Discussion: What books and authors are you thankful for?
I’m taking most of this week off to spend time with the family, so I’ll be back in your inbox next Tuesday, December 3. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Among all the things to be thankful for this time of year, it might seem a little strange to be thankful for a specific book or author. And yet, when I think about it, it’s not too tough to come up with some books I’m thankful for. They aren’t necessarily the best books (but they can be)—perhaps it’s one that got you through a tough period in life, or that served you well on a memorable vacation, or one you were gifted that instantly created a deep connection with a friend or family member.
Here are a few that stand out to me:
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi — This one is on my all-time favorites list. I’ve read it three times, each experience coming shortly after my kids were born. I didn’t read many parenting books, but this book prepared me for fatherhood better than anything I could have hoped for.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy — I’m not sure that this one lands on my personal favorites list, but there’s a big soft spot in my heart for the 1,300-page book that kickstarted The Big Read. It should absolutely be on everyone’s lifetime reading list.
Louise Penny — There’s something particularly comforting about returning to the same setting with the same cast of characters. Penny’s Gamache series is, on the surface, a collection of murder mysteries. On a deeper level, the books are about life itself: relationships, love, morality, character. The very things that make up being human. Her latest, Grey Wolf, is fantastic.
Charles Dickens — This year, especially, I’m thankful for the greatest writer of the Victorian Era (yes, I said that). A Christmas Carol has long been one of my favorites, but until this year I had a hard time getting into his larger body of work. But reading Great Expectations for the second time, over at The Big Read, has opened my eyes to the full nature of his brilliance. Dickens captures the full, layered nature of the human experience better than just about any other writer I’ve read.
Okay, your turn! What books and authors are you thankful for this year?
For me it has to be Jane Austen. Not only her books but all of the art and culture that has been created as a result - the movies, TV adaptations, retellings, regency romance novels, etc. It's hard to underestimate the impact she has had on culture even 250 years on. Everything Austen has brought so much joy to my life.
I'm thankful for books that send or extend a journey on learning something. "Gone with the Wind", was a great read but also maybe the centerpiece of the "Lost Cause" theme during reconstruction. It sent me down a rabbit hole reading Dr. Gates and several biographs on the south. Leading me to an different understanding of the subject than I previously had. "Band of Brothers" scraped the Hollywood version of WWII and gave me a glimpse of what my father lived through. He would not tell us stories of the war. "Salt Fat Acid Heat" changed the way I look at cooking. I now cook the family dinner for 12 almost every Sunday. " Hamilton", which I was reading during the Jan 6th riot showed me a perspective of political history. It gave me the theme there has always been division of political thought in this country. There has always been media sources espousing their conflicting version of events, strong disagreements and misinformation about ones opponent. The good news is we shoot words not bullets, mostly, and every two years each side gets a chance to be in charge. Currently, "From Beirut to Jerusalem" is freshest in my mind. From Oct 7th 23 I and my Saturday morning coffee group have tried to understand history of the Middle East situation. Each of the group read different books, myself 6 different ones and 3 online courses of development of the religions of Abraham. This book explained the complexity of the different cultures involved and how difficult a situation it is to find peace. Finally two books I read every 5 or six years, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "Dune". Just because I need to escape.