Bertha's Books and Bookery takes on novels

Like my best critical reader I am a "Reader." That is I like to read: newspapers and magazines, the (sometimes garbage but sometimes really good) stuff that shows up on the internet. I probably have far too many subscriptions.

But most of all, I like to read books. A book that is so slight that I have no interest in dipping into again, soon winds up on the shelves of out church's thrift store. On the other hand I can be pretty selective, mostly selective enough to find books that will allow for rereading. Mostly I ration my rereadings so that I won't get worn out with favorite titles.

What do I like?

Various. I have some westerns, some mysteries, some Sci-Fi (here I am very selective) some mainstream (including historical) fiction and some "serious stuff," like history, comment, even some religious stuff, to include but not to be limited to, Bibles. And of course there is the public library.

Books, if you are a bookish person, become old friends. If you have been adequately selective in your purchases, there will be a few that you can read anytime. Times, maybe, when you're a little out of sorts — have the blahs — and want to read something that may help change your attitude. I have several.

They range from things like James Hilton's Goodbye Mr. Chips, which is quite short and almost always satisfying, to tome-like longer things like Kenneth Roberts' mammoth, engrossing and fascinating American Revolution tale Oliver Wiswell.

Roberts, within the historical eras he selected is, to my mind the best; and the listed novel perhaps the finest American historical piece. His research, as far as I can tell, was complete and without flaws. He had the ability to insert his characters into history and develop an exciting, often intriguing, historical novel, without having to modify in any way the historical events which set the stage for the story. Few novelists try to take that course because, I think, it is far easier to make little modifications (in the facts) than to make the characters fit into the existing historical record. Anyway, Roberts' books are old, old friends, and even after repeated readings have the ability to surprise me.

Another good one is Walter D. Edmonds, particularly his Drums Along the Mohawk, the story of the Revolutionary War in New York's Mohawk Valley. A very accurate and satisfying book.

But there are many escape channels via printed reading matter. "Readers" should sometimes revisit the books they first encountered as children. Some of the books, read at 10 or 12 years old or so, release new secrets when read as an adult. Tom Sawyer was entertaining — fun — when I read it a 10 or 12 but more delightful years later, even though I had read the story a number of times before consigning it more or less permanently to the books shelves.

And there are "children's" books which may have originally been written for adults. I cannot imagine any youngster getting the kick out of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables I did reading it as a "mature" adult.

I think I'm starting to babble a bit here, so maybe I should quit while I'm ahead or at least not too far behind.

jmdl