June '26 Books Read

Seven books read in this month of June that went by faster than a speeding train. Eight if you count The Sugar Train again as I did read it last month and again this month. 

First the three library books: I thought I had read all the Sandra Brown books until I discovered Exclusive and Outfox in the large print section.

Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser caught my attention because of the title and because it was listed as the most read book in Europe. Ten year old Mona is in danger of losing her eyesight. Her beloved grandfather makes it his mission to introduce Mona to fifty-two works of art in the year they believe she has left before going blind. It was interesting that attached to the back of this book was an envelope containing pictures of the paintings being viewed in the book. 

The Sugar Train by Becky Faber is the book I have included again. Not only did I read it again, I had the pleasure of hear Becky read some of her poems from the book when she visited us on the 19th. 

Adjoining Rooms is a collection of poems written by Nebraska women writers. Nebraska Presence is an anthology containing two of Becky's poems and four by Ted Kooser, a poet I am quite fond of. The note from Becky accompanying these three books she sent began: "It is my mission today to overwhelm you with poetry!" She did a good job and I have been enjoying reading all the poems.

Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katherine S. White (wife of E. B. White - Charlotte's Web should jump to your mind) is a book about gardening catalogs sent to me by my daughter Kari. It is  interesting to find just how many gardening catalogs there were. As I told her, it brought back a lot of memories of the catalogs arriving in January or February and Mom going through them deciding what to order. Then later when I had my own home and garden patch doing the same thing.

The final book is Local Wonders - Seasons in the Bohemian Alps by Ted Kooser. This one was hand delivered by Becky when she was here. I was so excited because I thought it was another book of his poetry. Instead it is a four season collection of his thoughts and what was going on in his life. I could not have been more wrong about being disappointed that it wasn't poetry. Kooser's prose is just as beautiful as his poetry. It is a book I will read time and time again. (The Bohemian Alps is the name given to the area of Nebraska where Kooser lives.)

This is an example of his prose: "The sky is like old blue denim just before dawn, with one round hole worn through, exposing the cold bony knee of the moon. I have been hearing the trilling of tree frogs.  That a frog - even one with the chirp of a bird - would live in a tree (not even in but on), clinging with little suction cups to keep from falling, is the geight of craziness, but forty feet in the air, light as leaves, their tiny hearts are slow and steady under kite paper skin, and their black eyes shine with moonlight. Let us praise all who ascend to such high places on the sheer face of the world."

Whatever I read in July will have to be really good to top what I've read this month.