Thia from Working Classless – Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites was something I started early on that never caught on, simply because it was difficult to find people who wanted to participate. I’m trying to bring it back though. I love hearing about other people’s reading habits, and I suspect that many of you do as well.

Today we’re featuring Thia from the podcast Working Classless. I can vouch for the podcast – Thia and her co-host Taylor are hilarious and relatable. Anyone that has worked in retail or customer service will enjoy listening to their stories.

Let’s get right to it.

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Thia

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Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am Thia and I co-host the podcast Working Classless with my buddy Taylor!  I also do a lot of audio and content editing for the podcast, so Taylor and I put WC together from top to bottom (of which I am insanely proud). If you know the service industry grind and can commiserate, you should check us out anywhere you get your podcasts, or at our website: www.workingclassless.com!

When I’m not podcasting, I’m a receptionist for a group of radio stations in Chicago. I spend spare time with my friends, cuddle my roommate’s Pomeranian (see below), and enjoying all the bounty living in a city has to offer. Also, I’m on a seemingly never-ending quest to cook really good Indian food.

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What types of books are you drawn to?

I’ve been into horror lately. But like, weird horror? Steven King is fine, but I want something that subverts the genre. Actually, any genre subversion is intriguing to me. Also, I’m gonna read anything vaguely dystopian, and I’m down with a lot of general fantasy.

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If you could spend a night hanging out with three authors, living or dead, who would you choose?

Terry Pratchett, Barack Obama, and Michelle McNamara.  Terry Pratchett because I feel like a mind like his is made for witty dinner banter. Obama because I loved his autobiography and I could listen to him speak all day long. And Michelle McNamara because she was a thoughtful and passionate human gone too soon…and to tell her they caught the Golden State Killer! Ideally, this would be one big dinner party, because I also think all guests would interact well when I inevitably got socially anxious.

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Which classic or popular book do you hate?

I’m not sure if it’s a classic, but my middle school had us read The Island Keeper by Harry Mazer and I still loathe it to this day. I found the lead character stilted and painful, and even as a kid I was offended at the glamorization of nearly starving to death. Also, we read it directly after Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, so I couldn’t help but compare the two and I vastly preferred Paulsen’s version of woodsy teen survival.

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How do you keep track of the books you’ve finished and books you want to read?

I don’t! I’m super guilty of having a pile of half-read books next to my nightstand and reading them here and there. If I’m under a deadline with a book, I’ll download the ebook version and read both as I find the time. As for tracking what to read next? All word of mouth and impulse.

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What are your five favorite books, and why?

This is hard…because I’m so mercurial with books, these won’t be in any particular order. No top favorite.

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong

It’s my favorite from this comedy/horror author because the main character Zoey is refreshingly realistic in a dystopian landscape of body modifications, invasive social media, and the unsurprising furthered divide between the ultra-wealthy and everyone else. It’s comedy, horror, and social comedy. Also, I have to keep buying it for my younger brother because he keeps giving his copy away, so there’s a random pocket of the deep south that are super fans.

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

I listened to the audiobook, which I do a lot because I spend a lot of time on trains and unfortunately get the motion sickness while reading. But the audiobook was narrated by Shonda herself, and it really brought to life the thoughtful and brave introspection of the autobiography. I was only vaguely familiar with her and her work when I downloaded it, but I found it so interesting and relatable that I immediately restarted the book after I finished.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

This book made me believe in the dark possibilities of religion, politics, and women’s rights. I first read it in middle school, and even back then the matter-of-fact path to Gilead seemed so realistic and logical that it truly chilled me to the core. I think it has aged tragically well. It is the most impactful and reread book in my life.

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

This was my first Terry Pratchett book, and will always have a special place in my heart. I reread GP several times, thinking it was a stand-alone for some reason, and eventually went to my local library in the hopes that Terry Pratchett wrote something else…When I discovered the prolific Discworld series, my world changed. I remember telling someone “it’s like I randomly found this piece of gold, and it was awesome. But then I looked a little deeper, and found the dang motherlode!” Terry Pratchett is my happy escapism.

The Practical Princess by Jay Williams

I debated this last one, but The Practical Princess eked out because of its rarity. Currently, copies of his feminist fairy tales are expensive, which feels unfair to my crazy aunt habit of handing them out to kiddos…but I’m still going to because they’re the best. Jay Williams wrote The Practical Princess and other fairy tales way back in the 60s-70s. They subvert traditional gender tropes and people then were not pleased. His stories typically feature badass ladies that have adventures and save the day with their wits and ingenuity. I somehow found a copy of The Practical Princess at an elementary school book swap, and my Disney soaked mind was BLOWN.

Runners up: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy. The Wayside School Series by Louis Sacher.

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Finally, leave us with your favorite bookish quote.

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If you would like to participate in Friday Favorites, please contact me.