🐱Wormie Spotlight with Maxine Zhao (aka @maxine) 🐉

Welcome to the completely very first interview in our Wormie Spotlight series! 

Each month, we hope to chat with a wormie just like you. Bookworm is all about community, and it’s high time we get to know our neighbors. We want to learn more about your reading habits, favorite books, and the odd, beautiful things that make you you. 

First up is a wormie who loves dragons, mindfulness (with a twist), and the coziest reading sessions with her cat, Luna. Meet Maxine Zhao. 🐱🐉

Here's our conversation with Maxine. Our questions are in bold, and Maxine’s responses are directly below each question.

What’s one book you think everyone in the Bookworm community should read? Why?
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell <3. I always tell people it feels like taking a very long walk with your very smart, very thoughtful friend. It starts off feeling like she's rambling nonsensically — one minute you’re talking about pigeons, and you’re wondering, “Where is this going?” But then, suddenly, she brings it all together in a shining golden nugget of insight. It’s about art, technology, politics, mindfulness (but not the self-help kind), and living as a caring human today. I honestly can’t imagine someone this book wouldn’t touch — but if they exist, I’d love to meet them!

What’s the book you’re always recommending to friends?
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell <3 (The Bookworm community is my friend, after all.)

What’s the book that made you love reading?
I’ve always loved reading. I was the shy, bookish kid curled up in an armchair at family gatherings. As a child, I devoured The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Eragon, The Last Dragon Chronicles, Rainbow Magic, and even Dan Brown books (which, as an adult, I now classify as fantasy in its own way).

I lost touch with reading for fun during high school and college, but Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series brought me back. I even dreamed about being in the Percy Jackson universe last night! (Yes, it involved dramatic hero tests, a sneaky villain teacher, and a battle for survival... classic dream chaos.)

How do you decide what to read next?
It’s all vibes, whims, and Libby library holds. After feeling drained by required reading in school, I’m strict about keeping reading fun now. My finished bookshelf is pretty eclectic — six dragon books in a row, a textbook on cuisines and empires, and a spree of sleazy romances. I don’t fight myself on my reading choices; I just go with the flow. Sometimes I even forget why I wanted to read a book by the time it arrives!

How did you find out about Bookworm?
My VERY COOL coworker Alice told me about her VERY COOL friend Amelia (THE bookworm creator) and her VERY COOL app, Bookworm. I reacted in a chill, nonchalant way, of course. (Just kidding. I was anything but chill!) I’m still super chalant about the app and have been known to force people to sign up if they say a word that rhymes with “roodgeads.”

What dream bestie do you want for your worm?
A hamster, guinea pig, pigeon, or… gasp, a DRAGON!? (Apparently, I was a dragon kid, and now I’m leaning into becoming a dragon adult.)

If you’re interested in being featured in our wormie spotlight series, feel free to fill out the form below!