Over the next few weeks we’re participating in a work experience program with students from high schools across Melbourne. Here, Joel Calabria tells us about his favourite books.

How would you describe your taste in books? Do you like romance or adventure, science fiction or history, etc?

I tend to read quite a bit. A lot of people I know are very happy to just stick with one genre and read that to death, but personally I find that boring and lacking in flavour. Lately it’s been more about the classics for me: 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc. and of course the James Bond series. When I first decided to start reading them I expected a sort of semi-clichéd spy series that was tailored for a younger audience. Turns out Ian Fleming knows his secret intelligence operations (used to work for MI5 I think) and his stories developed into these gritty, heavy novels with the ever-prevailing hint of charm and mystique from the characters.

Most books I read are for the themes, and I feel that trying to label books by one genre can sometimes be too hard. Non-fiction is also something I enjoy, but mainly in short paragraph form, rather than a university level thesis.

Basically I pick what seems interesting and read away.

Tell us about one of your favourite books. When did you first read it? Have you read it more than once? Did you have a different favourite book before now?

The Messenger by Markus Zusak has to be near the top of my list. Although I normally find it hard to pick a favourite book this one I know is definitely up there. I started reading it about October last year and took it with me to Europe. It was the perfect plane companion and I finished it flying over the Indian Ocean. Something about the way it’s written just captivated me. Zusak doesn’t use over-complicated language but still manages to make it powerful. This book also has trouble fitting in with a single genre and the complexity of the themes, beautifully interwoven with the story just fits. Lots of people hate when a great book has a disappointing ending, but with this, I’ve never been more satisfied.

I can’t call this book my favourite, but it’s probably the closest I’ve come to finding a perfect book.

Do you and your friends share books with each other? What is one your friend has liked, but you haven’t?

My friends don’t tend to actually read, and if they do it’s just because of a school assignment. I don’t really discuss books too much except with one of my mates. We have similar interests and are nearly always recommending or inspiring each other to read things.

I don’t actually remember coming across a book where we’ve completely disagreed. Normally we might argue an interpretation or a scene. For instance, when we were both reading Of Mice and Men he found it stunted and lacking. He said the narrative cut short and left it unfulfilled. To be honest I felt the same way, but to me it seemed it was designed to make you feel displaced. Regardless we both enjoyed it to some extent. Another example was The Outsiders which I found enjoyable and had lots of nice little hidden messages, but my friend absolutely fell in love with it.

Melbourne has a lot of different literary festivals. Which international authors would you like to see come to one?

I’d definitely love to see Jasper Fforde come to one of them. The Eyre Affair and The Big Over Easy were incredibly well-written and the oddities of these alternate universes just keep digging deeper as their series go on I get the feeling from his books that he’s just a quirky guy who likes to write. I have no idea what he’d do once he arrives but I’d try to go meet him.

What is a book you’d love to see made into a film? Who would play the lead role?

The Passage by Justin Cronin.

This book was a very long and dark story, and it’s hard to talk about it without spoiling the whole thing. The man has pretty much written a perfect book to convert into a film. His use of language is amazing, but it’s definitely more focused on the storyline and the characters. Although the cinematic experience would probably last close to 4 hours (for an accurate adaptation) and leave a lingering unease at the sight of gruesome medical experiments, it would be a stunningly atmospheric and ominous film.

I haven’t read the rest of the series, but I’m sure it’s much of the same good stuff.

Yeah, make a movie.