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The Pharaoh and the Librarian

 Please Come Along on the Journey

What if Cleopatra faked her death? 

While her sister sailed for Wales with the most valuable ancient books from her Library of Alexandria? And they both landed in an imagined new world filled with crypto-creatures and historical humans? 

Trekking the desert of 1st century New Mexico, Cleo from the Yucatan and Alex from Nova Scotia, they’d need bravery and help from friends and lovers to evade inner demons and determined villains across an uncharted wilderness.

Alternate history- Fantasy-Romance - Adventure!

I'll be leaving up the 250+ posts on Wordshaping. There are great book reviews, interviews, and lots of memories of people and books. There just won't be more.

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“The Call of the Wild” the Movie and More

Jack London published “The Call of the Wild” in 1903 as short pulp fiction, first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post. A thrilling story of survival and wilderness adventure set during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, London’s writing is surprisingly modern for an almost 120-year-old work. His protagonist is the dog Buck not the human characters and the tone fits the turn of the century style of anthropomorphizing animals and accepting that they think and feel with human emotions.

London describes Buck as a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd mix with a long muzzle and wolfish head.  Desmond Morris’ book “Dogs; The Ultimate Dictionary of over 1,000 Dog Breeds” refers to a lot of Scotch collies. My guess Buck’s mother was one of the heavy-bodied drover’s dogs, bred to take sheep and cattle to market and fight off wolves and other predators in Scotland and England, a sturdy Lassie-sized herding dog.

The latest movie version of “The Call of the Wild,” staring Harrison Ford in the role of John Thornton will be released February 21, 2020. Harrison seems to be a perfect match for Thornton, but the role of Buck has created immediate controversy.

The movie is a live action/animated hybrid. The director’s wife Jessica Steele-Sanders adopted the dog Buckley from a Emporia Kansas animal shelter.  A digital scan of Buckley was made into a full CGI model to replace the original plan for a Burmese Mountain Dog. Critics commented that no dogs were harmed in the making of the movie--because no dogs acted in the movie.

Note: There’s also another recent movie. One called “Cats” which also has critics complaining about computers. Digital fur on stars and computer generated ears and tails offended some. But “Cats” never proposed to be about real live cats. Like “The Call of the Wild,” “Cats” is a movie for animal lovers, real and virtual.

  

For fun, watch the 1935 movie staring Clark Gable and Loretta Young. The film bares little resemblance to London’s book. With only a small part for a dog and a very different plot, movie-makers put out a 1930s romantic comedy and saved only London’s title and the so-so-real snow.

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson - Book Review

  

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson

 

Fourteen-year-old McKenna accepts the challenge of a three-day dog sled race across the Canadian wilderness. Hiding her deteriorating vision from all, she takes herself and her beloved dogs into danger on the trail. Written as an adventure for middle schoolers the story is too interesting not to be read by anyone interested in sled dogs.

Terry Lynn Johnson is an experienced musher who bases her books on her own experiences. She owned a dog-sledding business with eighteen huskies and taught dog-sledding near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and served as a conservation officer and backcountry canoe ranger. Loving outdoor adventures, she brings that knowledge to her writing for young readers. Johnson, who now has one Border Collie, is also the author of “Ice Dogs” and “Sled Dog School.”

Old Town Albuquerque Christmas 2014

What Do 135 Christmas Trees Look Like?

The weekend before Thanksgiving I went to Albuquerque for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards banquet. As an aside my book Heads in the Clouds did win the Romance category. But even without that thrill spending a weekend in Old Town Albuquerque at the elegant Hotel Albuquerque was a delight.

Shops, museums, art, lots of jewelry. And chilies – hanging from rafters and mixed into luscious New Mexico dishes.

While visiting the historic old San Felipe de Neri church on the Old Plaza, I noticed a tall pole with skeleton-like protrusions in the Plaza Don Luis. Left over from the Day of the Dead celebration? I didn't think so.

When a bucket truck arrived and placed a pine tree on the top, I asked the clerk at the gift shop, located in the Sister Blandina Company that once housed the Sisters of Charity, what was happening. Then I saw a flatbed truck pull up with a lot more, really a lot more, trees. And workers began inserting trees into the skeleton from the top down.

As the day progressed, so did the tree, until one hundred and thirty-five (135) trees merged into one gigantic tree.

Workers continued to decorate the the tree with lights, white snowflakes, and red bows until the glorious tree was complete!

New and Gift-Worthy Books

“A Dog’s Promise” by W. Bruce Cameron (October 15, 2019)

“A Dog’s Promise” is Cameron’s newest Dog’s Purpose novel. Like the original “A Dog’s Purpose” it stars Bailey whose lives began in “A Dog’s Purpose” and continued in “A Dog’s Journey “(both books and movies). Now old soul Bailey’s back and ready to experience more purpose-driven lives. Cameron’s heartfelt style merges tenderness, humor, and wisdom as Bailey is helped by Lacey, a new dog.  W. Bruce Cameron is the top-selling author of dog books globally! And, of course, there will be another movie.

“Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

Any dog lover that missed seeing the recent movie debut of “Racing in the Rain” needs to reread the book before  the movie is available for streaming and on DVD. For a special treat, listen to the audiobook. Note: there are 2 audio versions: the original (the same as the book) and a shorter family version. Since the entire book is from Enzo’s point of view, listening to a dog think and complain about not having thumbs takes readers into the mind of a smart and loyal dog. 

“Heart of Barkness” (A Chet and Bernie mystery, 2019) by Spenser Quinn

Chet, as philosophical as Enzo in his own way, and funnier, narrates another mystery though canine eyes. Chet and his (human) partner private investigator Bernie Little. Since both are music lovers, the partners take on a case in the country music world.

David Rosenfelt has two new Andy Carpenter mysteries: “Bark of Night” and “Dachshund through the Snow.”

Rosenfelt is the author of the Andy Carpenter mysteries, with nine books in the series. Dog lovers and mystery lovers alike follow Andy’s work to help clients and help dogs through his Tara Foundation. The Rosenfelts’ real life Tara Foundation has placed over 4,000 dogs in loving homes and continues to be active in the rescue community. He is also the author of two non-fiction books: “Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure” and “Lessons from Tara; Life Advice from the World’s Most Brilliant Dog.” 

“Katt vs. Dogg” by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. 

A book written for middle grade kids but too much fun not to be shared with the entire family. Oscar is a happy go lucky dogg who (along with his dogg family) thinks katts are good for nothing but chasing up trees. Molly is an aspiring-actress katt who, like her dogg hating family, despises drooly disgusting doggs. A laugh-out-loud story of cooperation over prejudice. With brilliant cartoon illustrations.

“Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats” by Kimberlie Hamilton (Scholastic, November 5, 2019)  Delightful cat stories like the Scottish cat Pyro who flew with RAF pilots in WWII. Plus amazing cat facts that will make cat lovers purr and dog lovers laugh. “It a cat sneezes, rain is on the way.” “Put a cat whisker in your wallet to attract money.” Charming illustrations by 17 artists. For ages 8 and up (and up).







Previously published in the Oct.-Nov. issue of The Flagstaff-Sedona Dog magazine. Print and online.