Tag Archive for: pleasure reading

Packing books, Packing rescue supplies

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By Barbara J. Eikmeier

It was a few anxiety-filled days, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, waiting to hear from our daughter, who had just moved to a small mountain community in western North Carolina. Her community was spared the massive flooding and power outages, losing only cell service and internet for a few days.

Once service was restored, we talked nearly every day. She talked about the people who lived in the mountains who were completely cut off due to washed out roads. I’m not from the mountains of North Carolina or the Appalachians, but I know about those remote areas from books I’ve read.

Several years ago, within a short period of time, I read two unrelated books about the Pack Horse Librarians of Appalachia, who delivered books to mountain homes. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by  Kim Michele Richardson, 2019, while fiction, included historical photos from the WPA project. Until reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, I had never heard of the WPA’s Pack Horse Librarians project and after studying the photos and reading every single caption was intrigued enough to research the topic more.

Soon after finishing the book I recommended it to a friend who said she was already reading it. But she wasn’t. She was reading a totally different book, also fiction, also about the Pack Horse Librarians. We swapped books and I read, The Giver of Stars, by JoJo Moyes, 2021.

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The stories of the Pack Horse Librarians have stayed with me these past years, so naturally, when I saw Pack Mules being used to haul supplies to remote locations cut off from civilization by Hurricane Helene’s flood waters, I began to follow their stories. The Mountain Mule Packer Ranch has posted regular social media updates with many pictures showing the mules packing into the mountains, off trail, because the trails were washed away. Initially they packed in food, water, blankets and flashlights. Later they brought fencing materials and feed for livestock. The posts often include the mules’ names and bits about their personalities, stories of how volunteers prepare their loads and manage ground operations, and they describe how people, trapped in their homes for 6-8 days on their own, were just as happy to see the mules as they were to get supplies.

As temporary road repairs are completed and the formerly inaccessible areas reopen to ATVs and other motorized vehicles, the pack mules move on to locations still in need of their services.

Of course the pack mules’ story is one of many recovery operations taking place in areas affected by Hurricane Helene. It resonated with me because of those books I read about the Pack Horse Librarians.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Pack Horse Librarians of Applalachia, libromaniacs has compiled a list of ten books on the topic, including the two mentioned in this post. Here is a link. https://libromaniacs.com/books-about-librarians-on-horseback/

Barbara J. Eikmeier is a quilter, writer, student of quilt history, and lover of small-town America. Raised on a dairy farm in California, she enjoys placing her characters in rural communities.

Clicking Our Heels – Blurbing, Reviewing, Writing, and Reading – The Balancing Act

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Clicking Our Heels – Blurbing, Reviewing, Writing, and Reading – The Balancing Act

Authors are often asked to blurb or review books. At the same time, they often are working against deadlines or on schedules in terms of their own writing, pleasure reading, and lives.. The question becomes how to balance all of these things? Today, the Gang shares its thoughts on the great balancing act.

 Saralyn Richard – This is a hard question to answer, because I don’t do a very good job of balancing. Deadlines are game-changers, and they wreak havoc with my best-planned schedules for reading and writing.

Linda Rodriguez – I have to do a lot of reading for work, since I do editorial work and developmental editing. Balancing the books I read for those, the books I read to blurb, the books I read for research for current fiction and nonfiction work and any reading for pleasure is difficult. I do a lot of reading for pleasure in the middle of the night when I’m up with pain or other illness problems, so that’s one help.

Lois Winston – I don’t make promises. I always tell authors I will try to find time. Most of the time, I do, but this way I have an out if I’m too swamped. I don’t want to hurt another author’s feelings by making a promise I can’t keep.

Debra H. Goldstein – I set priorities and try to accomplish everything, but in doing so, I recognize that there are times personal desires fall by the wayside.

Dru Ann Love – If I’m asked to do a blurb, it’s usually a book that I plan to read for pleasure.

Debra Sennefelder – Writing always comes first. Then I’ll work out how to manage the to-be read books. When I’m asked to read a book for a blurb or review, I work it into my reading schedule. Luckily, those books are books I’ve wanted to read anyway.

Donnell Ann Bell – I’ve blurbed two books this year, so that hasn’t been that time-consuming, and I enjoyed both. I read for pleasure late at night, which means that I’m slow because daylight comes much too early.

Shari Randall/Meri Allen – I’m always honored when friends ask me to blurb their books. It means I get an early read! But it’s difficult to fit in extra reading with all the writing I do (and my three book club books a month) so it’s gotten too difficult to fit into my schedule.

Kathryn Lane – I feel honored when I’m asked to write a blurb. Reading the book is a pleasure, it’s writing the blurb that’s difficult! I’m still working on balancing my reading and writing activities!!

T.K. Thorne – I will only blurb a book I truly enjoyed. Funny, when I was working, I dreamed of being able to write full time. Now that I am a full-time writer, I dream of reading books for pleasure!

Mary Lee Ashford – It’s such a compliment to be asked and so hard to say no when you get a request to provide a blurb for another author’s book, especially when it’s an author whose work you admire. However, this is a case where I just have to be practical and really look at whether there’s the time in my schedule to read the book and write the blurb or review within the timeframe. If there is time in my schedule, I’m always thrilled to be able to do it!