Some people have a goal of reading a book or two a week (like Jim Shepherd), others may be a book in a year…wherever you land, here are some gems to consider. Special thanks to Jim for also contributing to this edition of “AW Book Club.”

I’m becoming a fan of Thiftbooks.Com – where you can find reasonably priced used books. They could be a little bent up, and may have some writing in them, but for a few bucks, I don’t care. You can also ‘favorite’ books and when they become available, Thriftbooks will send you a notice.

If you have a book you think Wire readers should take the time to read, please drop me a line with the details and why you feel it is a good book.

Just Finished:

I’m starting a new book series, and no, it is not Bridgerton and yes, it has to do with wine. “The Felix Hart Novels” is a three-part series surrounding the trials of Felix Hart, a professional wine buyer based in England. The first in the series Corkscrew by Peter Stafford-Bow, takes you through Felix’s early years of getting into wine and making it his new “career,” which of course comes with many twists and turns. If you like wine, this is wild ride. (A good Spring Break read.)

For Jim: “I re-read Man-eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett. Before that, it was Jim Casada’s A Smoky Mountain Boyhood. We’re contemporaries and he’s a great storyteller.”

Reading Now:

Change Your Brain Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. Why we do the things that we do can be directly linked to certain areas of our brain. I find it fascinating. Dr. Amen even gives solutions for conquering anxiety, anger and memory problems. Broad overview: if you’ve ever fell on your head as a kid – you could have literally broken your brain.

Wine for Normal People by Elizabeth Schneider. Elizabeth is NOT an ‘industry insider’ in the wine world and she found a way to speak about wine that makes sense. It all started with her podcast by the same name, and just grew from there. This is a fairly large book I’m trying to get through as Elizabeth is coming on “Off the Record with The Sporting Chef & Michelle” podcast soon for Season Two!! (Bet you didn’t think we’d have a season two – and frankly, neither did we.)

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Jim says it was a gift from his daughter. “I would recommend it to anyone who’s locked down after a lifetime of travel (like me). India is one of the few parts of the world I’ve never visited but have wanted to. This story is awesome in its descriptions. Like Michener’s Adventures in Paradise - you can almost smell the spice markets, or hear the rats scuttling around in the shadows.”

The Man Who Ran Washington (The Life and Times of James A. Baker III) Jim says this is also a gift from his daughter. “A great insider read about people I knew and had dealings with during my time in network news. This Baker and Howard Baker (Senate Majority leader during the Reagan years) were two of the men I admired most because they got things done in Washington- civilly.”

What’s on Tap

For me: The Devil’s Hand by Jack Carr. Dropping in early April, you can pre-order at his site here. Hubs and I have read all of his books so far and can’t wait for this next installation. Also, the next installment of the Felix Hart series just arrived in my mailbox: Brut Force.

For Jim: Lead Like a General: Modern Research on Leadership as seen through the Civil War by Paul Gilbert. “Not prepping for a civil war, but I think anyone in a leadership position must try to keep their leadership tools sharp,” shares Jim.

Lastly, I have a morning routine that involves daily devotionals. I enjoy making my coffee, adding my creamer, lighting a candle, and writing in my 5 Minute Journal by Intelligent Change and reading the day’s devo in Be Still 365 Devotional to Quiet Your Heart by Walking with Purpose. Maybe I’ll even go crazy and journal. Who knows what the morning will bring, which is the whole point of mornings – they are mysterious. Fight me on this.

No affiliate links here; hope you can get to a library or find a book at your local bookstore.

-- Michelle Scheuermann, editor, Archery Wire