Julia Johnston

I read books depending on what’s going on in my life. In February, for example, I’m tired of winter so I always read about baseball. I love baseball--and catchers and pitchers will soon report for spring training. The only reason any book is on this list is because for me it was a "good read." Maybe we like some of the same books.

Memories of Summer by Roger Kahn. This veteran sportswriter has written about his growing up intertwined with the fate of his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. He writes gracefully of the players, their foibles and strengths, the angst of being a Dodger fan, the bond with his father molded in Ebbets Field, and the way life goes on when he realizes at age 17 that he won’t ever be the Dodgers’ third baseman.

The Patient from Hell by Stephen H. Schneider, Ph.D. We follow Schneider’s path through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Schneider details how he refused to be treated like "the average patient" as called for in medical tests and treatment protocols. He tells readers how to advocate for themselves and work with doctors to get the most effective treatments. I wish I’d read this book before or even when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and then thyroid cancer. I’m left with the nagging concern, though, that such great medical care is not as readily available to everyone. People without good insurance or financial means most likely could not follow Schneider’s methods.

Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider. If you ever wanted to write anything or are a writer with writer’s block, Schneider may have some answers for you. It’s not therapy, but she encourages introspection through suggested writing exercises. I admit to being surprised at what I wrote a couple times, but not frightened. Just encouraged to write more.

Local Wonders by Ted Kooser. This gentle reflection and appreciation of rural life made me smile, feel at peace, and say, "Wow, is that wonderful writing" at least once in every vignette. Of course, I grew up in a mountain town of 800 (when the tourists came in the summer), so he touched some rural memories. Kooser is the 2004-2005 Poet Laureate of the United States.

Caribou Rising by Rick Bass. This is Bass’s journey from his Montana home to Alaska to shoot a caribou. On the way, he compares his hunting with the native Gwich-‘in people’s subsistence hunting and culture as they guide him to the caribou. But it’s a bad year for caribou. The herd is late and the Gwich-‘in will have a lean winter if the animals don’t appear soon. Bass, who cares about the environment for future generations, winds this story around the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling and global warming issues.

The Dance of Deception by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. I picked this book up because I’m interested in how women achieve autonomy within or outside of intimate relationships. She talks about being truthful and understanding what fear does to women, among other topics. This is on my read-again list, with sticky notes for reference points.

Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis. This little book that won a Pulitzer Prize takes these Founding Fathers-- Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams and Madison--out of their stiff museum portraits and humanizes them within the issues of the time.