Books by Day & Stars by Night

recommendations from writer friends sprinkled with astrophotography

Greetings All,

I’ve been on an audiobook binge lately, and most of my selections are recommendations from writer friends. I’ve always been an avid reader and as a kid I spent many summer days curled on the couch in our garage turned rumpus room with my best friend Katy, who lived across the street, devouring everything from Archie comic books to Nancy Drew mysteries. And now I have friends who are not only readers but writers. How incredible and wonderful is that?! So, here in no particular order, are some recommendations by my friends, and an introduction to them for your summer reading pleasure:

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. “I just finished this book and highly recommend it. It is beautifully written and eerily reflective of some things we don't like to think about. I don't really know how to explain it; you should read it!” This from Kathy Goodman, a former Professor of Student Affairs at Miami University and editor of Educating About Religious Diversity and Interfaith Engagement, is a dear friend of my dear friend and artist Tarah Trueblood. Kathy clearly has great taste in friends and books (and names)! Our Missing Hearts was beautifully written, dystopian and riveting, reminiscent of Never Let Me Go and The Handmaid’s Tale. A fascinating listen.

“Just finished reading JoJo Moyes’ Someone Else’s Shoes. One of her best. I was reading on an airplane, laughing, then crying, then laughing again. They need to make a movie of it! So, so good!” Sue Magrath has worked as a therapist, spiritual director, a lay pastor, and was part of my cohort in the Upper Room’s 2 Year Academy for Spiritual Formation more than 20 years ago. The author of several works of nonfiction, including Healing the Ravaged Soul: Tending the Spiritual Wounds of Child Sexual Abuse, and a novel The Salvation of Poetry, Sue is deeply wise and oh so funny. Her recommendation is the perfect listen for a day or two of deep cleaning or yardwork. And, yes, Someone Else’s Shoes must become a movie!

“We All Want Impossible Things, by Catherine Newman, was thrust upon me and I resisted. I mean… humor, hospice, ovarian cancer, best friend? Kinda reeks of lemonade from lemons… yikes! But this novel is so funny and big hearted and bright. I find myself guffawing, in public. Why am I reading the novel in public? Because I cannot bring myself to set it down,” writes Natalie Serber. I’ve been a fan of Catherine Newman’s etiquette column in Real Simple magazine for years, and her novel’s main character appears to be a repository of all the sage advice Newman has given, as well as the absurd situations she’s been asked to weigh in on. I’ve been a fan of Natalie since meeting her in a creative writing class at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz County back in 1999. We eventually formed a writing group with our instructor, and then Natalie went on to earn an MFA and teach writing in the Portland area where she relocated. Her first book, the short story collection Shout Her Lovely Name made Oprah’s short list, and I was starstruck to have a friend’s book on the shelves of my local bookstore. Natalie sends out a twice-monthly newsletter: Read. Write. Eat. with reading recommendations, writing prompts, recipes, and her delightful take on life. She has almost 1,000 subscribers. You should join us.

Heating and Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs. “I love how short can say so much,” writes Laurie Skiba, of Beth Ann Fennelly’s weird and amazing morsels, which served as my literary nightcap on my Kindle app recently. A textbook editor and seller, library service provide, and fiction writer, Laurie’s prize-winning young adult writing was featured in the 2020 Noyo River Review. She and I met serendipitously at a writing conference a decade ago and I can hardly wait for her eventual retirement when she’ll have time to release more of her writing into the world.

“Keep meaning to tell you,” Carol Park wrote, I've really been enjoying listening to Phillips Yancey's memoir, Where the Light Fell! Great writing in terms of setting scene, context, description, saying enough and not too much.  Eye-opening as to what the fundamentalist form of the Christian faith looked like at that time, especially in Georgia. My mother's mother came from that state and from hearing details of their attitudes and actions towards blacks, I'd say my grandmother - whom I only met briefly twice - must have been progressive to not pass that on down to my mother.” Yancy writes, “I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write. So many of the strands from my childhood—racial hostility, political division, culture wars—have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.” Carol and I met in our MFA program and have been dear friends and conference companions ever since. I always appreciate her wide range of writing, reading recommendations, and many acts of service. You can read her poem about jail ministry in the most recent issue of Shark Reef or visit her website.

“I have yet to share words and thoughts and feels for this book. Pending that happening I hope you get your hands on a copy soonest!” wrote River Jordan, of American Leftovers: Surviving Family, Religion, & the American Dream by siblings Heidi Wilson Messner, Shaun Wilson, and Eric Wilson, who also read the audio version I listened to. This is the first memoir I’ve encountered with family members writing their individual and shared versions of events. A fascinating story from Bible smuggling in Eastern Europe and struggling to belong in Oregon. River is the coordinator of an online book club for SPU MFA alums and my housemate at a 2021 MFA alumni reunion where we met. Her faith, writing, and literary citizenship are inspiring. Find out more about her books and writing on her website.

What’s on your reading list? My library wish list has more than 300 titles in it, but I’m always interested in what interests others.

Before I sign off, let me share some after dark images with you.

Another new moon cycle has come and gone and I had two lovely nights with the milky way and a brief encounter with the aurora over the waters of the Hood Canal. My husband was kind enough to head out with me for an 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. shoot on the small beach at the Lilliwaup Tidelands on the 15th.

Here’s my favorite image from that night. As you can see, there’s quite a bit of distant light pollution on the horizon: the pink light is from a commercial greenhouse, and the bright white light from a prison about 20 miles away.

Here’s a shot at 2 a.m. on our beach on July 20th with a bed of eel grass in the foreground. I have to wait until the milky way moves from its southeast rising and clears the mountain and neighboring homes to see it in the southwest before it sets.

And finally, here’s a glimpse of aurora color behind cloudy skies at 12:15 a.m. on the 26th taken from my back deck. It’s incredible to me what exists beyond our seeing and our knowing, and I am so grateful to be granted a glimpse into the mystery of the night sky by learning astrophotography.

Until next time, happy reading, stargazing, and other summer delicacies!

~ Cathy