Meet the Chapter Host: Denver
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!
Each month, 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!
Elizabeth Romanski, Denver Chapter Host
Hi! I'm Elizabeth Romanski, the host of the Literary League's Denver Chapter!
I'm a fairly recent Colorado transplant (my boyfriend and I moved from Chicago back in July), but feel like it's home already. Moving cross-country is quite a journey, let alone during a pandemic, and I empathize with any of you reading this who have done the same! Like a stereotypical Coloradian, I am a big hiker and love the outdoors. So far, I've been to 13 US National Parks (including every single one in Utah), and can't wait to visit more! I've also lived in every timezone in the Lower 48, currently I'm living in Mountain Time. Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I work for a company that is over 250 years old: the publisher Encyclopedia Britannica.
1. What are your top five favorite books?
Gosh, this is hard! I hate narrowing down my favorites, but as of this interview I'll say my top five are: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin, The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony and Greenwood by Michael Christie.
2. What are your reading habits?
Reading is like breathing for me. If I don't have a book (or books) always in progress I feel incomplete and disoriented! I'm an old soul in many things, and how I read a book is one of them. I prefer physical books above all other forms. Cracking open a book, smelling the parchment and ink, and feeling the book's weight in my hands gives me a sense of calm and begins the transportation of my mind into the pages' story. I will read wherever and whenever I can: waiting for an appointment, any downtime at home, on my lunch hour, standing in line! But, since we've moved and I no longer commute on the El, I usually read on some comfy surface at home with soft instrumental music playing in the background and a mug or glass of something (coffee, tea, wine, liquor, whatever!) by my side. If I have more than 10 minutes to read, I try to create a cozy environment to complement my book of the moment.
3. What's the first book that made you fall in love with reading and why?
I was fortunate to have parents who made sure they read to us often when my siblings and I were young. As I fell asleep, I would hear my mom read from the Ramona Quimby series, and my dad would read aloud The Hobbit. They fostered my love of reading, and my grandmother was also a voracious reader, so it's seemingly in my blood. With all of that, there wasn't one book that made me fall in love with reading, there were many. I was shown early how important and special reading could be, and from there my love grew. Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made me fall in love with mystery, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky fueled a penchant for Russian classics, J.R.R. Tolkien showed me the world of fantasy and far away lands, and Donna Tartt pulled me into literary fiction.
4. Favorite genres and why?
Mystery is a genre I will never stop loving. I'm sure I read the genre early, but the memory that sticks with me is from sixth grade. I would go to our small town Indiana library and pull every Agatha Christie that was checked-in that day from the shelves and schlep them home. I was very particular though, quickly learning after one read that the Miss Marple series was not for me - I was only interested in Poirot's crime solving adventures. From there, I was hooked. While I may find days where I'm not in the mood for classics or historical fiction, mystery will always be something I can turn to.
5. Favorite Literary League pick and why?
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. The writing is incredible; after I finished this, I immediately bought The Mothers by Bennett, too. I enjoyed The Vanishing Half because of how complex it was. It dealt with race, family drama, and the impact one's past can have on the rest of their lives.
6. What has been your favorite part about being a chapter host?
I really enjoy meeting new bibliophiles. The Literary League community is expanding so fast, and new members are joining my chapter every week! During our meetings, I’m constantly in awe of the conversations that develop and the perspectives everyone brings. It has been so rewarding to meet new people and learn how others process and think about books.
7. What are you currently reading?
At the moment, I’m reading The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly. The imagery and descriptive language are beautiful; it’s like an adult Secret Garden!
If you’d like to ask Elizabeth more questions and get recommendations, follow her on Instagram at @e.p.roman.
