Book Nook Cafe discussion

Great job on both! I'm a fan of stories of female travelers back in the day, and the legal book sounds like a good insight into the justice system.

madrano wrote: "For prompt 23- Award winning book or nominated for award, i selected Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon--[author:Melissa L..."

I happy to see this prompt was really a winner for you, deb. Good choice !

madrano wrote: "Prompt #7- Legal or lawyer character F / NF. Having recently read a good book on the judicial system, [book:Why the Innocent Plead Guilty and the Guilty Go Free: And Other Paradoxes of Our Broken L..."

Good choice for the prompt, Deb. I'm happy to see you selected a book recommended by Barbara and Michele.

John wrote: "Great job on both! I'm a fan of stories of female travelers back in the day, and the legal book sounds like a good insight into the justice system."

Thanks, John. These are the sort of books/characters i've read about most of my life. For me, they are more appealing nowadays, as the females often have a purpose in their travels. Of course, this one is botany, but another i read earlier this year was about ancient Scriptures. One of the earliest i continue to think about was A Woman in the Polar Night--Christiane Ritter. As i recall, she was there in support of her husband's scientific work.

The GR blurb tells us it's a resurrected classic. I read it in the '70s, so i suppose so. I'd forgotten she was a painter, i just remember her adjustment.

Alias Reader wrote: "Good choice for the prompt, Deb. I'm happy to see you selected a book recommended by Barbara and Michele..."

Thanks on both counts, Alias. I was tickled when i read their reviews, as it seemed to fit what i wanted.

I completed one of my Deb-created categories, 54- Read 2 books by Sara Gran. Earlier in the year i read Dope, which i found interesting, as it was a bit noir-ish. Now i have completed her The Book of the Most Precious Substance, which i liked the least of the books i've read by her.

All Gran's characters are brave enough to face the challenges life offers, even if sometimes she must rely upon drugs &/or alcohol. She keeps on going. I like that.

In this book Lily Albrecht, one-hit-wonder novelist, is supporting her author husband, who is now confined to a wheelchair without speech or other abilities. She does so by selling books, so the book begins at an NYC book selling event, where the author fills us in on other dealers and the industry itself. That was neat.

Almost before she realizes what's happened, she is involved with chasing down a hundreds year old book, (also the name of this bookl. The "Precious Substances", we learn along with Lily, are sweat, blood, and several different sexual moistures, each of which must be put on a certain symbol from the book. The purpose will be to attain the goals you've been seeking as you produced the substances.

Lily is joined in this search by Lucus, a librarian & bookseller of higher end tomes. Together, they travel the world seeking copies and owners, hoping they will sell. Meanwhile, it's a romp of riches and intriguing wealthy people.

The book didn't end the way i expected, which is pleasant, in this case. I was immediately drawn to Lily, as i have been with each primary character Gran creates. This is probably a major reason i like her writing, she makes me fond of the MC, mostly by explaining her life in terms i'd expect a friend to share them. Neat.

Great that you like Sara Gran's writing! Im not familiar with your second book. I associate Gran with Claire DeWitt, who is not likeable, but I respect her: Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead.

madrano wrote: "I completed one of my Deb-created categories, 54- Read 2 books by Sara Gran. Earlier in the year i read Dope, which i found interesting, as it was a bit noir-ish. Now i..."

Well done on reading 2 of her books to fulfill the prompt, deb.

John wrote: "Great that you like Sara Gran's writing! Im not familiar with your second book. I associate Gran with Claire DeWitt, who is not likeable, but I respect her ..."

John, you stated that well. I don't think any of her characters are people i'd want in my life. They get in situations that surprise me but i'm rooting for them, nonetheless. Maybe "like" isn't the word i want and "respect" says it better. "Like" would better describe my appreciation for Gran's writing about those characters.

What Gran does that i like, is have these MCs present themselves in such a way that i feel i know & could like them. Then, they share more & i'm aghast at what we learn. Thanks for helping me delve further into my pleasure in reading her novels.

Thank you, Alias, for your comments, too. Now i've completed both books by the two authors i wanted to further explore, Sara Gran & Vendela Vida. I'm glad i added the prompts about them. Often, upon finishing a book, i declare i want to read more books by the author but don't. These prompts got me there.

I've already decided that if i do the Challenge next year, i will read two by Claire Keegan, whose novel Foster, i read and treasured. (Read for last year's challenge, as it happens.)

#18- book that takes place during a holiday. Any holiday. Holiday in Death--J.D. Robb

I was hoping to find a novel about Diwali but all i could find was mixed with romance, which i didn't want. So, why not a Christmas mystery? J.D. Robb is the name under which Nora Roberts published her futuristic detective series, which features Eve Dallas. Blurbs about the series declare they are set in the mid-2000s but this book mentions a law passed & fully enacted in 2058, so i think it's beyond "mid". Regardless, most of this "scifi" is about lifestyle & laws, based on the two i've read. (I read the first in the series, Naked in Death a few years ago.)

In this one a person dressed up as Santa Claus gains entry to homes with an offer of a large, wrapped gift and liquor. The victims (there are females & males) are raped, wrapped in tinsel, with artistically made up faces, etc. Each was seeking a mate via a dating service.

This series apparently isn't for me. The first just didn't wow me. This one, the first after she's married the richest man on the planet, disturbed me. While i don't doubt their love, he seemed to have mixed virtues, control (allowing her to think she is in control) was one.

Regardless, it was a fine novel, which incorporated the holiday theme well. Detective (Lieutenant) Dallas bought gifts as she was exposed to high priced items. Nice fit, eh?

Definitely not for me, but congrats on the prompt. Honestly, it's tough to avoid Christmas for a holiday category.

#2- Business, economics, finance (personal, business or home) F or NF--Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall--Alexandra Lange.

I finished this book over a week ago but my notetaking task is taking much longer. The book shares a decent history of shopping since the mid 1800s to today, with a focus on The Mall. I liked that history, as well as learning the ideas behind the creation of post WWII malls, many of which partially used Federal funds.

Early mall planners intended to create communities, outside their nearby city downtown, featuring apartments, homes, shopping and roads. The intent for some was to recreate the "small town", which were being lost as citizens left rural areas, as well as downtown.

But, of course, the real intent was business. And why not? One of the big advertising features for malls was “Every day will be a perfect shopping day," Once indoors, the outdoor weather--heat, humidity, rain, snow--didn't matter, everything was available under one roof. Most malls were designed with 2-3 "anchor" (big name, usually city-associated) with smaller shops connected them. The paths were wide, clean and often full of plants or bushes. It worked.

This book begins with the architecture, including the theory and construction. It progresses as malls did, including food courts, escalators, and, later, real entertainment features such as amusement rides and the Mall of America, in Minnesota, with its full blown park of fun.

Lange follows up with the decline, transformations into new uses, as well as how malls were featured in the media, including films and novels. It could all have been fascinating, however, i found the book somewhat disorganized. The long chapters should have been broken up, as they covered more than 3 or 4 topics each. The result, at least for me, was that ideas blurred.

Because she is known for her writing about architecture, i felt she shined there. As she described those structures, i could visualize them. The history was fine but i don't know how many readers cared. For instance, so many more-than-a-paragraph-long reviews on GR about this book feature the reader's own mall memories. I suspect many began reading wanting more of that.

For myself, i identified strongly with the debate over pinball machines (later, video arcades) & whether they should be in malls. I clearly recall my own mother not letting us even look inside one because they were somewhat immoral!

My biggest complaint about the book, however, is a feature i didn't mind one bit. Lange used my first mall, NorthPark, here in Dallas, as an example of an exquisite mall. I suspect much of this was derived because the private owners, the Nasher family, embraced the author, giving her access to the papers, family memories and even a personal tour. Because i loved that mall when it opened, i was tickled. And i learned it was supposed to be known for it's "art" features. Oddly enough, to Teenage Deb, those were just "weird stuff"--oddly shaped planters and a fountain in front of Neiman's, for example. Nope, that's art.

Still, as many memories that were conjured (she even included a mall map, so i could identify my favorite places/memories), i felt they were really not about malls, in general. Other readers must have been bored stiff. Indeed, i heard about all i ever want to know about the Nasher family.

ANYway, i suspect a heavy-handed editor could have created a gem of a book. As it is, it's rambling, somewhat repetitive and fully lacking in the pleasures one might expect from such an outing. However, i felt she covered the business of malls and why/how they floundered well. There is another book about malls, albeit not about the business angle, titled Big Mall--Kate Black. It sounds better organized. I'm not going to read it but i wanted to point it out to those interested.

A big THANK YOU, to Julie, who read & commented on this book last year.

Great job! I've seen a you tube channel dedicated to dead and dying malls, as well as a few that are doing okay.The other book might be more approachable, but you seemed to have gotten quite a bit here.

madrano wrote: "#18- book that takes place during a holiday. Any holiday. Holiday in Death--J.D. Robb

I was hoping to find a novel about Diwali but all i could find was mixed with rom..."

Nice choice finding a holiday prompt.

I thought this would be an easy prompt, but it wasn't for me. Most were too sappy or romance novels, which I don't enjoy.

That is why I was happy to find the John Grisham one about football. Even though it didn't turn out to be a great novel, at least it wasn't too sappy.

madrano wrote: "#2- BFor myself, i identified strongly with the debate over pinball machines (later, video arcades) & whether they should be in malls. I clearly recall my own mother not letting us even look inside one because they were somewhat immoral!..."

What an interesting selection for the prompt, deb. I enjoyed your review.

Many malls now are now trying to attract people as they become more entertainment places then shopping experiences. Some have gyms, huge arcades, mystery rooms experiences and of course food.

I've read talk of turning some malls into apartments. I think that would be cool instead of letting some of them just be left empty and go to ruin.

John wrote: "Great job! I've seen a you tube channel dedicated to dead and dying malls, as well as a few that are doing okay.The other book might be more approachable, but you seemed to have gotten quite a bit ..."

John, she mentioned YouTube had some. She also covered some art pieces...i think they are all called "ruin porn". lol The fact is, some look striking, so i can understand the desire to photograph them. I know when we travel, i like the old city crumbling photos as well as the famous sites ones. People!

Alias Reader wrote: "That is why I was happy to find the John Grisham one about football. Even though it didn't turn out to be a great novel, at least it wasn't too sappy..."

You got that right, Alias. I wanted to avoid sappy holiday reading, although i admit to liking one or two "in season". Not romantic, but a gathering of loved ones.

Good choice on your side, too.

Alias Reader wrote: "Many malls now are now trying to attract people as they become more entertainment places then shopping experiences. Some have gyms, huge arcades, mystery rooms experiences and of course food. ..."

She mentioned this trend, too. The idea being that the indoors means those places can be used year-long.

I cannot recall if she shared about malls converted into apartments in the US or in Asia, but she mentioned that, as well as conversion into office complexes, which i liked.

In San Antonio, my MIL was vexed when her dying mall was converted into a computer data storage facility. I thought it was a brilliant use of the area, air-conditioned, as it was.

There are some clever ideas out there. She also felt Asian nations were really coming up with creative ideas, particularly in using the spaces for small industry's product sales. It allowed customers to see the product and for the small company to decide if it should expand or not.

The Mall is not dead, just changing. And, as Lange illustrated, they have been doing so since the '90s. Impressive.

I forgot to mention in my review that there were quite a number of photos, mostly of malls, in the book. However, i found few were showing the mall from angles she wrote about in specificity. She included some of the "ruin" art i mentioned in reply to John, as well as examples from films.

madrano wrote:
She mentioned this trend, too. The idea being that the indoors means those places can be used year-long.

I cannot recall if she shared about malls converted into apartments in the US or in Asia, but she mentioned that, as well as conversion into office complexes, which i liked

Very interesting, deb. Thanks for the extra details on the book.
This is one article by the NY Times last year. Though I find it disconcerting that he mentions "premium" apartments. I would hope that the small apartment would be affordable.

We do have a housing crisis. I don't know about other states but NY is really bad.

By Adding Apartments, Malls Seek to Bring Shopping Closer to Home
Facing an existential crisis over empty space, owners are trying to fill malls with residences, building on the live-work-play model sought by young adults.

The Westlake Shopping Center, which opened in the 1950s in Daly City, Calif., is one of the first modern malls in the country. Over the past seven decades, it has survived the rise of online retailers, the shuttering of anchor stores and operating restrictions related to the pandemic. Now comes its latest test: the addition of nearly 400 apartments.

The strategy, which is being closely watched by retail experts, is expected to increase foot traffic and generate more revenue from the new residents who may be more inclined to shop in their own neighborhood.

“They’re able to feed off each other,” said Conor C. Flynn, chief executive of Kimco Realty, the real estate investment trust that owns Westlake. “It’s almost like an ecosystem where the customer shops your retail, the retailers will support the apartments and drive a premium for the apartments.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/bu...

In some crazy way, this is along the lines of what the original developers of malls intended. They bought more land than they needed for the mall & parking, then sold off the properties around it for others to develop as homes & apartments. I kinda love that.

Last year i read a novel set in an Alaskan town, wherein the locals kinda lived in one huge building year-round. Their shopping, dining, and homes were all there, City Under One Roof--Iris Yamashita. In-season, the structure was full but once winter set in, the building was fairly empty. Overall, i didn't like the feel, however.

My guess is that in these conversions, those really running the shops & restaurants couldn't afford to live there. Still, cities must like any use, rather than the empty building/space.

Thanks for the article, Alias. Food for thought.

✅27- Nature, environment or animals. I read The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring--Richard Preston for this prompt. Partly, i read it also because i liked his work about eboli & such, which were hard to put down. Not so, this one.

While there were plenty of interesting facts about redwood & sequoia trees, as well as the people who have been exploring them, when Preston inserted his own story, i was less pleased. Yes, it gave me a glimpse into his personal life, at some point i wondered why he did so.

The book begins in October of '87, describing two of guys who end up in careers which study trees. At their first encounter with a big redwood, they free climb it. As it was small & close to a larger tree, they felt safe, as they scaled trees on their college campus regularly. Once they reached the top, they "flew" from it onto the taller tree. Again, all of this is without special equipment or clothing. By the time they reached the the base of the crown of the tree, they'd climbed 120 feet or so. Then, they entered the crown & a whole new world.

The rest of the book covers these two, as well as other scientists & their personal stories. Along the way, we learn all sorts of fascinating facts about the trees. In those crowns, which are almost otherworldly, they discovered red huckleberries, which they sampled, as well as lichen, more trees, fractals of the original, as it happens, growing straight up,

But i'm getting ahead of the story. At the point they climbed, it was generally believed the "canopy" of redwood trees were deserts, nothing going on. Instead, the book informs us of all the wildlife, including insects, and flora that thrive there.

While i didn't feel this was compelling, as others of his books have been, i found it informative and full of neat finds. The people who climb redwoods, try to keep a cap on locations, lest tourists find them & ruin the sites. To be fair, now most of the climbers are scientists, studying the various aspects of the forests. They consider themselves explorers. I can see that.

Congrats on the prompt, if not a wild success. Comments much appreciated.

Well done on the prompt, deb !

I am guessing he used personal stories to make the book less textbook like and dry.

Thank you, John and Alias.

You may be correct, Alias, that his personal accounting was used to make the book less dry. However, several of the scientists had fascinating stories and were off-beat people, that i didn't find his addition necessary.

And, frankly, i kinda resented the way he wormed his way into some of the scientists projects. If you tell someone you are writing a book on your Special Interest topic, are you going to not ask him to join you when he hints around?

As usual, i forgot to include something i wanted to share. I felt this book gave plenty of the terminology and descriptions of the climbs. Maybe too much, but there was a glossary, which was useful.

It also neat to note that this is now a sort of sport, akin to rock climbing. Only ropes & "tackle" sort of apparatus, but available to those who desire it. AND, i wanted to share this remarkable crane with a gondola attached, called the Wind River Canopy Crane. I'd love to see this in many more National Parks.



AND

I'm not sure I'd find this a "general interest" book, but true nature lovers would appreciate it. Seems to have a similar issue to my recent immigration read in being too focused on the authors themselves?

madrano wrote

:I felt this book gave plenty of the terminology and descriptions of the climbs. Maybe too much, but there was a glossary, which was useful..."

I have to give extra stars to any non fiction book that includes a glossary, maps, timelines and photos.

Not to get off topic, but I was looking at
A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer
It looked interesting from the snipet I read, but then I saw it was around 750 pages and you know how I am about huge tomes. However, then I noticed in the Amazon look inside feature it also gives a list of the major characters, maps, timeline and photos. So even though the page count gives me pause, I'm putting it in my TBR notebook.

John wrote: "Seems to have a similar issue to my recent immigration read in being too focused on the authors themselves?..."

I've been noticing this more often, i must say. My first entanglement with it was The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean--Susan Casey. To be fair, i didn't carefully read any blurbs, which state surfers would be a part of the book. However, it was more a surfer book with science thrown in. While she surfed, in the book she seemed to mainly be following surfers. Which was even more aggravating.

I expect this from essays, but when books give me so much of the author, i'm in a quandry. While i'm not leery of the facts, i do question some interpretations of the data, which are offered from such an author.

When this happens, i feel the author really didn't have a very wide grasp about the science or history they presented. I don't discard the book itself. Frustratingly, i share one fact i learned from Casey's book again & again, as it so surprised me. However, i'm then forcing myself to face all i disliked about the book. lol

Alias Reader wrote: "you know how I am about huge tomes. However, then I noticed in the Amazon look inside feature it also gives a list of the major characters, maps, timeline and photos...."

I fully understand, Alias. I think a reader can learn much by such fuller presentations. Preston included three maps, at the beginning, and several drawings of specific trees he wrote about in the prose. The drawings, while nice, were small and i didn't always understand why he inserted it where it was. The photos i shared above, i had to seek out. Same with much of the equipment mentioned. On photo with notes would have covered it all, imo.

madrano wrote:Preston included three maps, at the beginning, and several drawings of specific trees he wrote about in the prose. The drawings, while nice, were small and i didn't always understand why he inserted it where it was. The photos i shared above, i had to seek out. Same with much of the equipment mentioned. On photo with notes would have covered it all, imo..."

Sorry to hear the photos didn't help much. I realize they are expensive and that is why they often are not included in a book. However, when they are included one would hope they would aid understanding. Odd selection by the author.

Sorry for the confusion. There were no photos in the Preston book. Instead he offered a few drawings (not his own) and three maps. The photos were ones i had to seek out myself.

The last sentence quoted above should have read "onE photo with notes..." My mistake.

I completed the Challenge prompt for #36, a book about one of your 5 senses ( touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste) F/NF, earlier this month. My selection was Hester--Laurie Lico Albanese, whose title character has synesthesia, whereby she associates letters and sounds with colors. Living in the late 1700s-1800s, she is aware that women have been burned as witches for such abilities. She has been warned my her late mother to keep this talent to herself.

As this is also a reworking, if you will, of the earlier years of Nathanial Hawthorne, aware readers might see where the story is headed. Nonetheless, the journey was worthwhile for me.

I felt the author wrote very well about the colors and images Hester experienced, helping readers "see" the images Hester sewed better. Thrown into the story, which is set in Salem, Mass., is the dilemma that slavery presented to citizens. There are free African Americans with thriving businesses, but the issue of returning escaped slaves has begun to rear its issues.

I liked the book and was eager to return to it each day. There were many new concepts introduced to me about those days & customs for married females. A big Thank You to Samanta for introducing us to the novel via her own Challenge thread.

Prompt #33- psychology, was a tough one for me, as i'm not a fan of the topic. Indulging myself, i read Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, written by Sam Gosling, PhD.

As the subtitle indicates, the book informs readers about how to "read" rooms, bookshelves, offices, and the environments in which people live or work. It was amusing to learn about the interpretations Gosling suggested would help people learn more about those they know or those with whom they hope to do business, for example.

What i liked best, is that he gave examples of the many interpretations end up being erroneous because we tend to make assumptions about items folks own, based on our own use or ideas about the items. I think this would be the easiest and simplest way to make an enemy. lol

The bee in my bonnet is that presumptions are made because some yahoo has decided s/he wants to know more about me. ASK ME! That's my bottom line, it almost felt as though the "snoop" wanted to avoid conversation.

Yes, i look at the bookshelves of people whose homes i visit. But i do not make deductions from it. Instead, it's a ripe place to begin conversation. I.E., "Is this your old high school edition of The Odyssey or do you still like reading the story, as i do?" Better that than thinking, "This yahoo loves road trip books!" Or whatever.

ANYway, one facet really intrigued me. There is a Texas architect, Chris Travis, who "has been developing an innovative system, which he calls the Truehome workshop, to help people identify their emotional & psychological associations to places & to integrate those associations into the design of their houses." After a family answers the questions, the architect has a better sense of their needs, as well as how vital some of those needs are to them. Neat. Would that we could all afford such a service/home.

The book was nicely presented, amusing and full of psychological "insights". An amateur snoop could learn plenty from the book. Someone like me can just go along for the ride.

Finally, for prompt # 45- A book over 500 pages, i read Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets--David Simon. One reason i decided to read it, at last, was because my husband & i watched the first three seasons of the tv program based on the book, again on Peacock in August.

The program still impressed me with its raw look at a homicide department in Baltimore, Maryland, mostly in the late '80s. Because we are fans of such programs, however, i felt i knew much about the facts of the law, which Simon included. Nonetheless, learning about the histories of many of the detectives (youth, progress in the department, etc.) was pure pleasure. I felt as though i knew most of them as well as i knew some of their tv counterparts. (They were renamed & only loosely based on the Real Cops.)

My edition of the book explained that Simon was, for all intents & purposes, a rookie detective while with the squad. For the most part, few knew he was not a police officer, let alone a reporter, planning a book. Overall, he held watch on the division for over four years, but the book is broken into dates covering one calendar year. This was a good way to tell the story, as readers got a sense of how seasons impact their work. Thrown in somewhat randomly were details about an autopsy and the courthouse.

For me, the book was worth the investment of time. I was engaged in it, looking forward each time i reopened the pages.

madrano wrote: "I completed the Challenge prompt for #36, a book about one of your 5 senses ( touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste) F/NF, earlier this month. My selection was Hester--[author:Laur..."

Well done on the prompt, deb !

madrano wrote: "Prompt #33- psychology, was a tough one for me, as i'm not a fan of the topic. Indulging myself, i read Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, written by Sam Gosling,..."

I am fasinated by what makes people tick, so to speak. So psychology and the various illnesses attached interests me.

It's one reason why I like my biographies to begin in childhood.

Anyway, I'm happy you were able to find a book to fit the prompt.

I have to say, for me, finding a book for a prompt, has been one of the pleasures of the challenge for me. I've come across so many interesting books.

madrano wrote: "Finally, for prompt # 45- A book over 500 pages, i read Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets--David Simon. One reason i decided to read it, at last, was because my hu..."

Looking forward to reading it each time you picked it up....Well you can't ask for more than that !

Well done on the prompt.

Alias Reader wrote: "It's one reason why I like my biographies to begin in childhood...."

(This was about my issues with psychology books.)

You make an excellent point, Alias, as i much prefer learning about a subjects childhood. Maybe i'm more hooked into that than i thought? lol

Congrats on all those prompts! Hester sounds quite interesting, though I'm familiar with the syndrome, I've never been able to grasp what it must be like.
The psychology prompt is turning out kind of a tough one, so I'll have to grab something off the library shelves later.

John wrote: "Congrats on all those prompts! Hester sounds quite interesting, though I'm familiar with the syndrome, I've never been able to grasp what it must be like.
The psychology prompt is turning out kind ..."

I read and thought this one was interesting.

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family American family with twelve children, six of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia.

I also enjoyed Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup Elizabeth Holmes seems like a psychopath.

I find the Good Reads list helpful. They all don't fit as it's just how people on GR shelve their books. Still, I find it helpful. Good Luck!

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

John wrote: "Congrats on all those prompts! Hester sounds quite interesting, though I'm familiar with the syndrome, I've never been able to grasp what it must be like.
The psychology prompt is turning out kind ..."

John, i didn't recognize the word when i ran across it. As it happens, my nephew married a young woman who has the color with sound ability. She tells us that her sister hears music when she smells some foods. Curious, i must say.

I must also admit that i haven't witnessed this myself, so don't know how they behave when it happens. That is something i'd like to see.

I complete prompt #30- Sports F/NF this morning, by completing The Joy of Winter Hiking: Inspiration and Guidance for Cold Weather Adventures--Derek Dellinger. I am a cold weather person and have hiked in cold country but not to the extremes discussed in this book.

The first chapter encouraged folks to consider the sport of hiking, even in winter. His best case is, “The shift in tree cover due to absent leaves also opens up new views that hikers would not be able to glimpse at all during the summer, literally expanding the horizon.” I've found this to be true myself. With deciduous trees shed, animal nests are easier to see, as are critters active in the season. Fortunately, this book is full of wonderful photos he took on his many winter journeys, to perfectly illustrate this point.

The book offers tips on what to observe when watching weather reports, how to use the tools you have, clothing and camp-wear to own, and such. Additionally, he spends some time covering animals which do not hibernate, so you may see on your walks. I wouldn't have guessed so many. In the process, he informed readers on how such critters are created to survive this way.

Snowshoes, skis, crampons and my new favorite, microspikes, other useful items are discussed, including in what types of hiking you might not need them. Overall, i felt he was most encouraging in urging readers to give the sport a try, making it clear that glacier climbing isn't for beginners!

One thing i felt could have enhanced the slender book was tales about some of his own hikes. Not just what he saw--his photos tell readers that--but the breathing of cold air, the experience of camping on snow, and such. We were left with the spirit of such a sport lacking, imo.

A younger me could get into this sport, which has no competitors, only pleasurable exercise. As a bit of a disclaimer, however, i am compelled to add that my own winter hiking adventures featured swilling peppermint schnaps from a communal bottle when we rested, so my memories may be colored by that. Mr. D didn't address imbibing. :-)

madrano wrote: A younger me could get into this sport, which has no competitors, only pleasurable exercise. As a bit of a disclaimer, however, i am compelled to add that my own winter hiking adventures featured swilling peppermint schnaps from a communal bottle when we rested, so my memories may be colored by that. Mr. D didn't address imbibing. :-).."

LOL

Well done on the prompt, deb.

I wouldn't mind hiking in the winter but absolutely not in snow or ice.

A couple of my hikes were in freshly fallen snow, which, as Dellinger mentions is the best time, if one wants to walk in the snow. I've never fallen with that fresh snow.* Even with those microspikes, i wouldn't want to walk on ice!

*The author mentioned to be aware that freshly fallen snow could "hide" old ice, though. When i walk on it, i want to see what's underneath!

Schnapps, indeed! Great choice of a book for this one!

Thanks, John.

*hic* excuse me...

Because i hope to not use one book for more than one category (trial, this is), i am changing my selection for 44- Book with one word title. Initially, i read Dope--Sara Gran, which i also read as one of my 2 books by her.

Now i've changed that to Ilium--Lea Carpenter. This was an unsatisfactory "spy novel" (publisher called it), about a woman who marries an older man, who wants her to work as a spy for one special project. While this may be a (view spoiler)[ he wanted her because she looked like the target's late wife, but our MC doesn't learn this until much, much later (hide spoiler)].

Under the guise of a spy novel, it's really an exercise in what truth and lies are. Frankly, it disappointed me. The sad thing, for me, is that Carpenter is supposed to be a leading light in contemporary American literature. I'm not going to give another a try, however.

The blurb absolutely states that it's an espionage story, so your disappointment is understandable.

I've started a book I was going to use for two categories, but re-considered as it should be easy enough to fulfill the "other" one with something else.

madrano wrote: "Thanks, John.

*hic* excuse me..."

Hey! No drinking unless you are inviting us all to the party ! :)

madrano wrote:

"The sad thing, for me, is that Carpenter is supposed to be a leading light in contemporary American literature. .."

This is the first I've heard her name.

John wrote: "The blurb absolutely states that it's an espionage story, so your disappointment is understandable.

I've started a book I was going to use for two categories, but re-considered as it should be ea..."

I have to be fair & say it was an extremely limited espionage story, in a most basic way. Her one assignment is to lie but she can only guess at what is important because her "handler" doesn't tell her. This reader had no sense of what was going on, and, from what the MC was stating, neither did she. Even by the end, i didn't understand how most of it ended. All this without mentioning misleading statements by the MC, alluding to her future life, from which timeline she is writing. That is, it was all in retrospect. Strange.