Today we have one of the best ladies in my life taking over the blog. My long-distance bestie Amy. I say long-distance because she now lives in Cairns with her hubby and gorgeous cat Earl Grey. I miss her a ton but we message and essentially speak in some capacity daily. That being said, I really do need to pay her a visit sometime soon. It's been two years since we last saw each other IRL and that is not okay. Along with a love of banter, #goals aesthetic-y dreams, dreamy scents and movies, we also share a love of books. Amy reads quite different books to me so I always love hearing what she's reading. Now we can all share in that love because she's sharing her answers to my questions about her books. Enjoy! 

-What are you currently reading? 

Rich People Problems x Kevin Kwan. This is the final book in the series and I'm obsessed! Think Pride & Prejudice meets Gossip Girl set in Hong Kong and Singapore. There's drama, social climbers and the richest of the rich. Kwan does such a good satire of the affluent circle he grew up in. I highly recommend!

-What is your most read book? 

I really had to think about this one. I'm that girl who continually rereads her favourites *same, tbh, gazing guiltily at my shelves right now*, they are like both my family and my mental comfort food. I am going to have to say The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from the Chronicles of Narnia series. I must have reread it well over ten times, I love the growth and journey of the characters and all the magical little details. Just writing this makes me want to read it all over again.  

-I'm not sure if everyone knows this but you studied marine biology at university. *I've added in my notes "yass smart cookie. yes I fangirl over my friends. Moving on....* Was there a book or an author that inspired you to study marine biology? 

I'm obsessed with Madeline L'Engle. She was the author that acted as a catalyst for my obsession with science as she portrayed it in a way that was intriguing and almost magical. She had some amazing female scientist characters that were strong, sexy and empowered which made the field appeal to me as an adolescent. Her novel Troubling a Star probably inspired me the most. It features a lot of marine biology and oceanography and a good dash of drama and political intrigue. 

-You recently spent a bit of time in New Mexico. *Go look through her Instagrams peeps, it looks stunning*. Did you read any books whilst you were there? 

I read The Roanoke Girls x Amy Engel on my journey home as I had a long stopover in LA. I booked a hotel room for the day, ordered room service and binge read in the bath. The story is very dark and has some intense subject matter but it's intricately woven, full of twists and turns. A very shocking but excellently written story. 

-What is your favourite book by a New Zealand author and why? 

I feel like a terrible kiwi because I haven't read nearly enough New Zealand writing as an adult. *Same, tbh* My childhood favourite though was Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy x Lynley Dodd. As a child I was (and still am) obsessed with animals so I drove my preschool teachers crazy, asking for it to be read over and over. 

-You're in the process of building your first home. So exciting! Do you have any books you've been seeking out for inspiration?

  The Kinfolk Home! It's one of the most beautifully curated and presented design books and I never fail to get inspiration from it. I love the Scandinavian and Japanese inspired minimalism featuring lots of light timber, hidden storage and stark white walls. We're incorporating these features into the house and got our main texture and colour palette ideas from homes in the book. 

-Is there a female writer whose words have left a lasting impression on you? 

I just love Jodi Picoult. Her stories have such beautiful characters who say such raw and deep things. One of my favourite quotes is: "Forgiving isn't something you do for someone else. It's something you do for yourself. It's saying, 'you're not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.' It's saying, 'you don't get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.'

-Finally, if there was one book you'd recommend every woman has on their shelves, what would it be and why? 

First of all, have as many books as possible on your shelves! Secondly I think Little Women x Louisa May Alcott is a necessary staple for every bookshelf. It's a tale of the value of sisterhood and the importance of our minds and substance of our personalities and character over the superficial. In a world that bombards us, telling us our value is in our appearance and that being different is a problem-we should all read more books like Little Women. 

-Thanks so much Amy for answering my questions. I am undeniably biased but thinking of questions for Amy was so much fun and I had just as good a time reading her answers. Amy has a blog, Tea and Sage which is on a lil' hiatus but Amy posts regularly over on her Instagram @teaandsage and I suggest y'all go give her a follow and swoon over her dreamy photography. 

*Images c/o Amy's fantastic photography skills.