Discovering Vintage Cookbooks...

This little different than my usual bookish posts but it was a fun discovery that I wanted to share.

We went to Powell's Bookstore a few weeks ago. If you don't know, they are the worlds largest independent bookstore, based in Portland Oregon. They sell both new and used books and I always have fun browsing in there.

One of my favorite sections is the cookbooks. I have SO many - yet only use about 2 lol

Anyway, I found this cool 1965 Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook Souvenir Gold Edition - complete with newspaper clippings, handwritten recipes and printed recipes and notes from Weight Watchers - all from San Francisco in the 60's... 

I'm not sure if you're at all as interested as I am in all of this 😜 but I'm going to break it up into a few posts. Today - a few pics from inside the cookbook (I'll so some of the ads from the paper clippings and the weight watches stuff next).

Let's just say  this cookbook is "of it's time" lol

I'm looking forward to looking through the recipes. My MIL gave me her used Better Homes and Garden spiral bound cookbook when Kevin and I got married and I bought a later version in the 90's. I'd love to see how the recipes differ and how trends have changed. 

I also got a 60's version of The New York Times cookbook and there's a LOT of gelatin lol

I'm not sure I'll make anything from either but they were under $10 and are just an interesting look back and I may collect vintage cookbooks now??? 🤣

TMST Topic Catch-up!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. 

It is co-hosted by (Linda from Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About, Berl's from Because Reading is Better than Real Life  and me) 

Join in by answering this weeks question in the comments or on your own blog.

If you would like to join TMST and receive periodic emails of upcoming topics, please fill out this GOOGLE FORM. TMST is a laid back meme – join in or opt out depending on your interest in topics or schedule.

In what seems to be a recurring theme - I don't blog for so long, I just do a recap of all the TMST topics I missed, hoping to get back on track and then vanish again lol

There's a lot going on right now. I am ok! Just things around me, that make it hard for me to focus on much, especially reading and blogging. So I fall back on this topic catch-up and hope I get back on track soon!

 August 16th: What do your family and friends think of your blogging?

Answer: I didn't tell anyone, including Kevin, for the longest time. It didn't feel like a thing anyone would see and I felt awkward throwing my feelings about things out into the world. Eventually I did tell family and friends and, honestly, I try not to think about it very much so I don't censure myself. 

At first, they all thought it was very weird but then saw the world it opened up for me. The traveling and book conferences. getting authors and publishers, getting arc's. They all think it's very cool now. 

August 23th: Does length of series matter for you when you are picking out books to read?

Answer: I'm not reading any series right now! I had cut out about 40 years ago because I was losing track or hating how they ended. I'm not avoiding them or anything but I seem to be drawn to stand alone books right now. I was loving duologies for a while. 

I'm not actively avoiding any series but I do kind of side eye the ones that go on forever, or have spin off series. I exclude romance from this because those are almost always new couples, stand alone stories - you just get the bonus of revisiting friends from past books but it's not necessary to read them all.

August 30th: Which books are you looking forward to reading this fall? (September-November)

Answer: NO CLUE. I have no idea what's coming out or what I'll be reading. 

September 6th: Tell us about your library.

Answer: I have one in my nearby "bigger town" by big - I mean it's still small lol I've only been inside to get my card. It was very old and musty but they are very welcoming and have seed exchanges, art shows by locals, book clubs and are a welcoming space to LGBQT+ teens. They also have a very pretty rose garden and statues outside. Honestly, I use Libby and Hoopla so I don't visit other than to walk around outside sometimes. 

I also have a VERY small one in my new town. It's not open very often - could be a product of COVID still so I've never been. They have a partnership with the other one so my card covers both towns. We did just get this mural painted on the side. 

September 13: Do you ever read outside of your comfort zone? And if yes, does it ever work out for you?

Answer: My reading is erratic right now that ALL I do is read outside my comfort zone! Everything I used to read and find comfort in sounds so *same, same, same* to me now.

Right now I'm reading very weird "{Insert title} A novel" fiction lol or trippy YA.

Does it work? That's complicated. I never get that soaring happy feeling like I did with my comfort reads (romance, light YA) but I have found myself liking messier, more complicated characters. 

I still can't seem to get the hang of mysteries/thrillers though. I've tried but I don't think they are for me. I usually feel let down or duped by the required manipulation to end at the big twist. I would probably enjoy a straight forward this is the killer type of mystery. Maybe. 

I think that's everything lol 

Review: The History of the World in Fifty Dogs by Mackenzie Lee

An illustrated collection of stories about dogs that knew how to sit, stay, and witness history

Most dog lovers know Fido and Laika, but how about Martha, Paul McCartney's Old English Sheepdog? Or Peritas, Alexander the Great’s trusted canine companion? As long as there have been humans, those humans have had beloved companions—their dogs. From the ancient Egyptians mummifying their pups, to the Indian legend of the king who refused to enter the afterlife unless his dog was allowed there too, to the modern meme and popularity of terms like the corgi sploot, humans are undeniably obsessed with their dogs. Told in short, illustrated essays that are interspersed with both historical and canine factoids, The History of the World in Fifty Dogs brings to life some of history’s most memorable moments through the stories of the dogs that saw them happen. ~ Goodreads

Review: I grabbed this fun little book on my way to the register at the bookstore for my annual Dog Days of Summer reading challenge hosted by La La in the Library.

The book tells the stories of 52 dogs throughout history. There's a really good range starting with Egypt - Bark Like an Egyptian: Abuwtiyuw, History's First Recorded Dog with a Name and ending with Furgin Rebirth - How Snuppy Became the World's First Cloned Dog. There are dogs of war, dogs of royalty, therapy dogs and more.

Each story is told in historical context, occasionally with more emphasis on the historical moment than the dog, but still a very quick summary of events and a dogs part in them. Many chapters have a "sidebark" - footnotes section with additional relevant tidbits and each story has an illustration by Petra Eriksson of the dog featured. (in the style of the cover art)

All the profiles are quick 2-3 pages and told in a light (but honest about the time period - which occasionally got dark) slightly snarky tone. Lee relies a lot on pop culture/meme style language to appeal to a younger audience and that might annoy you or you can just roll with it.

An example: "Good bois were all over Egypt - it's unde-Nile-able. *shows self out*

Honestly, it could get a little grating but it's such a fast read, filled with great trivia about dogs that it didn't bother me.

This book would make a great stocking stuffer for a dog lover or coffee table book where you pick it up here & there.

*Bloggers formatting is being super wonky so sorry if this looks weird on whatever you are reading... GRRR