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!!"

Reading Hermit With Dog