The Slice: Katherine Hancock
What librarians *really* think about overdue books + some great recommendations
Thank you to everyone who reached out after my latest Bookpeach from Poland. Visiting Krakow and Oświęcim was a really powerful experience, and I am so grateful to talk about it here.
And now, for the second edition of The Slice! There was such great reception to Brandon Tensley’s edition, and I am excited to introduce y’all to my friend, Boston-based librarian Katherine Hancock.
Katherine and I met a million years ago at a very nerdy summer program for “gifted” high schoolers. Think teenagers who WANTED to spend their summer learning at Valdosta State University for five weeks! Katherine reignited my love for letter-writing, and I can still remember her beautiful handwriting filling pages of notes and ideas.
Katherine has been a go-to source of book recommendations for years, and as a professional librarian, she is incredibly well-sourced. It’s a pretty scary time for librarians, with book bans and politicians looking to cut funding. Which is ironic given how libraries are more essential than ever to fill the gaps of our social safety net.
I am so lucky to have several librarians as friends, and I hope this conversation reminds us the importance of the library and how COOL librarians are. As you’ll see, they seriously have the BEST book recommendations.1
(Also, support your local library!! I promise it’s the greatest thing ever!!)
Why did you want to become a librarian?
Truth be told, I wasn't a 'library kid' growing up. My parents didn't want to keep up with three kids' return dates, and thankfully, they had the means to buy us a lot of our books! So it wasn't until I lived in Vermont after college that I relied on libraries as places to browse and access books — the rural area I lived in didn't have a Barnes and Noble or even an indie bookstore. During the early years of the pandemic, I was doing AmeriCorps and I was pretty aimless. Finally, my favorite library in the area reopened for limited visitors in October 2020. I clearly remember the day I went in after months of missing it and I felt a level of peace I hadn't felt in months. It dawned on me then: Why am I spending so much time worrying about what to do next? If it feels that good to be in the library, that's what I'm doing next! I got a job as the local elementary school's librarian in 2021 and in 2022, I decided to move to Boston to pursue my MLIS. A job has never felt like such a good fit for me!
What do you wish people knew about libraries?
Even the most straitlaced librarian has had a few overdues! People sometimes treat it like a taboo, but I promise, no one really cares that your book is a couple days overdue. As long as you don't make it a pattern ;)
What is your ideal reading set up?
Most ideal and common for me is snuggled in my bed at night with my covers on, propped up by a bunch of pillows, fan blowing on me and white noise machine on. All of my sleep accoutrements2 are in place already because I like reading to be the very last thing I do before lights out each night. On special occasions, I love reading on the beach or on the banks of a swimming hole or beside the pool (sometimes with earplugs in to block out conversation). Add snacks, drinks, and shade/sunlight as necessary!
What is your favorite book you've read this year?
It's a toss up between Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino and The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylvainen. Both books floored me. They were quite different but both so tender and achingly beautiful.
Beautyland is about a girl named Adina born in 1970s Philadelphia. She’s an alien tasked with reporting to her superiors on the nuances of human life. I love books that are very character-driven, and the pedestrian observations that Adina records are so simple and profound. I laughed and cried; I gave the book a hug before returning it!
I bought The End of Drum-Time at a favorite bookstore of ours, Bookish Atlanta! It's about indigenous reindeer herders in northern Scandinavia called the Sami people. I'd never heard about the Sami until reading this book and now I still can't stop thinking of them. The book tells the story of the religious colonization that was happening in the region in the 1800s and the nuances of life for the missionaries and the Sami. Love, adventure, family drama...this book has it all.
I clearly remember the day I went in after months of missing it and I felt a level of peace I hadn't felt in months. It dawned on me then: Why am I spending so much time worrying about what to do next? If it feels that good to be in the library, that's what I'm doing next!
What's a book you wanted to love but just couldn't?
Two come to mind, but they're not even the ones I've been most fired up about in recent months/years!
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman seemed like a book I'd fall head over heels for, but little things distracted me from the story. I just couldn't. DNF.
There’s also Real Americans by Rachel Khong. I really liked this author's first book, Goodbye Vitamin, so I expected the same here. The book lost me when the characters spontaneously decide to go to Paris on their first date. I'm sorry, that just doesn't happen in real life. I can suspend disbelief, but not when it distracts me from the story like that. I didn't finish it. Maybe it'll hit different another time.
What are you reading right now?
You caught me right between books! I just finished The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel. It was just a random book that caught my eye when I was shelving one day and I LOVED it; it was playful and lighthearted without being saccharine. It was also so funny! It was the kind of book I wanted to live in.
I have a few books on my list to start next: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio looks like a lot of fun. Two of my holds just came in: Willful Disregard by Lena Anderssen (I heard about it on a blog I love) and Acts of Desperation, which I think has similar vibes. All three books seem like the type that suck you in for a wild ride and you could finish them in a weekend.
Huge thanks to Katherine for being so generous with her answers. You can follow her on Insta here. (Which I recommend because she often posts her new book reccos).
Do you have a book lover you think I should interview? Do you want to be featured? Send me an email, and I’ll be in touch!
XOX and happy reading,
Alli
Katherine introduced me to How to Fall Out of Love Madly by Jana Casale which is one of my all-time favorite books. I have gifted this to so many friends.
I’ve never heard the term “sleep accoutrements” before but I am 100% stealing this.