Book bits

Yet for all her disillusionment – "why did we rationalists repeat the liturgy/ of Genesis and flood that we disbelieved?" – Kumin finds a divine presence in the natural world and solace in both the memory of loved ones (her mother who wore corsets ) and long-term relationships (her husband of 60 years.)

"Still to Mow" is filled with love – a rugged love – which is why the first 14 poems seem oddly pale or out of place. Straighten your back before starting this collection, and consider reading the first section last.

– Elizabeth Lund

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

Bookfinders.com last week released their annual list of the Top 10 most searched for out-of-print books across 10 different categories. They pointed to a "distinctly masculine tone" to this year's list, noting the success of titles like The Book of Bond or Everyman His Own 007 by Kingsley Amis and The Great Tool Emporium by David Manners, although I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding by Jessica Simpson was also a featured title.

Books scoring high in particular categories include Sex by Madonna (No. 1 in arts and music); Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People by Tim Reiterman (biography); The Lion's Paw by Robb White (children's); Football Scouting Methods by Steve Belichick (crafts, hobbies, and how-to); Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr. (fiction); Flash in the Pan: Life and Death of an American Restaurant by David Blum (history); One Way Up by John F. Straubel (science); Rage by Stephen King (science fiction, fantasy, and horror), and Our Harvard by Jeffrey L. Lant, ed. (society and culture.) – M. K.

Readers' picks

Plenty: One Man, One Woman and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally, Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon's chronicle of their year following a 100-mile diet, makes a challenging companion to Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." – Fred Maier, Randolph, Ohio

Meg Noble Peterson's book Madam, Have You Ever Really Been Happy? takes the reader on a journey through Africa and Asia. It is a very personal account of a divorced mother of five grown children who travels alone through four continents in an attempt to understand herself and the world. She is naive, but fearless. A most enjoyable read. – Jean Covert Blesh, Endicott, N.Y.

My wife and I are enjoying the detective novels by Swedish writer Henning Mankell. His hero, if he can called that, is Kurt Wallander, a divorced, middle-aged, depressed detective in a small-town police department on the southern coast of Sweden. The constantly overcast weather darkens the mood of the principal characters and evokes a strong sense of place. My favorite so far is the 1993 The White Lioness.– Larry Langgard, Regina, Saskatchewan

I am reading Banker to the Poor by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. It is a subject I find deeply interesting.– Marian Musse, Alexandria, Va.

The House that George Built by Wilfrid Sheed, includes delightfully intimate portraits of the icons of Tin Pan Alley. Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers stand out among those creative geniuses who gave us the songs that have become known as American Popular Music. – Bill Hill, Tampa, Fla.

What are you reading? Write and tell us at Marjorie Kehe.

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