What book is on your nightstand now? Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I got this way back in February (face it, months go by before I read a book I get. What can I say? It’s so easy for them to get lost on my mess of a bookshelf!) Glass Sword is the sequel to Red Queen. Honestly, Red Queen felt like a cliche melting pot of every dystopian ever written buuut it’s so hyped up that I *want* to like it. I’ve also been told Glass Sword is even better than the first.

What was the last truly great book you read? Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. OH MY GOSH, guys. This. Stinkin’. Book. I could dedicate a whole blog to it cause adqihdoi;gu23hfkal. I adore Ruta Sepetys, mm-kay?? This book has four different perspectives from teenagers in Nazi-occupied Europe. The story centers around a ship called the Wilhem Gustloff that sinks at the end of WWII. The death toll was nine times the size of Titanic, yet no one seems tot talk about it! I had never heard of the ship prior to reading the book.

I’m so grateful Ruta Sepetys chose to write a book around a maritime tragedy that more people need to discuss. Her characters and writing and everything is just AHHHH so flawless. I’d love to write a book half as great as Ruta Sepetys’ someday and I’d recommend her books to anyone and everyone. READ IT.

(If you’re interested in learning more about the story and the time and setting, you can watch this video below. I’d also tell anyone who hasn’t read much historical fiction to start with this book. You’ll be hooked.)

If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? This is such a hard question to answer because there are so many authors I’d love to sit down and talk to but… Jane Austen. There’s not much that’s known about her for sure since she was a very private person and went by “A Lady” as her byline until she died. Even still, I feel like we’d be kindred spirits. 🙂 (And face it, we all want to know who inspired Mr. Darcy. Tom Lefroy, anyone?)

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? I honestly can’t think of a single thing. I’ve got Christian fiction, YA, MG, devotionals, writer’s guide books. Nothing too out of the ordinary for your Predictable Emily. (???)

How do you organize your personal library? I organize my shelves by genre, and then by author. For the most part I have genres such as “Historical fiction” rather than “Christian fiction,” “Middle Grade” or “Young Adult” because I try to start with as broad a genre as possible. From there I situate my books in the narrower genres and then try to keep authors’ books together.

What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? I could legitimately name at least a hundred books I’ve been meaning to read and haven’t, so if you’re actually interested in the answer to that, you can visit my fifteen-page TBR list here. As far as books I wouldn’t readily admit to having read? Any Kasie West book. I promise they’re adorably innocent, fun books, but oh my lordy the covers. *cringe* I would rather not be seen in public with those, thanks.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? I really dislike DNF’ing books but sometimes I just really can’t waste my time on something that I’m not enjoying. (Or just plain shouldn’t be reading.) The last book I DNF’d was 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, simply because I have no clue what possessed me to pick up a MG romance contemporary. Eh. (“Middle Grade” and “romance” just don’t suit well together.)

What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? I have a big heart for any historical fiction – from the moment I laid eyes on my first Kit Kittredge book. I stay away from paranormal.

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

What do you plan to read next? A Tyranny of Petticoats by a multitude of authors. The book is an anthology of fifteen historical fiction short stories and I’m so hyped for them. You can probably guess which fine ladies I’m there for. (Elizabeth Wein and Marissa Meyer, Rulers of Books.)

I wasn’t tagged for this tag (since I’m such a rebel) but it was so fun that I had to tag some friends. You’re it!

Izel // Jonathan // Amanda // Faith // Olivia

Well bloglings, what about you? What are you currently reading and what’s next on the list? Any books you’re embarrassed to read?? (Do tell; we won’t judge your skeletons in the closet.) And which writer would you meet?