June Lit List

Books

Last month’s pile of books is on the dash board of our car, since that is where most of my reading took place in June. Road trips are perfect for tearing through the “Books to Read” list. PB and I spent many happy hours listening to audio books in North Dakota. Here’s what was on the bookshelf, and Ipod, this month.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, by Cary Elwes — If I had a nickel for every time one of our kids said, “Marr-widge…”, I’d have a tower of five cent pieces. This was an entertaining audio because all of the actors from “The Princess Bride” chimed in with this recounting of what happened behind the scenes in the filming. Cary Elwes was charming as the main narrator.
Andy Catlett: Early Travels, by Wendell Berry — I checked off another Berry book in my quest to read the entire Port Williams series in 2017. It did not disappoint.
Get Up!: The Art of Perseverance, by Andy Greenberg and Ben Biddick — This book has a special place in my heart because Ben is my nephew. But I would have read it even if his name wasn’t on the cover. Incredible story. Adam Greenberg was hit in the head with a pitch in his first Major League at-bat. This guy never gave up. Very inspirational!
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life, by Steve Martin — This audio version was read by Steve Martin himself. In this book he shared how he spent 10 years honing his craft before becoming a “success,” and what he learned through the ups and downs of his famous career. (Language alert)
The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life Into a Work of Art, by Edwin McManus — I read this one extra fast because it ended up in my mailbox, but it wasn’t really for me. I raced through it before handing it off to the intended recipient. I think it was good, but it’s kind of a blur.
The Get Away Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life, by Ann Patchett and The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing and Life, by Marion Roach Smith
At the beginning of every summer I like to read a few books on writing and life, so these two titles obviously fit the bill. Then, I tell myself to stop reading books on writing, and just write.
The One-in-a-Million Boy, by Monica Wood — This book gets the prize for being the only one on the list without a subtitle. I listened to the audio version read by Chris Cuilla, a master at giving every character just the right voice, from the 104-year-old Lithuanian woman to the 11-year-old Boy Scout. It’s a heartwarming, funny, sad, hopeful story. I’m still smiling about the ending. (Language alert)