Our October 2026 Reader of the Month is Abigail, a student at Emmaus University! When she’s not studying, you can find her working as a barista or as a studio assistant and teacher at a local pottery studio.
A lifelong reader, Abigail loves combining her favorite things whenever she can. Her ideal multitasking setup? An audiobook playing while she works on pottery, with a latte within reach. Outside of reading and pottery, Abigail enjoys painting, watching movies, sewing, and going on the occasional run.
Keep reading to get to know Abigail and learn more about what she’s been reading lately, and see her entire list of recommendations here.
Reader of the Month Q&A:
What is your ideal reading environment?
- My ideal environment would be a cozy arm chair by at least one window, with pouring rain outside. There’s a side table with a homemade latte and warm chocolate chip cookies, I have a blanket and a huge new book to start, and no plans for the day. Maybe some music in the background, depending on the book!
What book(s) are you currently reading?
- I have a few books going right now. I’ve been reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy since January, but it’s been a little slow going but I was gifted a gorgeous copy so I’m determined to finish it (it might end up taking me two years, but it will be finished.). I’ve started reading The Odyssey by Homer in anticipation of the upcoming movie. I read a children’s version in school, but this is my first time reading the actual epic, and I chose the translation done by Emily Wilson in audiobook format and it is amazing so far! Then I am also reading The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss, I picked it up at a used bookstore and I’m excited to see how it goes!
What format do you prefer and why?
- I will read in any format depending on the situation. E-books can be super convenient so I bring my Kindle for trips rather than packing three physical books. Audiobooks are so fun too, I listen to them on drives and while I do mundane things at home. My preferred format is physical books though, you just can’t beat the feel of turning the page and smelling the pages.
What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?
- This one is so hard!! I absolutely loved Virgil Wander by Leif Enger, it’s a contemporary novel set in the upper Midwest. The book’s themes center on growth, change, and new life. The style of the writing was great, it was almost lyrical and the combination of themes and style made me think of Noah Kahan’s music a little bit!
What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?
- I have a few books lined up to read next. I am about to start The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, and I’m going to read it with my mom who loves Jane Austen and is also an avid reader, we want to read the book before watching the show! Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is another one I want to read soon. It’s fiction set on a tiny island, it’s about a father and his kids, a mysterious woman, and the changes she brings. Then Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson will be next, it’s the fifth book in the Stormlight Archives series, which I’ve been working through for about a year!
When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read everybook to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?
- I usually will finish a book even if I don’t really like it that much. My dealbreaker is inconsistently written characters and obvious plot holes.
Do you remember when your love for reading began?
- I don’t remember when my love for reading began. My parents would read out loud to me and my sisters growing up, and my mom had a plot to get us to read on our own by reading us the first book in a series but not reading the rest, so it was up to us to find out what happened next. I estimate that I read roughly a thousand books throughout my childhood, I used to get huge stacks of books from Carnegie-Stout as a kid, it was so fun to find endless new favorites.
What other library resources do you enjoy?
- I use Libby and Hoopla almost daily for audiobooks! It’s the best way to make any task fun, I listen on runs, doing chores, and even while I do my hobbies, everything is better with a book!
We definitely agree, Abigail – everything is better with a book! Interested in the rest of Abigail’s suggestions? Check out her reading list on our catalog, or visit the Reader of the Month display on the first floor. Want to be our next featured reader? Fill out the application form here.