A love of books and reading has set the stage for local college student Marianna French to find her career passion in library science. Working in the library field and reading a lot has opened the doors for her to blog about books she likes and doesn’t like with the hopes of promoting the love of reading to those who may see it more as a chore. Get to know Ms. Magnolia Bookworm.
Growing up a bookworm, the name just came together to represent her passion of reading and living in Mississippi. She prettied it up with the Ms. and went from there.
“My true plan for my blog is to promote reading and literacy for all ages,” French said. “I want to show people how important reading is and how fun it can be!”
On her blog, French writes book reviews of both new and old books. She said that she enjoys findings one to rave about but also loves ones that she can give one star to. As an avid reader all of her life, she gives insight into each book, explaining what works and what doesn’t and why she thinks so. See her reviews here.
French said she has been interested in books since she was a baby and that her mom read to her most nights as she grew up. She read a lot as an older child with Junie B. Jones and the Osborne books as favorites at that time. She started her college career in elementary education but soon transferred to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and applied for a library page position with the Jackson-George Regional Library System. After working in this role for a few weeks, she quickly realized that she wanted to pursue a career in library science. She is now enrolled in the online library sciences program at the University of Southern Mississippi and hopes to get a master’s degree.
“Being surrounded by all the books and helping patrons find what they need made me realize that that is exactly what I wanted to do,” French said. “I love reading and I know how much reading can improve a person’s overall comprehension. That is why I am choosing this field, to promote literacy, learning, and growth through reading and information gathering.”
For those who don’t read, French thinks they are missing out on “wonderful stories, crazy funny moments, heartwarming characters and events,” and new worlds to discover.
“Books create a world where certain kids can escape to,” she said. “It is like art or music. Stories will always be there to bring readers into new worlds and new perspectives. And books are beautiful.”
French said her favorite classic book is Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” She said the pain that the monster goes through is relatable to all, still today, and she is impressed that Shelley was around 20 years old when she wrote the story. Her favorite new book is “The Vegetarian” by Han Kang. She said the book rekindled her passion for reading after a slump due to how beautifully it is written.
For recommendations on your next book, visit the Ms. Magnolia Bookworm blog or find her on Facebook.