Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Bits 'n Pieces - Lisa Ann Sandell

Lisa Ann Sandell is the author of the YA novels Song Of The Sparrow and The Weight Of The Sky. Song of the Sparrow is next on the list of my books to review, but I have to read faster; is that getting redundant at all? Anyways, Lisa is probably the sweetest author ever, and I love, love, love her answers to the questions. You can find her website here. It's chalk full of fun info!
Enjoy the interview!

This or that:
Rain or shine? 
Shine--but a summer rainstorm, especially with lots of loud, raucous thunder, feels wonderful, too.
iPod or mp3 player? 
iPod. I'm addicted to all things Apple.
Movies or TV?
Movies.
City or country? 
Both.
Mountains or beaches? 
Beaches--I always prefer to be by water.Dots or stripes? 
I like solids.
Dogs or cats? 
Both.
Cooking or eating out? 
Eating out.
Coffee or tea? 
Tea.
Books or magazines? 
Books.

Favorites:Book- 
This answer changes with some frequency, but currently it is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
Book store- 
Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, WA.
Movie- 
Also ever-changing, but I will always, always love "The Philadelphia Story" with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Music artist- 
Bob Dylan.
Website- 
Gmail.
Designer- 
Miuccia Prada.
Coffee chain- 
Well, I don't drink much coffee, but I suppose it's Peet's.
Guilty pleasure- 
TV crime dramas.
Restaurant- 
The Charcoal Pit, a diner/greasy spoon in my hometown, Wilmington, Delaware. The best burgers and milkshakes ever.
Color- 
Blue-green.

Have you ever:Lived abroad? 
Yes.
Gotten a tattoo? 
No.
Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book? 
Yes.
Disliked your job? 
Hasn't everyone, at some point?
Cried during a movie? 
Pretty much every time I go to a movie--even if it's a comedy.
Sang karaoke? 
Yes, and it wasn't pretty.

Questions:
If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you? 
A copy of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (it's really long, so I'd have something to read for a very long time), a really big Swiss Army knife, a transistor radio, a large glass jelly jar, and a water filter.
What's on the list of things you have to do during your life? 
Ride in a hot air balloon, write a book, see a yak, visit the Taj Mahal, see the Himalayas, drive cross-country (in the US), and go on safari across the Serengeti.
If you could have one super power what would it be? 
Flight.
What's your perfect music playlist? 
A mix of sad songs that make me feel mellow and contemplative, and some upbeat ones that make me want to jump around and dance.
What's the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of? 
Pineapple.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
Oh my gosh, there are so many places, but I think, right now, Thailand is at the top of my list.
What moment in history do you wish you could've experienced? 
I wish I could have heard Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg Address. I also wish I could have marched with the suffragettes, the Silent Sentinels, during their protests in Washington, D.C., in the early 1900s.


What does your dream library look like?
It's huge, at least three stories tall, and circular. There are massive oak bookcases built into the walls, and a ladder on wheels and a track that can spin around the entire circumference of the room. All of the books are alphabetized and shelved according to subject. And there are great big windows, as tall as the room itself, that let plenty of sunlight in, and huge cushiony chairs for curling up in. I think there's a fireplace, too.
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first? 
The new arrivals in literary fiction, and then I head straight for the young adult section.
If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be? 
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. It captures so much about the human experience, that tumultuous and hope-filled and wonderful time when a young man comes into his own and discovers who he wants to be, what he wants to do, and how he can master his creative powers.Thank you so much Lisa! If you'd like to win a signed copy of Song of the Sparrow, leave a comment on this post saying what you thought of the interview!
I'm thinking of starting a rotating schedule with the questions so there's some "new" ones each time and it doesn't get so repetitive and boring. Thoughts?
Authors; want to be featured in a Bits 'n Pieces Interview? Email me at livsbookreviews@yahoo.com and we'll make it happen!


21 comments:

  1. Awesome interview, I have yet to read Song of the Sparrow.

    Hmmm, I think that might work, but then we won't be able to see some of the answers to the other questions, but, I dunno, maybe you'll find someone to work it out.

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  2. Oops, sorry, I meant *Some way* to work it out.

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  3. I really liked her life's to-do list.

    And her description of her dream library? Wow! I could really see it. It's almost like the one in Beauty and the Beast, but circular instead of rectangular.

    ~Meredith
    rosesaremyfavorite at hotmail dot com

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  4. My guilty pleasure is also TV crime dramas. Love them!
    My dream library is similar to hers.

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  5. Great interview! I loved her dream library answer.

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  6. Hmm, "a large glass jelly jar," that's a really odd choice for me. Love to win!

    ylin.0621[at]yahoo.com

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  7. Nice interview. I really like the sort of this and that piece at the beginning. That was probably even the most interesting part for me. I am sad to say that I have not yet read Song of the Sparrow, but definitely plan on it now :)

    -Aella

    maelstromaella (at) gmail (dot) com

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  8. Yaay a new Bits 'n Pieces feature! I haven't read this book but i really want to.

    Great answers to the questions! And I must say I LOVE summer thunderstorms also, especially because I could just lay down in bed and be lazy or read!

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  9. I've also lived abroad, in Spain to be exact and loved it. the Song of the Sparrow's been on my wishlist for a while so id really like to finally get my hands on it. So count me in, Thanks!

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  10. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time! Please enter me. :D

    I like the idea of rotating questions. That way it keeps it from getting too routine.

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  11. Great interview. I loved the question about which moment in history you would have wanted to experience. There are so many choices!

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  12. I like the idea of changing up the questions, so it's not the same everytime...though I do love the questions you ask.

    Her dream library is fantastic! I would love to have one like that as well, and I agree with her ultimate playlist.

    Lovely interview.

    -Lauren

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  13. Wow, this interview was really good. I'm definitely going to put A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce on my
    To-Read list. which is longer than my Have-Read List.

    This book looks really interesting. I'd love a copy of it whether i win or not. Please enter me into the contest!

    I think rotating the questions would be a good idea, though, your questions are probably some of the best i've seen.

    -Moriah

    hylianvampire [at] hotmail [dot] com

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  14. Rotating questions sounds good.

    I must say, I love the library question. My friends joke that our dream guy will present us with a library a la Beauty and the Beast. Atonement reinforced this desire for our own libraries.

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  15. In my most honest opinion, I don't like these kind of interviews. I prefer you ask something more personal.

    But I like her dream library.

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  16. Loved the interview. Please enter me.
    Love the questions.

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  17. I think this was a great interview. :)
    Usually, the ones I see are sort of, well...boring, because the questions are so expected and asked all the times. I think the ones in this one were more creative and unique, and sort of gives you an overview of the author, rather than an in depth story about the creation of his/her novel (not that I don't like knowing about that too!).
    Loved this interview. :)

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  18. I have to say summer storms are much better than the just random rain we've been getting here lately--a lot lately actually...

    I loved the 'or' questions because you can actually learn a lot about people that way--when they don't have too many choices ;)

    and I'm really interested in that book, too so winning it would be amazing :)

    -Lucile

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  19. I cry in cody movies too =) And I really like the ideas of rotating questions. Great review.

    ~bella aire~

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  20. Awesome interview.
    I think it would be awesome to switch them up.

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  21. I love your questions - so much fun!!!

    This book is on my to-read list. It sounds so good, and it's in verse, right? Yes, must read!!!

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Pour your heart out. :)