Falcon's Bookshelf

Do you have a guilty pleasure book?
I can’t think of one off the top of my head. But I do feel a little silly admitting that I tore through Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown when the books were first published. I would probably find the books too commercial and trite/formulaic if I read them now. I was book-shamed/intellect-shamed for admitting that I liked those books at one time, but to each their own.

What is your favorite genre?
This type of question makes me feel anxious. If I’m reading for pleasure, the genre depends on my mood. But if a mysterious person approached me in the library and said, “Pick a favorite genre to read or else you’ll never hug a raccoon again!” I would probably say historical fiction, literary fiction, and science fiction. I know that’s more than one genre, but I did my best.

Which do you avoid?
I do not intentionally avoid genres, but I rarely read adult romance novels. If I *do* read a romance novel/series, it typically features alien-hybrids or vampires and an academic or gothic setting. I’m not ashamed to admit that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga (vampires and werewolves) and Jennifer Armentrout’s Lux saga (alien-human hybrids) are two of my favorite young-adult fiction series. *avoids eye-contact* I’m also a fan of historical horror and sci-fi horror. Last October, my Back in Time: Historical Fiction Book Club read a historical horror novel about the infamous Donner Party on the Oregon Trail in 1846, called The Hunger by Alma Katsu. We also read and discussed Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia during Hispanic Heritage Month last October. It’s a brilliant blend of history, horror, psychological thriller, and science fiction.

What is a book that you’re afraid to read?
Two books I’m afraid to read: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and IT by Stephen King. Anything by Cormac McCarthy is a chilling and challenging read, and you must mentally prepare yourself to dive into any of the author’s books. The two-part mini-series adaptation of IT, starring Tim Curry, disturbed me beyond my childhood years, and I will take a pass on reading the book. One of the most chilling and disturbing book trilogies I’ve read is Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice. It’s a supernatural horror/fantasy series that spans centuries and continents. Rice mined the rich history of her historic home in The Garden District of New Orleans for inspiration. The house is so vividly depicted throughout the first novel, its presence threatens to overshadow the human characters. Now that I think about it, the house is probably my favorite character in the trilogy. There are Amityville Horror/Conjuring vibes to the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy, which is right up my alley. I hid the books in my dresser drawer in between reading sessions--that's how unnerved I felt while reading them.

What is a book you dislike/hate that everyone loves? Do you remember the last time you put down a book without finishing?
I can answer both questions with one book: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. The book garnered a ton of praise in the media and on book review sites, but it didn’t hold my interest. It took me a week to get through the prologue and first chapter. I talked myself into reading at least the first three chapters, which took another week, before finally deciding to mark it as a DNF (did not finish) on my reading list. Since then, I have attempted to listen to the memoir via audiobook THREE TIMES. I cannot make it past chapter five. At this point, I’ll wait for the film adaptation. And I enjoy memoirs and biographies. Perhaps it was just a reading-mood thing on my end. I may try to listen to it again at some point.

What book is currently sitting on your nightstand?
Like most people, I have towers of books on and around my nightstand. I have stacks of poetry, biographies, nonfiction, and young adult fiction. I’m a mood-based reader. I often jump back and forth between books, so I like to have a variety within reach. Here are the titles in one of my book towers: The Curator by Owen King, The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller, American Melancholy: Poems by Joyce Carol Oates, Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas, My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me by Caleb Carr, Watershed by Percival Everett and In Our Own Image by George Zarkadakis.

What books are on your “read shelf” in your Libby app?
I listen to a couple of nonfiction audiobooks a month and here are some of my favorite Libby app reads from the past year: What Are We Doing Here? Essays by Marilynne Robinson, Humanly Possible by Sarah Bakewell, Without Children by Peggy O’Donnell Heffington, Words Are My Matter by Ursula K. Le Guin, Radical Curiosity by Seth Goldenberg, Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, and Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. If you are self-reflective to a fault, you enjoy thinking critically about the systems that direct our day-to-day lives, and you enjoy dipping in and out of existential-crisis mode, then these books are for you!

What’s the last great book you read?
Gah, another question that addles me. Too many books come to mind, and they are all a blur. I’ll go with On Animals by Susan Orlean and Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life by Eric Klininberg. Orlean shares her observations about the worst of humankind with journalistic flair, and I find all her books to be un-put-down-able. On Animals prompts the reader to examine our relationship with other species and to meditate on what connects us; to consider what it would be like to coexist with all creatures in a place of mutual respect, free of our apex predator mindset. Klininberg’s book discusses the impact architecture and social spaces have on our ability to learn, participate in, and flourish in society. The book will make you feel outraged, then hopeful, and ultimately inspired. When someone asks why libraries still matter, tell them to read Palaces for the People.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, what, where, how).
Ooooh, I love this question! One of my dream reading experiences would be to spend a day in the Bodleian Library (it better be haunted!) on a cold mid-October day. Another dream reading experience would be in a forest, sitting against an ancient tree, surrounded by woodland creatures and cats. A stack of books, a cozy blanket and snacks included.

What’s the most interesting thing that you learned from a book recently?
One of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while is called Winter World by Bernd Heinrich. Like An Immense World by Ed Yong, Winter World explores the biological mechanisms, behaviors, and survival methods of animals. Side note: I’m obsessed with the turtles on our campus, and I was thrilled to learn a few interesting facts about turtles while reading this book. To survive extremely cold winters, turtles can slow the mechanisms in their body and, if they are in a lake, they will drift down to the bottom and survive off their own energy while the lake is frozen over. They can do this for up to four months. I had no idea! Isn’t that amazing?! I didn’t know that turtles could hibernate. I love turtles.

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally, or intellectually?
Like so many other people I know, I am still working through the personal and shared national and global trauma of the last eight years. So, I’ll take a hard pass on emotional content. Mentally and emotionally, I always feel like I’m preparing for grief. A couple of years ago, I read this book called What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez. It was a poignant reminder that everyone is struggling through their own emotional baggage and through the daily trappings of living and trying to survive late-stage capitalism. Have you ever sincerely asked someone “what are you going through?” That question is so disarming and will most likely open an emotional floodgate.

What kind of reader were you as a child?
I was a voracious reader as a child, and I preferred reading over attending social events (still do). I was often scolded for disappearing behind a couch or under a table with a book at family gatherings.

Which childhood books and authors stick with you the most?
As a tween, I was addicted to Joan Lowery Nixon, Christopher Pike, and R.L. Stine novels. Now that I think about it, I read some disturbing stuff as a tween. I mostly read murder mysteries, supernatural horror/fantasy, and thrillers from 9 to 14 years old. I had less time to read once I entered high school, but that’s when I discovered the Dragon Lance Chronicles, and I spent most of my leisure reading time on that series.

What’s the last book you read that made you cry?
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrick Backman. IYKYK. The American film adaptation of the book starring Tom Hanks was alright, but the Swedish film adaptation is much better in my opinion. The book is by far better than both.

What movies do you recommend for Spooky Season?
One of my all-time favorite films is the 1986 version of Haunted Honeymoon starring Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, and Dom DeLuise. I watch it almost every October. It’s spooky and hilarious. Drag Me to Hell directed by Sam Raimi, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein are seasonal favorites too. I tend to watch a lot of religious horror movies. I like the folk horror film genre when it does not include animal sacrifice. The Ritual, directed by David Bruckner, is a good example of a folk horror film I can handle. The Babadook directed by Jennifer Kent is another film that haunts me. If you like a dose of political commentary with your film scares, check out Under the Shadow directed by Anvak Babari and Get Out directed by Jordan Peele. If you enjoy films that are unexpectedly frightening, I recommend I See You directed by Adam Randall. I’m a fan of all the Conjuring Universe films, particularly Annabelle and The Nun films, and I just creeped myself out typing that. One film I recommend that you NEVER WATCH is Hereditary. I can’t remember who the director is, and I’m not going to look it up. It’s been a few years since I watched that one, but I wish I could scrub it from my brain. Oh! One of my all-time favorites is The Orphanage (El Orfanato) directed by J.A. Bayona. It’s a dark and exquisitely creepy film, set in an old orphanage in Spain. It’s so good. My Halloween streaming recommendations: Watcher, BEWARE! These limited-series recommendations are dark and disturbing, but they are so well written and utterly intriguing. The Living and The Dead (2016) Requiem (2018) Midnight Mass (2021). Please email me your indie horror film/series recommendations for this October!