Please welcome the newest contributor to MN Reads, Melissa Slachetka. Melissa is a freelance writer and photographer living in Minneapolis who longs to do more traveling and is currently writing bits and pieces of what she hope turns out to be a first novel. You can find Melissa at Groovy Reviews and TC Daily Planet.

What book(s) are you currently reading?
I just finished the new Elizabeth Peters novel, Laughter of Dead Kings and I’m re-reading a chick book called A Total Waste of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who?
The Hardy Boys: both of them. What girl could resist their athleticism, honesty, and crime-solving skills? They set the bar pretty high.

If your favorite author came to Minnesota, who would it be and what bar would you take him/her to?
Elizabeth Peters. She’s probably too old to do much bar-hopping, but I think she would appreciate the Kitty Cat Klub with all the big couches and artsy, retro feel.

What was your first favorite book?
The Hair Book by Dr. Seuss was probably the first, and later The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (also loved the movie)

Let’s say Fahrenheit 451 comes to life, which book would you become in order to save it from annihilation?
The Tao Speaks; Lao-Tzu’s Whispers of Wisdom by Tsai Chih Chung and translated by Brian Bruya.

What is one book you haven’t read but want to read before you die?
Two books sprang to mind, War and Peace and Vanity Fair, but if I had to choose one it would be Vanity Fair.