What to Read Next Year?

One of the nice things about reading preview copies (ARC) in exchange for comments/ reviews from NetGalley and Edelweiss is that while searching for one title or another, a few others pop up that look interesting, too.

Here are a few 2014 titles on my to be read list:

Cathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home by Boyd Varty  (March 11, 2014)

Just finished this very unique spiritual memoir about growing up in South Africa.  What struck me most about this book is that while some folks search around the world for answers and frequently find them abroad, Boyd Varty searches knowing the answers are at home, in the Londolozi game reserve he and his family call home.  I've learned that sometimes the answers to your questions are right in front of you and you are already where you belong at that moment.  It was nice to see someone share this in a matter-of-fact way since most of us can't travel to Italy to find peace.

The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills (July 15, 2014)

Currently reading.  The ever-elusive Harper Lee opens up to Chicago Tribune columnist Marja Mills in the early 2000's.  Why?  I'm only a few pages into the book, but it looks like the threat of "unauthorized" biographies of her and Truman Capote in 2005 compelled Miss Lee and her sister Alice to tell bits and pieces from their point of view.  This looks to be a charming chronicle of Mills' friendship with the Lee sisters.

Making Marks by Elaine Clayton (May 6, 2014)

Intuitive drawing.  The lines we doodle or craft reflect our inner lives.  Art as a healer.

The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari Goldman (June 10, 2014)

Goldman plays the cello and joins an orchestra for "older" string players.