Katherine Wright is an Interpretive Park Ranger for the San Mateo County Parks, opens a new window Interpretive Division. Her work focuses on environmental education and community outreach and engagement for the department with a large focus on equitable access. There are monthly opportunities to join the Interpretive Division programs available on the Parks events page, opens a new window.
We asked Katherine what she is currently reading and about some of the books that have made an impact in her life. Read on for her responses.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished reading Devolution by Max Brooks (author of World War Z). I actually usually listen to books because I do so much driving for work. I really enjoyed this audiobook as it has different narrators for the different parts, including one of my favorite actors, Nathan Fillion.
The next book on my list is Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I ripped through The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & the Six and have been really enjoying her storytelling and writing style right now!
Is there a book you like to give as a gift?
The book that I typically give as a gift AND have reread the most is Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. I love the message because it isn’t overly optimistic. It lets the reader know that you’ll have really high highs and really low lows but that it doesn’t mean you can’t still achieve great things in life; move mountains if you will!
Do you have an early reading memory?
Some of my earliest reading memories are with my parents reading me books before bed and one of my favorite books was called Minou by Mindy Bingham. It tells the story of a cat in Paris whose life changes when her owner dies and she has to learn to fend for herself. It is a great story with gorgeous illustrations.
What book influenced you most?
The book that influenced me the most as a young person was A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It details the lives of two women in Afghanistan and the trials they each experience and the bond they form through their shared hardship. This book opened my eyes to the different lives people live around the world and began breaking down the barriers of the bubble I grew up within.
Shelf Life is an occasional series of San Mateo County Libraries, where we talk to the San Mateo County community about books books books! Inspiration taken from book pages everywhere, including The Guardian and the New York Times.
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