Reading Has Been A Lifelong Passion For Barbara Taenzler

Barbara Taenzler has been writing book reviews for The Opinion-Tribune newspaper for 48 years. Her deep love for reading has been lifelong.

Growing up in the country outside Glenwood, Taenzler first visited the library in junior high, when she began attending school in town. After this visit, her passion for books and their power started to grow.

Today, Taenzler is a member of the Glenwood Library Board and has previously served on the board for 35 years. Over her long history with the library, Taenzler has seen many changes. Her continued involvement with the board helps her to stay connected with the updates.

“I like knowing about what new things are coming along,” she said. “ For example, the computer area is really busy. And that’s good, because that draws people in.”

Taenzler is always reading, having already completed 184 books this year and over 300 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She prefers physical copies that she gets at a variety of locations, including swaps with friends, secondhand purchases or gifts, and the library, of course.

Through her involvement in a book club, Taenzler has found the opportunity to hear about stories she wouldn’t consider otherwise.

“I like romance, but my friends like mysteries or fantasy or science fiction, and I don’t like those so much,” she said. “But, I belong to a book club, and there are people in there that like those books. It’s interesting to hear their take on what they like.”

These relationships also help her craft her book reviews. Taenzler avoids writing all of her reviews about the same genre or author and appreciates recommendations from friends to help enhance her variety.

To ensure that she doesn’t reread the same book by mistake, Taenzler began keeping a box with records of all her reads around 25 years ago. The box is organized by author, with lists of every book she has read by each writer. Tucked into the back of Taenzler’s box is a photograph of her husband Jake, who passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2012.

“I don’t want to reread them because there is always so much new, more to read,” she said.

Taenzler believes the key to an appreciation for books and all they have to offer ought to begin in childhood. She and her husband made sure to read to their children early on, finding books that suited their needs.

“All my kids like to read, fortunately. We started them young,” she said. “That’s my advice to young parents: read to your kids, the earlier the better.”