This month, I'm turning the tables with an engaging interview with my co-columnist and Monroe Public Library Director Suzann Holland.
What are you reading now?
I'm reading a book called, "Dr. Mutter's Marvels." It's about a physician during the 19th century. He struggled to become a physician through some very difficult early circumstances. He founded a museum in Philadelphia called The Mutter Museum. It has medical artifacts, abnormalities, and things like that. It's really intriguing.
On audio, I'm listening to a book called, "Replay," by Ken Grimwood. The concept is that this man wakes up in the morning. He's back in 1963. He lives until 1988 and then he dies. After he dies, he wakes up and it's 1963 and then he dies in 1988. He continues to try to do things differently each replay of his life. At one point, he tries to prevent the Kennedy assassination. It's really exciting to see all the things he did differently.
I know you tend to read more nonfiction. What is it that compels you about nonfiction books?
Actually, I think what it is more than anything is that I get more impatient as I get older. I want to make better use of my time. Somehow, I tend to lose interest with fiction unless it's really compelling or unless it's an audiobook, which forces me to slow down. I also read very quickly. I usually read a book a day.
What were your favorite books growing up?
My mother was very eager to share the Little House books with me. I remember that we were really poor when I was a small child. She saved up money and bought me a paperback set of the Little House books. That was such a treasure. Looking back as an adult, thinking how anxious she was to share that with me, it was really touching. It's a family tradition.
I think it's just such a good experience for a family to enjoy a book together in whatever way, whether the child reads, whether the parents read, whether you do an audiobook together. I think that's just such a great thing that you can do for your family.
Did you go to the library a lot when you were younger?
When I was about 10, my mother started taking me to the library quite a bit. I had some interesting experiences with librarians there. It's funny that I turned out to be a librarian. I was always challenging them. I made the switch to adult books early. I ran into some librarians that tried to steer me toward what they felt was more age-appropriate material. My mother had to say, "Let her read what she wants to read."
I remember the first adult book that I ever read was a challenge. It was "Roots" by Alex Haley. I read that when I was probably 9 or 10 - it was a book in our house and that's why I grabbed it. It really stuck with me. It took me a full week to read it. It just went on forever. I remember very distinct scenes from it. It's affected me tremendously.
I always wondered and I always want to ask you, how did you know that you wanted to be a librarian? Did you purposely just go to school for that?
No. Actually, I was going to be a history teacher. When I was getting my undergraduate, I was going to do history education with a minor in learning disabilities. I had a job in the Library Science Department at my college, and decided to change my minor to that, as it seemed so interesting to me. I was really enjoying it. One of the professors really took an interest in me and said that, "You should skip teaching and you should just go to grad school for library science, but don't do it here. You need to go up to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and get a double degree and masters in history and a masters in library and information science." I said, "OK," because I really believed in her. I felt she knew me. It turned out to be a good thing because I have very eclectic interests. What I love about my job is the variety of it.
As a librarian, do you get asked for book recommendations?
Sometimes I'm at a loss when they ask for fiction recommendations. I try to pay attention to what's popular because I don't read a ton of fiction, except for some favorite authors or if it's for a book club or something like that. I feel that children should be allowed to attempt to read what they want to read, whether it's age-appropriate in somebody's mind or not.
If you could be a character in a book, who would it be?
I would want to be Albus Dumbledore, because what I admire about his character is that, this is a man with flaws. He has a past that he's not proud of. Yet, he's brilliant. What is it that he says to Harry? "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." He believed in the redemption of people. He was just amazing.
Is there a book that has inspired you?
I'm inspired by nonfiction books about World War II. I know I'm echoing Tom Brokaw here, but that really was the greatest generation. I feel as our World War II veterans die, as they are at ever increasing rate, I'm afraid their sacrifices will be forgotten. The things that they endured or the things that they didn't think twice about doing for their country, whether they were on the home front or on the battlefront. I find those books very inspiring.
Has there been a book that's disappointed you?
Sometimes, I think, authors attempt sequels when they shouldn't or they attempt to just add prequels. They have a huge success and they try to keep going with it when they should really try something different. "The Devil Wears Prada" - that sequel was one of the most terrific things I've read in my life. It had nothing of the original. If you just take the book alone as a one shot, it was, really, a wonderful book. I feel it's OK to have a standalone thing. We tend to want to put things in series and have sequels or reboots.
Do you have a book that you would take with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
I do have a book that means a lot to me. What it is, is the World Book sample book that a salesperson must have brought to my mother when I was a small child. I have always loved the sample book. It had sample articles. It had plates of the human body and everything. We couldn't afford the encyclopedias, but I've always treasured that sample book. That's a sentimental choice.
If I could, I would take the Harry Potter series because every time I read it, I get something entirely new out of it. I notice new things. If I couldn't take the whole series, which would be hard because I would pine for the other books so much, I guess I would take "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" because it's about searching, as they search for the Horcruxes. It's about finishing things. Coming to the end and surviving when you don't know if you will. I think that might give me some comfort.
- Cover to Cover is provided by the Monroe Public Library and is published the fourth Wednesday of the month.
What are you reading now?
I'm reading a book called, "Dr. Mutter's Marvels." It's about a physician during the 19th century. He struggled to become a physician through some very difficult early circumstances. He founded a museum in Philadelphia called The Mutter Museum. It has medical artifacts, abnormalities, and things like that. It's really intriguing.
On audio, I'm listening to a book called, "Replay," by Ken Grimwood. The concept is that this man wakes up in the morning. He's back in 1963. He lives until 1988 and then he dies. After he dies, he wakes up and it's 1963 and then he dies in 1988. He continues to try to do things differently each replay of his life. At one point, he tries to prevent the Kennedy assassination. It's really exciting to see all the things he did differently.
I know you tend to read more nonfiction. What is it that compels you about nonfiction books?
Actually, I think what it is more than anything is that I get more impatient as I get older. I want to make better use of my time. Somehow, I tend to lose interest with fiction unless it's really compelling or unless it's an audiobook, which forces me to slow down. I also read very quickly. I usually read a book a day.
What were your favorite books growing up?
My mother was very eager to share the Little House books with me. I remember that we were really poor when I was a small child. She saved up money and bought me a paperback set of the Little House books. That was such a treasure. Looking back as an adult, thinking how anxious she was to share that with me, it was really touching. It's a family tradition.
I think it's just such a good experience for a family to enjoy a book together in whatever way, whether the child reads, whether the parents read, whether you do an audiobook together. I think that's just such a great thing that you can do for your family.
Did you go to the library a lot when you were younger?
When I was about 10, my mother started taking me to the library quite a bit. I had some interesting experiences with librarians there. It's funny that I turned out to be a librarian. I was always challenging them. I made the switch to adult books early. I ran into some librarians that tried to steer me toward what they felt was more age-appropriate material. My mother had to say, "Let her read what she wants to read."
I remember the first adult book that I ever read was a challenge. It was "Roots" by Alex Haley. I read that when I was probably 9 or 10 - it was a book in our house and that's why I grabbed it. It really stuck with me. It took me a full week to read it. It just went on forever. I remember very distinct scenes from it. It's affected me tremendously.
I always wondered and I always want to ask you, how did you know that you wanted to be a librarian? Did you purposely just go to school for that?
No. Actually, I was going to be a history teacher. When I was getting my undergraduate, I was going to do history education with a minor in learning disabilities. I had a job in the Library Science Department at my college, and decided to change my minor to that, as it seemed so interesting to me. I was really enjoying it. One of the professors really took an interest in me and said that, "You should skip teaching and you should just go to grad school for library science, but don't do it here. You need to go up to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and get a double degree and masters in history and a masters in library and information science." I said, "OK," because I really believed in her. I felt she knew me. It turned out to be a good thing because I have very eclectic interests. What I love about my job is the variety of it.
As a librarian, do you get asked for book recommendations?
Sometimes I'm at a loss when they ask for fiction recommendations. I try to pay attention to what's popular because I don't read a ton of fiction, except for some favorite authors or if it's for a book club or something like that. I feel that children should be allowed to attempt to read what they want to read, whether it's age-appropriate in somebody's mind or not.
If you could be a character in a book, who would it be?
I would want to be Albus Dumbledore, because what I admire about his character is that, this is a man with flaws. He has a past that he's not proud of. Yet, he's brilliant. What is it that he says to Harry? "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." He believed in the redemption of people. He was just amazing.
Is there a book that has inspired you?
I'm inspired by nonfiction books about World War II. I know I'm echoing Tom Brokaw here, but that really was the greatest generation. I feel as our World War II veterans die, as they are at ever increasing rate, I'm afraid their sacrifices will be forgotten. The things that they endured or the things that they didn't think twice about doing for their country, whether they were on the home front or on the battlefront. I find those books very inspiring.
Has there been a book that's disappointed you?
Sometimes, I think, authors attempt sequels when they shouldn't or they attempt to just add prequels. They have a huge success and they try to keep going with it when they should really try something different. "The Devil Wears Prada" - that sequel was one of the most terrific things I've read in my life. It had nothing of the original. If you just take the book alone as a one shot, it was, really, a wonderful book. I feel it's OK to have a standalone thing. We tend to want to put things in series and have sequels or reboots.
Do you have a book that you would take with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
I do have a book that means a lot to me. What it is, is the World Book sample book that a salesperson must have brought to my mother when I was a small child. I have always loved the sample book. It had sample articles. It had plates of the human body and everything. We couldn't afford the encyclopedias, but I've always treasured that sample book. That's a sentimental choice.
If I could, I would take the Harry Potter series because every time I read it, I get something entirely new out of it. I notice new things. If I couldn't take the whole series, which would be hard because I would pine for the other books so much, I guess I would take "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" because it's about searching, as they search for the Horcruxes. It's about finishing things. Coming to the end and surviving when you don't know if you will. I think that might give me some comfort.
- Cover to Cover is provided by the Monroe Public Library and is published the fourth Wednesday of the month.