WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? I just finished reading “Circling the Sun” by Paula McLain. It is tied to “Out of Africa,” and I like stories that round out another story. I also read “Let’s Pretend this Never Happened” by Jenny Lawson. The chapter titled And that’s Why You Should Learn to Pick your Battles is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. It alone was worth the $13 I paid for the book.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS? Judy Blume and Laura Ingalls Wilder are y all-time favorite authors. Judy Blume understood me and my adolescent problems like no other person, and I could always relate to her characters. Laura Ingalls Wilder is such a descriptive writer. She uses simple words to create a vivid picture for the reader.

WHAT BOOK OR BOOKS WOULD YOU SAY HAVE HAD THE MOST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? “Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” by Mildred C. Taylor was one of the first books that made a huge impact on me. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a must read for any law student. Most recently, “The Book Thief ” made me evaluate how I feel about death.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LITERARY CHARACTER? One of my favorite literary characters is Ian Falconer’s Olivia. That gal has some moxie! I love that she has a big dream at the end of each book. My favorite is her sitting with the Supreme Court.

DO YOU READ TO YOUR KIDS? I always read to my kids at bedtime. I pick books that match their interests. On our shelves are lots of books about dinosaurs, Greek gods and tea parties. “The Nutcracker” is, of course, there too.

Ellen Rutledge graduated from Jefferson City High School and the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. She attended law school at the University of Wyoming in Cheyenne and now works as a lawyer for  Young-Williams Child Support Services. Rutledge is a lifelong patron of MRRL and current MRRL Friends president. She remembers going to story time as a child at the then Thomas Jefferson Library. After returning to Jefferson City with a family, getting library cards for her two children was on the top of her list.

Schoonover has been a librarian at MRRL, since 1996 and director since 2014. To promote reading in Jefferson City, please consider donating to the Missouri River Regional Library’s Foundation. For more information, call Claudia Schoonover at 573-634-2464.