of life that only seems like part of our past but that is still alive and well. Not only do we get to see the cowboys and cowgirls, but the landscapes of the West are saluted too, in gorgeous detail, with each picture having its own story to tell.
fictional great-grandson, art professor Luke Perrone, is curious about the history behind the theft and the man who pulled off one of the most successful heists in art history. For two years, the world’ s most famous painting was gone, six copies were painted, and that’ s just the beginning. As Perrone keeps digging, Interpol becomes interested in his research, as does a new art thief with a stash in his New York apartment that would make any art collector or museum jealous. This book goes back and forth between the present day and 1911 with Peruggia as one of the narrators, and, yes, if you enjoyed the action of Dan Brown’ s The Da Vinci Code and similar books, you’ ll enjoy this one too.
West: The American Cowboy
By Anouk Krantz Since I’ ve been working with this magazine, one of my favorite finds is the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville. Georgia isn’ t the first location that springs to mind when talking about Western art, but I appreciate the quirkiness of the location, and having only virtually explored the museum, I’ ve come to love it for its celebration of the particular art form.( I grew up with a father who loved all things Western, so cowboys hold a particular place in my nostalgic heart.) When it comes to photography, unlike paintings, I’ m always drawn to black-andwhite photos( there’ s something about the shadows), and this coffee table book is chock-full of gorgeous shots of the West and that mythical figure, the cowboy. These aren’ t the cowboys of the past; these are contemporary figures who honor a way
The Healing Season of Pottery
By Yeon Somin I have completely fallen in love with one of the new literary trends featuring Korean and Japanese cozy fiction. They aren’ t like the cozy mysteries we’ re used to in the States, but they are just as lovely. While I love to paint and am primarily drawn to the paintings at museums, my first artistic love was pottery. There is something absolutely healing about throwing clay on a wheel and getting your hands dirty, making something as simple as a bowl. The heroine of this novel, Jungmin, discovers the power of pottery after quitting her toxic job and learns to experience joy again. With each day spent at the new pottery studio in her neighborhood, she makes friends, realizing perhaps she never had any real ones before, and finds a community, maybe even a home. She learns too that in a fast-paced world it’ s important to slow down now and then and find yourself again. This is a book worth experiencing, and I’ ll end this with a quote from it as a lure:“ That’ s why I’ m not bothered when my pieces crack or break. Because I’ m going to keep on making more. Whether it’ s pottery or life, it takes more than one attempt for them to come out right. And all that effort makes the end product more valuable, too.”
Elin Woods is a librarian from the mountains of western Pennsylvania. When she ' s not busy reading, she enjoys baking historical treats and exploring the East Coast. She balances her mostly nonfiction history reading with the occasional modern romance novel and plenty of cookbooks. nwgeorgialiving. com | 9