Squeeze some speed reads into your day—January 18, 2008
If your busy schedule allows only minutes a day for recreational reading, here’s a list of speed reads, books that are easy to chew even in small, interrupted bites. A variety of genres are represented…see if something here can squeeze into your day.
- 1. Some of the world’s greatest prose and poetry are nevermore (or never were) according to the author of “The Book of Lost Books.” Author and scholar, Stuart Kelly, reveals with wit and nity gritty detail, the truth about vanished works of some of history’s most famous authors from the time of cave drawings to the end of the twentieth century. Don’t miss this one if you love biography, literature, history and/or mystery!
- 2. For decades, one of the best and most prolific writers of westerns was Louis L’Amour. This year not only marks the 25th anniversary of the publication his beloved, “The Lonesome Gods,” but also is the 100th anniversary of his birth. If you’re new to the cowboy genre, this classic would be a good one in which to sink your spurs.
- 3. “Czech this Out,” by Carol Louis, is a Slavic cookbook, sprinkled with a dash of inspiration and insight drawn from the author’s life experiences…interesting reading even if you choose to buy your kolaches already baked, from Wilber - Nebraska’s Czech capital.
- 4. Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be. . .if that famous Robert Browning line always were true, there wouldn’t be a need for books like “Senior Days” by Colleen Nicol. Published in Nebraska, this new book shares stories from the author’s own experiences as an in-home caregiver. Written with humor and sentiment, it can be a source of inspiration for aging baby boomers, while providing caregiving tips, advice and resource information.
- 5. “For One More Day” by best-selling author Mitch Albom (“Five People You Meet in Heaven”) is a simply told, sweet, yet haunting story that explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a loved one?
- 6. Take a ride with “Truck,” a memoir that delivers a truckload of humor and heart with enchanting characters you’ll meet along the way. Author Michael Perry drives home a winner with his talent for writing about the daily drama of small-town living. He focuses on two main events in his life, fixing up a1951 International Harvester pickup and developing a romance with a local woman. If you enjoy the book as I did, I’m sure you’ll be shifting into high gear in search of Perry’s other work, including…
- 7. “Population: 485,” the predecessor of “Truck.”
- 8. “A Family Christmas” is a unique anthology of poetry, prose, scripture and lyrics that celebrate the spirit of Christmas. Selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy, here are the works of more than 100 authors as diverse as Truman Capote, Groucho Marx, Martin Luther King Jr. and Charles Dickens. Also included is a touching letter from President John F. Kennedy to a child concerned about Santa’s well-being.
- 9. You don’t have to come come from a large, loud and loving Italian family, as I did, to appreciate the principles put forth in “Living La Dolce Vita,” (the sweet life), a new book by Raeleen D’Agostino Mautner. This little gem celebrates the passion, laughter and serenity of Italy and examines the power of family and the art of friendship.
- 10. For a fun, romantic mystery, Janet Evanovitch fans and others will delight in the 2005 re-release of one of her early, pre-Stephanie Plum novels, “Back to the Bedroom.” True Evanovitch style with eccentric individuals mixed with zany mishaps, this novel’s the one that sets the stage with prototype characters for her popular Plum series.
Let Hastings Public Library fit a book into your hectic day.
