Reading Profile

 ***To my readers who are not in my grad school class***

You may know that I am in graduate school for Library Science. One of my courses this semester requires me to post book reviews and genre annotations to a blog, so that will likely be the majority of my posts on this blog between now and April 2021 or so. Just a heads up!

What do I like to read and why?

As a librarian, I can't count the number of times people have said something to the effect of: "It must be so nice to have a job where you can read books all day." Maybe that's because most people's experiences with libraries involve them reading books and studying. But it turns out, most librarians don't have much time to sit around reading books at work. 

I wish I had more time to read, but I've been listening to audiobooks during my commute to work. It really makes the time pass by quickly, so that's something you might want to consider if it fits into your lifestyle.

Wyatt and Saricks (2019) call reader's advisory service "one of the most rewarding areas of our profession" (p. xv). I've been trying to read books from different genres lately in an attempt to better understand and help people who come to the library precisely because I love the thrill of helping them find "the perfect book". However, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about what I like to read.

I like books that are realistic fiction: set in modern-day, real-world settings, and book that focus on relationships between people. I like these books because I can relate to them. As such, there's a bonus factor if the story focuses on LGBTQ or racial minority characters; I don't always relate to everything that happens to straight, white people who get their happily ever after.  That being said, it can also be nice to read books that expose me to different kinds of life. Perhaps it's dependent on my mood. Some examples of books that I've enjoyed from this category include A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord, The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, and The Best Man by Richard Peck.

I also enjoy some forms of fantasy, particularly elemental magics. I'm not exactly sure why this genre of book appeals to me, but I like the idea of controlling the elements. I sometimes think that my college studies in chemistry were partially in an attempt to understand and, in a certain sense, control the elements of the physical universe. Some examples of book series that I've enjoyed from this category include The Black Witch Chronicles by Laurie Forest, Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce, and The Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst.

This semester I'll be reading books from differing genres, and I'm looking forward to learning more about them and maybe stumbling upon a new favorite. I'm also excited to refine my skills and learn how to describe a book to a patron "to let them know about elements in this book that may interest them" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. xvi).

Reference

Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction.