Check it Out! Sedona Public Library Autumn 2015 | Page 6

on the shelf
...with Cheryl Yeatts, Manager
of SPL in the Village, and
Katherine Merlino, Materials
Management Coordinator

What books are on your nightstand or
tablet?
Cheryl: BiblioTECH: Why Libraries Matter
More Than Ever in the Age of Google by John
Palfrey. Tracks by Robyn Davidson (on my
tablet).
Katherine: Circling the Sun by Paula
McLain and At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen. Two cookbooks: A Bird in Hand: Chicken
Recipes for Every Day, and a vegetarian cookbook called A Modern Way to Eat. Also, Reiki
News and Spirituality and Health magazines.
What genres do you prefer reading?
Which do you avoid?
Cheryl: I usually select mysteries and
historical fiction. I also enjoy reading nonfiction, especially if someone has recommended a book. Science fiction and fantasy
don’t appeal to me.
Katherine: Historical fiction is my
favorite, especially if there is a mystery or
a haunting involved. I sometimes judge a
book by its cover: if it features an interesting
location, a female character, and some flowers I am likely to give it a try. I avoid science
fiction unless it involves time travel into the
past, which I guess is consistent with my
love of historical fiction.
Are there any books you’ve returned to
again and again?
Cheryl: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper
Lee, Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa
Cather, The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, Georgia
O’Keeffe: Art and Letters by Jack Cowart and
Juan Hamilton.
Katherine: Range of Motion and Talk
Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg (I actually
shared a cheesecake with her!). Both are
6

beautifully touching books that involve interactions between people facing devastating circumstances (brain trauma and breast
cancer), but the charm of these books is
that you unexpectedly leave the story feeling uplifted.
Who is your favorite writer of all time?
Cheryl: That is a tough question because I am a voracious reader. At this time,
I would have to go with Diana Gabaldon.
I am currently re-reading the Outlander
series. I had the opportunity to see her in
person, so maybe that’s why I am such a
huge fan.
Katherine: Looking at the books I own,
it has to be Barbara Kingsolver. We share an
interest in nature (having both majored in
biology in college), and I appreciate how
her love of the natural world is woven into
her novels. I also enjoy her nonfiction writing, such as Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and
Small Wonder.
Who’s your favorite fictional character?
Cheryl: I like Mitch Rapp, the protagonist in the series of novels written by Vince
Flynn. He is not someone I want to emulate,
but he gets the job done by any means
necessary.
Katherine: I can’t say that I have a
favorite character. I enjoy reading about
strong, independent women who have
wonderful adventures and overcome the
obstacles that life presents them.
Are there any books you regret having
read?
Cheryl: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L.
James, Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.
Katherine: The Ruins by Scott Smith. It
was an odd experience to be disturbed by
the plot but at the same time not be able
to put the book down. It involved college
students who were visiting ancient Mayan
ruins only to be entrapped and ultimately

check it out > www.sedonalibrary.org

Cheryl and Katherine
killed by carnivorous vines, one by one, until
none were left. I guess the writing must have
been good enough to keep me reading.
How do you decide what to read next?
Cheryl: I subscribe to the monthly
newsletter from Goodreads. I also use the
online database called NoveList Plus. Another good source for reading recommendations is BookPage, a free monthly magazine
available at the Library.
Katherine: As head cataloger, the
new titles come