If You Could Go Back, Where Would You Go?

Feat. a quiz, a movie star, and a cannibal!

Hi, friends! It’s January! It is gray and rainy in Brooklyn, and I am wearing my new yellow sweater to stay upbeat. I am also wearing Dip Dip.

For the next few months, I’m going to be sharing some videos of Celebrity Authors answering some questions inspired by This Time Tomorrow. How do I wrangle these Celebrity Authors, you ask? Obviously I tackle them at my bookstore and make moony eyes and beg until they say yes. Are you excited for my first one? Ok, before you scroll, here is a quiz.

1. What is a movie that made you want to have a romantic European vacation?

   A. Before Sunrise

   B. Before Sunset

   C. Before Midnight

2. Which 90s boarding school would you want to attend?

   A. The one from Dead Poets Society, o captain my captain!

   B. The one from School Ties, with all the antisemites

   C. The one in Strike/All I Wanna Do, obviously the right answer because Kirsten Dunst is in it

3. What is your favorite song on the Reality Bites soundtrack?

   A. My Sharona, and you’re doing the little dance right now just thinking about it

   B. The sweet sweet white boy reggae cover of ‘Baby I Love Your Way’

   C. Stay, because what are you, a monster?

4. If you HAD to star in a literary adaptation, would you rather be in:

   A. A James McBride novel!

   B. A Charles Dickens novel!

   C. Your own novel!

5. If you were recently catfished by a young publishing scammer, would you want their name to be:

   A. Tommaso

   B. Filippo

   C. Blippi

If you answered mostly As, you remember whole articles from Sassy by heart.

If you answered mostly Bs, you’re a narc.

If you answered mostly Cs, you’re 40, you’re beautiful, you know what’s coming below.

Scroll down to see your prize!

I asked him, if you could go back to your teenage self, where would you go, what would you eat, and who would you be with? And please forgive my voice and laugh, but also, can you blame me? No.

Thank you, Ethan, for being so game, and for making this video even though you were at the bookstore to sign copies of Rules for a Knight, which, if you don’t know, is Ethan’s timeless fable, and a perfect present for a 5-11 year old child. (I will say, too, speaking as a bookseller, that Ethan Hawke reads like a freight train. This man talks books so fluently, we should try to hire him. He is a Real Book Person if ever there was one.) Now let’s just hope no one sends him this newsletter. (Do not send him this newsletter.) (He did agree to this, I swear.) Anyway, Katherine Lamonica, whoever you are, bravo.

Stay tuned for more videos in this series, Emma Holds People Hostage in the Basement of Books Are Magic.

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Bonus Content that is Likely Only Appealing to A Small Number of People, Many of Whom Read This Newsletter:

Has anyone else noticed how much Adam on Yellowjackets looks like picture book superstar Adam Rubin? HE IS EVEN NAMED ADAM. Adam Rubin, explain why there was glitter in your shoes, please. Allow me to present my evidence.

The author of literally all your favorite picture books, Adam Rubin.

The bad? Guy? Adam? Who (spoiler alert, just based on Reddit and various other fan theories) is probably grown-up Javi? Dragons Love Tacos? More like Dragons Love Cannibals, am I right?

I rest my case.

Pre-order This Time Tomorrow here.

Or, if you’re more of a Las Vegas type, and like to play the odds, enter to win the Goodreads giveaway!