Mandy has been working at Lemuria for the last 4 months, after moving to Jackson from California. She has an MFA in Children’s literature, and spends most of her time in OZ.
When did you start really collecting books? Is it a collection, or more of a hoard?
That’s a fine line, isn’t it? I’ve always had piles and shelves and masses of books. Books have always been my favorite thing evenbefore I was able to read. I begged my grandma to teach me to read before I went to preschool. When I went to the mall, the first place I always wanted to go was the bookstore.
I’m not sure if I have a hoard or a collection. To be fair, I do get rid of books I don’t like, so I don’t hoard them in that way. I really do hoard books ‘to be read’. At home right now, I probably have about 400 books to be read. I can’t stop buying books, but I’m actually a really slow and meticulous reader, so that’s a problem.
How do you organize your books?
Right now my books are in the trunk of my car and in piles on my guest room and living room floors. I just finished moving them all from California. I have to-be-painted bookshelves in my half-painted living room, but the books haven’t made it there yet.
Is there a book you wish that you had bought, but didn’t?
There are a lot of adult books I wanted to buy, but didn’t; I’m really obsessed with children’s literature. I would say The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. It sat in my mind for two years, but then I started working here, and I just bought it. It just took me a while to get around to it.
You have your MFA in Children’s Literature, why did you decide to become a children’s lit author?
My love for books was so intense when I was a kid. I never really outgrew those books I loved so much. I was consistently drawn to the children’s section of bookstores, even as an adult. I really love adult fiction, but for a different reason. I like delving into literary analysis. It’s really, really fun, like a recreational activity. But if there is stuff to be dug up and analyzed, I won’t really be turning the page and enjoying the story. In children’s lit, the narrative arc is more of a requirement than in adult fiction so I can lose myself and get lost in the world of the story. It just appealed to me to be a part of that for other kids as a writer; to think ‘what is a book that I wish had been written when I was a kid?’
A lot of my ideas naturally fall in that category of children’s lit—the characters are young and they live in a big world. We are stuck in our teenage years whether we like it or not. There is a draw to go back and pick at that wound and figure out why we are the way we are. As a Young Adult writer, it’s very cathartic.
What do you look for in a good book?
I’m such a snob about dialogue and pacing in particular. It’s really hard to have an MFA; it’s ruined my reading. I need an authentic voice that I believe, which manifests itself in dialogue. If the story is stagnant in the beginning, then I will get bored and put it down.
What book do you think is the best-kept secret?
Tilt, by Alan Cumyn. Another book I wrote a blog about. It doesn’t fit into any one niche. It’s a YA book, but it has so much depth. The writing is perfection in every placement of every word. Alan is Canadian, and he doesn’t get a lot of coverage here in the US, but I think he is phenomenal. One of the best writers I’ve ever read.
Is there a system to how you choose what to read next/the order you read books in?
It depends on what I’m writing. I like my reading to inform and support my fiction writing, so if I’m working on a fantasy middle-grade book, I read a fantasy middle-grade. Sometimes I still get distracted by a book that looks really good or one I’ve heard about from people I trust, and then I don’t care if it informs my writing.
What book have you liked most that came out this year?
I’m pretty sure it’s Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
Are you a one-at-a-time reader, or are you reading many books at once?
I’m always reading many at once. I dip into some, and don’t like them enough to finish. There are so many books I want to read, and I’m a slow reader, so I just get really excited and can’t focus on one. I’m always reading 5 or 6 at a time.
What are you reading right now?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor. That is actually the only book I am reading right now. It is so riveting I’m not picking up anything else.
When do you read?
Before bed, during my lunch hour, with my coffee in the morning, and whenever I have to wait in line for anything.
What do you look for in a good bookstore?
Honestly, everything that Lemuria has: really awesome shelves, too many books, friendly people that talk to you and chat about books and will give you recommendations that you can count on. Ideally, I also love a coffee shop in a bookstore. I wish we had that; caffeine and books are a wonderful combination.
Top 5 favorite books in your library right now:
1. Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery. I read this trilogy every year. I’ve always felt that in some parallel universe, I AM Emily. I adore all of Montgomery’s work, but these have a special place in my heart.
2. War of Art, Steven Pressfield: This tiny book will change the life of any writer our artist.
3. Behind the Attic Wall, Sylvia Cassedy: a haunting, weird, deep and brilliant little book. It has been a favorite since I was eight our nine and still holds up. Perfect writing.
4. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: It’s probably tied with Jane Eyre, but not surprisingly, I couldn’t find Jane Eyre
5. Don Quixote, Cervantes: I took a class on this book when I was studying in Spain in college. I read it in Spanish the first time through, and my mind exploded. Genius of the rarest sort.
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