It was a dark and stormy night...

 Today I take a little departure from my usual content

Could there be a more cliched opening line? I don't know about you but I read those words in the title and think, ah, a mystery. I love mysteries, definitely one of my favorite genres. The past few years I have done all of my reading (save newspapers and magazines because I find I still enjoy some printed media) on an e-reader. I started with a re-furbed first generation Kindle and never looked back. Being on the road as much as we are, e-readers have been a life saver for me. I no longer have to tote a bunch of books around or store them somewhere. I know I've mentioned this all before. If someone had asked me, I would have sworn I was done with printed books. That is until I read about S. For those of you who don't know, S is a novel by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst. Not just a novel, a kind of reading experience.
(Possible mild spoilers ahead due to some pages and inserts being shown)

I was intrigued enough by what I read about S to order a copy. S is a novel within a novel. The novel wrapped around S is a marginalia filled library book titled Ship of Theseus by V.M. Straka. The actual novel is in those margins and consists of a series of notes, written volley-style, by the two main characters.

Besides the margin notes the book is literally stuffed with clues in the form of letters, maps, postcards and photos.

 

This is a fun read. If mysteries are your thing you're going to enjoy this book on at least one of its many levels. Depending on how into it you want to get you can read just the novel in the margin notes or you can read the novel that contains them and then go back and read the margin notes or you can read it all at once. (There's even a decoder wheel!) However you do it I think you'll find something to enjoy. Even if it's just the uniqueness of the physical book itself. This one is worth some space on the bookshelf.

Happy reading!

Tookie's Hamburgers & More - Seabrook, Texas

A little while back Tookie's Burgers was featured on the Travel Channel show Burger Land when they made a stop in Houston. My SIL, who happened to be watching, let us know that we should check this place out. One of the best things about all of the traveling the Dining Companion and I have been doing is getting to try different regional favorites like Tookie's Squealer burger.

Tookie's was pretty much wiped out by hurricane Ike in 2008 and sat boarded up until it was bought and reopened in 2011. Part of the purchase included the recipe for Tookie's iconic Squealer Burger. According to both locals and burger aficionados it was well worth the wait. (George Motz included Tookie's in his book Hamburger America)

The Squealer is a huge half pound bacon cheeseburger on a locally made, buttered and toasted bun. The thing that sets this bacon cheeseburger apart is that the bacon is ground together with the beef and then formed into a patty.

The Tookie's Squealer Bacon Cheeseburger

 The Dining Companion had the Squealer and while it was good he wasn't blown away by it. A solid offering but not his favorite. I want to get back there and try it for myself.

Stomp's Ice House Special (Very Hot) Dressed with mayo, Pace Picante Sauce, chopped jalapenos, grilled onions, lettuce & tomato

I had the Stomp's Ice House Special - with mayo, Pace Picante Sauce, chopped jalapenos, grilled onions, lettuce & tomato. The menu calls this one out as being very hot. While it was very flavorful and definitely had some heat, I wouldn't call it very hot. Really good though.

 The menu also includes a few other sandwiches and is rounded out by the usual suspects of fries, onion rings and one of my favorites, Jalapeno Poppers.

 Tookie's large, hand-battered onion rings are good. It's one of the menu items that this burger joint is know for. Definitely worth a try if you're an onion ring fan.









Overall Tookie's was good. Solid burger offerings in a fun atmosphere. The locals were lucky to get this place back.

If you're in the area and looking for a decent, affordable burger option look no further, Tookie's has you covered.

Happy dining!

Around the World in Eighty Pages

As a kid growing up I traveled the world using just a library card. Ok, not literally, but I traveled the four corners of the globe between the covers of books.

I love to read and I love to travel. One of my favorite things to do when I'm on vacation is to read. I look forward to the blissful hours I can while away by the pool or on the beach reading a good book. I really enjoy reading books about travel and books set in the places I'm visiting. I've learned a lot along the way and discovered some writers I may not otherwise have known.

Go ahead, grab a book and transport yourself.

When on vacation in Jamaica I read the White Witch of Rose Hall by Herbert G. de Lisser. de Lisser's book is a fictitious account of what many Jamaican's feel is a true life tale. The White Witch tells the story of Annie Palmer, a probable black-widow and suspected voodoo practitioner who may have killed three husbands and several lovers. Annie is said to haunt Rose Hall to this day. Reading this story while I was there added yet another layer to the trip.

I first read one of  Tom Corcoran's Alex Rutledge novels, all set in Key West, sitting in the Key West airport. Vacation was over and I was wasting time in the airport gift shop while waiting for my flight out to Miami. I picked up Bone Island Mambo, I think it was, on a whim and really liked it. I've since read all of his books featuring Alex Rutledge Each one is like a return to Key West for me. His writing really captures the feel of the island and the people and places there.

Easily one of my favorite travel authors is Bill Bryson. I love his stuff. One of my favorites of his books is Neither Here Nor There. Laugh out loud funny. I read it when I was in Amsterdam. It's a really great book and one I would recommend. And now whenever I read it I'm right back in that hotel room.
Another of his books I really enjoyed is The Lost Continent-Travels in Small Town America. That book covers a road trip Bryson took around America starting in his home town of Des Moines, IA. Don't we all love a good road trip?
I've read and enjoyed most of Bill Bryson's travel books. They're fun and entertaining reads.

Another author that really captures the feel of a place is Archer Mayor. His Joe Gunther series is mostly set in the town of Brattleboro, Vermont. I started reading Mr. Mayor's books with the first Joe Gunther novel, Open Season.
I've read them all and even got to meet Mayor at a local book signing when I lived in Vermont.
From the capital in Montpellier to the ski slopes of Stowe, the novels paint a vibrant picture of Vermont. Archer Mayor's books are filled with fleshed out compelling characters that you'll love to get to know.

Ever since reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt I've wanted to visit Savannah, GA. I finally got my chance this past summer. I walked around Savannah with its beautiful squares and internationally know architecture and had my own perfect literary moment. From the page to real life. Fabulous.

When I think of travel I think of books. The two are inextricably linked in my mind. At least now I no longer need a separate suitcase for all of my books. (I'm only slightly exaggerating). Just me and my Kindle. With the ability to hold literally hundreds of books in the palm of my hand I can take along as many books as I want without over packing. Best travel accessory ever.

Want to return to someplace you've been? Dreaming about a place you want to visit? Pick up a book. Immerse yourself in the stories and travelogues. A chance to get away is as close as your bookshelf.