Welcome to the “What We’re Reading” ongoing series where Volunteers talk about the books they’ve been reading at site. Here you’ll find PCVs sharing their thoughts, reflections, and reviews on books of any genre. Leave us a comment below if you’ve also read any of these books!
Gretchen Evans, 136 YinD
Our first interviewee of the What We’re Reading series is…Garrett Schliep! He is a 136 TESS Volunteer serving in the Udon Thani province. Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Garrett attended the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In his past life, Garrett was an exercise specialist and practiced at a state-of-the-art non-profit facility specializing in rehabilitation for people with acquired neurological injuries.
I got the opportunity to ask the man of the hour the pressing bibliophile questions we all want to know!
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What book best describes your experience coming to Thailand? Why?
I think Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett perfectly encapsulates my experience coming to Thailand/joining the Peace Corps. Much like the people you may encounter during service, this book has a diverse range of characters with so many unique qualities. Throughout the chaos in the book, I am left with the idea to laugh your way through the craziness. You just have to keep reading!
I originally had no idea what was going on in the story or what I was doing here in the Peace Corps. Then you keep on reading, learning about the process, and everything falls into place! Each character, just like every person I’ve met in service so far, has a different role that leads to a cohesive and engaging story or life experience!
You are the resident kinesiologist of our cohort. Do you have any book recommendations geared towards wellness or movement?
An aspect that is eye-opening in the world of health and wellness is addiction. Beautiful Boy and Tweak are raw, first-hand accounts of someone living with an addiction and witnessing a family member go through this illness. Beautiful Boy is a memoir written by David Sheff, while Tweak is a parallel memoir written by David’s son, Nic. We see both sides of the experience, the duality of father and son, user and parent. These memoirs show that the person can be separate from their addiction because the love present is unwavering. Addiction is an underserved issue in healthcare, and memoirs like these open up the conversation of this taxing life and bring awareness to such a prominent crisis in America.
What book have you recently finished? Do you recommend it?
I just finished Animal Farm by George Orwell. I am trying to get more into the classics and ease this genre into my reading rotation. I had never read it during high school or college, and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I believe this work is a great introduction to classic fiction and would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to delve into this intimidating genre. It is a short story and very digestible. I also find that Animal Farm mirrors real life and applies to current political situations.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I would have to say Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. Memoirs are my favorite genre, and this one really caught me by surprise. This work showed so much more of who [Matthew McConaghey] is as a person and had nothing to do with his life in Hollywood. Celebrity memoirs humanize cultural icons and make me feel like I can understand and relate to them as people. We get to see on a deeper level why they made specific life choices and the mastermind behind the art. I like that memoirs can allow us to see artists in a medium that they are not typically known for. For example, if Sally Rooney wrote a memoir, it wouldn’t be much of a challenge because she is already known for her talented writing. I found that by the end of the book, Matthew McConaughey was more likable, and I am glad to have gained insight about his life in this fashion.
What’s on your To Be Read (TBR)?
I have On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous up next. This is a memoir by the poet Ocean Vuong. It’s appealing to me because the entire book is a letter to his mom. This unique epistolary contains topics about his Vietnamese American background and a culture different from what I’ve known. I am looking forward to reading this honest account on personal identity and the experiences that shape us.
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I also asked Garrett his bookworm hot take. His answer was free-spirited, just like him! Instead of dog-earing or placing a bookmark inside to pick up where he left off, he prefers this ancient practice: hunting for the paragraph and manually turning pages until he finds the section of the book that rings a bell. E-book users could never! Garrett happily claims, “The first few minutes [of your reading session] are either a recap or sneak peek of what is to come!” This is certainly a hot take. Personally, I find myself using receipts, pencils, cards, photos, etc., as my makeshift placeholder to avoid spoilers, but I think I’ll try Garrett’s method!
This claim of ‘anything goes’ reminds me of the Thai phrase, อะไรก็ได้ (arai gor dai), or whatever works. What a great philosophy for life and reading as a hobby! At the end of the day, reading is a fun and/or educational pastime, and doesn’t have to be, so don’t let those literary influencers pressure you otherwise. As a matter of fact, Garrett was the person who taught me arai gor dai shortly after arriving at our sites. He is a PCV and friend whose presence radiates this phrase, and I am glad to share his reading recommendations for all to discover.
All book cover images sourced from Goodreads.com
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