What genre does Ellie refuse to read? What book caused her to make huge changes in her life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellie is from the UK and is a Team Editor and Narrations Manager here at Shortform. She’s a huge history buff and has some pretty eclectic reading tastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Here’s what Ellie had to say about Regency romance novels, her toxic reading trait, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m a huge<\/em> fan of classic\u2014especially gothic\u2014literature, and my favorite book flip-flops between The Tenant of Wildfell Hall<\/em> by Anne Bront\u00eb and Rebecca<\/em> by Daphne du Maurier. I love the first because it’s a cool story-within-a-story, and it’s also considered an early feminist work of literature. I love the latter because it’s so atmospheric, and Mrs. Danvers is such a well-written creepy character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the start of 2022, I made a commitment not to buy any new books until I’d read everything currently unread on my shelves and Kindle, and it’s leading to some pretty eclectic reading habits right now! I recently finished Splendid<\/em> by Julia Quinn, a pretty cheesy Regency romance. I’m about to read People of Abandoned Character <\/em>by Clare Whitfield, a historical thriller about a woman who suspects her husband is Jack the Ripper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) Jane Austen\u2014her books are so witty, and I bet she’d be a hoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Philippa Gregory\u2014she’s my favorite historical novelist, and I actually referenced her work in my MA thesis, so I’d love to chat about that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Barack Obama\u2014he just seems so dang cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love anything that has a “historical” flavor to it\u2014classics that were written centuries ago, historical fiction, historical romance, even historical non-fiction if I’m feeling fancy! I’m drawn to anything history-related because it’s always been a huge passion of mine. If I hadn’t become a writer and editor, I’d have become a historian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really hate horror and particularly gory crime novels. When you have the killer combination of chronic anxiety and a vivid imagination, they’re best avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See, part of me wishes I could say I love an old-fashioned physical copy. But for some reason, I find it so much easier to get through books in Kindle format. I think it’s because my toxic trait is flipping to the end of a book\u2014ruining the ending for myself and consequently giving up on the book\u2014and it’s a lot harder to do that on Kindle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Untamed <\/em>by Glennon Doyle. That book transformed the way I treat myself and the way I allow myself to be treated by others. While some elements are pretty specific to Doyle’s life\u2014it being a memoir\u2014some of the messages about confidence, self-awareness, and removing toxic influences from your life are pretty universal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jane Austen, all three of the Bront\u00eb sisters\u2014although I have a soft spot for Anne\u2014and … my granddad! He wrote and published a children’s book a few years ago, and I think that’s super cool. It’s truly never too late!<\/p>\n\n\n\n My reading tastes have stayed remarkably consistent! I started reading classics and history-themed stuff pretty young, and I never stopped! I did go through an unfortunate Twilight<\/em> phase, but we don’t talk about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading, to be honest! I think the earliest thing I remember reading and really loving was the first Harry Potter<\/em> book\u2014probably the same for much of my generation, I imagine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely Regency romance novels. They’re so trashy, and the lead characters are often terminally stupid\u2014which is how they end up in their various romantic misunderstandings\u2014but I just can’t stop reading them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up<\/a><\/em> by Marie Kondo, I’ve pivoted to a more minimalist lifestyle<\/a>. I now buy only things I’m 100% sure I’ll use and love\u2014instead of getting swept up in usually emotion-driven shopping sprees\u2014and I did a huge declutter of my existing belongings. My house feels so much less cluttered now, and it’s amazing how much more positive the space feels!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice<\/em> is just phenomenal in every way. Also the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility<\/em>. Both are very faithful to their respective source materials, have strong casts, and just capture the warmth and humor of Jane Austen’s books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through a Kindle Daily Deal, I discovered this historical novelist called Nicola Cornick who writes timeslip novels. Basically, all of them have a time-travel element where a character either comes from or ends up in the past. Her book The Phantom Tree<\/em> was particularly gripping!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This has been a struggle for me, as I\u2019m quite opinionated and stubborn! But, I try to tell myself that my job isn\u2019t to write about what I think is right; it\u2019s to purely objectively communicate a source\u2019s ideas. I imagine I\u2019m writing a book report, or a Wikipedia page\u2014somewhere where partiality really wouldn\u2019t fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember picking Smarter, Faster, Better<\/a><\/em> by Charles Duhigg as my first book simply because I recognized the author’s name\u2014I didn’t really have high hopes for enjoying it. But, it turned out to have some really great productivity tips<\/a> and some fascinating case studies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who’s perpetually distracted, Indistractable<\/a> <\/em>is a favorite of mine. It has some really simple yet effective strategies for focusing. Biased<\/a> <\/em>is also both fascinating and a really important read\u2014it really opened my eyes to how pervasive racial bias is in our 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? <\/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
How have your reading tastes changed over the years?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Was there a specific book that sparked your love of reading? <\/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 change or develop any habits?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite book adaptations?<\/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
At Shortform, how do you go about working on a book that has viewpoints you don\u2019t agree with?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any books you had to read for Shortform that you thought you wouldn\u2019t like and ended up loving? <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite books in the Shortform library?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Ellie’s Recommended Books<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
About the Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n