I've decided to quit trying to classify these books into a particular theme, or a book trail, and just put them all together. It's enough that they are special favorites of mine. :-)

One of the best books on riding (English) is A Leg at Each Corner: Thelwell's Complete Guide to Equitation. (The author/illustrator just uses Thelwell). It covers all the basics: finding the best pony, grooming, schooling, various breeds and so on. Delightfully illustrated and cleverly captioned, it's a book that is sure to make you chuckle even if you don't ride.

My beverage of choice for many decades was Dr. Pepper. Many years ago I sent away for Cooking With Dr. Pepper, a very strange thing to do since I don't cook! There are recipes for sauces, salads, rice, burgers and more. I'll be honest here, I've never tried any of them, but it's fun to read. My friend, the one who is so good at finding perfect books for me, spent some time in Texas. During that time she visited the Dr. Pepper museum (it's huge, takes up a whole block) and returned with an assortment of gifts for me. There was a mouse pad, a few magnets, and (drum roll, please) Dr. Pepper: King of Beverages by Harry E. Ellis. It had been published before and this was the Centennial Edition. Everything you'd ever want to know about Dr. Pepper is here so it's probably for a limited audience .... ;-)

There were hundreds of books published about the events of September 11, 2001. Of the ones I read, this was the one that touched me the most . The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede. When the airspace above the United States was closed, planes in the air had to land elsewhere. Thirty-eight of them landed in Gander, Newfoundland. For the next several days the citizens of this small town and the surrounding communities took care of the passengers, which included animals, feeding them, housing them, filling medical prescriptions, helping them get in touch with family .... basically anything they needed. It is heart-warming and heart-breaking and I still tear up even just reading the book jacket.

It all started in Santa Fe ... a simple enough project designed to promote tourism, showcase local artists, and raise money for a few philanthropic organizations. It did that and more. The Trail of the Painted Ponies Collector's Edition is the story of this project (to date, it continues ....). There were two styles of horse, one running, one standing. The artist could paint or decorate it anyway he or she wanted, which lead to a diversity of results: there are dream horses, music horses, Native American Ponies, patriotic ponies ... the list goes on and on! This is a fun and inspiring book.

I hope you all have some quirky favorites, too!

Reading Hermit With Dog