For years I've toted books around on the road...resisting the easy ploy of turning on the TV in some late-night hotel after the gig. They've passed the time in many a dressing room (what, you think I practice during intermission?), made many a plane flight bearable, filled many an hour, and filled my life, to boot. There's even an ad hoc confederation of inveterate readers among us traveling folkies who are constantly passing a lot more books than licks around. I thought I'd recommend some of my favorite reads from time to time. Some are meaty, others brainless fluff to make the long layovers a little more manageable. Look for these first in your local independent bookstore. Be patient, they'll order them for you.

Here's what's been on my lap recently...

1000 Splendid Suns by Kahled Hosseini. I was given an advance copy of this book and it took me no time to lose myself in this engrossing and tragic take of women in Afghanistan. I loved "The Kite Runner" but I loved this even more.

Marina, the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrations by Michael Austin. I will not apologize for my bias in loving all of Carmen's books, but this new picture book is a triumph. A witting re-telling of the old Cuban folktale (originally from Persia), this one is fun for all ages and Michael's artwork is amazing. Also available in Spanish.

Clemente by David Maraniss.  This new biography of Roberto Clemente, the first Latino superstar of Major League Baseball is clear-eyed, un-romanticized and totally engaging. Clemente was a hero of mine as a child, despite the fact that he played for another National League team. Isolated by both skin and language, he was a lonely figure in his early days with the Pirates. As more Latinos joined the league he assumed a leadership role, one that continued until his death, leading the Puerto Rican aid to Nicaragua after the 1972 earthquake. This is a wonderful read.

The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini. I must be the last person in America to read this wonderful book. It was a little slow going in the beginning but the story quickly sucked me in. The flawed protagonist, the unflinching servant/friend, the issues of class and familial disappointment all set against the too-little-known and misunderstood backdrop of Afghanistan in flux during the 1980's. This is not only a powerful book but essential reading for anyone wanting to wade through the layers of nuance in today's eastern world.

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd by Ana Menendez. This wonderfully- written book captures the humor-laced-with-pain, the the passion and the complications of the Cuban and Cuban-American communities. Menendez has a keen eye, a skillful pen and a big heart.  The stories are alternately revealing, surrealistic and hilarious...all presented through the lens of the refugee (as opposed to the immigrant) experience.

God Laughs & Plays by David James Duncan. Subtitled "Churchless Sermons in Response to the Preachments of the Fundamentalist Right," Duncan proves himself to be the mystic I always suspected while rhapsodizing on fly fishing, wilderness and baseball. In this collection of essays and interviews he tackles the nature of God and man, faith and doubt, the great Wisdom Literature of this world and, not incidentally, delivers an absolutely hilarious response about trout fishing to a most humorless questioner. I loved this book from start to finish.

Night by Elie Weisel. This classic book turned up in my library recently and it is a short but powerful read. Recounting his time spent at various concentration camps during World War II, Weisel sheds light on the humanity surviving in the most inhumane situations.

Finding Mañana by Mirta Ojito. This memoir of a young teenage girl leaving Cuba via the Mariel boatlift interweaves personal recollection, a portrait of the times in Cuba and historical documentation of the boatlift and the events leading up to it. Beautifully written by this Pulitzer Prize-wining journalist.

The Fox in the Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy by Si Kahn & Elizabeth Minnich. Kahn & Minnich give us a lucid, readable and compelling picture of privatization and consolidation of corporate influence that would make Tom Paine proud. With Si's plainspoken language and Elizabeth's probing insight were are given tales, terminology and tools to take back our democracy. This should be required reading for every patriotic American.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I must be the last person in America to read this lovely book. Being a beekeeper, I picked it up. Being a motherless child, I immediately empathized. Being a product of the Civil Rights Movement I felt immediately at home. A story of pain, determination, love and forgiveness.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This marvelously written mystery is one of the most satisfying books I've read in years. Daniel Sempere, the 10 year old son of a bookstore owner, is introduced to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, chooses a volume and is swept into a lifelong quest. This is one gorgeous read!

 

The Citizenship Papers by Wendell Berry. This should be required reading for every patriotic American.

 

Ramblin' Man by Ed Cray. A powerful new biography of Woody Guthrie. Well researched, well written and brutally honest.

Old School by Tobias Wolff. A New England prep school steeped in a solid literary tradition traces the lives of boys whose passion for writing and writers becomes obsession.

Rescue in Denmark by Harold Flender. A marvelous book about the rescue of thousands of Jews from Nazi occupied Denmark, especially the period of 1943. The most fascinating part of the story is the innate resistance to anti-Semitism that, at first, delayed the Nazi's "final solution" and, ultimately, mobilized a nation to lend unsolicited and almost reflexive support to, in many case, total strangers.

The Yellow Star by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrations by Henri Sørensen. A beautifully illustrated, brilliantly written book about the legend of King Christian X and his resistance to Nazi occupation of Denmark.
 

Saints & Villains by Denise Giardina. I'm an unabashed fan of Denise's work. This fictionalized treatment of the life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and Nazi resister, is a fascinating and seductive tale. Giardina, as is her habit, mixes history and storyline to wonderful end.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the first in a series of short, very-readable novels by Smith, as recommended to me by my friend, Rani Arbo.It's light, airy and fun.


Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel García Márquez. García Márquez is my favorite writer. There, I've said it. His novels are unforgettable and his non-fiction at least as worth the ride. This is the first of a projected three-volume set of memoirs.This edition covers his early years from his birth in 1927 to his proposal to his wife in the early 1950s. It reveals a radical and bohemian Columbian literary movement, mirrors many of the important political events of that era and provides incisive insight into the makeup of Columbian thinking as a result of it all. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

The River Why by David James Duncan. Duncan is one of my latest "finds"...a fly-fisherman who loves baseball, spirituality and is not afraid to stick his neck out to rescue those things he loves. This...his first novel...tracks the life of a young fly-fishing bum from an eccentric family of fishermen through his hermitage, his self-discovery and his falling in love with his river, his community and ultimately himself. I loved this book.

Dirt Music by Tim Winton. I discovered Winton thanks to my friend Sandy Merrigan who advised me to read "Cloudstreet" before I went to Western Australia the first time. It was sage advice and I've read everything Winton has published since. His latest, here, is the story of a lonely and estranged wife of the proverbial Big Fish in the small fishing town Pond in west Australia. Her life collides with the damaged survivor of a family of musical misfits who poaches fish and, ultimately, flees the town of his birth for an even more isolated life. A vivd, haunting and absolutely lovely read.

Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina. This is a fictionalized re-telling of the Battle of Blair Mountain, a seminal event in the history of the Appalachian region. Giardina is a truly gifted story teller, making this little-told event come alive with empathy, grace and passion.

Lamb, the Gospel according to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. This is an hilarious, irreverent and thoroughly enjoyable book that will provide especially subtle humor to those with extensive biblical knowledge. Those whose faith might be shaken by this fictional work: time for a little more prayer.

The Fratricides by Nikos Kazantzakis. Most people know Kazantzakis by his classic "Zorba the Greek." I've read many other novels of his and, on a recent trip to Greece, recently discovered this wonder small novel. Set in a small village during the Greek civil war of the late 1940's, it follows the Holy Week adventures of the village priest, Father Yanaros and his struggle to wage peace in that war-torn time. He's a tragic, conflicted character.

River Teeth by David James Duncan. A thoroughly entertaining collection of short stories by the author of "The Brothers K" and "The River Why." Fishing, baseball, garbagemen...this book has it all. It's funny, heartfelt and engaging.
 

The Three Questions by Jon J Muth. This beautiful book, which Muth wrote and illustrated, is based on a story by Leo Tolstoy. Another gift from my pals up at Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont.

Fury by Salman Rushdie. The latest novel by this wonderful writer tackles the notion of latent anger, loyalty and power in a typically insightful and elegant way.

Beeing by Rosanne Daryl Thomas. As a longtime beekeeper, I'm a total sucker for any book about this most fascinating and instructive insect. Thomas tells of the story of a recently-divorced mother who, on a whim, decides to take up beekeeping. Her observations of her new "girls" are the kind of ruminating that any true beekeeper, veteran or novice, can't help but tackle.

Land Stand by Barbara Kingsolver & Annie Griffiths Belt. This is perhaps the most graphically beautiful book I've ever seen. The photographs of Annie Griffiths Belt complemented by the ever-intriguing text by Kingsolver offer a multi-dimensional case for America's last stand of virgin land. It is a call for beauty in the face of greed. Warning: once you pick this book up and page through it you'll have to take it home.

Race Matters by Cornel West. I recently re-read this fascinating and provocative book by this fascinating and provocative Princeton professor. Dr. West is undoubtedly one of the most vocal and visible progressive African American leaders in America today. His thinking on race touch on subjects and perspectives that are often taboo even in the most forward-thinking circles. Race and economic inequity are two of the most persistent and troubling of our national crises. Required reading for anyone not afraid of expanding their own thinking...

The Brothers K by David James Duncan. This was a gift from my friends at Northshire Bookstore up in Vermont. It's an epic story of the Chance family of Camas, Washington, an Americanized take on the Brothers Karamazov and one of the most wonderful books I've read in years. It follows the trials and triumphs of the baseball-playing patriarch and his four sons as they grow up with humor and tragedy, religious and political conflicts, and familial intrigue against the backdrop of a small town wisdom, foibles and insight. From minor league ballparks in Oklahoma to abandoned fishing towns in British Columbia to India to Vietnam, Duncan's writing is sharp, intelligent, insightful and moving. This book is a gem and I can't wait to read it again.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Having exhausted by on-the-road book supply this one was recommended to me by the staff of Books, Etc. in Portland, Maine. Roxanne Cox, opera's most revered soprano, is brought into an unnamed South American country's Vice Presidential mansion to perform a concert for a distinguished Japanese businessman. The party is raided by a kidnapping group of rebels who run into a snag in their plans. An extended standoff is the pallet upon which a story of unexpected friendship, compassion and love are played out under a cloud of inevitable doom. Wonderful characters, sensuous writing, marvelous story.

Castro's Curveball by Tim Wendel. This was an early birthday present from my best friend, Si Kahn. A novel that weds pre-revolutionary Cuba and baseball in elegant and engrossing tale. The taste and small of 1950's Havana is almost palpable.

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I read this in high school and absolutely loved it. While perusing a friend's bookshelf I found it again and loved it all over again. Steinbeck ever captures his age and its ethos with sharp wit and insight.

Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver. A collection of essays, most written post-September 11th, that, with predictable grace and intelligence, both challenge and buoy us. This is a book that gives me the kind of sustenance usually reserved only for Wendell Berry works. Most enthusiastically recommended!

Stupid White Men by Michael Moore. Moore is an unapologetic and brutal commentator on current affairs. "Affair" is a less scatological way of describing what happened in the 2000 election and Moore wastes no time making his accusations convincing and compelling. Written just pre-September 11th the book suffers a bit from the national tide of Bush-slack-cutting. But a quick and honest rumination will remind us that war doesn't make people smarter and the ideas and support system that's pillaging the most defenseless among us seems mean-spirited, short-sighted and totally bought-and-sold.

Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community by Wendell Berry. Berry, long one of my favorite writers, once again roots his common sense philosophy toward the industrialization of everything from agriculture to sex in a profound sense of community. Should be required reading.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhmpa Lahiri. The Pulitzer-Prize winning collection of short stories by this remarkable writer. One gem after another.

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. While playing a show in Pella, Iowa, the folks at the Main Street Bookstore recommended this first in a series of mystery novels. The heroine, Amelia Peabody, is a Victorian era archeologist/adventurist...a sort of pre-Feminist Indiana Jones.

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. This epic novel of four generations of a Western family begins with fictional historian/biographer Lyman Ward retracing the relationship of his cultured New England Quaker grandmother and his silent, adventurous grandfather. An absolutely beautifully written book.

The Book of Guys by Garrison Keillor. I bought this book of humorous short stories when it first came out and it sat on my bookshelf for years. Finally, on a recent vacation I laughed my way from cover to cover.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowlings. No parent needs introduction to these best-selling novels about a young English boy who discovers he's a wizard and goes of to Hogwarts and countless adventures that test his mettle and his character. I began as a curious observer of this phenomenon that has lured millions of kids into reading and emerged an appreciator of Rowlings' ability to cast the struggle of good/evil, vice/virture in well-written, absorbing narrative for young readers.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. Like most of you I read this epic when I was about twenty years old. When the film was announced a year or so ago...like most of you...I greeted the news with great apprehension. I'm happy to report that the film...the first of the trilogy (the other two are completed already!) is terrific and I decided it was time to revisit the books. I read them in a six day stretch and found that the years have not dimmed my enthusiasm for the story, the scope and the wonderful writing. Read 'em again...it's a haul but you won't be disappointed.

The Devil's Dream by Lee Smith. I confess...I have an insatiable hunger for Lee's books. They're smart, often hilarious, touching and make me terribly homesick for Southwest Virginia.  This chronicles the history of a family of country music-makers from their humble beginnings through generations of success, failure, heartbreak and reconciliation.

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende.Another writer whose every book I can't wait to read. Eliza Sommers is found in a crate at the door of an English family in nineteenth century Valparaiso, Chile. Through the years of class warfare, first love, racism, the California Goldrush, that marked her young life she emerges as another singular and compelling character in Allende's larger-than-life books.

The Lessons of Saint Francis by John Michael Talbot with Steve Rabey. The title really says it all: an examination of the teachings and example of St. Francis as it relates to modern life.

The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie. I own three videos: one that was a gift (Peter gave me "Field of Dreams" for my birthday a few years ago) and two I've purchased, "Il Postino" and "Smoke Signals", the only two movies I've ever known I wanted to see again and again. The latter is based on the short story collection "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie. This new collection of short stories is full of tenderness, surprising eroticism, and guts. The story "Saint Junior" is worth the price of the book ten times over.

The Undiscovered Paul Robeson, An Artist's Journey 1898-1939 by Paul Robeson, Jr. America has re-discovered Robeson since the centenary of his birth in April 1998. This most remarkable man...scholar, athlete, lawyer, actor, singer, activist...cast an enormous shadow during his lifetime. He defiantly railed against the boundaries of racism in everything he did, all the while using his prodigious artistic gifts to solidify his stature as one of the most powerful performers of his day. This new, intimate biography follows his life from birth through "Showboat" and his work during the Spanish Civil War. It also provides a long-sought-after look into the life of Eslanda Cardozo Goode, Paul's wife, manager and partner. A second volume is in the works.
 

Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian. Utah Phillips has been after me to read this monumental series of historical novels for years. I've finally had some vacation time to launch into the second in the line. Two wonderful characters, Captain Jack Aubrey and his ship's surgeon, Dr. Stephen Mauprin are wonderfully developed literary characters and the description of life at sea as part of the early-19th Century British Navy is instructive and seductive.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiesen. I finally got around to reading this classic work...a tale of conflict: missionary vs. native culture, Catholic vs. Protestant, South American vs. North American indigenous culture, sin vs. salvation. It's a seductive, compelling story set in the lush jungles of Amazonia.

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. I've read probably everything Wendell Berry has written. "The Memory of Old Jack," in fact ended up as a song on my album, "Nothing to Lose." But this is, in my opinion, his finest novel. It brings together his skills as a poet, an essayist, a philosopher of small town and rural life in a macro-economic paradigm and wraps it in the life story of the town of Port William's barber, Jayber Crow. Wendell Berry is a writer of profound insight and wisdom. I'm going to re-read this one many times.

Hummingbird House by Patricia Henley. A beautiful, heart-wrenching book about a North American nurse in Nicaragua and Guatemala in 1989 and the world caught between natural disaster and the Contra in the former country and the brutality of war in the latter. A National Book Award finalist.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. Once again Barbara writes with a grace, passion and intelligence rarely found in modern writers. Three stories (a middle-aged Forest Service employee, a young farmer's widow and a pair of combatant neighbors) find connection and closure in a single summer in this beautiful novel.

Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy. I read this after playing a birthday round at the legendary St. Andrews Links in Scotland. It's a rumination on discipline, imagination and spirituality. Everything I love about sports.

Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler. One of my favorite, most dependable authors. A woman, fading into anonymity in the humdrum of her dysfunctional family takes a walk down a Delaware vacation beach and never looks back.

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. A way of re-ordering your thinking about man's relationship to this world and vice versa. A moving, thought-provoking book that will stay with you long after your done with this very quick read.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme. A Booker Prize winner, this New Zealand author has penned a story of love, violence, forgiveness and survival.

 

Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean. A disarming study of one of the most compelling moral issues of our time. The movie was great. The book is incredible.

Kinfolk: the Wilgus Stories by Gurney Norman. Gurney is not only an old friend but one of the most important writers to ever come out of east Kentucky.

Fair Ball by Bob Costas. If you love baseball or sports or solving seemingly unsolvable puzzles this book if for you. Costas, unarguably the most intelligent and thoughtful sportscaster in memory, offers provocative and sensible suggestions for beginning to cure the many ills that Major League baseball has inflicted on itself. Costas looks to the future with a profound, non-nostalgic respect for the past, and makes calls for his being named commissioner almost certain. Luckily, he's too smart to enter that snake pit. It's a quick and totally satisfying read.

The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. A wonderful novel following the coming of age of a young boy in Newfoundland. His relationship with his father, his errant mother, love, loss and revenge.

You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train by Howard Zinn. A personal history of this profound and singular radical historian. One of my heroes.

 

The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman by Bruce Robinson. I picked this up in an airport newsstand. What a find! Quirky (sorry, I know it's an overused adjective...), funny, frustrating and always entertaining. A wonderful character, almost seems like one of those unforgettable kids only John Irving can create. This is a wonderful book.

Still Suitable for Miners by Andrew Collins. An authorized bio of British punk-folker, Billy Bragg. Billy's been one of my favorite musicians for many years and, while I tend to steer clear of bios of people barely out of their thirties, Bragg is a singularly important figure in British pop/political culture. Check out his albums, too...they're great.

Hello Darkness: The Collected Poems of L.E. Sissman. My father-in-law and I share a great love of this insurance salesman turned poet who died in 1976. I am constantly moved by his pungent imagery. This is one of my Desert Island Books.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Another airport bookstore choice. I was seduced by the "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize" label. But it was the beauty of the writing that truly enchanted me. The novel follows three parallel lives: Virginia Woolf, Laura Brown, a 1950's LA mother and Clarissa Vaughan, a NYC woman planning a party for a terminally ill friend. The lives intersect in surprising and touching ways. When I finished this book the other night the only way I could describe it to Parthy was, "magnificent!"

The Twentieth Century: A People's History by Howard Zinn. This is an outtake of Zinn's classic, "A People's History of the United States" focusing, obviously, on the 20th Century with new sections covering the Bush and Clinton presidencies. His writing is passionate, incisive, and essential. This should be required reading in every classroom in America. A perfect balance to the corporate-focused history we're all force-fed.

About a Boy by Nick Hornby. Will Freeman discovers that single mom's are mature and fun "girlfriends" so he invents a son to crash a single parents group trolling for dates. Wickedly funny and a great beach read.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. A birthday present from Parthy. The thirty-something loser owner of a vintage vinyl shop in London rates his lovers by the composition of their album collection.

Naked by David Sedaris. A hilarious collection of short stories about growing up in a Greek-American family in Raleigh, NC. One of the funniest books I've read in years.

Faces at the Bottom of the Well by Derrick Bell. A provocative and insightful series of essays about the permanence of racism in American culture.

 

Die Broke by Stephan Pollan with Mark Levine. Gandhi died one of the most influential and powerful men in the world. I saw a picture of his total possessions at the time of his death...his glasses, a couple of books, his spinning wheel and the cloth robe he was wearing." What an accomplishment!" was my lasting impression of that photo. In "Die Broke" Pollan and Levine turn the traditional "estate planning" notion on its head and posit a plan for thinking totally differently about your job, your "retirement", your heirs and your possessions. I found it intriguing and, in some small way, validating.

News of the Spirit by Lee Smith. One of the most consistently wonderful authors I read ("Fair and Tender Ladies" is a masterpiece) this is Lee's latest collection of short stories. Too short for Smith addicts like me.

I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story by Hank Aaron & Lonnie Wheeler. A hero of my youth, Hank Aaron was in the second generation of African American ballplayers to integrate the Major Leagues. His outspoken stands on racism and fairness cost him the affection afforded to others in his time. His story is compelling and articulate.

Hannibal by Thomas Harris. I'm sorry. I was on vacation and a friend offered me the book. I'll never eat meat again.

 

The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman. Hillerman's books are detective novels rich with Navaho religious and cultural traditions. Very easy reads and perfect buffers after a heavy tome.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. After a massive stroke that permanently paralyzed him, save for movement in his left eye, Bauby "dictated" this wonderful set of short essays on remembrance, freedom, family, love and triumph.

The Shipping News by Anne Proulx. Like all her books, this is rich with amazing characters and a wonderful storyline.

Unearthing Seeds of Fire: the Idea of Highlander by Frank Adams with Myles Horton (John F. Blair, publisher). When I first came South in the very early '70's the Highland Folk School was my first stop. Founded almost 70 years ago by educational and political visionary Myles Horton, it provided a powerful meeting place for the major movements of this century. Horton's ideas on popular education have shaped my own more than any other. A hard book to find but worth the wait...

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. A mysterious and harrowing tale of one young man's venture into the Alaskan wilderness and his desire to find independence and nature.

Sabbaths by Wendell Berry. A moving collection of poems Berry wrote on Sundays. His insights and beautiful use of language never cease to thrill me.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This book...besides being one of my Desert Island selections...has the greatest first line of any book I've ever read. I couldn't put it down after that. This is the second go-round for me.

House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. One of those books with characters and history so involved and involving that you hated to see the last pages looming before you. Another repeat visit.

Charming Billy by Alice McDermott. National Book Award winner of last year, amazingly already out in paperback. Somehow I keep unwittingly stumbling on these Irish fictionalized memoirs...this time a remembrance of an Irish-American man defeated by a love betrayal in his youth who spent the rest of his life charming his community and destroying himself. A lovely book.

Journeyman by Ewan MacColl. A surprisingly dispassionate autobiography by one of the truly great figures in English-language folk music and a long-time hero of mine.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. A remarkable book by a remarkable writer who seems to exponentially improve with each new book. This novel follows the Price family, Baptist missionaries to the Belgian Congo in the early 1960's, through the changes in that country and in their family and personal lives. An astonishingly expansive book. I'm only now catching my breath.

Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane. A fictionalized memoir of a young Irish boy coming of age in the turmoil of a family with a misunderstood history and terrible secrets. Set in Northern Ireland in the 30's and 40's it is a novel of wonderful scope and an abiding sadness. Beautifully written.

Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andrei Makine. A Russian boy with a French grandmother discovers the power of beauty amidst grief and defeat. Set against many of the most amazing cultural upheavals of the twentieth century, this "coming of age" novel follows a young boy as his grandmother's storytelling reveal his own life and nation, all the while helping him fall in love with her France.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. He listened to a lot of old time music to get the language and idioms right. And, boy, did he. A wonderful book. A Civil War, Appalachian Odyssey. Rich and moving.

The God of Small Things by Arunhati Roy. Simply one of the most beautiful books I've every read. It ain't a quick read. Something to be savored.

Wait Till Next Year by Doris Earns Goodwin. Brooklyn, baseball, and family. What more could you want? Not as compelling as her Roosevelt tome, but a wonderful read.

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. An Australian friend insisted I read this before I first went to Western Australia in 1992. It remains one of my favorite books of all time. I recently reread it and will do it many more times. Might be hard to find, but don't give up!

Imagining Argentina by Lawrence Thornton. Parthy read this book upon the recommendation of a trusted reading companion in Nicaragua. She, in turn, gave it to me for Christmas. It's my latest favorite. A picture of the fantasy amidst the horror of 1970's Argentina and the magic that transcends that horror.

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels. My friend, Carol, owner of the local bookstore, recommended this gem. It's triumphant first novel by this Canadian poet who imbues the first two-thirds of the book with exquisite language. The narrator of the last third is more mundane than the first, but it's a remarkable story.

Downsize This by Michael Moore. Irreverent and on-target observations by a working class writer from Flint, MI. The protagonist of the hilarious film, "Roger and Me", Moore tackles corporate downsizing and the usually forgotten human element in riotous and right-on ways. Check out the film, "The Big One", that chronicles the book-signing tour for this release.

Odes to Common Things by Pablo Neruda. One of many Neruda collections that lives permanently on my bedside table. Nothing is too small...or too large...for this brilliant poet.