Apple of My Eye

Hanff, Helene. Apple of My Eye. New York: Doubleday 1978. Print.

First Sentences:

On April Fool's Day, I came home from a meeting with a publisher, hurried through my apartment-house lobby and told all the tenants waiting at the elevator:

"I've got the dream assignment of all time! I'm going to write copy for a book of photographs of New York City."

Description:

Sure, author Helene Hanff is rightfully excited to land the plum assignment to write the text for a book of photos of New York City. The pictures will be of the famous sites in the city: the Statue of Liberty, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, the Cloisters, Grant's Tomb, etc.

But there is one problem: Hanff, a born and raised New Yorker, has never visited any of these famous sites. So nothing would do but grab onto her friend Patsy, (someone who also has not seen these destinations) and set out to visit, observe, and take notes on the intriguing aspects of each location. The result of their frantic tour around New York in 1975 is the delightful, insightful book, Apple of My Eye, a tour-de-force that I highly recommend for any one interested in witty writing, overwhelmed tourists, and, of course, New York's iconic attractions.

With little money and no maps (or ones they were unable to decipher), the two women ride buses or walk to take in all the scenery tourists might come across, poking their heads into small restaurants, shops, and historic markers along the way. They refused to ride subways since that underground experience would rob tourists of the views of the city. 

Going from Grant's Tomb to Zabar's was going from the sublime to the ridiculous or from the ridiculous to the sublime, I'll never be sure which.

They are game to see everything, but their acrophobia make them very hesitant to take the elevator to the top of the Statue of Liberty and the new-opened twin towers of the World Trade Center. (It was quite a shock to read about these towers from a New Yorker's perspective in 1975):

Throughout its construction, the World Trade Center was cordially detested by all New Yorkers. The unpopular Rockefeller brothers were so closely involved in the financing that for a while the twin towers were knows as Nelson and David....the financially desperate city didn't need two new 110-story office buildings and couldn't afford to supply them with services.

But later, when they had swallowed their acrophobia and made it to the Tower's Observation Deck, Hanff felt differently:

And suddenly, irrationally, I gloried in the highhanded, high-flying damn-your-eyes audacity that had sent the Trade Center's twin columns rising impudently above the skyline at the moment when New York was declared to be dying, and so deep in debt it couldn't afford workers to dispose of the Center's trash, police its plaza or put out its fires.

Of course, Hanff and Patsy have their differences. Hanff, who has done copious research, constantly quotes "interesting" statistics and detailed stories to a non-listening Patsy, while her friend is constantly worried that Hanff will not include items in the book that might attract tourists. Their dialogue in Battery Park is typical of their back-and-fourth exchanges:

[Hanff] "President Washington," I told Patsy -- though I knew from experience that the minute you start a sentence with "President Washington," everybody stops listening -- "used to stroll here on summer evenings with his wife and the members of the Cabinet..."

[Patsy] Who's on this slab? Did you write him down? Who's on that slab over there? Did you read this one? Write it down. You're not writing anything down....I think you're being very haphazard about this...Somewhere in this book you'd better write: "Everything in this book is half-accurate."

When they drink coffee outside the Metropolitan of Art, Hanff sits with her back to the museum "Which is he only way I will ever consent to sit." You see, Hanff is bitter that the Met takes up space "torn out of Central Park, which does not belong to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it belongs to me. Me and a million other New Yorkers..."

They have judgmental observations about the people of New York as well:

West Siders look dowdy, scholarly, and slightly down-at-heel, and the look has nothing to do with money. They look like what a great many of them are: scholars, intellectuals, dedicated professionals, all of whom regard shopping for clothes as a colossal waster of time.

Witty, informative, personable, and always slyly funny. As a bonus, it's wonderful to see photos from that year of Central Park's model sailboat pond, the cable car over the East River to Roosevelt Island, Grand Central Station, the Metropolitan Opera House, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and yes, sadly, the World Trade Center towers. A wonderful overview of the city to accompany Hanff's text.

Hanff is the author of 84, Charing Cross Road, the epistolary story of her correspondence with a rare book dealer in London as she tries to procure obscure editions of favorite books. She is a very skilled wordsmith, someone you want to listen to forever as she reels off stories, demands, confusion, and self-reflection, all in witty, personable manner that makes you want to hear more and more.

I really love Apple of My Eye, especially since I have spent time in New York City over the past few years. Her descriptions of places I have seen, entered, or at least walked by struck a note that supported the idea that this is a great city during any age. And for anyone not familiar with New York, well, here's your chance to read all about it as you walk along side with Patsy and Hanff in their delightful explorations and observations.

 

Happy reading. 

 

Fred

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Hayes, Bill. Insomniac City.   

Author Hayes, newly moved to New York City after the death of his partner, loves wandering his new city late at night, talking with people, observing the world, and photographing the heart of New York, then sharing his thoughts with us lucky readers. Wonderful. (previously reviewed here)

West with Giraffes

Rutledge, Lynda. West with Giraffes. New York: Lake Union. 2021. Print.

First Sentences:
 

...I'm older than dirt. And when you're older than dirt, you can get lost in time, in memory, even in space. I'm inside my tiny four-wall room with the feeling that I've been...gone. I'm not even sure how long I've been sitting here.

Description:

 

Lynda Rutledge's West With Giraffes is delightful, compelling, romantic, and thrilling novel rooted in actual historic events. The novel depicts a cross-country journey from New York City to San Diego, California during the Great Depression, transporting two giraffes in a small truck. Rutledge brilliantly re-imagines that trip, backing up her narrative with historical news articles which documented the journey at that time and described the fate of the giraffes to the very interested public. 

 

On September 21, 1938, a hurricane hit New York City. Besides the usual destruction, the storm damaged nearby cargo ships, one of which, the SS Robin Goodfellow, was transporting two giraffes, Miraculously, these animals survived, although they had been abandoned as dead during the storm by the freighter's crew when the crates housing them were crushed.

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, now 105 years old, remembers that day and storm as the start of his adventure with the animals, and thus serves as the novel's narrator. As a 17-year-old orphan, Nickel had fled with Dust Bowl dryness of Texas where his family had died. He landed in New York City only a few weeks before the hurricane hit.

 

The giraffes, judged to be healthy after the storm, still need to be transported to the San Diego Zoo in California. Head Zoo Keeper, Riley Jones, gently talks and strokes the crated animals onto the make-shift truck that young Nickel stows away on. He is familiar with animals and, once he is discovered, is given the job of driving the truck and caring for the animals during the long trip.

Along the way, they pick up a young red-haired woman photographer interested in documenting this unusual journey. The giraffes had caught the nation's attention as hurricane survivors, so any accounts of their health and travels, she felt, would be major news.

Of course, the journey is full of surprises. Traveling across America in an old truck with two gangling giraffes was a sight to see for the people of every small town they pass through. And these gentle giants bring a sense of peace and quiet to Riley, Nickel, and Red, the photographer, as they meander over the back roads.

 

But they are pursued by men with more evil intentions. Percival T Bowles, a cruel circus ringmaster, and Cooter, owner of a decrepit roadside animal zoo, both want the giraffes for their own profit. It's up to Riley, Nickel, and Red to thwart these baddies.

 

West With Giraffes is a wonderful read, full of unexpected events, gentle (and not so gentle) characters, descriptions of life during The Depression, and the calming power of  two gigantic beasts on the people and world they encounter. Need a great, quiet, adventurous, can't-be-put-down read? Here's your answer. Highly recommended.

 

Happy reading. 

Fred

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Helfer, Ralph. Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived

True story of seven decades in the life of a remarkable elephant and the boy who bonded with him, from the giant's early life as a circus attraction, to his survival and  rescue of the boy during the sinking of a boat, to his work in teak forests and eventual stardom in an American circus. Simply a great read.

Tip of the Iceberg

Adams, Mark. Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier. New York: Dutton, 2018. Print.

First Sentences:

On March 25, 1899, a gentleman from New York City arrived unannounced at the Washington D.C. office of C. Hart Merriam. At the age of forty-three, Merriam had already been practicing science seriously for three decades, dating back to some unauthorized taxidermy performed on his sister's dead cat.

 

Description: 

In 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman commissioned an exploration trip to Alaska's inner seaway passage. He included experts in a variety of fields, from geology to glaciology to botany to cartography to literature. Harriman's purpose was to have these men explore, document, and discovery interesting phenomena from this 3,000-mile voyage up the inner coast of Alaska.

The scientists included John Muir, glaciologist and wilderness expert; George Bird Grinnell, the founder of the Audubon Society; Georg Steller, naturalist; William Dall, the "dean of Alaska explorers"; Edward Curtis, photographer; and John Burroughs, writer and chronicler of the expedition. 

Harriman's mission had two personal goals:

• Enable scientists in various fields to survey the wonders of Alaska, enlarge their collections of specimens, and share their findings...
• Return...with a trophy bear

Now, over 100 years later, travel writer Mark Adams decided to re-trace the route of those scientists to understand what they first saw and how the Alaska of today had changed (or remained the same).

His trip is beautifully, often humorously chronicled in Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier. Jumping between primary resources from Harriman's exploration, Alaskan history, and his own journey, Adams deftly manages to immerse readers into the past and present worlds of Alaska and its people.

For his trip, Adams chose to utilize the Alaska Marine Highway System of transport boats "designed to move people and vehicles long distances to remote places for a reasonable price."

Alaska's ferries have as much in common with Greyhound buses as with anything offered by Norwegian Cruise Line, but..with a little patience, Dramamine, and maybe a few time-saving shortcuts, it appeared possible to ride the three thousand miles from Washington State to Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutians, in about two months, the same time the Harriman Expedition took.

Breathtaking descriptions and adventures follow, and we lucky readers are fortunate to be able to sit close to Adams as he observes, researches, and interacts with this fascinating, challenging environment. Glaciers, indigenous people, totems, kayaks, mountains, and plenty of quiet contemplation are all on Adams' daily agenda.

Along the way, Adams learns valuable wisdom, such as how to deal with bears which are everywhere: play dead with brown bears, but fight back against black bears. Unfortunately, the only way to tell these bears apart is by a hump on the brown bear's back, (just reach around to feel for it while the bear is mauling you to determine your best course of action). The best advice he heard: "Bring a gun and someone slower than you."

Also, he learned through talking with local people and by personal observation that glaciers, which had once advanced 1,000 feet a day, were now located 63 miles back from where they were 250 years ago.

He visits Cordova, the scene of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and Whittier (population 200, many from American Samoa); "The Weirdest Town in Alaska" and inspiration for the television series, "Northern Exposure"; and an active volcano in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

Too much else to share with you. If you are interested in Alaska, exploration, history, and people, this is the travel book for you.

[While kayaking in Glacier Bay] We were surrounded on all sides by the park's namesake rivers of ice flowing down from the mountains. Their frozen innards glowed a phosphorescent blue that eclipsed the cloudless sky above. A few times every hour, the giants discharged ice from their wrinkled faces -- crack, rumble, splash -- one of nature's most spellbinding performances.

Happy reading. 

 

Fred

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Ehrlich, Gretel. This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland.   

One of my favorite authors, Gretel Ehrlich, describes in her beautiful prose her life visiting and living in Greenland. She is the best at putting a reader into the environment, giving both history and current conditions, descriptions of the personalities she encounters, all the while examining her own feelings for the region and her place in it. Excellent.

 

Lands of Lost Borders

Harris, Kate. Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road. New York: Knopf 2018. Print

First Sentences:

The end of the road was always just out of sight. 

 

Cracked asphalt deepened to night beyond the reach of our headlamps, the thin beams swallowed by a blackness that receded before us no matter how fast we biked. Light was a kind of pavement thrown down in front of our wheels, and the road went on and on. If I even reach the end, I remember thinking, I'll fly off the rim of the world.


Description:

Thus begins Kate Harris's Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road. It depicts one of the author's many dangerous efforts to elude unfriendly border guards in China, Tibet, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India, and other countries in retracing the ancient route of Marco Polo on a bicycle.

Author Harris is a confirmed explorer. From her earliest age, she had a restlessness to her dreams. Although a gifted student in biological sciences at Oxford and MIT, her ongoing goal was to take a one-way trip to help establish a colony on Mars. She even participated in a Mars simulation experience complete with desert living in regulation space suits.

Harris, a voracious reader and researcher throughout her life, always was fascinated to read about into the personalities and adventures of early explorers like Marco Polo, Magellan, Mrs. Fanny Bullock Workman, and Alexandra David-Neel. She eventually quit her research job in a windowless lab (staring at "planktonic fecal pellets" through a microscope and recording minute changes). Then, she charted a cross-continent route using ancient maps and out-of-date atlases, grabbed her childhood girlfriend Mel, loaded up their bicycles, and set off to pedal on a year-long trip from Turkey to India, following the route of Marco Polo. 

Along the way, they live on dried noodles, stale water, and the often unusual food and shelter offered from the locals who could neither speak English (and Harris does not speak their language) nor understand what the women are doing on bicycles on these high ranges. The cyclists are continually stopped by police (who mostly want to pose with the women and try out their bicycles), pushed off pot-holed highways by monstrous trucks, and even chased by wild yaks.

As we sped down the pass, every little bump and divot and pebble on the road blurred together into a pavement of pure concussion. Such is the price you pay to reach forbidden Tibet; pain in the legs, in the butt, and in the brain, which can't conceive a coherent thought because all it knows is the jackhammer jolting of the body and bike to which it is connected.  

But through all the adventures and challenges thrown at them, the women kept up their spirits, recording their daily feelings and trials with a camera and a notebook that eventually was turned into this book. They had plenty of time to consider the world around them as well as their place and purpose in the world. And oh, the descriptions of their observations and musings are wonderous, philosophical, emotional, colorful, and truly insightful.

The night air was cool for July and laced with the sweet breath of poplars and willows that grew in slender wands beside the river. No clean divisions between earth and sky, light and dark, just a lush and total blackness. I couldn't see the mountains but I could sense them around me, sharp curses of rock. The kind of country that consists entirely of edges.

And the places they bicycled. They pedaled and groaned and camped on such locales as:

[the] Tibetan Plateau, that upheaval of rock and ice and sky, but also the Pamir Mountains, where herds of sheep with improbably huge horns dodged avalanches and snow leopards with elegance close to flight. And the Taklamakan, a shifting sands desert dwarfed only by the Gobi and Sahara whose name, according to legend in not literal translation, means 'he who goes in never comes out'....Even more compelling than far-flung mountains and deserts were the stars above and beyond them, distant suns lighting who knows what other worlds.'

I always wonder when reading books such as this which depict exploration, survival, perseverance, and challenges, just how well I might do if faced with the same situations. In the case of Lands of Lost Borders, it is clear I would have given up on the first 15,000-foot climb up a mountain of potholed switchbacks. All the more reason to admire Harris and Mel's fortitude, but only from my cozy chair.

What is the point of exploring if not to reveal our place in the wild scheme of things, or to send a vision of who we are into the universe? A self-portrait and a message in a bottle; maybe no other maps matter....After all, the Latin root of the word explorer is "ex-plorare," with "ex" meaning "go out" and "plorare" meaning "to utter a cry."

Happy reading.

Fred

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Beagle, Peter. I See By My Outfit.   

In 1965, two men decide to ride small motor scooters from New York to California (don't ask why). En route, author Beagle describes the people, environment, and culture in a witty, detailed, friendly manner that makes you want to hear every observation he is willing to share.

 

 

In a Sunbuned Country

 Bryson, Bill. In a Sunburned Country. New York: Broadway Books 2000. Print.

First Sentences:

Flying into Australia, I realized with a sigh that I had forgotten again who their prime minister is....But then Australia is such a difficult country to keep track of.

Description:

   

I admit that there are only a few authors that really make me laugh: P.G. Wodehouse, A.J. Jacobs, Quentin Crisp, Jim Gaffigan, Tony Hawks, Mark Twain, Donald Westlake, and Farley Mowat are at the top. While we all have our favorites, probably the humorist everyone looks forward to reading is Bill Bryson. I recently found my copy of his wonderful memories about traveling to Australia, In a Sunburned Country, and, in checking out pages marked by my little paper scraps for favorite scenes and text, found the book every bit as out-loud laughable as I had remembered.

 

Bryson is at his best, in my opinion, when he writes about his travels. In his skilled hands, all the Australia's oddities and challenges he might face (or actually does encounter) become funny. His research into the history, cities, and people is insightful and always shared in his  "everyman explorer" style of dry humor. His stream of consciousness writing make readers feel like invisible companions privy to his wandering thoughts and muttered observations of everything around him.

...my guidebook blandly observed that "only" fourteen species of Australian snakes are seriously lethal, among them the western brown, desert death adder, tiger snake, taipan, and yellow-bellied sea snake. The taipan is the one to watch out for. It is the most poisonous snake on earth, with a lunge so swift and a venom so potent that your last mortal utterance is likely to be: "I say, it that a sn---."

The Australian history he uncovers is fascinating, obscure, and always quirky. Take his description of the founding of the capital, Canberra:

The young nation had a site for a capital and a name for a capital, and it had taken them just eleven years since union [1901] to get there. At this blistering pace, all being well, they might get a city going within half a century or so. In fact, it would take rather longer.

The people of Australia and some of their notable traits don't escape his observation:

I had read in the paper that Australians are the biggest gamblers on the planet....[T]he country has less than 1 percent of the world's population but more than 20 percent of its slot machines ["pokies"]....We put in a two-dollar coin, just to see what would happen, and got an instant payout of seventeen dollars. This made us immensely joyful.

His descriptions of the rules and play for cricket matches are worth picking up this book. For him, cricket play:

...goes on for so long that by the time the match concludes autumn has crept in and all your library books are overdue....Listening to cricket on the radio is like listening to two men sitting in a rowboat on a large placid lake on a day when the fish aren't biting.

There is so much more in this delightful, informative travel memoir. In a Sunburned Country is one of my go-to books when I need a lift, a laugh, and a wallowing in great writing about a fascinating topic. I never get tired of this book and even after many readings still find things to laugh at or just be astonished by on every page. And I do mean every page. What other book can you say that about?

 

Happy reading. 

Fred

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Bryson, Bill. A Walk in the Woods.   

Bryson decides to reconnect with his country by walking the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail. He travels with his friend, Stephen Katz, a woefully out-of-shape non-hiker who eats much of their supplies on the very first day, What could possibly go wrong in the days ahead?

For the Love of Cod

Dregni, Eric. For the Love of Cod: A Father and Son's Search for Norwegian Happiness. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota 2021. Print

First Sentences:

My dad took me to Scandinavia when I was sixteen. Now it was my turn to take my son. The only problem was I didn't have the money.


Description:

If you ever plan to go on a trip to Norway as my wife and I did this past spring, or if you are curious about the people, environment, and culture of this Scandinavian country, then please explore Eric Dregni's For the Love of Cod: A Father and Son's Search for Norwegian Happiness

 

This is a personal, often humorous chronicle of a journey taken by the author with his son, Eilif, to visit the country of his son's birth. Since author Dregni did not have much money for hotels, he and Eilif stayed with relatives, friends of relatives, and friends of friends of relatives. This personal living situation allowed opportunities for much discussion with natives regarding Norwegian values, lifestyles, customs, oil fund income, the Nobel Prize (awarded in Oslo), taxes, environment, tunnels, and of course, food (whale anyone?), all of which Dregni shares his readers.

These inner workings of Norway are presented in a conversational tone as Dregni observes and learns about the country where he briefly once lived and where Eilif was born. Readers really get to know and understand this Norwegian world and its people through Dregni's questions and his hosts' opinions. Under discussion are issues such as:

• Volunteering - the expected communal work, or dugnad, where "All neighbors chip in and help because you never know when you'll need the help";
• Education - no grades are given until eighth grade "to downplay competition and build up self-confidence," and barnehager or outdoor education which begins during ages 1-5;
• Happiness - lykkelig or "make your own luck and happiness." The people live by the Norwegian expression, "Happy are those who have passion."
• Hiking - "Out on a walk, never cross." Grumpy kids are given a "Norwegian rucksack" packed for adventure, containing a sweater, a swimsuit, an umbrella, sandwiches, and a Kvikk Luns ("quick lunch") candy bar, then sent outside.

I loved learning about the concern over Tunnelfeber (tunnel fever) as Norway builds more and more tunnels to shorten road trips that previously required ferries or twisty, out-of-the-way roads. These new miles-long tunnels, however, block the views and, for many citizens, ruin their connection to nature. 

From bunads (traditional dress for women) and the busybody Bunad Police who check to make sure this clothing is authentic, to the Easter Chicken ("Why would a rabbit bring around eggs?"), to the Sakte (slow) lifestyle, exemplified by the most popular Norwegian television show ever: a 134-hour video taken from a fixed camera on the prow of a boat during a six-day boat ride from Bergen to the Kirkenes on the Russian border), For the Love of Cod is a fascinating look into Norway and its culture, told by a conversational, curious, and funny narrator and the wide variety of Norwegians he interacts with. Thoroughly delightful, even if you never plan to visit this wonderful country. Highly recommended.

Happy reading. 

Fred

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O'Reilly and Larry Habegger. Travelers' Tales: India.   

A vast collection of personal observations, reflections, experiences, and conversations from actual visitors to India. From Benaras to Mumbai to the Taj Mahal, to the Golden Temple, each traveler paints an authentic and emotional portrait of this complex country and its people.

Kayaks Down the Nile

Goddard, Robert. Kayaks Down the Nile. New York: Holt 2019. Print

First Sentences:

For those wondering why three men with sound minds and healthy bodies would want to risk their comfort and security -- even their lives -- in exploring the largely untamed Nile River, I offer the reasons why the river intrigues me. 

The 4,145-mile Nile is the longest river on earth, and one of the greatest of all natural wonders. For 6,000 years it has been the world's most important watercourse, with a vital role in the development of the human race. And the Nile Basin's million square miles contain the world in miniature: a fantastic variety of races, animals, terrain, agriculture, and weather.

The water of the Nile is the source of life for an immense population of humans representing dozens of races ...

Description:

When I was in high school in Southern California, there were two days that every student and teacher looked forward to with complete abandon. Those were the days that John Goddard, a former graduate of my high school, came to visit and give an assembly on his latest adventure. You see, Goddard was a world-famous explorer and documentarian for National Geographic of the world's natural beauties: from mountain tops (by foot) to jungles (by elephant), to underwater (by scuba and also by holding his breath for 2.5 minutes) and to the air (by flying a fighter jet). He was Indiana Jones before there was an Indiana Jones, but without the treasure-hunting.

Goddard, at age 15, heard an adult say he regretted not pursuing his goals when he was Goddard's age. Fired up, Godddard created a list of 127 things he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime. Included were relatively simple tasks like "Type 50 words a minute," "Become an Eagle Scout," and "Make a parachute jump." Others were more challenging, such as, "Ride an elephant, camel, ostrich and bronco," "Retrace travels of Marco Polo and Alexander the Great," and "Milk a poisonous snake." Some were just plain daunting: "Visit every country in the world," "Land on and take off from an aircraft carrier," and "Visit the Moon."

I still remember Goddard's assembly when he came back from exploring the Nile River from source to mouth by kayak. The trip proved the basis for his book, Kayaks Down the Nile
(#97 on his Life List: "Write a book"). 

Just walking up to their starting point of that adventure proved ominous:

Occasionally, as I plunged through the spongy mat of humus, my foot sank into cold slime, after extricating my leg, I had the distasteful chore of prying off the slimy black leeches that had immediately fastened themselves onto my bare legs.

Goddard was attacked by a Nile hippo on one of his very first days:

My private opinion that an unmolested hippo was not dangerous to man was refuted when this great barrel-shaped hulk plunged after me in a vicious charge that left no doubt as to his intentions. He was nearly as long as my kayak and must have weighed well over three tons, yet his rage drove him through the water at an incredible speed. His nostrils blasted spray with every snort, and his yellow tusks were to say the least, awesome.

When he and his fellow explorer Jean came across some fifteen foot tall termite nests near Lake Victoria (#68: "Swim in Lake Victoria" - done) and sliced into one to see what it was like inside, Goddard got a surprise:

Suddenly an aggressive soldier termite bit Jean on the forearm with such ferocity that Its pincers pierced the skin and overlapped. To free Jean, I had to split the head and pull out each mandible separately.

That's just a taste of the adventures and energetic writing style of Goddard. You can see how he could hold audiences of every age and country breathless with his casual descriptions of dangerous events encountered in his travels.

I highly recommend Kayaks Down the Nile for its fearlessness and variety of experiences, and then marvel that this tremendous Nile adventure, so challenging, so threatening, so inspirational, was just one of many such expeditions undertaken by Goddard. I still am in awe of him and his accomplishments 50 years after first listening to him tell his tales. This book shows you why.

Happy reading. 

Fred

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Kane, Joe. Running the Amazon.   

Joe Kane documents the nine-member expedition to explore, for the first time, the entire length of the Amazon River from its source high in the Andes to its mouth in the Atlantic. (previously reviewed here) 

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet

Larsen, Reif. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet New York: Penguin 2009. Print

First Sentences:

The phone call came late one August afternoon as my older sister Gracie and I sat out on the back porch shucking the sweet corn into the big tin buckets.

The buckets were still peppered with little teeth-marks from this past spring, when Verywell, our ranch hound, became depresed and turned to eating metal.

Description:

How can I explain the marvelous characters, setting, actions and illustrations of Reif Larsen's debut novel, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet? It's impossible to fully describe the genius mind and illustrations of its narrator, T.S. Spivet, a twelve-year-old map-maker extrordinaire. I can only offer examples which hopefully will hint at and temp you into the adventures and intricacy of this wonderful book.

Tecumseh Sparrow (T.S.) Spivet is no ordinary maker of topographical drawings of land, oceans, cities. No, he is an acute observer of the world and its patterns and behaviors. Spivet draws intricate diagrams of actions (e.g., the motions of his father drinking whiskey), objects (the history of the family phone cord), actions (the internal mechinations of how his parents met at a square dance), senses (separate freight train noises combine into a leasing sandwich of sound), emotions (The McAwesome Trident of Desire as demonstrated by McDonald's), and yes, even geography (the Yuma Bat Field #2 showing the location of Spivet's last will and testament). These and so many more are included in the margins of almost every page in the book, along with T.S.'s insightful captions. All from a young boy living on an isolated ranch in Montana.

A map does not just chart, it unlocks and formulates meaning; it forms bridges between here and there, between disparate ideas that we did not know were previously connected. To do this right is very difficult.

While these examples may sound frivilous, make no mistake: T.S. Spivet is a very serious person. The phone call he receives in the opening pages of the book is from The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., announcing that he has won the prestigious Baird Award, along with a job at The Smithsonian. He is asked to travel to Washington D.C. to receive the prize in a formal ceremony and then give a speech to a roomful of scientists regarding his drawings used by the Smithsonian in their exhibits.

The problem? The Smithsonian doesn't know he is only twelve years old. They assume when Spivet talks over the phone to them about his school, that he is referring to a prestigious teaching post at some important higher-level institution, not his middle school. Also, Spivet's parents do not know of his relationship with The Smithsonian, the prize, or the travel requirement. His father is a weathered cowboy who is right at home doing manly things around their sprawling ranch, while his mother pursues her own biological study to discover an illusive species of beetle which may not even exist.

What to do? Of course, after much careful packing and no actual planning regarding transportation, Sopivet hops a freight train for Washington D.C. two thousand miles away with just a suitcase filled with his drawing instruments and some energy bars.  

During the journey, Spivet has time to reflect on his life, his family, the world passing by, and his future life among scientists at The Smithsonian. As his mind roves, he draws fantastic sketches with explanations of various things, people, or actions from his past, present travels, and his possible future. These are the most gloriously fun, informative, and artístic footnotes you will ever read.

This is so much more than just a simple travel story. Spivet reflects and pieces together fragments (and, of course, maps) about his life on a ranch with disconnected parents, an older sister who is into pop music, the sudden death of his younger brother (in which Spivet seems to have played a role), and a family genealogy of women scientists living in the isolated region of Montana. Each influences his travel and future plans, what he can make of them.

I won't reveal any more about Spivet and his journey so as not to spoil any part of the joy I hope you experience reading this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's moved onto my all-time favorite list and will be re-read by me many times to immerse myself into this brilliant, curious mind and world.

Mediocrity is a fungus of the mind. We must constantly rally against it -- it will try to creep into all that we do, but we must not let it.

Happy reading. 

Fred

Other book recommendations
About The First Sentence Reader blog

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet  

Not sure if Hatchet is exactly like T.S. Spivit, but both do focus on pre-teen narrators on an unknown journey full of obstacles they must face with their wits, bravery, and humor. Hatchet  relates how one boy survives a plane crash deep in the Canadian forests and must try to figure out how to survive. Even if these books aren't too similar, I can't miss an opportunity to get people to read Hatchet, too. It's the best. Highly recommended.

The Accidental Tourist

Tyler, Anne. The Accidental Tourist. New York: Random House. 1985. Print

First Sentences:

They were supposed to stay at the beach a week, but neither of them had the heart for it and they decided to come back early.

Description:

Sometimes, like everyone else, I get into a slump with my reading. So many books I've picked up to peruse recently simply didn't cut it for some reason. Book after book I put down after the first page or, if convinced by a respected friend to continue reading a particular gem, put down after a bit more time... say, about a chapter. Discouraging.

So what did I do? Well, I fell back on a proven solution: give another reading to old favorites that you haven't read in years. Books that you've laughed over, bit your nails during, or simply wallowed in the wonderful writing of a captivating story. 

Thus it was in a time of desperation that I searched my bookcase and came up with Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist from 1984. A real oldie, so ancient that a Hollywood movie had been made of the story, distributed, and quietly forgotten except for Prime Video.

And it was just what the doctor ordered for me.

It's really a simple story beautifully told, with uniquely quirky characters simply  interacting with each other. That's it. No danger, no murders, no real comic situations. Just interesting people dealing with the world's personal challenges in what most of us would consider unusual ways. And of course, an unlikely romantic plotline.

Take the main character, Macon Leary, a writer of travel books for businessmen. His books are not ordinary guides, but are written for people who must travel for business but hate being away from American comforts, foods, lodgings, etc. Macon reluctantly visits major cities around the world to review hotels, restaurants, air travel, packing, and other necessities which offer amenities to foreign visits almost like staying home. 

He admittedly has his own peculiarities, such as washing his clothes during his nightly shower and sewing his sheets together into a sack-like bag to prevent untucking. At the beginning of the book, his wife has just left him in part due to these quirks and also the devastating trauma their family has recently experienced which neither Macon or Sarah can deal with.

Macon moves in with his two adult brothers and sister, all equally eccentric in their techniques to manage daily life, from an unusual method of preparing potatoes for meals to their made-up card game that no one outside the Leary family can comprehend. 

Then Muriel enters this world. She's a thrift store clothes-wearing, flamboyant, non-stop talking dog trainer who takes a shine to Macon while working with his dog. There is a relationship possibility there, but Macon is hesitant to become too involved, secretly hoping his wife Sarah will someday come to her senses and return to him and his carefully planned life. And then the story  unfolds.

That's it. A simple tale, interesting characters, clever writing and unexpected plot turns. The perfect book. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this wonderful book and can only hope that others like me, struggling to find a great, heartwarming and heartbreaking read, will turn to The Accidental Tourist. It will restore your faith that captivating books are out there despite your recent run of bad luck with unsatisfying works.

Happy reading. 

Fred

Other book recommendations
About The First Sentence Reader blog

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Simsion, Graeme.The Rosie Project.   

Here's another guaranteed spirit-boosting book. A highly quirky geneticist, Don Tillman, decides to create a 100-question test to help winnow women as potential wife material. Rosie Jarmen, a grad student who meets none of Tillman's requirements, somehow is mistaken for a future mate candidate and an unusual relationship develops that is as unpredictable as it is funny. Highly recommended (previously reviewed here)

Tip of the Iceberg

Adams, Mark. Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier New York: Crown 2018. Print.

First Sentences:

Our two-person kayak skimmed the surface of Glacier Bay's glassy water, the bow pointed like a compass needle at the rocky lump of Russell Island.

The sun was out, always a pleasant surprise in Southeast Alaska ...

Description:

One thing I love about travel writer Mark Adams is his ability to make me want to binge read an entire book in one sitting. Combining history and current travel adventures with humor and curiosity, he always lures me deeper into his experiences and mind no matter what lands he is describing. His latest travel book, Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier, is no exception, and certainly holds it own with my previous favorite of his, Turn Right at Machu Picchu.

In 1899, Edward Harriman, the multimillionaire railroad magnate, designed and embarked on a unique voyage up the coast of Alaska. Known as the Inside Passage, the route was little explored much less studied. Harriman, supposedly on vacation from his wheeling and dealing with railroad expansion, converted a steamship into a luxury liner and embarked on the two-month voyage. He also invited noted scientists in biology, geology, and ecology, along with famous photographers and writers including John Muir, to accompany him and study and describe to the public this wild area.

Kyle [Adams' guide] pointed out a mountain that had never been climbed, one of thousands of such peaks in Alaska.

In Tip of the Iceberg, Adams decides to retrace Harriman's trip, using rickety ferry boats and kayaks to duplicate the route of these scientists. Adams, not a camper or explorer, brings a novice's eye to the daily experiences, both awe-inspiring and tawdry. In addition to his own adventures, Adams weaves in historical anecdotes from the original 1899 expedition, with stories about each city, the Alaskan locals and native Tlingit people, but best of all the mountainous glaciers. 

Glaciers play a large role in his narrative. Much of Alaska was formed by glacial movements carving valleys and wearing away gigantic mountains. The essays from the first expedition from John Muir, a glacier expert, are astonishing. Climbing monstrous glaciers in freezing rain and snow storms, Muir noted the size of Alaskan glaciers, named several (including Muir Glacier, the biggest one, of course), and measured their retreat (three miles) when he returned 20 years later. Adams writes with awe about his own first sighting of these mountains of ice, watching the calving of ice breaking off glaciers (and the huge waves that form as a result), and calculating, like Muir, their retreat from their position 110 years ago (over 30 miles).

Along the way, Adams talks to many of his fellow passengers and local residents. From Mounties to museum directors, fishermen to kayakers, they all have colorful stories to share that Adams passes on to us, his lucky readers. We learn: 

• For some time now, Alaska has been warming twice as fast as the rest of the United States, including the growing season expanding by 45%, and plants and animals migrating to the north in record numbers;
• Facing down a bear is like facing down a drunk: You just have to bluff that you're tougher than he is.
• Salmon fisherman can make "ten grand in a few busy weeks;" 
• Every person of the Alaskan population pays no state income tax, but receives a yearly payout from oil companies of between $1000 - $2,000;
• Tlinglets, the "uncivilized native tribes" according to the 1867 laws, were subject to all laws and regulations but were denied "all the rights, advantages, and immunities of citizens of the United States....They were barely tolerated guests in the home they'd occupied for thousands of years;"
• At northernmost villages, the entire local population boards any boat that enters their port to eat the hamburgers offered by the galley. It's a rare treat for places with no restaurants and few groceries.

Like Alaska, this book is too rich to fully describe here in a few paragraphs. But I highly recommend it for anyone traveling to Alaska to get to know what they are in for (the good as well as the quirky), and for those like me who enjoy armchair adventures and travel experiences. A binge-worthy addition to any travel reader's collection.

You can be in awe of the beauty, but you have to remember that things can go from "Ooh, aah!" to "Oh, shit!" in an instant.

Happy reading. 

Fred

Other book recommendations
About The First Sentence Reader blog

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Adams, Mark. Turn Right at Machu Picchu  

Author Adams retraces the 1911 trip in the Peruvian Andes of Hiram Bingham that led to the discovery of Machu Picchu. Adams is a wonderfully entertaining writer, combining historical antedotes with funny, fascinating experiences from his day-by-day hike with an eccentric, enthusiastic guide. (previously reviewed here)