My mother, also an avid reader, kept a journal listing of each book she’d read as well as a letter grade next to the title and author. It was the teacher in her, and she was a tough grader. So when a book she read received an “A” ~ I knew it was worth the read.

I’ve carried on her tradition and have kept a running list of the books I’ve read over the last 20 years, since her passing. In this space, I’ll be sharing some of those books, as well as highlighting other artists — musicians, painters, sculptors — whose work, for me, conveyed a story in a unique and compelling way. I’ll also share updates on my own work and will post regularly, so check back often.

The River We Remember, William Kent Krueger - An absolutely stunning novel in which the small Minnesota town, surrounding land ~ most of all the Alabaster River ~ in which it takes place are as much the main characters as the people who inhabit it. Krueger is a masterful storyteller and his details, descriptions and honest dialogue are all elements every writer strives for, and every reader is fortunate to be able to enjoy. And if you enjoy this, check out his novel, Ordinary Grace. Exquisite.

Tell Me Everything, Elizabeth Strout ~ Rarely do you find an author who writes with such brevity and says so much. Strout’s characters, most of whom wind throughout all her novels, are some of the most honest, decent people you’ll meet. The depth of each character belies the stereotype of New Englanders being cold and void of emotion. Of course they are not; and Strout plumbs their emotions ~ and in so doing, ours ~ to the core. While not necessary to read in order, her novels trace the arc of her main character’s lives beautifully. Check out these novels by her as well: Abide with Me, Olive Kitteridge, The Burgess Boys, and My Name is Lucy Barton