BBAW Blogger Interview Swap: Lu of Regular Rumination!

Today I'm participation in BBAW blogger interview swap. My partner is Lu, who runs Regular Rumination, blog of the cool name. I thought I asked her some pretty challenging questions, but she answered them all wonderfully! Welcome, Lu, to Steph Su Reads!

1. Does a book's cover influence your decision to read it or like it? What are some of your favorite book covers?

Absolutely! I'd like to say it doesn't, but that would be ignoring a whole wonderful part about books - their beautiful covers. It's just another manifestation of the story when it's done right. I actually quite like some of these older covers, like the edition of The Quiet American that I'm reading right now. I also just bought Kristin Lavransdatter for a readalong coming up next month and the edition is beautiful! Whenever I see a book cover like that I can't help but wonder why the other designers don't get to it.

2. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, fairies, or other?

Zombies. World War Z is one of my top ten books of all time. But I also like all kinds of sci fi and fantasy and have a hard time picking just one. I guess if it were a battle between vampires and werewolves, I have been known to side with vampires. As for fairies, I haven't met one of those that I've loved yet. Native American spirits on the other hand, I'm all for.

3. If you could pick only one book you've read this year (2009) to recommend above all others, which wo

uld it be, and why?

That's such a difficult question, and I'm not sure I know the right answer! I think that it would be Kindred. This is not the highest rated book that I read this year, but I think it's the most important. Octavia Butler is, in my opinion, a writer that everyone should be reading. She writes science fiction books that are accessible to all readers, but most of all she is never afraid to tackle Big Issues. Gender and race and inequality appear in all of her books, but trust me, it is never preachy. Kindred is about a modern black woman who travels back to the 1700s during slavery. Not only that, but her white husband gets sent back, too. There is so much going on in this novel that it's hard to pin down what Butler does better, the racial interactions or the gender issues.

4. Imagine some captors locked you in a room and forced you to watch just one movie for a whole week with no break. What movie would it be?

That's easy. My Neighbor Totoro. I know, it's animated. I know I'm in my twenties and I probably should have picked something more mature, but I can't help it. This has been my favorite movie since I was six years old. I checked it out so often from the movie store that they finally just gave it to me. I had it on VHS for years and then after our VCR broke and we only had DVD players, my boyfriend bought me the DVD for my birthday. I love it. It's an amazing movie by the genius filmmaker Miyazaki. Besides, I basically locked myself in my room and watched in on repeat when I was little anyway ;)

5. What is one type of book you will never read?

Never?! Haha, I'm not sure that never is in my vocabulary. I could pass on the science and math textbooks!. I have a feeling that's not what you mean, though. The books I rarely read though are religious fiction and romance novels. I've just never been interested in either and dislike books that sacrifice story or characterization for something else, ie a religious message or a steamy romance. Neither of those things are in a vaccuum! If anyone has good recommendations for me, please let me know, I'm always willing to change my mind!

6. What are two books you'd insist that every 10-year-old you meet should read?

This is another easy question. One of my sisters is 10 and a non-reader, so I'm always trying to find books that she will like. She loves The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and regularly tells me it's the only book she's ever read. So I bought her The Invention of Hugo Cabret and she loved it! Parents are so afraid of books with pictures, like their kids are "too good" to read books that have drawings in them by the time they are 8 years old. You know what I say to that? LAME. Books with pictures are awesome, so there. If you have a non-reader, get them a graphic novel. They just might fall in love.

7. What is the best thing that's happened to you since blogging?

TWO AUTHORS FOUND MY BLOG AND COMMENTED ON IT. I jumped up and down and squealed and called everyone I knew. The real best thing that's happened to me since blogging has been, of course, meeting new people and creating all these wonderful connections between fellow readers. I really love that aspect of blogging, as I'm sure most people do.

8. What is the meaning of life?

Can I get cheesy here and say love? Love of your family and friends, love of a good book, love of a good poem, love of a big plate of pasta and red sauce.

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Great answers, Lu, and a lot of different books that I'm excited to check out! (For instance, I've never heard of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but now I really want to read it.) Please do check out Lu's blog to see me answer some questions in my usual manner! She asked some really awesome questions, and I always love answering questions about myself (it's my one narcissistic indulgence). Stay tuned for more BBAW stuff, and check out the BBAW website for more fun things going on this week!