Ellen Hossman, executive director of the Literacy Council of Green County, sat down with us recently for a lively, in-depth discussion on books and the important role they play in her life.
What are you reading now?
Well, the book I'm reading right now is "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins, and it's a psychological thriller. I'm not really enjoying it, but I'm going to keep reading it because it's part of a book club I'm in. This book club forces me, as does the other book club I'm in, to read things I would not normally read. This is not a genre that I ever pick up a book from myself, but I'm going to read it. I probably should only read it during the day.
Tell us about your book clubs.
I belong to two book clubs. One I've been in for 15 years, at least. Both book clubs are entirely different. The (participants) come from different walks of life. In one book club, there's more discussion about the writing styles, and then the other, it's more about the storyline and sometimes how it impacts your life.
How do you prefer to take your books - in print form, a nice hardcover book, on your Kindle or iPad, or maybe an audiobook?
Well, I used to listen to books on tape, now books on CD, while ironing or driving. I've actually gone through the entire audiobook selection at the library starting alphabetically by shelf. I prefer a hardcover book or paperback when I read at night. I like the feel of a book, and I like the smell of a hardcover book, especially if it's an older one. I have books on my iPad, but I don't tend to read them as often because it's not as comfortable to hold as a book.
What was your favorite book growing up?
"The Velveteen Rabbit" and Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." They just made an impact. The lesson from "The Velveteen Rabbit" is you can become whatever you want to become in life, and I think that's something that we all need to revisit. Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree' is about giving back or paying it forward, whichever way you want to put it.
Do you read with your two grandchildren?
When my granddaughter was born, I decided I had to find some way to connect with her because her family lives in the Washington D.C. area. Every month on her birth date, I would send her a book. I became known as "Nana Book" for quite a while. Then when my grandson was born three years later, my daughter said, "Mom, you can't do the same thing for Milo because we have all the books."
I wanted to instill in my grandchildren a love of books early on. My daughter and son-in-law certainly do that also, but when I go out to visit they still dig through my suitcase, "What book did you bring us, Nana?" Because there's always a book in my suitcase for them. Every night they both get a story.
Is there a book that inspires you?
"The Poisonwood Bible." You have an American family who goes to Africa on a missionary trip, and they have to overcome a lot to become part of the culture, to absorb the culture in every day life that we here cannot imagine. A lot of the books I've enjoyed are about overcoming something in their lives. If they can do that, I can do that. I read "The Poisonwood Bible" when my daughter was in the Peace Corps in Africa. She was in the Gambia, which is the poorest country in Africa. Some of her letters home told the stories of her life in her village and what the African families were dealing with and their day-to-day existence.
I got the chance to experience this when I visited my daughter in Africa. We were traveling in Morocco on this very hot bus with chickens and it was just stuffed with people and hotter than Hades. I was dozing off when I saw a giraffe, but I couldn't get to my camera. So, as we rode on, the African woman sitting next to me would nudge me to wake me every time there was another animal so I could experience them in the natural environment. When we got off the bus, I asked my daughter if I could thank her. I went to give her a hug, and she opened her arms to me first. She honored my culture as I honored hers. It was powerful.
Another book is "Born Survivors," which is the story of three women who gave birth to children while in the concentration camps during World War II. One of the survivors, one of the children, is Dr. Mark Olsky, who is a retired physician from the Monroe Clinic. It's just a very well-written book. It was a happy book because these three people are survivors, and it told the mother's stories in depth. Again, it's about surviving and making the best of a horrible situation.
If you could be a character in a book you've read, who would you want to be?
Meggie from "The Thorn Birds." She had a hard life, but she found love, and what a gift for many people who never have that. She just had a strong will, and I think that's maybe what struck me. She went after what she wanted, and she got it. I mean, she got hurt in the end, but that's life.
Can you think of a book that you were really disappointed in that you were hoping would be better than it turned out to be?
The book I read just recently that disappointed me was "I Am Malala," about the young Afghanistan woman who was shot and has recovered. The book wasn't overly well written, I don't feel, but it also made me stop and think, "Is she really helping the cause of girls education in her country?" She lives in Britain. I mean, she left her country when she was shot. They took her to the British hospitals. But is she really doing this for the right reason? Is this book raising funds, and are those funds being diverted to the right places to help those girls get their education?
If you were stranded on a desert island with ONLY one book, what would you like it to be?
I would go with "The Poisonwood Bible." It's one of those books I could probably keep rereading if I had more time.
- Cover to Cover is provided by the Monroe Public Library and is published the fourth Wednesday of the month.
What are you reading now?
Well, the book I'm reading right now is "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins, and it's a psychological thriller. I'm not really enjoying it, but I'm going to keep reading it because it's part of a book club I'm in. This book club forces me, as does the other book club I'm in, to read things I would not normally read. This is not a genre that I ever pick up a book from myself, but I'm going to read it. I probably should only read it during the day.
Tell us about your book clubs.
I belong to two book clubs. One I've been in for 15 years, at least. Both book clubs are entirely different. The (participants) come from different walks of life. In one book club, there's more discussion about the writing styles, and then the other, it's more about the storyline and sometimes how it impacts your life.
How do you prefer to take your books - in print form, a nice hardcover book, on your Kindle or iPad, or maybe an audiobook?
Well, I used to listen to books on tape, now books on CD, while ironing or driving. I've actually gone through the entire audiobook selection at the library starting alphabetically by shelf. I prefer a hardcover book or paperback when I read at night. I like the feel of a book, and I like the smell of a hardcover book, especially if it's an older one. I have books on my iPad, but I don't tend to read them as often because it's not as comfortable to hold as a book.
What was your favorite book growing up?
"The Velveteen Rabbit" and Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." They just made an impact. The lesson from "The Velveteen Rabbit" is you can become whatever you want to become in life, and I think that's something that we all need to revisit. Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree' is about giving back or paying it forward, whichever way you want to put it.
Do you read with your two grandchildren?
When my granddaughter was born, I decided I had to find some way to connect with her because her family lives in the Washington D.C. area. Every month on her birth date, I would send her a book. I became known as "Nana Book" for quite a while. Then when my grandson was born three years later, my daughter said, "Mom, you can't do the same thing for Milo because we have all the books."
I wanted to instill in my grandchildren a love of books early on. My daughter and son-in-law certainly do that also, but when I go out to visit they still dig through my suitcase, "What book did you bring us, Nana?" Because there's always a book in my suitcase for them. Every night they both get a story.
Is there a book that inspires you?
"The Poisonwood Bible." You have an American family who goes to Africa on a missionary trip, and they have to overcome a lot to become part of the culture, to absorb the culture in every day life that we here cannot imagine. A lot of the books I've enjoyed are about overcoming something in their lives. If they can do that, I can do that. I read "The Poisonwood Bible" when my daughter was in the Peace Corps in Africa. She was in the Gambia, which is the poorest country in Africa. Some of her letters home told the stories of her life in her village and what the African families were dealing with and their day-to-day existence.
I got the chance to experience this when I visited my daughter in Africa. We were traveling in Morocco on this very hot bus with chickens and it was just stuffed with people and hotter than Hades. I was dozing off when I saw a giraffe, but I couldn't get to my camera. So, as we rode on, the African woman sitting next to me would nudge me to wake me every time there was another animal so I could experience them in the natural environment. When we got off the bus, I asked my daughter if I could thank her. I went to give her a hug, and she opened her arms to me first. She honored my culture as I honored hers. It was powerful.
Another book is "Born Survivors," which is the story of three women who gave birth to children while in the concentration camps during World War II. One of the survivors, one of the children, is Dr. Mark Olsky, who is a retired physician from the Monroe Clinic. It's just a very well-written book. It was a happy book because these three people are survivors, and it told the mother's stories in depth. Again, it's about surviving and making the best of a horrible situation.
If you could be a character in a book you've read, who would you want to be?
Meggie from "The Thorn Birds." She had a hard life, but she found love, and what a gift for many people who never have that. She just had a strong will, and I think that's maybe what struck me. She went after what she wanted, and she got it. I mean, she got hurt in the end, but that's life.
Can you think of a book that you were really disappointed in that you were hoping would be better than it turned out to be?
The book I read just recently that disappointed me was "I Am Malala," about the young Afghanistan woman who was shot and has recovered. The book wasn't overly well written, I don't feel, but it also made me stop and think, "Is she really helping the cause of girls education in her country?" She lives in Britain. I mean, she left her country when she was shot. They took her to the British hospitals. But is she really doing this for the right reason? Is this book raising funds, and are those funds being diverted to the right places to help those girls get their education?
If you were stranded on a desert island with ONLY one book, what would you like it to be?
I would go with "The Poisonwood Bible." It's one of those books I could probably keep rereading if I had more time.
- Cover to Cover is provided by the Monroe Public Library and is published the fourth Wednesday of the month.