While March may be recognized as National Reading Month, it’s always reading month for Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo volunteers. Here’s what some of them are reading …
[Note: Like our last post in which CIS staff shared what they are reading, book titles link to the Indie Bookstore Finder. Should a book peek your interest, this allows you to learn more and easily obain the book from one of our fabulous independent bookstores.]
I am reading (recently finished): Tecumseh and the Prophet, The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation by Peter Cozzens. Why this book? I grew up near Battleground, Indiana, and as a youth on multiple occasions visited the Battleground memorial, which honored Willian Henry Harrison, as well as ‘Prophet’s Rock’ which was reputed to be the site of a rousing speech by Tenskwatawa (The Prophet) to his followers. Having learned the ‘traditional’ history, I was interested to read about the perspective of the Shawnee brothers. It was illuminating to say the least! The Shawnee and other tribes were pawns, allied and abandoned on multiple occasions, in the efforts by Great Britain and the nascent United States to dominate North America. Spoiler Alert: It did not end well for the brothers and their followers.
Paul Runnels
I’ve been busy reading a lot of interesting books: Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson, Walk in My Combat Boots by James Patterson, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, and You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. All very different and eye-opening in different ways!
Susan Einspahr
I just finished (for the second time) Killers of the Flower Moon: the Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. It is a fascinating account of our history when the Osage Indians were systematically killed by whites in their Oklahoma town, circa 1921-? Highly recommended.
Karen Tinklenberg
Book I just finished: Skin In The Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Book I am reading: 7 Men And The Secrets Of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas.
Chris Werme
I’m reading The Giver of Stars, a novel by JoJo Moyes. Set in Depression-era America, it’s based on a true story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky. A team of women delivering books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. They’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.
Also reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, a novel by Gail Honeyman … the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes the only way to survive is to open your heart.
Holly Wohlfert
I just finished reading My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem – and I highly recommend it.
Ineke Way
I recently read The Vagabond: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn. It was informative of the culture and politics of the time.
Marti Terpsma
In the new year…
- Barack Obama – A Promised Land
- Abraham Verghese – Cutting for Stone
- Isabel Wilkerson – Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
- Louise Erdrich – The Night Watchman
I highly recommend ALL of them!
Martha Beverly
Transient Desires by Donna Leon — An Inspector Brunetti mystery set in Venice (a series)
The Women of the Copper Country by Dorian Russell
The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch (a series)
A Brave Day for Harold Brown by Mishana Shot
The Soul of America by Jon Meacham
To name a few…
Jim Cupper
I am currently reading The Gown by Jennifer Robson. Enjoyable so far. Relating to the wedding gown worn by Princess Elizabeth when she married Prince Phillip. Women and their friendships and their backgrounds as they relate to the past history and current times in their lives.
Nancy Laugeman
We’re reading A Promised Land by former President Barack Obama.
Nanette and Jack Keiser
Midnight Library by Matt Haig and This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon. Also, Darby’s (dog) Mom by Anita Lawson. I am currently reading The Innocent Classroom by Alexs Pate.
Deborah Yarbrough
Tags: Books, Chris Werme, CIS volunteers, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo (CIS), Deborah Yarbrough, Holly Wohlfert, Ineke Way, Jack Keiser, Jim Cupper, Karen Tinklenberg, Martha Beverly, Marti Terpsma, Nancy Laugeman, Nanette Keiser, Paul Runnels, reading, supporting students in public schools, Susan Einspahr
