Melissa Ragsdale: The Sheer Joy Of Feeling A Page In Your Hand

I like to say I’m a “professional book nerd.” I’ve bounced around different spheres of the publishing industry and currently work as a Books Features Writer for Bustle.

I’m guilty of always reading a million things at once. Lately, I’ve been trying to have a different book on deck for every format. On my e-reader, I just finished Providence by Caroline Kepnes, on audiobook I’m listening to When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, and in paperback, I just started The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit.

Reading Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman with my dad. “Do you like my hat?”

Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera. I read it as an adult, but I know that if I had read it as a teen, it would have really helped me understand who I am and how to navigate my identity.

I read all the time, and the answer to that is still no. There are so many books and not enough time!

I definitely think every writer needs to read Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. It’s filled with wisdom and encouragement that will make you a better writer/human. Lamott’s advice to take everything “bird by bird” (meaning: one piece at a time, is something I inevitably tell myself every day. Also, The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer is one that anyone who creates any sort of art should read because it teaches you a lot about how to believe in and stand up for your work. It definitely makes you feel like you have control over your career in a super empowering way.

I’m a chronic re-reader. My two biggest rereads are Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. They’re like comfort food to me. Even though I know what happens (I could probably recite them line for line at this point), disappearing into them feels like coming home and seeing all of my friends again.

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld. It’s so weird and I love it.

I love fantasy and magical realism so much. But really, I’ll read anything.

I think everyone would be really, really lonely and bored. But, in this situation, did we have books and now they’ve gone extinct or did we never have books? Because in the case of the latter, I don’t think we would be anywhere as a society. We’d just be like, sitting in the dirt foraging for food. That ability to share information and empathize with one another is key. It all comes back to books.

Tamora Pierce has been my number one since the beginning. I also eat up anything Roxane Gay writes, from her books to her tweets to even her Goodreads reviews. Oh, and I don’t think I can ever get enough of Terry Pratchett. Additionally, I’ve fallen hard for N.K. Jemisin and am eagerly making my way through her work.

I don’t think so. I think they each serve different purposes, and work differently for every type of reader. I’m definitely not one to bemoan the rise of digital books–I think they have especially been a great innovation for people who have disabilities and limitations. But I also think there will always be a place in the world for the sheer joy of feeling a page in your hand.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid.

Oof, this is tough. Honestly, probably the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I’ve found so many communities and relationships through the series. I definitely find myself defining my world through Harry Potter terms, from the attributes of the Hogwarts houses to all the lessons about standing up for what’s right. (Hufflepuff forever!)

I could go on for ages. My favorite read of the summer has been The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. And I somehow have gotten through this whole thing without mentioning Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, which I am OBSESSED with.

One of my goals for this year is to read more books by trans authors and featuring trans characters, including Dreadnought by April Daniels, Whipping Girl by Julia Serano, and A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett.

Too Many Emails, Not Enough Cookies.

Image credit: Kisha Peart Photography