Rails Across the Ranchos by Loren Nicholson
An Interesting history of the development of San Luis Obispo County. Visionaries, developers and businessmen saw the potential in this Central Coast area. They encouraged the Southern Pacific Railroad to lay tracks from the Bay Area and thereby open this land for people and industry. Many current place names derive from these early settlers. This book is full of photos and maps that enhance the story.
This book is available at the Grover Beach Community Library, non-fiction, section 620.
The Story of Bodie by Ella M. Cain (published 1932)
Bodie is located of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains on a hill north of Mono Lake and had a population of about 20 people from 1820-1877. In 1879 gold rush fever brought thousands of fortune hunters to town. The fortunes of most of these settlers was from sales and services to gold panners. Bodie burned down and was rebuilt several times. Some very interesting characters were among the population at that time. The current population is Zero! The buildings were left as if they just picked up and walked away, leaving tables set and other items. It has been left as it was all those many years ago, gently falling to dust.
The Man Who Rode Midnight by Elmer Kelton
This is about the relationship of a young man, who was sent from urban Dallas to a dying town in the hill country of Texas, to live with his grandfather because he purposely flunked out of college the last semester of his senior year. He could not see himself being an accountant as his father wanted. He was out of his element and determined not to let the old cowboy get the best of him.
This is the story of how he learned what was to be valued in life. His grandfather was the only man to ride an outlaw bronc named Midnight, and the grandson learned applied accounting even when applied to a ranch, could be made interesting. The book won a Golden Spur award by the Western Writers of America.
My Antonia by Willa Cather
This is a tale of the pioneer experience when our country was populated by immigrants and migrants looking for a better life. It tells of Jim, who grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and was orphaned at age 10. He went to live with relatives in Nebraska.
Antonia’s family emigrated from Czechoslovakia and became neighbors to Jim in Nebraska. This is a love story as well as a glimpse of life of some of those who built our nation.
This book can be found in the Classics section of the Grover Beach Library.
Mariposa by Greg Bear
Set in 2021 America, the story involves an FBI investigation of the Talos Corporation, which plans to disable the power grid across the Eastern Seaboard in a simultaneous coordinated attack of domestic terrorism that can trigger a series of dire consequences. This is science fiction with proto-AI working for the “good guys.” Our reader thinks the book is a bit disjointed and did not finish it,
Brave New Artic
Climate predictions from decades ago are becoming reality as the ice melts in Artic Regions
Our next Book Break is March 11, at 10:30 a.m. and the subject is Animals. See you there.
—Fran Strauser