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Happy Star Wars Day! 🌇🚶🏼,👑👊🏼🔙
What are you reading?
- Thread starter roadends
- Start date
It might be the cabin fever, or maybe just a good place to escape to, but I'm well into Cache Lake Country, Life in The North Woods by John J. Rowlands.
And speaking of escaping, which is something I employ nearly everyday...at work I frequently daydream a little, thinking about trips and vacations, spending time with family and friends; at home I'm transforming my house and yard into a place to escape to at the end of the day, my own little urban cottage. And when I do finally make that great escape canoeing I'm escaping again, blotting out the traffic and noise waiting for me on that long ride home. Here's an interesting article by a well known author describing the importance of literature in our lives.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ng-daydreaming
I particularly like his defence of "escapism".
Well, I'm plodding off to work now, but a little later on I suspect I will have escaped to a snowy landscape in the north woods, thanks to Mr. Rowlands.
And speaking of escaping, which is something I employ nearly everyday...at work I frequently daydream a little, thinking about trips and vacations, spending time with family and friends; at home I'm transforming my house and yard into a place to escape to at the end of the day, my own little urban cottage. And when I do finally make that great escape canoeing I'm escaping again, blotting out the traffic and noise waiting for me on that long ride home. Here's an interesting article by a well known author describing the importance of literature in our lives.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ng-daydreaming
I particularly like his defence of "escapism".
Well, I'm plodding off to work now, but a little later on I suspect I will have escaped to a snowy landscape in the north woods, thanks to Mr. Rowlands.
Mike, on your recommendation I've ordered the Measure of Manhattan. Thank you.
Also, in On The Map, there is a part of a chapter on the "gridding of Manhattan" and mentions Randal's work.
Also, in On The Map, there is a part of a chapter on the "gridding of Manhattan" and mentions Randal's work.
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Guest
Guest
I want to thank everyone who continues to contribute to this thread.
Every six months or so I go back, look at the recommendations, and update my inter-library loan request list. I put six on the future requests list today.
Many thanks.
Every six months or so I go back, look at the recommendations, and update my inter-library loan request list. I put six on the future requests list today.
Many thanks.
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Guest
Guest
A soon to be riches of reading materials (thankee all)
The Forest Unseen and The Sympathizer have already come in and I anticipate arrival of On the Map any day now. Also the Naked and the Dead, I don’t think I read it well, or maybe it read well in my mind’s dialogue many years ago, but I’ll give it another shot.
I need to finish In the Land of Giants, a Journey Through the Dark Ages, waiting saved the best for last on the bedside table.
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Giants-...and+of+giants+a+journey+through+the+dark+ages
One loan arrival not from this thread, Kitchen Confidential. I am not a foodie, but I kept seeing references to that book. I do eat in restaurants, mostly mom and pop diners, but I doubt even there a back of house tell-all will dissuade me from ordering the greasyspoon’s Lumberman Special for breakfast.
God bless public libraries and the inter-library loan system.
The Forest Unseen and The Sympathizer have already come in and I anticipate arrival of On the Map any day now. Also the Naked and the Dead, I don’t think I read it well, or maybe it read well in my mind’s dialogue many years ago, but I’ll give it another shot.
I need to finish In the Land of Giants, a Journey Through the Dark Ages, waiting saved the best for last on the bedside table.
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Giants-...and+of+giants+a+journey+through+the+dark+ages
One loan arrival not from this thread, Kitchen Confidential. I am not a foodie, but I kept seeing references to that book. I do eat in restaurants, mostly mom and pop diners, but I doubt even there a back of house tell-all will dissuade me from ordering the greasyspoon’s Lumberman Special for breakfast.
God bless public libraries and the inter-library loan system.
Extreme canoe tripping:
My wife recently finished: The boys in the boat by Daniel J Brown about the American 1936 Olympic rowing team. She doesn't want to shut up about it. She reads all the time but this one stands out.
https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Boat-Americans-Berlin-Olympics/dp/0143125478
My wife recently finished: The boys in the boat by Daniel J Brown about the American 1936 Olympic rowing team. She doesn't want to shut up about it. She reads all the time but this one stands out.
https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Boat-Americans-Berlin-Olympics/dp/0143125478
My wife told me about it as well and I listened to it while on stand during the week of hunting season last year. It was great.
This one's on order from the library... The Lost City of the Monkey God, Douglas Preston... an account of an expedition to an unexplored Honduran rain forest where new mapping technology LIDAR revealed a lost city hidden under the forest canopy. The area hadn't been explored because it was said to be cursed, holding danger and disease, the incurable disease being transmitted to some of the archaeologists by the bite of a sand fly (which BTW could be added in the bug bites thread).
This CBC report was what clued me in:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/popup/audio...s&subsection3=quirks_quarks&contenttype=audio
This CBC report was what clued me in:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/popup/audio...s&subsection3=quirks_quarks&contenttype=audio
I just finished Dennis Weidemann: This Water Goes North. Four college age kids take a trip from Minnesota to York Factory on Hudson Bay in the summer of 1979. A quick, enjoyable read. Weidemann's humor and writing style are right up my alley.
Mike: Did you ever get ahold of "Barren Grounds", which are the journal entries of Skip Pessl and Peter Franck? If not PM me your address and I'll loan you my copy.
Alan
Any good?
I think so, I just need to spend more time reading.
I picked it up a few weeks ago (Canoes: A Natural History in North America) and haven't been that impressed with it so far. I'm about half way through and have set it aside for now. It kind of bridges the gap between an informational book and a coffee table book; not doing either very well.
In contrast a used copy of Bark and Skin Boats of North America showed up a couple days ago and it's fantastic so far. Good information and lots of details on design, construction, how the natives did what they did with what they had, and how they adapted what the Europeans provided. It seems to be the source for a lot of the early chapters in Canoes: A Natural History in North America so I'd recommend cutting out the middle man. The price is a lot better too.
Beware that while Bark and Skin Boats of North America is still available new at Amazon many of the reviewers are complaining about the images and drawings being difficult to see/read. These are a very large part of this book and it would be nearly worthless without them. For that reason I found an older used copy (readily available) instead.
Alan
About half way through The Dangerous River by RM Patterson and it's fantastic. Right up there with Sleeping Island.
Traveling both alone and with a companion up the Nahanni River and other unmapped rivers and ranges of the NWT in the 1920's for minerals, pelts, and pleasure. Very well written. Almost enough to make me want to canoe the Nahanni but I don't know if I could handle seeing what it's like today compared to then.
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Riv...angerous+river
Alan
Traveling both alone and with a companion up the Nahanni River and other unmapped rivers and ranges of the NWT in the 1920's for minerals, pelts, and pleasure. Very well written. Almost enough to make me want to canoe the Nahanni but I don't know if I could handle seeing what it's like today compared to then.
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Riv...angerous+river
Alan
On a related note the book has possibly the best ever 1 star review from Amazon:
The book was great, need to read the buffalo head as well with this book. Big problem,my name isLarry but amazon keeps changing it to Lawrence. Your system keeps changing my name,please stop.
Patterson's Nahanni journals have also been edited and published, and make a great companion piece to the Dangerous River: as good as Downes' and Patterson's books are, I actually prefer the journals.
https://www.amazon.ca/Nahanni-Journ...d=1492708175&sr=1-1&keywords=nahanni+journals
One key revelation is that Patterson did not get all the way to Virginia Falls by canoe and paddle solo (as in the book) but only with the help of Faille and his outboard.
wjmc
https://www.amazon.ca/Nahanni-Journ...d=1492708175&sr=1-1&keywords=nahanni+journals
One key revelation is that Patterson did not get all the way to Virginia Falls by canoe and paddle solo (as in the book) but only with the help of Faille and his outboard.
wjmc
I'll definitely check that out. I very much enjoyed Downes' journals. Much more interesting to read than I expected and more behind the scenes info and details were appreciated.
For anyone interested Downes' journals are Distant Summers Vols. 1 and 2. I'd recommend seeking them out now. Volume 1 is still pretty easy to come by but used copies of volume 2 seem to be about dried up for the time being. Hopefully they'll be reprinted someday but until then my copies will be kept close.
That's disappointing. Not so much that I care how he got there but now one can't help but question other things that are presented in the book. Still looking forward to finishing and will take it all at face value until I can read the journal.
Alan
Started rereading part one of Exile In The Wilderness, The Life Of Chief Factor Archibald McDonald by Jean Murray Cole (a great great granddaughter of McDonald) while still at home in the east. A. McDonald entered service with the HBC under Lord Selkirk, and accompanied the first group of settlers on their gruelling trip to the new Red River Settlement from Churchill Factory Hudson Bay.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.c...-river-colony/
I saved parts two and three, all about his further exploits in the Athabasca and Columbia Districts, until our visit to Alberta this month. Now here in the west every morning I take a walk and sit awhile looking across the foothills to the mountains, and try to imagine the hardships and adventures that took place only a few dozen miles from my park bench a scant two centuries ago. McDonald was often accompanied by his wife and young children on the cross country canoe trips.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Factory_Express
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.c...-river-colony/
I saved parts two and three, all about his further exploits in the Athabasca and Columbia Districts, until our visit to Alberta this month. Now here in the west every morning I take a walk and sit awhile looking across the foothills to the mountains, and try to imagine the hardships and adventures that took place only a few dozen miles from my park bench a scant two centuries ago. McDonald was often accompanied by his wife and young children on the cross country canoe trips.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Factory_Express
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Guest
DaveOR’s suggestion of On the Map was excellent. Some of it was familiar from reading past map books, but some was equally unknown to me. One of my son’s is reading it now.
Kitchen Confidential turned out to be a rollicking fun read. A lot of it is anecdotal back-of-house sex, drugs and rock and roll, but a couple of chapters were illuminating.
The chapter “From our table to yours” was the most interesting in terms of dining out.
Why you should never order fish on Monday. Because that is a fish that arrived from the market on Thursday for the Friday/Saturday rush. By Monday it is old and questionable.
Why brunch can be a bad bet. Folks with any skill in the kitchen are off on Sunday morning, and beyond the ubiquitous eggs, waffles, pancakes the food is what is left over from the Friday/Saturday rush. Especially beware any brunch offering covered with taste disguising sauce.
Why folks who order a steak “well done” get what they deserve. First, chef’s think they are buffoons, but mostly because that is likely to be a crappy cut of meat, the piece that was repeatedly pushed to the back of the frig when someone ordered rare or medium rare.
The chapter on home kitchen equipment was familiar and I must have read an excerpt. A few years ago I bought an F.Dick 7 inch offset serrated “bread” knife, which is a favorite of chefs for all sorts of uses (and ours too). Best $20 knife in the kitchen. So useful that I bought a couple for foodie friends, who likewise find it handy.
https://www.knifemerchant.com/product.asp?productID=2669&gclid=CNvr_L2qvdMCFRBYDQodSj0K1A
Last good read was one of those lucky finds on the new non-fiction shelves at the library; The Not-Quite States of America.
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Quite-St...es+of+america+dispatches+from+the+territories
It was in the Can’t Put it Down category, with chapters on the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas and Puerto Rico, but also touching on the other weird minor outlaying islands; Navassa, Serranilla, Bajo Nuevo in the Caribbean, and Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Kingman, Midway, Wake and Palmyra in the Pacific. Who knew?
Part history, part travelogue, part past and current politics and culture, and always fascinating. Territories can fall under 2x2 = four structures; Organized or Unorganized (whether there is a territorial constitution, ie an Organic Act) and Incorporated or Unincorporated (fully incorporated with the US constitution and federal laws or not), with considerable ramifications for citizenship or “US National” status and territorial law.
Highly recommended.
Kitchen Confidential turned out to be a rollicking fun read. A lot of it is anecdotal back-of-house sex, drugs and rock and roll, but a couple of chapters were illuminating.
The chapter “From our table to yours” was the most interesting in terms of dining out.
Why you should never order fish on Monday. Because that is a fish that arrived from the market on Thursday for the Friday/Saturday rush. By Monday it is old and questionable.
Why brunch can be a bad bet. Folks with any skill in the kitchen are off on Sunday morning, and beyond the ubiquitous eggs, waffles, pancakes the food is what is left over from the Friday/Saturday rush. Especially beware any brunch offering covered with taste disguising sauce.
Why folks who order a steak “well done” get what they deserve. First, chef’s think they are buffoons, but mostly because that is likely to be a crappy cut of meat, the piece that was repeatedly pushed to the back of the frig when someone ordered rare or medium rare.
The chapter on home kitchen equipment was familiar and I must have read an excerpt. A few years ago I bought an F.Dick 7 inch offset serrated “bread” knife, which is a favorite of chefs for all sorts of uses (and ours too). Best $20 knife in the kitchen. So useful that I bought a couple for foodie friends, who likewise find it handy.
https://www.knifemerchant.com/product.asp?productID=2669&gclid=CNvr_L2qvdMCFRBYDQodSj0K1A
Last good read was one of those lucky finds on the new non-fiction shelves at the library; The Not-Quite States of America.
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Quite-St...es+of+america+dispatches+from+the+territories
It was in the Can’t Put it Down category, with chapters on the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas and Puerto Rico, but also touching on the other weird minor outlaying islands; Navassa, Serranilla, Bajo Nuevo in the Caribbean, and Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Kingman, Midway, Wake and Palmyra in the Pacific. Who knew?
Part history, part travelogue, part past and current politics and culture, and always fascinating. Territories can fall under 2x2 = four structures; Organized or Unorganized (whether there is a territorial constitution, ie an Organic Act) and Incorporated or Unincorporated (fully incorporated with the US constitution and federal laws or not), with considerable ramifications for citizenship or “US National” status and territorial law.
Highly recommended.
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