While I’m an elder, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to dying, that is until my brother, who’s 20 months younger, announced in...
Thinking About Death
While I’m an elder, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to dying, that is until my brother, who’s 20 months younger, announced in a recent late-night phone call that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. (To preserve my brother’s [...]
Pat Taub
Book Review5
Summer Reads that WOW!
In these dark times slow reading or embracing books with paper pages can be a source of resistance and a place of refuge. I breathe easier when I turn away from the Internet to read real books in real time. Summer reading makes it possible to revisit a time when reading was leisurely. My picks of summer books runs the gamut from thrillers [...]
Pat Taub
Summer Reads that Wow!
For me, summer reading is all about picking up an actual book, which I do throughout the year, but not with the same frequency. Summer reading is the time to indulge myself with the physical world of print: to turn paper pages, admire beautiful covers and recapture those summers before books were downloaded. First on my list is Arundhati Roy’s The [...]
Pat Taub
Winter Reads that Wow!
My favorite part of winter in New England is the forced hibernation because it offers the perfect excuse to lose myself in a good book while snuggled into an oversized sweater, flannel sweats and slipper moccasins. This winter the escape into reading has taken on new meaning— I think you know why. I loved Zade Smith’s Swing Time. I’ve [...]
Pat Taub
Recommended Summer Reads
For me, good summer reads are books driven by immensely likeable characters and a great story. In this vein, I’m offering some of my recommendations for books you may find so engrossing that you’ll take them into the shower, before you realize what you’ve done! At the top of my list is A Manuel for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin. This [...]
Pat Taub
Two Great Winter Reads: “My Name is Lucy Barton” and “Excellent Daughters”
Portland, Maine, my hometown, is famous for lobster dinners, craft beer and the ubiquitous appearance of LL Bean boots, but, for those who live here, it’s equally well known as a city of readers. In this spirit I’m championing two great reads to enjoy while snuggled up next to your wood stove with a cup of tea. My first pick is Elizabeth [...]
Pat Taub