Reservoir Year: A Walker’s Book of Days
By Nina Shengold (Syracuse University Press, 2020) Buy It NowIn the wake of the pandemic, walking is our new everything, and for those of us lucky enough to call the Hudson Valley home, our cup runneth over with scenic trails and quiet roads. Add to this Ulster County’s stunning Ashokan Reservoir with its newly opened walkway from Kingston, and you’ll understand why taking a walk is now more pleasurable than ever. On the eve of her 60th birthday, local author Nina Shengold (author of the critically acclaimed novel Clearcut) decided to walk the trail of the Ashokan Reservior every day for one year; the result is the lyrical memoir Reservoir Year. Part ode to this pristine environment and part interior monologue on aging, friendship, and love, Shengold’s book inspires readers to pay a little more attention to the beauty of the world and how it can reflect their emotions right back at them. Reading this book might make you pick up a pen and keep notes on your own daily ups and downs—or at the least get up and take a walk. And then do it again the next day.
Chosen by James Conrad, Co-owner
The Golden Notebook Bookstore
29 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY