First off thanks for taking the time to talk with me, even though I kept forgetting about it because life is crazy. I’d like to start off with the question, who are you and how do we know each other?
No problem, glad to do it, and thanks for thinking of me! My name is Jessica Smith, and I am a nerd, book lover, cat lady, and Associate Production Editor at Sourcebooks. I believe we met either through Fantasy Literature or some random English department happening at Illinois State in the wonderful Publishing Studies program.
I don't know either haha! Us English kids ran into each other a lot. So tell me about your history of reading. What draws you to books?
So much! I think that a big factor in my childhood that led me to be such a huge bookworm was definitely my mother's influence. She has always advocated strongly for less screen time and lots of reading--she's also a library technical assistant/children's librarian, and I spent a lot of time with her at the Crystal Lake Public Library when I was growing up (and also had my first job, shelving books, as a page there during community college!). There's something really magical to me in how just the combinations of words on paper or on a screen can tell stories so well and evoke so many emotions, or open minds, teach us new things, etc. Words are so powerful and the people who create or distribute those stories and narratives have so much power as a result (for better and for worse, depending on the situation).
And they also create such a strong connection between people. Words and stories, in many forms, have a way of cutting through biases and differences and bonding people together.
I know you work in publishing, which is awesome! What has your journey to and since your current position been like?
Yes, it is awesome, and still a bit unbelievable to be honest! And although it's just been about three and a half years since graduating college, it did feel like a long road for a bit there. Publishing is notoriously difficult to break into, and I know many of us English/Lit/Publishing majors are subjected to a multitude of frustrating questions or comments on our choices along the way, which adds to the stress and frustration of trying to find something in the field. I definitely got my fair share of that--from relatives gently nudging me to be sure that what I studied wasn't either too specialized OR too general, to family members of friends asking things like (and I quote): "So you're going to teach?" ["No..."] "Then what the f*** are you going to do with that??" But I digress a bit! ...
I can definitely relate to those questions. Do you do any writing? Or have in the past?
Yes, actually! From when I was in around sixth grade up until the beginning of college, I really wanted to be a writer--but then I started comparing myself to friends of mine who also wanted to write or just wrote for fun, and I realized how I really didn't get the urge to do much creative writing of my own, or at least, definitely not as much as them--I just wanted to be involved in or work with books in some capacity, really. I also had some fleeting desires to go into journalism (particularly global news) or possibly library sciences. My actual journey to get here can basically be summed up as Work Butt Off in Community College > Work Butt Off at ISU > Work as a Copy Editor at a Local Newspaper > Leave Job at Newspaper for Flop of a Fellowship > Flail Around For a Bit, Work Odd Jobs > Contacted for Interview with Sourcebooks (who I had previously interviewed with for a different position shortly before leaving the paper for that fellowship). I still do the rare bit of my own writing, but not unless I really get some inspiration--mostly I'm content to enjoy other people's work! But I think a lot of that also can come from being a total perfectionist and having a hard time getting very far in my own writing due to constant self-editing.
We follow each other on Goodreads, which is basically a social media platform for bookworms, and I know that you read a lot, so my question is, how do you read so much? It’s impressive.
Ha! Thank you! Sometimes I feel like I'm really not reading much at all when I talk to some of my friends, or when I listen to Book Riot podcasts... But I also know that I am reading quite a bit more than the average person. I guess I just prioritize it quite a bit. I know that I'm happiest when I'm reading a lot, so I try to be sure I have at least a chunk of a few hours blocked out each week for quiet reading time. That and (usually in conjunction) bubble baths/face masks make up a lot of my self-care routines. My reading definitely fluctuates with whatever else is going on in my life. For example, it definitely dropped when my fiance, Edward, moved in with me. He's a huge distraction. Even just twenty minutes ago, we were both reading books on the couch next to each other and he just kept commenting on the book he's reading, pulling me out of my own reading. Grrr! It really helps that I'm a fast reader, though, and always have been. I basically surround myself with books and usually don't leave the house without at least one (and in fact, I have a BOX of books in my car right now, unrelated though--but basically if I ever get stuck in a ditch, at least I won't be bored!). I will also be juggling several books at once, usually in a couple formats--one audiobook, one (or three) print book(s), one eBook. That way, if I'm sort of in a rut with one I can go back to one of the others I'm reading.
Oh, and one more cool trick! I, like many, get very distracted by my phone and the internet, which can suck up reading time. So I use this app called Forest where you set a timer and basically "grow a tree" for your forest, and if you close the app it dies... I use that when I want to read with no distractions, really useful.
I listened to a few audiobooks when I was younger, but this year I’ve listened to around 20 in the car or when I’m walking around at work, I didn't listen to them before because I didn't see it as reading, have you ever thought that? What's your relationship with audiobooks?
I see that argument a lot re: audiobooks, and I think it can be a bit ableist in some ways because it's sort of like "if you're not reading with your eyes, you're not reading!" which I don't necessarily agree with. I do think that I have a tendency to miss more things when listening to an audiobook than reading a print book so I can see where that side is coming from! I think they're great. I like to listen to them in the car or at work if I'm doing something that I don't have to put all of my attention into, same with podcasts. Audiobook recommendations: Human Acts by Han Kang. That one almost made me cry at work. Also, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao as read by Lin Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo.
I came to the conclusion that the same words are going into my brain… just in a different way. Ok couple more questions.
Agreed!
What was your favorite book as a kid? Have you gone back and read it since?
Ooooh. I had several. One was, of course, the Harry Potter series, and I've gone back to read those several times over the years. Despite my complicated feelings on a lot of things both with J.K. Rowling in the books themselves, they are still amazing and definitely hold up for any age group. The others mostly had some sort of animal/wolf in them, haha. For example, Jack London's books, especially White Fang. I've been meaning to go back and reread that one, and the Julie of the Wolves series by Jean Craighead George, in particular, the last of the series, Julie's Wolf Pack.
And finally thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. Last question: What is your favorite book of all time? Feel free to give a few answers if they are from different genres, because it is honestly really hard to choose one.
No, thank you! The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien (of COURSE). They can be a bit dense, but the world building is just amazing and Tolkien is/was a genius storyteller.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A Chicago native and an amazing writer! And books like this are so relevant now and always.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. A lot of people know her for We Were Liars, but this is an earlier book of hers that is a great coming-of-age tale that involves confronting the patriarchy and tearing apart the expectations people have of you and who you're meant to be.
I could name so, so many more, but those are the three that come to mind right now! (and if anyone is interested, they can feel free to add me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3549274-jessica-smith) I'm always up for book recs--giving or receiving them!