By the Book: Kathryn Melvin

Kathryn Melvin has been at Swarthmore since Spring 2022 and currently works as the Student and Scholar Immigration Specialist in the International Student Center. Reading is one of Kathryn's favorite things to do and has been ever since she learned how to do it as a child. Kathryn can while away uninterrupted hours with an engaging book, becoming fully immersed in a literary world.

What are you reading these days? For one of my book groups, I am currently reading Algospeak by Adam Aleksic and, for the other, I'm about to start Weyward by Emilia Hart.

Describe your favorite place to read on campus: I love reading anywhere outside. I particularly enjoy the fragrance garden and the terrace on top of the InterCenter and in the colder months I like to find a nook in McCabe library.

Who is your favorite author? Choosing a favorite author feels like too much of a statement, but that being said, I will always pick up any book written by Lisa Jewell or Amanda Montell.

What's the latest book you could not finish even though you thought you should? There aren't very many books I don't finish once I've selected them, but recently I tried to read The Bee Sting by Paul Murray and I just could not get into it.

What is your favorite reading genre? According to my StoryGraph stats, my favorite genres are mystery, thriller and crime. (If you're interested in tracking information about the books you read, I can't recommend StoryGraph enough!)

What book made an early impact on you and why? His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. This trilogy was the first thing I read that elicited strong emotions for the characters and explored deep concepts in a manageable way for younger readers.