Bookworm

The summer reading programs of my youth are to blame for the glutenous manner in which I consume book after book while the heat and humidity rage outside my window.

It also helps to have been invited into a long-standing book club in the area where I live. With them, I recently read "A Gathering of Old Men" by Ernest Gaines. If you haven't read it or it's been a while, I highly recommend it. Be prepared to squirm in discomfort at the honest portrayal of race relations in the South and to celebrate the triumph of knowing that it's never too late to stand up for yourself.

"The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder is another recent read. I wanted those pages of richly-drawn characters to go on forever and for the narrator to step out from the shadows. I've spent many an hour discussing this novel's overarching question with some deep thinkers: "are the events of our lives pre-ordained?" Seems to fly in the face of free will, but I imagine this question will continue to be discussed, challenged and rolled around for many generations to come.

What have you read this summer that gave you pause?