Weekend Wonder: Natalie

General Questions…

Name: Natalie Vereen-Davis

Blog Penname: I keep it simple, and just use my first name.

A sentence or two about yourself: I’m a teacher, dreamer, avid reader, wife, daughter, sister and friend. Rarely do you see me without a big smile on my face—life makes me happy.

Link to blog: http://www.vereen-davis.blogspot.com

A sentence or two on what your blog is about: My blog is a snapshot of whatever happens to cross my mind when I sit down to post. It’s a cookbook, personal journal, book review collection, somewhere to showcase my crafts, and a place to share photos.

Book Lover Questions…

What is your favorite book and why? Hardest question EVER! It’s probably a tie between Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife and Ian McEwan’s Atonement. TTF is what love should be, and Atonement makes you want to be a better person.

Other favorites? Other honorable mentions: Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory, the Harry Potter series, Patrick McGrath’s Spider, Ronlyn Dominque’s The Mercy of Thin Air, Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor

What’s your favorite genre to read? I am more than mildly obsessed with contemporary British literature (Peter Ackroyd, Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, Sarah Waters, Salman Rushdie, Kazuo Ishiguro, etc.). I also love books that rely heavily on the Gothic tradition (everything from Harry Potter to London: A Biography). I’m sometimes a book snob, and I avoid romantic novels (you know, like the paperback kind at Wal-mart) and poorly written stuff like Twilight like the plague. Four years as an English major and another two in an English masters program will get you there.

Where do you like to read? Anywhere I can! In my bed, all covered with blankets; at the kitchen table with a cup of English Breakfast tea; on the floor of my bathroom after my husband goes to sleep so I don’t wake him; at my desk in between teaching classes.

Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? I have a Nook, which I love for convenience’s sake, but nothing will replace the feel of a book in my hands.

Do you prefer to buy or borrow books? Buy. I tend to hold a book in one hand, and a pen in the other; I’ve found that my friends don’t like getting books back with my notes in the margin!

Do you stop reading when you are tired or when you hit chapter breaks? Generally when I hit a chapter break. I like a little order to my reading.

When you finish a book do you usually keep it, throw it away, sell it, or give it away? Keep it. I have thousands and thousands of books that are a PAIN to move (and I have been living a nomadic lifestyle for the last eight years), but I love looking at all of them when they are put up on their shelves. It’s like coming home.

What helps you decide on a book? (Book reviews, suggested by friend, by browsing the shelves, etc.) The title and the book jacket. So much for not judging a book by its cover. :)

Do you prefer to read a book that stands on its own or is a part of a series? Either. I’m open to pretty much anything when it comes to reading.

So You Want to be a Writer questions…

A few sentences about your writing: What do you write (blog entries, novels, poetry, etc)? Why do you write? These days, mostly blog posts and an unhealthy amount of notes on my students’ English papers. During school, I would churn out 100+ pages of critical analysis a semester, but that’s slowed down significantly since I graduated last year. I’ve never been too much of a creative writer, but maybe my muse will come eventually. If I did write creatively, I would definitely be drawn to the medium of the novel rather than poetry or short stories.

Did you always know that you wanted to write? Always. I was the kid who adored reading and writing back before most of my kindergarten peers could write their names.

Favorite Questions…

What’s your favorite food? Sushi or Thai food!

Favorite color? Caribbean blue or purple.

Favorite song? I’m better at artists—Daft Punk, MSTRKRFT, Madonna, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Mackintosh Braun. I’m an old soul who loves nothing better than to listen to a record on my vintage record player.

Favorite movie? “Atonement,” anything by Pixar (I will freely admit that I BAWLED during “Toy Story 3”), “Say Anything,” “An Education.”

Favorite TV show? Say Yes to the Dress, CSI:, Criminal Minds, House Hunters

Random Questions…

If you developed a superpower what would it be and why? To fly wherever I wanted. Oh, the traveling I could do then! (and on the cheap!!)

What did you want to be when you were little? It changed all the time—when I was three, I wanted to be a firefighter. When I was 7, I was going to be an archeologist. When I was 13, I thought I would be a neurosurgeon (until I took AP Bio in high school, and that went down the drain). At 16, I decided I would be a lawyer. I actually did go to law school before I realized I really, really loved English and then went back to English grad school.

What is the answer to life? Be happy. Laugh often. Do the things that make you smile. Don’t have regrets.