Scranton: The Electric City by Alyssa Amori

Hello, hello and welcome back to another day, another post!  To all of you participating in this year's Nanowrimo, thank you for taking a moment out of your hectic scheduled writing plans to view my post!  To everyone else, thanks goes to you as well (Let's face it, you didn't have to visit today, but you did!  Yay!)!  If you don't know of the even of which I am speaking, check out their website for more details.  I believe sign up is still open should you wish to embark on this fantastical endeavor, or if you'd prefer to wait til next year, you can get a head start on seeing what it's all about.

An unexpected challenge presented itself late yesterday....as I was leaving the office, just about to escape the parking lot, a small dark stranger came into my life for a fleeting few hours.  (Calm down....we're not writing a romance novel here....)  Meet the "dog-that-would-be-pancake", known later as Charlie!  He was running in the road, just missing vehicles as they hurried home to their loved ones.  Being a dog lover, I had to stop and see if I could at least get him off the street (it was suppose to get pretty cold last night too...didn't want the pup freezing himself out).  Luckily, he was a friendly little guy and so for the next 2 hours we sought out his owner (no one in the neighborhood recognized him) and then a temporary home for the night.  One of my coworkers, although unable to assist herself, sought out another coworker and TADA!  Temporary home found! (Yay puppy!)  But wait...his "tail" does not end there....about 45 minutes later, the owner was found!  (Yay lucky pup!)  It seems our call to Animal Control about finding the dog reached the ears of the owner that was now calling them to report the same said doggie lost.  Needless to say, crazy night, but happy ending!  Speaking of home...

Taking a nostalgic walk down memory lane today...okay, a walk down a path that ran right by my memory lane...to sample the simpler and more familiar things in life.  Memories of home and days gone by (hey, not that many days...I'm not THAT old....just enough days to be in the past).  Today's pick is....

Scranton:  The Electric City
by
Alyssa Amori
A pictorial tribute to a place that meshes both golden and modern times, Scranton:  The Electric City provides a little piece of home for those that have been there, or a tantalizing look at what those who haven't, have been missing....depending on your view.  (Score one for longest run on sentence!)

This is one of those books you keep on a coffee table...not because it is the size of one, but because you love to look through the pictures held within.  You feel the desire to share those same said pictures with guests that grace your living room or sitting area.  Their beauty, the light, the architecture, the simple quality that is threaded throughout their gathering and assembly.  It easily takes you to the city to get a birds eye view of some of the most beloved and memorable places the area has to offer. 

Ah yes...another one that definitely brought back memories of childhood.  Some of the places shown, I have actually visited and they are as lovely as the pictures reveal.  It amazing how your memory actually works.  I mean, your mind is like a giant camera. (well more like a video camera with sound and picture options, but you get the idea) snapping various photographs of your life.  How well you remember each one and keep it living in bright technicolor clarity all depends on if you were there in the moment.  For example, if you are taking a test whether it be in high school, college, or a work program, you are there under pressure and "forced" to focus on the task...try remembering one in detail.  Struggling, right?  Now picture your most memorable moment of a summer gone by....ah ha!  See, you could instantly bring to mind the summer experience down to the feel of the sand under your feet (or whatever your memory was) whereas with the test memory, you probably were vaguely able to recall the question you were trying to answer.  Being in the moment made it that much more for your life experience.  Now, off the heavy stuff, on to more fun!

Favorite pictures?  You bet!
The Albright Memorial Library (big surprise right?)!  Though I've never been there (that I recall, unless I was REALLY little), the outside is gorgeous!  I'm not a historical architecture buff by no means, but it brings to mind castles and old Paris (just my take on it probably).  That older rustic (not the right word....umm, maybe old-worldy...) look was popular in my home town as well....old cities = old buildings.  As much as I love new sites, new structures, new stuff in general....I have to love the classics as well.  There is a certain class, a grandeur if you will, that goes along with them.  (See the picture at right?  That's it!  Nice, huh?)

Oh, oh, and they include a look at Nay Aug Park (totally didn't realize that was in Scranton)!  We went there many times in my youth....nature, swimming (pool...no fishies swimming with me, thank you), and a small animal exhibit of sorts.  Then there's Montage Mountain....summer home of water slide fun, winter home of skiers everywhere.  PNC Field....we use to watch Red Barron (baseball) games there!  Looks like it's been upgrades to the "home of the Yankees".  Awesome!

Special notes from the publisher's site that I felt really should be passed on (just in case you didn't click the link in the title)...

Alyssa’s ultimate hope is to get the book into the hands of as many Scranton service men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as possible. The book is designed to provide the troops with a much welcome glimpse of home.

Tribute Books will donate $1 for every copy sold to the memorial fund for the son of the late Sgt. Jan Argonish of Peckville, PA.

So whether you've been there, done that, and missing it like crazy (mE, Me, ME!)...or you are a fan of location based pictorial histories (yep, made up my own genre there...no, but seriously...), this is a book that (I feel at least) can be enjoyed by one and all.

COMMENT CREATOR
Time to fess up!  I know we've discussed whether you still live in your hometown or not on a prior post (don't worry....I'm not rehashing the question)...how about taking a look at where you live right now.  Whether hometown or place-to-call-home-for-now, what is your favorite thing about it?  What would you miss the most if you left tomorrow?  If you have a top few, feel free to list them!  I'm all ears...(well, eyes in this case as the post has no sound...)

eGalley copy made available for review by Nicole at Tribute Books!  (Thanks!) Tribute Books can also be found on Twitter (yep...another "tweeple" to add to your publisher lists) so take a moment to check them out!

**Special permission was received from Tribute Books to use the photo shown of the Albright Memorial Library as it is from within the publication reviewed.