Janka in Proud and Maryll frames
The notebook where Janka records the books she's read has been with her for 10 years now. She doesn't use Goodreads, so we discover her reading tips through social media, where years of active sharing have made her a Slovak book influencer with thousands of followers.
6. August 2024, Author: Barbara Garaj, Photo: Jakub Čaprnka
Books have shaped Janka's life since childhood. Her father's home library, packed with captivating stories, first drew her to reading. But the biggest influence came from the Harry Potter series – she lived through every adventure alongside the young wizard. Harry remains one of the literary characters she happily returns to even as an adult.
She's clear about which book characters should exist in the real world too. She'd love to meet the witch Hermione and Mattia from The Solitude of Prime Numbers by her favorite Italian author, Paolo Giordano.
She studied journalism but sensed it wasn't the field she wanted to pursue. While still at university, fate led her to Martinus bookshop, where over many years she worked her way through various positions. What captured her most was organizing events, collaborating with world-renowned names like Patrick Ness, Jo Nesbø, John Boyne, and Paolo Giordano.
How does author booking actually work? Janka explains that publishers work with agencies representing the most famous writers, each with their own agents. Over years in the book marketing world, they've built strong relationships, making it easier for her to bring some of the big names to events.
After 11 years, she said goodbye to the bookshop and briefly moved to the city library's PR department. Today you'll find her as part of a small marketing team at Ikar publishing house, focusing mainly on social media. Besides reading, she loves cycling and hiking – not just in the Carpathians. If she had to name one thing better than books, it would be music.
Janka reads mostly at home. She'll dedicate entire weekends to books if she can. She prefers classic paper books, though sometimes she can't resist an e-reader. She notices the evolution of trends in the book world. She appreciates how important themes of otherness and migration are naturally appearing more in novels. Younger generations have a much wider selection of literature, which can lead them to read more actively. According to Janka, people will never stop reading – only the format will change. E-readers and phones will take center stage.
"I think the generations coming after us will be much more tolerant, partly thanks to books. For them, it's completely normal to read about topics like migration or otherness. I really love when these themes are a natural part of the story. They work all the more powerfully as an ordinary thing you don't need to fear."
Janka is one of our loyal customers. She came back to ZITA for new prescription glasses. You could say it was somewhat by chance. She arrived for her eye test with the mindset that she didn't need new glasses, nothing suited her, and she definitely didn't feel like trying new things.
This stems from her philosophy of trying to buy few new things and rather using the old ones until they stop working. In the end, though, she stepped out of her comfort zone, tried on a few pairs, and chose sustainable frames from the Spanish brand Proud, which ultimately won her over with their name too: Kiev. The playful shape in a blue-green combination simply blossomed on her face.
Janka can't praise her Maryll sunglasses enough either. She takes them everywhere she travels, especially in summer to the mountains or music festivals, where they protect her from the sun while serving as a stylish accessory.
And finally, the cherry on top – summer reading tips from Janka:
For years, my favorite summer read has been Ocean Sea by Baricco. It's a poetic text that goes straight to your core, something that can't be compared to anything else. I recommend reading it by the sea.
Another ultimate summer read is The Endless Summer. It's a coming-of-age novel about first loves, friendships, and conflicts. It's relaxing, but it also hides heavier themes.
I can't skip my beloved Paolo Giordano and his book Heaven and Earth. Paolo wrote an exceptional story where he connected many seemingly incompatible things: growing up, the desire for love, sex, friendship, and motherhood. These aren't unfamiliar themes for the author, but in this book he went even further, addressing religion, ecology, and activism. He perfectly weaves everything together, giving readers a novel they won't soon forget.
