I have a family member turning 80 this month, and you know what? Reaching the excellent age of 80 is no small feat! As I get older, reaching decade milestones whether I want to or not, I find that there is a great gift in aging. Sure, there are aches and pains that weren’t there when I was younger (don’t get me started on hip pain!), but there is much to appreciate. My personal relationships are rich and rewarding, and I no longer have to endure the slings and arrows of unrequited love. I have learned to accept myself, warts and all as they say, and my life is not guided by the opinions of others. Growing older is liberating — something I never would have imagined when I was in my tender 20s.
To honor the occasion of an 80th birthday — an age I hope all of us have the ability to experience (plus many more) — I am devoting this week’s reading list to books that include “80” in the title. And because I am super theme-oriented (aka “book nerd”), this reading list has eight titles. By the way, octogenarians are octabulous!
- “Around the World in 80 Books” by David Damrosch.
- “Around the World in 80 Plants” by Jonathan Drori.
- “Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences, 1815-1897” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
- “Garden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More” by Stephanie Rose.
- “The Pie Room: 80 Achievable and Show-Stopping Pies and Sides for Pie Lovers” by Calum Franklin.
- “Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80: Why You Should Keep on Getting Older” by Garrison Keillor.
- “The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs: Techniques for Creating 80 Yarns” by Sarah Anderson.
- “Which House is Mine Again?: 80 Questions I Never Had ‘Til I Moved to a Subdivision” by Julie Wheaton.
Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
