There’s something about May. Gentle breezes warm the air and all shades of green decorate trees, lawns, and fields. It’s no wonder Elizabethan dramatist Thomas Dekker wrote about “The Merry Month of May” in 1599. Side note: I learned from Farmer Gary the other day that the red dots in the field next to our house are Crimson Clover. From Capote to Coward, during May I tried to keep my book choices as merry as possible. Week 1: The Prime…
We’re never at a loss for books to read in this house. Sticking to my retirement goal from nearly two years ago, I managed to find four books this month with light enough topics to not add to my sadness following Dad’s passing. Week 1: Bless Me, Father by Neil Boyd After enjoying A Father Before Christmas a number of months ago, I was pleased to download the first book in the Bless Me, Father series (free if you’re on…
The past three weeks have been tough, as we worried about Dad, cared for Dad, and ultimately buried Dad. One tremendous blessing was that he was able to come home from the hospital, instead of going to a short-term rehab facility. Covid would have added tremendously to our pain if we hadn’t had minute-by-minute access to our dear father. Sitting in what used to be Mom and Dad’s library (now Dad’s bedroom) and holding his hand, I glanced up and…
There are times when reading-to-learn ultimately teaches you how little you actually know. I now wonder if an entire year should be dedicated to focusing solely on my Irish books, rather than just the month of March. While that would no doubt lead to much laughter, it might also point me toward “the drink,” which I’ve managed to avoid thus far. The Irish have not had an easy go of it, that’s for sure. Week 1: Are You Somebody? by…
February is a short and often gloomy month, so it felt appropriate to read Great Expectations for the first time. It’s a long coming-of-age story, full of Dickensian characters and coincidences. In the afterglow of reading a really good book, I tend to search for related podcast discussions and non-snooty book reviews. This episode of the Backlisted podcast provides a humorous yet sincere discussion of Great Expectations, Mr. Dickens, and even some sad, sad attempts at musical-theater adaptations. Meanwhile, here…
With all the stress provided by the news media – a pandemic, wobbly economy, and the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to name just a few – January seemed like a good month to delve into four works of fiction. Week 1: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini This is Hosseini’s third novel. Somehow, I think that at least part of his haunting stories are based on his experience as a child in Afghanistan. Desperately poor people take…
How to get into the Christmas spirit following 10 months of a pandemic threatening nearly every tradition? With Christmas books. Week 1: The Christmas Tree by Julie Salamon It had never occurred to me that it’s someone’s job to secure the “perfect” tree for Rockefeller Center each year. This is the story of that man, and his redemption as he finds both the tree and patience to wait for it as he befriends a nun who lives at the convent…
Mom collected a lot more than books. She collected friends. We moved around a lot in the 1960s and ’70s, and she stayed in touch with each group of friends and neighbors. This was pre-email, of course. Dad used to tease that Mom kept the post office solvent. One friend was Newbery-winning author Madeleine L’Engle. In a future post, I’ll share some of their correspondence. In the meantime, I read L’Engle’s most famous book (finally!) this month. Week 1: A…
Boo! The month of October requires at least one or two spooky stories, don’t you think? My focus in choosing this month’s four books was non-political. Enough, already, right? Presidential election years are always dreadful, but nothing compares to 2020. When you get to the point that you dream about one of the candidates (not the one you support) offering you a job, something’s got to give! Week 1: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris My dear friend…
When I pulled out this month’s volume by Graham Greene, I nearly put it back. Weeks before this highly contentious federal election, did I really need to read The Ministry of Fear? Well, at least it was a book of fiction. The other three September books were non-fiction, and just as scary. Week 1: Disloyal by Michael Cohen When news hit that Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer was working on a memoir, I wondered how deep the confession would go….