Reader's Fave

I recently interviewed Cathlamet resident Stefi Hallstrom for our 50th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book.

Opening our conversation, Stefi said, "At the start of first grade, I was behind in reading. By the end, I was at a first-grade level; but, by the end of third grade, I was tested to be at college-level reading. Later, in fifth grade, I really began to read for pleasure. Also, there was a lot of trauma in our family, so I'd go and read a book up in a tree just to get away. My grandmother was the one who really fostered my love for reading. In sixth grade, I got into the 'Redwall' series by Brian Jacques. I loved how the little guys were fighting the bullies. In seventh grade, I became aware of the 'Harry Potter' series when my teacher would read it to us in class. I loved the solidarity, the growth, and the little group's struggles. I read the whole series twice in one year. In high school, I remember always walking to get to school and reading a book along the way with my headphones on playing music, and using my peripheral vision to avoid stuff. Later, in college, I read author Terry Pratchett's books and loved them."

Stefi then shared her personal fave. "The Way of Kings," by Brandon Sanderson. "It gave me feelings," Stefi said. "I didn't know books could give me these feelings. I get goose bumps thinking about it now. Again, it's about these people who are struggling, fighting against the odds, and finding strength. There is just so much depth to the characters. They make mistakes, but it's ok to make them; to have doubts, fears, and mental health issues. [There's] just all these inner demons to deal with. I feel the author is writing to let people know it's ok to have these feelings. It took a minute for me to get into this book. It took about a week of reading - about one-fifth of the way through the book - before I realized I liked it. There's a meme about the author, Brandon Sanderson, and his writing style called, 'Sanderlanche.' Like an avalanche, all of a sudden, as you're reading, you realize you can't put the book down. You have to keep reading. The author makes these promises to the reader throughout the book and keeps his promises to you. I feel like this author is good for humanity. He seeks to build people up and make them even better, while also being hilarious in his stories."

Along with a fave book, Stefi has a fave author. "I love Terry Pratchett and his 'Discworld' series of books," Stefi said. "My favorite book of his is 'Thud!' It's about a lawman who's bettered himself and fights bullies."

Discussing where, when, and how she reads, Stefi said, "I read every night before bed. If it's summertime, I'll read in the hammock, or even in a good tree. I usually prefer paper when reading, but [I] recently started reading on a Kindle. I don't have to worry about the spine; plus, they're easy to throw in a bag. Mine has a bright color so I can't lose it. I'll do audio when driving. I listened to 'Game of Thrones' when I was living in Seattle and driving to work. I also listened to 'Lord of the Rings' in high school. I had to because it was too dry for me to try to read. I switched to audio and liked the content overall."

May you wonderful Wahkiakum readers find and enjoy books which inspire you.