Ronlyn Domingue

Ronlyn Domingue is the author of The Mercy of Thin Air.

I asked her what she has been reading. Her reply:

I'm reading for research and inspiration for my second book these days. I ventured into quantum physics and 1920s New Orleans with a sense of purpose for my first novel. This time around, I go where instinct leads, no questions asked.

C.G. Jung's Memories, Dreams, Reflections is a glimpse into a brilliant thinker who was remarkably intuitive, playful, and contemplative. This autobiography is unlike any I've ever read because there is little mention of the people he knew or accomplishments he made. Instead, Jung shares stories of his rich inner life and his personal growth as a psychologist and a human being.

A few weeks ago, my friend Ben literally showed up on my doorstep with Thomas Kinsella's The Tain. I'd just finished the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf, and Ben thought I had to get a taste of something even older. Such is The Tain. The adventures of the Irish hero Cuchulainn--replete with gore, bravado, and bawdiness--have kept me entertained and intrigued.

In 2006, I read a lot of fiction for pleasure. My three favorites were:

Human Oddities by Noria Jablonski, a short story collection about freaks, by nature or choice, written with empathy and humor.

Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman, a virtuosic, compelling, psychological novel about a man who kidnaps the child of a former lover.

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, a rather nice story about a whale hunt.

Visit Ronlyn's website and MySpace page.

About The Mercy of Thin Air: read an excerpt; hear a clip; praise; Q&A; page 69 test.

--Marshal Zeringue

© Campaign for the American Reader. Reprinted with permission.