Showing posts with label Patron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patron. Show all posts

Monday, April 1, 2019

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Luke Vorwald


https://catalog.dubuque.lib.ia.us/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=1450&sortfield=title
April's C-SPL Reader of the Month is a paralegal, avid D&D player, and frequent library user. Luke Vorwald has been gracious enough to share all about his reading interests, the best snacks to accompany a book, and—if you're not getting into a story—what page number it's safe to call it quits.

Luke's Reading Interests  


I tend to lean towards fantasy and sci-fi as my go-to genres of books and novels. Rather seldom will I pick up a biography or a book on real-world history. For me, it's all about the story. If the book doesn’t have an interesting narrative, it will get a hard pass from yours truly. In my humble opinion, I get plenty of real-world experience in my adult day-to-day, and while that is important, I would rather spend what precious little free time I have reading something I wouldn't otherwise experience. The same for me is true with video games; why would I play a golfing video game (an extremely achievable real-world act), when I could be shooting dragons out of the sky with lightning bolts?

However, I have been branching out into some non-fiction work, although they would be more on the fantastical side. Books on the paranormal, cults, and lesser-known history are of particular interest to me. Even when it comes to “real world” stories, I love to be astounded and amazed.

I also spend a fair deal of my reading time on published Role Playing Games books, especially Dungeons and Dragons material. While not a traditional book one might use for casual reading, I find these books contain some amazing stories and ideas; furthermore, these books contain amazing stories and ideas you can actually participate in. Playing an RPG with other folks through the vehicle of these books is the closest one can come to actually experiencing and affecting the same stories we love to read. With the support of books such as these, we are able to create our very own version of The Hobbit by living as our very own personal Gandalf. I also enjoy D&D books on a separately nerdy level, being that I love their lore and world building. I really geek out on knowing the ins and outs of different cosmologies, creation stories, magic systems, and rules that come along with these worlds. This gives me more street cred when talking with other nerds.

To me, that which is not real is just as important as that which is real. Works of fiction are both tools to learn from to prepare ourselves for reality, as well as an extension of reality itself. Our species has been given the unique capability of living in both the real and the fictional, so it would be a shame if we didn’t exercise that capacity.

  • “Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.”
    ― Neil Gaiman, Dream Country

  • “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”
    ― Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings


Q & A with Luke

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

A. Within the past year, I would have to give it to What the Hell Did I Just Read? by David Wong. I checked that book out on a whim (which is something I normally don’t do as I always have a large “to read” pile), and I was so pleased when I finished it. It was the first horror novel I had read in a long time to actual make me feel fear.

As for Ever… the choice is very difficult, but ultimately it has to be American Gods by Neil Gaiman. That novel was probably the most influential story I had ever read. I discovered it my first year on my own away from home in college, and it not only resonated with much of my core beliefs, but also helped to form new ones.

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. Location: On my sectional in my living room, on the bed in my upstairs bedroom, a big comfy chair in a library, my futon in my old bedroom at my dad’s house, by the man-made pond of the Waterloo KOA, or on the bench under that huge oak tree on the corner of North West Arterial and JFK. During the fall, preferably.

Sound: Either rustling leaves or those long videos on YouTube of post-rock albums with no lyrics. I could also deal with some of those long lo-fi atmospheric videos as well.

Snacks: York Peppermint Patties, beef jerky, belVita blueberry crackers, Crown Royal Apple, some Stone Cliff wine, and a glass of milk. Not all at the same time though.

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next and what about it is most exciting?

A. I am most excited to read Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin. I had finished A Dance with Dragons on this most recent Thanksgiving, and I am jonesing for more Ice and Fire. For me, as well as pretty much all the other fans of his work, I love to piece together the subtle connections Martin works into the story, as well as realizing how he takes classic fantasy tropes and filters them through a lens of realism.

I’m also pumped for The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by the McElroys, which I believe is to be released this year. Those good boys are just too funny and make content with a lot of heart.

Lastly, Jim Butcher, please will you finish and publish Peace Talks? Pretty please???

Q. What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?

A. The book that challenged me the most would have to have been Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. As you can tell by the majority of the books provided as my favorites in the attached list, I primarily read fantasy and sci-fi. This book, however, is a western, and a very lengthy one at that. I decided to read it as the 4-part made-for-TV mini-series has a very special place in my heart, thanks to growing up watching it with my family. Lonesome Dove was such a challenge for me due to its lack of familiarity. There were no dragons, no vampires, and no magic systems to learn. The demons and monsters the protagonists faced came in the form of other men and from within themselves. This book is about as raw as it gets in terms of what it means to be human. While I had to completely readjust how I view a novel while reading it, I enjoyed it all the more for doing so.

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. A wise man once told me that in order to determine when it is ok to give up on a book, one must take 100 minus your age. The result is the page at which you can truly determine if the book is not for you and can toss it over your shoulder. I will admit I have not always followed this method, and I have given up on a book before the end. There have been times when I read books all the way through, only to find the rewarding lesson at the end was that I wasted my time. It seems to me I could have been using my precious reading time on books I actually would enjoy.

However, it's still worth giving books their fair shake. The Way of Kings was a bit of a rough go for me until about page 800 (out of approx. 1,200) when I first read it, but I am so glad I finished it (and all of the books that follow it).

However, if you don’t want to use the method I provided above, you could always use the Luke Vorwald Method: your heart will tell you when to raise the white flag. 


Check out  Luke's Favorite Reads for a list of books in the library catalog!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Patron Picks: What Dubuque is Reading

Summer is in full swing, and there's nothing nicer than to curl up with a good book in the shade with some iced tea or lemonade or whatever your favorite summertime drink might be! As much as we enjoy sharing our favorite books with you, we love to hear about the books you're enjoying even more!

Today we're sharing some of the book reviews you've written on our Pinterest board or on a Patron Picks review bookmark. You can stop in to the library and flip through the Patron Picks binder or visit Pinterest for even more reviews. And if you have a book you enjoyed, feel free to share in the comments here, on Pinterest, or on a bookmark!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5 stars. "Romance, magic & mystery. This book keeps you guessing right to the end! You won't be disapointed!"
4 stars. "Definitely a slow start. I forced myself to trudge through the first 200 pages which seemed to be mostly narration. Right at the 50% mark it picked up and I couldn't put it down. This book will push the limits of your imagination. The romance element was the most enticing, and could have been developed even more. Overall, nothing like I've read before. A good read."
Still not convinced? Check out Andrew's staff review too!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
5 stars. "What a lovely surprise this book was... that is if you like things that are slightly odd. I wouldn't say this is a horror, but discovery of the, for lack of better word, peculiar. I'd absolutely recommend this book and believe it would be a fascinating film!" 

Murder at Ford's Theatre by Margaret Truman
5 stars. "An interesting storyline that had a lot of twists & turns. Surprising ending."
You may also enjoy reading the athors in our political mysteries post


A Higher Call by Adam Makos
5 stars. "Great read, do NOT want to put it down! Insight into German life during WWII."

Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
4 stars. "Great followup to Killing Lincoln, although not as compelling since living the 1963 experience."
Want to read more about President Kennedy? Check out these best seller read alike posts for Killing Kennedy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
4 stars. "I have to admit that the similarities between this and Hunger Games is more than off-putting. The ceremony where they choose, the ranking/elimination, the training, even the bird tattoo.It's not easy to put down. A plus for this book vs. HG, they seem to be developing the romantic angle more, which I wanted from HG. Definitely captivating, I couldn't put it down. It wasn't the most unique or unpredictable, but still a good read."
Be sure to check out our read alike suggestions for The Hunger Games.

Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge
4 stars. "This is the true story of a young boy whose father leaves when he was a baby and his mother has mental illness... When he is seven his mother's mental illness finally overtakes her, and Andrew is placed in foster care for the next 11 years. This is a story of courage, survival, and a boy's unending love for his mother who he never really knew. My only wish is that he had written more about his adult life as a survivor. Very poignant and touching."

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
3 stars. "Wraps up the series nicely. Wasn't very exciting like the previous books. Wish there was more from the vamps."

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
4 stars. "Starts a little slow, but at the end I couldn't stop reading this book."
Sarah also reviewed this book for our blog, and several of us in the adult services department agree that Rowell's second novel, Eleanor & Park, is even better.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
5 stars. "So AMAZING. Quick read, good for all ages. Love, loss, growth & change."

Lexicon by Max Barry
1 star. "Violent/confusing."
I admit that I was so intrigued by this one star review that I had to check this out. I'd read Barry's Jennifer Government years ago and enjoyed it, and wasn't disappointed by Lexicon. It is violent, the plot is complicated, and there's quite a bit of swearing to boot, so I can see why it isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy a fast-paced story about a secret society with supernatural powers who run the world with just a dash of romance, you'll like this book too! -Sarah, Adult Services