Two of My Favorite Things

By Nichole Giles

For any of you who are keeping track of my progress in the 30-day challenge, today is September 27, 2007 and my word count—by the end of the night—will top 47,000 and my story is in it’s last scenes. (I believe that deserves a cheer!)

My friend Rachelle has so kindly included me in another game of tag. This one is much different than some of the others I’ve participated in, and it actually required some thought. It pertains to books and reading, two of my favorite things. So here are my answers to her questions. Happy reading.

My Reading: Okay, so this is a wide, broad, open topic and one of those questions—if left to the devices of a writer—that could take pages and pages to describe. I love to read anything gripping, anything heart warming or heart wrenching, and anything so fantastical that I am amazed someone thought to write it. Since this pretty much describes the majority of the books I’ve read in my life, I’ll whittle it down to my favorites. Romance is a big favorite of mine because, well, I’m a girl and girls love romance. I also love fantasy. Magical elements and otherworldly things fascinate me. The work of Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling are good examples of this, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Foul series is also a great fantasy series. And though I shouldn’t admit to it, Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught are romance-writing favorites. (Just skip the bad stuff.)

Total number of books owned: Yeah, right. As if I could figure that one out. I just got a new bookshelf in my office, (I had to clean out my bathroom closet because the books had crowded the towels right out) and it is completely full. So, I’m guessing somewhere in the several hundreds, not counting the books in my kids bedrooms and the ones in boxes in my basement.

Last Book I Bought: Um, well, I buy books fairly frequently. My first instinct to this question is the entire Stephanie Meyer series, but that is not actually the correct answer. Last week at the League of Utah Writers roundup I bought a stack of books, including Brotherhood of the Wolf, by David Farland, Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, and Wet Desert by Gary Hansen. Then on Saturday, a box arrived on my doorstep (books I had ordered over a month ago) containing Story Structure Architect, On Romance Writing, First Draft in 30 Days, and Character Naming Sourcebook. I have not actually finished any of these books, but intend to get started asap. Oh, and also I let my kids order some things from their school book orders. Wow, that’s a lot of books in one month.

Last Book I Read: I am currently reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, but during my long drive to the conference last week I audio-read Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught. Also, I have been reading No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty in preparation for my 30-day writing challenge. (I am 26 days in, and my word count as of last night is above 46,000. 4 days and 4000 words left.)

5 Meaningful Books: Oh, that’s a tough one. Can I choose series? I choose the Harry Potter series because JK Rowling pushed all the boundaries and rules and came out on top, ahead, and swimming in success. The Stephenie Meyer series because not only has she chosen Vampires and Werewolves as the good guys in the story, but also because she is a prime example of an LDS writer who has successfully stuck to her beliefs and swept the national market at the same time. The Children of the Promise series because I used to listen to the CD’s while I nursed and rocked my babies, and it kept me happy during all those sleepless nights. Tom Finder and The Dollmage by Martine Leavitt, because her amazing poetic style shines in these books, inspiring me to write something equally as touching. (I am still searching for Katura and Lord Death, but haven’t read it yet.) And last, but not least, I pick the Junie B. Jones series, because Barbara Park has given such a strong and personal voice to those books, that even my pre-teen children love to read them again. (They are written for first graders.) Okay, with two separate books by Martine, I guess that’s six. Guess you get a bonus answer.

Now for the fun part. I tag Gaynell Parker, Rhonda Gibb Hinrichson, and Karen Mittan. Have fun girls!