I am a “fragrance aficionado” — I like to smell (pleasant) things. I love to get the little sample vials of various scents (instead of the regular-sized bottles) because I can try new fragrances and I don’t get bored with wearing the same ones all the time.
The same can be said for jewelry or clothes or food or anything you might mention; variety is the spice of life. So why are we often reluctant to put a little variety into our reading routine? If you sometimes “run out” of things to read, it could be because your range is too narrow and you’d benefit from venturing out to new authors and new genres. Keeping this in mind, I’m going to briefly mention a few names that may not be familiar to you. Give some of them a try and you might open up some possibilities.
Louise Penny is a Canadian author whose books defy classification. On the surface they’re police procedural mysteries, but they’re also about family connections and lifelong friendships and what makes up a community. With each book you learn more about the characters and love them more. Start with “Still Life.”
The late Jon Hassler wrote about small town life in Staggerford, Minnesota. The main character is retired teacher Agatha McGee. They’re gentle stories about how humans can connect and be there for each other. There is also a two-book set, “Rookery Blues” and “The Dean’s List,” set on a small college campus in Minnesota. These are two of my favorites.
Richard Russo does humorous stories with an undercurrent of deep humanity. They take place in small-town New England and feature working class people struggling to get by. My favorites are “Empire Falls,” “Straight Man,” “Nobody’s Fool,” and “Everybody’s Fool.”
Alice Hoffman writes mysterious, magical stories about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. I’ve never read anything by her that I didn’t love. Try “Practical Magic,” “Faithful,” “Here on Earth,” and “The Ice Queen.”
On the much lighter side Janet Evanovich has a raucous murder mystery series starring the very inept bail bonds officer and Jersey girl Stephanie Plum and her equally inept sidekick Lula. The scrapes they get into are hilarious and the characters they try to apprehend are the scum of the earth. “One for the Money” is the first of the series. It’s easy to keep up with where you are because each title announces its order (“Two for the Dough,” “Three to Get Deadly,” etc.). But don’t try these books if harsh language offends you!
British author Susan Howatch writes mostly historical fiction or family sagas. She’s also done a wonderful series built around the Anglican Church and its priests that spans several decades. It shows us that men of God face ethical and moral dilemmas just like the rest of us. This six-part series starts with “Glittering Images.”
I like to think that if Harper Lee were still alive she would admire the stories of Joshilyn Jackson, a writer who is steeped in the South. Her protagonists are females who face enormous personal challenges, work their way through, and come out stronger in the end. Some of her titles are “Gods in Alabama,” “Backseat Saints,” “Between, Georgia,” and “The Almost Sisters.” You will undoubtedly find more in-depth treatments of these authors in later columns. In the meantime, promise yourself that you’ll pick up one book that’s outside your comfort zone and give it a try. It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship! Happy reading!
