Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Nell Fisher, star (alongside Elijah Wood) of the adventure comedy Bookworm.
The book I wish I’d written
All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I chose this book because I think it has such a strong storyline even when constantly flipping over time. The characters are unique and human, ones we can all relate to in one way or another. And at its heart, it’s a story about love, and even though it’s in a very grim time, it’s about resilience and persistence, and always trying to touch the fires of others around you, even when the odds are against you doing so.
Everyone should read
Tangerine by Catherine Mangan. The book in a nutshell is about Alice Shipley, a young woman living in Morocco with her husband. Then one day, Lucy Mason comes knocking on their door. Alice hasn’t seen Lucy since “the accident”, when they were roomies in college. Lucy encourages Alice to get outside more, be more active. But when Alice’s husband disappears, her feeling that something is off grows stronger. I adore this book because although Lucy lies and manipulates, you really, really want her to get away with it.
The book I want to be buried with
The complete Harry Potter collection – all seven books in one – so I would have multiple books to choose from in the afterlife!
The first book I remember reading by myself
Charlotte’s Web. I was very young when I read it but I remember just sitting down and opening the book, and how I loved diving into the world of Fern and all her animals.
It’s a crime against literature to
Leave a non-sequel book on a cliffhanger. I think its lazy writing, and disappointing for the reader if they’ve read the whole book to be left with a non-ending.
Best New Zealand book
Pet, by Catherine Chidgey. The story follows Justine, a young girl with epilepsy. Her teacher, Ms Price, is a beautiful, charismatic lady, whom everybody loves. Justine longs to be her pet, and soon enough, she is. But items in the school begin to go missing, and when her best friend Abigail gets blamed, Justine isn’t sure what to think. I love this book because it is written from an unreliable point of view.
Dystopia or Utopia
I prefer dystopian novels over utopian ones. I think this is because there is a wider variety of and deeper world building in dystopian novels. Everyone sort of knows what a utopia would be like, but there are many more worlds you can create with dystopia, so many different things that can be “wrong”.
Best place to read
I think the best place to read can vary. I used to really like reading up in the trees. I would grab a book and find a little fork in the tree, then sit there and read. Would not recommend this for sad books or you’re gonna be sitting in a tree crying, and that’s just not right. For sadder or more tense books, I gather up loads of pillows and sit/lie on the floor.
What are you reading right now?
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I’m about a quarter of the way through but I’m absolutely hooked in the world of Mikael Blomkvist and the Vanger Family.
Bookworm releases in cinemas nationwide on 8 August. It follows washed-up American illusionist Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood) and his long-estranged precocious daughter Mildred (Nell Fisher), who in the midst of a family crisis, venture into the New Zealand wilderness in search of a mythical black panther.