Between Pages/On Screen(November 2008 reads)

Something has guided my reading, of late, I think.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblavski: I would never have picked this book on my own. My daughter-in-law picked this up for my son because of the picture on the front, After he read it, he told me I just had to read it. I’m a dog-lover, for one thing. When I was younger I taught dog training classes. I’ve always been interested in dog behavior and the intuitiveness of some dogs. Some dogs have it, some just don’t. This book touched on so many aspects of that, but it was also a wonderful human story with mystery, and love, and survival in it.

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner: This book tugged not only my heart but my memories of that first year of my first child. Each of the four women went through something similar to what I did, yet different. Each came to a point of epiphany as I eventually did. It showed so wonderfully that life really is plan B.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: I love Enso. Everyone needs a friend like him. His view of life is so clear and wise. The book told a wonderful human story, too, sad and hard. It illustrated how to survive life as a good guy. How to rise above what life dishes out. I wrote down so many quotes from this book, I felt I was reading a philosophy book.

Peg Bracken: Not many will even know who she is, but I love Peg Bracken. I read her years ago as a young bride. Loved her I Hate to Cook Cookbook and used many of her recipes, but better still is her humor and way of looking at life. It sure helped me all those years ago when I was buried in diapers(cloth) and housework. Rereading her books as research was a pleasure. Not many do what she and Erma Brombeck did for humor writing or writing for the women of the day.

Oh course, I was surprised to see how much has changed, but so much has stayed the same. Also, interesting to see how similar the economy was. Comforting in these times. Peg’s philosophy is wonderful. Her writing, natural and friendly and a bit quirky. I enjoyed.

I just finished Bracken’s “I Didn’t Come Here To Argue”. In it was one of the best essays on writing I’ve read. Reading it in a book published1954 slipped through my heart like a balm. Another woman writer, struggling just like me. A different time, in some ways a more difficult time for women. She felt like I do, but she plugged on, became successful. She did it with wry humor, moxie and persistence. I like that.

Sometimes, we beat our chests too much, us writers. Writing is hard. It’s supposed to be hard, but it doesn’t have to kill us.

Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox: A great memoir. I read this as an assignment. I was planning to take a class on memoir writing but I decided to use the book Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach first, and do my own workshop, of sorts, until I see how my mind and the meds I’m on work out. Well, I happened to have Lucky Man in my TBR (To Be Read(we all have them, right?) shelf. It’s been sitting there several years.

Boy, am I glad I finally read it. The book was not only interesting, but Fox wrote candidly about a diagnosis of a disease that he’ll live with the rest of his life. Without self-pity, he reveals the same emotions I’m feeling, clarifies them for me, lists the stages of grief(I didn’t even consider that it was grief I was feeling). It made me feel steadier and maybe, a bit more normal. His optimism and hope sing true, his determination encourages me. I need that.

I guess it is true that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. This was the book I needed at this moment. So often that has happened to me this year. I think, maybe, it happens all the time, only I haven’t been as open to serendipity.

Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touch the World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter: The timing of reading this book was perfect, too. Still grieving over the loss of my Irene, the picture on the cover of the book caught my eye. Usually I would wait until the book came out in paperback, but I was going fall camping and needed a good book to read so I splurged. A wonderful read. I laughed and cried and healed a bit.