Secret St. Louis

 Secret St. Louis: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, by David Baugher, 202 pgs.

Did you know that the original plans for HWY 170 included cutting through Brentwood and Webster Groves to connect to HWY 44? Or that that you can visit a nudist colony in Lonedell, Missouri? This book is a fun romp through some well-known and unique spots in the city with some unusual characteristics or history. Each chapter is only a page or two and simply highlights what makes a special area so strange and worthy of a second look. Some things you probably already know are here (the giant catsup bottle in Collinsville, the WWII tank in Bangert Park, etc), but readers might also be suprised to learn that the original, start-up location of KSHE 95 was a suburban home in Crestwood, or that the Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End is sometimes referred to as "the Rome of the West." Lots of fun stuff here and after a quick read-through, you'll wonder what else St. Louis has been hiding. 

America for beginners

America for beginners / Leah Franqui, read by Soneela Nankini, 310 pgs.

A widow from India is traveling to America to discover what happened to her son.  He came here to study but then discovered he was gay.  When he came out to his parents, they were not supportive. Additional stories include the guide hired to take the widow on her trip and a companion hired to make sure she isn't traveling alone with her male guide.  This was a fun read that touched on some serious topics.  The audio was well done by Soneela Nankini.

Atlas Obscura: an Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders / Joshua Foer, 470 pp.

I loved this book, a compendium of the weird-but-fascinating (and occasionally beautiful) from around the globe.  Organized by continent, most sites are accessible, and contact information is given for those planning to visit.  In Romania, there is a Merry Cemetery, full of colorfully decorated crosses and limericks about the deceased, at the intersection of routes 19 and 183.  Ilha de Queimada Grande, an island off Sao Paulo, is covered in lancehead viper snakes and forbidden to visitors; contact the Brazilian Navy for more details.  If snakes aren't your thing, try the Hotel Sidi Driss in Tunisia.  Star Wars: a New Hope was filmed there, and for $20 a night you can pretend to be young Luke.  A helpful US map indicates the 35 lake monsters to be found throughout the 50 states.

Weird is good.  Read this book!