I can’t always claim to be an avid reader, but since I’ve made more time recently to read, and October happens to be National Book Month, I thought I would share a few books that have been a delight to get lost in recently.
I tend to enjoy fiction more so than nonfiction, but I’m also fond of biographies. There’s something about the way really good biographers write the real stories of people’s lives that it almost feels like reading a work of fiction. Their life leaps off the page and you find yourself imagining the storyline, just as you would with any great fiction book.
Recently, Fred couldn’t put down a biography about Sarah Vaughan. That’s how I knew it was a must-read. Fred rarely puts down his newspaper in favor of a book, but this one had him so engaged that he was sneaking in any time he could just to read a few pages. I knew I had to check it out, and I’m glad I did!
For those who don’t know, Sarah Vaughan is an American jazz singer whose voice became known for its wide, expansive range. She’s often remembered as a musician with great talent, and she was, but she also had to work really, really hard to get to that point. Sometimes when a celebrity or historical figure is lauded in the way she was, we often forget the work it took to get there. I often find biographies fill in those gaps, reminding us that these people are human.
Biographies remind me that a person’s background matters. So often the work I do is focused on the future and the “what ifs.” However, biographies teach me to remember how the history and past of a person’s life impacts the future and legacy they want to leave behind. In a way, a person’s estate plan is a biography that’s the culmination of their life. It’s a powerful thing to consider.
Of course, I’m not always reading for a lesson! I work with technical and heavy writing all the time, so sometimes it’s nice to read something pleasant and easy. There’s no place better to do that than in my bed in the middle of a weekend afternoon, with a cup of tea in my hand and the fall leaves outside. It’s so indulgent!
As an avid foodie, I also really enjoy books about food. I recently finished Peter Mayle’s 1989 book, “A Year in Provence.” Mayle recounts his first year in a 200-year-old farmhouse in Lubéron with his wife and two dogs, and through it all, he weaves in tales of the local delicacies. In fact, food is a big part of the story. Mayle also wrote “The Vintage Caper,” which chronicles food stops around the globe, particularly within French cuisine. It’s a great read for my fellow food-obsessed readers. (All roads seem to lead back to food for me!)
I hope you’re taking time to read this fall. There are few greater ways to pass an afternoon or to learn more about others than cracking open a good book. And I’m always open to suggestions.
If you know of a good biography or food-focused book I should read, let me know. It just may become the latest book in my descent back into reading.
—Geneva Perry
P.S. It’s hard to believe, but Fred and I have been married for one year this October! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mark the occasion in this newsletter. Thank you to everyone for your well wishes this part year, and a very happy anniversary to my husband, Fred.
