For a variety of reasons 'The Music Man' will always have a special place in my memory, and reading "But He Doesn't Know the Territory" by Meredith Willson himself added to those memories. (The title is in reference to the fact that he'd never written for Broadway). It took five years, give or take, and about forty rewrites to bring the show to the stage. The early part, about a childhood in a small town in Iowa brings to mind Bradbury and Dandelion Wine. Willson had always enjoyed the sound and rhythm of words and thought that you didn't really need a song, or a rhyme .... think of the opening scene on the train here .... it worked! I loved the 'aha' moments that made the show better, and had a good laugh at some of the other choices for the role of Professor Harold Hill. Just a great read!

This book caused an internal debate. Should I include it or not? While not a book in the traditional sense, it can be read ... in two ways, actually. It's The Best of Broadway: 80 Great Songs of the American Musical Theatre. It has the complete words and music for these songs, so whether you sing, or play piano or guitar, you're ready to go! It was published in 1973, so does not include any of the newer Broadway shows.

When Emilio Audissino realized there was no book (in the English language at least) discussing the music of John Williams, he decided to write one. John Williams's Film Music: Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Return of the Classical Hollywood Music Style is part biography, part film music history, and overall just an interesting breakdown of what makes his music so good. There are some in-depth discussions of what makes music heroic, romantic, or villainous using examples of Williams music. Usually the music must fit the movie, but when you have John Williams writing the music, well!, one director actually made his movie fit the music!

Unusually hot weather is here, I hope you all stay cool. :-)

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I was going to put this book with others of a similar subject, but when that changed (you'll see why in a later post) I decided to do a one book post rather than wait any longer. This is an amazing book!

A new friend told me about Russian women who were pilots in World War II. They were called 'night witches.' This sent me in search of a book, and what a book I found! Night Witches: the Amazing Story of Russia's Women Pilots in World War II, by Bruce Myles is one of those hard to put down reads. Some of these women flew night bombing raids over Germany, others were fighter pilots. Their navigators and mechanics were also women. Well researched (but sadly, with no bibliography), the author did not stop there. He also interviewed survivors and included their memories into his writing. Their perspective from a country being attacked and invaded was compelling.

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It's only June (although near the end) and already too hot and dry for me, so I figure I'm in serious trouble as we head into our normally dry time of the year! To that end, I thought I'd read some books on rain. :-)

A new publication, Rain: a Natural and Cultural History, by Cynthia Barnett, was the first book I read this time (there are other rain titles in the October 25, 2014 post). I really enjoyed this book! Barnett includes all aspects of rain: history (floods, droughts, rainmakers); forecasting; as well as popular side of rain (songs, movies, books). Nicely written, whimsical as well as serious.

Friends chuckled when I told them I was doing a post on rain books, and then offered these two recommendations: Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, edited by Mark Amour and photos from the David Eskenazi Collection. It's a nice collection about the history of the sport in this area. And, for those who like to garden: Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Designed Landscape, by Nigel Dunnett and Andy Clayden. It's how to capture, store and use rainwater for gardens, yards and so forth.

A book from my past: Rain Makes Applesauce with words by Julian Scheer and pictures by Marvin Bileck. I have a happy memory of reading this to kindergarten age kids. They loved the detailed pictures, the silly text, and the repetition of 'and rain makes applesauce'. Try it with a group of youngsters, you won't be disappointed!

I Love the Rain, by Margaret Park Bridges, illustrated by Christine Davenier is new to me. Meet Molly, who hates the rain, and Sophie, who doesn't, and watch the transformation. I especially loved the tap dancing rain drops.

And a mystery, included here because of the title: Raining Cats and Dogs, by Laurien Berenson. This time chaos seems to be the keyword as Melaine, her son, new hubby and five standard Poodles adjust to life together in a small house. For a night of peace (or so she thinks) Melanie and one of her dogs visit a nursing home, but the quiet is interrupted by a murder of one of the residents. The dog/human interaction in these books is wonderful.

A side note here: Earl Emerson's Thomas Black series is set in Seattle. I read the first title, The Rainy City, some years ago. It was a bit more 'hard boiled' than I like (but that's a personal thing), but I liked the descriptions of, well, the rainy city. :-)

Stay cool everyone!

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I've been in a 'decluttering' frame of mind of late, I'm trying to be Very Thorough and getting rid of things I just don't use. This is not so hard in the kitchen, since I don't cook, but much harder when I get to office supplies, and books!

If you are having a hard time getting started on that decluttering project you always intended to do then give Keep This, Toss That: Unclutter Your Life to Save Time, Money, Space, and Sanity, by Jamie Novak, a try. Moving from room to room through the house, it provides advice, in the form of detailed lists, on how to decide what to toss or keep.

Then, to keep that new, uncluttered space clean, there's RealSimple Solutions from the editors of the magazine Real Simple and written by Amanda Hinnant. Lots of nice ideas for storing, cleaning, decorating and even entertaining.

And, of course, one of my favorites, Simplify Your Life from the June 10, 2014 post. :-)

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Today I'm thinking the theme is English English, you know, what they speak across the pond. :-)

In the usual pattern of things I read a book and then might go see it if it's made into a movie. In this case, I saw The King's Speech first (with that amazing ending with Beethoven's 7th (second movement) as the background music) and then read the book. It's the one by Lionel Logue's grandson, who had much of the material Lionel had kept, and then searched for more letters, journals, newspaper articles and so on to write his book. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy, by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi goes into more detail than the movie and includes Lionel's time in Australia. While new and rather novel at the time, many of the techniques used by Logue in the movie are used today. (I had a floor mate in college who did so).

For a delightful and funny look at English English vs American English, read That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us, by Erin Moore. The author is a citizen of both countries and has wonderful observations about each. It will become clear why there is so much confusion between countries that speak the same language! (George Bernard Shaw was correct, England and America are two countries divided by a common language). :-)

Another take on this may be found in Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: a Transatlantic Survival Guide (Revised Edition), by Jane Walmsley. I especially enjoyed the chapters on what to do, or not do, in each country. Possibly a bit dated in places, the publication date was 2003, but that might apply mostly to the bits about politics.

I could not pass up a book called Knickers in a Twist: a Dictionary of British Slang, by Jonathan Bernstein, and guess what? It seems all those years of watching Masterpiece Theatre, listening to CBC Radio, and having a good Canadian friend have paid off ... I am familiar with a lot of British slang! A real corker of a book! ;-)

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It's summer, or will be, officially, tomorrow. :-)

Here again is another book from Steven Schnur and Leslie Evans, this time, Summer: an Alphabet Acrostic. I loved all the summer activities portrayed, there's even a concert in the park. Keep an eye on the dog!

While lots of folks walk year 'round, I have noticed the number of walkers in my neighborhood increases in the summer, so for that reason, I am including this book here. The Lost Art of Walking: the History, Science, Philosophy, and Literature of Pedestiranism, by Geoff Nicholson is not unlike a nice walk .... it was a pleasant read, with lots to see (so to speak). :-) There's a chapter on all the various words for moving about on foot, one on walking songs, and one on walkers themselves. And, of course, at least one reference to the Ray Bradbury short story, The Pedestrian.

I read this short story much longer ago than I care to admit. My copy is in S is for Space, but it's in many other collections as well. In a time when no one has, or wants, to walk, Leonard Mead does just that. Every night for hours and years, until one fateful night when the lone, remaining police car finds him. My recent reread proved every bit as chilling as the one so long ago.

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No doubt about it, I do love books about horses. :-)

To start with, however, I'll do one that could also in the 'You Read What?' pile. (See the January 3, 2015 post). I almost never read romances so it had to be a most unusual one .... not only that, my mom called Village Books and asked for a suggestion for a book for me for Christmas one long ago year now, and, knowing I loved Anne McCaffrey's books, they set this one aside. I still have the note left in the book saying "Shhh!!! This is a gift, don't tell!" The book in question is The Lady, and yes, it is a romance, but it's set on a horse farm, with lots of equine activities going on. A good book, and a good memory.

While Wesley Dennis was my favorite illustrator of Marguerite Henry's books, she did work with other artists and they are featured (along with Dennis) in The Illustrated Marguerite Henry with Wesley Dennis, Robert Lougheed, Lynd Ward and Rich Rudish. All the artwork is beautiful (and it's not just of horses)!

Most of my friends have animals in their lives and we all know what an impact they can make. Every so often there is one that is extra special and for Annette Israel, that was a Belgian draft horse she named Ren. He was an old horse when she bought him, but their five years together had many magical moments. Horsepower: a Memoir is a loving tribute to that time.

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A return to a familiar theme today ... dogs!

For a nice look at movie dogs (no TV dogs here), try Movie Mutts: Hollywood Goes to the Dogs, by Stephen M. Silverman with Coco the Dog. From the early silent films up to 2001 take a look at the dogs who were in popular movies. One cross over dog was "Moose" who was the dog in the TV show Frasier as well as the movie My Dog Skip. Coco the dog makes some fun comments throughout.

I first read about Michael Hingson and Roselle in a chapter in Man's Best Hero (May 19 post). Thunder Dog: the True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero, by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory is the full story of that amazing team. As people started evacuating the World Trade Center on that morning in September, no one was sure just what was happening, and since their cell phones didn't work in the stairwell, they wouldn't know for at least an hour. Hingson and his guide dog Roselle were one of the many that walked down 78 flights of stairs, more than 1000 steps. From childhood and puppyhood to the partners they became, this was a moving read. Have a hankie at hand. Thanks to Constant Reader for this recommendation.

Email from Wendy sent me looking for No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog, and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in WWII, by Robert Weintraub. This is an amazing story! Judy was an English Pointer, born in Shanghai. She and Frank Williams developed a special bond and together would survive ships that were torpedoed, bombs, gun fire, and, amazingly, several years in a horrible Japanese POW camp. A warning here, many of the events were extremely brutal and the author pulls no punches in his descriptions. It never ceases to amaze me just what dogs can do.

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I can spend many happy hours reading song lyrics. It's better to have the music, too, but having just the words will do, especially if I am familiar with the tune.

Cole Porter was a genius, no doubt about it. His songs reflect the age in which they were written. Underneath some of the sophisticated sounding melodies were songs that were bawdy, risque, sometimes even rather rude, but also witty, charming and humorous! I highly recommend the Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter, edited by Robert Kimball for any fan of, ahem, older music.

Easy to Remember the Great American Songwriters and Their Songs, by William Zinsser was another happy (mostly) stroll down memory lane. Naturally not all the songs are happy songs and there were many that made me tear up, but the book itself was excellent, with short biographies, photographs, and images of sheet music covers.

While The American Songbook: the Singers, the Songwriters, and the Songs, by Ken Bloom covers more than the book above, there were also a lot of typographical errors which I found distracting. Still, learning about some of the Big Bands, celebrity "singers" (chuckle) and so on was fun, and the pictures were worth it.

It started as a song sung by slaves. It is now known world wide as a song for freedom, and civil rights. We Shall Overcome: the Story of a Song, by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a beautifully done tribute of this simple but powerful song.

'Amazing Grace' is a song I've both played and sung but my favorite version has to be the one with bagpipes. Linda Granfield (author) and Janet Wilson (illustrator) have put together a nice book about John Newton, who wrote the lyrics. It's also a short history of slavery. Amazing Grace: the Story of the Hymn is a beautifully done and thought provoking book. Riding Reader recently told me 'Amazing Grace' can be played all on the black keys. It's true!

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I will admit to enjoying a good pun. Fortunately, I have friends who feel the same way!

The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics, by John Pollack is a history of the pun (no big surprise, right?) Seems humans have been punning since the earliest of times. Interesting and fun, but expect to laugh, snort, and groan as you read. :-)

This took me back to an old favorite: Get Thee to a Punnery, by Richard Lederer. He's the author of Anguished English, another old favorite. (February 25, 2014 post). Obviously, this one focuses in on the pun, determined by many to be a low brand of humor. Lederer tells of the history of the pun as well as all the many varieties. Play the games he's included (the answers are at the end of the book). Laugh at all the different 'never say die' entries ... "old calliope players never die, they just run out of steam", but most of all, laugh and groan your way through this book. (Hmm, where have I heard that before). (!)

While playing a game of tag in the reference area of the library, Logan runs into an old man who then determines Logan needs to be punished, blows some dust off a book at him, and vanishes. Before long, Logan realizes everything he says comes out as a pun. The quest to be rid of this affliction takes him on a merry romp through oxymorons, palindromes, and anagrams. Punished, by David Lubar is a quick groaner of a read. (There's that word again). ;-)

For a more adult punny read try A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony. In the magic Kingdom of Xanth, everyone has their own magical gift or talent. Except, it seems, for Bink. Riddled with puns, this is the first in a series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first three, but later ones seemed a bit like the author was trying too hard to create the pun. (Not all the time, after all, I did read six or seven of them)!

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Today is Iced Tea Day, so, in honor of that, this one book post. :-)

Iced tea was introduced at the1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis during an uncharacteristic heat wave. It was an immediate and lasting hit. Fred Thompson offers up recipes and suggestions of all kinds in Iced Tea: 50 Recipes for Refreshing Tisanes, Infusions, Coolers, and Spiked Teas. There are traditional teas, slushy teas, carbonated teas, and one using tomatos. There are 'adult' teas with a bit of alcohol and even one tea without tea!

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It seems to have all started with pictures on a cave wall. At some point letters developed and from that came writing, which then required punctuation. (See the t-shirt showing Let's eat Grandma and Let's eat, Grandma) (chuckle)!

A blast from the past, or at least my past to start with: back when I was learning to type, on the old manual my mom had, in order to type the exclamation point I had to type a period, then backspace and use an apostrophe.

Shady Characters: the Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks, by Keith Houston is the history and evolution of ! and @ as well as a few we don't see any more and some that never caught on. (Think of the interrobang, the combination of ? and !). For some their meaning and use have changed, others have several functions. For me, the # will always be first and foremost a musical symbol. ;-)

While waiting for another book on punctuation to arrive I read Script and Scribble: the Rise and Fall of Handwriting, by Kitty Burns Florey. Gone are the days when handwriting was almost an art, in fact, is seems children are now taught how to type in the third grade instead. This is a nice history of the various styles of cursive writing and how it was taught (remember row after row of loops?). There is an interesting chapter too, on what we use when we write ... a quill? Fountain pen? Gel pen? I found the end bit, about whether or not good handwriting is important, to be very interesting.

One unusual man, a Cherokee, wanting to preserve the history of his people, (and not just the white man's version) designed an alphabet. Or rather, a syllabary. (It's shown at the back of the book). Sequoyah: the Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing, by James Rumford is a bi-lingual biography. The translation is by Anna Sixkiller Huckaby. This is a biography written for children and is a nice introduction to Sequoyah.

If you think a book on punctuation has to be dull, think again. :-) Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, by Mary Norris is sure to give you a chuckle as you learn about the proper use of commas, dashes and so on. The chapter about pencils though, was my favorite.

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American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes! The last Triple Crown win was in 1978.

I always thought Northern Dancer was a wonderful name for the little horse (barely 15 hands) from Canada. Because of his size, many did not pay much attention to him until he started winning .... winning race after race. Gare Joyce tells all about him in Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack.

It's not often a mare has a public following. Ruffian was the exception. All race horses have a style and Ruffian's was to take the lead immediately and then hold on to it. She tied or broke track records and win the Triple Crown for fillies. It was all good until a tragic match race against Foolish Pleasure ... She was an amazing horse and I treasure the book on my shelf: Ruffian: Queen of the Fillies, by Edward Claflin.

Trotting races were once extremely popular. Pretty much everyone had a horse for transportation at the time, and if you could get back and forth from town quickly, that was a good thing. Crazy Good: the True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America, by Charles Leerhsen, is the story of one of the most popular and well-known horses of the time. Unlike his sire, and other males in the line, who had terrible dispositions, Dan Patch was always well-behaved and even mannered. Kids could pet him, and grooms were safe stepping into his stall. He was a natural pacer, even, so the story goes, escaping from a barn fire at a pace. However, this was also a time when animals were not well treated, and those that could make money for someone were often exploited and used beyond what they could endure. The writing was excellent, though, even if the subject matter was tough at times.

Horses are kidnapped. Boats and people vanish, never to be seen again. Conspiracies. What really happened? Decide for yourself in Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales from the Track, by John McEvoy.

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Today is the day for the race at Belmont, the third race in the Triple Crown. While not really a fan of the racing industry, there have been some amazing horses over the years which captured my attention. :-)

If timing is everything, then feel sorry for a horse named Sham. He was a racehorse who broke time records in many of the races he ran. Unlike some, he was well behaved and nice to work around. We didn't hear much about him though, because he had the unfortunate luck of being born the same year as the horse named Secretariat. You can read about Sham in Phil Dandrea's book Sham: Great Was Second Best: a Brave Bay's Rivalry With the Legendary Secretariat. Some thought Secretariat was as good as he was because of this rivalry, that Sham was the only horse good enough to give Red a needed push.

Secretariat was a horse like no other, he did what he'd been bred for generations to do ... run. There is a lot more in Secretariat, by William Nack such as history of the breeder, owner, jockey, groom, etc. (all interesting) and maybe, for me, just a bit too much on the syndication stuff, but it's the chapters on the big red horse that I most enjoyed. What was missing from this book, however, was a bibliography. And an index. (Yes, I do know I'm rather fussy about this)!

As a kid I read (and reread many times) the book Come On Seabiscuit, by Ralph Moody and illustrated by Robert Riger. It is the story of a small horse with knobby knees that captured America's heart during the Depression. Seems I wasn't the only one! As an adult, Laura Hillenbrand, who said she wore out her copy she read it so many times, did her research (an excellent job, even though she suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and wrote Seabiscuit: an American Legend. Early on it was a hard knock life until he ended up with trainer Tom Smith, and Red Pollard as his jockey and under their care started winning on a regular basis.

Another book from the Way Back Machine is Old Bones the Wonder Horse, by Mildred Maslin Pace and illustrated by none other than Wesley Dennis. The name of the horse was actually "Exterminator", but he was oddly put together, hence the nickname. He had no fancy bloodline so was initially used to help train Sun Briar, who was thought to be the better horse. Time after time 'Bones' would win unless held back. He was entered in the Kentucky Derby, and much to everyone's surprise came from behind to win. He would race until he was nine years old, quite the age for a race horse.

This turned out to be a fun book trail so I am going to divide it into two posts ...

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It's a movie that has taken on a life of it's own. One that is still popular decades after it was filmed. Audiences loved it (still do), critics hated hit (many still do) .... and what was intended to be a one time event (the sing-along) has morphed into events held world wide. How did it happen? How were cast and crew selected? How was it filmed? What happened after that? I learned all this and more in The Sound of Music Story: How a Beguiling Young Novice, a Handsome Austrian Captain, and Ten Singing Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time, by Tom Santopietro, afterwhich I watched the movie. All in all a most enjoyable experience. If you like the move, this is just a wonderful read!

I have read stories about the real Von Trapps, such as The Trapp Family Singers: the Famous True Story on Which The Sound of Music is Based, by Maria Von Trapp. As one would expect, it differs from the movie. I have the utmost admiration for them and recommend finding a biography, or history of them, perhaps one from one of their kids found in above book.

There is a nice forward from Andrew Lloyd Webber in The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Maslon. Seems he wrote a fan letter to Richard Rodgers, who answered back and sent tickets for The Sound of Music. Later on, Webber would go on to produce a production, using a Maria of the right age. There is a nice blend of stories about the stage play, the Von Trapp family, and the movie in this book. Also some delightful pictures of fans who dress up for the sing alongs ... check out Ray (a drop of golden sun)!

At some point in my teens I was thrilled to discover that librettos were available and promptly read every one on the library shelf: Camelot, Brigadoon, Man of La Mancha, and so forth. Years later I found 6 Plays by Rodgers and Hammerstein in a used book sale and added it to my shelf. It predates The Sound of Music, but I can follow along with Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, and South Pacific. Two lesser known plays, Allegro and Me and Juliet are also included. I love seeing so many familiar (and now very) old names on the original cast lists!

Another book on The Sound of Music is due out in September. I look forward to reading it. :-)

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Earlier it was 'strong women of the sciences, this time it's 'strong women in the outdoors' (almost, see the final entry) ;-)

A warning here, before I say more about Last of the Saddle Tramps: a 7,000 Mile Equestrian Odyssey Through the USA, by Mesannie Wilkins ... it was a one day read, so make sure you can clear your calender if necessary! It's 1954. The author is 63, single, and destitute. Her mother always wanted to go to California so Mesannie decides she'll follow that dream and go herself. On horseback. She'll start in Maine to head west, but makes a few detours (one to deliver a letter to the governor of Idaho) so it takes a while! The author has a nice style, one that kept me reading her book all day long. :-)

A few years earlier (1949), in Canada, and at a younger age, Barbara Kingscote decides to ride across the country. The 'reason' is to deliver a horse to someone in British Columbia, but in reality, the author is a bit of a wanderer. ;-) Ride the Rising Wind: One Woman's Journey Across Canada tells of her adventures.

While I was not surprised by just how many women worked the rodeo circuit in the early 1900's, I was surprised by how surprised others were, including those who also worked this circuit, too. I mean, really? These were hard working, frontier women who could ride, shoot, build fences, chop fire wood, and so on. Why shouldn't/wouldn't they participate? This was a way to earn some good money. One woman stood out from the others and you will learn all about her life in The Lady Rode Bucking Horses: the Story of Fannie Sperry Steele, Woman of the West, by Dee Marvine.

This brought back a fond memory (and a side trail from the 'women' theme) ... a book titled Midnight, Champion Bucking Horse, written and illustrated by Sam Savitt. I remember a line from the poem at the end ... about a 'bucking hoss' and 'never a rider he couldn't toss' .... something like that!

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