Contributed by Sharon Aubrey
With all the potential New Year’s resolutions people make, often overlooked are the benefits of committing to reading a new book every month. Reading is an effective way to reduce stress, improve your memory, increase your vocabulary, help you sleep better at night, and provide you with more understanding and empathy for others. In addition to all these wonderful benefits, it’s a well-known fact that most financially successful entrepreneurs and business people are avid readers. It doesn’t matter which genre you enjoy, expanding your literature horizons in 2019 can offer you new wisdom and knowledge, suspenseful adventures, and even a little romance.
If you aren’t sure where you should start your new “must read list” begin by asking your local librarian or friend to recommend a book. Librarians are a treasure trove of information to get started in a variety of topics. Perhaps you feel like you don’t have enough time in the day to read a traditional book? In that case, audiobooks serve as a great option to explore the world of literature. You can listen to many books while riding to work, doing errands, or even eating a meal. Many options exist to expand your personal literature library.
Now consider trying something even bolder than just reading! Commit to experiencing a new book every month written by an Alaskan author. Many Alaskan books will be available this summer at the AK Books & Music booth at the State Fairgrounds in Palmer. Here’s a short list outlining twelve amazing things you can discover from local writers:
- Alaskan Beer: its history, today’s crafters, and the Alaskan microbrewery industry.
Alaska Beer: Liquid Gold in the Land of the Midnight Sun by Bill Howell
- What’s it like to be a dog musher?
Life with Forty Dogs: Misadventures with Runts, Rejects, Retirees, and Rescues by Joseph Robertia
- How to help children cope with incarcerated family members.
Why Can’t Uncle Come Home by Christine Joy Allison
- Who kisses the best in Alaskan romance?
Sniper’s Kiss by E.M. Shue
- Where is the gold mine that miners are killing each other to keep secret?
Alaskan Dutchman by Sean E. Thomas
- How dizzy was the magical jazz musician?
Shadowing Dizzy Gillepsie by David G. Brown
- What’s it like to be an Alaskan photojournalist?
Our Perfect Wild by Kaylene Johnson-Sullivan
- Where exactly is Hekate? The first book in an interesting sci-fi series.
Finding Hekate by Kellie Doherty
- What was it like for indigenous people during Alaska’s Territorial Days?
Chickaloon Wild: End of an Athabascan Family’s Way of Life by Ingrid D. Shaginoff
- Who lived in prehistoric Cook Inlet?
Tuksook’s Story: 35,000 BC by Bonnye Matthews
- What can you see riding horseback hundreds of miles across South America?
Riding into the Heart of Patagonia by Nancy Pfeiffer
- How dangerous are Alaska’s oceans?
Dead Reckoning: Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier Courting Tragedy on Its High Seas by Dave Atcheson
