By Eileen Daniel
Books of My Life with Rossland City Councillor and biologist Dirk Lewis. Dirk came to Rossland in 2005 from the Lower Mainland and lives in a beautifully renovated century home with his wife and two children.
He enjoys mountain biking and other outdoor activities.
• What is your favourite childhood book?
Any Calvin and Hobbes book – I absolutely loved those. Calvin’s complicated relationships with everyone in his sphere (girls, bullies, parents) really resonated with me. “Bats are bugs” is probably my most often repeated phrase. It comes up in the mosquito nerd world, a lot.
• What book did you most enjoy in school?
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I remember absolutely getting sucked into the story. It was my first “couldn’t put it down” experience. The story, descriptive language, magic…it all intrigued me.
• Name one classic you’re embarrassed to say you’ve never read.
Not a thing for me. I’ve not read very many classics – I figure there’s time for that later.
• Name a book you’ve pretended to have read.
I can’t say that I’ve ever pretended to read a book. I have definitely pretended that I will read a book… “yes, for sure I’ll read the complete autobiographical works of Beyonce…”
• What book do you read over and over?
I’ve read both Dune and The Hobbit several times. Recently, I read Kathi Appelt’s The True Blue Scouts of the Sugar Man Swamp several times in a row to my kids. They loved it and I loved it. It is a fabulous book and I highly recommend it. I’ve also read Oryx and Crake, by Margret Atwood several times. I like reading dystopic books, probably less now that they are leaning towards being non-fiction.
• Name the last book that made you laugh.
Drop Dead Healthy by A. J. Jacobs. Everything by him is very funny and this one definitely amused me. His book The Year of Living Biblically was even better. Milk-up-the-nose, painful cheeks, couldn’t-read-it-aloud kind of funny. He has this way of diving into his topics and dissecting them so thoroughly – approaching with a drive to learn and making it gloriously funny along the way.
• Name the last book that made you cry.
The Help. I can’t remember, to be honest, the part that made me cry. But dang, that was a good read.
• Name one book everyone should read.
Everyone should read the next book on their list – no matter what it is. Cliché – I know, but it’s better than me trying to recommend something.
• Name an author / book that changed your life.
Douglas Adams changed my life. I appreciate how he looked at everything. He wove science and the absurd together in a rather funny way.
• What are you reading now?
I’m working my way through several books right now: The Orenda by Joseph Boyden; The World Beyond Your Head by Matthew Crawford; and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Ann Fadima. Not sure why I’m reading the first one and it’s not catching me. The second on the list drew me in because I think distraction is a significant problem these days – this interests me. Whoa, a butterfly.
Books of My Life: Do you love reading and sharing your favourites? If so, please consider participating in a “Books of My Life” interview. For more information, email rplpublicrelations@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from readers of all ages.