The Reading Habits
of
Chris Fabry
******
A note from Chris:
I went to see my mother around Mother’s Day. She’s eighty-nine and slowing down, though she’s still driving—which is a scary thought to me. She looked around at the house, the furniture, the memorabilia, and said to me, “When I leave this world, I won’t miss anything but my books.”
Books were a part of her life since I was young. She read to me. She modeled reading to me. She loved nonfiction, commentaries, poetry—anything that was well-written. I know I caught the writing bug from her and it’s why The Promise of Jesse Woods means so much to me. That book has my mother all over it because she takes up residence in several characters. I hope you have a chance to read about Jesse, Matt, and Dickie Darrel Lee.
Are you a rereader? Why or why not? And if you are, what are some of the books you have read over and over?
There are a few books that feed me over and over. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book I discovered at different points in my life. I read it first when I was Jem’s age. I read it in my twenties and thirties. Now I’m past Atticus and still gleaning new insights. The other book I’ve reread many times is Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides. He said he wrote to explain his life, and with each reading I uncover something that strikes deeply.
When is your optimal time to read—do you prefer to read in one long block, or do you also read for five minutes here or there when you can?
I read for pleasure at night. During the day I read what I have to read. Sometimes I can’t read long and other times I go for hours. I love getting caught up in a story.
I’d love your thoughts on novellas. Are you thumbs up or down? Or does it depend?
Novellas are great—there’s nothing wrong with the shorter story, but it is what it is. It’s a peek at a slice, not a whole pie. Thumbs-up from me. Expectations are everything. If you expect a long, involved, detailed story from a novella, you’re dipping your bucket in the wrong well.
Are you faithful to a genre, an author, or simply quality writing?
I like to think I’m looking for quality writing and read any genre, but I skew toward the dramatic/thriller/story of pain/mystery.
Which factors most influence your selection of a book?
Story. Hook. Does the description make me care and raise questions?
Your fiction pet peeve?
When an author writes, “He nodded his head.” I know that writer doesn’t listen to his editor. What else would he nod?
Chris’ TBR
What book have you read this year that you could not put down, and why?
I’ve put all of them down, of course, but Dead Wake by Erik Larson came close. He pulled me onto the Lusitania and made me care about the people on board.
How do you mark your spot—folded page corner, bookmark, dollar bill, whatever is at hand?
I have some favorite bookmarks I keep handy.
Whose debut novel impressed you more than you anticipated?
Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich. It’s a rough, violent story with lots of tension. I was surprised at how well Panowich got out of the way of the story. Sometimes a first book can give you that “Look at me” feeling. This one didn’t have any pretense. It did have a lot of language issues.
When reading, what makes or breaks a story for you?
If I don’t care whether the characters live or die, I know something is missing. If I can’t stop thinking about that character, that makes a story for me.
What are some of your favourite CF reads from around 10 years ago, or further back?
Peretti’s books really made me want to pray. It upped the stakes of prayer in my life and, in a sense, helped in the process of writing the novelization of War Room. That book and Frank’s earlier work had a lot in common as far as the effectiveness of prayer.
Snack/drink of choice while reading?
I hate eating while reading. I have to have nothing in my hands.
What book cover has really caught your eye?
Redemption Road by John Hart
Which author makes it easy to turn off your internal editor?
Cormac McCarthy
What book do you wish you had written? Why?
The scope and layering of The Prince of Tides is something I aspire to emulate. I want to write the complex story in a way that brings story lines together in a joyful way.
Thanks Chris!
Be sure to get your hands on Chris’ latest novel…
The summer of 1972 was the most pivotal of Matt Plumley’s childhood. While his beloved Pirates battle for back-to-back World Series titles, Matt’s family moves from Pittsburgh to Dogwood, West Virginia, where his father steps into the pulpit of a church under the thumb of town leader Basil Blackwood. A fish out of water, Matt is relieved to forge a fast bond with two unlikely friends: Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed-race boy, and Jesse Woods, a tough-as-nails girl with a sister on her hip and no dad in sight.
As the trio traipses the hills and hollers, Matt begins to fall for Jesse, and their promises to each other draw him deeper into her terrifying reality. One night, the wrath of the Blackwoods and the secrets of Jesse’s family collide, and Matt joins Jesse in a rescue that saves one life and ends another . . . and severs the bond of their friendship.
Years later, Matt is pulled back to Dogwood and to memories of that momentous summer by news of Jesse’s upcoming wedding. He could never shake the feeling that there was more to the story of that fateful night, and he’s determined to learn the truth behind the only promise Jesse Woods ever broke.
Thanks Chris!
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Buy at Amazon: The Promise of Jesse Woods or Koorong
July 15, 2016 at 5:28 am
I am looking forward to reading Chris Fabry’s new book. One of my favorite books is his JUNE BUG. Mr. Fabry is a great story teller.
July 15, 2016 at 5:36 am
That’s an easy one to answer for me! My mother’s sister, my Aunt Jean, always encouraged a love of reading in us as children. Birthday and Christmas gifts were always books, she helped my sister collect the Nancy Drew books and me the Trixie Belden books.
Now as an adult, I have to pass on suggestions to her when I find an especially good book. Most recently I have been buying her Lori Benton’s books as they come out.
July 15, 2016 at 6:02 am
I think both my parents probably encouraged me to read. Our house was always full of books. Dad didn’t have much time to read; farming kept him very busy. I remember seeing him read his Bible, farming magazines, and the newspaper. Mom (and her mother) loved to read. Some of her books are now in my home, as well as some that belonged to my grandmother and aunt. I’ve passed this love of reading down to my kids. We all have an abundance of books.
July 15, 2016 at 12:41 pm
My parents weren’t really readers. I would have to say an early elementary teacher.
July 15, 2016 at 9:13 pm
Great interview! Chris’ fiction pet peeve made me smile.
One of my older sisters, my step mother and my aunt are all readers that have influenced me.
July 16, 2016 at 2:42 am
My paternal grandmother.
July 18, 2016 at 1:38 pm
My mom… she was always reading and got me books as I grew up… my dad because he gave me the flashlight that let me read under the covers later at night when I was a kid 🙂
July 19, 2016 at 11:03 am
In my family; hands down it is my mother. My father wasn’t a big reader except for the Bible. That he knew inside and out. My mom, read just about any book she could get her hands on. In fact, reading was so important to my mom that, as little money as we had, every time the newest Nancy Drew mystery novel came out She would take me down to the Globe store and let me buy it BRAND NEW! Those were the only books I owned that were brand new. My mom convinced my dad to buy a brand new set of encyclopedias. Every day my mom would put her spare change in the cardboard box and each month the salesman would come around and collect that month’s payment. I read every single volume of those encyclopedias.
July 21, 2016 at 4:30 am
Everyone in my family loves to read, being homeschooled certainly influenced our reading material growing up.
July 21, 2016 at 5:49 am
My mom is an avid reader and she always took me with her to the library and book store letting me pick one or two books so that I could read along with her :)!
July 22, 2016 at 2:49 am
My mom wanted to ensure her children could read or almost read before they started school and she read to us constantly before she taught us. Mom would not buy us toys to our heart’s desire but she did buy us almost as many books as we asked for.