Being a historian and teacher requires me to do lots of reading. When I have some free time away from work one of my favorite pastimes is: reading!

Reading for pleasure for me often entails delving into books on history and culture, but I also really like fiction.

One of my favorite authors is Erskine Caldwell. Born in Georgia on Dec. 17, 1903, Caldwell often portrays his fellow residents of the South although he also wrote stories about other places.

Some of his fiction is set in Maine where he lived for many years. During World War II, while serving as a war correspondent in the Soviet Union...