Wednesday, December 2, 2020

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Colin Muenster

About Colin 

I am an Enterprise Architect at Clarke University, which is fancy for guy who does a little bit of everything.  In addition to app development and implementing strategic IT initiatives in relation educational technology, I also manage the Audiovisual Department, being the chief AV nerd on campus.  My hobbies include reading, writing, theatre, home “improvement”  projects, online gaming with my buddies, and spending time with my family.  I have worked a variety of jobs here in Dubuque, from overnight security guard, English & Theatre teacher, bookseller (River Lights), waiter (L.May), and freelance graphic design artist.  I have been hired to play a clown, and been paid money under the table to DJ at weddings.  I have a blog with some bad poetry, essays, and pictures of my daughters doing cute things.

(See the past Reader of the Month posts here) 

Q&A with Colin

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

A. Since I really view them as a single book, I would say it would be the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer.

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. Cramped on a too small couch with a thick, dark beer.

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?

I am excited to read Borne by Jeff Vandermeer.  Honestly, I loved the SR Trilogy so much, and am completely enamored with his writing style that I can’t wait to immerse myself in words again.

Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it?

A. Perhaps not a specific book, per se, but an alternative literary canon – dramatic literature. What a play or a musical can do is distill a narrative to its most essential components and lay bare a character in ways a novel often cannot.  It forces the reader to use their psychoanalytical skills that a novel often makes easier for you.  This is especially true in terms of character development and motivation.  A play also has an artistry in and of itself that is magnificent to behold and legion in variety.  While a play is incomplete until being viewed on the stage, the simple act of reading can offer a sometimes more rewarding experience than a piece of fiction.  That being said, here is my short-list based on my current mood:  Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, J.B. by Archibald MacLeish, Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, and God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza

Q. What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?

A. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner.  It took me so long to finally put my head in a place to really understand the menagerie of language Faulkner employs in crafting this book.  Having to retrain myself to understand the narrative as constructed by Faulkner was a grueling process and took the better part of year to achieve, but once it clicked, a light emanated from the novel that left me in awe of how one can paint with the artistry of words.

Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?

A. I like to read challenging books in the same way runners may challenge themselves with longer or more difficult courses.  They payoff in that challenge once it is completed is for me one of the greatest joys of reading, although ironically, I never really wish for a good book to ever end, delaying my sought after catharsis.  That being said, the thing that usually forces me to put a book down is boredom coupled with a busy schedule.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

A. I don’t remember its title or how old I was, although I know for sure I was a child in elementary school.  I had, for the first time, finished a chapter book, and that sense of achievement and satisfaction hit me in a way nothing ever had up to that point.  I sought every opportunity to recreate that feeling ever since. 

Q. Can you tell us about your reading life in general?

A. What is odd, I feel, about my reading life is that if you were to ask any of my teachers growing up, I think you’d find that very few of them saw me as someone who loved to read.  They would be right, as I did hate to read….what they told me to read, mostly because they told me to read it.  I read on my own, and rarely did I take the time to pick up the assigned reading, which, as you may imagine, led to some less-than-stellar grades.  I was a closeted reader, rarely discussing books with ANYONE, because some part of me felt a certain shame in the act of loving something I so openly detested in an academic setting.  It wasn’t until college, when surrounded by people with passions ranging and intermingling in the fields of art, literature, and music did I truly begin to openly, and with renewed ferocity, express my love for the written word.  I found the world far more complex, beautiful (or by contrast exasperatingly ugly) than I had ever dreamt. It is why, when I was hired to work at River Lights Bookstore after graduating from college, I felt as I had truly struck gold (which is still true for anyone who is bestowed the opportunity to work at River Lights, a place as close to heaven as you can reach while on earth). To this day, I rarely travel anywhere without something to read just in case the opportunity arises.  With three kids in tow nowadays, those opportunities are a little less frequent, but old habits die hard.  In a supreme cosmical feat of karma, my passion for literature led me to go back to school to become a High School English and Theatre teacher where I was able to couple my love of theatre and literature into something I was so fortunate to do on a daily basis for five years of my life.  I could go on, really, but you weren’t expecting a novel, or a novel written by me that is.

Check out Colin Muenster's book list

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!

Sunday, November 1, 2020

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Courtney Chaffee

About Courtney

I am a musician, a bowler, a photographer, a lover, and a friend. My passions vary widely, but are all art-centered and I include reading as an art. I play trombone with a lot of local groups, bowl in league weekly, and love taking photos on nature hikes.

Fun Book Fact: in middle school my group (which changed yearly) went to district “Battle of the Books” all three years.

I’m always open to reading suggestions and I try to pick up at least one book per reader that’s featured. Some of them included in my lists are books that were suggested to me or book club picks. Books are food for the brain and just like when you’re eating, you’ll never know if you like it if you don’t even try it.


(See the past Reader of the Month posts here) 


Q & A with Courtney

Q. Can you tell us about your reading interests in general? 

A. Anyone who knows me now would have difficulty believing I used to hate reading. I’m rarely seen without a book, more often than not it’s multiple books. I’m a frequent commenter/poster on the library’s Facebook, am featured on their banner, have been on their blog, and now I’m a Reader of the Month! My level of dedication to reading this year increased when I said I was making Diamond Level on the Great Reading Challenge - no matter what. I now have a blog called “The Book Nook by CC-Liz” where I post reading updates regarding the challenge and book reviews. I have already achieved my goal for this year! I’m attempting to challenge myself even more by branching out and reading things that are outside my norm. I’ve worked my way into the nonfiction realm and have been reading memoirs, essay compilations, and studies on different topics. I have let the questions that come from reading guide me to my next topic. I still keep one foot in the fantasy waters though. Right now I am listening to the “Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan, while reading a bunch of psychology-heavy books.

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

A. This is a hard question. I have to break it down by genre or collection type anytime I am asked. The best fiction book that I’ve read in 2020 is The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, while the best fictional audiobook I’ve listened to in 2020 is Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal.

The best book I’ve ever read is an impossible question to answer. The audiobook that elicited the largest reaction from me was Me Before You by Jojo Moyes read by Susan Lyons (mainly, there are multiple narrators). My favorite book of all time is forever going to be the “Harry Potter” series, with the Prisoner of Azkaban as my favorite one.

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. There’s two environments that are perfect for reading, it just depends which I’m in the mood for. The first one is outside, anywhere in nature. I can be lying in my hammock, sitting in the woods, feet in the water, wherever. As long as I am surrounded by nature, I am happy.

The other perfect reading environment is snuggled in a blanket in some sort of nook/corner with a warm beverage. Bonus points for each animal I have trying to distract me from my reading (one cat and two dogs).

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?

A. I can’t answer this. I rarely know what I am reading next. I have a really long TBR (To Be Read) list, but I just pick and choose. A lot of the time I will walk into the library and look at the displays; then next thing you know I’m walking out with 8 books, none of which were my original plan. I do the same with eBooks, I will look at what is available now and choose one from there. Yes, I use the hold feature A LOT for titles that interest me, but I can’t really say there’s a single book that I am just waiting for on the edge of my seat.

Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it?

A. I wouldn't suggest a single book because everyone’s tastes are different and my reading style now, isn’t what it was last year. I curate my advice to the person. If you’re looking for a young reader novel then the “Ranger’s Apprentice” series. A romance? Any book by Jojo Moyes or Nicholas Sparks. Fantasy? Rosemary & Rue, J.R.R. Tolkien, or "Harry Potter." Empowering? Girl Up by Lindsey Bates. I can go on and on for each genre (except a few nonfiction topics maybe….).

Q. What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?

A. After reading memoirs and first person stories of survivors of violence: sexual assault, domestic violence, war, etc. I found a fictional tale on those topics to be really difficult. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell for example. Her writing style is nice, but I struggled with a fictional telling of grooming and abuse after reading cases like the Larry Nassar trials or Weinstein. I actually advise against this book and would steer a person towards the memoirs/nonfiction titles.

Emotionally the most challenging was listening to Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I had a bottle of wine and a bar of dark chocolate alongside me when I got to the last third of that novel. She had me bawling like a baby, but I couldn’t stop listening. It was intriguing!

Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?

A. Stopping a book is really difficult for me. Once I’m invested in it, I almost always finish it. If the book was suggested to me I tend to try even harder to finish it. There are a few that after a chapter or two I wasn’t hooked and I quit, but that is fairly rare.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

A. My love of reading actually started in elementary school (kindergarten to second grade area). Shout-out to the best teacher I ever had: Mrs. Resch. Without that woman, I would not be the reader I am today. I used to hate reading and was actually considered ‘behind’ the curve. My parents put me in a summer school course and BOOM, I’m never seen without a book anymore. Mrs. Resch inspired my reading and pushed me along. She took my love of raccoons and used it to help me read, my favorite children’s book will forever be The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. I have multiple copies in multiple formats and languages, as well as my original copy still. 

Check out Courtney Chaffee's book list! 

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!

Thursday, October 1, 2020

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Ryan Bankson

About Ryan

Ryan Bankson is a Library Assistant in the Circulation department at Carnegie-Stout Public Library and an infantry captain with the Iowa Army National Guard. He enjoys wandering around his haunted mansion, messing around in the woods, and devouring any book in sight.

Q & A with Ryan 

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)? 

A. Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts. I'm a lifelong student of military history and Napoleon has been my personal hero for as long as I can remember. Roberts' comprehensive biography of the great soldier-statesman is the best of the many that I've read over the years. It's quite the tome, but readers cannot help but be amazed by Napoleon's accomplishments. 

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. In fair weather you'll find me on my porch with a book on my lap and cooler full of beer nearby. When the winter weather drives me inside, I do my reading in my chair in the study with a glass of brandy at hand. 

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?  

A. I'm excited for Joe Abercrombie's latest, The Trouble with Peace. This is to be the second in a new trilogy from this master of Grimdark fantasy. What's the Grimdark fantasy subgenre you ask? Think George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. These action-packed low fantasy novels feature a lot of 'gray areas' characters–not all good or all evil, black or white. Abercrombie's characters are morally ambivalent with mixed motivations, plenty of snark, and action-packed, fast-moving plots. If this sounds appealing to you, I recommend The Blade Itself, the first in Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy.
 
Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it?  

A. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I enjoy novels that explore themes of immortality, and this classic from the prolific Oscar Wilde really makes the reader think about the cost of eternal youth.
 
Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?   

A. If I decide that a book isn't worth my time, I cast it aside to be returned to the library without a second thought. This could be within a few sentences, a few chapters, or after I've slogged through half of the book. One of the best things about having a library card is that you're not on the hook for the cost of the book if it isn't a good match for you. Your friendly neighborhood library has thousands more, all available for free.  
 
Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began? 

A. I started devouring Goosebumps, Strange Matter, and Spooksville books when I was in early elementary school, later gravitating to Harry Potter, The Wheel of Time, and A Song of Ice and Fire when I was older. As long as I've been able to read independently, I've been a voracious reader with very disparate tastes.

Check out Ryan Bankson's Favorites book list! 

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!

Saturday, August 29, 2020

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Kate and Sarah Faford-Johnson

About Kate & Sarah 

 
Kate and Sarah Faford-Johnson love spending time outdoors and enjoy kayaking, hiking, and biking. They usually have their two dogs, Bing Bong and River, along for the adventure. They are both beginning a new adventure in the fall as they relocate to New Mexico. 

Kate loves a good dystopian novel and balances that out with readings on Buddhism, meditation, and healthy living. Sarah has a true nerd-love of graphic novels and well written science fiction. She also has a deep love of anything written by the great early conservationists, like John Muir and Aldo Leopold.

(See the past Reader of the Month posts here) 

Q&A with Kate and Sarah

 

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

Kate: The past year would probably be Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and best ever would be The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood.

Sarah: That’s a toss up between Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions and Tal M. Klein’s The Punch Escrow.

What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

Kate: I like reading outdoors in a cozy environment. A hammock in the backyard, a nice chair on the beach, anything that gets me outside is ideal. But if that's not possible, I will gladly take a chai latte and a quiet corner at Charlotte’s.

Sarah: I prefer a comfy chair and a quiet environment. As long as I have those two I am happy.

What book are you most excited about reading next and what about it is most exciting?

Kate: I’m excited to read (or listen to) The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey. We’re planning on listening to the audiobooks through the Overdrive app on our road trip to New Mexico this fall.

Sarah: I agree with Kate. We love The Expanse television series and I am excited to check out the books to see how they compare.

What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?

Sarah: I think Cormac McCarthey’s The Road has been the most challenging book I have read recently. It was just such an emotionally challenging book to read and without giving too much away, it just felt so real. It was an excellent book and I applaud him for making me feel so uncomfortable.

When do you decide to stop reading a book? (In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?)

Sarah: Kate will give up on a book when she is not interested or it just is not the right time. I have a horrible habit of believing every book is worthy of my time. I cannot give up on a book, no matter how terrible, until the final page.

Do you remember when your love for reading began?

Kate: My love of reading began in elementary school. We had a reading challenge that I was really into. It started with Goosebumps and Harry Potter books, and in high school, I got more into non-fiction books about Buddhism and books about multicultural issues, other social issues, and environmental issues.

Sarah: I was fortunate to grow up in a household where my parents really encouraged my innate curiosity about everything. They took me to get a library card as soon as I was old enough and even set up a dedicated corner in my bedroom to serve as my personal library, complete with a reading square carpet just like the one we had in my kindergarten class. I loved reading about everything I encountered and that passion has continued throughout my life.

Check out Kate & Sarah's Favorites book list! 

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!

Monday, August 3, 2020

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Julie Stran

About Julie

I love music and playing the piano and guitar. I am a piano teacher with 48 students. I love my job! I enjoy interacting with the students and watching them progress and grow through the years. My favorite hobby is crafting. I love to create things with paper such as banners, and scrapbook pages.

(See the past Reader of the Month posts here)

Q&A

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

A. The best book I have ever read is Jewel by Bret Lott. It is about a mother’s relationship with her special needs daughter. I read this book right after my son was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that causes special needs. It really hit home for me because I could understand and relate to the feelings the mother was feeling. I read this book at the right time in my life. If I would have read it earlier, before my son was diagnosed, it may not have been my favorite.

Q. What is your ideal reading environment?

A. My ideal reading environment is on my couch with my feet up drinking a hot tea. But that never happens! Realistically, my reading environment is usually in the car (while it’s parked!) waiting for my kids to get out of school. Or in the waiting room, waiting for the kids at the orthodontist or other appointment.

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next?

A. I am excited about reading Shalini Boland’s newest book, One of Us is Lying. I really enjoyed two of her other books. She writes psychological thrillers with a twist at the end, that leaves the reader in suspense.

Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book?

A. I always read every book to the very end, because it usually gets better. Nine times out of ten, I end up liking it in the end. I never give up on a book!

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

A. I loved to read for as long as I can remember. I remember going to the library when I was little and reading the “Choose your Own Adventure” books. I would choose one ending, but then go back and read what would happen if I chose a different ending.

Q. Can you tell us about your reading interests in general?

A. I read a great variety of books. I like to go the new release section at the library and pick a book at random. My favorite genres are historical fiction, mysteries, and memoirs. I tend to stay away from science fiction. Sometimes, I want to read historical fiction because it’s interesting to learn about how life could have been years ago. Other times I just want to read fun books like the “Shopaholic” series. It just depends on my mood!


Check out the Julie Stran's Favorites book list!

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month! 


Wednesday, July 1, 2020

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Anderson-Bricker

Kristin and John Anderson-Bricker moved to Dubuque in 1997. A professor of history at Loras College, Kristin teaches all United States history courses, specializing in race relations, gender history and American reform movements. John is a painter and sculptor who also works as the preparator at the Dubuque Museum of Art. Along with reading, they love hiking, birding, canoeing, gardening and cooking.

(See the past Reader of the Month posts here)

Q. Can you tell us about your reading interests?

A. We share an interest in historical fiction, especially mysteries. We both read non-fiction but choose different topics. Kristin reads history, science, natural history, archaeology and cookbooks. John enjoys art, architecture, design, electronics, technology, science and gardening. We most enjoy reading at the same time in the same room with a cup of coffee or a beer (depending on the time of day). We have time for reading because we do not watch television or use social media. We find that reading relaxes us because it shifts our minds from the everyday to another world. Additionally, we like expanding our knowledge and belief system through the written word.

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

JABAnna Lee Huber, The Anatomist’s Wife

KAB - Theodora Goss, The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. We begin every day reading together with our morning coffee before getting ready for work. So, each day we share the hour between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. reading in our living room or in the garden during warmer seasons. When we can find the time we also enjoy reading after work on the sun porch or out in the garden. Because we read many of the same books, the second reader will often initiate conversations over breakfast!

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?

JAB – I very much enjoy Deanna Raybourn’s series about Veronica Speedwell and her companion Stoker. Looking forward to the next installment of their adventures.

KABAndrea Penrose created a likable detective duo in Charlotte Sloane and Lord Wrexford. I am looking forward to the next book and discovering the direction of their developing friendship. We particularly like historical fiction where the main characters develop relationships with one another across the series. We favor nineteenth century English worlds.

Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it?

KAB – Americans should read David Blight’s Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory because it explains why the Lost Cause narrative gained prominence and became acceptable in our cultural understanding of the Civil War. Because it is a racist ideology that convinces people that Confederate symbols are about heritage, this book is an important corrective that explains how the Confederacy was and is really about hate. 

JAB – Art lovers also concerned with the environment should read Fragile Ecologies: Contemporary Artists’ Interpretations and Solutions, by Barbara Matilsky. This book forces you to examine your own contributions to environmental degradation and the power of art to convey that message.

Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?

Books need to be well written for us to read. So, we give a book about two chapters. If the writing is not exceptional, we will put the book aside. We leave many books unfinished because we want more time for the good ones.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

KAB - As a child, I became a reader of fiction due to my enthusiasm for The Chronicles of Narnia, so I would say that C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the most important fiction book in my life. As a graduate student in 1990 I read In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s by Clayborne Carson and it established the pathway of my career and began my love affair with non-fiction.

JAB – My love of reading began in my twenties after I completed college and I began to read art history for pleasure and professional development. Some of my favorite art history books include Gaudi of Barcelona by Lluis Permanyer, Melba Levick; Earthworks and Beyond by John Beardsley, Time by Andy Goldsworthy, The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson by Anne Newlands, and Hopper by Ivo Kranzfelder.

Check out the Anderson-Bricker Favorites book list!

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month! 
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