Book 100: "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck

     My hiking friend, Dana Johnson, really likes this book.  We talked about it quite a bit during our travels up and down mountain trails last summer.
     In 1960, John Steinbeck hopped in a specially made camper (named "Rocinante" after the horse in Don Qixote) with his dog, Charley (a French Standard poodle) and drove off to see the America he had written so much about since the 1930's.  (The author's oldest son, Thom, was said the real reason for the trip was that Steinbeck knew he was dying and wanted to see the country one last time.)
     In "Travels with Charley", Steinbeck shares his citizen encounters and conversations from the 10,000 mile trip he made across the United States.  The book was published in the summer of 1961 and quickly became one of the author's most commercial successes.  In the Fall of 1962, John Steinbeck was
awarded the Nobel prize for literature.

Book 99: "The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir" by Josh Kilmer-Purcell

    You may have seen their new cable show, "The Fabulous Beekman Boys", on Planet Green.  Now you can read the book!
     The Beekman Boys are a gay couple (Josh and his partner Brent) who move from the high octane life of Manhattan (he is an Ad. agency exec. and he is a Dr. who works for the Martha Stewart company) to become gentlemen goat farmers in a small, New York village.  The author's style for telling their story of going from the gay culture to agriculture is funny, engaging and honest.  As one reviewer wrote, "It's like sitting on the couch with an old friend and catching up."
     "The Bucolic Plague" chronicles one of our classic American dreams--you know, fix up the old farmhouse, start a local business and settle down to the Good Life.  And although this book is much, much more than an updated version of "Green Acres", while reading it, you may still find yourself humming,                  "Darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue!"
                                          --recommended by "Books N Things",  Norway, Maine

Book 98: "Days with Daisy" by Nancy Hohmann

   I have a very close and personal connection to this book.  "Daisy" was our treasured golden retriever who had a rare form of bone cancer.  Nancy Hohmann is a good, family friend, who is also an animal communicator.  "Days with Daisy" is a collection of "conversations" Nancy had with Daisy during the last few years of our pet's life.

     Nancy is quite clear that it is Daisy's book.  It was her (Daisy's) idea all along!  In these pages you will discover one dog's philosophy on a variety of Life topics.  Daisy shares her thoughts on many things, including friendship, loyalty and, most important of all, having a grateful heart!
    If you have never read a book by a wise and worldly golden retriever, you might want to put "Days with Daisy" on your summer reading list.

Book 97: "The Poacher's Son" by Paul Doiron

     "The Poacher's Son" takes place along the real coast of Maine and its Northern Woods--not the one the tourists know.  This first book from Paul Doiron, editor-in-chief at "Down East" magazine, may very well leave readers wanting more of Maine game warden Mike Bowditch.
     Here is "Publisher's Weekly" plot description:  "Game warden Mike Bowditch, who hasn't heard from his dad, Jack, in two years, wonders what the man wants from him after Jack leaves a cryptic message on his answering machine.  Mike later learns that his father is the prime suspect in the murders of a cop and timber executive.  Jack, a brutal alcoholic, makes his living poaching game, but Mike can't believe that his father is a cold-blooded murderer."
                           --Recommended by "Books N Things",  Norway, Maine

Book 96: "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wrobleski

     This is a terrific book and great summer read!  We talked about it on "What Are You Reading?" about 6 months after the book came out in 2008.  If you or someone you know is one of those people who does not read a whole lot of books, but really "get into" the ones they do--"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" may be the book for you (or your friend) this summer.
     To a great extent, this story is a retelling of the classic "Hamlet" tale.  It is set on a farm in northern Wisconsin where the family business is breeding and training dogs.  Edgar is the 14 year old son who can hear, but not speak.  He uses sign language to communicate with dogs as well as humans.  If you remember the plot to "Hamlet", you will have an idea of what happens in this story.  However, you do not need to be an expert or even a fan of The Bard to enjoy "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle".

Book 95: "Faithful Place" by Tana French

   "Faithful Place" is the new Dublin-based thriller by Tana French.  It will keep you turning its pages this summer!
     Frank Mackey, who is now the head of an undercover unit, left home 20 years ago to elope to London with his girlfriend, Rosie Daly.  However, she never showed up to take the boat, so 19-year-old Frank thought that she changed her mind at the last minute.  Back in the present, Rosie's suitcase is discovered in an abandoned house.  Frank now picks up the trail to discover what really happened.  The journey will take him back to his violent and dysfunctional past.
     This is a thriller of love, loss and life in modern day Dublin.

Book 94: "Women, Food and God" by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen

     Quote from the book, "No matter how developed you are in any other areas of your life, no matter what you say you believe, no matter how sophisticated or enlightened you think you are, how you eat says it all."
     If there possibly can be a new way of looking at how we and what we eat, Maryann Jacobsen may have found it in her new book.  Not only does she encourage women to distance themselves from diets and focusing on body image, but to go further and embrace the feelings you desire from the foods that you crave (i.e. it's not about the "forbidden cookies", it's about the "feelings" you get from having them--so, not to be overly simplistic here--pursue the feelings, not the food).
                                        --recommended by "Books N Things",  Norway, Maine