Biography: Kendall blogs at Blogging for YA, which features
book reviews, thoughts on YA writing and publishing, and a weekly wrap-up of
the best YA posts from the blog-o-sphere. You can find her at
bloggingforya.blogspot.com or on Twitter at @Kendall_Kulper.
Deirdra: What are your favorite kind of books to read and
why?
Kendall: Primarily I read YA books, and I try to stick to
books that have been published in the past year. I also really enjoy reading
classic, Norton-Anthology, TIME’s Top 100-style books.
Deirdra: How many books on average would you say you read a
year?
Kendall: I reread a lot of books, but I try to read at least
one new book a week. For new books, I probably read about 50-70, and for all
books, maybe around 80?
Deirdra: What is the most recent book you read? Can you tell
us a little about it?
Kendall: I just finished Bitterblue
by Kristin Cashore, and I really enjoyed it. Her previous two novels, Fire and Graceling were wonderful, and Bitterblue
definitely didn’t disappoint! She kept a lot of the elements I loved from
the first two books—magic, romance, an amazingly-imagined world—but there was
so much more complexity in this novel, and it was great to see her writing
mature so wonderfully. I posted a full review (with a lot more thoughts) at my
blog here: http://bloggingforya.blogspot.com/2012/05/quick-review-bitterblue.html
Deirdra: What is the most disappointing thing authors do?
Kendall: I would say that, on the whole, I am absolutely
delighted with the authors that I read. I know that it’s really difficult,
demanding work, and the vast majority pull it off in a way that consistently
amazes me. That said, I have noticed a trend in YA novels that worries me a
little: poorly-thought-out trilogies. Trilogies have gotten so popular lately,
but I feel like very few writers go in with a fully-conceived plan and the
result is a bunch of novels that don’t really have endings, where characters
don’t stay consistent from book to book, and where the final book—stylistically
and story-wise—doesn’t bear much resemblance to the first. As a reader, I’m
starting to get tired of nearing the end of the book, only to discover that
there are so many loose ends and it’s the start of a trilogy. I wouldn’t say
every trilogy out there has these pitfalls, but I do think they are much harder
to pull off than people think.
Deirdra: Who are your top five favorite authors?
Kendall: Carson McCullers, for her beautifully- and
sensitively-imagined characters (and The
Heart is a Lonely Hunter should be required reading for all of humanity)
East of Eden is my
favorite book, and although I don’t love everything of John Steinbeck’s, he’s
right up there as one of my favorites
Gabriel Garcia Marquez just can’t be beat. He writes with so
much lushness and emotion, but he does it so effortlessly
Vladmir Nabokov is absolutely wonderful. I know Lolita gets the most play, but he wrote
a lot of essays and short stories that are also amazing. Every time I read
something by his, I see a new layer of depth and complexity and so it’s always
a pleasure to pick up his writing.
And last but not least, Cormac McCarthy is such an
astounding, powerful writer. He manages to capture so much feeling and
atmosphere in his books.
Deirdra: How do you feel about e-books?
Kendall: I really love them. I travel quite a bit, and my
Nook is essential (and beloved). Most books I read I virtually check out from
the library, although if I really enjoy a book I’ll buy it in hardcover. A lot
of authors are talking about pushing e-books and making “enhanced” books, with
music, video, links, and I think that’s really exciting.
Deirdra: If you could give a message to authors what would
it be?
Kendall: Thank you.
Deirdra: Have you ever thought about writing a book?
Kendall: Yes, I’ve always written stories, ever since I was
very young, and now I write full time.
Deirdra: What other talents and hobbies to you have?
Kendall: I really enjoy cooking. Writing is a really
nebulous activity, with no right answers, but with cooking, you know that if
you have good ingredients and good tools and follow the recipe, you’ll have
something great at the end, and I find that really soothing. I also draw a lot
and have done some freelance illustration work, and I’m trying to get back into
ballet.
Deirdra: Where is your favorite place to read?
Kendall: In bed, usually.
Deirdra: Do you have a favorite reading snack?
Kendall: Since I read in bed, no. I don’t think my husband
would appreciate that…
Deirdra: What books have made you cry?
Kendall: Inside Out
and Back Again, by Thanha Lai. She did a wonderful job of capturing the
complicated feelings of being young and scared.
Deirdra: What books have made you laugh?
Kendall: The first book that comes to mind is Tina Fey’s Bossypants. I just love it! I think I’ve
read it three or four times, but every time I pick it up I can’t stop laughing.
Deirdra: What kind of books are you looking to read next?
What is on your reading list?
Kendall: I’m always looking for more YA books. The next
books I plan to read are Anna Dressed in
Blood and Insurgent, and I’m also
hoping that the summer will give me some time to catch up on my adult fiction.
For that list, I’d like to read V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River.
Deirdra: Is there any other message you would like to give
the literary community?
Kendall: Nothing I can think of!
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