Reading in Place My Favorite Books: Part 2

Well it’s week two – but it sure seems longer. I hope everyone is staying well and home. I’m certain by now you’ve read through the books from my last list. No, well okay, I’ll give you some more choices.

But first an observation — is anyone else doing this? Now that many newscasters are broadcasting from their homes – yes, I’m listening to them, but at the same time I’m fascinated by their bookcases. How their books are arranged, type of bookshelves, and straining to see the titles. No, not you? I guess it’s just me. One broadcaster has his books arranged by color ~~ ? discuss please …

Now to the issue at hand – More of My Favorite Books

I know the libraries are closed in many areas, so if you want to buy any of these books — Please contact your local independent bookstore. They will happily take your order, personally ship your book(s), and will surely appreciate your distancing business right now. Find your local bookseller HERE

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

Once on a business trip, I got stuck in Dublin, Ireland and rejoiced at the extra time. After walking around the city most of the day, I wandered into a lovely bookstore and cafe. I enjoyed a perfect cup of tea and bought this book. This memoir kept me riveted on the flight home. A classic story of a poor Irish boy’s childhood, beautifully written and filled with charming Irish stories…such blarney as the Angel on the Seventh Step, who brings his mother babies. Frank endures poverty, near-starvation and the casual cruelty of relatives and neighbors—yet lives to tell his tale with eloquence, exuberance, and remarkable forgiveness. I still have my Dublin purchase on my shelves.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

This is a do-not-miss book. I’ve pressed this slim novel into many hands of friends and bookstore customers. It’s the tale of seventy-one year old Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd who drifts through northern Texas, reading newspapers out loud to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. At one stop, Captain Kidd is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives near San Antonio. This little girl, Johanna was captured by the Kiowa tribe as raised as one of their own. Recently been rescued by the U.S. Army, the inconsolable ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home and family she knows. The captain’s sense of duty and compassion propels him to accept, though he knows the journey will be difficult. This unlikely pair travels through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain. The captain must watch for thieves, Comanche, Kiowa, and the federal army—all while trying to corral the wild Johanna, who has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the wary Johanna slowly draws closer to the man she calls Kep-dun, and the two lonely survivors forge a tender bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land. An accomplished and fascinating historical adventure story with heart and humor.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

I loved this book both as a young girl and in later life with re-reads. Because of this book I’d longed to see the Swiss Alps – done! See HERE. But back to the book. In case you don’t know this classic story. At the age of five, orphaned Heidi is sent to live with her grandfather in the Alps. Everyone in the village is afraid of him, but Heidi is fascinated by his long beard and bushy grey eyebrows. She loves her life in the mountains, playing in the sunshine and growing up amongst the goats and birds. But one terrible day, Heidi is collected by her aunt and is made to live with a new family in town. While she tries to adapt to city life she secretly longs to find a way back up to the mountain and her beloved grandfather. A childhood favorite that holds up over time. Buy it to read to a young one in your life — that can be your excuse anyway.

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason

If you’re in need of an intoxicating escape, The Piano Tuner is just the ticket. In 1886 a shy, middle-aged piano tuner named Edgar Drake receives an unusual commission from the British War Office. Edgar has to travel to the remote jungles of northeast Burma and repair a rare piano belonging to a eccentric British officer. The story follows Edgar’s weeks’ long 5,000 mile journey from London by ship, train, carriage, elephant and canoe to complete his assignment. The adventure is interspersed with bits of Burmese history and unforgettable characters. I read this novel 14 year ago and still remember its magical and atmospheric story.

Time and Again by Jack Finney

When asked about my all time favorite books —  Time and Again has a permanent place on that list. I have bought and given away many copies of this book over the years. In 1970, Simon Morley, an advertising sketch artist, is approached by U.S. Army to participate in a secret government project, which involves time travel. Simon jumps at the chance to leave his twentieth-century existence and step back into 1882 New York City.  Aside from his thirst for experience, he has good reason to return to the past—his girlfriend Kate has a curious, half-burned letter dated from that year, which holds a mystery about her lineage.  But when Simon begins to fall in love with a woman he meets in the past, he will be forced to choose between two worlds—forever. What sets this classic time travel novel apart from any other is the detail, the exquisite illustrations and curated photographs.  Mr. Finney’s highly detailed descriptions bring the period to life –  from the interior of the Dakota residence to the often pock-marked faces of the people, unprotected (as they were then) from small pox. Warning, these descriptions may slow you down, but that’s fine, as this is a book to be read slowly and richly savored.

Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

If I had to choose a favorite Mark Twain novel, it would be this one. Twain’s colorful travelogue is a compilation of the newspaper articles he wrote while on a cruise to Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land with other American tourists in 1867. His account frequently uses humor to describe the people and places he visits, but the best parts are when Twain uses satire when he becomes cranky with European profiteering or a pointless historical anecdote in Gibraltar. Twain also shows respectful reverence, as in the Canary Islands and the Holy Land. A more serious theme also flows through Twain’s experience. Twain sees the conflict between history and the modern world as he travels with his New World compatriots through the lands of ancient civilizations, ultimately discovering that you can’t believe everything you read in travel guidebooks. If you’re a fellow traveler, and feeling stuck at home, I suggest Innocents Abroad for an armchair view of faraway cultures and places.

The Most of Nora Ephron

I return time after time to this wonderful collection whether to re-read my favorite essay HERE or to dip into any of her works. I’m a huge fan of the sadly departed Nora Ephron, who wrote novels, essays, screen-plays, commentaries and commencement speeches – all included in this hefty volume. If you’re in need of some fun reading, you can’t go wrong with Nora Ephron. My gushing admiration is HERE

I’ll sign off for now, that should give you more books to choose from. I’m working on a final (for now anyway) Part 3 of My Favorite Books.

And remember that social distancing.