Quick Questions with a Cannonballer – Dome’Loki

How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?

This is my third time participating in CBR. I attempted a half cannonball in 2016 and came close to reading 26 books but fell far short in the number of reviews written. In 2017 I set the same goal and succeeded! For 2018 I decided to challenge myself with a full cannonball and it looks promising that I’ll complete it. Being a part of CBR has changed how I read, number of pages is now a consideration for what to read next! In all seriousness, I am now more present in my reading and pay deeper attention, where as previously I wasn’t processing as much. This year I have drastically cut back TV watching to carve out more time for reading and writing reviews, and discovered I don’t really miss watching. Also, I now keep little post it tabs around the house so that one will always be handy to mark a passage that stands out.

Is there a history behind Dome’Loki?

In the late 90s I was looking for a new online user handle when creating an account. I wanted something to incorporate my love of dragons and the goth phase I was going through. Dome’Loki was born as it supposedly is the Tolkien Elvish translation of “night dragon” per the say so of a guy I was interested in at the time. I highly suspect it is not an accurate translation but I’ve adopted it as my own. Fortunately, I’ve never run into anyone deep enough into Tolkien to take offense. As it is made up, it is conveniently never taken when needing to create an account.

You seem to be on track to complete your Cannonball – how about CBR Bingo? Are you aiming for a bingo or a blackout? How’s it going so far?

I have happily completed one bingo row and at present am content with that. A full blackout feels like it would be biting off more than I can chew, though I may attempt another row.

Which book/author are you most excited to introduce your daughter to? (Or if you already have, what was it and how did it go?)

The two age appropriate series I was most excited to introduce my ten year old daughter to were The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander because I loved them so much growing up. She enjoyed them both and would insist that I could be the only one to read them aloud to her. Dad could read other books at bedtime but not those. When she gets older I look forward to introducing the Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey as her name comes from those books. This reminds me that now is a about the right time to introduce my nearly seven year old daughter to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

If you had to pick only one genre to read for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Fantasy. While I take pleasure in science fiction, recently been reveling in comics and delighted by YA, and in my youth devoured whole mystery series, fantasy is what I always come back to. I think part of it is rooted in my deep love of mythic creatures (dragons!) and magic. But fantasy is so much more than the mythical beasts, spells and quests which first attracted me to the genre. I love being surprised by what authors are dreaming up. N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy is an excellent example that I keep recommending to everyone. 

Coffee, soda, Red Bull, tea: what’s your favorite caffeine delivery system? (If you partake, of course.)

Tea, preferably loose leaf. I’ve been on an oolong kick for a while now but always keep a variety of white, green, and black teas around.  

Anything else?

My daughters are extremely proud of my participation in the CBR, which took me by surprise. They want to know each time I post a review and where that puts me towards my goal. They consistently give me encouragement and are ecstatic when a book review I’ve written has been chosen to be featured. They also like to try and help with taking the picture of our corgi and the book. I didn’t expect to have cheerleaders on this journey but I’m grateful for the support of my family.