Janet's Book Nook

I decided for my second interview that I would interview my friend Catherine. Since Sex and the City the movie was released there is a new revitalization of interest in the young and fabulous. Catherine is definitely that. She is an auditor in Houston and is newly engaged. She is the polar opposite of me when it comes to most things and yet we have bonded over our love of Sunshine Rewards, Disney and a quick wit that tends to sting those on the opposite end. I figured that you guys might want to know what someone who doesn’t read crime dramas, religious history and children’s books would like. Enjoy!

1. What is your favorite genre of books? I tend to rotate between Chick Lit and British Classics. It just depends on my mood and how hard I want to concentrate on the language used in the books.

2. Who is your favorite author and why? I have to go with 2 here. The typical response of most 20-somethings has to be Jane Austen.I think there is a new appreciation for her and her books once you get out of high school and the required reading scene/term paper scene and when you can start reading classics for enjoyment. I tend to like the style of her writing the most and how strong she makes her lead characters. Her ability to weave sarcasm and humor into her writing is another plus. My other favorite is Madeleine Wickham under her pen name of Sophie Kinsella (I don’t like books under her real name).I just love the Confessions of a Shopaholic series even though it has become a bit predictable and over the top. Her character Rebecca Bloomwood is the polar opposite of me: spendaholic and shopaholic and I am able to live vicariously through her in these. I can’t wait for the movie next year.

3. What one book do you wish you could buy copies of for all your girlfriends? Fix it and Forget it Lightly! I cannot get over the number of friends I have that do not cook and eat out every darn meal. It is so easy to cook using a slow cooker that everyone should do it. Plus if you use the crock pot liners clean up is even easier.So yes I would give all my girlfriends a cookbook! lol

4. What author do you read when you just want to have an adult beverage and vegetate? I would probably lean toward the books by Sophie Kinsella because she adds a bit of humor in those books and they are fairly light reads. But…If I wanted to blow off some steam I might pick up Pride and Prejudice and read Elizabeth tell off Mr. Darcy. Those are always two great chapters to read.

5. Do you share books with your fiancé and what kinds of books do you share with him? Wow! I wish we had the same tastes but we are completely different when it comes to books. I am Emma & Jane Eyre and he is Zombie Survival Guide. I actually bought the Zombie Survival Guide for him last July for his birthday and we did have quite a few interesting conversations about that book and how to prepare for a zombie invasion as well as scoping out places (at red lights) as we drove around running errands. It was very interesting.We will probably be sharing books though more in the next few years as we try to buy a house.

6. What book have you read that really surprised you either positively or negatively because it was better or worse than you expected it to be? Hmm. This is a difficult one. There have been quite a few chick lit books I have been disappointed in because there are some publishers who think if you put the book in a pretty pink cover with a swirly lettered-title people will look past the content which is sub-par. I now read lots of reviews before spending too much on unknown authors and books. As far as surprises I have 1: PS I Love You turned out to be an incredible book. I was actually very scared to read it after seeing the movie because I wanted to cry throughout the movie and didn’t want to do the same in the book. Plus you never know how well you will like the book vs. the movie. I found that while the book was different from the movie in multiple aspects both stories were very good and stood by themselves. Watching the movie first helped me visualize the characters in the book and gave me a hint at the ending so that I wouldn’t cry throughout the book which was helpful but I also didn’t find the book as dramatic as Hollywood made the story out to be so it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.

7. Being that you work with numbers all day how do find the time and energy to read? Reading is my escape from work and the real world. For the past year I haven’t read all that much but after this past busy season I made a promise to myself to start backing away from work while at home as well as the computer and try to find more relaxing things to do. As such, I now read about 1 book a week and have started scrap-booking again to help de-stress. It has been very therapeutic and I highly recommend it.

8. Finally, since you are getting married next year and starting a new page in your life do you have any books that you would recommend as a young, single and fabulous read? I did just finish one book that I wish I had read right after I finished college and was going through my quarter-life crisis. The book is Burning the Map and it is the story of a girl who was very hard working and basically lived off of a checklist: Boyfriend – check, solid career choice – check, internship – check, etc.  But what she didn’t realize was how while she had all of these things they were not the puzzle pieces that fit together for herSo throughout this book I was able to see her struggle with finding herself and what she wanted out of life which was exactly what I experienced a few years ago. It would have been very relieving had I read it then to realize these feelings are very normal! So anyone that is about to graduate college or has and is having second choices should definitely read this book to learn that it is OK and it is never too late to change course.

Thanks so much Catherine for taking time out of your busy life and wedding planning to answer my questions. Hopefully your answers will inspire others to read and pick up a book they might not have usually tried. Thanks