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