Janet Paisley is one of Scotland’s most versatile writers whose awards include Bafta and Royal Television Society nominations for Long Haul, a Creative Scotland Award for Not for Glory, a Canongate Prize, British theatre’s Peggy Ramsay Award for Refuge, the BBC Prose Prize, MacDiarmid Poetry Trophy and Sutton Short Story Prize. A popular performer of her work at national and international festivals, she writes poetry, fiction, plays, radio, television, film and for children. The author of five books of poetry and three of fiction, her work, in English and in Scots, is taught across the curriculum from primary to university at home and abroad.

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This month, we honor Erin N., Children's Manager at Independence Regional Library, who is a valued Reader's Club contributor. She is a frequent reviewer of books for adults and teens. Here are her thoughts on reading and writing reviews:

"I’ve always been an avid reader. I do occasionally read to gain knowledge, but my main goal for reading is pleasure. For me, reading is an escape from day-to-day life.

Because I’m a children’s librarian, I spread my reading time among books for children, young adults, and adults. When it comes to books for young people I try to read a wide variety because I want to be able to recommend the right book to any child I work with. Some of my favorite children’s and young adult authors are Andrew Clements and Chris Crutcher for realistic fiction, Gordon Korman for adventure, and Libba Bray and Cecily von Ziegesar for fantasy. (I mean, really, those Gossip Girl books are pure fantasy!)

My adult reading tends to be heavy on realistic fiction. I don’t feel the need to be as well-read in all the areas of adult literature. As an Anglophile, I read a lot of British novels, like the classics by Jane Austen, as well as "chick lit" by authors like Anna Maxted and Sophie Kinsella. I also belong to a book club, which is great for challenging me to read titles that I might not have picked up on my own. Some of my favorite book club reads have been Life of Pi by Yann Martel and Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund.

My one frustration with reading is that I can never seem to find enough time to read all the books that I want to read. I have rows of books on my bookshelves and stacks of books I’ve checked out from the library waiting to be read. I even keep a notebook where I write down titles of books when I receive suggestions from friends or read positive reviews.”

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