Sunday Special: Interview with Emma of Easy Reading and Damn Hard Writing

For my second blogger interview, I'm really pleased to be talking with Emma of the wonderful Easy Reading and Damn Hard Writing site. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Emma! I'd definitely encourage readers to check out her site once they've read this interview.


1. Tell us a bit about yourself - what do you do aside from reading and blogging?

Well, let’s see…. Reading is my passion, but my true calling is writing, and I’m currently working on a few short stories and a project that I hope will become my second full-length novel. (I wrote my first novel when I was fourteen, and it was TERRIBLE, so I’m hoping for better luck on this round. :D) I also enjoy watching television, listening to music, and crafting. This fall, I’ll be enrolling at university after taking a gap year, where I intend to major in Anthropology and/or Journalism. Does that answer your question?

Best of luck with all of that - I hope you really enjoy university!


2. What made you decide to start a blog?

I usually write fiction, and really, I originally started a blog as a way to break out of that mold a little. Also, over the last year I’ve fallen down a lot as a reader — I keep telling myself I don’t have time, that I should be writing/working, etc — and I find that blogging forces me to carve out time to read, and also helps me discover new books that I otherwise might never come across.

Definitely agree with that, I've read a huge amount more since I started blogging!


3. When I first stumbled on Easy Reading and Damn Hard Writing I assumed it was a new blog, but I quickly realised you'd moved over from Livejournal to Wordpress - any reason for the change?

I started out on Livejournal because it was the user interface I was most familiar with; I’ve been using LJ for years and it seemed like a good place to be. Most people/bloggers I know, however, use either Blogspot or Wordpress, and after trying both, I decided that I could do more with Wordpress than I could with LJ. Personally, I find that the WP system is less buggy than LJ’s.


4. What's your favourite TV or movie adaptation of a novel, and is there any that haven't been done yet that you'd love to see hit the screen?

Oh, this is a hard question for me… hmm… my favorite movie-based-off-of-a-book is definitely The Thief Lord. I felt like the moviemakers really got the essence of the original Funke book. As for ones that haven’t been done yet, I would love to see the Artemis Fowl series or Sarah Rees Brennan’s The Demon’s Lexicon on the big screen.

I've never quite got round to reading The Demon's Lexicon or The Thief Lord but keep meaning to. Artemis Fowl would make a fab film or TV series!


5. I'd hope that most of my readers will take a look at Easy Reading and Damn Hard Writing when they finish reading this interview. Is there a post you're particularly proud of that you'd like to direct them towards?

Hmm… I would direct them to my Top Ten Books That I’d Recommend to Someone Who Doesn’t Read Fantasy. I am very proud of it, and I feel that everyone should read a fantasy/sci-fi book at some point in their lives. :D

As a huge fantasy fan, agree! Great list - I particularly liked seeing the wonderful Hundred Thousand Kingdoms on there.


6. As a fellow Sherlock Holmes fan who, like you, devoured all of Conan Doyle's books when I was in my mid-teens, I frequently find myself drawn to other authors using the great detective. The results tend to be variable, to say the least! Have you ever read any of the non-Conan Doyle Sherlock books, and if so, what's your favourite?

The only non-Doyle stories that I have ever read are the shorts included in David Barr-Kirtley’s and John Joseph Adams The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I just have a hard time reading non-Doyle books—I guess I’m a bit of a purist that way. I do enjoy many of the film and television adaptations though, including the Guy Ritchie movies, the Granada series featuring Jeremy Brett, and the most recent BBC adaptation with Benedict Cumberbatch.

Agree on the adaptations being fabulous! My personal favourite non-Conan Doyle books are Tracy Revels' Shadowfall series, featuring a supernatural Holmes and a variety of villains from folklore - totally crazy but great fun.


7. I know you're a big Doctor Who fan - who's your favourite doctor, and why?

Ten was my first doctor, and I love him dearly, but Eleven is my favorite. He’s just so quirky.

Nine was my first 'real' doctor (I vaguely remember seeing bits when I was a kid but had never properly watched it before) and I thought he was brilliant - but Ten was even better, and Eleven better again.


8. Which YA character would you most like to see in the TARDIS if the Doctor was looking for a new companion?

Hmm, let’s see…. I think Artemis Fowl would be a fun companion, even though he would annoy the Doctor. Tessa Gray would also be a choice that I’d support; she’s smart and strong, and she’d probably love to go time travelling.

Having never read Cassandra Clare's books, I must be one of the only book bloggers around who isn't familiar with Tessa Gray - but agree Artemis would be a great companion!


9. Are there any YA books that you've read or reviewed which haven't been as successful as you'd have expected them to be?

Angelfall, by Susan Ee. It is absolutely phenomenal; if it weren’t a self-pub, I could easily see it being shelved alongside Cassandra Clare and Holly Black in a bookstore, and it would fit in just fine.

Sounds interesting, I'll have to keep an eye out for it.


10. What's your favourite thing about blogging, and is there anything you don't like?

My favorite thing about blogging is the community. You guys are so awesome :D I’ve gotten a lot of support as a new blogger, and I really appreciate it. Also, I just love writing reviews, talking about books and TV, and generally being able to geek out. I haven’t really come upon anything I DISlike yet—so far, it’s all been pretty awesome.

Agree about the fab community! Thanks so much for taking the time to give such fantastic answers.