Montana in books; or: a few books more

On my last night in Montana, I played Tetris with the new books I had purchased, trying to fit them into my suitcase for my flight home. It’s possible that I bought too many books — but they all made it home to Kentucky with me.

While in Billings for a work conference, I made time (of course) to visit several local bookstores: Book Nook in the Billings Public Library, A Few Books More, and This House of Books. As per tradition (I wrote a similar newsletter after the same conference last year, so I’m calling it a tradition now), here is a list of the books I got.

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Hugette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.

I picked this out from the regional interest shelf at the Book Nook. It appealed to me because I had visited the Moss Mansion the day before, a beautiful house with lots of history and the most gorgeous textured wallpapers. Plus I expect the subject of this nonfiction book has the vibes of Rebekah from “the last great american dynasty” by Taylor Swift.

Hole in the Sky by William Kittredge

I walked into A Few Books More after taking photos of its excellent sign out front. It was packed full of so many shelves that I didn’t quite know where to begin, but then I saw a sign for Montana books. You’re probably picking up on this: When I’m traveling and visiting a new bookstore, I like to pick out local books. I pulled a lot of books while deciding what to buy; this was the first one I settled on. I love reading about Kentucky families, so I figure a memoir about a Montana family will be a good way to learn more about that part of the country.

Balsamroot by Mary Clearman Blew

I couldn’t leave without a book by a Montana woman. The type and design of the title were what convinced me to get this one.

Van Loon’s Geography

Just around the corner from the Montana books was an endcap full of books that I think were grouped together just because they looked cool. This thick 1932 book includes chapters about regions around the world as well as beautiful illustrations. The typography and colors are so engaging; I just couldn’t leave the book behind. I suspected that Loui would enjoy the book, too, and I was right. Last night, he flipped through the book and read me the entertaining chapter subheads, such as, “Belgium, a country created by scraps of paper and rich in everything except internal harmony,” and “Korea, Mongolia and Manchuria, if the latter still exists when this book is published.”

The Universal Journalist by David Randall

I always look for the writing section of any used bookstore, and I’m always happy to read another book about journalism. I’m also interested in any chapter titled “Technology and the Future of Journalism” that was written in 1996.

Who Speaks for the Negro? by Robert Penn Warren

A Kentuckian’s name always catches my eye on a shelf. As a white Kentuckian who is writing about Alice Dunnigan, a Black woman, I enjoy studying how other white Kentuckians have handled the topic of race and learning from the good and the bad. In the foreword, Warren wrote, “This is not a history, a sociological analysis, an anthropological study….It is a record of my attempt to find out what I could find out.” I’m interested to see what he found out.

The last section I perused before checking out was fantasy, including a shelf labeled “Dungeon & Dragons Tie-Ins.” It made me laugh very much to see 1984 by George Orwell (mistakenly?) shelved there.

Cinderyeti, written by Precious McKenzie and illustrated by Edward Tanzosh

This House of Books is a cooperative owned by members, including a lot of authors. A shelf just inside the door displayed books by members. I picked out this children’s book for my niece because I think her parents will find it funny. It is, as you may have surmised, a retelling of Cinderella with a Yeti family.

Counting Coup: A True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little Big Horn by Larry Colton

I wanted another book about Montana and/or Indigenous people while I was in the West. I was drawn to this one because I’ve been reading another book of basketball history called The Black Fives by Claude Johnson. Plus it’s been so fun to watch all the Knicks celebrations, even though I’m not really an NBA fan.

Communion: The Search for Female Love by bell hooks

Another Kentuckian in the Wild West! I was excited to buy this book this week and add to my bell hooks collection.

I hope these books feel welcome among my ever-growing book collection. Now we’ll see when I get around to reading one.