The late great Brian Doyle has left us several books of what he calls proems—prose poems that are also prayers. I find all of his work good before-bed reading for its humor, its depth, and its evident love of language. Doyle was a lifelong Roman Catholic whose faith seems not to have wavered and whose relationships within the Church remained positive. This doesn’t mean he condoned everything done in the Church’s name. The titles in this volume show the range of his proems: Your Theatrical Training, A Bride With Brass, Learning Owl, Basketball Dads, Skiffling Shuffling Skittering Scuffling. Any of his collections are well worth having.
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Full disclosure: I first read this book to give it an edit. Mary Jo Werthman White did not want me or anyone else reading it before that. So the multiple plots were a happy surprise to me, both the first time I read it and after it appeared in print. This is a multi-generational story, richly layered, set in western New York state, with a side trip to Dayton. Also, dogs—especially Vera, the Great Pyrenees. The party of the title could have two meanings; the most obvious is Garnet’s 70th birthday. In addition to Garnet and her ex-husband, characters include her daughter, her siblings, a nephew and his precocious daughter, and all manner of romantic entanglements. Do yourself a favor and accept the invitation! Former librarian Annie Sereno has crafted one of those really smart and fun novels, using quotations by the Brontë sisters to introduce each chapter of this contemporary romance. Set in the context of the “publish or perish” world of academia, the book sends protagonist Athena back to her small hometown for research. Her former boyfriend is now running a bakery in that town (a nice twist on the female-run bakery motif). Regaining their friendship and then falling for each other again in the midst of a mystery connected to Athena’s research, it’s a clever take on Brontë themes. Flash: the homeless donkey who taught me about life, faith, and second chances These two memoirs by Texan Rachel Ann Ridge describe her life as a wife and mother, as well as an artist, with rescued donkeys in the mix. As the subtitles indicate, Ridge is writing from a faith perspective; in the second book, published four years after the first, she moves from a simplistic Pentecostal faith to a more complex one, letting go of the preoccupations of the evangelical world and relying on the prayers and liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer. She’s a good storyteller, and each chapter has a black-and-white photo of one or both of the animals. Walking with Henry: big lessons from a little donkey about faith, friendship, and finding your path |
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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