Five questions answered by the BookshelfTracker community
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1.) Did someone read to you when you were a child (who, what, when, where, why)?
My dad read to me a lot when I was young, mostly kids’ books like the Berenstain Bears. He is a really animated guy when he reads out loud, so it was always a really entertaining experience.
2.) What's the first book you remember reading that had a lasting effect on you?
Reading The Hobbit for the first time. I was a really small kid compared to my friends, and reading about Bilbo's adventure helped me see that being small was a potential asset, provided I could be smart about it.
3.) What genre(s) do you love?
Non-fiction and history almost exclusively. Any information that broadens the scope of my understanding of people, places, and events is what I like to dive into. My favourite subject is fur trade history, though.
4.) Has a book ever changed your life?
Maybe not changed my life, but "Arabian Sands" by Wilfred Thesiger always stands out as an impactful read for me. It helped to give me a sense that there was real merit and potential in an irregular life if it meant chasing something meaningful to you.
5.) What attracts you to a book? The cover? Podcast? Recommendation from others?
Covers, people’s write-ups, and recommendations from friends. I tend to cover a wide range of topics because everything sounds interesting to me; that's not self-help help.
Usually, I try to let my intuition pick the next read. I look over the TBR pile, and if my eye darts back to one more than once, I pick it up. If I put my bookmark in it...it becomes the next read. If not, I repeat the process until the bookmark has found its home.
*BookshelfTracker is an app that lets you organize the books you own, track who you lend them to, and more. Learn more on our website, bookshelftracker.com