See Ruth B Explore the Strand, Talk Favorite Books
Ruth B’s hit song “Lost Boy” – currently at Number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 – draws inspiration from Peter Pan, so it’s no surprise that the 20-year-old Vine star and singer-songwriter is a bookworm. She guided Rolling Stone around New York City’s Strand Bookstore and gave some insight into the series and characters that have defined her life so far.
“I could live in this,” she says while scoping out the titles in the Fantasy/YA section of the store. “The Hunger Games. I’ve read the Reach books. This looks like my room, actually.”
B’s love for storytelling began early when her mom would take her and her brother to stores where she would pretend to read. The appeal of books – the act of crafting stories from one’s imagination – also drew her to songwriting.
The Harry Potter series has been a particular favorite throughout her life. B greets the titles in the bookstore with excitement, noting that she’s read the series upwards of seven times. “My brother and I do trivia quizzes all the time,” she admits. “I love J.K. Rowling. If I could meet any person, I would meet her.”
The singer’s tastes range dramatically: She grew up on fairy tales but also loves darker fare like The Outsiders. She even reveals how much she identifies with Ponyboy Curtis from S.E. Hinton’s novel. “He was always really trying to impress his brothers but got to a point where he was just like, ‘I’m just gonna do me and run off and figure life out on my own,'” she explains. “Which is kind of what I’m doing right now.”