It's that time of year again - to fall back to reading, so I've launched a repeat of my first series with that title and invited a dozen thought leaders to answer six questions about reading, books, and marketing. Join me today and continuing every Monday during November and December - ending on December 15th and with a series recap on December 21st.
A repeat guest on my blog, today's featured series participant is Rebecca Rucker, a psychotherapist based in Houston, Texas. We met via a virtual book club, Leaders Who Fiction led by Melanie Bell. Rebecca belongs to the Leaders Who Fiction book club because she enjoys the quality of the discussions about leadership that transpires among the book club members; and when not reading fiction, she meets with a weekly group of eclectic elders who study the works of Shakespeare.
QUESTION: Why did you choose the last book you read?
REBECCA RUCKER: This summer, I chose to read North Woods by Daniel Mason. The concept of the book intrigued me. It is a story about the many inhabitants of the same house over the course of decades. The wonderful surprise of this book was not just the unusual concept, but the incredible creativity and artistry of the book. Mason includes poetry, pictures, and a variety of writing styles that are unique and engaging. His ability to weave the threads of continuity from one of the house inhabitants to another is intriguing and demonstrates his mastery in writing. This book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, and after reading this delightful and entertaining novel, it's clear to see why.
QUESTION: Have you ever chosen a book because you were drawn to the cover design? If yes, what was the book, and what attracted you to the cover?
REBECCA RUCKER: Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's book, A Woman of Independent Means, was originally published in 1978. The original cover of the book was simple: a woman on a stamp with an addressed postcard which gave the title of the book and the author. I was drawn to the stamp. This was 1978, and it was the first time I recalled seeing a modern woman on a stamp - and the declaration in the title that a woman had independent means.
Independence was a new concept for women coming out of the 60s and 70s. When the book appeared, women were not only becoming independent, but financially capable and confident, and no longer relegated to the previous traditional roles of women from prior decades. While it was the cover that caught my attention, the content opened my eyes to a brave way of living for a lifetime. This copy of the book remains on my bookshelves to this day.
SHARE THIS: While the cover of A WOMAN OF INDEPENDENT MEANS caught my attention, the content opened my eyes to a brave way of living for a lifetime. ~Rebecca Rucker #FallBacktoReadingSeries2025 #DebbieLaskeysBlog
QUESTION: Have you ever chosen a book because of its title? If yes, what was the book, and what drew you to the title?
REBECCA RUCKER: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a fitting title for a wonderful story of bright, complex, and unique sentient beings. The book jacket is colorful and hints at a couple of the creatures' stories explored in the book. The title drew me in because I really enjoy stories about complex and bright people and the ways in which they face challenges during times of transition and change.
I came to appreciate that the novel used the play on words "remarkably bright creatures" to highlight the uniqueness and intelligence, often subtle, of the characters in the book. These characters are everyday people with unremarkable jobs going about their lives in ordinary ways. However, the book is full of invaluable lessons about the ways we can all demonstrate understanding and kindness among all our fellow sentient creatures.
QUESTION: Have you ever finished reading a book, been disappointed by the ending, and thought you could have written a better ending? If yes, what was the book, and how would you have ended it?
REBECCA RUCKER: When I read the psychological thriller, The Push by Ashley Audrain, it was a hard book to put down. Audrain had captured the struggle between a mother's instinct and her own self-doubt as a mother in a heart-rending fashion. The mother doubts herself throughout most of the novel only to find that she truly knew her child the best of everyone else in the family. While the novel ends with validation that the mother truly did know best, the mother is left downtrodden and completely outside of the family she had hoped to have. I commend the author for the haunting ending but really hoped that the mother would have ended up with more self-confidence and strength to try a second time to make the family she wanted. I would have written an ending that validated the mother's struggle and the wisdom she gained through a difficult set of challenges.
QUESTION: Is there a social media account, a national book publisher, or book club you follow for reading recommendations?
REBECCA RUCKER: Good Reads is one source I check for ratings and information on books and authors. I often check the ratings in Good Reads for books I have read to see if the reviews line up with my own thoughts about different books. Based on those ratings, I check out reviews of new and most read books to see what I might read next.
In my book club, Leaders Who Fiction, I find the recommendations from my fellow readers to be excellent suggestions. These readers often suggest books and genres that I do not normally read, but I find surprising and delightful. These book recommendations help me grow in my taste and appreciation of many more categories of books and authors.
QUESTION: What book should everyone read, and why?
REBECCA RUCKER: Everyone should read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. This book is beautifully written but hard to read. Didion bares her soul while describing the complexities of loss, grief, and despair in an honest and profound manner. She expresses her vulnerability and the loss of meaning in her life that occurs with the sudden death of her husband. Rather than describing stages of grief, she brings the reader inside her world where she desperately uses magical thinking in the hope he will return. Didion struggles to regain her sanity and find new meaning to live her life.
This book is an inside look at the universal truth we all face – we lose people we love, we lose a part of ourselves when they die, and we find the courage to move forward with our memories and our grief into a new world of our choosing the best we can.
My gratitude to Rebecca for sharing her insights and for being a part of my fall back to reading series. Until next week, happy reading!
Image Credit: Between the Covers Rare Books.
Read Rebecca's previous appearances here on my blog:
SPRING LEADERSHIP SERIES 2025 – Featuring Rebecca Rucker (April 2025)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2025/04/spring-leadership-series-2025-featuring_01405728452.html
HOLIDAY LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Rebecca Rucker (December 2024
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/12/holiday-leadership-series-featuring_02091919601.html
Let's Celebrate World Book Day and Promote Reading! (April 2024)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/04/lets-celebrate-world-book-day-and.html
Connect with Rebecca at these links:
Website: https://texasinstituteforconsultationandclinicalsupervision.com/about-us/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-rucker-b02277/
Check out the "Leaders Who Fiction" virtual book club:
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