FALL BACK TO READING SERIES 2025 – Featuring Carol Henault

It's that time of year again - to fall back to reading, so I've launched a repeat of my first series with that title and invited a dozen thought leaders to answer six questions about reading, books, and marketing. Join me today and continuing next Monday, December 15th, and then for a series recap on December 21st.

Today's featured series participant is Carol Henault. Carol has served as the Executive Director of Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California (RIFSoCal) since October 2004, and has been dedicated to the advancement of literacy during her 33 years in the nonprofit sector. She ardently supports RIFSoCal's work to ensure that underserved children can continue to choose books to call their own and discover the magic of reading. As Carol says, "Inspiring children's passion for reading is the greatest gift we can give them on their personal road to success. You could say that children without books provide the wind beneath my sails – as well as my passion. Instilling a love of reading determines whether a person will become employable at a living wage, whether they will participate in their communities – or whether we will lose their talents."

SHARE THIS: Inspiring children's passion for reading is the greatest gift we can give them on their personal road to success. ~Carol Henault #FallBacktoReadingSeries2025 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Carol likes to share this quote from Margaret Spellings (the 8th United States Secretary of Education who served from 2005-2009 under President George W. Bush), "Reading is more than a pastime. In today's world, it's a survival skill. A child who can read is a child who can learn, and a child who can learn is a child who can succeed."

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

CAROL HENAULT: The most important thing for me is CHOICE. I have a pile - piles - of unread books next to my reading chair waiting to be read, so when I finish a book, I choose my next book depending on my mood, finding a book different than the one I just finished, or sometimes a book by the same author. The last book I chose was the new book by an author I love, My Friends by Fredrik Backman.

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?

CAROL HENAULT: I am passionate about trees – photographing their beauty and stateliness - and their importance to our environment and the survival of humanity. The cover of The Overstory by Richard Powers captured my imagination: "Trees fall with spectacular crashes. But planting is silent and growth is invisible."

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

CAROL HENAULT: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. I was fascinated by the title as the weight of ink used to write is negligible, so I assumed the story had to have something important to say.

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?

CAROL HENAULT: I have been disappointed by the ending of many books, but never really spent time creating a new ending. Too excited to start a new book instead.

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

CAROL HENAULT: Amazon knows what I like to read, as that is where I purchase most of my books – so their recommendations are often on target. And because they are on target, I buy way too many books! My daughter and I share what we are reading, and I read the LA Times 10 best books every Sunday. And of course I rely on my fellow book addicts!

SHARE THIS: Amazon knows what I like to read. ~Carol Henault #FallBacktoReadingSeries2025 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

QUESTION: What book should everyone read, and why?

CAROL HENAULT: A Lesson before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. I read it many years ago, but clearly remember being overwhelmed by its "wrenching story of death and identity in a small Cajun Louisiana community in the late 1940's." The novel "tells the story of two men who, through no choice of their own, come together and form a bond in the realization that sometimes simply choosing to resist the expected is an act of heroism."

I must share a list of some of my favorite books. I read so many books that often I cannot remember them until I look back.  However, here is a list of books that I loved and vividly remember:

[1] A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

[2] The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

[3] The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

[4] A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

[5] The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My gratitude to Carol for sharing her insights and for being a part of my fall back to reading series. Until next week, happy reading!

Image Credit: Cambridge Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring.

Connect with Carol at these links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-henault-992a124

RIF-SoCal: https://www.rifsocal.org/programs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rifsocal

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rifsocal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rifsocal