Debbie Laskey's Blog: Introducing the #FallBacktoReadingSeries2025 on #DebbieLaskeysBlog

During the life of my blog, I've had the opportunity to share commentary from a myriad of inspiring individuals with expertise in leadership, marketing, customer experiences, employee experiences, and social media marketing. Some of my favorite posts featured participants in my various series (6 so far!), where I've highlighted nontraditional ways to look at leadership through books, films, TV shows, the Olympics, and more. Now, I'd like to introduce a repeat of my #FallBacktoReadingSeries as the fall season begins, in which a dozen thought leaders will answer questions about books, reading, and marketing.

But first, one of my favorite quotes about reading is from Caroline Derlatka: "For you unlock magic that is hidden within, and opening the cover is how you begin. Oh, all the worlds and the places you'll see; when you hold a book, you hold the key."

To introduce the six questions for this year's series, I'm providing my answers below.

QUESTION: Why did you choose the last book you read?

DEBBIE LASKEY: I recently finished reading THE LIBRARY OF LOST DOLLHOUSES by Elise Hooper. It's easy to see why I chose this book: I have a passion for reading, libraries, San Francisco, architecture, the Art Institute of Chicago's Thorne Rooms, dollhouses, miniatures, history, and to quote the author, "the importance of illuminating overlooked women."

According to the book's flap, "Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Epoque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney's bustling Burbank studio in the 1950's. Spanning the course of a century, this book tells the captivating story of secrets and love that embrace the importance of illuminating overlooked women."

Author Elise Hooper explained, "As I delved deeper and deeper into the history of dollhouses, I noticed that miniatures tend to grow in popularity during difficult times. For example, at the end of World War I, Queen Mary commissioned a grand dollhouse from England's leading artisans as a way of lifting the nation's spirits. After the dollhouse was finished, over a million and half people showed up to see it exhibited. In the United States, the Art Institute of Chicago's well-known Thorne Rooms and Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle were created and exhibited during the Great Depression to raise money for charitable causes. And then in 2020, while people were stuck in their homes during the pandemic, another flourishing of modern miniatures took hold once again and captured people's imaginations on social media. I love this proof of how art plays an important and positive role in our lives."

QUESTION: Have you ever chosen a book because you were drawn to the cover design? If yes, what was the book, and what attracted you to the cover?

DEBBIE LASKEY: THE PARIS DAUGHTER by Kristin Harmel. As a Francophile, I'm drawn to all books with Paris or France as a central part of a story. I'm also a big fan of author Kristin Harmel, so the colorful cover imagery of the Eiffel Tower with a mother and daughter captured my interest.

In THE PARIS DAUGHTER, a historical novel, a bookstore was a central part of the story. This was the bookstore's owner speaking, "We've even put in a children's section because children need to fall in love with words, don't they? If you give a person a book, you give them the world. And children deserve the world, don't you think?"

QUESTION: Have you ever chosen a book because of its title? If yes, what was the book, and what drew you to the title?

DEBBIE LASKEY: While the book was published in February 2024, I had read so many positive reviews that I knew I had to read THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah. The book was about a young woman who went to Vietnam as a nurse during the Vietnam War. Her brother did not survive the war, but she did. Her father had been so embarrassed about her going to war that he lied and told people she went to Europe. When she came home from the war, she suffered from PTSD, and no one at the Veterans Administration believed that she suffered - and continued to suffer from her trauma - and yet she experienced as much trauma as the men who saw battle. The book was incredibly well written, the story was so well researched, and upon finishing it, the characters remained with me for a long time. And after finishing the book, I conducted my own research about the impact of American women nurses in Vietnam.

The title intrigued me - as a reader who enjoys and prefers women protagonists in books - and as a supporter and fighter for gender equality, equal opportunities, and equal pay for equal work.

Here's a quote from the book, "Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women."

QUESTION: Have you ever finished reading a book, been disappointed by the ending, and thought you could have written a better ending? If yes, what was the book, and how would you have ended it?

DEBBIE LASKEY: Yes, CHARLOTTE WALSH LIKES TO WIN by Jo Piazza. The protagonist, Charlotte Walsh, ran for Senate from the state of Pennsylvania - but the book ended with no definitive ending. Instead, there was an author's note at the end:

"I bet you have a lot of questions after getting to the final page of this book. Namely, does Charlotte win? Does she lose? Does she stay with Max? Does she opt to do it all on her own? The truth is, I've written six different endings to this book...In these politically charged times, everything is taken as a statement. A definitive ending to this book would have been seen as one statement if she won and another if she lost...I wanted to talk about what it means to be an ambitious woman and what it costs us...I wanted to show how difficult it still is for a woman to run for office even though we all know we need more of us in government."

I would have concluded the book with a win for Charlotte - because we need to see more women in leadership positions in all walks of life, in all industries - in works of fiction as well as in real life!

QUESTION: Is there a social media account, a national book publisher, or book club you follow for reading recommendations?

DEBBIE LASKEY: I check many sources on a regular basis for reading suggestions and to hear about newly-published books including: READ WITH JENNA, REESE'S BOOK CLUB, GMA BOOK CLUB (Good Morning America), OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB, BARNES & NOBLE BOOK OF THE MONTH, RANDOM HOUSE BOOK CLUB'S MONTHLY PICK, PENGUIN RECOMMENDED READS, FRIENDS & FICTION ENDLESS STORIES, and the JOYFUL HEART BOOK CLUB. I also participate in two virtual book clubs, LEADERS WHO FICTION and the book club of the LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES.

QUESTION: What book should everyone read, and why?

DEBBIE LASKEY: I would recommend two - one fiction and one non-fiction.

I read AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins in March 2024 as part of my participation in the "Leaders Who Fiction" book club. While this book was a work of fiction, many readers saw their lives and stories within its pages. With immigration such a hot topic in the United States and elsewhere around the world, this was the story of a mother and son fleeing a Mexican drug cartel to the United States. However, some people had blinders on and were only able to question how a white woman could write this story. The real controversy, however, was that the book publishing industry was - and still is - run by white men, rather than reflecting the actual mosaic of readers.

The book also had a powerful cover design. Blue birds similar to traditional Mexican Talavera tiles were surrounded by barbed wire. Birds mean freedom and have the ability to fly. It's possible that the cover represents the fact that people are being kept from going where they can be safe.

Here's a quote from Kristin Hannah (author of THE WOMEN), "Relevant, powerful, extraordinary. It is a remarkable combination of joy and terror, infused always with the restorative power of a mother's love and the endless human capacity for hope."

Here's a quote from Stephen King, "American Dirt is an extraordinary piece of work...I defy anyone to read the first seven pages of this book and not finish it."

Here's a quote from Ann Patchett, "American Dirt is both a moral compass and a riveting read. I couldn't put it down. I'll never stop thinking about it."

And here's a quote from Sandra Cisneros, "This is the international story of our times."