I know that feminist rant didn’t fit the tone of the conversation this far, but it’s relevant to the question, haha.)
If you were to elope with any fictional character, who would it be?
Augustus Waters is my book boyfriend forever and always, and we can elope at any time.
I know that we just had dinner, but if this chat would have been during your meal of choice, when would it have been?
Dinner was actually perfect for me! I usually enjoy my breakfasts alone (I wake up before everyone else in my family), and my lunches are rushed (I’m usually trying to complete at least five other tasks in addition to eating). But whenever possible, dinner is for conversations with my family and friends.
BONUS! Pick a question to be included in the next dinner.
If you could re-read any book for the first time, what would it be?
Thank you SO MUCH Emily for having dinner with me! I know that we work together on Lit Up Review, but sometimes it’s nice to work together with someone on a different project. I’ll be back next month with another dinner!
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