X is often the bane of the A to Z blogger. Not that many practical words to use for this letter so one usually has to get creative in coming up with something for the X post. And that's where I'll go for mine...
Unexpected Texas by Tui Snider
X is in the center of things in the title of this book just like the state of Texas is in the center of the United States. Tui has several books out, mostly dealing with Texas or the paranormal. When she's not writing, she's traveling, doing speaking engagements, and conducting tours as well as a number of other things. She sounds pretty busy so I guess she is. I won a copy of this book from a drawing on Tui's blog. I reviewed it here.
X: The Books I Can't Find for Now
1. From my Christmas gift haul in 1957, one beautiful two volume set was about the Bible and the lands of the Middle East. Though I used to look through this one quite often as I was growing up, I cannot recall what the book was called or much about it that would help me find out anything about it online. I'd seen it in my book collection up to my college years in the seventies, but after I left my books at my parents' house in order to travel the book seemed to disappear. Maybe it's still around here somewhere. I wish I could find it because this gift from my father was something I treasured a great deal. It's just not in any obvious place on my bookshelves now.
2. My Hardy Boys and Tom Swift Jr books are mostly gone now I think. At one time I had the complete sets of both up to about 1962. After that my tastes matured and I stopped buying the books of those series. Published with matching book spines, the series looked very nice on my bookshelves. In the seventies I think my mother might have given them to a young neighbor boy after getting my approval. Now I wish I'd kept them. I have a couple of copies of books from each series, but I guess they are packed in boxes somewhere. Of special interest to find is a copy of the original Tom Swift and his Airship which came out in 1910. I found this at a used book store in San Diego when shopping with my father in about 1962. It didn't cost much (probably less than a dollar) so my father bought it for me. I don't think I would have given this book away, but now I can't seem to find it. Maybe it's here somewhere.
3. 100 Years of Magic Posters by Charles and Regina Reynolds -- I bought this book in 1976 right after it first came out. I was working on a traveling magic show at the time and was immensely interested in the subject. I'm sure this book is still somewhere in my house. I certainly hope so because this one is a gem.
4. Two well illustrated books about the Circus -- one is the Pictorial History of the American Circus which I can last recall seeing at my parents house and another similar book that I especially used to read quite often is a book that I can see in my mind but cannot recall the title or author--they remain the X factor.
5. Circus programs that were for 1966 Shrine Circus shows in Rochester NY and Columbus OH where my family were center ring attractions during the three ring juggling display. Those were some great gigs where we had a lot of fun. At the Rochester show I got my program autographed by many of the performers including featured star attractions from the TV show The Addams Family, Ted Cassidy (Lurch) and Jackie Coogan (Uncle Festus). The programs are more like magazines than books, but they are very nice mementos to hold onto. I hope I still have them somewhere.
6. The Illustrated Beatles by Alan Aldridge -- This is a lesson about lending books. Years ago in maybe 1971 or so, someone I knew stopped by my parents house and had admired my copy of the Beatles book which I had gotten from the Doubleday Book Club a year or so earlier. Neglecting my better judgement I agreed to let him borrow the book. Needless to say, I never saw the book again. When I'd see the guy he'd remind me that he still had the book but he'd get it back to me. I don't guess I've seen that guy in nearly 50 years. Oh well.
So much for X.
Are there any books that you are sure you have somewhere, but haven't been able to locate? Do you ever use travel guides in trip planning? Did your parents ever take you book shopping?
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