Previously, I’ve answered the questions Brett Goldstein poses on his podcast Films to Be Buried With. First, I kept to the premise – movies. Then I answered the questions about TV shows. This time, my answers will all be books.
What was the first-ever book you read? — I don’t know the answer for sure, but I have a copy of Rosie by Cindy Wheeler, a children’s book I checked out of the library so often that my mother eventually bought it for me. I also know I had a fondness for the Clifford the Big Red Dog series, as well as Charlotte’s Web. I read anything and everything as a kid, so it’s hard to know what was first.
What was the book that scared you the most? — I honestly don’t have an answer for this. I don’t read scary books. [strained smile] My dreams are vivid enough without the help.
What was the book that made you cry the most? — I had to keep coming back to this because no one book is coming to mind as making me cry. I don’t often cry while reading, even for sad books. But there are a couple moments in the Anne of Green Gables series that got me to shed a tear or two. The first is when Matthew dies, for which I will never forgive L.M. Montgomery. The second is when Gilbert proposes and she turns him down – I always want to reach through the pages and shake Anne by the shoulders. LET YOURSELF BE HAPPY!
What book is TERRIBLE but you love it? — OK – read the whole response before tar and feathering me – but Outlander. It’s not terrible. I do enjoy reading it – I love the historical fiction and the Scotland of it all (my enthusiasm waned when they landed in the colonies). But it does suffer from what I call the Grey’s Anatomy effect. I remember distinctly while reading the fifth book that I cursed the skies wondering why these people couldn’t even walk through the woods without someone getting bitten by a poisonous snake. 😐 It didn’t feel like it moved the story along – it felt like it was just supposed to mess with my emotions – and I don’t enjoy that.
What is the book you once loved but reading it now you realise it’s terrible? — Eat, Pray, Love. I mean no disrespect to Gilbert, who is a phenomenal writer. But. I reread it recently, and it was really hard to ignore the tone and the privilege that is never addressed.
What is the book that means the most to you? Not because of the book it’s self, but because of the memories, you have of it. –Much like my film answer, my book answer is the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. It reminds me of my nana, makes me feel closer to her since she passed away.
To be continued next week!
Ami Maxine 