About Books Can Save a Life
Photo: Maja Kruegle Photography
No formal book reviews, just thoughts about books and how they make us who we are. You’ll find new releases, old favorites, and suggestions from kindred spirits on their own reading journeys.
One of my favorite things is talking to readers who stop by, so I hope you’ll introduce yourself, comment, and consider sharing a book story in a guest post.
Sometimes I bypass books altogether and write about growing up in the Mad Men era with a mother who had a serious mental illness. That can be dark, so I also write whatever I’m moved to write about. I enjoy memoir and essay, and this is where I practice.
Typically, I post once a week from my empty nest full of books in upstate New York, just a short walk from the Erie Canal.
Share a book story
Has a particular book taken hold of you? Perhaps it’s speaking directly to your life in some way, or it touches on something you care about, or it’s just a really good read.
Is there a book that you think of as an old friend? Maybe it made your life better, helped you through a tough time, or guided you through a major life change.
It could be a picture book, a novel, a memoir, a poem or a book of poems, a biography, a graphic novel, a collection of short stories. Any genre, or no genre at all, in print, out of print, from any time of your life.
Please consider sharing your book story at Books Can Save a Life.
Do you have a favorite family cookbook?
From time to time, readers and I share cookbooks we’ve inherited from our mothers or grandmothers (or fathers and grandfathers) whose recipes have become a family tradition. This has turned out to be a delightful ongoing series about cooking and food as an intimate aspect of domestic life.
If you’d like to share a book story or a favorite family cookbook, send an email to valoriegracehallinan [at] gmail [dot] com. Please include a post in the body of the email or an idea/book you’re interested in writing about. (For one of my own book stories, see Valorie Grace Hallinan.)
How very interesting to read your five books and then to go on and read about you. We have two things in common–a love of reading and growing up with a mother with mental illness. I shall have to look up Growing UP…
I’m really glad you stopped by, and I’m glad to have discovered your site. If you have any books to recommend, esp. about mi, I hope you’ll let me know!
Hello Valorie and thanks for following my blog. I read your book list and thought, oh, I have to follow her blog too! So many wonderful titles that are favorites of mine, too. I look forward to reading what you write.
Thank you for visiting, Margaret. I am really enjoying your blog and your writing.
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thaks so much for including “Growing Up With A Schizophrenic Mother: on you site. As a co-author of the book I’m alwaqys happy to see it listed in places where oters will have access to it. To be in a group labeled Books Can Save A Life, is even better. . You are doing such a great thing with this site. Good luck to you. Doris Parker Roberts
Oh, thank you! It is thrilling to hear from you. I can’t tell you how much your book helped me clarify just what I was feeling about some of my past experiences. The book has helped me a great deal, and has helped drive some of my recent writing.
Hi Val,
Since you told me about “bookcansavealife” I’ve opened it almost everyday and read all the newsletters that I received during the part of my day as a student, in which I was supposed to read both local and international newspapers as well as blogs, websites, etc. It is wonderful for me and for my personal language training to read all your articles and catch all the expressions that you use. That’s why I sent the link to my professors and classmates who appreciated a lot.
Giuseppe
Hi, Giuseppe, I’m so glad you read my blog, and thank you for commenting. I’d like to post the rest of your comments about books in an upcoming post. I will get back to you about that!
I can’t help but want to come back here to visit. Books are buddies to me and my family. When we moved just over two years ago, after having been in the same place for 17 years, we packed along tons of books ( even though we had thinned them out for the move). Great idea! And, yes, I agree that books save lives…
Yes, my books will follow me to my future homes as well. I received your comment as I was writing my next post. I appreciate your kind words and for taking the time to share your thoughts. Thank you!
Hello Valorie,
Thank you very much for subscribing to my blog. I hope my posts don’t disappoint you and that your visits in my blog will always be an enjoyable experience.
Thank you again and have a lovely day, my friend!
Subhan Zein
Thank you, Subhan, I am enjoying it!
Thank you!
Have a pleasant evening!
Subhan Zein