Cody's Bookshelf

The Fireman by Joe Hill, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, Eleanor by Jason Gurley, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, and two Stephen Laws novels. I'm not currently reading all of those, though. 

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

In One Person, by John Irving 

 3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

Sylvia Plath 

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I dunno . . . John Grisham, maybe? I have all of his novels in hardcover and have yet to read a single one. 

5. How do you organize your personal library?

By author, and then chronologically 

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

Every Dickens novel I haven't read yet

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didnt? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

That's a toughie . . . A Head Full of Ghosts, by Paul Tremblay, maybe? It just won a Stoker award and got rave reviews. I just didn't really dig it. 

The last book I put down was The Widow, by Fiona Barton. 

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I'm very drawn to coming of age stories -- those are my favorites, usually. I also like dark stories in which good doesn't always win. I like stories with fully-realized characters who react as real people would. I just like stories that feel real. As a reader I don't like feeling cheated.

I'll read almost anything. I can't think of anything that immediately turns me off, unless it's a vampire romance or something. 

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

Definitely The Dead Zone by Stephen King (sorry, E. -- I stole half your answer!) 

10. What do you plan to read next?

Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, maybe Jurassic Park . . . oh, and Stephen King has a new novel out next month. Right on.