Upon retirement 27 months ago, I committed to read at least four books per month.

That evens out to about one book per week. Sometimes I get behind and other times, ahead.

As this month came to a close, it looked like I could squeeze in an extra book (or three).

Sept is the French word for the number seven. Septem is the Latin word for the same. Do they still teach about the old Roman calendar in school? Anyway, September used to be the seventh month, but that was long, long ago.

Here are September’s books:

Week 1: Augustus Carp, Esq. by Himself

This book is a riot.

This 1924 work of satire is subtitled Being the Autobiography of a Really Good Man.

… and he’s anything but!

Set in the late 1800s, our hero is a pompous, self-satisfied oaf. He boasts mightily about being a good Xtian (think Xmas) throughout, while behaving badly. Creepily, he seems familiar to me and sometimes comes off as a very modern man.

Week 2: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This was a re-read, and considering it had been half a century (!), it’s a wonder I remembered anything.

Truth be told, what I remembered most was that this classic is a wonderful novel. In that respect, my memory held strong.

Published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice can at times feel almost modern, but mostly it’s just fascinating to get to know Elizabeth and her four sisters as their parents face “marrying them off” successfully in rural England.

Week 3: An American Childhood by Annie Dillard

Noting that Annie Dillard is a Pulitzer Prize winner, this memoir from my Mom’s collection caught my eye.

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t really care for this book. Maybe it’s because I didn’t really care for the author – had we grown up in the same neighborhood, we might have been passing friends, but not buddies.

The chapters struck me as individual articles, which would make this an easy book to start and stop over the course of time. The most interesting tidbit I learned was when the polio vaccine was released to a worried nation, some loudly accused Jonas Salk of being in it for the money. In truth, he did not patent his vaccine, saying it belonged to “the people,” as millions of Americans donated to the March of Dimes to help support the effort to develop a vaccine to eradicate polio.

Week 4: In Memoriam by Henri Nouwen

When I saw a hand-written inscription to Mom inside this book, it almost felt like a sign that this might help me in the mourning process.

Authored by Dutch Catholic priest Henri Nouwen, In Memoriam is the story of losing his mother. Being a priest surely helped, but no doubt also added a burden to step out of his personal grief to help others.

His mom passed while he was nearby in the hospital, but not in her room. It was touching to see that he found the grace to be glad that, instead, his father was there. It was, then, his father’s story to share with others.

Bonus Book 1: The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene

Another re-read from long ago. Another struggling Catholic facing a moral crisis, one of Greene’s recurring themes.

The Heart of the Matter‘s setting is a coastal town in west Africa, where it was either endlessly hot and sticky or “the rainy season.” I mentioned to Gary how convincing Greene was with his description of the weather – to the point I may wait till winter to pick up another volume.

Bonus Book 2: Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa

This one’s been in the news a lot lately.

The January 6 Insurrection gets most of the attention, but the decision to leave Afghanistan also makes this well worth the time to read.

Bonus Book 3: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This is Banned Books Week, so it felt like a good time to again read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Steinbeck, who spent summers working alongside migrant workers during his high school years, explores the loneliness of those who move from job to job. George and Lennie are unusual in that they stick together. But even that friendship isn’t enough.

A major theme is how dreams can keep us going, or can haunt our lives.

Steinbeck faced censorship …

… for language, racial stereotypes, and even being “anti-business.” It’s interesting to research the reasons given for book-banning ahead of time and then watch for them while reading. They often “go awry.”

---

Of the three re-reads in September, I’d gladly give them each another go. In another 50 years or so …

To receive an email notification with each new story, please drop in your address below.