Reader's Fave

I recently interviewed Kathleen McDonald out at Little Island Creamery for our 31st installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Kathleen and her brother, Dick, own and operate the local farm and creamery business on Puget Island.

When asked if she'd always been a reader, Kathleen said, "Absolutely. I learned to read very early. I was an eclectic reader. My Grandmother was a voracious reader and passed it on to us, the grandchildren." Kathleen also reflected on one school situation. "I was in a first/second grade blend class," she said. "We had this bookshelf where you could pick any book. I remember reading this bee book and noticing it had a lot of words in it, not thinking it was harder. I then realized it was a sixth grade level book, but I didn't think much about it." Kathleen enjoyed a variety of books as a young student. "As a child, I'd read biographies and Nancy Drew mysteries," she said.

Today, Kathleen continues to have an eclectic interest in books. "I enjoy historical biographies, fiction, nonfiction, essays, short stories," she said. "I like stories that surprise me. The book "James" by Percival Everett surprised me. I thought, 'Why hasn't anybody thought of writing it this way before?'"

Kathleen also enjoys reading the late Edmund White, a prolific and ground breaking novelist and essayist. Additionally, she likes the late author Brian Doyle. She recently finished "One Long River Song," which is a collection of essays. What came through with Kathleen and her reading is that she delights in quickly moving around to different genres and authors. "I like to take mental breaks," she said. "I just got back from 1920s Scotland as a reader. I do like reading. Often, I'll read a novel. Then I need time to digest it, take some space, so I'll read a memoir or something nonfiction."

Another novel Kathleen mentioned is "The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon. "I loved it," she said. "It gets into the cultural values, small community clashes, the points of view, and always this opposition of cultural views of others." The book is a fictionalized story based on a real mid-wife in the late 1700s. "It's a really great book," she noted.

A book Kathleen wanted to highlight as her current fave is "Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life" by Ferris Jabr. She hasn't finished it yet, but was clearly captivated by the book. "The author expounds on Earth's living system," she said. "His writing is easy. [It's] not like reading a science book. He provides personal anecdotes and technical information, but in a very explanatory way with real wonderful ideas."

Kathleen reflected on the farm and creamery connection. "I like reading about the Earth and ecology. Running our creamery, you see how connected we are to water, plants, everything. The book shows how to bring the planet's soil back to life. The book relates to what I'm doing here on the farm. I like books about Earth. I like science."

Another book similar to "Becoming Earth" that Kathleen wanted to highlight was "The Soil Will Save Us" by Kristin Ohlson. "I heard about it on NPR," she said. "It sounded amazing. I read it about a year ago." Clearly, she enjoys learning about the Earth's soil and plants and how her farm business is directly connected to it.

"I liked the book "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr because all the storytelling is so visual for me," she said. "I like different stories. I like books that tell stories in different ways. I like books that entertain me, restore me, or inform me, or do all three at the same time." Kathleen knows what she wants and finds it in certain books.

She further shared that she needs to read from a physical book. "I had an Amazon Fire tablet, Kindle, whatever, but it's just not the same," she said. "It doesn't work for me. I listened to "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" while driving. [I] got so caught up in the story, I realized it's not ok for my driving." Kathleen sticks with hardcover or paperback books now for her reading times.

If you visited Kathleen's home, you'd see a lot of books and bookshelves. "I'm always trading books constantly with others," she said. "During Covid, I bought three new book cases." She then pulled out her phone and started reading off a list of books she wants to read which she has at home. "I got books on my dresser to read," she said. "I have two stacks of books."

I hope you all enjoy an eclectic array of books which satisfies your needs.