Book Review: 'Truck: A Love Story' by Michael Perry

✰✰✰½ Humorist Michael Perry brings readers the true story of a truck, a garden, and a girl. As a confirmed bachelor, Perry enjoys a comfortable life in Wisconsin. He proudly serves with his neighbors on the New Auburn Area Fire Department and spends his time writing. He is surrounded by family, good friends, and fun times. However, as Perry approaches forty, he yearns for something more.

Peppered with anecdotes about the characters he encounters on a daily basis, readers follow Perry through a year of truck restoration, amateur gardening, and finding true love. Will he finally settle down with the girl of his dreams? Check this one out for your book club and discuss his adventures.

The Bottom Line: This is an endearing look at small town life in the Midwest. No matter where you live, readers will relate to searching for true love and finding a sense of belonging. Perry writes about family and friends with humor, kindness, and respect. His writing brings a unique focus to everyday things and an appreciation for living in the present. Recommended for car enthusiasts, gardeners, and romantics who enjoy a happy ending.

Book Club Notes: Our group was quite divided in their impressions of this book. Half of the group really liked it. We enjoyed Perry's humor and take on small town life. We discussed the possibility of living off the grid…at least for a little while. We also had a sincere discussion about the challenges of blended families and marrying later in life.

Those who didn’t like the book had trouble with the first chapter or two. A few didn’t finish reading it. They were especially bogged down with the descriptions of repairing the truck, which contrasted with those who really enjoyed the same descriptions. Finally, some members had difficulty reading about hunting.

We all agreed that we did learn something from this book, including a recipe for tomato stock. Also, several members mentioned that they would like to talk to the author because he sounded like a really nice guy.

Ratings for this book averaged around 3.5 (on a scale from 1 – 5), and several people will be looking into Perry’s other books. 

Book clubs can find book discussion questions from the Madison Public Library here. Additionally, here are some more questions I asked the group: 

1. Discuss the following quote: “No matter our vocation, we so often find ourselves living life as a form of triage.” p. 107 

2. Anneliese says: We are what we are because of what was. p. 148 What does she mean? Does anyone ever feel like they wish they could change the past? Or ask for a do-over? 

3. Perry writes: “It’s so easy to get caught up in our brief little history…You forget sometimes what a disruption you are. And how late you have entered the game. p. 184   Have you ever felt like this? 

4. Discuss the difficulties of blended families. 

5. Which topic appealed to you the most and why? Repairing the truck? Gardening? Finding true love? Small town life? 

6. The author and Anneliese discuss living off the grid. Would living off the grid appeal to you? Why or why not? 

7. Compare and contrast small town life vs. city life. 

8. What is the appeal of this book beyond the Midwest? 

Details: Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry. Paperback published by Harper Perennial in 2007, reissued in 2016. 304 p. ISBN: 978-0-06057118-4 

Book Review: 'Gratitude' by Oliver Sacks

✰✰✰✰✰ When faced with their own mortality, some people become more productive and insightful. Knowing that your days are limited sometimes gives a person clarity and focus. In the face of death, these people learn what cannot be taught. They possess an appreciation for today; an appreciation for what they have, instead of pining away for things they don't.

Dr. Oliver Sacks was a brilliant physician and the author of more than a dozen books. After his cancer returned, he penned several essays in which he explored coming to terms with death...his death. Rather than feeling bitter and angry, Sacks uncovered a feeling of gratitude for having been a part of this world.

In this book, Sacks describes beauty, love, and adventure in his memories of the past and current thoughts as he faced his own mortality. Sacks also talks about the friends who have passed before him and those he himself would leave behind. This beautiful and inspirational book is all too brief, just like life itself.

The Bottom Line: This quick read will make you think about your own life and what really matters. Composed of just four essays, I read this book several times. This book left me asking myself the following: What are my real priorities? When was the last time I stopped to enjoy what I have? How can I be kinder to others?

Parts of this little, but amazingly powerful book have been previously published. However, when read together these essays bring the reader to a new understanding of what it means to really be alive. As Dr. Sacks pointed out, sometimes it takes being faced with death to learn how to really live. A must-read for everyone!

Details: Gratitude by Oliver Sacks. Hardcover published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2015. 64 p. ISBN: 9780451-49293-7

Book Review: Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick

✰✰✰½ Facing the challenge of reading Herman Melville's Moby-Dick this summer, I picked up this little book of essays looking for motivation. The chapters are short and insightful; Philbrick includes information about everything from whaling to whaleships, from Nantucket to chowder. Additionally, I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at Melville's life as he wrote his masterpiece, his struggles with his writing, and his experience working aboard a whaleship. Additionally, other chapters help explain Melville's dry humor, wit and use of characterization. Finally, of particular interest to me was the information about Melville's friendship with author Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The Bottom Line: Whether you are attempting to read Moby-Dick for the very first time or rereading it for the fifth, Why Read Moby-Dick? is a helpful primer with insight into both Melville and his classic novel. This compact collection of essays is a quick read and not at all imposing. Author Nathaniel Philbrick has indeed motivated me to read Moby-Dick. I'll also be reading Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea later this Summer for my book club, so I'm excited to see how this all comes together. Recommended for those reluctant to read Moby-Dick for the first time and for those needing a fresh view of the classic work.

Details: Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick. Hardcover published by Viking in 2011. 144 p. ISBN: 978-0-670-02299-1