Dustin's Reading Profile

             Honestly, I’ve been staring at this blank page for a while now trying to figure out what kind of reader I am. I go through phases where I read all the time (I’m in one currently), and then I go through some periods of time where I don’t feel the urge to pick up a book. These periods rotate every few months, it may have to do with the fact that I tend to have a lot of hobbies that fight for my free time or I may just burn myself out. I’ve never really questioned it before, I can be sure to say that even when I’m not reading a lot, books are very important to me, from shaping how I view different ideas to pure entertainment, books are always something I think about. I’m lucky to also have a large number of my friends and family who love to talk about books and reading, so I am constantly surrounded by conversations about books even though I do not yet work in a library.

To go about my reading preferences in the recommended style of Saricks, I love books that have a detailed setting, engross the reader in a specific mood, and have a lingering pace. When considering the setting I have to mention I love high fantasy novels, but any author that is able to make the place of their story feel nearly tangible will be able to hook me in. I also love novels to be moody, especially if they are dark, as often found in the horror genre. Stephen King’s It is one of my favorite novels because of his use of mood, I found his play between the ‘impending doom’ feel of the showdown with the monster against the nostalgic feel of childhood memories and innocence delightful. An idea of lingering pace can be embodied in Frank Herbert’s Dune, where a lot of time is spent on the fictional kingdom’s histories and culture description. Dune is a book I really appreciate because it embodies all three of my chosen ‘appeals’, yet it is not in my list of favorite books.

My Top Five Favorite Books (in no particular order)

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy- J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Once and Future King- T.H. White

3. Dracula- Bram Stoker

4. Kitchen Confidential- Anthony Bourdain

5. IT- Stephen King

My favorite book I’ve read this year is Earnest Cline’s Ready Player One, I was encouraged to read it from a few friends who are really into movies, and I was glad to take their advice. For me the commitment to a nostalgic look at the nerd culture of the 1980’s delivered high points in the mood department. I wanted to talk about this book though because, for me, it was a page-turner. In fact I finished it in one sitting, the pace, even though it was not lingering like I cited as my preference, was blistering. The book is filled with action sequences; I have no doubt it was picked up to be translated onto screen because of that fact. I think my enjoyment of Ready Player One and the fact that Anthony Bourdain’s autobiography appears in my top five list can help round out the perception of the kind of reader I truly am. I have preferences, but I’m not afraid to step away from them to enjoy a good book.