We asked top readers from past years to share their perspective, advice, and a few reading recommendations! Here's a few highlights from sharonkay, our current leaderboard #7!
If you were a top reader in past years, remember to check your email for an interview invite! If we pick your interview next, you’ll win a voucher for a free small prize.
How do you keep track of books you’ve read or want to read?
I keep a log on my computer which is alphabetical so I can easily check titles that I have read. I read several series and sometimes the titles are similar, so I like to check to see if I have read certain books. I also record what I am reading in my daily diary. I list books that I want to read on my phone.
What is your favorite reading location or situation?
I love reading outside, relaxing on my chaise longue on my patio when the weather is nice. I also read in bed at night before turning in. My books always come with me on the plane and to the doctors’ office so I can read while traveling or waiting.
What advice would you give to someone trying to read more?
It is good to get advice on what to read from friends in order to select a book that the person would probably like. Reading reviews in The New York Times or Bookpages is also helpful. Sometimes browsing in the library or in a bookstore can turn up something interesting. The lists in the library are also helpful.
Have you ever read something outside your usual genre that you loved? What was it? What did you love about it?
I wanted to try graphic novels for something different and ended up with an arm load of interesting looking selections that I found at the library. I brought a copy of The Odyssey to a friend which we read together. It was good for her since she has trouble with her eyes, and it was a good way for me to review the book which I had read.
Do you read physical books, ebooks, audiobooks, or a mix?
I prefer physical books, but when I was commuting a long distance to work, I listened to many audio books which I thoroughly enjoyed. So many of the readers are wonderful. I loved Angela’s Ashes read by Frank McCourt who had a lovely Irish accent. During covid I used on-line services to read on the computer and also listened to several books.
Please recommend a few of your favorite books or authors!
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, the classics such as War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Les Misérables. Mystery authors: Jean-Luc Bannalec especially his last one: The Secrets of the Abbey, Martin Walker, Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series) and her memoir This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing, Charles Todd (both series), Agatha Christie especially The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. For poetry I love Billy Collins who is very accessible and can be very humorous. Alexander McCall Smith is an excellent novelist. I enjoy his Isabel Dalhousie series and The 44 Scotland Street series. Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser is a wonderful novel about art.
