Used Bookstores. They're Back!

I found this article that  Used Bookstores are making a comeback.  I can't tell you how excited that made me.  One of my favorite things to do was to go into a bookstore and just browse. I rarely made a visit without a book jumping off the shelf and right into my hands.

It wasn't like a needed another book since I always have a stack next to my bed.  It was more like I wanted another book. That stack must stay stocked.  Amazon effectively removed most of the brick and mortar stores.  I am guilty of assisting with the retail store's demise. I buy most of my books online from Amazon.  It is convenient, economical and quick and there are no bookstores near me.

Then I read an article that Used bookstores are making a comeback.  Here is the irony.  Used bookstores can beat or meet Amazon prices and here is the benefit for me, I can browse the shelves again. The only thing I wonder about is will they have the books I want to read.  I guess I can take this opportunity to catch up on books I might have missed.  Anyway there seems to be two used bookstores pretty close to where I leave.  I guess I just might have to check them out.  What do you think?  Care to join me by checking one out by you?

The Quartet: An Interesting Orchestration

I am not a history buff but I am fascinated by the Revolutionary period and the early days of the colonies. Reading the first few pages of this book changed my whole perspective of that time period.  I learned in my history classes that the thirteen colonies no longer wanted to be ruled by a country that was so far away and had very little knowledge of what life was like there. And I naively thought the decision to revolt against England was a decision made by all the colonies acting as one.

The fact is that all the colonies wanted freedom from taxes and rule by England but as individual states not as a collective.  Naive me, I thought it was one for all and all for one.  Not even close and Ellis put things in perspective.

First of all it could take days to get from one State to another. Horseback and carriage not trains, planes and automobiles. So a person travelling on horseback could average maybe twenty or thirty miles a day on a good day.  Secondly most people lived and died within a thirty mile radius of where they were born. It took three weeks to receive a letter.  So you can readily see why people were more concerned about their immediate community rather than between Massachusetts and New York  or Pennsylvania and Virginia. They did not care about one nation under God with Liberty and justice for all.

The colonies won the Revolutionary War but it was in the 1780's that a group of men worked hard to steer away from the Articles of Confederation and a State based government to a Federal government whose job was to look out for all the American people. In fact the only thing the Articles of Confederation did was to draw all 13 colonies into a friendly pact.  Kind of like the UN where things are discussed but each state is responsible for itself.

Ellis brings a little different slant as to why the "Founding Fathers"  followed the path away from State rule. Rather than looking at the formation of a United States for economic purposes he looks at it as formed for political purposes.  The protagonists of his story were George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison along with a supporting cast that included Thomas Jefferson.

These guys worked together to set the agenda for the what would become the present day Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  They "conspired" to mold the States into a National entity with one government.  This was quite an undertaking since people at that time really had little interest in one government to rule all.  They were just focus on their communities and their States' agenda.

What has always fascinated me about this group is how this handful of people created a government that still is in place today roughly two hundred and thirty five years later.  It is mind boggling that a government was formed  in the 1780's that was designed to govern about two million seven hundred people (give or take a couple thousand people) and thirteen states on one coast. That same structure for lack of a better word is still what holds our country together. Amazing.

Boys in the Boat

First let me say before reading this book I knew nothing and I mean absolutely nothing about the sport of Crewing.  Second while I had some knowledge of the Great Depression I did not realize that it was accompanied by dust storms that literally made the sky gray from coast to coast.  Nor did I know about the bad weather conditions during the 1930's making life even more miserable.

So I picked up the book The Boys in the Boat tentatively after all it is a non fiction book and I am very selective when it comes to reading non fiction. I am so glad because it is in my top ten best reads of this year.

The book, in case you are unaware of the subject matter, follows the University of Washington crew team on its journey to the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin.  I worked and went to college but jobs were somewhat plentiful during my years, at least if you wanted to work in retail and food service.  But to read about how hard these men worked to scrap together enough for tuition and board is incredible. This determination to get through adversity was the same stuff they needed to row and win.

Since the Olympics were to take place in Berlin, the author does a good job talking about what was happening in Germany and who were some of the main players.  The reader gets enough from the text to know that Hitler deceived everybody.  For the Olympics he literally scoped people off the street and placed them in camps and white washed everything so it looked all clean and bright.  He put on a dog and pony show and the world fell for it.

If you have not read this book yet than I hope you put it on your must read list. If you have a reader on your holiday list this is a great book for them.

Winter Stroll

I am continuing to read holiday based fiction.  Winter Stroll is the second book in a series. Winter Street was Hilderbrand's holiday themed book from last year. Check out my post on this blog.  All the characters are in this new book Winter Stroll and like the previous book really nothing has changed.  The characters are still in a chaotic state.

This isn't your typical romance where everything works out in the end.  It doesn't so if that is what you are looking for, Forget about it!

While it appears as if some of the characters have moved on in their life, events happen that throw them in turmoil. Mitzi is with George but she is so unhappy.  Kelley seems to have moved on but he still misses Mitzi.  All the kids have found significant others with the exception of the youngest who is in the military and MIA but their lives in one word, Crazy.

When I finished this book I certainly could see another holiday themed book being written for next year.  But I liked this book because it is more than holiday fluff and I like this author.  Give it a try.

Corned Beef and Potato Latke Sandwich

During my search for something good to make for dinner I found this recipe.  I love Reuben sandwiches so when I saw this recipe with corned beef I thought how intriguing. Instead of bread the person used potato pancakes. So here is the link for the video. The new corned beef sandwich. Enjoy!

It Christmas time In the city of DC

When I was young my family made a trip to DC during the holiday season.  We stayed at the Hilton on Connecticut Avenue NW and had a blast.  We did all the tourist type things you do when you come to DC during December including touring the city at night to see the National Christmas tree lit and of course to see the White House. It was magnificent.

 I absolutely love the White House.  When you think about it you are walking in a building that was first occupied by John  and Abigail Adams.  That was in 1800 and every President and his family since then has lived in this house.  So much history.  

For those of you who don't live in the Washington, DC area or for those of you who aren't able to see the White House decked out in it's Holiday Finery check out these photos.  It is so beautiful

Have a Foodie on Your Holiday List? Here is a suggestion

 I was drawn to the tile of this book right away. Who knew there was a list of foods to eat before you died. Who new I had to add food to my bucket list. Mimi Sheraton certainly felt she needed a food bucket list but that would make sense since she was a food writer and food is her life.

I am happy to say that I do not have to start from ground zero when trying to check off the foods on the list. I have eaten many of them and I ate them in their country of origin. How can you not eat fish and chips or cornish pasties when you are in England. Although we make a mean baguette in the United States, there is something about eating it in France that really changes the taste. Maybe it tastes better because of the wine and cheese I had as an accompaniment. Kartoffelsalat in Germany is delish when eaten mitt bratwurst.

Any self respecting New Yorker cut their eye teeth on bagels and bialys. And lastly at every holiday meal my grandmother made the most mouth watering Chicken Fricassee with Meatballs. It was a requirement. My mom came close to duplicating the dish and I come in third place. Of course Grandma and my Mom never used a recipe.

These are just a couple after all there are 1000! So I guess I am going to have to get eating. It is going to take me at least twenty years to make it through most of the list. I say most because there are some foods I will not be eating in my lifetime. I am shooting for at least 900. Care to join me?

Anyway this a fun and interesting book so you might want to give it a try. If you have a foodie with a tablet or a kindle on your holiday list you may want to order it for them.  The price is right and there is no shipping cost.  Oh and it is delivered in 30 seconds to a minute.  Don't know how long Amazon will have it at this price so if you are interested click on this link.

Did You ever Have a Family

The theme in this book is incredibly timely especially given the recent events in Paris and other places in the world.  It shows you how fragile life is and what can happen in an instant.

June had so much going for her.  She had a boyfriend she cared about and a daughter she was building back a relationship with who was to be married.  In fact it was that event, the wedding, that had brought everyone who was important to her house.  In an instant it was all gone.

After the dust settled, June gets into her car with only the clothes she has worn for days and just drives.

The most interesting thing about this book is how the author chose to write it. June is certainly the central character but it is written through the eyes of all the others touched by this tragedy as well as June's.  So you really don't hear her voice often but by the end of the book you know her and the other characters.  I really loved how the author developed the story.  Give it a try.

Cold Feet at Christmas all for forty nine cents

Every year during the holiday season I seek out fun holiday themed books.  I love a good holiday romance where there are happy endings.   Usually I read them and then blog about them but I just had to bring this one to your attention.  It's Called Cold Feet at Christmas and I found it on amazon.com for .49 cents.  Yes that is correct the cost is forty nine cents.   Who ever wrote the blurb about what it is about caught my attention so I downloaded it to my kindle.

If you want to take a chance and read it with me then download it.  I don't know how long amazon will keep it at this price.  They tend to change prices daily so get in on it now.  Click on the book or my link.