Taking part in today's Reader Q&A is eighteen-year-old Emily Cross from Bolivar, MO. Check out her responses below, as she raves about THE PRINCESS BRIDE (both the book and the movie), reveals why she *didn't* like TWILIGHT, and discusses her favorite series by Laurie R. King. If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?
Aouda from AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS by Jules Verne. She was a strong woman surrounded by great characters on the trip of a lifetime. Who wouldn't want to be her? Not to mention, Phileas was a sexy beast.
What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?
TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer. I would not recommend it for a few reasons. The writing was lacking, the plot was weak, and I feel like it is a very unhealthy interpretation of love.
Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.
Westley, Inigo and Fezzik from THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman. Best. Party. Ever.
Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?
"We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?" -Ray Bradbury, FAHRENHEIT 451
Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.
THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman is one of those books you can truly read a million times and always notice something new. For me, it captures the feeling of wonder and obsession when you begin to discover great stories as a child.
FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury opened my eyes to a lot of things and instilled in me a deep interest in freedom of speech, thought, and expression.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee is a book I think about on a near daily basis. Everything about it is so human, good and bad.
If you had the opportunity to meet any author (dead or alive), who would you choose to meet, and what three questions would you ask him/her?
I would love to pick Lois Lowry's brain.
1. Do you think the human race can reach a point when they give up war?
2. Who were your literary heroes growing up?
3. How in the world did you master flashbacks inside of flashbacks??
What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?
The Princess Bride by William Goldman: I love the movie. I love the book. All things considered, it''s perfect.
The Green Mile by Stephen King: I felt like the movie did a wonderful job portraying the story.
Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee: All right, this is actually based on a play, but it is my most favorite movie. The acting is great and it was very true to the play.
Tell us about your favorite book series.
The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King is about a young orphaned woman, named Mary, in the early 1920s who is neighbors with none other than a retired Sherlock Holmes. He takes her under his wing and teaches her the art of detection. It''s a fun series and actually does a good job portraying Holmes.
