Meet the Chapter Host: Digital Host
We love our chapter hosts!
They’re key players in creating the lively discussions around our monthly book selections. We’re so happy to have them as a part of our community!
We will feature a different chapter host so you can get to know them a little better and maybe get a few more recommendations of books you need to add to your TBR pile!
Renée Watson, Digital Chapter Host
I'm Renée Watson, and I lead the Digital Chapter of the Literary League (you can find us on Instagram Live every month!). I am currently in Texas, but I love chatting with everyone online about everything bookish. I am an incredible introvert, I am married to the world's most extroverted Airman, and I am quite obsessed with psychology and linguistics.
1. What are your top five favorite books?
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Man Who Wasn't There by Anil Ananthaswamy
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemison
The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
2. What are your reading habits?
I have horrible eyes so I am a huge fan of physical books, although I will resort to my kindle for hard-to-find or mass-market formats. I love a glass of wine or cup of tea while I am reading and a lovely candle doesn't hurt either. My husband surprised me with a chair-and-a-half a few years ago and now that is my go-to spot for long reading sessions. I have tried to listen to audiobooks but I cannot stand the sound of people reading out loud (I blame the trauma of round-robin reading in grade school).
3. What's the first book that made you fall in love with reading and why?This will be polarizing I think. Early on, it was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card because the story had so many surprises. I also loved how I could escape into the story and my brain (which is always a little anxious and full) finally slowed down and gave me a bit of peace. I was hooked from then on.
4. Favorite genres and why?
My top three favorite genres are memoirs, psychological non-fiction, and speculative fiction. Memoirs because I find the ability to tell your story to everyone an incredible feat that I admire, psychological non-fiction because the way the brain works and how words change our lives is infinitely fascinating to me, and speculative fiction because it is escapism at its best. Romance should get an honorable mention here because I can always read a good romance based on any genre.
5. Favorite Literary League pick and why?
The Ugly Cry was amazing. A memoir about trauma, loss, and, eventually, healing. It is the hopeful story I want everyone to have and it really helped me feel encouraged. I think I read that book in six hours of reading with zero breaks. Love.
6. What has been your favorite part about being a host?
Getting to nerd out about books with fellow bookish people is the bookish introvert's dream (I would assume). I just love hearing how these books affect everyone differently. I suppose reading books in a community is the best way to read.
7. What are you currently reading?
Currently, I am finishing Aware by Daniel J. Siegel. For anyone who wants to learn more about neural and mind integration as it relates to mindfulness, this is a perfect book for you!
If you’d like to ask Renee more questions and get recommendations, follow her on Instagram at @remedyreads.
