Reader's Fave

I recently interviewed Eden Valley resident Barbara Rasmussen for our 51st installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Opening our conversation, Barbara said, "I'm always surprised that others can have just one favorite book. Not me. For example, for the last five to 10 years, I've been reading non-fiction. I retired in 2012, and we travelled for six years in a RV. Wherever we went, I wanted to learn about the local history, fauna, geology, just all that stuff, so I'd look for books about it. I've also enjoyed reading the nature books by John Muir, along with Rick Bass and his books about Montana. I still read some fiction but I'm very picky on my fiction books. I can't stand something that is not well written, which comes from my upbringing in an era of using proper grammar. I've enjoyed the author Ivan Doig and his series of books about the settlement days in Montana. He has a fun writing style; lots of humor. I also enjoy Julia Spencer-Fleming and her mystery novels set in the Adirondacks. I like Kate Morton's novels; they are something I can get lost in. For me, I'm reading fiction for relaxation in the evening. I don't want any unsettling things before bed. Non-fiction is where I do most of my reading, though. I've read a number of Robert Michael Pyle's books - along with his poetry and essays - and enjoyed them. I also have read Irene Martin's 'Beach of Heaven,' which I enjoyed very much. With any of the non-fiction books I've read, they usually just come from reading various book reviews or reading somewhere about them."

Speaking about her other exposure to reading, Barbara said, "My daughter, Alice, is a high school English teacher with 20 years of experience teaching literature. She'll say to me, 'Mom, you should read this book, I think you'll enjoy it,' so I do. I also complete the assignments she gives to the students, and she grades mine, too. She also will tell the students, 'My mom wrote ... ' which the students enjoy hearing. My daughter had her students read John Green's book, 'The Anthropocene Reviewed,' which is a collection of personal essays on random topics. She had her students do similar essays and collected them and sent them to me to read. They were wonderful, all of them; some, more than others. The overall point is I've enjoyed reading these high school books and doing the assignments."

Sharing about reading during her youth, Barbara said, "I can't remember my parents reading to me but they must have. My dad was an avid reader, even though he worked six days a week, while my mom was not a reader. I loved school and had good teachers, which is where I learned to read. I give a lot of credit to the teachers I had. Later, as a mom, I'd watch my daughter line up her stuffed animals so she could read to them. Reading was very important in our home. It's our claim to fame, so to speak. We know the importance of reading. I remember, as a kid, our family would travel on vacations in an RV, and the first thing we'd hit when we came to a town would be the library. For the most part, once they learned we were visiting and would be there for about two weeks, they'd almost always let us check out books. I recall when we were in upstate New York, we were at a Carnegie-founded library. When we asked about checking out books, I clearly remember the librarian stating, 'So why would we not want you to read?' That has always stuck with me."

Discussing her preferences, at least as far as reading, Barbara said, "I have done ebooks and audio books, but I like paper books. I like to hold a physical book, but I know someday I may have to read from ebooks. I find if I lose track of characters in a fiction book - which is why I sometimes don't read fiction - I can flip back and find the character in a paper book but not a screen book. My last five years of work was looking at screens. At five o'clock, I hit the off button. I was done. I just like reading from paper books."

May you wonderful Wahkiakum readers find a non-fiction, fiction, or maybe a book written by a local author that you'll enjoy.