Falcon's Bookshelf

Do you have a guilty pleasure book?
No.

What is your favorite genre?
I have three - Mystery, Romance, and Drama.

Which do you avoid?
Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy but I avoid completely any apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.

What is a book that you’re afraid to read?
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes (2022). As a descendant of wayfinders and ocean navigators, I grew up hearing so many horror stories about the Bermuda Triangle and other mysterious places of the ocean. Hollywood did not spare either. At 10, my aunt and I watched this horror film (it was at a drive-in theatre) about a sea vessel haunted with an evil spirit that took the lives of all who were on board. I’m still rattled from it, and although I can’t seem to remember the film title, I can still picture the cast. Call it selective memory… lol!

What is a book you dislike/hate that everyone loves?
None. I don’t dislike any books, but I do steer clear of Sci-Fi and Horror.

Do you remember the last time you put down a book without finishing?
Yes. The Art of War: Sun Tzu by Thomas Cleary (translator) (2005). I put it down because life got busy at that time and just never regained the interest to pick it up again. I later gifted it to a colleague and friend who was the newly hired Dean of Academic Programs and Accreditation at the college where I used to work.

What book is currently sitting on your nightstand?
First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently from Gallup. This book was given to me (and each of my work team members) as a “resource” and it has been a very interesting read. A lot of concepts and strategies mentioned in the book are not anything new – but interesting, nonetheless.

What’s the last great book you read?
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard (1999). I could hardly put the book down. I cried, laughed, and cried again through every chapter.

What is the last book you recommended to everyone you know?
Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram (2015). This was my “fun read” book and I jokingly recommended this to my 7 sisters during our last “sisters sip and paint” get-together and surprisingly, they all read it! Six of them said they enjoyed it as much as I did. My youngest sister (#7), on the other hand, prefers Sci-Fi so go figure. 😊

Are there any classic novels you read recently for the first time?
No, but my all-time favorite (as is with many others) is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847).

Do you enjoy audiobooks?
No. I’m not a fan of audio books. I’m a very tactile learner so I prefer holding and reading a book rather than listening to an audio recording of it.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, what, where, how).
My ideal reading experience would have to be early evening, cuddled up on my loveseat (just me so I can stretch), with a nice book, my comfy throw, and cup of hot dark roast coffee on the table next to me.

Do you have a favorite book no one else has heard of?
Not a “favorite” in the full sense of the word but a good book that most have probably not heard of is Good Farmer by James M. Rayphand (2018). I really enjoyed reading about the true-life experiences of my friend James “Jimbo” and his young son. It was written as a children’s book, but I believe many would enjoy reading his short stories set in the islands I used to call home.

What’s the most interesting thing that you learned from a book recently?
One interesting thing I have learned recently, from the book First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently is how managers can look beyond resumes, job titles, and job descriptions, and even performance evaluations to identify and build upon genuine talent in their teams. Many times, we ask the question “Is there opportunity for growth in this work setting?” – to which the answer is typically, “Yes” but we don’t necessarily mobilize and take purposeful actions to promote our own “growth”.

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally, or intellectually?
I would say both. If I don’t experience any strong feelings from my reading, or feel any intellectual interest or hook, I get bored and might not finish it.

What book might people be surprised to find on your bookshelf?
Cookbooks. Lots and lots of cookbooks. Paula Deen is one of my favorites.

What kind of reader were you as a child?
I loved reading. As a young child, I enjoyed the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mysteries series of books. My young aunt who lived with us had Young Miss (YM) Magazines and hundreds of Harlequin Romance Novels in the room we shared and by the age of 12, I had read all her books and all her magazines. We did not own a TV then and when we finally did, it was primarily for my dad to watch Walter Cronkite on the CBS evening news. I never had an interest in television and to this day, I still can’t sit still “glued to a screen”.

Which childhood books and authors stick with you the most?
Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), Roald Dahl’s Matilda (1988), and Beverly Cleary’s Ramona’s World (1999). My daughters loved Matilda when they were young, and my son was a fan of The Land Before Time by Mary Hogan (1999) book (and the show too). These books and authors “stuck” with me the most because of my children.

Have your reading tastes changed over time?
I feel it has. These days, I read more from the “social sciences” genre than any other.

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?
Oh, the Brontë sisters, Emily, Anne, and Charlotte. Just them. 😊

Where do you look when you’re searching for your next great read?
In the local library is where I would usually pick up a book or two but now, I just browse the selections on Amazon and buy whatever interests me. “Online everything” is just too convenient, I guess.