Heartbeat of the Community

We were in the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford as the sun was setting. As always, the light streaming through the stained glass window cast beautiful, warm color into the library. 

Stained glass window at the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford

 

We were there to celebrate a $100,000 2024 Heritage Trust Fund Grant from the Kansas State Historical Preservation Office. This is on the heels of a $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund grant that was the genesis for a renaissance of refurbishing and restoration at Stafford's library which began in 2022.

Later, as I again looked at the photo of stained glass, I thought about how all those individual pieces of glass are fused together to make the portrait complete. Apart, the pieces of glass would be pretty, but put together by master craftsmen, the result is a complete, beautiful picture.

Perhaps those individual pieces are a fitting description of the efforts behind the renaissance at Nora Larabee Memorial Library, too. It took a whole lot of people - staff, donors and volunteers - to come together to accomplish a thing of beauty - the revitalization of a small-town treasure. 

Ribbon cutting - Oktoberfest 2023

During his presidency George H.W. Bush handed out "Point of Light Awards" to citizens working to aid their communities through volunteer work. In 1990 Bush spearheaded the creation of the Points of Light Foundation, the goal of which was to promote private, non-governmental solutions to social issues. Stafford has its own "Points of Light," too. 

The first "point of light" happened long ago. The impetus for the building of the library nearly 120 years ago was a tragedy. Nora Emily Larabee died in 1904 at the age of 27 from tuberculosis. Her family sought to remember her and have her legacy live on. Her parents, who were prominent Stafford residents - Joseph Delos (J.D.) and Angeline Larabee along with her two brothers - contracted the building of the library, complete with a stained glass portrait of Nora. The family donated the library as a gift to the City of Stafford. It opened its doors in 1905 and has served the Stafford community since.

None of Stafford's current residents remember Nora personally, of course. But her family's influence has impacted Stafford - and the region - since the turn of the 20th century. During the reception, a restored photograph of Nora was unveiled. The original had fallen from the wall, and it was feared that it was ruined because of tears in the canvas. However, master photographer Stan Reimer of Pratt used modern technology and years of experience to restore and reframe the portrait. It came back home to the Larabee Library the night of the reception.

In the grant application, it says: "Nora's portrait in the stained glass window was taken from an oil portrait, based on a photograph donated to the library by the family. The practice of making oil copies of portrait photographs was a common practice in the 19th and early 20th centuries."

To restore the painting, Stan took a photo of the original photograph. He uploaded it to PhotoShop and spent chunks of time for a month working on it - correcting the color, visually "repairing" the tears, etc. Once done, he sent it to a professional photo developer, which processed it and made a 20- X 24-inch custom art print using watercolor texture fine art giclee paper. He reframed it and added museum glass to protect the image. 

Stan added his talents and skills to that of many other volunteers who have come together to make the restoration and renaissance of the Larabee Library a reality.

While the beginning began with one family, it's taken many "prisms of light" for its mission to the community to continue. That includes library staff and also innumerable volunteers, working together to make a difference. 

During the reception to honor the grant award, Library Board President Mary Jo Taylor talked about a television feature she'd seen just that week on KWCH-TV. The reporter talked to the director of the Washington, D.C. public library system, as well as the executive director of the Urban Libraries Council.

And even though those men were talking about huge libraries in urban settings, their observations about libraries are just as true for small libraries in rural Kansas or elsewhere across the nation.

Libraries are central to our communities. 

They are really the beating heart of our cities.

Brian Rainwater, executive director, Urban Libraries Council 

From a news feature, Evolving Libraries, The Good Side, by reporter Debra Alfarone

Taken several years ago in the east room of the library - The Richardson Wing.

It used to be that it was all about books. But people have various ways of accessing information and that fact has liberated us to be more creative. ... Today, libraries serve every age and stage of life. ... It's free. That's central to the mission of libraries - free and open access to information and services. Tell us what you're struggling with and how we can help.

Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of DC Public Libraries (Washington, D.C.)

The reception gathered just a few of the people who have helped revitalize the library. There are so many more. In 2006, the library was accepted for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, thanks to the initiative of longtime librarian, Dixie Osborn. As librarian in 2020, Denise Dickson commissioned an architectural and structural engineering site assessment of the failing foundation and front door. Then, in 2021, librarian Jan McKeel wrote an article for The Stafford Courier, asking for donations to fund the foundation restoration project. Additionally, she wrote a successful application for the Heritage Trust Fund Grant, which brought in $90,000 from the Kansas Historical Society.

 

Ribbon cutting during Oktoberfest 2023, celebrating the renovations at the library.

 

The Courier article attracted the attention of two major local donors, who pledged $50,000 and challenged the library and community to raise matching funds. Thus, the Preserving Nora's Legacy Committee was launched. During the fall and winter of 2021, donations from large to small began arriving at the library, thanks to the hard work of volunteers. An additional $98,000 was raised. The library also got grants from Golden Belt Community Foundation, South Central Community Foundation, Kansas Strategic Economic Expansion and Development and Midwest Energy. To date, $310,000 has been raised to help restore and preserve the library.

Donors are recognized for their gifts in this memorial display, created by local woodworker/artisan Robert Owens.

While the library is an historic treasure in Stafford, it is not simply serving as a "museum" to the past. Nora's Place - as it is affectionately called locally - has undergone a renaissance in the past few years. Librarians and volunteer committees are also working hard to make the Nora Larabee Memorial Library a hub of community activity. Since 2021, the library has sponsored Nora's Gatherings. These once-a-month events offer art, music, storytelling, children's activities, food and fellowship. In June 2023, Stafford welcomed Bike Across Kansas participants. The library provided a cool place for weary bikers to rest, to access reliable wi-fi, get a homemade piece of pie and ice cream and visit with fellow bikers and community members. Nora's portrait in stained glass became a backdrop for many photos that bikers shared to provide a memory of that day in Stafford. (Click HERE for more about that event.)

The library also hosts reading programs for all ages, access to computers and wi-fi, Medicare enrollment and other health programs, art classes and much more. 

My friend, Linda, at a Nora's Gathering in July 2022

Libraries are a reflection of their communities. They want to make sure they have available what the community wants and needs. Libraries don't just bring together their communities. They should represent their communities. ...Libraries give people from all walks of life that access to those spaces, those places, where people can come together.

Brian Rainwater, executive director, Urban Libraries Council 

The library board and the Preserving Nora's Legacy committee (among other volunteers) have made that a reality in Stafford. This latest $100,000 grant will "seal the envelope" as library volunteer Nancy Hildebrand says, keeping it "buttoned up" from the elements and further decay (like wood rot). It will repair three basement windows, five stained glass window panels and three beveled-glass window surrounds (totaling 15 panels). 

The light is still shining through - literally and figuratively - as the library continues its mission, just as it has for nearly 120 years. 

(For more information, see Preserving Nora's Legacy and the Nora Larabee Memorial Library on Facebook.)

February Library Lovers Month

I'm late to the party. That's not much of a surprise because I'm not much of a party animal anyway. And, I don't need a special month to celebrate libraries. Every day, as I open up a book to read, I'm thankful for the way libraries have enriched my entire life. But February IS Library Lover's Month, so maybe that's a good enough excuse for another book review blog post.

(me and Lisa in November 1959. Lisa always says I taught her to read. She was a year behind me in school, but she sat right beside me as I learned to read. By the time she was in first grade, she was an old pro.)

You know the old TV show, Cheers? In the theme song, Cheers is a place "where everybody knows your name." I don't have any bars that fit that description, but the Hutchinson Public Library front desk workers definitely know my name. I almost always have books "on hold" at the library.

My sister, Lisa, and I share some reading time

If I were independently wealthy, I might buy my favorite authors' books the minute they are published. But, alas, since I am not, I am a frequent flier at my library. I put the latest bestsellers and my favorite authors' books "on hold" and wait for my turn at the library.

I still use the book bag I won a couple of years ago in the Hutch library reading contest.

I can never remember a time when I wasn't a library patron. My mom took us to the library from the time we could toddle in on our own steam. My earliest memories include the library in the Pratt County Courthouse. When I was in grade school, Pratt built a new public library. It was where I discovered the Happy Hollisters, Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown before "graduating" from the children's room to the adult section.

While this is not my chart, I remember sticking the green stickers to similar certificates to record books as an elementary school summer library reader.

When I moved to Hutchinson to work as a reporter at The Hutchinson News back in 1979, the Hutchinson Public Library became my new library. Even though I quit my daily commute to Hutchinson after Brent was born, the Hutchinson library - with its vast collection and quick access to new releases - remained my "home" library - supplemented by trips to the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford.

While I get the majority of the books I read in Hutchinson, the Stafford library is a community treasure - not only for its book collection, but for the way it reaches out to the community with monthly events like First Friday/Nora's Gatherings and other community-minded activities. Just Monday, the Stafford library hosts CNA students who took patrons' blood pressures as a community service. (Plus, there were snacks!)

Story hour with Miss Gerry Ann at the Nora Larabee Memorial Library - June 2023

National Today had this blurb about libraries:

Do you know where the word ‘library’ came from? No prizes for guessing. It originates from Latin. The Latin word is ‘liber’ for ‘book’ or ‘document,’ which can be found in ‘libraria’ for ‘collection of books’ and ‘librarium’ for ‘container for books.’ It all started with the need to organize collections of documents. The earliest form of archiving began amidst the earliest forms of writing, which consisted of clay tablets, dating back to 2600 B.C. in Sumer.

Every time I recommend books, I lead with this caveat: Everyone has his/her own taste in books. I take photos of book covers and send them to Jill or to my sister, Lisa, thinking they'd like particular books. But I always find it a bit risky to recommend books to others. 

But here goes. Maybe someone else looks for recommendations from someone they actually know. If you like them, let me know. And, if you don't, that's OK, too. Everyone has different genres, authors or other preferences. So find one you like and read it. And be sure and tell me: I might like it, too. At my age, I've decided that if I don't like a book after I've given it a fair shot, I move onto the next.

I've given an Amazon link for each one. That's not to encourage you to buy it. I don't get a cut from sales. It just gives more of a synopsis than I've given. I'd encourage you to find the books at your local library. Or support a local bookstore and purchase locally. I occasionally buy secondhand books through the Thriftbooks website. I also enjoy going to Bookaholic for second-hand books when I'm in Wichita. But, the vast majority of books I read are from my public libraries, including all the books below. 

 

 

Go As A River

By Shelley Read

 

This is a book Lisa recommended. She used it as her most recent book club selection. The story centers around Victoria Nash, a 17-year-old who is the sole surviving female on the family's peach farm. She meets a young drifter, who changes her life and that of her family. The peach farm in located near the Gunnison River, and the government plans to build a reservoir which will flood their farm and those of neighbors. The book is loosely inspired by true events surrounding the destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado, in the 1960s. (It reminded me of farms and people displaced when the Tuttle Creek Reservoir went in around Manhattan, KS.) She was the author's debut novel, and I hope she will write additional books. 

***

 First Lie Wins

By Ashley Elston

This was the author's first foray into writing for the adult fiction market. This was a a twisting and turning mystery that I devoured in a day. The main character is Evie Porter - or so we think, at least at first. Evie is just her name for this latest job for Mr. Smith. And while he's her boss, she doesn't know anything about him. She goes from town to town, job to job, posing as a different person each time. But this time, things are a bit different. Who else has secrets? Again, I'll look for the author's name among new releases. 

 

***

 Family, Family

By Laurie Frankel

Unlike the two books above, Laurie Frankel has authored several other books, all of which I've liked. Her subject matter is not without controversy. Not everyone is going to like the character's lifestyle choices. But, my parents never censored my reading, and I believe it's valuable to read about our differences, too. 

India Allwood is now a famous actress. When she does a movie with adoption as its centerpiece theme, she has some real-life knowledge about the subject. And she tells a journalist her truth about how adoption is portrayed. But her viewpoint on adoption isn't popular with either pro-life or pro-choice proponents. How do you become family - really family (Family, Family)?

***

The Spy Coast

By Tess Gerritsen 

This one is another mystery/thriller - my favorite genre. Former spy settles in Purity, Maine, and raises chickens at her farm near on the coast. She's trying to leave the past behind, but then a body turns up in her driveway. Maggie isn't the only retired spy living in her small community. This group of friends help her investigate, all the while trying to appease the local police chief, who can't figure out how the "Martini Club" is investigating just as quickly as the police force. 

***

 The Mystery Guest

By Nita Prose

 

This is the second Molly the Maid book by Nita Prose, and I again enjoyed the capers and peculiarities of the offbeat character, Molly. She's now Head Maid at a five-star hotel. But there's another death at the hotel. This time, her new maid-in-training is on the lead detective's radar as a chief suspect. What are Molly's friend and the hotel's doorman hiding? Is there a tie-in to Molly's past? It's another quick-read caper with Molly and those she cares about in the crosshairs of Detective Stark's investigative radar. 

 

***

 

 

The Ascent

By Adam Plantinga

 

This one is another edge-of-your-seat thriller. However, it is pretty violent and graphic, so I offer that word of warning for those who are squeamish or prefer other things. A former Detroit cop is at loose ends after his wife dies of cancer. He gets sideways with a small town cop after he witnesses a young girl being dragged into an alley. Going up against the cop gets him beat up and sent to a maximum security prison. And it just so happens that the governor's daughter, Julie, in touring the prison when its systems fail. Kurt ends up trying to help Julie and others escape, while battling the most dangerous convicts in Missouri.  

 

***

 

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

By Elle Cosimano

Don't judge a book by its cover. Well, I did. I am probably the visitor that Barnes and Noble dreads seeing. On a recent trip to Kansas City, I browsed through the book store. But instead of purchasing the books, I had my library app open and I was putting books on hold at my library. This was one of those books. I had to chuckle when I read the blurb on the bottom of the page: "Most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty A.M. on any given morning ..."

 

Finlay Donovan is a struggling novelist and mom of two. She's behind on her book contract. And her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her. She is discussing the plot of her new novel with her agent while lunching at Panera and a customer mistakenly thinks she's a contract killer. That customer "hires" her for a job. How can she get out of this? 

I'll be checking out other of the Finlay Donovan books in the series.

DISAPPOINTMENT

The Exchange

By John Grisham

When I saw that a sequel to The Firm was coming out, I re-read the original book. I thoroughly enjoyed it again, and I was looking forward to reading The Exchange when my name got to the top of the "hold" list at the library. 

It was OK. Randy liked it much better than I did. In it, Mitch and Abby McDeere - the central characters from The Firm - are living in New York City. Mitch is now employed with a different high-power firm. A colleague in Rome asks him to look into a project in the Middle East. Of course, there's a sinister plot and Mitch is again in the middle of it all with friends and family in danger yet again.

***

As always, if you have books to recommend, please share them with me. I'm always looking for my next read!

 

Booking It to the Library

It seems appropriate that the ribbon cutting for the renovations at the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford occurred during October - National Book Month.

However, in my opinion, it's always the right time to celebrate libraries and books - two of my favorite things. 

The ribbon cutting during Stafford Oktoberfest celebrated the renovations for the library, which has been part of Stafford since 1905. It was constructed in memory of Nora Emily Larabee, who died in 1904 at the age of 27 from tuberculosis. One year later, her parents, who were prominent Stafford residents - Joseph Delos and Angeline Larabee along with her two brothers - contracted the building of the library, complete with a stained glass portrait of Nora. The family donated the library as a gift to the City of Stafford. 

Stained glass window at the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford

 

In 1963, the library had its first expansion. Mrs. William E. Richardson donated the east room - The Richardson Wing - in memory of her late husband. 

Taken several years ago in the east room of the library - The Richardson Wing.

The community rallied together in 1975, raising the funds to move the children's library from the basement to the south room addition it currently occupies. 

Guests at the ribbon-cutting could also walk downstairs to the old children's room to view the tiles surrounding the old fireplace. That is a defining memory for many of the people who grew up in Stafford.

Randy (AKA Fantastic Fritz) doing magic for a Nora's Gathering at the library's current children's room on the main level in May 2022.

In 2006, the library was accepted for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, thanks to the initiative of longtime librarian, Dixie Osborn. As librarian in 2020, Denise Dickson commissioned an architectural and structural engineering site assessment of the failing foundation and front door. Then, in 2021, librarian Jan McKeel wrote an article for The Stafford Courier, asking for donations to fund the foundation restoration project. Additionally, she wrote a successful application for the Heritage Trust Fund Grant, which brought in $90,000 from the Kansas Historical Society.

Taken during the reception following the ribbon cutting, October 7, 2023

 

The Courier article attracted the attention of two major local donors, who pledged $50,000 and challenged the library and community to raise matching funds. Thus, the Preserving Nora's Legacy Committee was launched. During the fall and winter of 2021, donations from large to small began arriving at the library, thanks to the hard work of volunteers. An additional $98,000 was raised. The library also got grants from Golden Belt Community Foundation, South Central Community Foundation, Kansas Strategic Economic Expansion and Development and Midwest Energy. To date, $310,000 has been raised to help restore and preserve the library.

Donors are recognized for their gifts in this memorial display, created by local woodworker/artisan Robert Owens.

While the library is an historic treasure in Stafford, it is not simply serving as a "museum" to the past. Nora's Place - as it is affectionately called locally - has undergone a renaissance in the past few years. Librarians and volunteer committees are also working hard to make the Nora Larabee Memorial Library a hub of community activity. Since 2021, the library has sponsored Nora's Gatherings. These once-a-month events offer art, music, storytelling, children's activities, food and fellowship. In June, I had the honor of displaying my photography during Nora's Gathering. The display remained in pace as Stafford welcomed Bike Across Kansas participants. The library provided a cool place for weary bikers to rest, to access reliable wi-fi, get a homemade piece of pie and ice cream and visit with fellow bikers and community members. Nora's portrait in stained glass became a backdrop for many photos that bikers shared to provide a memory of that day in Stafford. (Click HERE for more about that event.)

I love the Larabee Library. But I am an equal opportunity library lover. I also claim the Hutchinson Public Library as "my" library. I first got a library card there when I moved to Hutchinson to begin working at The Hutchinson News in 1979. A trip to Hutchinson ALWAYS includes a stop at the library. 

If you are a library lover, too, and have some discretionary funds, the Nora E. Larabee Memorial Library is still raising funds to redo the front steps and finish repairs on the historic windows. They also are seeking additional grant funding.

For more information, check out the Preserving Nora's Legacy and the Nora E. Larabee Facebook pages.  There's a Paypal link on the Legacy page. Or contact the library if you have questions about donations. You can also email them at preservingnoraslegacy@gmail.com.

***

During this National Book Month, I thought I'd take the opportunity to recommend a few more books. As I've mentioned before, it's always a little risky to recommend books. What I like to read may not appeal to you - and visa versa. And that's OK. At my age, I've come to the realization that if I don't like a book, I'll stop reading it and start another one. So many books ... so little time.

The River We Remember is by William Kent Krueger. I probably liked two of his other books - This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace - a little better than this one. But I enjoyed this one, too. It's set in 1958 in a small Minnesota town located alongside a river. A local man is murdered and another is arrested for the crime. But does the local sheriff have the right person? Why won't the man proclaim his innocence. Who is he protecting? Just like the river, there are undercurrents of the past and the present in the lives of the people in the community of Jewel, Minnesota, including prejudice, post-traumatic stress disorder from the war and other scars from their pasts. I loved this summary in the epilogue: "Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about the past. In all of them there is truth, and in all of them, a good deal of innocent misremembering."

ANYTHING by Fiona Davis. My sister, Lisa, who shares similar taste in reading, suggested The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. I read - and enjoyed - that book in September, which featured Radio City Music Hall, and then went in search of other books by Fiona Davis, and I have loved them all so far. Since that first suggested book, I've read four additional Fiona Davis books. They all have an iconic building as their centerpiece. They also have two story lines from two different time periods that eventually intertwine.  

Since I'm writing about the library today, I'll start with The Lions of of Fifth Avenue, which featured the New York Public Library. One of the women was a librarian's wife and essayist in 1913, Laura Lyons. The other portion of the story deals with Laura's granddaughter in 1993. 

The Masterpiece was about Grand Central Station. One portion of the storyline deals with Clara Darden, who teaches at the Grand Central School of Art in the 1920s, unusual for a woman of that day and age. The other - set in 1974 - tells the story of Virginia Clay, a recent divorcee who ends up working in the dilapidated Grand Central Station information booth. 

I've also read The Address and The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis. I think I have two more Fiona Davis books to read until I'm fresh out. I hope she's working on her next one.

Change of Plans was a light read by Dylan Newton. In it, chef Bryce Wetherford suddenly becomes guardian to her three young nieces. She moves to a new town and meets Ryker Matthews, who lost his leg at war and now runs an auto mechanic shop. It's a light, funny, romantic comedy that reads really quickly. 

I've enjoyed other books by Shari Lapena, and Everyone Here is Lying is no exception. The town of Stanhope seems to be a great place to raise a family. But Avery Wooler, age 9, is missing. Her father - William Wooler - seems to be a family man, but he's been having an affair. William isn't the only one on his street hiding a secret. Who took Avery? There are lots of twists and turns in this domestic thriller. 

I've also enjoyed several books by Matthew Quirk this year, including The Night Agent. I guess there's a Netflix show based on this book, but I don't have Netflix so I can't speak to it. I can speak to the ability of Matthew Quirk to write fast-moving thrillers. An FBI agent's reputation is tainted by his father's legacy. Peter Sutherland's dad was suspected of selling secrets to the Russians. Still, Sutherland is given a job in the White House Situation Room. Can Peter uncover a Russian mole that's been hiding in plain sight in the upper echelons of the American government before it's too late? Quirk's books are fast-moving conspiracy thrillers with lots of action.

If you have books you've enjoyed, please let me know. I'm always in the market for a good book.

The Bookworm

Thanks to Carol Mosier for posting these vintage Summer Reading Program certificates on the Facebook group, "You know you're from Pratt, KS..."

I don't NEED prizes to get me to read. I was way ahead of the era in which bibliophiles earned mini pan pizzas from Pizza Hut just for reading. I have loved to read since my brain made the connection between lines on a page and a wonderful story to unfold.

Not long ago, someone posted photos of Summer Reading Program certificates from the Pratt Public Library on the Facebook group, "You know you're from Pratt, KS."

Those bookworms filled in with green stickers struck a chord with me and with several others in the Facebook group. I remember carefully sticking those green circles on the bookworm as I finished book after book. 

Old habits die hard. This summer, I've been participating in the Hutchinson Public Library summer reading program for adults and another for my local library, the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford. In this newfangled age, I keep track of my reading for the Hutchinson contest through a Beanstack app on my phone. I still use pencil and paper for the Stafford library version. At the Hutch library, they randomly draw names from those who've read books that week and award prizes throughout the summer. Not long ago, I got a phone call from the library, saying I'd gotten a prize. Next time I was there, I picked up my $10 gift certificate from the Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce. 

I still use the book bag I won a couple of years ago in the Hutch library reading contest.

 

Even if I hadn't won anything, I'd still believe I won the lottery with the services provided free of charge at public libraries. 

 

But who doesn't like to win? (I still get a little thrill from entering things in the county fair, too, you know.) My summer reading prize this year may not have been a trip to the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty, like I earned one year during the summer reading program at the Pratt library. But it was a nice treat anyway!

During my Covid cleaning days, I found a prize from what I'm guessing was my first reading award. It was a book by Robert Louis Stevenson.

These days, I may not read 230 books a year, like I did in second grade. However, I still usually read around 100 books a year. (They may be slightly longer than the ones from second grade.)

This was how I looked on the first day of 2nd grade. I probably didn't look a whole lot different at the end.

When I weeded out books on the office shelves, I found a couple of other books awarded as year-end reading prizes. I got "Best Friend" for reading 166 books in third grade and "Anne of Ingleside" for reading 47 books as a 4th grader. (I guess I was a slacker in 4th grade or the books got longer - probably the latter.)

Kim's 3rd Grade Class - Byers Grade School

As you can see, I didn't have to "beat out" too many readers in the third grade at Byers Grade School.

My fourth grade class dwindled to three people. (So you can take my award-winning ways for what they are worth!)

The following year, when I was a 5th grader, Byers joined Skyline Schools, a rural consolidation. Either books weren't awarded as year-end prizes or I was no longer the "champion" reader. I'm kind of guessing it was the former.

Just for a little perspective: I also found some report cards and notes from the same teacher who awarded the reading prizes. She sent math flash cards home over the summer, with a note to my parents that I needed to practice my math skills. So I certainly wasn't winning any math awards in grade school (or high school, for that matter! Thank you, Mr. Bisel for getting me through Algebra and Geometry!)

"A Child's Garden of Verses" has beautiful illustrations. One of the poems talks about where books "take" you. "At my dear land of storybooks," I can forget the world and get lost among the characters I picture in my mind. Reading can transport us away from our everyday lives.

They can help us think "Happy Thoughts."

We all could use a little of that, don't you think?

 

***

 

It's time for another round of book recommendations. As I say every time I do this, everyone has their own taste in books. I take photos of book covers and send them to Jill or to my sister, Lisa, thinking they'd like particular books. But I always find it a bit risky to recommend books to others. 

I read. Randy golfs. I am a much better reader than golfer.

But here goes. Maybe someone else looks for recommendations from someone they actually know. If you like them, let me know. And, if you don't, that's OK, too. Everyone has different genres, authors or other preferences. So find one you like and read it. And be sure and tell me: I might like it, too. At my age, I've decided that if I don't like a book after I've given it a fair shot, I move onto the next. As the old saying goes: "So many books. So little time."

I've given an Amazon link for each one. That's not to encourage you to buy it. I don't get a cut from sales. It just gives more of a synopsis than I've given. I'd encourage you to find the books at your local library. Or support a local bookstore and purchase locally. I occasionally buy secondhand books through the Thriftbooks website. I also enjoy going to Bookaholic for second-hand books when I'm in Wichita. But, the vast majority of books I read are from my public libraries, including all the books below.

  

Hello Beautiful

by Ann Napolitano 

This book has been one of my favorites of the year so far. Like Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women," it tells the story of four sisters. It's also the story of William Waters, who grew up in a very different kind of family than the Padavano sisters. William meets the oldest Padavano sister, Julia, when he moves away from home to attend college on a basketball scholarship. They marry, and the book explores the family dynamics as Julia and William make a home together and interact through the decades with her three sisters. But it also touches on the precarious ways mental illness impacts individuals and families. Does tragedy tear people apart or bring them together? It's a wonderful story, but it's also beautifully written. 

***

Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421

By T. J. Newman

 

This is another favorite of the summer. It was one I had trouble putting down, and I read it in a day. I liked T.J. Newman's first book, "Falling," too. It's mystery, family drama and thriller, all in one. Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors, but the plane sinks with 12 passengers trapped inside, including engineer Will Kent and his 11-year-old daughter Shannon. 

Among those working on a rescue is professional diver Chris Kent, Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife. The clock is ticking as the plane perches on an unstable, underwater shelf and the oxygen in the plane dwindles.  It's an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

 

***

The House of Eve

By Sadeqa Johnson

 

This book is set in the 1950s and centers around the lives of two young Black women: Ruby is a hard-working student in Philadelphia determined to become the first person in her family to go to college. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, to attend Howard University, where she meets William Pride. He is from one of the city's well-to-do families and his family thinks she's all wrong for their son. The two women's lives collide in an unexpected way, which will change both of them and their families forever.

 

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I Will Find You

By Harlan Coben

It's always a good day when I discover Harlan Coben has a new book out. This one did not disappoint. David Burroughs was once a devoted father, raising a 3-year-old son, Matthew, with his wife, Cheryl. But that all changes when David wakes up to discover Matthew had been murdered while David slept just down the hall. David says he didn't do it. But he's convicted of the murder and is serving his sentence in a maximum-security prison. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during visiting hours and shows him a photograph. It was taken at an amusement park, and someone in the background looks like Matthew. How can David prove his innocence? 

 

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You Were Always Mine

By Christine Pride and Jo Piazza

Cinnamon Haynes works hard as a career counselor at a local community college, living with her husband in a small beach town. Taking lunch breaks at a nearby park, she meets a young girl named Daisy. She doesn't know her well, but Daisy seems to time her trips to the park to overlap with Cinnamon's. Then, one day, Cinnamon discovers a baby left behind the bench where she typically sits for lunch. Cinnamon had no idea that Daisy was pregnant, but Daisy leaves a note, asking her to take care of the little girl. But while white couples often foster or adopt Black babies, it's much less socially-acceptable for a Black woman to foster a blue-eyed, blond-haired little girl. Both women are challenged when Daisy's grandparents take Cinnamon to court to get custody of the baby. It's a well-written story, and it makes you think. That's a winning combination, in my book (pun intended).

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Yours Truly

By Abby Jimenez

 

You'd think that life as a doctor would be smooth sailing. But it isn't for Dr. Briana Ortiz. Her younger brother needs a kidney transplant, and she isn't a match. To top it off, she thinks she's about to be overlooked for a promotion in favor of a new doctor at the hospital, Jacob Maddox. They have a run-in - literally and figuratively. To apologize, Jacob writes Briana an old-fashioned letter. Briana writes him back, and they begin to correspond via the written word - not texts or emails. Jacob ends up being a donor match for her brother. Is there a catch? This one isn't War and Peace, but it's a good, well-written light read.

 

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Books by Viola Shipman

A Wish for Winter

Famous in a Small Town

The Recipe Box

I've read three books by Viola Shipman this summer. They are in a similar vein as Yours Truly. They are light reads, but they were all engaging stories. Since there was a dash of food in a couple of them, they appealed to me. They are written by a man, using a pseudonym inspired by his Grandma Viola. 

Viola Shipman has written a number of books. I will keep adding those to my book list to pick up at the library.

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Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen

by Joe Drape

I'm a football fan - high school, college and NFL. And while I don't read a lot of nonfiction books, I enjoyed "Our Boys: A Perfect Season." It tells the story of Smith Center (KS) High School's Redmen, coached by Roger Barta. During the year in which the Redmen were seeking their fifth straight state high school championship title, a New York City sportswriter - Joe Drape - moved his family to Smith Center to follow the team and became part of the community. If you're anxiously awaiting football season and Friday night lights, this book may tide you over. As is often the case for coaches, Barta was looking to develop good young men - not just great football players:  "Respect each other, then learn to love each other and together we are champions." Roger Barta