Books to curl up with: a librarian's musings

Monday, June 22, 2009

two paths that blend well

Recently I read about the Wee Mad Road. While reading more on the net about it, I ran across Warren Rovetch's The Creaky Traveler in the North West Highlands of Scotland. I read the first Creaky Traveller guide and will be looking for his guide to Ireland.

The book is the story of he and his wife travelling in the North West Highlands. It is also a book with tips for travel when you are "the mobile but not agile." He blends these two goals well.

An enjoyable read even if you aren't creaky yet.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Northern Scotland

The sign read Wee Mad Road. How could you not travel down a road with a sign like that? The road less travelled changed the lives of Jack and Barbara Maloney. They found a B&B to stay on in Coigach.
Several years later the daughters are out of the house and they take the plunge. They sell their house in Minnesota and chuck it all. They return to Coigach for two more years. This is the story of their life in a community in transition between old ways and new.

The telling of the story alternates between Jack and excerpts from Barbara's diaries. Barbara is an artist and her work is through out.

I found myself putting the book down. I didn't want to finish it because then it would be over. Wander down the Wee Mad Road with them. It is worth the trip. You can have a taste at their site http://www.theweemadroad.com/

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Couple of tales

I've read a couple of very different titles lately.

Summer on Blossom Street by Macomber is what it is. It is cotton candy reading. I knew from the beginning what would happen, but it was a fun little read. You don't have to have read the earlier books about Blossom Street but it helps.

My Word is My Bond by Roger Moore. Moore and Dalton are my two favourite Bonds, so I thought I'd give this a whirl. Moore is pretty much a gentleman and doesn't really dish dirt. The book was okay, but needed more reflection even if he didn't want to dish dirt, which is fine. I did however enjoy his comments on his Unicef work.


Tango : an Argentine love story by Camille Cusumano. This memoir revolves around Cusumano's goal of tangoing until her heart isn't broken anymore. Parts of the book were very good and some part I skimmed. I like it most when she was talking about actually dancing in the tango halls.