5 comments about Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations.

1. I liked this book because I'm always bored and searching for something different to do. If your into New England culture like I am then you'll appreciate us eccentric Yankees! Some of this stuff I wouldn't drive out of my way for but it's enjoyable to read about it. Having grown up in the Boston area I already knew about most of these places(and lots that didn't make the book!)but if your planning to be in the area it's well worth your while to check out this book.



2. My wife and I structured our honeymoon this month around this book, and we had a grand time touring its recommended destinations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. As we both work in horror publishing, we particularly enjoyed places like America's Stonehenge and H.P. Lovecraft's grave.

   Buyers of this book should be forewarned to call ahead to every place they plan on visiting. We discovered that although this book was published this year, some of its information is already out-of-date. For instance, the aliens apparently beamed-up the UFO Museum two years ago. In some cases, the information was incomplete (e.g., the Occult Museum is only open to tour groups of 10 or more), or vague (e.g., road directions to the Bow Wow Villa (now no longer called that, by the way) and the Museum of Bad Art).

   Overall, though, the book has lots of interesting information, and our vacation wouldn't have been quite as nice if we hadn't read it.




3. If you like the path less traveled, then this book is for you. If disneyland, and the flashy theme parks are the forefront of the American psyche, then this is the back roads. To my mind infinitely more interesting, I only wish he could chronicle the whole of the US, not just New england.Not to be missed!



4. This is a terrific resource for those who will be travelling in New England and who are interested in seeing the more unusual sights the region has to offer. The book is divided into six chapters, each devoted to a state: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and a map at the start of each chapter locates the cities covered. Each chapter contains entries listed alphabetically by city, and each entry contains a description, address, phone number, location, hours and sometimes a b&w picture. Entres include cemeteries, haunted houses, odd museums, unusual homes, monuments, etc. This book is lots of fun, contains great information and is well-written.
   
   Terrific resource.



5. Never did I know that there where so many odd places to visit in New England. This book goes state by state and lists places to visit that are famous and infamous. Man now I wish I had a GPS to find them! Get this book!!

No comments about River Guide: Maine, 4th (AMC River Guide Series).

No comments about Cut & Assemble an Early New England Village (Cut & Assemble Buildings in H-O Scale).

No comments about New England Trees & Wildflowers (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

2 comments about The Dog Lover's Companion to New York City: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog (Dog Lover's Companion Guides).

1. Living in an area where there aren't many dog friendly places, yet within commuting distance of NYC, I thought this would be a good book to add to my collection. It has valuable resources like maps and contact numbers for the places they list. There are a variety of places you can go to with your pet.
   
   The reason I gave this book a 3 instead of a 5 is it lists Eisenhower Park as allowing dogs on leash. I have lived near this park for most of my life. To my knowledge they had never allowed dogs. I called to see if they changed their policy - so happy that a nearby place would allow me to bring my pet. Sadly, they confirmed never in their history have they allowed dogs within the park and you can receive a big ticket if you do.
   
   When I contacted the books publisher, I was told that was why the caveat of checking first is in the book. The caveat is nice, but I was still frustrated they listed this source when it was never an option.
   
   I have not had a chance to check on the other sites listed yet.
   
   So in summary, good for dog lovers living near or visiting New York City, but do your homework before you bring your pet.



2. Exellent. I've bought several books in this genre, but "The Dog Lover's Companion to New York City: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog (Dog Lover's Companion to New York City)" is the only one that's easy to read, addresses exactly what you're looking for (the best time for you and your dog) and then get you jazzed to try the exciting destinations listed.

1 comments about The Line of Forts: Historical Archaeology on the Colonial Frontier of Massachusetts.

1. This author brings out more great information on Colonial New England;although written for the Historian and Archeologist.If your a student of New England history there is much here for the amateur too.
   
   The Line of Forts in Northern Massachusetts were built by people struggling to maintain their lands and way of life,this book reveals the drama of those daily ordeals. I have been reading about these histories for years and never knew how many forts there actually were,there being as many as ten +.The line stretched from the Connecticut River West just into New York,running along the now Vermont border.Garrison houses were mixed in and added to the defensive line also.The two main Forts studied here being Fort Shirley and Fort Pelham.These two forts only have a life span of around ten years(1744-1754), a short existence in the overall struggle during the French and Indian War timeframe. Through the discovery of objects and documents hidden away Coe gives us a glimpse of the soldiers life on the Frontier.
   
   An outstanding addition to the library of research on Colonial New England. Highly worth the price.

No comments about Field Guide to Backyard Birds of the Northeast (Field-Guide to Backyard Birds).

No comments about Connecticut, Massachusetts, & Rhode Island (Best Hikes With Kids).

5 comments about Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires.

1. A note about the reviewer who stated Michael Bell explores graveyards with a camera and tape recorder, like an aspiring Art Bell wanna be.

   If you read this book, which I strongly recommed for anyone who is looking for a fresh perspective on the tapestry of folklore and legends, you will discover Michael Bell is neither superstitous nor prone to fantasy. He playfully mocks those who lurk in churchyards, hoping to record a whisper from the grave and give themselves a thrill at the same time. "Food for the Dead" seeks to explore how concepts like "modern" vampirism and other legends develop and exist, using genealogical research and good sense. If you're looking for a good scare and juicy ghost stories, keep shopping. In search of a fascinating read? You found it, enjoy!




2. A series of case studies involving the (still-common) belief that the dead can be jealous of the living and return to capture them, Food for the Dead is meticulously researched. It should be noted that documentary evidence concerning digging up the dead in New England is sparse. I attended a lecture given by Bell last autumn, and he certainly seems to know everything there is to know about the topic. The book is somewhat repetitive, however, which makes it difficult to sustain interest.



3. I received all of the other books that I ordered at Christmas except this one. I would still like to receive this. At first they said it would be shipped in March, but it never was sent to us. Please advise. Thanks.



4. Forget everything you know about vampires and join the author on his 20 year investigation of "vampire" stories in New England. In an age where germ theory was not yet understood and rural communities at the edges of established Puritan religion struggled to make sense of consumption (tuberculosis) as it decimated entire families and regions, old folk remedies and legends led to the exhumation of the dead and the burning of hearts and lungs. Folklorist-historian Bell does an excellent job of researching these events and placing them within their historical context while bringing alive the human emotional response to the drama and horror involved. Definitely a worth while read and very eye-opening.



5. Food for the Death is a great book for anybody interested in New England history, vampires, and how folklore works. Michael E. Bell basically went hunting for vampires in the history of the small towns and back roads of New England. And found them. The question he has, besides did people really believe their dead were causing death and illness, was HOW did these folks come to the knowledge on how to due with the undead. Many came from England yet the methods used were those from Eastern Europe. Did they invite them on their own or did the ideas somehow come across the ocean? And how did one family in one state learn about how to deal with vampires from another family incident in another state, a event that happened generations ago? How did the cities and churches handle the hunt for the undead and why do people still believe today that VAMPIRES still exist? The book mostly focuses on how folklore grows and changes over time, changing hard facts into misty legends.

1 comments about Trees of New England: A Natural History.

1. When looking for a New England tree field guide, I chose this book over "Native and Naturalized Trees of New England and Adjacent Canada: A Field Guide" by DeGraaf and Sendak because "Trees of New England" appeared to have more and better illustrations. A closer inspection proved that "Trees" didn't have as many as I thought. While this is my biggest criticism of the work, they can be forgiven because this book isn't primarily a field guide, but a natural history book. Also, what illustrations it does have are of exceptional quality. Amelia Hansen should be commended. I will look for other books that she has worked on.
   
   One thing that struck me was frequent references to other books that I have read, like Tom Wessels' "Reading the Forested Landscape" and Bernd Heinrich's "The Trees in my Forest", both very special works. "Trees", however, should have come first. While Wessels, Heinrich, and others will layer rich detail about specific trees or situations, they don't give the reader an overall picture of area trees. Hence, I needed a field guide.
   
   Charles Fergus lists 75 native trees and 15 common introduced species, tells us about their size, range, and other basic information, then gives us some history and maybe tells us about his personal experience with it. I much appreciated the inclusion of lumber uses of the tree. This information is given primarily in paragraph form rather than chart form, which can make a quick lookup difficult. He will repeat himself from section to sections, which can be a little annoying if you read the book cover to cover like I did, but necessary for those who read the sections reference style.
   
   If I were to nitpick, I would have grouped the Populus trees together (aspens, cottonwoods, and poplar), included the introduced trees in the main section rather than in a chapter in the back, and included more of Amelia's wonderful illustrations. The first two nits, I realize, are personal preference, and the last might have made the book larger and more expensive than the publisher might have wanted. This book offers great foundation knowledge and more. Not entirely a natural history book, not exactly a field guide, but a great balance between them.