Senior News---July 2012 Column

For some time now I have been writing a monthly book review column for the Senior News newspaper. The Senior News is aimed to the 50 and over crowd with news relevant to seniors regarding various issues, humor pieces, and my review column among other things. The newspaper is a giveaway at doctor offices, stores, etc. and can be received by via a paid subscription. There are multiple editions across the state of Texas and therefore there is some fluctuation in content in each edition.

My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.

Below is/was my July column with the addition here of the relevant book covers……

Capitol Offense - A Bill Travis Mystery

George Wier

Flagstone Books

E-Book

Norman Howell sits in the Ellis Unit in Huntsville, Texas awaiting his execution date. Bill Travis has come to the prison unit with a simple request for Howell to sign some paperwork on a trust account.  Instead, he gets told bits and pieces about Howell’s role in a dark period of Texas history back in the 80’s when somebody blew up Vietnamese fishing boats along the Texas coast. Howell does not go into much detail but he does mention the name Dick Sawyer. The same Dick Sawyer, Texas Governor, and who might have paid to have those boats blown up.

Capitol Offense - A Bill Travis Mystery is the second book of the series and again author George Wier sets yet another breakneck pace across Texas. Building on the on the solid foundation evidenced in The Last Call this is a solidly good book and good series. 

Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens: 200 Drought Tolerant Choices for All Climates

Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden

Timber Press

ISBN# 978-1-60469-169-6

Paperback

249 pages

Water supplies and drought are increasingly serious issues across Texas. As noted in the introduction, the 200 plants in this book are plants that, once established, can survive and thrive on one inch of water every two weeks during their peak growing times. Broken down into 11 color coded chapters that cover trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, ground covers, and more here is a huge variety here in plant materials and appearances. Each chapter features numerous specimens in large colorful pictures with their Latin names, explanation of shade and light needs, how fast or slow the plants grow, zone recommendations, and detailed notes on each plant. In each case there are also design idea recommendations and a listing of related plants to the one being covered. Another nice touch is the use of numerous symbols with each plant making it clear in a glance what you are looking for

Colorful and well done, Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens: 200 Drought Tolerant Choices for All Climates serves not only as a handy reference guide but a beautiful book to inspire you to transform your landscape into a sustainable one that will be an envy of all and environmentally aware.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012