Authors Pick Five: Angela Corbett

Utah Book Month is officially over, but I have one more Authors Pick Five post to share featuring a Utah author. Let me introduce Angela Corbett, author of Eternal Starling (my review here.) Here's what she had to say when asked:

What five books are most important or influential to you?

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is the very first book I remember reading. My parents had a set of read-along children's books. I listened and tried to read along to The Hobbit every night. My dad used to read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy to me before bed too. I'd go to sleep dreaming of hobbits, elves, orcs, and wizards. The Hobbit was the book that made me fall in love with reading and its ability to take me to new worlds...and made me want to make worlds of my own.

The Fairy Rebel, by Lynne Reid Banks

I spent a lot of time during elementary school in the school library, looking for new worlds to escape to. My school librarian recommended The Fairy Rebel to me. I fell in love with the fairies and the little girl with blue hairs. I always wondered if maybe I had a fairy out there somewhere that I couldn't see. I even had my sister look for blue hairs hiding in my head. This is the book that made me say hmmm...what if magic is real?

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

I read this during my high school AP English Class and actually wrote one of my essays for the test on the book. The writing is so lyrical and poetic that I was easily caught up in the prose and the story. I was fascinated by the societal structure, Janie's quest to find true love, and everything she had to endure to get there. Every time I read this book, I discover something I love even more about it. I have quotes from Their Eyes Were Watching God on the wall of my office.

A Cry in the Night, by Mary Higgins Clark

This was my first Mary Higgins Clark book. I read it when I was 13. I was completely captivated by her storytelling, and got in trouble during band class because I couldn't put the book down! After that, I devoured every Mary Higgins Clark book I could get my hands on. I love how the mysteries in her books unfold, and love trying to figure out the bad guy and plot. She's still my favorite mystery writer.

Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs

I love the Mercy Thompson series because Mercy is such a strong heroine. I really like heroines who are independent and don't take crap from anyone. I'm also a sucker for romance and most books I read have a romantic element. The romance in this series is fantastic--especially in Bone Crossed. I also love that the heroes in the Mercy Thompson series are alpha males who aren't always overbearing, controlling, jerks.

Thanks for your list Angela! I need to read most of these still!

From Angela's website, we learn that she graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter for her local newspaper when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing. In addition to writing, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and listening to U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fan girls could rival Justin Bieber's.

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