My Reading Profile

I'll start off by saying that I do not do much reading for "pleasure." I know I should, especially working at a public library where I'm often confronted with impromptu readers advisory questions. My go to? My coworker or Novelist! When I saw that we had to read 5 books for class, however, I got excited! I finally have the opportunity to read with the added bonus that it's a school assignment; no way around it! I'm hoping I will evolve into a "voracious" (or perhaps semi-voracious reader) as this class progresses. Just because I'm not a pleasure reader, however, doesn't mean I don't read at all. Here are my general habits and go-to's.

I'm a fan of nonfiction, some literary fiction, and poetry. My nonfiction repertoire is grounded largely in biographies. I love reading about people and stepping vicariously into their worlds. Since I'm a fan of classic movies, I love reading about classic movie stars. I've read several, from Bette Davis to Marlene Dietrich, from Rock Hudson to Vivien Leigh! (I want to read a historical fiction piece for one of the annotation assignments. Could anyone recommend a historical fiction that might peak my interest?! Isn't there a book based loosely on the life of Hedy Lammar?). One nonfiction book which I really enjoyed reading was "Educated" by Tara Westover. I also enjoy reading books on spirituality (those books you'd find in the 200s).  I'm often hungry for facts and truth, and these types of books fill that need for me.

Certain books of literary fiction fall under the "best books I ever read" category. Two of my favorite books of all time are "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok and "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles. Literary fiction allows me to delve into a book on a deeper level and wrestle with questions and issues that face societies and cultures. I like books that I can read over and over again and learn something new with each attempt. Finally, I enjoy reading poetry, specifically, poetry that unveils the beauty of nature and that connects nature with spirituality. Robert Frost and Mary Oliver are two of my favorites. I like poets who successfully put words to deep emotions that are difficult to verbalize. 

After reading the "Appeal of Books" document for Module 2, I am much more aware of what drives my reading interests, and I'm all over the place! As I was reading the document, I tried to fit my reading interests into specific "appeal" categories, but I struggled to do so. For example, I enjoy certain character-focused books but not others. Some very fat, literary, books appeal to me greatly, while others do not. Some fast-paced page-turners will garner my interest, but others leave me wanting more. Learning about appeal factors also helped me understand why I don't like certain books (and it's not a bad thing not to like a book, right?). I could never explain why I didn't like "Jane Eyre," but now I can tell you exactly why I didn't like it - language which was overly literary and descriptive, extremely slow-moving plot (little to no action), length, and the lingering, dwelling, pace. Knowing what you don't like can certainly help you determining what you do like!