Favorites by Garet Mathews

Favorites by Garet Mathews

It’s no secret that many newspapers and magazines have been folding up across the country (so long,  Domino). The economic downtown has made it hard for traditional media to survive. In the fast-changing world of online media, traditional media sometimes finds it too hard to keep up.

Garret Mathews of Evansville, Indiana is one such newspaper columnist who lost his column. After hundreds of articles, after trips around the region, after meeting people and learning their story, his column was discontinued.

Book Review: Favorites by Garret Mathews

His focus? Interesting characters around the Midwest (think Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois).  But he made the best of the worst, compiling his favorites together in the aptly named book: Favorites.

It isn’t very often that I have the opportunity to read something that really stays with me. My life is on information overload but these days, really, that’s not exactly uncommon. I read a lot: blogs, news sites, social networking websites, you name it, I’m on it, but most of the time, it just doesn’t stick. Sure, I might be entertained or I might learn something, but it usually isn’t anything I would call thought-provoking. You know what I mean? Favorites, however, stuck.

These are the kind of stories that made me feel something. It doesn’t mean they leave me happy, either. Some will tug at your heartstrings. Some will rub you the wrong way. Others will shock or surprise. Simply put, these are tales worth reading.

Stories From Around The Midwest

Mr. Mathews possesses a particularly thoughtful turn of phrase. At times I would thrust the book into hub’s hand and demand, “Read this!  Read this one!” just because I wanted, no needed, to discuss it with someone. He agreed with me that these are the kind of things that, once you read them, you can’t ever forget them.

Days later and here I am: I still think about some of these people and wonder what became of them. I think that’s the worst part of it all. We always want the happy ending, don’t we?

Many of these are tear jerker stories about people that society has almost forgotten. Thanks to newspaper columnist and book author Garret Mathews, though, society never will. After you read this book, you won’t either.

My favorites of Favorites (in case you were wondering):

  • She’s Too Old To Be A Caregiver But She Doesn’t Care
  • For This Old Soldier, The War Isn’t Over
  • Mortality Tables Creep Up On You
  • Thoughts of Baby Girl Don’t Go Away
  • Suitor, 91, Has Tough Standards

Find Favorites by Garret Mathews on his website, linked above.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the real stories inside of Favorites. What chapters did you love? What stayed with you? Please, leave your comments below.

Little Indiana received a copy of Favorites by Garret Mathews in exchange for an honest review. Opinions remain mine and mine alone.

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