FQ Literary Supplement

This week, ROUTE 1 unearths the bookworm in all of us by asking the following FRIDAY QUESTION: What was the most memorable book you have read during the past few months?
Jim S. -- "Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig." by Jonathan Eig. This well-written biography would appeal to even non-sports fans, but for fans of baseball, it would be tough to beat. The extremely introverted Gehrig always played in the shadow of Babe Ruth. This book explains why. It also covers in detail his battle with the disease that carries his name. Great read.
Ellen B. -- "I... 2... 3... Magic!"
Mary N.-P. -- "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls. It is the most amazing memoir of life in an eccentric, nearly dysfunctional family. Everyone I give it to, puts down whatever they're doing and finishes it in one sitting.
Ken. B. -- "Thomas the Tank Engine's ABC's."
Laura C. -- "Plainsong" by Ken Haruf. In spare, lovely prose, he sketches a small, rural town and populates it with characters that resonate powerfully. In a world full of slick, snarky, self-indulgent writers, Haruf is a master of quiet, impeccable craftsmanship.
Roseanne H. -- "Powerful" is the only word to describe "Night" by Elie Wiesel. It is about a boy held in a concentration camp during World War 2. This is a little book but one you will never forget.
Madelin F. -- The book is called "Beware, Princess Elizabeth" and details the rise to the throne of Henry VIII's daughter, Elizabeth, daughter of Ann Boleyn, who succeeded her Catholic sister Queen Mary to become Elizabeth I and restored the Protestant faith to the throne in England. The turbulence leading up to her ascension demanded patience, but her reign was long. She is remembered fondly. The book is written for young adults and breaks down the politics in a first-person account through the eyes of the Queen-to-be. Interesting and a nice, easy lesson in a time in English history that is widely written about, but often times tough to grasp.
Inger H. -- Probably "Cold Beer and Crocodiles." Roff Smith's lyrical descriptions of the vast empty spaces in the Australian outback, coupled with the hard slogging of riding his bike in the heat and dust were equal parts compelling and repulsive. Let's go to Australia! Let's ride a bike through spinifex! Oh wait, maybe not.
Brian C. -- "Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life," by Richard Ben Cramer. Though "hero" is part of the title, this is no hero-worship biography. On the contrary, Cramer reveals the obsessive, greedy side of a man known as (and required to be introduced as such at his public appearances) The Greatest Living Ballplayer. On the field, DiMaggio was a superstar. Off the field, according to Cramer's intricately researched book, DiMaggio was anything but.
Steve M. -- "Flame Trees of Thika" by Elspeth Huxley.
Kerstin H. -- "The Tale of Despereaux." I read all of it at least five times.
Mike D. -- About seven years ago, I started reading Al Stump's biography of Ty Cobb. Then, along came the first of my three children. My bookmark is still tucked firmly in between the pages, but not my reading material includes authors like Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle and Norman Bridwell. This week, we read the memorable "Road Builders" by B. G. Hennessy and Simms Taback. Memorable, that is, because I learned the difference between a power shovel and a backhoe.
Erik H. -- Roff Smith did the unthinkable: He rode his bike around Australia. By himself. He set out each day with only a vague idea about his destination. He rode through suburbs populated by sprawling housing developments, rainforests populated by hippies, swamps populated by saltwater crocodiles, barren plains populated by spinifex (the Aussie equivalent of sagebrush) and vast stretches of highway populated by hurtling "road train" trucks. Then he wrote about his journey in "Cold Beer and Crocodiles."