With 2019 coming to a close, we have one final C-SPL Reader of the Month for the year, but no worries, there will be more in 2020! Tori Stanley is a dental assistant and part-time clinical instructor at NICC in the dental assisting program. Besides reading, Tori loves crafting—especially bookish objects and home and holiday decor.(See the past C-SPL Reader of the Month blog posts here.)
Tori's Reading Interests
I love fantasy and science fiction (YA and adult), horror, thrillers, and dystopian novels. I tend to stick with authors that I really like and other books they recommend. I love reading about characters trying to change their worlds for the better, when their worlds are colorful, crazy, and slightly different than our own, and I LOVE it when a character is morally gray. About two years ago, I ventured out into the world and went to my first Geek Out Book Club at Carnegie-Stout Public Library and it is something that I fell in love with and found a great friend in too. I love that the club pushes me to read different books that I might of just passed up on a regular basis. I also help on a Facebook book club as an admin creating events and discussions with people from all over the world.
Q&A with Tori
Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?
A. Snacks. I need all the snacks. I love candy (especially milk duds—yes I know they’re bad for your teeth), popcorn, ice cream, and chocolate. I also enjoy a glass of green tea in the morning and a beer at night (but those aren’t necessary). I can typically read with or without music. BUT if I had to choose, I love reading any kind of fantasy novel while listening to The Lord of the Rings soundtrack (this will change your reading life).
Q. What book are you most excited about reading next and what about it is most exciting?
A. I am most excited about reading Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Their writing is fantastic. It’s YA science fiction. This band of misfits will make you fall in love with them and then rip your heart out. The first book, Aurora Rising, was one of my favorite books of the year.
Q. What book do you think more people should read and why do you think they should read it?
A. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1). Everyone should read this. It’s YA science fiction, but I have not had a single person tell me they didn’t love this series. The style of the book is something I’ve never seen before and the audiobook is to die for. I’m not a fan of audiobooks, but this changed my life: it has a full cast and the most amazing sound effects. It is totally worth the read, even if you aren’t a fan of YA or science fiction.
Q. What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?
A. The most challenging book for me to read was All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. It’s romance. Romance books are a tough one for me to swallow. A friend recommended it to me for my “read something you wouldn’t normally read” challenge. I won’t lie, I didn’t want to read it. I got it and would pick it up, just to put it back down. But once I finally started it, I fell in love. The book was incredibly real, broke my heart, then put it back together. The writing style was amazing. And now, I recommend it to everyone.
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. Typically I like to finish books in one or two days, but life sometimes gets in the way. I try to read before bed every night so I have to be careful to watch the clock and not read all night. I have to stop at the end of chapters. It’s bothersome to have to stop reading in the middle of a chapter-it’s like nails on a chalkboard. If the book doesn't interest me, my reading motto is simple: life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy.
Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?
A. I always enjoyed reading. The library where I grew up had great reading challenges that I loved to complete. The day I fell in love is easy to remember. It was my birthday in 1998. My aunt gave me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. That’s the first night I pulled an all-nighter to finish a book. I fell in love with the characters and the world. And then of course with reading.
Check out more of Tori's Favorite Books
Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!
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