How about those "oldies, but goodies"? No, not those favorite songs from bygone years, but literature that you may or may not have read in the past that are still good reading for the first time, or even the second if you have a favorite that you haven't looked at in years. Oft times patrons neglect to pull off the shelf those books that are without glitzy jackets and consequently miss a really good read. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's not worth reading for the first time and, in some instances, a second or third just to review what it was that so interested you in the first reading. So, let's take a look at some of the books that may have been ones you or someone in your family liked in the past and perhaps will cause some readers to examine books they might otherwise pass by.
For those of you who like the works of Karen Kingsburg, Lori Wick, or Jan Karon, why not take a chance on one of the books by Grace Livingston Hill, Eugenia Price, or Faith Baldwin? Many of their books are faith-based and portray treasured family values. Hill's books are religious fiction, whereas Price's books are historical fiction demonstrating moral values of the south, particularly Georgia. Baldwin's and Hill's novels are easy reads and would be enjoyed by teens as well as adult readers. A Time of Waiting and He Married a Doctor are just two titles by Price and Baldwin respectively that are on the library shelves.
For the reader who likes excitement and suspense, check out the works of Leon Uris and Irving Wallace. Uris wrote action filled books based on modern history. Exodus, probably his most famous, is an exciting tale of the Arab-Israeli conflicts that led up to the establishment of modern day Israel. It examines human relationships as well as events.
Wallace wrote two books that are among some of his most interesting: The Man and The Twenty-seventh Wife. The former, the story of a black vice-president who rose to the presidency, was number five on the best seller list in 1964. In that time and climate it was a concept difficult for many to imagine, yet today we are considering electing a black man to that office in November. The latter book is a biography about Anne Eliza Webb Young, the twenty-seventh wife of Brigham Young. Anne Eliza divorced Young giving, some believe, great damage to the practice of polygamy at the time. Up until the writing of this book, little mention of her had been made in either the church's histories or elsewhere.
If one likes historical fiction, then books by Irving Stone are ones to be examined. Several of his books are biographical novels. These include Lust for Life (Vincent Van Gogh) and The Agony and the Ecstasy (Michaelangelo). The President's Lady and Love Is Eternal are based upon Rachel and Andrew Jackson and Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln respectively. Each details the deep love between the couples, despite the ugly rumors and gossip the wives each had to endure because of their past family relationships.The books demonstrate the great bond that history declares existed between the two couples.
Our own Indiana authors also provide interesting literature … There is General Lew Wallace's great tale of Ben-Hur, Ernie Pyle's reflections as a war correspondent during World War II, and James Whitcomb Riley's regional tales. Gene Stratton Porter's tales have always been a favorite as well, and Jennings County's Jessamyn West's Friendly Persuasion is a delightful story of southern Indiana Quakers prior to the Civil War.
If one enjoys historical fiction and has not read Raintree County, then get ready for a real treat. Written by Ross Lockridge, a native of Bloomington, Indiana, it depicts through a series of flashbacks begun in 1892, the devastating effects miscegenation and the search for a mythical raintree have on the lives of three young people. Lockridge's only published novel is partly based on Henry County and Indiana cultural attitudes of the time.
These are just a few of the books on the shelves at the library, which will soon have a display of books that you or someone you love may have read and enjoyed, so look for it at your next visit. Come in, look around, and take advantage of what the library has to offer. And don't forget the great classics available. Good reading lies ahead!