Meet April Reader of the Month: Paul Zurawski
Check out Paul’s Favorite Books
Be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!
About Paul:
I am the Young and Emerging Adult Librarian at the James Kennedy Public Library and also co-owner of Dyersville Comics and Games. I love to read, listen to podcasts (Tom and Jeff Watch Batman is my favorite), and play games (board, card, video). Mad Stan is the best Batman villain of all time.
I love reading horror, comedies and most of all horror comedies! Spooky books that can also make you laugh are my jam. I’m a huge fan of graphic novels; I mostly read Marvel and Boom comics with some manga sprinkled in.
Q & A:
Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?
A. My favorite book from the last year would be “Devolution” by Max Brooks. The novel is about a group of techies that try to create a commune in the woods that is dependent on apps and solar power to function. When an earthquake hits the region, it leaves the people stranded without any of their devices. Also, a family of sasquatches moves into the area and start attacking the commune, turning it into a terrifying battle for survival. The first 50 pages are a little slow but after that the book becomes hard to put down.
Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?
A. On my couch with my hound dog on one side and my ancient old cat on the other.
Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?
A. The book I am most excited for is the newest Jason Pargin (Aka David Wong) book “If This Book Exists, You’re in the Wrong Universe.” All of his books are weird and far out there in a good way! If you like horror comedy, be sure to check out his “John Dies at the End” series.
Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it?
A. I would recommend people check out the works of Jason Pargin (Aka David Wong). He has two different series: “John Dies at the End” (A horror comedy series with 3 books out, the 4th comes out this October) and the “Zoey Ashe” novels (slight cyberpunk comedy series with two books currently out). He does a great job flipping the tropes of the genres while also making great points about society and people.
Also, “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” by Ryan North is one of the best Marvel series of all time. Everyone should read it.
Q. What book has been most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?
A. The Twilight books. I read the first two for a book club in high school and struggled with them because they were just incredibly boring to me. I was disappointed to learn the series didn’t end with the vampires and werewolves putting aside their differences to eat Bella.
Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page or is there a moment when you decide to stop?
A. I use the rule of 50: If a book doesn’t hook me within the first 50 pages, I put it down and move on.
Check out Paul’s Favorite Books
Be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!
See past Reader of the Month posts here.