What book totally changed how E handles their personal finances? How does a book help them settle into a new place after they move?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E can tell you all about it. Based in Colorado, they’re a peer editor on the writing team at Shortform. We interviewed them recently to learn a bit about their relationship with books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
For E, books can be teachers, anchors, windows, game-changers, and even lifelines. Here’s what they shared with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m a peer editor, so I primarily work with our veteran guide writers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a tough question\u2014as I’m sure it is for everyone at Shortform! My top two contenders are A Wrinkle in Time<\/em> by Madeleine L’Engle and The Song of Achilles<\/em> by Madeline Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Wrinkle in Time<\/em> is one I come back to again and again. I’ve moved around quite a bit, and that book is always the first one I read whenever I move to a new place because it’s so familiar and nostalgic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Song of Achilles<\/em> is just so beautifully written. It takes characters from mythology\u2014that are usually portrayed as larger than life\u2014and paints them in a much more intimate and relatable light. It’s the number one book I recommend to people\u2014but with a warning: the ending might have you in tears!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honorable mention goes to The Tea Dragon Society<\/em> series of graphic novels by Kay O’Neill. The stories are so warm and inclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recently finished Pet<\/em> by Akwaeke Emezi, which was fantastic. It’s the first time in a while that I’ve read a book cover to cover in one sitting because I was so engrossed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I’m working my way through Stephen Fry’s Mythos<\/em> series, which is his retelling of stories from Greek mythology. I’m a big fan of world mythology\u2014I actually collect mythology books\u2014and his storytelling voice<\/a> is so fun, he really brings the stories to life in a new way. I’m currently on the second book, Heroes<\/em>, and I received the third book, Troy<\/em>, as a birthday gift, so I’m excited to dig into that one next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first spot goes to Madeleine L’Engle\u2014author of A Wrinkle in Time<\/em> and many other books\u2014because I’d love to hear her talk about the way she weaves fantasy, quantum physics, spirituality, and relatable family dynamics into her stories in a way that feels totally natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second spot would probably be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\u2014author of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Anyone who can come up with a character like Sherlock Holmes must be a similar kind of genius!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And third, I’d say Rick Riordan\u2014author of several mythology-based YA series including Percy Jackson<\/em>. I love young adult fiction, and he’s doing more to advance diverse representation in that genre than any other author I’ve encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fiction, my favorite genre is queer young adult fiction. Those stories were lifelines for me when I was younger, and it’s been so cool to see the genre expand from just a few classic books to a whole field of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In nonfiction, I tend to gravitate toward psychology\u2014which is what I studied in school\u2014anthropology, and history because I like learning about why people are the way they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m not a big fan of business or finance books. I’ve never had a head for business, so they just don’t interest me. I also struggle with biographies. I tend to get bored and give up on them halfway through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the choice, I will always opt for a physical copy instead of an electronic or audiobook version. There’s just something so much more engaging about holding a physical book in your hands and turning the pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My list is long, but the top few would be The Song of Achilles<\/em> by Madeline Miller, The Prophet<\/em> by Kahlil Gibran, The Diary of a Young Girl<\/a><\/em> by Anne Frank, and The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog<\/em> by Bruce Perry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tend to gravitate toward certain books or series rather than particular authors, but I do love Audre Lorde, and I\u2019ve read just about everything Rick Riordan\u2019s ever written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love reading the original Nancy Drew <\/em>stories. They’re not masterpieces\u2014almost every chapter ends with an artificial cliffhanger and an exclamation point\u2014but they’re fun, easy reads and an interesting window into that point in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lost Connections<\/a><\/em> by Johann Hari\u2014which I read for Shortform\u2014was a game-changer for me. It’s all about the social and environmental causes of depression and why we shouldn’t think of it as just a biological or medical issue. Now, when I notice my mental health dipping, I focus on my surroundings and what’s going on in my life instead of thinking there’s something fundamentally wrong with my brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another one that changed things for me was I Will Teach You to Be Rich<\/a><\/em> by Ramit Sethi\u2014also in our Shortform library. I’m not a finance person at all, but that book was accessible enough that I finally understand some basics of investing that I’d been neglecting. It totally changed how I handle my personal finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I keep a whole list of them in my phone, but one of my favorites is from Ninety-Three<\/em> by Victor Hugo: “What makes night within us may leave stars.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely the HBO series Gentleman Jack<\/em>! It’s adapted from the real-life diaries of Anne Lister\u2014which have also been adapted into several books. Her story as a rare female landowner and out lesbian in the 1800s is amazing, and the series definitely does her justice without being overly dramatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freedom Summer<\/em> by Bruce Watson is an incredible historical read that I don’t think gets enough attention. The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog<\/em> by Bruce Perry is also a fascinating lesser-known book all about childhood trauma, how the brain reacts to it, and the innovative ways to treat it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely Biased<\/a><\/em> by Jennifer Eberhardt! It’s my favorite of the books in our library that cover racial bias and antiracism. Eberhardt is a psychologist, so she goes into the science of bias in addition to the history of it and how it affects individuals and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are you reading these days?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
If you could have a dinner party with any three authors\u2014dead or alive\u2014who would they be and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite genre? Why does it intrigue you?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any book genres or tropes that you dislike or refuse to read?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite way to read a book?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What book do you think everyone should read in their lifetime?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Who are your favorite authors?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Do you have any guilty-pleasure books?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Have any books you\u2019ve read caused you to make any life changes or to develop any habits?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s your favorite quote from a book or an author?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite book adaptations<\/strong> and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any lesser-known books that you\u2019ve read that you want others to know exist?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite books in the Shortform library and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
E’s Recommended Reading List<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
About the Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n