Reader Interview: Jenny Schwartzberg

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Today's interviewee is Jenny, whose breakfast report is making me hungry! Yum, croissants...

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Jenny Schwartzberg and I'm a rare book librarian in Chicago, Illinois, USA. I love books, history and languages so I have the perfect job at the Newberry Library, which has books and manuscripts from the Middle Ages to the present in lots of languages: http://www.newberry.org I'm also a part-time graduate student in library school and having a blast. I'd forgotten how much I love learning....

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

Oh a hoarder, definitely. I have books packed away and stowed in every corner. I've been collecting books since I was very young and if I ever get a place of my own with enough room to unpack them all, I probably would have 20,000 plus books on my shelves. I very reluctantly give my books away since I always think, oh, but I want to reread this! I do have to clear some space so I have to go be ruthless, groan....

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

You maybe *g*. I'd love to ask you all kinds of questions about the Psy/Changeling world.... I would happily have stalked some authors who are dead, such as L. Frank Baum, L.M. Boston, and Andre Norton.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

I love Teuscher's chocolate, but most chocolate isn't that great. I tend to prefer white chocolate...

5. Favorite book? Why?

You did have to ask that? There's no way I can narrow it down to one book! Romances: Slave to Sensation; Marjorie M. Liu's Tiger Eye and Shadow Touch; most of Mary Jo Putney's books, current favorites by her are The Spiral Path and The Marriage Spell; Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover, Linnea Sinclair's Finders Keepers and Accidental Goddess; Georgette Heyer's The Tollgate, etc. etc. etc. And if you wanted me to start on children's books, fantasy and science fiction, mysteries...........

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

An e-book reader with an everlasting battery so I could pack zillions of books along with me *g*, an outfit in a super-duper space fabric that would last forever and be washable, dryable, and warm or cool as needed, and some kind of toilet setup that is hygienic, green and non-smelly!! I'd put in much more but you did say three....

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

A latte with skim milk (lots of foam), 4 packets of saccharin, and a croissant. There's a bakery next to the library and I love to stop there for breakfast.

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

Gah. I buy too many books.... I also have books on interlibrary loan. I have about 15 books on ILL that I need to read and return, on history of children's literature, and 40+ children's books, romances and science fiction that I will definitely get around to reading. And way too many books I think I might read someday (hundreds....).

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

Hmmm. I haven't met my hero yet *g*. Ideally though he would be compassionate, intelligent, capable, not lazy, a conversationalist, a family man, and yes, able to defend his family if necessary. Personal heroes are different from romance novel heroes though! I do think your Lucas is a great hero.

p.s. Think I should add any other questions?

So what would people think was a perfect heroine??

Currently I think Sascha fits the bill.... Or Abby from Mary Jo Putney's The Marriage Spell. If you haven't read that book, go read it right now.

Extra reader submitted question(s)! Answer at will :)

* Which character in a book do you relate most with?

The heroine of course *g*. But I have to be able to empathize with most if not all of the characters to read a book. If the characters are unlikeable, I stop reading....