Jennie Liu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Having been brought up with an ear to two cultures, she has been fascinated by the attitudes, social policies, and changes in China each time she visits. She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and two young sons.
Liu's new novel is
Girls on the Line.
Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Her reply:
Last month I started a novel and quickly realized that I had already read it. And that much of what happened in the novel was gone from my brain. It was only a 
two-year-old book! That sort of disturbed me. I call myself a greedy reader, but my mind has been so busy the last months with writing and life, I’ve decided to step back from galloping through books and be bit more intentional.
So, I started re-reading The Paying Guest by Sarah Waters. This was a blind grab a few years ago, and I was immediately drawn in by the vivid writing and surprising turn of events. (It also has one of the most sensual love scenes I’ve ever read—a lesbian one!) This novel is a study in craft for me, particularly how Waters expresses the emotions of a reserved person.
Despite trying to slow down, two days ago I heard an interview on Fresh Air with Jarrett J. Krosoczska’s about his YA graphic novel/memoir Hey Kiddo. I had to run out and get it right away. My kids loved his other books, and lately, addiction and homelessness has been popping up in many of my conversations since my other job is in a hospital and I live in a downtown area. My 12yo boy took it from me before I finished, but I love how Krosoczska depicts his family life and problems without completely processing his feelings in words at each scene. That seem very real to me.
Yesterday, my 12yo just finished Dorothy Bryant's The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You. He put it down and said, “I’m going to be 
thinking about this for a long time!” My husband had given it to him, and this morning he (my husband) told me about some of the brutal and/or graphic scenes in it, but he assured me it was an amazing story of personal transformation. I have been trying not to fret about the content of the novels my 12yo reads, but I had to start this one this morning, not only because my guys were really moved by it, but also because I want to know what hard stuff my boy has in his head.
Visit
Jennie Liu's website.
My Book, The Movie: Girls on the Line.
--Marshal Zeringue
Jennie Liu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Having been brought up with an ear to two cultures, she has been fascinated by the attitudes, social policies, and changes in China each time she visits. She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and two young sons.
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