6 Books with CJ Leede

CJ Leede is a horror writer, hiker, and Trekkie. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, and a BA from NYU's Gallatin School, where she studied Mythology and the Middle Ages. When she is not driving around the country, she can be found in LA with her boyfriend and four rescue dogs.

Today she tells us about her Six Books.

1. What book are you currently reading?

I usually am reading five to six books at a time. I like to have a few paperbacks on rotation, and a few audiobooks, so I can go with whatever suits my mood. BUT you’ve caught me in a rare moment in which I’ve finished everything I was reading except one:

Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal & Grindcore. It’s really fantastic, so fun!

2. What upcoming book are you really excited about?

Burn the Negative by Josh Winning. He’s a killer writer, and while I’m generally very hyperbolic, I really mean it when I say it’s one of my favorite book covers I’ve ever seen. I love a book cover that looks like it’s from another time!

3. Is there a book you’re currently itching to re-read?

Starship Troopers, Robert A Heinlein. I haven’t read it in many years, but I love his writing (SO much!), and the movie is of course a classic. I think military scifi is up there for best genres for me, and so many of my favorite books have been in this space (pun not intended)! I just reread Forever War, and it never gets any less good. They’re fast-paced, sexy, thrilling, mind-expanding, and delve into the darkest aspects of war and the human psyche. I think they’re very important.






4. A book that you love and wish that you yourself had written.

Library at Mount Char. It’s incredible, I’ve read it eleven times at least. He just tapped into something amazing there, and I am totally blown away every time I read it. I think David is one of the best characters ever, and I’m terrified of him, and also a small part of me has a sort of very big crush on him??









5. What’s one book, which you read as a child or a young adult, that has had a lasting influence on your writing?

Clan of the Cave Bear series, Jean Auel. (Valley of Horses is my favorite!) My grandmother loved these books, and then my mom loved them, and then she gave them to me. They are so special. When I sold Maeve, I went and bought a first edition set of them I’d been eyeing for a very long time at a rare bookstore here in LA. And while kids are not for me, I’ve always thought if I did have one, I’d name a daughter after Ayla.






6. And speaking of that, what’s your latest book, and why is it awesome?

Maeve Fly is my novel coming out this summer (and my debut!). I like to think of it as just a raise of the glass to anyone who loves hard, indulges in the strangeness, and lets the freak flag fly. She’s gross, and she’s gnarly, and she loves to spin in her pretty princess dress. Prepare for chaos.









Thank you!

POSTED BY: Paul Weimer. Ubiquitous in Shadow, but I’m just this guy, you know? @princejvstin.