Meet this month's Great Reader, Joan Anderson:
What books have been important to you (or, your favorites) and why?
I read the Bible daily for purpose in my life. I never tire of the classics...To Kill a Mockingbird or Gone with the Wind. I like to hear about a movie or television show and find the book it's based upon. I'm on a quest for knowledge and examining historical events through non-fiction and fiction helps me understand the world around me. I pick up a book and travel to different times and places...I might not even be on the journey as myself. Whatever I'm reading...is my favorite!
How would you describe your reading life?
I wouldn't describe my reading life as great...just voracious! Maybe even addictive. I read three books or more a week. I'm not fussy about genre...but lean towards historical fiction. I have always read...as a child I remember escaping the Iowa summer yearly on a trip to the Alps with Heidi. I was fortunate to become a middle school reading teacher and [had an] impact [on] children with my love of reading. I liked finding reluctant readers and sharing with them a book that "fit just right." I still do that for my grands!
How do you find your next book?
I choose books based on the staff picks at the library. I love the new book section. I read book reviews in The Gazette. I belong to two book clubs at the library: Food for Thought and [Coffeehouse Fiction]. I always read the yearly All Iowa Read and Linn Area Read selections.
What have you read lately that you'd recommend?
I like some authors: McCall-Smith, Macomber, Gregory. Next to Love, Feldman; Elsewhere in the Land of Parrots, Paul; American Anthem, Hoff; The Invention of Wings, Kidd; The Tilted World, Franklin and Fennelly; The House at Tyneford, Solomons; The Shoemakers Wife, Trigiani; The Beginner's Goodbye, Tyler; Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, Hearth; Falling to Earth, Southwood...the list could go on and on!
What's great or special about the Marion Library to you as a reader?
I'm a reader of books...not a purchaser! The library feeds my habit! They always have the book I see in a review already on the shelf. I don't know who makes the selections, but they do a terrific job. I regularly put books on reserve. We have a wonderful, friendly resource and it's free! My husband and I enjoy the programming...everything from Master Gardeners, to eating my way around IA, to a tutorial on coffee, great music, live theater, or writer's workshops. I can't believe it's all here to share.
Thank you, Joan, for sharing titles and thoughts on the reading life.
