Shortly before my first marriage, I remember sitting around the kitchen table with my in-laws and future husband. Somehow, the topic turned to books and my ex got in a little jab by mentioning my odd habit of REREADING favorite books. My brother in law looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time, "YOU do that too?"
His wife responded, "I could never understand how anyone could read a book more than once. What's the point? You already know what's going to happen." I should note-I adore my sister in law-she is an incredibly brilliant person, and an avid reader.
"You like listening to your favorite song more than once, don't you? Reading a book for me is like hearing music you love over and over."
My brother in law looked grateful in the knowledge that he wasn't the only "freak" in the room. I was completely surprised that everyone wasn't like me. I knew my husband wasn't, he eschewed any written material other than Sports Illustrated. He actually purchased a Tom Clancy thriller at the airport on the way to our honeymoon and one of the pictures I took on that trip was a shot of him on a beach chair reading. In the photo, he has an ironic grin on his face and is pointing at the novel as if to say "I can't believe it either." I don't mean this as an insult or slam to him, my current husband isn't much better-though he claims to love me even more because I'm such a bibliophile.
We haven't broken the single digits in temperatures here for a week. I hunkered down over the weekend and visited with some old friends who have kept me company over the years. I'd like to introduce you to a few of my favorites...
Angela's Ashes Frank McCourt
A very deserving winner of the Pulitzer Prize. During the darkest days of single motherhood, I read this book once a month. It gave me a sense of perspective-no matter how bad my life seemed at that point, I wasn't dealing with the levels of poverty that the McCourts of Limerick barely survived. I've come across a few people who claim to hate this book because it's so "depressing." I have the absolute opposite reaction to that, I find it uplifting and inspirational.
Parliament of Whores PJ O'Rourke
I don't care what your political affiliation is, this book is a satiric civics lesson that is a must read. Neither party is safe from the author's acerbic wit. I purchased this book upon it's original release because I had always enjoyed O'Rourke's Rolling Stone essays. In particular, one about Oliver North had me laughing to the point of tears. I remember reading this hardcover on a park bench in Pittsburgh, desperately trying to conceal my mirth and ultimately putting the book down when I laughed so hard a little pee came out.
Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman
My copy of this is a very old hardbound that smells exactly like the library where I hung out as a young girl. It's that musty, pulpy smell that is instantly recognizable to dedicated readers. The pages are a thick, yellowed stock. My mom found this copy at a garage sale one summer and insisted I read it. She did that a lot when I was young, which in retrospect seems so odd since she wasn't an avid reader like me. The book is the story of Katherine Mary Flannigan, a sixteen year old woman from Boston sent to live with her uncle in Canada. She falls in love almost immediately with Mike Flannigan, a handsome Mounted Policeman. This isn't a literary masterpiece, and in all honesty I didn't realize it was so popular until an article about it showed up in Oprah's magazine last month. I love this book because it was the first book that completely engrossed me. I was ten when I first picked it up, and I was literally lost in the pages for the next two days. It represents everything I love about reading.
McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy
This book was given to me by a former boyfriend whose last name was... you guessed it, McCarthy. He bought it for my birthday after asking a salesperson in an Irish themed store for a recommendation. Bless him and that retailer, this is one of the funniest books I've read. The author is (rather, was-sadly he succumbed to cancer in 2004) an English travel writer who decides to spend a summer in Ireland, just as he did in his youth. One of his rules of travel is "Never pass a bar that has your name on it," hence the title. That becomes the premise of the book which is full of McCarthy's droll observations about fellow tourists, who rarely come off looking anything but foolish.
Nothing to Do But Stay by Carrie Young
This brief little tome is a collection of essays by a writer whose parents were Norwegian immigrants. Food is the most prominent topic in this book, and is described in mouthwatering detail. The book chronicles the family's struggles through the depression and ultimate triumphs. I love the fact that the author's mother set out to homestead her own piece of land in 1904-BY HERSELF-and it was ultimately her land that she and her husband built their home on, because it was the more desirable tract.
This is hardly a complete list. My apologies for excluding Maya Angelou, Amy Tan, David Sedaris, Stephen King and Harper Lee among others.
