"We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone." Gabrielle Zevin has written what can only be called a charming novel, centered around a widowed bookstore owner on an island and the new publisher representative from the mainland. Shades of Silas Marner—a valuable collection of E. A. Poe’s stories is stolen and a toddler is left in his store. The chapter divisions are brief reviews/summaries of short story collections. The subplot centers on the toddler’s story and a secondary long-brewing romance, plus solving the mystery of the theft. Perfect summer reading!
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Jamie Attenberg, known for her fiction, has crafted an honest memoir about what it’s like to be writer and how long it has taken her to find her people and her place in life. (She was in her later 40s when she wrote this, and it’s very contemporary, with references to the pandemic.) There are lovely descriptive passages about her travels—she was on the move for a long time, saying yes to every opportunity—in case no more would be offered—even though she hated flying. I was relieved when she found her true home, in New Orleans. If you’d like to visit Charleston, South Carolina, but can’t manage it, slide into this book instead. The protagonist’s life includes treachery, romance on a slow boil, mystery, secrets, and a hoarder all centered around a house cleanout/rehab job. Plenty of descriptive passages about food in town! While some of the story is predictable, other elements will surprise the reader. Author Marie Bostwick is also a quilter who writes convincingly of the pleasures of knitting. Sofia Samatar has crafted an unusual memoir based on the true story of Swiss-German Mennonites of the late nineteenth century who traveled to central Asia (contemporary Uzbekistan), there to await the Second Coming. Although disappointed when Christ did not appear on schedule, they remained and built a whitewashed church the locals called the white mosque. Samatar joined a group of Mennonites on a tour to learn about this history and subsequent visitors, including Langston Hughes. I’m just beginning this read, but it’s fascinating. |
What I’m ReadingI began working in libraries as a seventh grader, courtesy of scoliosis. My orthopedic surgeon wrote me a pass to miss gym class, so I began working in the school library to feed my love of reading. Even after my surgery to correct the curvature, I kept getting out of gym to work in my high school library and then in my college library (for pay, at last!).
So began my eventual career as a college reference librarian—after a detour into teaching high school English. Later I worked for an educational publisher before going back to libraries.
I have a reading and writing life now. I devour both fiction and nonfiction, and will tell you about some of my favorite reads, both old friends and new discoveries.
Here's some library-themed music to get you in the mood.
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