I have chosen some of my favorite novels that have strong, resilient and often heroic characters who find reasons to hope, if only a thread for some, and often in the bleakest of circumstances, when it is necessary for survival.

Most recently I fell in love with Lonely City by Olivia Laing. It’s a rich and fascinating book that is equal parts memoir, biography, and cultural criticism. Laing explores her own experience of intense loneliness through a lens of visual, musical, and cultural artists. The number of subjects she weaves together is inspiring. The reader is British, as is the author, although the book is mostly set in New York. I loved listening to the accent!

If there is room in your heart and home for a cat, maybe June is a great time to act. It’s national adopt-a-shelter-cat month! Cedar Mill Community Library is located near a pet supply store named Pet Barn, which continually houses a cat up for adoption. A little feline fix is only a five minute walk away!

I’m not into “beach reads” or “summer reads.” The seasons have very little influence when it comes to choosing the novel I’ll read next. Furthermore, [...]

What else do we love besides reading books? Listening to podcasts about books! Podcasts are recorded audio series that can be downloaded and played on [...]