Category: Books

3 H’s of RAGBRAI

- Ann 2 Comments

From personal experience, the three H’s (Hard Parts) of RAGBRAI are:

1. Hills. This year’s route is the 11th hilliest out of all the RAGBRAI’s since 1973. Most hills really are doable – you just need to remember to use all your gears, especially that granny gear. Plus, there’s extra motivation when most everyone else is also huffing and puffing (although for some reason, there’s also some who seem to zoom by me!) Mainly, I just don’t want to be humiliated by having to stop and walk up a hill! The good part is that, in most cases, what goes up must come down. The speed and the cool breeze that the downhill ride brings make it all worth the effort. Wheeeeeee!

2. Heat. Okay – it’s July in Iowa. It’s going to be hot – just plan on it. If you can go fast enough, you can create your own air conditioner. Also, if you get up early, it usually stays on the cool side until 8am or so.

3. Headwinds. In my opinion, these are the worst. There’s not much you can do, but just keep plugging along. It does seem to help to gear down a bit, and of course, pray that either the course or the wind changes directions – soon!

If you’re looking for bike routes – with hills or without – try these:

Biking Iowa: 50 Great Road Trips and Trail Rides by Bob Morgan

Biking Illinois: 60 Great Road Trips and Trail Rides by David Johnsen


RAGBRAI=Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa

- Ann Leave a comment

Once again it’s time for the Des Moines Register’s RAGBRAI, held this week July 20-26th. Notice that the acronym stands for RIDE not RACE, thereby allowing old-lady librarians like me to participate. Fortunately, everyone is welcome and we can all go at our own pace.

RAGBRAI started in 1973, so this year will be the 36th year. Bikers will start on Sunday by dipping the back tire of their bike in the Missouri River at Missouri Valley, Iowa. Overnight stops this year are Harlan, Jefferson, Ames, Tama/Toledo, North Liberty and Tipton. The final destination is nearby LeClaire on Saturday, July 26 where the bicyclists finish by dipping their front tires in the Mississippi River. With the Bix 7 Road Race going on the same day in Davenport as well as the Bix Jazz Festival, there’ll be lots of visitors to enjoy our Quad City hospitality!

To read more about RAGBRAI check out River to River, Year after Year: RAGBRAI Through the Lens of Register Photographers and RAGBRAI: Everyone Pronounces it Wrong by John Karas.

Armchair Traveler – Iowa

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Who knew there’d be so many interesting, funny, thoughtful books featuring our own backyard? Iowa might not make a lot of headlines (that’s a good thing, actually) but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of some great books. There’s been a lot of national attention on Iowa this summer because of the flooding, but next week there’ll be some more positive news – RAGBRAI‘s annual bike ride (Starting on Monday be sure to watch this blog for a special series of stories from our own Tana on her RAGBRAI experiences) and of course, the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival and Bix 7 Road Race here in Davenport. Keep the Iowa-vibes going with some great reads.

Niagara Falls all Over Again by Elizabeth McCracken. McCracken spent her childhood summers visiting her grandmother in Des Moines, so the first half of the book, set in Des Moines, is filled with authentic details. The story of a comedy team that makes it big in vaudeville and later in Hollywood B movies and the ties that hold the partners together. Funny and moving and beautifully written.

Moo by Jane Smiley. Set at an agriculture college in Iowa (read: Iowa State University) this satire is a look from the inside of the politics and intrigues of academia. Filled with sophisticated humor and clever storytelling. For a grimmer look at life in rural Iowa, don’t miss Smiley’s Pulitzer Prize winning A Thousand Acres.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. If you haven’t read Bryson yet, you’re missing out on one of our funniest writers. Born and raised in Des Moines, Bryson went on to travel (and write about) the world. Bryson waxes nostalgic about growing up in Iowa and memories unique to the Midwest (Bishop’s Buffet! the pneumatic tubes at the downtown Younkers!) and evokes a bygone era of innocence.

Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella. Before it was a movie (Field of Dreams) it was a book. Much more complex and thoughtful than the movie, Shoeless Joe explores timeless American icons – the family farm, a father and son playing baseball, the power of memory and forgiveness.

Eleven Days by Donald Harstad. A series of strange murders tears a small Iowa town apart and leads sheriff Carl Houseman to a cult and the possible involvement of a local pastor. A hard-boiled mystery with droll details and an explosive ending. Harstad was a deputy sheriff in northeastern Iowa for 26 years, lending authentic details of small-town life.

The Lincoln Highway by Michael Wallis

- Ann 1 Comment

The romance of the open road (and our corresponding love affair with the car) has always been a part of America’s history and character. Maybe it’s the vast distances of the country, or it’s unending variety, or part of our make-up as a nation of immigrants but nothing says America like a road trip. How many of you remember childhood trips, packed into the family car, driving to see tourist destinations like Mt Rushmore or the Grand Canyon or the Great Smokey Mountains? Squabbling with your siblings, counting license plates, swimming in the motel pools – as American as apple pie.

The Lincoln Highway by Michael Wallis is a celebration of the heyday of car travel from the 20s to the 50s. Spanning the country from New York City to San Fransisco, covering more than 3000 miles through thirteen states, the Lincoln Highway was once a popular route for travelers. The modern interstate highway system, with it’s direct routes and smooth multi-lanes, has taken over most of the traffic, and in many places superseded the Lincoln Highway, but it’s still possible to follow it across the country. Wallis takes us along on his adventure; part travelogue, part nostalgia trip, this book is filled with pictures of vintage postcards, historical images and modern photographs. This book celebrates the iconic architecture of “motor lodges”, gas stations and diners, the stunning scenery of the countryside, the funky roadside attractions and most of all, the characters that still live along it.

Enlightened Chocolate by Camilla Saulsbury

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Here’s a dream-come-true for chocolate lovers everywhere – dozens and dozens of scrumptious recipes using dark chocolate and cocoa powder – and they’re all lower in fat and calories! Enlightened Chocolate by Camilla Saulsbury manages to deliver great chocolate recipes that are actually good for you (mostly). The health benefits of dark chocolate (including being rich in antioxidants, aiding stress reduction, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing “bad” cholesterol) are discussed, as well as how to choose the best ingredients. There are recipes for items you’d expect – cakes (flourless Chocolate Torte), cookies (Mudslide Cookies), decadent deserts(Chocolate-Whiskey Fudge Pie), and chocolate drinks (Chocolate-Raspberry Morning Milkshake). But there are also savory recipes such as Pork Medallions with Port-Chocolate Pan Sauce and Cocoa-Balsamic Roasted Onions.

Ahhh – chocolate at every meal – heaven on earth!

So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger

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The road trip as a metaphor for discovery has long been a classic theme in American literature. So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger takes you along on a road trip that is both physical, fraught with danger and intrigue, and emotional, full of regret and redemption.

Monte Becket, unable to follow-up his bestseller first book, is slipping back into an ordinary life when he meets Glendon Hale, a former train robber. When Glendon decides to return to California to ask forgiveness from the wife he abandoned, Monte finds himself drawn himself into the adventure. Pursued by ruthless ex-Pinkerton detective and meeting a vivid cast of characters along the way, this beautifully written novel will bring you right into the heart of 1915 America, in a West that has since vanished, about people we wish we had been able to meet.

The Farm to Table Cookbook by Ivy Manning

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One thing many of us look forward to every year is the Farmer’s Markets and the bounty of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. With the peak of the season nearly here – tomatoes and sweet corn! – it’s time to look for some recipes that will help make the most of those delicacies.

The Farm to Table Cookbook by Ivy Manning would be a great place to start. Most recipes are straightforward, emphasizing the flavors of fresh food and range from side dishes to main meals to desert. Although there is a definite Northwest slant (halibut, scallops) alternative ingredients are not difficult to find. Recipes are presented seasonally, with asparagus and Swiss Chard featured in the spring, corn, tomatoes and peppers in the summer, and squash and apples in the fall. Don’t let the season slip by without trying a few special recipes!

Christmas in July

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Thinking about making some or all of your Christmas gifts this year? Better get started now – Christmas is coming! For inspiration, look through the series of “last-minute” books by Joelle Hoverson and Cynthia Treen which are filled with simple yet stylish projects. (Of course, take the “last-minute” definitions with a grain of salt – what might be last minute to some may not be last minute to you!)

Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. This knitting book has become a big favorite lately and includes the wildly popular “Hourglass Sweater” and “Chevron Scarf” patterns. You’ll also find designs for, among other things, a charming knitted bag (seen on the cover), fingerless mitts, and a baby bonnet.

Last-Minute Quilted and Patchwork Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Like the previous book, this one is broken down by the time it would take to make each project – 2-4 hours, 4-8 hours, etc. Gift ideas include quilted coasters, an heirloom quality log cabin quilt, pillowcases, tablecloths and a stuffed elephant.

Last-Minute Fabric Gifts by Cynthia Treen. Here you’ll find patterns for a baby quilt, a zippered change purse, bags, hats and adorable felted rabbit toys. Projects in all three of these books are simple but modern and easy enough for a beginning crafts person. You’re sure to find something for everyone on your gift list.

Armchair Traveler – India

- Ann 1 Comment

India conjures up images of vibrant flavors, brilliant colors and tropical heat. It’s also the second largest liberal democracy in the world with a varied people, a rich culture and a tumultuous history. Sample some of the exotic beauty of this fascinating country through these books.

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. Set in modern day Bombay, this is the story of the entwined lives of a wealthy woman and her servant, the caste system that holds them apart and the shared joys and tragedies that bring them together.

The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott. The crown is England and the jewel, of course, is India. Jewel describes the turbulant final days of Englands’ occupation of India through the personal stories of the people, English and Indian, that live there. This exceptional novel, written with a keen understanding of human nature, is the first of the Raj Quartet.

Imaginary Men by Anjali Baneriee. This fun chick-lit novel highlights the push and pull of modernity vs tradition in India today. Professional matchmaker Lina Ray invents a fiance to silence pressure from her family to marry, then has to scramble to find a real man. Detailed description of Indian customs enliven this light, entertaining read.

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. Set in 1950s post-colonial India, this follows four Indian families as they struggle to survive the upheavals and change of a new order. Centered on the search for a suitable husband for a younger daughter, this sprawling novel touches on the complex issues facing the newly independent country.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. The latest from award-winning author Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth explores the divide between immigrants from India and their American-born children, straddling two countries and two cultures, belonging to neither. Rich and complex, the doubts and heartbreaks that Lahiri’s characters face in this beautiful novel are universal.

The Greatest Game Ever Played by Mark Frost

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With Tiger Woods winning the 2008 U.S. Open and the John Deere Classic nearing, I was reminded of my favorite book and movie about golf, The Greatest Game Ever Played by Mark Frost. It is the story of the 1913 U.S. Open held at the Country Club in Brookline Massachusetts. Frost has interwoven the biographies of Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet, slowly building to the dramatic finish. Born on the Channel Island of Jersey in 1870, Vardon had won five British Open titles by 1913. On this side of the Atlantic, 20-year-old Ouimet was the Massachusetts state amateur champion and had been a caddie at the Country Club; his invitation to the Open was unexpected. The long, wonderful second portion of the story dramatizes the exciting week in September when Vardon, Ouimet, and others battled for the coveted title. Frost paints a lively supporting cast. Ouimet’s mother, brother, and sister were supportive, but his father had no truck with the silly game. Englishman Bernard Darwin, the scientist’s grandson, found his niche as a first-generation golf journalist. Ted Ray, a big bear of a man, punched out a fellow English golfer before joining friend Varner and Ouimet in a three-man playoff. Ten-year-old caddie Eddie Lowery almost stole the show with his pugnacious confidence and sage advice for Francis. It is a wonderful book about the beginning of the sport of golf in the United States.

The book was published in 2002; in 2005 the movie of the same name was released. Starring Stephen Dillane and Shia Labeouf as Harry Verdon and Francis Ouimet were wonderful. The best minor character was Eddie Lowery played by Josh Flitter. The movie puts pictures to Mark Frost’s words. It is a beautiful film.

Be sure to catch exciting professional golf action at our own golf tournament, the John Deere Classic, July 7-13. Because you never know when the next sports hero will emerge.