Hello everybody! And hello new followers – somehow there’s 99 of you?? What?? This seems like a good time to introduce myself a little better and get to know you all!

I put it out into the Twitterverse that I’m not good at writing ‘About Me’ and my gorgeous friend Michaela @ A Novel Idea, one of my favourite people in the world, came up with a list of prompts for me to answer! I joked she was interviewing me, so I’m turning it into a tag: The Book Interview. 

here we go:

Name/Blog Name: Esmé @ esmooglereads

Age: 22

Favourite genre: Uhhh, pass? I’ll honestly give anything a go!

Favourite male author: Patrick Ness. I find this man’s mind absolutely astonishing! The premises of his various novels are so original and often try something new without ever being a gimmick. I was lucky enough to attend a talk of his in 2018, meeting him after, and he is a lovely person to boot. I recommend the Chaos Walking series if you’re new to his work – it has gender politics, a slow burn ship and a talking dog all aimed at a YA audience. What more could you want?

Favourite female author: Margaret Atwood. Interestingly, a lot of the elements that draw me to Ness’ books are also what I like about Atwood; unique concepts, unusual ways of telling the story and memorable characters. She is an absolute institution of culture and I can’t believe I’m alive in a time where the sequel to A Handmaid’s Tale is being published. I don’t have to research into any of her novels, I can just dive right in knowing I’m in safe hands that will deliver a fascinating, multi-layered story beyond any of my expectations.

Forever favourite(s): Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and North Child by Edith Pattou are just a few (check out my favourites shelf on goodreads for more!).

What was your first book of 2018?: Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
How did you like it?: I am such a fan of the film adaptation of this novel and it is honestly so rare that I say I prefer a movie to the book – but I preferred the movie to the book. I think the book created an atmosphere that the film developed further; there are subplots that didn’t make the film, but were replaced with ones that were more interesting in my opinion. It’s in no way a bad book, just didn’t quite live up to the magic of the movie for me.

What was your last book of 2018?: Oh man. Belinda Blinked 2 by Rocky Flintstone.
How did you like it?: Let me explain – there is a British podcast called My Dad Wrote A Porno which was started by three university friends after one of them found out his dad had written ‘erotic’ literature ala Fifty Shades of Grey. Each episode they read a chapter and dissect it. It’s hilarious because the sex is terribly written but the plot is also nonsensical; characters change name without warning, everyone sleeps with each other to close business deals and the references are so outdated there’s a genuine debate as to whether it’s set in a different time or alternate universe. It’s not for the faint hearted, but if you want to laugh out loud in the middle of the supermarket this is absolutely the ticket.

What do you look for in a book/what makes it really stand out for you?: I love interesting, flawed female characters, cleverly built worlds and different formats of writing – books where sections are written from multiple characters’ points of view or through other mediums like texts, letters or newspaper articles.

Do you collect any particular sets/editions of books?: Jane Eyre! It’s my favourite and helps whenever I’m homesick having just moved away from my hometown near Haworth.

Favourite place to read: I love a cosy corner in a coffee shop! I also love reading while travelling, nothing makes a train or bus journey fly by than a good book and it’s so nice to read without the distractions of wifi, TV and other people.

Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Hardbacks or paperbacks?: I love a paperback but I do appreciate that ebooks have saved my bank account and back pain since I can carry hundreds of books round with me.

Do you keep books you didn’t like, or get rid of them?: It takes a lot for me to give a book away! I’m a hoarder.

Which literary character best defines you/do you best relate to?: This is such a good question that I don’t have a good answer for. I think there’s lots of characters I relate to for different reasons but I couldn’t pin just one down – watch this space!

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I’m tagging Reader Voracious, Me and Ink, Delly, Kat @ Novels and Waffles, Bex, lilistarreads, Clo @ Book Dragons and Michaela herself plus anyone else who fancies doing The Book Interview!

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