My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!
Saturday, April 1, 2023
Atlases and American Books ( #AtoZChallenge & #BOTB )
And so it begins! Another April means it's time for another Blogging from A to Z Challenge. So we begin with the letter 'A' as I delve into my home bookshelves. In my exploration I will sometimes be listing specific book titles, but much of the time I will be listing book genres or topical book themes. This is where I will start.
"American" Books
Since I'm an American and proud to be so, I have many books about this country, American history, and outstanding figures from American history. There are far too many to list here and I will be naming some of these books in upcoming posts. However I will start the book parade off by listing a generic history book called American History Desk Reference. This is pretty much what it says it is. Mostly it's a compilation of timelines and lists that might serve as a handy reference for the purpose of gaining historical perspective. I've merely glanced at this book and have never gone through it at any depth. It looks nice on my shelf, but so far I haven't found any great usefulness to it. I've got plenty of actual well-researched history books when I want to read about this subject.
Atlases
I've loved maps and atlases since I was a child. My parents gave me a world globe for Christmas of 1958 and I always enjoyed digging into the car glove compartment to look at the road maps my father used to pick up at the service station. Back then they were a free service offered by the stations. Those maps would provide me hours of exercising my imagination as I vicariously traveled to places around my state (whichever it was that we were living in at the time). Not only did I learn how to read maps at a young age, I also became rather adept at folding those large pieces of paper.
In my college years I acquired my first American road atlas and often studied it as I planned out imaginary trips for the future. Eventually those trips became real and then I was touring the country full time. Pre-Mapquest days, the road atlas was a necessity for anyone who wanted to take a lengthy road trip From the seventies on, I've always owned at least one road atlas--usually published by Rand-McNally. The road atlas was indispensable for anyone who spent time driving the roadways of America.
Now, my go to atlas has become one of the books in my home that I refer to most. This atlas, The American Road published by National Geographic, always goes with me whenever I take a lengthy road trip even though now I usually just set my phone to show me the way to where I'm going. Most of the time this Atlas stays close at hand in my living room. I think it's the ultimate coffee table book. I don't know that my wife feels the same, but she seems to have accepted that I like to have the Atlas near at hand. Usually I'll refer to it at least a few times each week as I hear of someplace on television that I want to find out where exactly it is. For me maps are some of my most favorite references.
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged has been a rather influential book since it was first published 1957. I first read it in 1976 after I acquired a battered paperback version. My feelings about it were mixed back then, but I knew that it was a novel of significance. Many years later I bought this massive hardback version. Someday I plan to reread it. I did see the three part movie that was made some years back. It's an interesting story that is as meaningful now as it was when it first came out.
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bandsisthe blogging event started byFar Away Seriesand now hosted byStMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month. My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months. The premise is simple: Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it. Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.
White Rabbit
Most notably recorded by Jefferson Airplane, this song was inspired by Lewis Carroll's trippy book Alice in Wonderland. Here are two cover versions for you to enjoy. Which do you prefer?
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals "White Rabbit" (2009)
Time to Vote! It's in the book! Or should be maybe. Just listen and appreciate. Which song version do you prefer? Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.
Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts: StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands 'MIKE'SRAMBLINGS' 'Curious as a Cathy' Sound of One Hand Typing Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Lots of A to Z action coming your way before that time, but don't forget to come back to see if your choice came out on top. What do you think of the first book post? Is there anything you'd like me to do differently with this?
I read a used copy of Atlas Shrugged about two years ago. I still have an atlas I got for my birthday one year, though I'm not sure where it is right now.
Jamie, probably a lot of used copies of "Atlas Shrugged" can be found. It seems to be a book that people want to keep or get rid of. Hopefully they don't throw readable copies away. I've owned a road atlas of some sort throughout my adult life.
I love maps, atlases, globes, and travelling! One of the most difficult things for me when I moved was having to part with at least one box of maps and guides. The one that made it here is sitting on a floor int he spare room (filled with stuff I can't fit anywhere else). But I can't get rid of them. The 1972 Ordnance Survey of my 'new' area is the only way I can get around :) Jemima
Jemima, maps are great because they can inform you about where you are going, where you are when you get there, and to look back on where you've been. I've thrown away old battered atlases and maps that become unusable, but I like to keep as much as I can. I'm running out of room.
Good start to this year's AtoZ, Arlee. I like this post as I too am a proud American. I read Atlas Shrugged so long ago, if it was once on my bookshelf, it has disappeared. Thank goodness for digital books!
Jacqui, digital books sure can open up space on the shelves, but I love the look and feel of real books. Only so much space for my collection to expand though. Good to see you again.
WS, I don't recall there being road atlases when I was a child. My father always had the free service station maps. The first time I recall seeing a road atlas was in the seventies.
I've always liked atlases and globes. We have a globe in the front and use it regularly. I remember traveling with atlases. And the maps from those maps from the tourist center as you enter a new state. I also remember one trip where my daughter tossed out my book of maps. I can't remember why, did I keep pointing her in the wrong direction? Anyway we easily found our way back home.
Kirstin, I still collect those free maps from tourist centers. They are practical as well as a nice way to pass time. Now having the map feature on cell phones means we no longer have to rely on maps to get to a specific destination.
Hello Lee, Great start for the A-Z. Great theme. Any visit for me to someone's house includes trying to snoop a look at what's on their bookshelf. It doesn't stop there; any movie or TV show I watch at home has me pausing the TV to read the titles in the background of the book shelf. My house is filled with maps and charts; be it in a book or hanging on the wall. Not a day goes by without me checking "something" on Google Maps! I have this dream for my house to have an electronic "rolling" large history screen that plays nonstop of a timeline of the "World." Dates, times, people, places. Zulu Delta
ZD, You sound so much like me when it comes to books. I want to see what other people like to own and read. I like your idea of the history timeline. I like to have reference and context for my life.
Interesting theme you have for the A to Z, Lee. It's always fun to see what's in somebody's book collection.
As for the battle, I love this song and thought both contenders did a good job, but Elephant Revival's middle eastern vibe really grabbed me. They get my vote!
Debbie D, my wife says I'm nosy to look at another person's books, but I think they're on display so people will look at them. Books can be a great conversation starter.
Atlas Shrugged, I read most of Ayn Rand in the late 70s and early 80s and they did have an influence on me. I was a voracious fiction reader at that time. Sadly, I recollect little of the stories I read which is ironic in at one time I had an elephantine memory. I doubt I get around to it but I would like to re-read at least one of her books. I don't think I would relate to it as much now.
I'm glad the A to Z is still happening. Maybe next year, I may join in. I'm not doing the music contest. I've got someone sleeping in the room with me at the moment. But Cheers Arlee.
Ann, I often forget things soon after I've read or consumed them in some form. But I've always been that way. I do remember some pretty crazy things sometimes. I didn't relate to Rand when I was younger. I might appreciate her writing more now.
Stuart, nice to see you again. A lot of people seem to get confused with maps. I guess I started looking at them so young and my parents used to take so many trips that it just came natural to me.
I thank the A to Z Team for keeping this Challenge going. They are the ones really keeping this thing alive and doing things I don't know how to do.
Hi Lee! I knew I’d love the theme you chose for this year’s challenge! There was a time I believed glove boxes were made specifically for storing road maps and Werther’s candies. I love wall maps too. One of desktop globes I own has USSR still in effect. It’s not a collectible though. It’s pretty cheap ;-) Terrific song choice for BOTB! It’s a tough decision, since both contenders did a great job with the dreamy/drugged feel. And they both brought different instruments to the stage; violins and was that a banjo? Anyway, my vote goes to Grace Potter, please;-)
Fun theme! One day I will be back to joining A2Z. I really enjoyed both versions of the sing, but appreciated Grace Potter a little bit more. That's where I am casting my vote.
-Mary a href="https://www.jinglejanglejungle.net/2023/04/mccarthys-lovers-battle.html">McCarthy's Lovers Battle
I liked the creative way you worked your Battle Of The Bands installment into the "A" of your A To Z post. *Applaud!* Nicely done.
I own and really enjoy the DVD of Disney's animated 'Alice In Wonderland' (1951), especially because of Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter. The Disneyland ride is fun, too.
In this Battle, I felt the first version just sounded too much like the Jefferson Airplane original. And I've always believed that if a band is going to cover a song, they need to make it uniquely their own somehow.
The ELEPHANT REVIVAL rendition had me immediately from the beginning with that cool, pronounced stand-up bass playing, and then the violin added another new element. An elephant singing about a rabbit -- I definitely preferred this cover.
This Battle was a "goot juan", Lee! Now I'm thinking about getting some tequila and breaking out my Disney DVD.
I have a few Disney classics in my VHS & DVD library, but I've avoided giving any more of my money to Disney in the most recent years. "Alice.." would be a good one to own. If I've seen it in its entirety, it has been many years. I don't know that any of my kids has even seen it.
I hear you about cover songs, but sometimes sticking with the original can still be pretty good.
Hi Lee - Congrats on starting another A-Z! I'll be reading them all again this year, although I'm not a blogger. I'll enjoy learning more about your library.
The "A" section is good; they are all atlases of sorts. The first, an "atlas" to American history. The second, an atlas of roads... which may be handy with the coming fall of civilization - pretty accurately predicted in your third atlas: "Atlas Shrugged." I still have a few copies of A.S. I used to hand them out in high school to girls thinking that they would be interested in ideas. I was shocked that none of them were! Obviously I got very few dates, though I eventually found a girl that handed it back with pages of notes and questions. BINGO. As a teenager I subscribed to The Objectivist Newsletter and to "The Ayn Rand Letter" that followed. Still have them.
As for the music: both versions are very good and true to the original. I love Grace Potter, though, and will give her my vote!
6-Gun, my book tastes might range closer to your own than to many of my blog readers. I don't acquire many new books these days.
Never thought of the "Atlas Shrugged" give away gimmick. Yeah, I can't see it getting much response in the crowd I was hanging out with in my younger days.
thecontemplativecat@blogspot.com here. I am waging war with the Google world. It is good to see your name. Atlas Shrugged, I tried to read it, I truly did. I also tried to read James Joyce's Ulysses and then looked at Dubliners. It didn't happen.
Cat, it's us against the world and I figure they win in the end. I've never attempted tackling any James Joyce, other than short pieces or excerpts that I read in college lit classes, so good for you I guess. I kind of struggled with "Atlas" but it was at a time in my life where I had a lot of time to put into reading it. That did take kind of a long time too.
My uncle was a salesman and his company gave him a big pile of road atlases. We all got several. Roads change so quickly you have to get a new one every year. Having the online services is so much easier.
I could never get through Atlas Shrugged. Are you talking about the three-part movie with Brad Pitt?
Good start to the challenge! I'll go with Grace Potter on the BotB...
John H, I like to have a map for a big picture view of where I am and where I am going, but having the on line directions for specifics is the way I usually go these days. It's so amazing what they can do now.
I think maybe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were originally slated to do the movie of "Atlas Shrugged" but in the end someone else was in it. The movie is probably easier to get through than the book, but I don't think the philosophy comes across as well in the film.
I have a couple of Atlases and I love road maps! They are great because you can take a bumpkin road if you want. I have Canadian history:) As for the BOTB...tough one as I don't care for either because I am spoiled with Grace Slick. I like the singer from the first but I love the instruments and styling of the 2nd so...I am going with the 2nd because of the unique way they created this famous song.
Appropriate 'A' words for a Book and Map collector. Although not a collector of either, I enjoyed and related to your 'Have map will travel' in the car or on the couch. As a history buff and a proud American, you and I have likely traveled/read along some of the same American History paths. I'm a Texas Gal and descendent of Antebellum Southerners...that's my American History jam. As always, thanks for all you've done and continue to do for the AtoZ Challenge. I'm going down the Rabbit Hole with Elephant Revival. CollectInTexasGal
Sue, I like Southern history and culture. I lived in East TN for many years before moving to CA. My ancestors were from WV and around those parts. So same to similar paths indeed.
Looking forward to your A to Z this year about books! I have Atlas Shrugged on my shelf as well. Happy A to Z! Thanks for getting it started! Janet’s Smiles
I'm not the best with road maps. I'm very grateful for Google Maps and such that show and tell me which direction to go. Think I like the second version better. Enjoy another crazy April!
Growing up we had an atlas that I would look through all the time - as I think back on it perhaps that played a role in my love of travel - always wanting to see in person the places I read about. I look forward to more of your posts. Cheers.
My husband just made fun of me for ordering a new atlas from Amazon this week to use on a road trip we are planning for this fall. He thinks using an app is good enough, but that's because he is terrible at reading maps. I blame it on the fact that he didn't do Weekly Reader Map Skills in elementary school like I did. (Our old atlas was from the late 90s, was falling apart, and was missing some pretty significant highways that were added since then).
I like the Grace Potter version better. Probably because it is more like what I remember as the original.
I read Atlas Shrugged about 20+ years ago because I was at a lunch with co-workers and they were all talking about it and I had never even heard of it. So I read it. (I don't think I had any idea what it was about until I finished it.) It never came up at lunch again... but I was prepared.
Thea--"Atlas" does need some guidance I think. I'd like to have read it with a group probably. It can be interesting to discuss deeper type things like that.
I do like a good atlas. 🗺 I'm always surprised by how many people can't read a map.
I hope Bill Bryson is in your B posts. His non-fiction is top notch. I think you'd enjoy it.
It's April, so I'm focused on the #AtoZChallenge. Proof of Existence, book two in my dark urban fantasy series, is out this month. And I'm running a giveaway on my blog.
J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Reference& Speculative Fiction Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge
J, I've been looking at maps since I can remember. I used to like to rummage through my parents' car glove box. I didn't include any Bryson although I did consider it. I have one of his books in a place where I often look.
Re: Atlases, I used a road atlas on my last road trip in '16 mostly as a way to get from point A to B and sometimes as a way to get to point B via C,D and E.
Re: Battle of the Bands: Elephant Revival, hands down the best cover that blows away the original. Quirky instrumentation and a weird Celtic vibe, this becomes my go-to version of the song.
GB, an atlas or map is a great tool to get the biggest picture of things is you have some grasp of geography and the lay of things. A phone is great for the details.
Hi. It's so cool you still have books that you got/bought decades ago. Many of my books have had to be left behind/given away as I have moved. I read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged years ago, liked Fountainhead better than AS, though both made an impression on me. Great theme for the A-Z. All the best.
Nilanjana, many of my books were kept safely at my parents' house for years while I was on the road. My mother was careful with the possessions I left with her. Otherwise, those old books would have likely been long gone.
Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.
For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.
If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.
I read a used copy of Atlas Shrugged about two years ago. I still have an atlas I got for my birthday one year, though I'm not sure where it is right now.
ReplyDeleteJamie (jannghi.blogspot.com)
Jamie, probably a lot of used copies of "Atlas Shrugged" can be found. It seems to be a book that people want to keep or get rid of. Hopefully they don't throw readable copies away. I've owned a road atlas of some sort throughout my adult life.
DeleteLee
I love maps, atlases, globes, and travelling! One of the most difficult things for me when I moved was having to part with at least one box of maps and guides. The one that made it here is sitting on a floor int he spare room (filled with stuff I can't fit anywhere else). But I can't get rid of them. The 1972 Ordnance Survey of my 'new' area is the only way I can get around :)
ReplyDeleteJemima
Jemima, maps are great because they can inform you about where you are going, where you are when you get there, and to look back on where you've been. I've thrown away old battered atlases and maps that become unusable, but I like to keep as much as I can. I'm running out of room.
DeleteLee
Great idea for a theme. You are off to a good start. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
DeleteLee
Good start to this year's AtoZ, Arlee. I like this post as I too am a proud American. I read Atlas Shrugged so long ago, if it was once on my bookshelf, it has disappeared. Thank goodness for digital books!
ReplyDeleteJacqui, digital books sure can open up space on the shelves, but I love the look and feel of real books. Only so much space for my collection to expand though. Good to see you again.
DeleteLee
I loved looking at Atlases as a child. If I had one now I would still love it. Thanks for your Letter A share.
ReplyDeleteStopping in from A-to-Z: https://brewingcoffeetwistingwordsbreakingpencils.ca/2023/04/01/a-is-for-alibi-book-review/#comment-6625
WS, I don't recall there being road atlases when I was a child. My father always had the free service station maps. The first time I recall seeing a road atlas was in the seventies.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Lee
I've always liked atlases and globes. We have a globe in the front and use it regularly. I remember traveling with atlases. And the maps from those maps from the tourist center as you enter a new state. I also remember one trip where my daughter tossed out my book of maps. I can't remember why, did I keep pointing her in the wrong direction? Anyway we easily found our way back home.
ReplyDeleteKirstin, I still collect those free maps from tourist centers. They are practical as well as a nice way to pass time. Now having the map feature on cell phones means we no longer have to rely on maps to get to a specific destination.
DeleteLee
Hello Lee,
ReplyDeleteGreat start for the A-Z. Great theme. Any visit for me to someone's house includes trying to snoop a look at what's on their bookshelf. It doesn't stop there; any movie or TV show I watch at home has me pausing the TV to read the titles in the background of the book shelf. My house is filled with maps and charts; be it in a book or hanging on the wall. Not a day goes by without me checking "something" on Google Maps! I have this dream for my house to have an electronic "rolling" large history screen that plays nonstop of a timeline of the "World." Dates, times, people, places.
Zulu Delta
ZD, You sound so much like me when it comes to books. I want to see what other people like to own and read. I like your idea of the history timeline. I like to have reference and context for my life.
DeleteLee
Interesting theme you have for the A to Z, Lee. It's always fun to see what's in somebody's book collection.
ReplyDeleteAs for the battle, I love this song and thought both contenders did a good job, but Elephant Revival's middle eastern vibe really grabbed me. They get my vote!
Debbie D, my wife says I'm nosy to look at another person's books, but I think they're on display so people will look at them. Books can be a great conversation starter.
DeleteFinally a BOTB vote!
First vote goes to Elephant Revival.
Lee
Atlas Shrugged, I read most of Ayn Rand in the late 70s and early 80s and they did have an influence on me. I was a voracious fiction reader at that time. Sadly, I recollect little of the stories I read which is ironic in at one time I had an elephantine memory. I doubt I get around to it but I would like to re-read at least one of her books. I don't think I would relate to it as much now.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the A to Z is still happening. Maybe next year, I may join in. I'm not doing the music contest. I've got someone sleeping in the room with me at the moment. But Cheers Arlee.
Ann, I often forget things soon after I've read or consumed them in some form. But I've always been that way. I do remember some pretty crazy things sometimes. I didn't relate to Rand when I was younger. I might appreciate her writing more now.
DeleteThanks for dropping by.
Lee
Stuart, nice to see you again. A lot of people seem to get confused with maps. I guess I started looking at them so young and my parents used to take so many trips that it just came natural to me.
ReplyDeleteI thank the A to Z Team for keeping this Challenge going. They are the ones really keeping this thing alive and doing things I don't know how to do.
Lee
Hi Lee!
ReplyDeleteI knew I’d love the theme you chose for this year’s challenge! There was a time I believed glove boxes were made specifically for storing road maps and Werther’s candies. I love wall maps too. One of desktop globes I own has USSR still in effect. It’s not a collectible though. It’s pretty cheap ;-)
Terrific song choice for BOTB! It’s a tough decision, since both contenders did a great job with the dreamy/drugged feel. And they both brought different instruments to the stage; violins and was that a banjo? Anyway, my vote goes to Grace Potter, please;-)
Diedre, I think you were right about the glove compartments. Somehow I never really thought of them as a place to store gloves.
DeleteA vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
Fun theme! One day I will be back to joining A2Z. I really enjoyed both versions of the sing, but appreciated Grace Potter a little bit more. That's where I am casting my vote.
ReplyDelete-Mary
a href="https://www.jinglejanglejungle.net/2023/04/mccarthys-lovers-battle.html">McCarthy's Lovers Battle
Mary B, A to Z can be time sucking, but I'm compelled to do it.
DeleteA vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI liked the creative way you worked your Battle Of The Bands installment into the "A" of your A To Z post. *Applaud!* Nicely done.
I own and really enjoy the DVD of Disney's animated 'Alice In Wonderland' (1951), especially because of Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter. The Disneyland ride is fun, too.
In this Battle, I felt the first version just sounded too much like the Jefferson Airplane original. And I've always believed that if a band is going to cover a song, they need to make it uniquely their own somehow.
The ELEPHANT REVIVAL rendition had me immediately from the beginning with that cool, pronounced stand-up bass playing, and then the violin added another new element. An elephant singing about a rabbit -- I definitely preferred this cover.
This Battle was a "goot juan", Lee! Now I'm thinking about getting some tequila and breaking out my Disney DVD.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC, Thanks for the positive words.
DeleteI have a few Disney classics in my VHS & DVD library, but I've avoided giving any more of my money to Disney in the most recent years. "Alice.." would be a good one to own. If I've seen it in its entirety, it has been many years. I don't know that any of my kids has even seen it.
I hear you about cover songs, but sometimes sticking with the original can still be pretty good.
A vote for Elephant Revival.
Lee
Hi Lee - Congrats on starting another A-Z! I'll be reading them all again this year, although I'm not a blogger. I'll enjoy learning more about your library.
ReplyDeleteThe "A" section is good; they are all atlases of sorts. The first, an "atlas" to American history. The second, an atlas of roads... which may be handy with the coming fall of civilization - pretty accurately predicted in your third atlas: "Atlas Shrugged." I still have a few copies of A.S. I used to hand them out in high school to girls thinking that they would be interested in ideas. I was shocked that none of them were! Obviously I got very few dates, though I eventually found a girl that handed it back with pages of notes and questions. BINGO. As a teenager I subscribed to The Objectivist Newsletter and to "The Ayn Rand Letter" that followed. Still have them.
As for the music: both versions are very good and true to the original. I love Grace Potter, though, and will give her my vote!
Sixgun McItchyfinger
6-Gun, my book tastes might range closer to your own than to many of my blog readers. I don't acquire many new books these days.
DeleteNever thought of the "Atlas Shrugged" give away gimmick. Yeah, I can't see it getting much response in the crowd I was hanging out with in my younger days.
A vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
thecontemplativecat@blogspot.com here. I am waging war with the Google world. It is good to see your name. Atlas Shrugged, I tried to read it, I truly did. I also tried to read James Joyce's Ulysses and then looked at Dubliners. It didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteCat, it's us against the world and I figure they win in the end.
DeleteI've never attempted tackling any James Joyce, other than short pieces or excerpts that I read in college lit classes, so good for you I guess. I kind of struggled with "Atlas" but it was at a time in my life where I had a lot of time to put into reading it. That did take kind of a long time too.
Good to see you here.
Lee
My uncle was a salesman and his company gave him a big pile of road atlases. We all got several. Roads change so quickly you have to get a new one every year. Having the online services is so much easier.
ReplyDeleteI could never get through Atlas Shrugged. Are you talking about the three-part movie with Brad Pitt?
Good start to the challenge! I'll go with Grace Potter on the BotB...
John H, I like to have a map for a big picture view of where I am and where I am going, but having the on line directions for specifics is the way I usually go these days. It's so amazing what they can do now.
DeleteI think maybe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were originally slated to do the movie of "Atlas Shrugged" but in the end someone else was in it. The movie is probably easier to get through than the book, but I don't think the philosophy comes across as well in the film.
A vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
I tried reading Atlas Shrugged a long time ago but couldn't get through it. Maybe I should try again? Or cheat & find the 3 part movie.
ReplyDeleteJ-Dub, there's a case for either or both.
DeleteLee
I have a couple of Atlases and I love road maps! They are great because you can take a bumpkin road if you want. I have Canadian history:) As for the BOTB...tough one as I don't care for either because I am spoiled with Grace Slick. I like the singer from the first but I love the instruments and styling of the 2nd so...I am going with the 2nd because of the unique way they created this famous song.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, I enjoy traveling the bumpkin roads if I have time.
DeleteA vote for Elephant Revival.
Lee
Appropriate 'A' words for a Book and Map collector. Although not a collector of either, I enjoyed and related to your 'Have map will travel' in the car or on the couch. As a history buff and a proud American, you and I have likely traveled/read along some of the same American History paths. I'm a Texas Gal and descendent of Antebellum Southerners...that's my American History jam.
ReplyDeleteAs always, thanks for all you've done and continue to do for the AtoZ Challenge. I'm going down the Rabbit Hole with Elephant Revival. CollectInTexasGal
Sue, I like Southern history and culture. I lived in East TN for many years before moving to CA. My ancestors were from WV and around those parts. So same to similar paths indeed.
DeleteA vote for Elephant Revival.
Lee
Looking forward to your A to Z this year about books! I have Atlas Shrugged on my shelf as well. Happy A to Z! Thanks for getting it started!
ReplyDeleteJanet’s Smiles
Janet, "Atlas Shrugged" should be on any bookshelf. The copy can make a nice bookend as well.
DeleteThanks for supporting A to Z.
Lee
I'm not the best with road maps. I'm very grateful for Google Maps and such that show and tell me which direction to go.
ReplyDeleteThink I like the second version better.
Enjoy another crazy April!
Alex, Google Maps and other such sites are pretty amazing. I've been planning my trips using such aids for years now.
DeleteA vote for Elephant Revival.
Lee
Growing up we had an atlas that I would look through all the time - as I think back on it perhaps that played a role in my love of travel - always wanting to see in person the places I read about. I look forward to more of your posts. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteDarcy, I know maps influenced my love of travel. They can truly open up the imagination.
DeleteLee
My husband just made fun of me for ordering a new atlas from Amazon this week to use on a road trip we are planning for this fall. He thinks using an app is good enough, but that's because he is terrible at reading maps. I blame it on the fact that he didn't do Weekly Reader Map Skills in elementary school like I did. (Our old atlas was from the late 90s, was falling apart, and was missing some pretty significant highways that were added since then).
ReplyDeleteDyanne, the phone app is fine, but the map can be more fun. We all comprehend the world in different ways.
DeleteLee
I love a good atlas, very found of books that have maps at the beginning, or the likes of sir Terry Pratchett who has had maps of his world created.
ReplyDeleteTWW, I think it's good to have fantasy maps for fantasy stories. I have a few books that have maps like that.
DeleteLee
Hey Lee, sorry that it has been a while, not your fault.
ReplyDeleteThe American History desk Reference is like the reader's Digest condensed version of Wikipedia. Too shallow for any big fish.
Atlases: Back in the day I used the DeLorme State Atlases a lot, since I was on the road and had to document sites.
Battle of the Bands: been a huge fan of Grace Potter for quite a while. You should watch her with Gov't Mule doing Gold Dust Woman
Craig, good to see you.
DeleteGood way to describe that ref book. I've got several similar books like this and will be featuring them on future posts.
A vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
I like the Grace Potter version better. Probably because it is more like what I remember as the original.
ReplyDeleteI read Atlas Shrugged about 20+ years ago because I was at a lunch with co-workers and they were all talking about it and I had never even heard of it. So I read it. (I don't think I had any idea what it was about until I finished it.) It never came up at lunch again... but I was prepared.
Thea--"Atlas" does need some guidance I think. I'd like to have read it with a group probably. It can be interesting to discuss deeper type things like that.
DeleteA vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
That was my comment above, I accidentally commented anonymously .. must be getting old.
ReplyDeleteVoting for the elephant revival.
ReplyDeleteI do like a good atlas. 🗺 I'm always surprised by how many people can't read a map.
I hope Bill Bryson is in your B posts. His non-fiction is top notch. I think you'd enjoy it.
It's April, so I'm focused on the #AtoZChallenge.
Proof of Existence, book two in my dark urban fantasy series, is out this month.
And I'm running a giveaway on my blog.
J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Reference& Speculative Fiction Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge
J, I've been looking at maps since I can remember. I used to like to rummage through my parents' car glove box. I didn't include any Bryson although I did consider it. I have one of his books in a place where I often look.
DeleteA vote for Elephant Revival.
Lee
Hello Lee,
ReplyDeleteI'm giving my vote to GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS! Best of luck to you this month A2Zing, my friend.
Cathy, it's a busy month for A to Zers!
DeleteA vote for Grace Potter.
Lee
Re: Atlases, I used a road atlas on my last road trip in '16 mostly as a way to get from point A to B and sometimes as a way to get to point B via C,D and E.
ReplyDeleteRe: Battle of the Bands: Elephant Revival, hands down the best cover that blows away the original. Quirky instrumentation and a weird Celtic vibe, this becomes my go-to version of the song.
Vote for Elephant Revival.
GB, an atlas or map is a great tool to get the biggest picture of things is you have some grasp of geography and the lay of things. A phone is great for the details.
DeleteA vote for Elephant Revival.
Lee
Hi. It's so cool you still have books that you got/bought decades ago. Many of my books have had to be left behind/given away as I have moved. I read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged years ago, liked Fountainhead better than AS, though both made an impression on me.
ReplyDeleteGreat theme for the A-Z. All the best.
Nilanjana, many of my books were kept safely at my parents' house for years while I was on the road. My mother was careful with the possessions I left with her. Otherwise, those old books would have likely been long gone.
DeleteLee