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Meet the C-SPL December 2023 Reader of the Month, Grace Nieland!
Hi, my name is Grace Nieland, and I’m a writer at the Telegraph Herald. I moved to Dubuque about a year and a half ago, and I’ve since come to really enjoy all the hiking opportunities around town and the local music scene. One fun fact is that my mom, my grandma and I took a road trip earlier this year to over 15 independent bookstores in the upper Midwest!
C-SPL December 2023 Reader of the Month Q & A:
Q. What book(s) are you currently reading?
A. I’m currently reading “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” by Fredrik Backman, and I’m listening to the audiobook for “Rivermouth” by Alejandra Oliva.
Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?
A. The best book I’ve read this year is “Elatsoe” by Darcie Little Badger. I don’t typically read books with a mystery theme, but this one was very gripping with an interesting intersection of reality and mythology.
Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?
A. When the weather is nice, my ideal reading environment is somewhere outside like my porch swing or the gazebo on the Mississippi River Walk in Dubuque. Now that it’s getting colder, I’ve taken to curling up on the couch with fuzzy socks and a warm blanket.
Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?
A. One book I’m excited to read is “Of Time and Turtles” by Sy Montgomery. It’s a nonfiction novel about a turtle sanctuary and its volunteers. I’ve really gotten into nonfiction this year as a way to learn about others and myself, and I think this will be a cool opportunity to keep that up (and learn about turtles!).
Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?
A. I’m fairly certain I was born with the reading gene. But if I had to credit one moment, I would probably pick one of the countless nights my mom read to me before bed growing up. We read together even after I could read myself, and it made it really fun to always have someone to talk to about a story.
Q. What is something interesting you learned from a book?
A. In “All About Love,” author bell hooks writes about forgiveness as a form of self care, and I found that to be a really insightful take. Even if you’re not ready to forgive someone, it can be helpful to re-center and remember that doing so can be healing for yourself.
Q. What other library resources do you enjoy?
A. Some of my favorite non-novel resources at the library include the board and card games, ancestry/genealogy records, and the outdoor exploration kits.
Check out Grace’s Favorite Books
Be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!
More Reader of the Month posts.