After reading the book on the Death Valley Mule team (post of August 17, 2018) I decided I needed to know more about mules, and I found that in Know Your Donkeys and Mules, by Jack Byard. There is just one type of mule that can stand that sort of heat (they are also used for taking supplies and mail to the town in the Grand Canyon (see post of February 7, 2015). So many mules for so many uses, but because of industrialization, many are endangered. (Groups are working on this, thankfully). There's even a mule related to Secretariat! Wonderful photographs and nice descriptions of each mule or donkey.

I read Brighty of the Grand Canyon, by Marguerite Henry, and illustrated by Wesley Dennis several times when I was young, but I did not remember that it was based on a real burro! Seems this is the little guy for whom the Bright Angel trail is named, the trail still used today. During his life Brighty interacted with several men, including President Theodore Roosevelt. It was nice to reread this book, even though I also forgot how nasty one of the characters was. :-)

Decades ago now there was a wonderful show on PBS called Connections. The host was James Burke. (See my post from December 27, 2016, too). I recently came upon a book of his I think I read back when it first came out (some of the chapters were familiar) but read it again anyway (much of it seemed, new, too). :-) Circles: Fifty Round Trips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture is a collection of essays that first appeared in Scientific American and is Burke at his best, making connections of all sorts of seeming little things that result in something we use every day.

Here's a book (well, special issue magazine, actually) on a favorite subject of mine: Dogs! As with past books and magazines from Time Life, it is well written and with wonderful photographs. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy Dogs: Why We Need Them. Why They Need Us.

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I is for Inuksuk: an Arctic Celebration, by Mary Wallace looks like it might be an alphabet book, but it isn't. At least not in the traditional sense. Instead, it explains the stone towers, called Inuksuit the people of the Arctic have been building for thousands of years. Each design has a meaning: welcome, where to find food, where to hunt. The illustrations are beautiful, and there's even a pronunciation guide for the Inuktitut words. My favorite is the one that points to the north star in the winter sky.

While not exactly a picture book, I thought A Scout's Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols, by Daniel Beard (co-founder, Boy Scouts of America) would fit well here. This sure looks like a definitive guide to all kinds of codes and so on. There are nautical signs, secret writing, flag codes, railway signals, animal tracks ... Nicely illustrated (by the author) this made for a most interesting read on a rainy autumn day.

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On an episode of a show called Mysteries at the Museum I saw a story about a woman, an immigrant, who was homesick and wanted to go home. She had no money for this, so she decided to walk home. To Russia. From New York ?? Really? I had to find a book! What I found was The Woman Who Walked to Russia: a Writer's Search for a Lost Legend, by Cassandra Pyrus. It's an odd read (I thought) ... enjoyed the bits on doing the research, but why she hooked up with someone she'd not seen in ages to take an arduous trip to the far north, I never did understand. She'd find interesting snippets about Lillian Alling, but be disappointed. And, a huge pet peeve of mine, no bibliography, index, or references at the end! Still, I did read the book all the way through! :-)

I continue on my airplane/pilot trail today with Alaska's Bush Pilots, by Rob Stapleton with the Alaska Aviation Museum, from the Images of Aviation series. Alaska is a huge state and planes made it easier to move supplies, mail and people. Both the pilots and planes were amazing ... the pilots could fly and land pretty much anywhere (and in all kinds of weather) because the planes could land on water, ice, or in a field. As always, wonderful photos! This book would go well with Adventures of the Iditarod Air Force, by Ted Mattson. (See post for March 11, 2014).

Also from Images of Aviation comes Flying High: Pioneer Women in American Aviation, by Charles R. Mitchell and Kirk W. House. Women flew the earliest of planes. They helped build them, too. They flew solo, and in barnstorming events (including walking on the wings of their plane). They sewed the fabric together to create dirigibles (talk about a huge job). And, of course, they crashed and died, as well. If you want an amazing look at just how much women did, and so early, in this industry, this is the place to start.

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There are odd things going on in a housing unit in Douglas, or so one of Aunt Bessie's friends tells her. Door mats that vanish and reappear, a wandering mirror, strange noises in a flat that is vacant ... Aunt Bessie is asked to check things out and how she goes about this is most interesting. (To do so she'll have to make a huge change in her life). And of course, there is a body. Only this one is still breathing. Aunt Bessie Finds is the sixth in the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery series by Diana Xarissa.

When Georgiana Rannoch is offered a fully staffed estate by her godfather (who is off climbing mountains in South America) she jumps at the chance. Soon to be married, she and her husband will need a place to live. She has fond memories of Eynsleigh from living there as a child ... but a lot has changed ... and what's up with the staff? There's a snarky butler, a chef who can't cook, gardeners who don't garden, and odd sounds coming from a supposedly closed off wing of the estate. Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding, by Rhys Bowen, is part of the Royal Spyness Mystery Series. This is one of those hard to put down books and I would have finished it in one day if I'd started it earlier!

According to the short entry in the back of the book, Genevieve Cogman got her start early, reading J.R.R. Tolkien and Arthur Conan Doyle. The result is her Invisible Library series ... part fantasy, part mystery. The Masked City is the second in the series. Life is going well, until Irene's apprentice is abducted. Kai comes from a royal family of dragons who will not be amused and the outcome could be war ... over several alternate times. Irene discovers that Kai is being held in Venice ... but which one? There are several versions of place and time here, some more industrial than others, some using more magic. It's fun reading about a city that is 'almost' familiar. Irene, as a Librarian, has a few skills of her own. This is a grand adventure!

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Three rather different books showed up recently so I decided to put them together in sort of 'side trail' ... a detour if you will. Cheap Laffs: the Art of the Novelty Item, by Mark Newgarden and Picturebox, Inc., with photography by Michael Schmelling is a history of the gag gift. It was not an easy book to write because while such things have been around for a long time, there are not a lot of records showing when, where, and who might have been involved. (Although, think about it, would you want to go down in history as the inventor of fake vomit, etc. ?) The items were not art, according to the author, although some had an elegant design. Sold door to door, then in catalogs, and now on-line (bad taste is big business!), there is no end for the popularity of these items. And, some have been updated: the whoopee cushion now comes with a remote control.

In my post of January 12, 2018, I did a book on things once popular that were now obscure, this time it is things that have become obsolete. Now, it could be that those were all (or mostly) fads, and there is a difference, according to author Anna Jane Grossman, between actual obsolescence and something just going out of style. It might be fun to read Obsolete: an Encyclopedia of Once-Common Things Passing Us By, with that book. :-) Some things we won't miss: buffering, or visible braces on teeth. Some things were a surprise: nuns (!). Some are still around: vinyl records and manual typewriters.

And finally, for a fun to read collection of tidbits about many things read Weird-O-Pedia: the Ultimate Book of Surprising, Strange, and Incredibly Bizarre Facts About (Supposedly) Ordinary Things, by Alex Palmer. There's a word for fear of an empty glass. I think you'll be surprised at which company produces the most tires each year. How many names are there (according to the OED) for the first finger? A great read for during all those ads on tv these days! ;-)

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If you like cooking, recipes, and stories, then you should enjoy At Home on the Range, a cookbook presented by Elizabeth Gilbert (and) by her great-grandmother Margaret Yardley Potter. The cookbook by Ms. Potter was actually published, back in 1947, just as faster foods (think mashed potato flakes, etc.) were first seen in markets. Flash forward to when Ms. Gilbert finds a copy in a box of books, starts reading, and finds it delightful and charming. Which it is! (And remember, I don't cook). I love the stories of not only how something was made (and made properly, no shortcuts here) but of how and when they might be used. Serious cooks should enjoy it even more. ;-)

A casual comment about a tea cake 'worthy of Mary Poppins' sent Aurelia Beaupommier on the hunt for recipes from magical works ... of all sorts. There are recipes here from tv shows, movies, role playing games (table top and otherwise), holidays, and of course, books. The result was The Wizard's Cookbook: Magical Recipes Inspired by Harry Potter, Merlin, The Wizard of Oz, and More.

I had no idea butter could be used for so many things! Or that it is part of religious ceremonies. Butter: a Rich History, by Elaine Khosrova is one of those history books I like so much, and what a great read it was. Long considered 'woman's work' (like so many other things), the woman of the household would milk the cow (often tracking said cow down in the field and milking her there) and from that make butter and cheese. Because of the skill this involved, a 'dairy maid' was held in high esteem in the houses with servants. Royals actually built mock dairies for 'play', where elite women could dress up as a diary maid. Puritans (who came to this country to escape the moral breakdown of their homeland) became part of trade including drink (rum) and slavery. Sometimes local rivers and streams became polluted with buttermilk (which then resulted in the cottage cheese industry). The first recorded student protest (Harvard,1766) was over butter. Industrialzation and refrigeration changed things dramatically, but not always with the best results, and in recent years there as been a return to locally made butter. This was a fascinating read.

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Have you heard of Quick Reads? I had not, probably because they are from the UK, but I've learned they are a short book (hence a "quick read") from a bestselling author. I found about them because Vaseem Khan is one of the authors. Inspector Chopra & the Million Dollar Motor Car is another wonderful adventure with Chopra and his elephant. An expensive, customized car has vanished. There is no sign of a forced entry, and all the doors are still locked. Afraid to tell the owner of the car, Inspector Chopra is asked to find it ... and he has just 24 hours. The clues lead him (and his elephant, of course) on a merry chase around town. A great, and yes, quick, read!

There were so many twists and turns to Rescued, by David Rosenfelt (one of the Andy Carpenter Mystery books) I wondered if he had a spreadsheet tacked up somewhere in his office (or on his tablet)! The first twist this time is the man who is arrested for the murder never denies that he shot anybody, just that it was self-defense. Problem is, no weapon was found on the victim. Just why was this victim where he was, and why did he have a big rig full of dogs? This is a fun series ... with short chapters ... so it's easy to keep reading 'just one more' .... :-)

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Choked Off is the second in the Falconer Files Murder Mystery books, by Andrea Frazer. Falconer is again (and somewhat reluctantly) partnered with Sergeant Carmichael when they are sent to investigate the death of a radio 'personality' who gave scathing reviews of a nearby small town arts festival. There's more than the dreadful reviews, too, of course, as 'history' (family and otherwise) surfaces during the investigation. I'm liking the trend of the author to use a different small town for her books as it allows for new characters each time. I also like that many of the Brit mysteries I'm reading seem to indicate on the cover which number in the series the book is .... seems like such a simple idea and yet, not done with the U.S. books .... hmm!

The Rat Catchers' Olympics, by Colin Cotterill, continues his amazing series about Dr. Siri, one of my very favorites. Time is 1980, at the Olympics in Moscow. None of the athletes from Laos do well, they haven't had the training, etc. that is necessary, and the team was gathered in a bit of a hurry, but ... they have a small, but noisy support system and are cheered and applauded even when they come in last. The mystery begins when Siri realizes one of the athletes is not who he says he is. Then there is a death, but one that does not make the news, coded messages and, well, other things, but I promised no spoilers! And all this must be solved before the Olympics end.

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A good friend recently passed, the one who introduced me to the TV show Blue Bloods (among many things, actually), and that brought me to another in that favorite series of mine, Images of America: New York City Police, by Joshua Ruff and Michael Cronin for The New York City Police Museum. When the first men were hired (1845) to police the streets of NY, many refused to wear a uniform. To them, it was a sign of a servant. A compromise was made, and they agreed to wear a copper star on their own clothes. This might have been the origin of the word 'copper' and eventually 'cop'. Women were used on the force as early as 1911, but mostly as matrons in jails (although a few made the Detective Squad). And, something that should bring a chuckle ... early on, bicycles were useful in catching speeding drivers! I would have liked more on the mounted police, but, as I've often said with this series, great pictures, interesting text, worthy reads!

The homeless have always been with us, it seems, but it was a local problem until the Civil War and the advance of railway service. Soldiers returning from the war to no jobs, no homes, and often suffering from is now known as PTSD started hopping the trains and moving around the country. The author, Kenneth L. Kusmer, did an amazing job with Down and Out, On the Road: the Homeless in American History, considering that often times these people would not show up in a City Directory, on a Census, etc. He seems to have covered all the bases: from attitudes towards them (and how that changes), to groups that tried to help (some serious, some not), to just who was homeless (now including families), as well as how they appear in fiction, film, popular songs and poetry. Well researched and detailed, it takes a bit of work to get through this book. It was worth it, though, but I suggest reading a few lighter stories while you do.

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Posie Parker gives up on any hope of a quiet holiday when she is told there has been a sighting of someone who was supposed to be dead. What memories of the war will this bring back? And will it affect the widow who has been collecting death benefits? The Vanishing of Dr. Winter is the fourth Posie Parker Mystery, by L.B. Hathaway. Sad in many places, but this has been an excellent series, and this book is no exception. War changes so many things and I love how that is explored here.

Getting a driver's license when you've relocated shouldn't be too hard, right? Unless it means driving on the 'other' side of the road. Fenella Wood is feeling a bit overwhelmed by the new rules of the road, lots of roundabouts, parallel parking the 'wrong' way ... not to mention keeping left. Her new friend (and also new to the island) CID Inspector Daniel Robinson asks for her help with some cold cases he'd like to solve ... hence the title to the third Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy book, Cars and Cold Cases, by Diana Xarissa. The cold cases dig up some interesting stories from the past, and affects her new friends in unexpected ways. As before, ghostly Aunt Mona is along to help. ;-)

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Looks like I'm back on an 'airplane trail' again. China Clipper: the Age of the Great Flying Boats, by Robert Gandt is an interesting and easy to read history of the sea planes. It started with mail runs, progressed to carrying passengers (in great luxury), transported troops and equipment during wars, to finally being replaced by planes we all recognize today ... ones that land on a runway instead of water. Known as Clippers, these were the first planes to fly a trans-Pacific route. (Hoping for an interesting quote from the handsome, but camera shy pilot of this historic flight, all the news-folks got was "without incident").

This lead me to Pan Am, by Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly, from the Images of Aviation series (hooray, another series from Arcadia Publishing)! This is the history of an airline from start to end. It included the flying boats as well as some of the biggest passenger planes from Boeing. Pan Am was the first to use radio communication, the first to have cabin attendants (later known as stewardesses), the first to serve meals on longer flights, and early on, something that no other planes offered (for crew or passengers), a toilet! It was also the first to offer a flight schedule and worked to provide on time flights. Loved the pictures!

Other airplane/pilot books have been requested, look for them soon.

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Tall Reader loaned me a book that was good to read when it was hot outside because it involved a lot of snow. ;-) The Bear and the Nightingale (Book One of the Winterdance Trilogy), by Katherine Arden was an interesting blend of many Russian fairy tales. There's a nasty stepmother, an unusual child, conflict between old ways and new ... and snow ... I almost wanted to put on a sweater! Intense and nicely written although I did get tired (and annoyed, which if it's what the author wanted, she did well!) with the stepmother and the priest.

For a non-fiction book that reads like a grand adventure novel, try Astoria: Astor and Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: a Tale of Ambition and Survival on the Early American Frontier, by Peter Stark. Hoping to establish a fur trade (as well as a monopoly) John Jacob Astor sent two groups west in 1810. They were to establish a trading fort at the mouth of the Columbia river. One went group went by boat, the other overland. Travel was not easy in those days! There were no established routes, there were often hostile Indians, the weather was a huge factor ... pulled from letters and journals of those who participated, this book is a page turner! One thing that fascinated me was that even at that time there were trading routes to China. Thanks to Game Day Reader for sharing it with me. And to Riding Reader and Constant Reader for saying "Yes, that was an amazing read!!"

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