In addition to the books I review for the NKyTribune, many of my friends and acquaintances have asked for a list of books by Kentuckians that they might consider when visiting their local libraries or book stores.
The list of noteworthy Kentucky writers is expansive. From time-to-time, I will tell you about them in summary form. Here, in addition to those I have reviewed and in no specific order, is my ‘first installment’ of books and authors I recommend for your bucket list:
In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason, originally from Mayfield, is a story about a young girl who finally comes to grips with the death of her father who died in the Vietnam War. It is a touching, heart-felt, and often poignant coming-of-age novel.
Shantyboat by Bellevue’s Harlan Hubbard is one of those rare jewels that, after you have read it, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to find it. This jewel-of-a-book should be high on everyone’s reading list. Imagine building a Shantyboat from left-over surplus materials and drifting down the Ohio from Cincinnati to New Orleans. The journey, the human growth, and the passion are unsurpassed. Shantyboat is a boundless read.
Hallee Bridgeman, of nearby Winchester, has authored the acclaimed series The Jewel Trilogy. It is a Christian anthology about three half-sisters who break away from a howling and troublesome past to become strong, decisive, independent woman of faith. These are wonderful books.
Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men is a top-one-hundred American classic and a Pulitzer Prize Winner. If you have never read this important book by the Guthrie native, you should put it high on your list. Warren’s Willie Stark is one of the great characters of American literature.
I recommend you also explore The Shaker Series by Ann H. Gabhart of Lawrenceburg. Gabhart has written more than twenty novels and her Shaker Series, which is set in Harmony Hill, is outstanding. All of Gabhart’s books are well-written, well-edited, crafty, and carry profound inspirational messages.
Jack Kerley, from Newport, has published nearly a dozen mystery novels featuring his protagonist Carson Ryder. If you have not read Kerley’s books you are in for a treat. His sleuth is among the best. I remember when his series first started. The late Lew Moores reviewed Jack’s first book The Hundredth Man for the now-defunct Sunday Challenger. We received a copy and I was lucky enough to read it. If you are a fan of tightly woven mysteries, teeming with high tension, check out any or all of Jack Kerley’s mysteries. Kerley’s latest is The Memory Killer. He is a fine writer and knows how to spin a story. I know he is busy on a new book, too.
Speaking of mysteries, we cannot forget Sue Grafton. The Louisville-born author writes mysteries from the perspective of a female private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton’s alphabet mysteries (A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, etc.) are fine novels and always entertaining. By the way, Grafton’s father, C. W. Grafton, was also a novelist and penned Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, twice made into Hollywood movies.
And while I’m on the topic of movies, there is Nick Clooney’s The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen. The Maysville native has compiled a list of movies that have impacted the American landscape, movies that play in our minds and in our hearts, movies we enjoy time and again. You’ll appreciate Clooney’s succinct insights and his essay-style approach, and you will find fascinating tidbits about the great movies of our lives.
Of course, I recommend any novel by Wendell Berry. As I mentioned several weeks ago, Berry is a treasure. You cannot go wrong with any of his books.
Here, I would be remiss if I did not mention the late Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson created gonzo journalism, which injects the writer into a story that often lacks objectivity. Read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas or The Rum Diary and you will find glimpses of Thompson, a Louisville native, at his best.
One of my personal favorites is Thomas Merton, the Trappist Monk who was born in France, died in Thailand, and lived for years at the Abbey of Gethsemane, not far from Louisville. His Seven Story Mountain is a wonderful story. In his life, Merton wrote hundreds of essays, poems and articles about Catholicism and religion. He was a mystic, a man of peace, a poet, a social activist, and a student of religion. He had a unique perspective and I recommend his observations and poetry to lift one’s heart and lighten one’s soul.
Finally, I cannot conclude my initial list without mentioning the work of Jesse Stuart of Riverton. Stuart’s short stories, poems, sonnets and novels are superb. He wrote passionately about southern Appalachia. Stuart’s Taps for Private Tussie is terrific. Stuart is one of the great writers of the first half of the twentieth century.
Just by this brief list alone, you will realize that Kentucky’s authors have massive literary talent. I will have more about Kentucky authors periodically. I trust you will find a book or two you will enjoy.
Donald Then, a novelist and experienced editor and journalist, is NKyTribune’s literary editor. He will review books written by local authors or those with a Northern Kentucky setting. Reach him at author@djamesthen.com Visit his website at www.djamesthen.com.