Hudson Valley Voyage: Through the Seasons, Through the Years
Photographs by Ted Spiegel, text by Reed Sparling
Involvement Media, Inc., September 2007, $36.25
A love letter to the region’s scenic riches, with panoramic color photos throughout. Sparling chronicles four centuries of exploration, revolution, innovation, and preservation, from Henry Hudson’s first voyage to the presnt. Spiegel will appear at Barnes & Noble in Kingston on 9/26 at 7pm.
Route 22
Benjamin Swett
Quantuck Lane Press, June 2007, $35
Tracing 350 miles of two-lane blacktop from the Bronx to the Adirondacks, Swett’s moody duotone photos and intimate text evoke “the picturesque doubled back on itself.” Weed-choked diners, canal locks, and hard-tack main streets recall faded glories and those left behind.
Garage Sale America
Bruce Littlefield
Collins Design, May 2007, $19.95
Overflowing with trivia, tips, and treasures, this eye-popping book has the kick of vintage Moxie. Learn the holy grails of Bakelite and Hot Wheels collectors, meet Kingston junkmeisters Stan and Gary Zaborski, and take a tchotchke-by-tchotchke design tour of “lifestyle guru” Littlefield’s Edgewater Farm.
Trout Fishing in the Catskills
Ed Van Put
Sterling Publishing, August 2007, $60.
Weighing in at nearly 500 pages, this comprehensive history will delight connoisseurs of the native brook trout and the Californian and European interlopers who swim in the Catskills’ bucolic streams. Includes portraits of pioneering anglers, fly-tying legends, and “Sunday fisherman” John Burroughs.
Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes From
Europe’s Best Artisan Bakers
Daniel Leader with Lauren Chattman
W.W. Norton & Company, August 2007, $35
The owner of celebrated Catskills bakery chain Bread Alone shares mouthwatering recipes and yeasty lore. Learn the secrets of sourdough culture (do you know your biga from your poolish?) and how to make old-country boules, batards, ciabattas, and bauernbrots at home.
The Hudson Valley & Catskill Mountains: An Explorer’s Guide—Sixth Edition
Joanne Michaels
The Countryman Press, 2007, $19.95
Twelve counties, dozens of photos, and enough historic sites, farm stands, scenic drives, river cruises, wineries, spa resorts, B&Bs, rock-climbing schools, sculpture parks, rail trails, galleries, festivals, and great local eateries to keep you busy for decades. Joanne Michaels will appear at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, on 9/1 at 8pm.
