Today's guest is one of Canada's most dangerous reviewers, Trudi. Trudi also posts at Busty Book Bimbo.
How did you discover Goodreads?
One of my librarian friends joined in 2008 and sent me an invite. I accepted and it was love at first sight.
What have been your most memorable Goodreads experiences?
Reading the reviews has become a valued part of my reading life -- some have made me laugh so hard it felt like I might've broken something, and a few have made me cry (but I'm not telling which ones). This site has also brought some seriously funny, seriously smart people to my attention and it's been a real delight getting to know them better through the books they love (and hate).
Name one reviewer not in the Forbes 25 that people should be aware of.
My pal Carol and fellow zombie enthusiast.
What was your initial reaction to Amazon buying Goodreads?
Remember Nancy Kerrigan after the knee-capping incident? Yeah, like that (only more dramatic). I'm getting over it gradually. The more I drink, the better Amazon looks. I'm just going to stay drunk from now on.
How many books do you own?
I've moved around lots and was a student in one form or another until I was 32, so a lot of my books got purged over the years. My physical "owned" library has been whittled down to about 70 of my most precious darlings, including a few first editions by Stephen King that I'll be buried with just in case it's BYOB (bring your own book) on the other side.
Who is your favorite author?
Stephen King. My mom loved him and I started reading him when I was 10. I've been a Constant Reader ever since. His books are the soundtrack to my life and when I need a comfort read, it's his books I inevitably turn to.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Oh jesus, really? I can't pick one. I have about 30 that are constantly jockeying for position. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak holds a special place in my reader heart though.
What are your thoughts on ebooks?
Love them. I'm much more of a story junkie than a book junkie, if that makes sense. I'll take a good story any way I can get it -- big screen, little screen, around a campfire, in a song, I don't care just tell me a story and make it a good one. Ebooks have made it even easier to get to the stories that I want to be reading, and to even discover some authors that would have withered away in obscurity without the ebook revolution. Physical books can be a beautiful, precious commodity and I don't see them going extinct ever, but ebooks have their place too. They're not the enemy.
What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
Let's face it. There's a river of crap out there and some huge, dickish egos behind it. But if you're really courageous, and willing to take a paddle and head upstream, diamonds in the rough are waiting to be disovered. Never before have the barriers between author and reader been so few, the access so direct. No longer are authors strictly dependent on big publishing houses to deem their work "worthy" to go to market accompanied by a sexy publicity campaign. Authors and readers are doing it for themselves these days, and I for one think it's a beautiful thing. However, this should be writ law and punishable by death: No author should self-publish until he or she has read King's On Writing. And use the goddamn spell check! It was invented for a reason.
Any literary aspirations?
I think I make a much better reader than I would a writer. Inventing stories is so much work and takes so much time, time that could be spent reading. I'm the junkie in this relationship, not the dealer. I'm satisfied with my reader high, just keep the cooks in the kitchen and the meth on the streets, yeah? Heisenberg blue.
What is your ideal super villain lair?
The recently revealed Men of Letters bunker on the CW's Supernatural. It's underground, it's a library, it has a firing range and a kitchen. It's the perfect place really to launch a campaign for world domination.
My favorite parts:
ReplyDelete1) I always love a good river of crap analogy.
2) Your point about being a story junkie. I've often felt that way--that my love of stories isn't necessarily limited to paper. The television shows and movies I watch and the music I listen to are as much a part of my love of story as books are.