Like to read about dogs? Know a youngster who does? Then Because of Shoe and Other Dog Stories, edited by Ann M. Martin might be just the book. Someone is dognapping Poodles. There's a missing child. And just how did 'Shoe' get her name? (Sorry, no spoilers here)! ;-)

Off the Leash: a Dog's Best Friend is another clever book by Rupert Fawcett. It's the second collection of his cartoons that started on Facebook. In addition to the hysterically accurate observations of dogs and humans there are also some soft pencil sketches of the human/dog relationship (no cartoon captions, just nice pictures).

Here's the third Rupert Fawcett book: Off the Leash: It's a Dog's Life. I raced through this book the first time, chuckling my way through the pages. Then I read it more slowly (still laughing). I have since reread all three ... if you have a dog in the family, read these books!

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Today is Memorial Day, a day were flags will be put on grave stones across the country.

Not all military graveyards can be easily visited .... many are underwater. Fortunately Robert Ballard likes to seek out and explore these watery sites and they may be read about in Graveyards of the Pacific: From Pearl Harbor to Bikini Atoll, by Robert D. Ballard with Michael Hamilton Morgan. I liked the descriptions of the battles that took place along with pictures (both archival and recent), and the respect and reverence that Ballard always shows with his discoveries.

It was once a working Virginia plantation owned by Robert E. Lee. During the Civil War it would serve as Union headquarters, and, for a time, house freed blacks, and, in one corner, soldiers were buried. On Hallowed Ground: the Story of Arlington National Cemetery, by Robert M. Poole is a beautifully researched, well written history of how it became the memorial to the fallen it is today. Included are wonderful, little known details. (The eternal flame at Kennedy's tomb was put together in about 24 hours when Jackie Kennedy said she'd like one after seeing on in Paris). Moving, inspiring, will bring tears to your eyes.

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Tomorrow, May 29th, is a special day I never knew existed: "Learn About Compost Day" !! So, I thought I would, and found Compost, by Ken Thompson. It's all about the natural way to make compost for your garden with lots of ideas on what to use, how to 'blend' it, store it and so forth. Certainly much more information than I'll ever need, but for any of you who like to garden I can see it being very useful. (Although, those of you who do like to garden probably already know this). ;-)

While Canadian Reader was here she picked up some books for gifts. Creepy Carrots! with words by Aaron Reynolds and pictures by Peter Brown is a story of a rabbit who loves carrots ... but how do the carrots feel about that?

For those of you who went to summer camp be sure to check out Wolf Camp, by Andrea Zuill! This time the camp is for dogs who want to have a 'wolf experience'. Clever, silly, fun!

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May 25 is Tap Dance Day. Could I find a book on this subject? I could! And what a book! At 612 pages (!) What the Eye Hears: a History of Tap Dancing, by Brian Seibert is a long read, but it's been good, starting with the early days and following the rise and fall of tap popularity through the decades. Tap is a dance for all ages, that is, from the very young to the very old, as it is not as hard on muscles and ligaments as other dance forms are. Not that it can't be hard on the body, just that it's something that a dancer can do for a long time. There were radio shows of tap (honest!). There's even a one legged tap dancer! He had both a metal end (for the noise) and a rubber end on his peg leg (to prevent falls). See how many names you recognize! 

And, for fun today, mysteries. :-) Here's the start of a series where, if I'd started at the beginning, I might not have gone any further! I started in the middle of the Agatha Raisin series and enjoyed them so when I found Introducing Agatha Raisin, by M.C. Beaton, which included the first two books in the series, I picked it up. Well! In the first book The Quiche of Death, the main character was just so prickly I think I would have stopped reading. Fortunately, I didn't and really have enjoyed the series! The second book, The Vicious Vet, is also included here.

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This year is the 100th anniversary of the National Park System. In celebration of that, I've seen many guide books and wonderful (and huge) photo books, but the one I selected for my blog is See America: a Celebration of Our National Parks & Treasured Sites. It is illustrated by the Artists of the Creative Action Network. As part of Roosevelt's Work Projects Administration, artists were put to work creating posters to teach and create interest in the new NPS. In that spirit, and with the same goal, the See America project was started with a generation of new artists. The results are stunning! (A fun fact here: Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving child of Abraham Lincoln, was at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial).

For spectacular places closer to home than most of the National Parks, you might want to consider what you'll find in The Seven Wonders of Washington State: Your Guide to Exploring the Natural Wonders of the Evergreen State, by Howard Fisk. It is obvious from both the photos and the text that Mr. Fisk loved putting this book together!

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Have you ever thought the meals in a favorite book sound good? Cara Nicoletti did, and provides recipes and hints for making the meals in her favorite books (from child hood to present day) in Voracious: a Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books. She explains when she got a specific book (some times they came along at a crossroads moment), and why she was drawn to a specific meal (she comes from a family of butchers and bakers). A bit of history, a bit of biography, a bit of whimsy ... just a nice read.

This, of course, made me look for other similar books. :-) (You'll find Tequila Mockingbird in the February 9, 2016 post for drinks named for famous books).

You know all those interesting foods you read about in mystery books? Have you ever wanted to try them? You can find the recipes for many of them in The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook, edited by Kate White. Divided by type of food (breakfast, appetizers, side dishes, etc.) there's a nice description of the book each is from and instructions on preparation.

I am not in any book club, but I understand that eating at the meetings is often as important as the books that are discussed. Well Read, Well Fed: a Year of Great Reads and Simple Dishes for Book Groups by Marcia F. Brown offers suggestions of books (she has a monthly 'theme') and then a matching recipe. What fun! (Wonderful book suggestions).

There will be more on this trail in future posts!

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A shorter entry today. :-) It's been ready to go for a while now and I've just not read anything I felt I wanted to list with these books.

I borrowed this trilogy back from Tall Reader so I could jostle my memory and do a post with them ... and ended up reading them again! Airs Beneath the Moon, by Toby Bishop is the first in this wonderful series. Lark rescues a horse from an icy river and it is in her barn where the mare goes into labor. I was hooked after the line "By Zito's ears, little one! You have wings!" These winged equines bond with women and only women, and usually those women are selected from the elite. Lark's unplanned bond with this foal allows her to attend the Academy of the Air and set the stage for the adventure. The bad guy here is truly creepy and will stop at nothing to bond with a flying horse. Great characters, great horses, great read! Airs and Graces is book two, and Airs of Night and Sea completes the trilogy.

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I have no idea why I picked this book up ... but I did and it proved to be a strange, curious but overall rather satisfying read: Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings From the Road, by Willie Nelson. He is a songwriter, which he explains can mean different things ... some write songs that make you feel good for a moment, but others (like his) make you think. He is a supporter of legalizing marijuana and biodiesel. And, in spite of life spent on the road and a blended family, his kids all get along and are happy. A quiet, positive read.

Now, this book, I do know why I picked it up ... and it proved to be a rather strange and curious read, too. (I haven't yet decided if it was satisfying, though). My Ideal Bookshelf, with art by Jane Mount and edited by Thessaly La Force asked dozens of people (most were unfamiliar to me) to come up with a small shelf of books that 'represent you' .... the favorite favorites if you will. I was surprised by the lack of picture books (my friends all seem to have a favorite or two that they loved, as do I) and, perhaps a young reader book (such as Johnny Tremain). I guess I found the selections to be, mmm, rather pretentious, almost as if the books were chosen to be impressive. Still, what was interesting is how the books were arranged. An artist might look at the color and shape as he/she arranged her shelf, whereas an author might organize them by subject. So, my suggestion is to give this book a try! (What would be on your ideal bookshelf?)

And this book I picked up because I had just a very vague memory of this 'unknown' Kennedy offspring. What happens to Rosemary is certainly a sign of the times she lived in and I thought the author did an excellent job at not being judgmental (hindsight is, after all, 20/20). Rosemary: the Hidden Kennedy Daughter, by Kate Clifford Larson was hard to read at some points (you'll know which ones when you get to them). As part of a large, powerful, successful family her parents wanted her 'fixed' and did not want her to embarrass the family. Some of their decisions had tragic results. Fortunately her siblings and their children included her in their lives and she inspired them to focus on (and change) how the mentally handicapped were cared for and treated in this country.

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More on past trails today, I think. :-)

About the Titanic: There was much on the actual sinking of the Titanic, (and a rush to make a few films) it seems, but then not so much on what happened to the survivors. Andrew Wilson takes care of that in Shadow of the Titanic: the Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived by tracking down letters, diaries and unpublished interviews. A common memory seems to be of the cries of all of those not on lifeboats, cries that would haunt survivors the rest of their lives. As would, for at least one, the silence that came after. (Think about that for a moment, it gave me chills). There was also one memory from someone who had lived in the town where the ship was built ... as a youngster, he remembers the huge anchors being hauled through town by teams of twenty draft horses. Not all did well, many never talked about it, nowadays we'd recognize it as PTSD, but not then, folks just tried to get on with their lives with varying levels of success.

About the Pacific Northwest: I read Sexless Oysters and Self-Tipping Hats: 100 Years of Invention in the Pacific Northwest, by Adam Woog way back in 1991 when it was first published. I spotted it recently on a shelf and just had to read it again! So many wonderful products, gadgets, games, and equipment began here! No surprise that the best waterproofing product (for shoes and leather) came from here, or the down vest, but so did the Dick and Jane books, the Erector Set, and various Slinky toys! We can also claim credit for the Happy Face! And of course, planes, computers, and medical equipment. This book might seem a bit dated, but it is an excellent read!

About The White House: There have been many amazing women in the White House. Some were better educated than their husbands. Some were not wives, but a daughter or relative that took on the role of hostess. Read about them all from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama in First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women, by Susan Swain and C-Span. Pulled from the show on C-Span, this is an interesting collection of .... well, observations might explain it nicely .... there are sometimes several opinions on a First Lady. Most interesting.

About Word Play. Puns, Puzzles, and Wordplay: Fun and Games for Language Lovers, by Jim Bernhard is part history, part games and puzzles, and all witty and fun. Be sure to read the puns out loud, it helps! (Some times it took several readings for me).

About England. A friend of mine will be heading for London this autumn so naturally, when I found Weird England: Your Travel Guide to England's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, by Matt Lake, I had to read it. :-) From rock formations, to caves, to buildings that lean (on their own, not by design) there are many things to see, some of which are thousands of years old. Some are haunted, some are holy, some are funny (not always intentionally), all have interesting stories.

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Blue is my favorite color, always has been. Mom told me I'd outgrow it, but so far, I haven't. In a silly mood one day, I looked for books dealing with 'blue'. :-)

One simple item, so many uses! It is likely that we all have at least one. They can be seen (with the use of Google zoom) from earth's orbit. The Blue Tarp Bible: Best Uses, Worst Abuses of the (Unsightly) Fabric That Binds America, by Ron C. Judd is a witty look at this ubiquitous 'tool', it's history and use in our society. ;-)

Like books, there are a few pieces of music where the opening phrase immediately identifies it: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5; Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man; Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra; and, of course, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue! Turns out it was written in a very short space of time (and Gershwin actually improvised on the piano at the debut). Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, by Anna Harwell Celenza and illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel is a nice retelling of this event.

I remember reading something for an Education class (so many decades ago) explaining how a teacher might 'encourage' a child to use green for trees, red for apples, etc. My thought was 'why?' ... if art is supposed to be a means of self expression, then why force what was considered 'normal' on a student? Eric Carle lived in Germany as a child and young adult. An art teacher showed him works by France Marc (among others) ... art that had been banned by the Nazi party. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse is his tribute to Marc and will (hopefully) encourage youngsters (or even adults) to go ahead and think differently. (Love the polka dot donkey)!

Another read from the long ago ... Blue Willow, by Doris Gates. It was a Newbery Honor Book, although I probably didn't pay much attention to that. What intrigued me was that it was about a plate with the same design we had at home. In this case, it is the one special item a migrant family kept as they moved from job to job during the Depression. When they moved into a shack near a river with willows, friends, and a school, Janey Larkin was sure it was where they'd be able to stay for a while. Did they?

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Originally I thought I'd put this book with the post for Tourism Day, but it was one of those powerful, positive reads so I wanted to put it on a different trail ...

Miracle Town: Creating America's Bavarian Village in Leavenworth, Washington, by Ted Price. In the early 1960's Leavenworth was a dying town. Stores were vacant with windows boarded up. Could anything be done to save it? Just outside of town Ted Price and Bob Rodgers opened a Bavarian themed restaurant and motel which was a success. Could they expand on this idea? With a lot of hard work (and no government funds) the community came together, gave the little town a huge makeover and created a Bavarian village, complete with festivals, food, and all sorts of shops. Leavenworth is now a destination for millions of tourists each year.

Written for the 50th anniversary of the familiar Seattle landmark, Space Needle: the Spirit of Seattle, by Knute Berger is a wonderful look back at the history, design, construction, and influence of the structure that makes a Seattle cityscape so easily recognizable. Many of the workers did not wear any sort of safety gear (makes me shudder just thinking about that). (!) And I did know that the sections in the rotating restaurant were color coded (it was very subtle) so that the servers could find their tables, but I did not know that they, too, had that same color coding in their uniforms.

Here's one more that fits the 'positive' description: The Little Free Library Book, by Margret Aldrich. It started small, as a way to honor his mother (a teacher and avid reader). Todd Bol built a box, filled it with books and a message to 'take a book, leave a book' and installed it in his neighborhood. There are now thousands of them world wide. From how to build your own Little Free Library box, to how they affect the people who use them, this is just a wonderful read! And while I understand how they are promoting reading, encouraging literacy and so forth, I will admit I really loved seeing the huge variety of designs! A favorite is the TARDIS found in Bloomington, Minnesota. The builders love Doctor Who and, as they said, like the TARDIS, books are bigger on the inside. :-)

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Today is Tourism Day and here are a few books on 'destinations' ... some within driving distance of this reader. :-)

In the middle of an amazing city is an amazing park ... that would be Central Park in New York City! Not only was the park established more than a century ago, but it's still there, no 'wise' (or greedy?) decisions were made to convert the space into office and/or residential space. While a bit dry in places, Central Park: the History of New York City's Most Unique Landmark, by Charles Rivers Editors is a nice overview of the early days of the park, who designed it (including Frederick Law Olmsted) some of the problems encountered (lots of gneiss rock), where pathways, trails and bridges would go to make for pleasing walks, landscaping and so on. Don't miss the pictures of Sheep Meadow from 1899 and 2014!

I picked up this book because of the title (it fits the quirky side of my nature): Visit Sunny Chernobyl and Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places, by Andrew Blackwell and it became one of the most interesting books I've read on travel! Granted, most people would not want to go to these places, but that's exactly why the author went. Sobering, depressing, yes, but Blackwell has a nice, easy to read style of writing so it was as enjoyable as the subject would allow. :-)

In my mind a ghost town is much more abandoned and empty than the ones found in Ghost Towns of the Pacific Northwest: Your Guide to the Hidden History of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, by Philip Varney, so I am putting this with other travel books instead of history. There is history here, wonderful pictures, and some great anecdotes about what happened when and where, as well as directions. I especially enjoyed the entry on Roslyn, which became the town of Cicely, Alaska in the TV show Northern Exposure.

Humans have always traveled, but travel has not always been an industry. When and how that happened (and continues) is explained in Overbooked: the Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, by Elizabeth Becker. While it can bring lots of money in, there are all kinds of problems ... wear and tear on roads, environmental concerns, and locals forced out for businesses that will cater to tourists. (Movie 'destinations' are big these days). Wages are low, especially on those big cruise lines. What is the U.S. take on tourism? (Probably not what you think). Two ideas did come from us: National Parks and theme parks. A most interesting read, but I still don't want to travel! ;-)

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Do you have old family pictures with no information as to when they were taken? Betty Kreisel Shubet can help with that! In Out-of-Style: a Modern Perspective of How, Why and When Vintage Fashions Evolved she explains what to look for in what the people are wearing that are clues for the 'when'. An interesting history with nice drawings (by the author).

Something from the past that does NOT stir nostalgia would be the homes where young, unwed, pregnant girls were sent in the 1950's and 1960's. Most (but not all) were run by religious groups, some were quite severe, others had a more home like atmosphere, but there was a Code of Silence (names were changed, and only first names ... last names were never used), and the feeling of shame and guilt was strong. Anne Petrie was in one of them, and some thirty years later decided to write a book. She was able to track down six other women who were willing to talk about their experiences in Gone to an Aunt's: Remembering Canada's Homes for Unwed Mothers. Thank goodness times and attitudes have changed.

The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap (Revised and Updated Edition), by Stephanie Coontz, was not what I was expecting ... at all. It seems there were never any 'good old days', there were always issues and attitudes that made life less than pleasant for most of the population. A rather depressing read, but still interesting. It looks as if the author has updated it several times now and included both the things she got right as well as wrong in her predictions in an earlier edition. Dense and detailed, yes, but remember, there will be no test at the end. :-)

In 1966 the U.S. Office of Education encouraged the state agencies to write a history of schooling in their area. Washington Schools in the Good Old Days is the result! Five school districts participated and the schools range from one room school houses to bigger elementary schools. You'll recognize many of the same issues we are familiar with today: overcrowding, lack of funding, salaries, etc. Wonderful archival photos make the some what dry text worth it. :-)

In the past you could get pretty much everything from the Sears catalog. From birth to death (including coffins and grave markers), coaches and harnesses to cars, seeds to plows, wigs (including beard wigs for men), fashions for all ages, books, instruments (from fancy pianos and organs to a jew's harp), the new gadget called radio, pharmaceuticals (including, much to my surprise) birth control, the list (and catalog, which used to be HUGE goes on and on! For an interesting look at the time when the Sears catalog was the be all and end all of shopping try The Good Old Days: a History of American Morals and Manners as Seen Through the Sears Roebuck Catalogs, by David L. Cohn.

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