Our favorite “should-be-nearly-local” author Katherine Boo, author of behind the beautiful forevers, Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, just won the National Book Award yesterday for Nonfiction!  Ms. Boo is already a Pulitzer Prize winner, and this is another well deserved honor –  if a book about the harsh realities of picking garbage, burnings and beatings, and corruption can be described as beautifully written, this one is.  Don’t let the tough subject matter put you off if you have not read it yet, it truly leaves you in awe of the resilience, fortitude and yes, hope, humans can show in dire circumstances.  And again, the writing is amazing, you will care deeply about the characters and turn the pages as fast as any suspense thriller. 

We currently have three copies, come pick one up in honor of Ms. Boo’s award!

FYI, Katherine Boo is not local, may not even have been to the Owens Valley, but she does have family here who first brought the book to our attention and procured a stack of signed copies for East Side Books to sell, which we greatly appreciate!

The local history books from Arcadia Publishing are coming in a steady stream, and I think this may be one of the most popular!  The Twenty Mule Team of Death Valley will appeal to mule lovers, mining historians, geology buffs, Inyo County enthusiasts, and of course any one who appreciates the harsh beauty of Death Valley.  Thumbing through it is fascinating, and I can’t wait to read a copy!  If you have seen Tanners’ mule team at Mule Days, you will be amazed at the idea of handling this many animals, let alone the logistics of the heavy loads in dry, hot and dusty Death Valley.  The twenty mule team became a familiar icon of the Pacific Coast Borax company, and all the clean laundry and hands across the country had the humble mule to thank for getting the product to market.

The author is Ted Faye, a documentary filmmaker whose company, Gold Creek Films, specializes in stories of the West.  Ted was also a historian for US Borax.  Many images in the book come from the Borax collection at Death Valley National Park, but there are also many from Central Nevada Historical Society, Bancroft Library, private collections, and other sources.

The popular Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing has added another local title, Mount Whitney, to a growing stack of Owens Valley books.  Filled with historic photos and interesting tidbits of natural history, Native Paiute history, packers, climbers, and film stars, this is a great momento of a Whitney hike, or trip through the valley.  Written by Lone Pine’s film history guru and Inyo Film Commissioner Chris Langley together with Lone Pine conservationist Michael Prather, the book addresses the early explorers, attempts at climbing and trail building as well as the artists and writers who have immortalized this natural landmark. 

The Images of America books are primarily photos with long descriptive captions which make for quick and fun reading.  Very entertaining as well as informative!  Mount Whitney joins Inyo National Forest, Mono Lake, Bodie, Bishop, Manzanar, and Eastern California Cemeteries on our shelf.  We can order titles for you too if you are interested in other areas.

The very popular Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing has added a great new volume, Inyo National Forest by Andy Selters for the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association.  So much of our Eastern Sierra region is covered by the Inyo National Forest that everyone will recognize the scenery in these historic photos.  Mules and fish, lakes and mines, skiing and Smokey Bear;  don’t miss this book on our historic back yard!

We also have others in the Images of America series available, including Bishop, Mono Lake, Lone Pine and Manzanar.  They are new books priced at $21.99 each.  Please remember new books cannot be purchased with store credit, we need some cash flow!