Page 19 - Panama City Living Magazine

BOOK REVIEWS
PREFACE
Anyone who knows me will be unsurprised to hear that my rapid reading pace continues as I finish about two to three books a week. Whether in print or via e-reader, my most recent book lineup consisted of an eclectic mix that I can highly recommend: Louise Penny’s “A Better Man,” the John Jordan mystery series by local author Michael Lister, Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Olivia Hussey’s memoir “The Girl on the Balcony,” “The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe” by Angela Kelly, “Chances Are” by Richard Russo, and “The Mister” by E. L. James.
I was pleasantly surprised by a recent Pew Research Center study indicating that about 72 percent of U.S. adults have read a book in the past year. That's seven in ten. But if you want to look at it another way, this statistic means that about 28 percent of all adults in the United States did not read a single book, in any format. Pew reports that this number (of those adults who have not read a book) is higher than it was a decade ago, and of course varies depending on gender, age, and education.
I like to think that perhaps those who haven’t read a book recently simply haven’t found the right one or did not consider that audiobooks can enable multitasking or can be useful when in transit, whether by vehicle or on foot or by whatever mode. Making time to read can be a challenge. Life intervenes and causes the shrinkage of valuable reading time, even though the availability of and access to books seems greater than ever. E-book readers and smartphones are ubiquitous and convenient; finish one book, and your next one is just a download away. The library is always standing by with the latest in print or digital books, welcoming to all. There are even Little Free Libraries in our community where book sharing is encouraged and one can “leave a book, take a book” at no charge. Check out littlefreelibrary.org to discover one near you.
How about you? On which end of the reading spectrum do you land? Is that where you want to be? If not, what are your reading goals? I look forward to hearing about your bookish plans!
Submit your book review for consideration to: Laura@panamacityliving.com PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER
VENUE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY: THE GRAND MARLIN, PANAMA CITY BEACH
www.PanamaCityLiving.com • March—April 2020 • 19