In honor of National Book Reading Month, we wanted to open our bookshelves and explore the stories that move us and have shaped us into the very people doing the work here at Encolor—because nothing captures our shared human experience quite like a good book.
Reading has held a central place in my life from childhood. My mother probably rivals some of the greatest readers in history; she maintains a steady goal of reading at least four books a month—roughly one per week. Growing up, I only occasionally saw my mom sitting and watching television or a film. Rather, she was almost always cuddled in her living room lounge chair beneath a warm, long-necked reading lamp, with a glass of wine (or, more recently, kombucha) in hand on occasion and a good book in her lap. Our childhood home was filled with wall-to-wall bookcases, much to my father’s playful dismay at times. In our house, interior design started and ended with books (and plenty of plants). One of my earliest memories is going on a weekend getaway for a cousin’s wedding and spending dawn to dusk curled up on the hotel couch, devouring the Warrior Cats series from cover to cover. While I’ve moved on from those particular fantastical adventures, I still hold them dear. Do I remember a single detail about the wedding? Not a chance. Do I remember Tigerclaw’s betrayal? Like it happened yesterday! (I was 8.)
Discovering that October is National Book Reading Month brought all those nostalgic memories rushing back, from favorite characters, scenes, and plot twists to standout books in general. I know I’m not alone; many of us here at Encolor could easily spend hours geeking out over this topic if given the chance.
In fact, a passion for reading is woven deep into our team culture. Rachel Dortin, Principal at Encolor, hosted a book club reading for AESP this month, taking an in-depth look at The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. We’ve even held internal Encolor book club meetings in the past, reading books by Octavia Butler and adrienne maree brown. To share that love of reading for this month’s blog, we wanted to give our readers a fun inside look at some of our team’s literary favorites, creating Encolor’s own team bookshelf:
Rachel leans into deep, recurring favorites. Her all-time favorite book is Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson—a haunting piece of prose she first encountered in college and has reread annually ever since (complete with heavily annotated margins that once caused a friend to order her own copy!). While pinning down a single favorite author is nearly impossible, she is slowly working her way through Octavia Butler’s complete works, placing Butler firmly in her top three. Rachel mentioned she is currently reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, a feel-good story of connection, generosity, and community that she picked up on the fly at an airport after mistakenly leaving her own book behind. As for screen adaptations, Rachel recommends Lovecraft Country, the one-season TV series based on Matt Ruff’s 2016 novel, praising how it brilliantly uses the supernatural to illustrate the real-world horrors of American racism, drawing on real events like the Tulsa massacre and the Chicago redlining era. Following a cast of characters on a road trip across the segregated country to find a missing father, the show takes the work of H.P. Lovecraft, a horror writer who held racist views, and turns it into something that honors Black characters and their stories. If you love sci-fi and fantasy, stories of Black resilience, and the fight for justice, this show is a must-watch.
For Kristi Hewitt, Executive Assistant, books have always been closely tied to connection and empathy. She fondly remembers reading aloud to her own children and students, and some of her most cherished chapter books include Crash, Maniac Magee, and Stargirl, all by Jerry Spinelli, as well as Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo—stories that still manage to crack her voice during emotional scenes. As an adult, her favorite read is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, which she celebrates for its brilliant, convention-defying protagonist and one of the best dog characters in literary history. While it was later adapted into an Apple TV series, Kristi stands by the golden rule that the book is always better.
Joan Effinger, Chief Programs Officer, shared some perspective-shifting recommendations centered on intentional living and making and organizing physical spaces to align with your intentions: Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die and Tidy the F*ck Up by Messie Condo. Inspired by experiences helping clean out others’ cluttered and messy homes over the years, Joan highlights a guiding quote that has stuck with her: “Your home is nothing but a wrapper for your stuff and once you’re gone, it’s just that: stuff.” It serves as a needed reminder today to reduce unnecessary purchases and instead invest heavily in experiences and human connection.
For our CEO, Quinn Parker, a great book is all about complex storylines that pull you right into the lives of compelling characters. Thus, Quinn’s favorite author is James McBride, with Deacon King Kong standing out as an amazing read. When it comes to an all-time classic, Quinn loves Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, a story she has read and watched several times over (specifically championing the 2005 Keira Knightley/Joe Wright film adaptation as her favorite). While she doesn’t have a single favorite genre, she draws a hard line at horror, noting it always keeps her up at night! True to her multi-book reading habit, Quinn typically juggles three books at once—usually one business book, one development book, and one fun read. Right now, her stack includes Traction by Gino Wickman, Radical Candor by Kim Scott, and the fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, which she is reading with her book club.
For Patrice McFarlin, Principal, her relationship with reading has changed a lot over the years—as is the case with me (weekly college reading requirements take a whole lot of fun out of reading). Patrice notes that her reading has transformed from barely reading for leisure to treating books almost like magazines with copies scattered everywhere, audiobooks on her phone, and a daily micro-habit when her routine is firing on all cylinders. While she can’t pin down a single favorite book, author, or genre, she naturally gravitates toward leadership, business, and personal development, always keeping at least one fun book in the mix. Lately, she’s been picking up autobiographies of fascinating people, which is where her reading journey is taking her next.
Last but not least, I (Dillon Hall, Qualitative Researcher) am partial to some fantasy classics. My all-time favorite book is Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, a high school English Lit discovery that made me fall in love with how human the creature’s original story is compared to the classic Hollywood monster trope. (I also enjoyed Guillermo del Toro’s recent film adaptation—despite a few creative liberties, it stays true to the overall character). When it comes to my favorite author and genre, J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy take the crown (though I love a good sci-fi novel as well). Other early memories include my dad recounting The Hobbit as a bedtime story and then family road trips spent bonding over The Lord of the Rings books and Peter Jackson’s extended film editions. As an aside, a pro tip for anyone ever writing something formal: if you’re familiar with Gandalf, try picturing him saying the words aloud. If you can’t, that’s your cue to rework it. And true to form, I am currently doubling up on my reading list: I’m listening to the first book of The Lord of the Rings as an audiobook and just started PAX, a Roman history book by Tom Holland (not that one), the host of the The Rest Is History podcast. I was lucky enough to visit Rome for a few weeks a couple of years ago now and, thinking back on that time, wanted to re-immerse myself in the history of that ancient city.
That rounds out our team’s bookshelf. Whether you’re diving into an epic fantasy, a perspective-shifting read, or an old favorite, we hope you find a moment to curl up with a good book and celebrate National Book Reading Month right along with us!