Surprise! I am so excited to share the first Sunday Spotlight with you today. This series will highlight real-life readers and explore bookish habits, preferences, and even a few literary sins!
I met Amanda in 2022 at a literary volunteer event and we became fast friends – lots of brunches, afternoon book browsing, and book club events ensued! And coffee, lots of coffee. Even though I moved away a year ago, we keep in touch on all things books and Taylor Swift.
Enjoy my interview with Amanda!
EBB: Tell me about yourself.
Amanda: My name is Amanda. I’m a lawyer and reader living in the Gulf Coast. I love all things Christmas and enjoy just hanging out at home (despite never being home). I also have a canvas tote bag obsession and tend to overbuy them at bookstores.
EBB: What books got you into reading?
Amanda: As a kid, Little Golden Books, the Magic Treehouse series, and (like a true millennial), Harry Potter.
EBB: Describe your journey to where you are at in your reading life today.
Amanda: I read A LOT as a child but stepped away from it growing up. I found my love for reading again when my mom gifted me a Kindle circa 2012. I remember reading so much that summer (thanks, FSOG)! Though I’d always been a fiction reader, I trended toward more non-fiction in law school and have continued to read a blend of both fiction and non-fiction since.
EBB: What’s the book or author you recommend to everyone? Why?
Amanda: The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, of course!! It has all of the elements I absolutely adore—Paris, travel, fantastical elements, and a bad boy devil….
EBB: Tell me about your reading habits.
Amanda: I tend to read at night or on the weekends when I can. I love physical books but tend to read more e-books just because of the ease of carrying them around. Goodreads helps me keep up with my TBR and decide what I’m reading next. I read both fiction and non-fiction but have been reading more thrillers lately.
EBB: Favorite quote or advice:
Amanda: Honestly, just the entirety of Tolkien’s “The Riddle of Strider.”
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
EBB: What are you reading next?
Amanda: Batman’s Hush storyline. I’ve gotten back into comics lately!
EBB: Any literary sins you’d like to confess?
Amanda: I acknowledge that Fifty Shades is terrible writing, but I don’t care — I love it anyway.
EBB: Anything else you’d like for us to know?
Amanda: My favorite place on earth is Shakespeare & Company in Paris, France!
EBB: Where can readers find you?
Amanda: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/38051851 or @Manda_allstars on Instagram
I hope you enjoyed learning all about Amanda and her reading life. Stay tuned for more Sunday Spotlights!
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