Grace Engelbrecht is a public librarian whose home library as a child was the Gates Public Library. Outside of reading, Grace plays co-ed softball, enjoys movies, trivia and board games, and values relaxing days with her husband and son. She loves a good snack, especially popcorn on nights in at home or out at the movies. Grace hopes to finish writing her romance novel someday. Until then…
How do you treat the books you read? Do you make notes in them? Dog-ear the pages? Keep every page (and the spine!) pristine?
I treat my books well; no dog-earring for me! Recently for the first time, I highlighted and annotated a fiction book, which felt wrong and unusual, but I think when I want to peruse through it later, I’ll have notes of what stood out to me.
Do you ever judge a book by its cover? What attracts you to a cover?
Absolutely! I think it’s hard not to. I love covers that are colorful or cutesy or things with bold text. I don’t tend to gravitate towards darker covers.
Where do you get your book recommendations?
I am part of the ‘Bookstagram’ community, bookish posters on Instagram and that’s a lot of fun. I see a lot of great books that I’m interested in, and people are so great about sharing indie recommendations that maybe I wouldn’t have come across otherwise.
What is something you dislike in a book?
I would say the most annoying would be lack of quotation marks on dialogue. In college, we were assigned The Waves by Virginia Woolf, which is a stream of consciousness novel, so the lack of quotation marks makes sense, however the stream would jump from character to character without any text change and I just couldn’t get through it.
What is the funniest book you ever read?
When I was a teenager, I read a British series called The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison. She was a highschooler with many mishaps and embarrassing moments and I remember laughing and snorting out loud when I was reading during homeroom or lunch. I’m not sure if the humor would hold up now, but I really enjoyed those at the time.
You’re on a dating app and all your matches are literary characters. Who do you select?
The ‘classic’ choice would probably be Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. Most recently, I enjoyed Daniel Grant from Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez and Leon from The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I love a supportive and sweet book boyfriend.
What book marks a major milestone in your life?
The Doll People by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin is very special to me. It was really the first time I remember reading a chapter book by myself, while being so engrossed in a magical and adventurous story. I read that book five or six times.
Do you have a favorite picture book? What and why?
My favorite picture book as a child was Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, illustrated by Barbara Cooney. It was read to me in school, then I asked for a copy at home. It captures childhood imagination and nostalgia so beautifully. Now, reading to my son, one of my favorites is You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusimano, illustrated by Satome Ichikawa. It’s a poignant rhyming story of a parent and child’s relationship: “I am your water wings; you are my deep. I am your open arms; you are my running leap” is one example of the couplets in that book.
Is there an author or a book that you think is highly overrated? Why?
I think the ‘it’ contemporary author right now is Colleen Hoover. I have listened to two of her books and liked them. However, the obsession going on right now, I don’t quite understand. There are many contemporary romances that are just as well-written, if not more so. I don’t think Hoover is the superstar of romance above all others. She is good, but I wasn’t blown away.
What book would you recommend to heal a broken heart?
This is a tough one. There is some heartbreak in The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, but the story is hopeful and uplifting. It’s insightfulness into human connection was striking.
What is a favorite quote from a book?
My favorite book is Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, so if I were to pick something from that, it would be from Will’s letter: “Live boldy…Push yourself. Don’t settle…Just live well. Just live.” I think given the story, Louisa really needed those words and she was inspired by them. To me, it’s a gentle reminder to make special the ordinary, dive into experiences when I can, and breath into the rest.
It's All About the Book 