A Bookish Vacation...

Book #1
And we were off.... to prep school. From Arizona to Idaho in one day I read about Frankie's love life, her desire to join the "boy's secret club" - ala Dead Poet's Society- and how she infiltrates the club via the internet! I liked parts of this book a lot but found more of it distracting - the social messages that Frankie felt passionately about just didn't ring any chimes for me. It helped the time go fast though.




Book #2
A Curse Dark as Gold was my companion through Glacier National Park, Banff National Park in Canada and back to the USA. I really enjoyed this re-telling of Rumpelstiltskin; the author's careful attention to detail and her beautiful use of language. The author's first book was a true labor of love for her, she researched her fairy tales, milling in the 1700 and 1800's and life in England. Two sisters, an inherited mill, a curse, and a man named Jack Spinner -- there you have the beginnings of a twisted tale! I think the book took me so long both because I was distracted by the incredible vistas around me but also because I didn't want the book to end!

Book #3
Return to Red Castle is an older book published in 1981. It is now out of print but I scored an inter-library loan right before I left on vacation. I timed reading this book perfectly as it was about a high mountain adventure in the Uinta mountains of Utah. Although my vacation is a bit different we are experiencing high mountain adventures of our own - I did get chased by buffalo today in South Dakota - scary!! I really enjoyed this book. I knew where the story was going pretty much from beginning to end but the adventure was fun to read. Since this was a recommendation from a fellow blogger I was glad that I enjoyed it as much as I did. This is one example of NOT judging a book by the cover. The cover is dopey!!

I have a suitcase with more books just waiting....we found a fun bookstore in Montana where 3 books just jumped into my arms, I traded some more with friends and family, and found a great book about one of my heroes, George Washington, at Mt. Rushmore. What a great souvenier! Incredible views, experiences and books. Yum....now this is vacation!