Bunty

I just assumed they hunted wild turkeys. Here is picture of a wild turkey perching on a Dahlgren gun along with an article about the war in Alexandria. https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/historic/info/attic/2014/Attic20140724BatteryRodgersCannon.pdf

Jerome aka Cameron Monaghan is in the original pbs series Mercy Street http://www.pbs.org/mercy-street/about/cast-characters/tom-fairfax/

Code Black - The Fog of War (Preview for the new episode) Edited-- preview no longer valid.

Just finished the second in Carol Berg's Sanctuary duology Ash and Silver. Book one is Dust and Light. Some authors are hit and miss for me. I like some of their stuff but not all. My favorite authors are the ones where no matter what they write I love it. And so far anyway Carol Berg is one of those authors I immediately dive into when a new book is published. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/carol-berg/dust-and-light.htm Here is the synopsis of the first title : How much must one pay for an hour of youthful folly? The Pureblood Registry accused Lucian de Remeni-Masson of "unseemly involvement with ordinaries", which meant only that he spoke with a young woman not of his own kind, allowed her to see his face unmasked, worked a bit of magic for her.... After that one mistake, Lucian's grandsire excised half his magic and savage Harrowers massacred his family. Now the Registry has contracted his art to a common coroner. His extraordinary gift for portraiture is restricted to dead ordinaries - beggars or starvelings hauled from the streets. But sketching the truth of dead men's souls brings unforeseen consequences. Sensations not his own. Truths he cannot possibly know and dares not believe. The coroner calls him a cheat and says he is trying to weasel out of a humiliating contract. The Registry will call him mad - and mad sorcerers are very dangerous....

I think Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Retrieval Artist series might fit. First book is The Disappeared. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/kristine-kathryn-rusch/disappeared.htm In a world where humans and aliens co-exist, where murder is sanctioned, and where no one can find safe haven, one group of private detectives is willing to help the "Disappeared" find their way home. Meet the Retrieval Artists.

Here is an interesting look at movie story vs real story. http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/everest/

You might enjoy "The Raft" written by Robert Trumbull. I've not read it but I enjoyed the recent movie it was based on Against the Sun. In one of the most harrowing true stories of World War II, three US Navy airmen crash land their torpedo bomber in the South Pacific and find themselves on a tiny life raft, surrounded by open ocean. No food. No water. No hope of rescue. Against incredible odds, these three virtual strangers must survive storms, sharks, starvation - and each other - as they try to sail more than a thousand miles to safety.

Because I don't have the time to read all the books I would like to, I am currently listening to A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. Very Interesting magical concepts thus far and the idea of multiple Londons is quite intriguing. Kirkus Reviews 2014-12-06 A fast-paced fantasy adventure that takes readers into a series of interconnected worlds ruled by magic—or the lack of it. Long ago, the doors between worlds were open, and anyone with magic could travel from one to the next. Now the doors are closed, and only a chosen few have the power to travel between Grey London, a world without magic, Red London, a world suffused with it, and White London, a world where magic is scarce, coveted and jealously guarded. As for Black London, the city consumed, no one would be so foolish as to risk a trip—not even Kell. Officially, he's a royal messenger, carrying letters among the rulers of the three Londons. Unofficially, he's a smuggler who collects artifacts from other worlds. It's that habit that leads him to accept a dangerous relic, something that shouldn't exist. And it's when a wanted Grey London thief named Lila steals the artifact that the real trouble starts—for both of them. Schwab (Vicious, 2013, etc.) creates a memorable world—actually, three memorable worlds—and even more memorable characters. Lila in particular is a winningly unconventional heroine who, as she declares, would "rather die on an adventure than live standing still." The brisk plot makes this a page-turner that confronts darkness but is never overwhelmed by it.Fantasy fans will love this fast-paced adventure, with its complex magic system, thoughtful hero and bold heroine.

Another interesting novel set entirely in letters is Freedom & Necessity by Stephen Brust and Emma Bull Library Journal Review Where can you read about Marx, Engels, and Napoleon Bonaparte, plus numerous other historic characters in one book? In this new fantasy novel by Brust (Agyar, LJ 2/15/94) and Bull (Finder, LJ 2/15/93), that's where. Although the body of James Cobham has not been found, he is assumed to have drowned in an accident in 1849. Two months after the accident, his cousin, Richard, receives a letter from James annoucing that he is alive and in hiding, but he can't recall the past two months. Richard writes back, advising James to stay in hiding because he suspects foul play. The correspondence unfolds among several characters and reveals James's mysterious past. Resembling the works of Tolstoy and Dickens in the plethora of characters, Stoker in the and Mary Shelly in the presented exposition, the novel brings together intrigue, adventure, politics, and magic in a complex epic that astonishes the reader.

Home Free has a new album out. Here they are with the Oak Ridge Boys singing Elvira.

I've always liked Ed Viesturs and his philosophy on climbing. "It's a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory." Ed Viesturs, No Shortcuts To The Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks.

There's Beck Weathers-- Left for Dead : My Journey Home from Everest. Library Journal When a blizzard trapped the author and dozens of other climbers near the summit of Mount Everest in 1996, much of the world closely followed the tragedy, in which nine died. Weathers, a Dallas-area pathologist who paid $65,000 to climb the mountain, was given up for dead only to amaze everyone, himself included, when he survived the seemingly impossible conditions. The author begins this work with the tragedy on Everest, chronicled in Jon Krakauer's best-selling Into Thin Air (LJ 4/1/97) as well as David Breashears's High Exposure (LJ 6/1/99). He then spends the majority of the book examining his reasons for pushing himself to climb tall mountains and explaining how the experience has changed him and his family. A deeply moving account of a person coming to terms with his shortcomings and his response when given a second chance, this book is highly recommended for all collections. Also for a different viewpoint of the tragedy there is Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest by Anatoli Boukreev another guide on the mountain. He tragically died the next year (1997) in an avalanche in Nepal. In looking for info for this post I saw where there is going to be a movie this September about the tragedy. Everest (2015) PG-13 | 121 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller | 25 September 2015 (USA) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2719848/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Preview

Generational sagas Herman Wouk Winds of War/War and Remembrance. I haven't read them but enjoyed the mini-series made from the books. James Clavell Again haven't read him but enjoyed several of the movies. I really liked King Rat with George Segal. Asian Saga 1. Shogun (1975) 2. Tai Pan (1966) 3. Gai-jin (1993) 4. King Rat (1962) 5. Noble House (1981) 6. Whirlwind (1986)

Similar to John Le Carre. How about Frederick Forsyth. His most famous work is The Day of the Jackal (1971) An adventure thriller in which an anonymous Englishman who in the spring of 1963, was hired by Colonel Marc Rodin, Operations Chief of the OAS to assassinate General De Gaulle. I've read and enjoyed David Morrell. Especially this series : Mortalis 1. The Brotherhood of the Rose (1984) They were orphans, Chris and Saul--raised in a Philadelphia school for boys, bonded by friendship, and devoted to a mysterious man called Eliot. He visited them and brought them candy. He treated them like sons. He trained them to be assassins. Now he is trying desperately to have them killed. 2. The Fraternity of the Stone (1985) 3. The League of Night and Fog (1987) I haven't read many of the newer authors in the spy/espionage field but some of the big names seem to be : Brad Thor Daniel Silva Brad Taylor Vince Flynn Brad Meltzer Jason Matthews

You can get red hair from many combinations including a dark hair/blonde hair combo. Genetics are fascinating. Question asked on a website I have a 4 1/2 month old that has bright red hair. My husband has a dark complexion and black hair, but is freckled. I am a sandy blonde and a fair complexion and freckled. Our first son is blonde. But, our second is as white as cotton and red headed. Is this common when you mix a blonde and black haired? We have no red heads on either side of our family. I'm tired of getting questioned. Explanation here: http://genetics.thetech.org/ask/ask44

Here's a great list done by National Geographic Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time

Krakauer also wrote Eiger Dreams: Ventures among Men and Mountains. He might also enjoy High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David Breashears. Review Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly Possibly the most interesting aspect of this book is how improbable it seems that Breashears (Mountain Without Mercy) ever lived to write it. An accomplished alpinist, Breashears not only recounts his numerous, dicey ascents of the planets peaks but also explores his motivation for doing so. Though he is an experienced cinematographer whose past employers range from PBS to Hollywood, Breashears is most widely known as the director of the IMAX film Everest. While filming the movie, Breashears and his crew were fortunate to avoid the unforgiving storm at the mountains summit that led to the death of eight people and was chronicled in Jon Krakauers Into Thin Air. Breashears uses that tragic season on Everest as a frame for a personal memoir. The focus is on how he stepped out of the shadow of his violent military father and discovered his passions for climbing and filmmaking. Some of his psychology is simplistic, but there is no doubt that Breashears is as serious about understanding his actions as he is about succeeding in them. And there is no shortage of action, whether he is scaling a 1000-foot vertical rock or narrowly escaping being swept off a cliff by a runaway tonnage of snow. Though at times the book is self-aggrandizing, a little ego can be tolerated in this largely engrossing work, and is, perhaps, only to be expected from someone who has four times scrabbled up the ice and rocks of Everest to reach the top of the world. While on the theme of climbing this might also be a good choice : Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston This is about the guy (Ralston) who from midday Saturday, April 26, 2003, until midday Thursday, May 1, was pinned between a boulder and a canyon wall in a remote area of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. To save himself he cut off his arm. This was also made into a movie.

According to this article : http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/signed-sealed-delivered-hallmark-tv-show-ending-but-34256/ There are supposed to be 3 movies in 2015. The first is listed as Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From Paris with Love.

The Deryni books by Katherine Kurtz were a staple of my growing up years. So I was happy to find that she has finally finished up the Childe Morgan trilogy with The King's Deryni . Hard to believe she has been writing this series for 40+ years. Also recently finished Julie Czerneda's A Play of Shadow book 2 in her Night's Edge series. Czerneda has just recently turned her hand to fantasy after writing science fiction. While I enjoyed the first in the series better (A Turn of Light) this one was an enjoyable way to spend a few days.

Just an update to my previous post-- Oracle, the 6th book in the House War series is now out. And Cast in Honor (The Chronicles of Elantra) by Michelle Sagara will be out (Nov 24, 2015)

I've listened to Krakatoa : the day the world exploded, August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester. It's read by the author and I found it to be quite interesting. Summary : The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa, the name has since become a by-word for a cataclysmic disaster, was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly 40,000 people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event which has only very recently become properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round the world for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogota and Washington went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away.

One of my favorites as well, though I might like the books she writes as Michelle West a bit more. They are epic fantasy at its complex best. She has written several interconnected series. The character I've enjoyed the most is Jewel Markess and her story is told in the following : House Wars 1. The Hidden City (2008) 2. City of Night (2009) 3. House Name (2011) 4. Skirmish (2012) 5. Battle (2012)

You might try Barbara Cleverly. She writes a series that starts with The Last Kashmiri Rose Here's a bit of the review from Publishers Weekly While early books deal with India & Afghanistan, later books move back to England and France and many of the characters including the main detective are still dealing with the fallout from the Great War. Full title list 1. The Last Kashmiri Rose (2001) 2. Ragtime In Simla (2002) 3. The Damascened Blade (2003) 4. The Palace Tiger (2004) 5. The Bee's Kiss (2005) 6. Tug of War (2006) 7. Folly Du Jour (2007) 8. Strange Images of Death (2010) 9. The Blood Royal (2011) 10. Not My Blood (2012) 11. A Spider in the Cup (2013) 12. Enter Pale Death (2014)

To bookend this suggestion, the sister of Chris McCandless has written a book expanding the story told in Into the Wild. The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless

She also writes under the name Mira Grant-- her Newsflesh trilogy 1)Feed 2)Deadline 3)Blackout imagines an earth ravaged by the zombie apocalypse. I'm not a horror reader but found this immensely readable. Meet Shaun & Georgia Mason Excerpt from Feed :