Keep Reading May 2017
Although we had a lot of cool weather in May there certainly were some lovely, reading on the porch, afternoons. As summer approaches and we change the porch glass to screens; I expect more and more outside reading times.
I read my usual mix of old and new books. I even reread the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. There has been so much conversation about this book that I felt I just had to read it again. Honestly, I was not as impressed as I was when the book was new more than 30 years ago but it sure hits home today. If you have not read it; give it a try. It is kind of like reading 1984 after the fact.
If you are a Bill Bryson fan you won’t want to miss The Road To Little Dribbling. This is a 20 years later book to Letters from A Small Island. If you have not read any of his books start with the earlier book. I promise you that you will want to read everything he has ever written. I wanted to pack my suitcase, take the Road To Little Dribbling book, and jump on the next plane to the UK. Maybe I will take Icelandic Air and get a trip to Iceland off my list. Anyone want to join me?
Recently I spent a week with my sister in Virginia. She is living with a wonderful longtime friend who I enjoyed getting to know. We had so much in common it was kind of frightening. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a 1974 Pulitzer Prize winner. The Author Annie Dillard covers a year on her Blue Ridge mountain property and a few other places including Alaska. She graphically describes nature down to the finest and sometimes most violent detail. This one book has filled a big part of my visual memory with images that I will carry forever.
Now for something current that you can add to your summer reading list. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapeña, really will not change the world or your life. However, you will not be able to put it down. If you are looking for something to get you through a long flight, this is your book.