Recommended by a friend I've known over 70 years

Theo of Golden ~ by Allen Levi, 2025, literary fiction, 400 pages

One spring morning, a stranger named Theo arrives in the small Southern city of Golden.  He doesn’t explain much about where he came from or why he’s there — but when he visits the local coffeehouse, where pencil portraits of the people of Golden hang on the walls, he begins purchasing them, one at a time, and giving each portrait to the person depicted.  In exchange, he asks only for the person’s story.  

And so portrait by portrait, person by person, secrets are revealed, regrets are shared, and ordinary lives are profoundly altered.  This is a story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen,  Theo of Golden is an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection, and the miracles that happen quietly when we choose kindness and wonder.

September 6 is a day for book lovers

Hey, we have a National Day for bookies like me.  National Read a Book Day isn't news for those of you who've been reading this blog for a long time.  HERE is what I posted about it in 2019, for example, with a photo I took that shows some of my friends in the Crown Center's little library.

Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything ~ by Viktor E. Frankl, 2019, history of Judaism and existential psychology, 136 pages

Find hope even in these dark times with this rediscovered masterpiece, a companion to his international bestseller Man’s Search for Meaning.  Eleven months after he was liberated from the Nazi concentration camps, Viktor E. Frankl held a series of public lectures in Vienna.  The psychiatrist, who would soon become world famous, explained his central thoughts on meaning, resilience, and the importance of embracing life even in the face of great adversity.

Published here for the very first time in English, Frankl’s words resonate as strongly then — when the world was facing a coronavirus pandemic, social isolation, and great economic uncertainty — as they did in 1946. He offers an insightful exploration of the maxim “Live as if you were living for the second time,” and he unfolds his basic conviction that every crisis contains opportunity.  Despite the unspeakable horrors of the camps, Frankl learned from the strength of his fellow inmates that it is always pos-sible to “say yes to life” — a profound and timeless lesson for us all.

Week in Review

• My Wednesday Word was "never," HERE.
• Friday's book beginning, HERE, was from The Personal Librarian.
• On Saturday, my new cat resumed the Caturday posts, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones to share what we have been doing during the week.

Cat chat on Caturday

Bonnie says her last two cats blogged on Saturday and called it Caturday.  Did they not know how to spell?  Or did they think they were being cute?  Whatever.  Sure, I'd love to share things with all the cats of the world.  If there are any other blogging cats "out there" reading this, let me know so we can all chat.  Like someone getting married, I have gotten a new name.  Sheila named me "Jake," but for some reason Bonnie doesn't seem to want to call me that.  So she tried Jackie because it has a similar sound.  Judy often called me "Jakey," and that sounds a lot like "Jackie," so good enough, I guess.  Just so long as she calls me to come eat.  Wait, now Bonnie's trying "Joy," saying that is her favorite word.  She has that name already outside her door, and at least it does start with a "J."  If you are curious about what I look like, that's my picture at the top (or HERE).

Beginning ~ on November 28, 1905

Beginning

The Old North bell tolls the hour, and I realize that I'll be late.  I long to break into a sprint, my voluminous skirts lifted, my legs flying along the Princeton University pathways.  But just as I gather the heavy material, I hear Mama's voice:  Belle, be a lady at all times.  I sigh; a lady would never run.

The Personal Librarian ~ by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, 2021, biographical historical fiction (New Jersey), 341 pages

A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library.  Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs.  She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener.  She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality.  Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white —  her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to — for the protection of her family and her legacy — to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

How long is "never"?

The word "never" is an adverb that means "at no time, on no occasion, or in no circumstance."  But how many times have you said, "Never again!" or "I will never..." and it didn't even last until the very next day?  Okay, maybe the quote above from Horace (that "a word once uttered can never be recalled") is an exception, but our resolve (especially when uttered in frustration) doesn't always mean forever.  For example, think about when you've said, "I will never speak to him (or her) again."  Did that really happen?  Or were you soon on speaking terms again?

Look what my new cat did

Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice ~ by Michelle Obama, 2019, journal, 208 pages, 10/10

What's your journey of becoming?  This journal features an intimate and inspiring introduction by the former First Lady and thought-provoking questions and prompts to help you discover — and rediscover — your story.  “It’s not about being perfect.  It’s not about where you get yourself in the end.  There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice.  And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others.  This, for me, is how we become,” Michelle Obama says.

Michelle Obama shared her own extraordinary journey in her memoir to help create space for others to tell their stories and to give people the courage to discover the power of their own voice.  With this journal, she now provides you with the encouragement to find value in your own journey of becoming.  It includes thought-provoking prompts designed to help you reflect on your personal and family history; your goals, challenges, and dreams; what moves you and brings you hope; and what future you imagine for yourself and your community.  She writes in the introduction:  "I hope you’ll use this journal to write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, in all their imperfections, and without judgment. ... We don’t have to remember everything.  But every-thing we remember has value."  As you journal, take heart in the experiences that brought you to where you are today, and also feel empowered to take those next steps, wherever they might lead.

What my new cat did

What my cat did astounded me.  I finished reading Barack Obama's book, that I wrote about HERE, and went to bed.  The next morning, I discovered she had shoved some books off my desk in the other room.  This was one of them.  Did she really "notice" I'd been reading about Barack Obama, and while I slept had gone into the other room and noticed the book by his wife?  Weird.  And no, I'm not making this up.  I guess she really IS going to follow in the footsteps of my other cats blogging about books, if she's that smart.  Otherwise, what an uncanny coincidence.

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Week in Review

• On Sunday, I posted one for Monday Musing, HERE, accidentally posting it too early.
• Sn on Monday, I mused again, HERE, this time about imagined experiences.
• My Wednesday Words quoted Barack Obama, HERE.
• Wednesday was also International Dog Day, so I posted again (with a dog), HERE.
• A book (and a couple of kittens) were featured on Thursday, HERE.
• Another cat was featured in my Caturday post, HERE, but this one moved in with me.

Deb at Readerbuzz hosts Sunday Salon, a place for us to link up and share what we have been reading and doing during the week.

Jake moved in with me 8/27/26

Jake moved in with me two days ago, and I have questions.

Who has had her so far?  (Sheila and Judy, that I know of.)  When was she born?  What kind of cat is she?  Why is her tail so stubby?  Does she have a chip?  (Yes.)  Who's her vet?  (I got that info from Judy.)  Sheila named her "Jake," even though she's a girl.  Judy has had Jake since Sheila died, but the office says she cannot have two pets.  Since I used to have a cat, Judy asked me if I would take Jake.  I agreed and talked to the office.  The form that I must complete has 25 sheets of paper, and the pet fee has gone up to $300.  Whew!

Now, my next question is whether Jake will want to blog on Caturdays, the way Clawdia and Kiki did.