Katelyn - Customer Service Specialist

Team Audio Books Still Count

Hi! My name is Katelyn, I'm 25, and I absolutely believe that audiobooks count as reading. I have audiobooks and Goodreads to thank for getting me back into reading for fun after college. Does anyone else get a rush of dopamine when you mark a book as "read" on Goodreads? I am slowly making my way through every illustrated cover romance in existence, but Jane Austen holds a special place in my heart. I have recently re-discovered my love for fantasy and will happily talk about the Throne of Glass series for hours. I love people, and enjoy running the Wednesday preschool storytime and many other programs at the Kennewick Branch. When not at the library, you can find me re-watching movies in the movie theater, learning how to paddle board, and working on my cross-stitch projects.

Queerly Beloved

I have the pleasure of hosting our Read the Rainbow LGBTQ+ book club once a month, which inspires me to read more books with queer characters and storylines. I particularly enjoy stories that not only celebrate the diversity of sexuality and gender identity, but provide their characters with a well-deserved happy ending. Books that seamlessly honor identity, pride, and acceptance warm my heart…

Latest & Greatest

Please enjoy a little sneak peak of my bookshelf at home, which is currently threatening to break from the weight of all the books I've crammed on to the shelves. According to StoryGraph, I mainly read books that are adventurous, emotional, lighthearted and typically medium-paced. I also prefer for there to be at least a taste of romance, and have lately been on a fantasy kick. Here is a list…

ReMEMOIRable Reads

I am not a non-fiction girly. Despite my desire to learn and broaden my horizons, I struggle to maintain interest when reading non-fiction books. Luckily, I have recently discovered a love of memoirs! Even though memoir authors are real people writing about real experiences, I'm still drawn in by the "plot" of their unfolding story lines. At the end of the day, aren't we all characters with…

If you've ever watched any of John Green's TikTok videos and wondered "Does he really think about the world like that?" the answer is yes: John Green really does think about the world like that. Each chapter is dedicated to something that John Green has a lot to yap about, such as humanity's temporal range, the orbital sunrise, and Diet Dr. Pepper. This memoir is a perfect blend of unrelenting candor and unwavering hope, and it made me feel all of the feelings.

Shocking title, I know. Jennette McCurdy shares about her childhood and life as a former Nickelodeon child star with brutal honesty. While the reader can easily recognize the abundance of red flags throughout Jennette's story, young Jennette is frustratingly naïve to all of it. Jennette rarely, if ever, interrupts her past self's stream of thoughts to retrospectively call out the abusive behavior of many adults in her life. Instead, she leaves that up to the reader, and it's haunting.

If you're a fan of the movie "The Princess Bride", this memoir is a must-read! Our favorite farm boy-turned-pirate Cary Elwes shares a plethora of hilarious stories and behind-the-scenes details from his time filming "The Princess Bride". I really enjoyed how this memoir gives readers an extensive look into how movies are made, and makes you wish you could have been a part of it. The best part? Cary invites nearly all of his past co-stars, directors, and crew members to share their own set stories! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version so that you can hear all of their familiar voices.

Be forewarned, this is not a lighthearted, behind-the-scenes-of-Harry-Potter kind of memoir. Rather, this memoir is about Evanna Lynch's experience with anorexia and how it affected her childhood and adolescence. Evanna shares her story beautifully, and I feel that I have learned a lot about the nature of eating disorders and their psychological influences. Make no mistake, Evanna was born to play Luna Lovegood, and my favorite chapters were when she talked about her personal connection to the character. A heavy read, but worthwhile in the end!

Ms. Katelyn's Favorite Storytime Books (For the Kiddos)

I have the pleasure of running the Wednesday morning preschool storytimes at the Kennewick branch, as well as providing storytime visits for several local preschools and daycares. This of course means that I read a lot of picture books, but there are some that just work better than others. A really great storytime book has entertaining pictures, encourages movement, and provides easy…

Picture Books That Gave Me Chills (For The Kiddos)

One of my favorite perks of my job is that I get to be a storytime provider and read to a crowd of kiddos every week! This means that I see my fair share of children's picture books, and I certainly have my favorites. However, this list is made of up picture books that have a meaningful message, a thoughtful twist, or heartfelt illustrations that have quite literally …

Self Love and Shelf Love (For the Kiddos)

As a storytime provider, I want to do my best to pick out books that uplift the young kiddos that attend storytime. Every child deserves to read books that encourage them to be themselves, to listen to their feelings, to have pride in their identity and culture, love the different parts of their body, and to feel a sense of confidence. Here is a list of self-love picture books…

Movies to Watch Until You Can Quote Them

This list of movie recommendations consists of my favorite movies, movies from my childhood, movies I thought were unique, movies that are stellar within their genre, and movies that never get tiring, no matter how many times you rewatch them. Hopefully, you'll find something in here that you've never seen before!

This is one of my all time favorite movies, and I've watched this version over 30 times!

My family's favorite Christmas movie, I think I can quote the entire movie by heart

A successful Hollywood version of the best kaiju franchise of all time (okay I'm biased)

A weird but well written Kaiju movie

"Soft" Fantasy and Sci-Fi

I have enjoyed what I like to call "soft" fantasy and science fiction books. "Soft" fantasy would be stories that include fantastical elements without the presence of hardcore fantasy elements such as dragons, elves, trolls, etc. Similarly, "soft" science fiction would be stories that include fictionally scientific elements without the intensity of aliens or sterilized dystopian worlds.…

Fantasy/Sci-Fi blend for those that like fairytale retellings.

Fantasy for those that like action and sharpshooting.

Fantasy for those that like personal growth and adventure.

Fantasy/Sci-Fi blend for those that like found families and superpowers.

Literature Snob 101

If you like books that make you think critically about syntax, themes, symbolism, and other literary devices, you should 1) consider taking some college-level literature courses and 2) read from this list! This list consists of several of the books that I read and studied in order to achieve my Literature minor. Beware, some of these books contain strange, grotesque, violent, and…

One of my favorite books I've studied for a class

Plane Tickets Are Expensive

Yup, traveling isn't cheap, so why not transport yourself through a book? Fair warning: these books may make you want to travel even MORE. Here is a list of books that take place in other countries, states, or cities and describe the life and scenery so well that they leave the reader itching to buy a plane ticket!

This book takes place in Ireland.

This book takes place in France.

This book takes place in Italy.

This book takes place in Ireland.