Recommended reading - The Bearded Lady (1955):

The Bearded Lady

By Ross MacDonald.

Published 1955.

ASIN: B097265SP9

Description:

In this short story from Ross Macdonald’s The Archer Files, detective Lew Archer stops in town to look in on an old army buddy, an artist, only to find that he has mysteriously disappeared. Seemingly the only clue is a disturbing charcoal sketch of a woman with a thick beard sitting in his studio. As Archer finds himself drawn into the investigation, it soon becomes clear that things are not what they seem. And that no one is above suspicion.

A Vintage Short.

Recommended reading - Mildred Pierce (1941):

Mildred Pierce

By James M. Cain.

Published by Vintage Crime / Black Lizard.

Published 1941.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0679723218

ISBN-13: 978-0679723219

Description:

Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness. She used those attributes to survive a divorce and poverty and to claw her way out of the lower middle class. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for men and an unreasoning devotion to a monstrous daughter. Out of these elements James M. Cain created a novel of acute social observation and devastating emotional violence, with a heroine whose ambitions and suffering are never less than recognizable.

Recommended reading - Pittsburgh Film History: On Set in the Steel City (2012):

Pittsburgh Film History: On Set in the Steel City

By John Tiech.

Published by The History Press.

Published 2012.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1540207331

ISBN-13: 978-1540207333

Contents: The Genesis of Pittsburgh Film; Pittsburgh Classics; Chilly Billy; Fred Rogers and His Legacy; Night of the Living Legends; The Straggling Seventies; Dawn of the Pittsburgh Film Industry; Diverse Filmmaking; Day of the Dead; Hollywood of the East; Demme God; The Remake; The Pittsburgh Film Office; Five Years of Full Time; The Canadian Effect; Lights! Camera! Life Support!; Perseverance; Pittsburgh Rises.

Description:

Pittsburgh has been part of the film industry since the days of silent film. Yet, it was not until the 1951 classic Angels in the Outfield – set at Forbes Field – that the Steel City had its first major role on the silver screen. Greater Pittsburgh’s film and television industry has since produced everything from the beloved children s program Mister Roger’s Neighborhood to the cult classic Night of the Living Dead. Most recently, Christopher Nolan has chosen to set the conclusion to his Batman trilogy in the city. From the first nickelodeon and “film row” of those early days to the locations and cutting-edge sets of today, local author John Tiech takes a behind-the-scenes tour of Pittsburgh cinema.

Recommended reading - Find a Victim (1954):

Find a Victim

By Ross Macdonald.

Paperback.
Published 1954.

ISBN-10: 0446358924
ISBN-13: 978-0446358927

Description:

The hitchhiker rose to his knees on the side of the dark road. When Archer stopped the car and got to him, he knew he was in for a ride – for this boy was dying of a gunshot wound. In a matter of hours, Archer would be suspected by the law, hired by a target-shooting trucking magnate, and propositioned by an adulterer’s wife. A hijacked load of hootch and a band of sinners are on the loose in the hills and desert around this nice Southern California town. So is this L.A. private eye, who keeps getting blood on his hands…

“[The] American private eye, immortalized by Hammett, refined by Chandler, brough to its zenith by Macdonald.”

– New York Times Book Review.

A selection of the mysterious book club.

Recommended reading – The Cocktail Waitress (2012).

The Cocktail Waitress

by James M. Cain.

Hard Case Crime.

Published posthumously.

Hardcover.

First edition.

Published 2012.

ISBN-10: 1781160325

ISBN-13: 978-1781160329

Description:

Grieving widow … or black widow?

The day Joan Medford buried her husband was a fateful one – because before the day was out she’d meet the two men who would change her life forever. Forced to take a job waitressing to support herself and her child, Joan finds herself caught between the handsome young schemer whose touch she comes to crave and the wealthy older man whose touch repels her … but who otherwise would make a tempting husband number two. It’s a classic Cain triangle – brutal sexual and stark – that can only end in death. But for whom, the guilty … or the innocent?

The final novel written by James M. Cain and never before published, The Cocktail Waitress is a testament to the enduring power of one of the most acclaimed novelists of the twentieth century. The author of unforgettable noir classics such as Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cain’s work remains as impossible to put down today as when first written, and will leave even jaded modern readers breathless. Featuring an afterword by Edgar and Shamus Award-winning editor Charles Ardai. One of the most celebrated and notorious crime writers of all time, James M. Cain launched his career with the publication of two back-to-back masterpieces – The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity – selling millions of copies worldwide and inspiring classic movies. Cain continued with an unmatched run of noir novels including Mildred Pierce which inspired both the Academy Award-winning film starring Joan Crawford and the Emmy-winning HBO miniseries starring Kate Winslet. Cain died in 1977. And that’s where everyone thought the story ended. But James M. Cain had one more story to tell – one last blistering tale of sex and greed, betrayal and deception, written at the end of his life but never published – The Cocktail Waitress. Destined to take its place alongside his other classics, The Cocktail Waitress is Cain at his brutal and seductive best.

"Here, long after anyone would have expected it, is the voice of James M. Cain, as fresh and as relevant as ever. The Cocktail Waitress will involve you, and then shock you with an ending you'll never forget. A true rarity: a reader’s novel that’s also a literary event." – Stephen King.

Recommended reading – Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre (2010):

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre

By Brett L. Markham.

Published 2010.

ISBN-10: 1602399840

ISBN-13: 978-1602399846

Description:

Here is a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family’s food on just one quarter acre – and earn $10,000 in cash annually. This is not back-to-the-land utopianism, but a tested and pragmatic method that can be applied in small lots in rural, suburban, and even urban areas. Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, Brett Markham’s advice will teach you what you need to know:

Saving, buying, starting, and selecting seeds.

Maintaining and improving soil.

Preventing and eradicating pests and diseases.

Compost, crop rotation, and timing.

Using organic methods.

Garden planning to meet dietary requirements.

Raising poultry.

Raising and pruning fruits and nuts.

Canning, freezing, and dehydrating.

Selling your excess and produce for top dollar.

And more!

More than just a how-to guide for self-sufficiency, Mini Farming teaches you the underlying principles of mini farming so you will have the knowledge to make you own unique applications. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with over a hundred photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations.

Recommended reading - The Origins of the American Detective Story (2006):

The Origins of the American Detective Story

By LeRoy Lad Panek.

Published by McFarland.

Paperback.

Published 2006.

ISBN-10: 0786427760

ISBN-13: 978-0786427765

Description:

Edgar Allan Poe essentially invented the detective story in 1841 with Murders in the Rue Morgue. In the years that followed, however, detective fiction in America saw no significant progress as a literary genre. Much to the dismay of moral crusaders like Anthony Comstock, dime novels and other sensationalist publications satisfied the public's hunger for a yarn. Things changed as the century waned, and eventually the detective was reborn as a figure of American literature. In part these changes were due to a combination of social conditions, including the rise and decline of the police as an institution; the parallel development of private detectives; the birth of the crusading newspaper reporter; and the beginnings of forensic science. Influential, too, was the new role model offered by a wildly popular British import named Sherlock Holmes.

Focusing on the late 19th century and early 20th, this volume covers the formative years of American detective fiction.

Recommended reading - Shooting Star / Terror in the Night, by Robert Bloch (1958):

Shooting Star / Terror in the Night

By Robert Bloch.

ASIN: B000HWBAFU
Published by Ace Books, Inc.
Published 1958.

Two novels in one volume from the author of Psycho.

Recommended reading - The Ivory Grin, by Ross MacDonald (1952):

The Ivory Grin

aka Marked for Murder

By Ross MacDonald.

Published 1952,

ISBN-10: 0307278999

ISBN-13: 9780307278999

Back cover description:

“Archer-Macdonald are working together at their peak, piecing together a most modern American Tragedy, making literature out of the thriller form, gazing more clearly than ever into the future as it rolls through the smog.” – Newsweek.

A hard-faced woman clad in a blue mink stole and dripping with diamonds hires Lew Archer to track down her former maid, who she claims has stolen her jewelry. Archer can tell he's being fed a line, but curiosity gets the better of him and he accepts the case. He tracks the wayward maid to a ramshackle motel in a seedy, run-down small town, but finds her dead in her tiny room, with her throat slit from ear to ear. Archer digs deeper into the case and discovers a web of deceit and intrigue, with crazed number-runners from Detroit, gorgeous triple-crossing molls, and a golden-boy shipping heir who's mysteriously gone missing.

Traveling from sleazy motels to stately seaside manors, The Ivory Grin is one of Lew Archer's most violent and macabre cases ever.

“Ross Macdonald must be ranked high amongst American thriller writers.” – The Times Literary Supplement.

Recommended reading - The Bee Book (2016):

The Bee Book

The Wonder of Bees. How to Protect Them. Beekeeping know-how.

Authors: Fergus Chadwick, Steve Alton, Emma Sarah Tennant, Bill Fitzmaurice, Judy Earl.

Published by DK.
Published 2016.

Hardcover.

First Edition.

ISBN-13: 9781465443830

Back cover description:

Bees are vital to the future of the planet, yet they are under threat and in decline.
The Bee Book offers remarkable insights into their world and shows how we can support and enjoy them in our daily lives.
What makes bees such perfect pollinators?
How can we adapt our outdoor spaces to feed and attract the widest variety of bees?
How is honey harvested?
Find answers to these questions and so much more in this beautiful celebration of bees.

Recommended reading - The Complete Candlemaker: Techniques, Projects, and Inspirations (1999):

The Complete Candlemaker:
Techniques, Projects, and Inspirations

By Norma Coney.

Published 1999.

ISBN-10: 1887374507

ISBN-13: 978-1887374507

Description:

Now you can make 40 kinds of gorgeous candles – from hand-dipped to die-dyed, from molded to marbleized, from carved to appliqué! It’s fun and easy! This book provides everything you need to know to make your own beautiful candles. Guided by clear instructions and how-to-photography, you’ll soon know how to: find and use the necessary equipment; select wicks, waxes, and additives; choose and care for candle molds; perform magic with fragrance and color; practice work safety.

Learn to make a dazzling array of candles, including container, molded, hand-dipped, rolled beeswax, chunk, tie-dyed, hurricane, votive, interior decorated, water, sand, floating, cut-and-curl, overdipped, marbleized, stippled, embossed, carved, and appliquéd. This truly is a complete candlemaking book!

Recommended reading - The Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction (1996):

The Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction

Hardboiled writing from Dashiell Hammett, Donald E. Westlake, Mickey Spillane, John D. MacDonald, Jim Thompson and many more…

Edited by Maxim Jakubowski.

Mammoth Books.

Published 1996.

ISBN-10: 0786703008

ISBN-13: 978-0786703005

Back cover description:

Fast action and wild, wild pleasure: a massive collection of seven decades of pure, unadulterated pulp fiction.

The paper may have yellowed and crumbled away but the stories and a thousand thrills still hit the spot. Join the shady operators, voluptuous molls, ruthless big shots, crooked and sometimes honest cops on a rollercoaster ride through the mean streets of popular literature in the company of such superlative writers as: Dashiell Hammett, Donald E. Westlake, Ross Macdonald, Charles Willeford, David Goodis, Frederic Brown, Robert Bloch, Karlan Ellison, John D. MacDonald, Jim Thompson, William P. McGivern, Lawrence Block, Bill Pronzini, Mickey Spillane.

And twenty other leading lights of the hardboiled school of writing, as the action moves back from the silver screen to the pages where it all began, Just watch out for open windows and flying bullets!

Contents:

Acknowledgements; Introduction; Too Many Have Lived, by Dashiell Hammett; Flight to Nowhere, by Charles Williams; Black, by Paul Cain; Finders Killers! by John D. MacDonald; Murder’s Mandate, by W. T. Ballard; Cigarette Girl, by James M. Cain; The Getaway, by Gil Brewer; Preview of Murder, by Robert Leslie Bellem; Forever After, by Jim Thompson; The Bloody Tide, by Day Keene; Death Comes Gift-Wrapped, by William P. McGivern; The Girl Behind the Hedge, by Mickey Spillane; Enter Scarface, by Armitage Trail; A Candle for the Bag Lady, by Lawrence Block; Black Pudding, by David Goodis; A Matter of Principal, by Max Allan Collins; Citizen’s Arrest, by Charles Willeford; Sleeping Dog, by Ross Macdonald; The Wench is Dead, by Fredric Brown; So Dark for April, by Howard Browne; We Are All Dead, by Bruno Fischer; Death is a Vampire, by Robert Bloch; Divide and Conquer, by Jack Ritchie; A Real Nice Guy, by William F. Nolan; Stacked Deck, by Bill Pronzini; So Young, So Fair, So Dead, by John Lutz; Effective Medicine, by B. Traven; Killing Bernstein, by Harlan Ellison; The Second Coming, by Joe Gores; Hibiscus and Homicide, by William Campbell Gault; Hell on Wheels, by Thomas S. Roche; Ordo, by Donald E. Westlake.

Recommended reading - The Stanley Kubrick Archives, by Alison Castle (2008):

The Stanley Kubrick Archives

By Alison Castle.

Made in cooperation with Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick and The Stanley Kubrick Estate.

Published by TASCHEN.

Published 2008.

ISBN-10: 3822822841

ISBN-13: 9783822822845

Preface:

The making of this book has been something of an odyssey: two years of traveling through time and space to the heart of Stanley Kubrick's universe, where I not only had the unprecedented privilege of having access to his archives, but also the invaluable guidance of those who were closest to him. Kubrick's wife, Christiane, and executive producer, Jan Harlan, were not only immensely generous in allowing me to "excavate" the various parts of his St. Albans estate where the archives are stored, but they were also exceedingly kind, supportive, and helpful during the entire process. In addition, I was very fortunate to have the aid of Anthony Frewin and Leon Vitali, Kubrick's longtime assistants, who tirelessly answered my questions and offered invaluable advice and assistance.

Endeavoring to uncover each and every artifact that could cast light upon Kubrick's creative process, I scoured the archives, gathering the most illuminating items, from bits of paper covered with hurriedly scribbled notes to photographs taken by Kubrick on the sets of his films. Hunched over hundreds upon hundreds of contact sheets with my loupe, I was able to select images that had never been printed before, let alone seen; rifling through screenplay drafts I found references to scenes that were never filmed, and among the photos I found images of sequences that were abandoned; reading Kubrick's notes and letters, I discovered not only clues to his thought processes but also his curious love affair with various types of stationery, typewriters, and pens. Searching through the often chaotic mountains of material was an exhilarating experience: each and every "discovery" was like a minor miracle, a defining moment, an epiphany.

Part 2 of this book features the result of this gleaning: an eclectic collection of material that represents the nuts and bolts of Kubrick's creative history. To help guide readers through the expedition is a selection of articles and essays by noted Kubrick scholars as well as a generous selection of material "from the horse's mouth" (i.e. Kubrick letters, essays, and interviews), refuting the popular misconception that Kubrick was a recluse who didn't or wouldn't talk about his work.

The items presented in Part 2 offer valuable insight into Kubrick's filmmaking process, though the most important material from the archives is unquestionably the films themselves. Kubrick once said, "The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good." Part 1 offers plenty of opportunities for readers to test their affection: from Killer's Kiss to Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's twelve feature films are represented by a vast selection of stills (not including his first feature, Fear and Desire, which he withdrew from circulation). The stills, which were scanned directly from the film reels, are presented chronologically, unadulterated and without text.

In an interview about 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick made a statement that reflects one of his central tenets: "Reactions to art are always different because they are always deeply personal.... [T]he film becomes anything the viewer sees in it." The goal of this book is to allow readers the chance to explore Kubrick's archives intuitively, absorbing the various puzzle pieces and assembling them into a personal interpretation. This is, I hope, the way Stanley Kubrick would have wanted it.

– Alison Castle, Paris, 2004.

Recommended reading - The Way Some People Die (1951):

The Way Some People Die

By Ross Macdonald.

Paperback.

Published 1951.

ISBN-10: 0307278980

ISBN-13: 978-0307278982

Back cover description:

“The greatest American mystery novelist. Macdonald imbued the mystery with the qualities of a full-bodied novel: impeccable plotting, a sense of place, a careful delineation of human psychology, and a perfect fusion of story and character.” – Richard North Patterson.

In a rundown house in Santa Monica, Mrs. Samuel Lawrence presses fifty crumpled bills into Lew Archer's hand and asks him to find her wandering daughter, Galatea. Described as ‘crazy for men’ and without discrimination, she was last seen driving off with small-time gangster Joe Tarantine, a hophead hood with a rep for violence. Archer traces the hidden trail from San Francisco slum alleys to the luxury of Palm Springs, traveling through an urban wilderness of drugs and viciousness. As the bodies begin to pile up, he finds that even angel faces can mask the blackest of hearts. Filled with dope, delinquents and murder, this is classic Macdonald and one of his very best in the Lew Archer series.

“Ross Macdonald gives to the detective story that accent of class that Raymond Chandler did.” – Chicago Tribune.

Recommended reading - The Backyard Beekeeper's Honey Handbook (2009):

The Backyard Beekeeper's Honey Handbook:
A Guide to Creating, Harvesting, and Cooking with Natural Honeys

By Kim Flottum.

Quarry Books.

Paperback.

Published 2009.

ISBN-10: 1592534740

ISBN-13: 978-1592534746

Description:

In The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook, hive hints and honey-harvesting tutorials abound, all-delivered with the sound, practical, and common-sense perspective of a seasoned expert. Also, an illustrated guide to honey plants explores their regional bloom dates and honey flows in unprecedented detail. A wide array of honey-handling equipment is illustrated, explained, and reviewed. With this book at your side, you will be the sweetest, savviest, beekeeper in the neighborhood.

Lush, full-color photographs take you from flower bud to beehive, then onward through the mechanics and choreography of the honey harvest.

Expert instructions and insight on cultivating varietal honeys show you how to tap into honey’s time-tested health benefits.

More than 50 delicious, healthy recipes for both sweet and savory dishes featuring honey.

Recommended reading - The Best American Noir Of The Century (2011):

The Best American Noir Of The Century

Edited by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler.

Paperback.

Published 2011.

ISBN-10: 0547577443

ISBN-13: 978-0547577449

Back cover description:

“Well worth its impressive weight in gold, it would be a crime not to have this seminal masterpiece in your collection.” – New York Journal of Books.

In his introduction to The Best American Noir of the Century, James Ellroy writes, “Noir is the most scrutinized offshoot of the hard-boiled school of fiction… It’s the nightmare of flawed souls with big dreams and the precise how and why of the all-time sure thing that goes bad.” Offering the best examples of literary sure things gone bad, this collection ensures that nowhere else can readers find a darker, more thorough distillation of American noir fiction.

James Ellroy and Otto Penzler mined the past century to find this treasure trove of thirty-nine stories, with selections from James M. Cain, Mickey Spillane, Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Harlan Ellison, Jeffrey Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, Dennis Lahane, and many more.

“Delightfully devilish . . . A strange trek through the years that includes stories from household names in the hard-boiled genre to lesser-known authors who nonetheless can hold their own with the legends.” – Associated Press.

James Ellroy is the author of the Underworld U.S.A. trilogy – American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood’s a Rover – and the L.A. Quartet novels, The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz. His most recent book is The Hillicker Curse, a memoir.

Otto Penzler is the founder of the Mysterious Bookshop and Mysterious Press, has won two Edgar Allan Poe Awards (most recently for The Lineup), and is series editor of The Best American Mystery Stories.

Contents:

Foreword by Otto Penzler; Introduction by James Ellroy; Spurs, by Tod Robbins; Pastorale, by James M. Cain; You'll always remember me, by Steve Fisher; Gun crazy, by MacKinlay Kantor; Nothing to worry about, by Day Keene; The homecoming, by Dorothy B. Hughes; Man in the dark, by Howard Browne; The lady says die!, by Mickey Spillane; Professional man, by David Goodis; The hunger, by Charles Beaumont; The gesture, by Gil Brewer; The last spin, by Evan Hunter; Forever after, by Jim Thompson; For the rest of her life, by Cornell Woolrich; The dripping, by David Morrell; Slowly, slowly in the wind, by Patricia Highsmith; Iris, by Stephen Greenleaf; A ticket out, by Brendan DuBois; Since I don't have you, by James Ellroy; Texas city, by James Lee Burke; Mefisto in onyx, by Harlan Ellison; Out there in the darkness, by Ed Gorman; Hot spings, by James Crumley; The weekender, by Jeffery Deaver; Faithless, by Joyce Carol Oates; Poachers, by Tom Franklin; Like a bone in the throat, by Lawrence Block; Crack, by James W. Hall; Running out of dog, by Dennis Lehane; The paperhanger, by William Gay; Midnight emissions, by F.X. Toole; When the women come out to dance, by Elmore Leonard; Controlled burn, by Scott Wolven; All through the house, by Christopher Coake; What she offered, by Thomas H. Cook; Her lord and master, by Andrew Klavan; Stab, by Chris Adrian; The hoarder, by Bradford Morrow; Missing the morning bus, by Lorenzo Carcaterra.

Recommended reading - City Primeval & Fire in the Hole, by Elmore Leonard:

City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit
Fire in the Hole: and Other Stories

Both books filmed as the TV series Justified: City Primeval (2023).

City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit

By Elmore Leonard.

Published by Mariner Books.

First published 1980

ISBN-10: 0062191357

ISBN-13: 978-0062191359

Description:

“As gritty and hard-driving a thriller as you’ll find…. The action never stops, the language sings and stings.”

– Washington Post.

Clement Mansell knows how easy it is to get away with murder. The cool killer is already back on the Detroit scene – thanks to some nifty courtroom moves by his lawyer – and he's feeling invincible enough to execute a crooked judge on a whim. Lieutenant Raymond Cruz thinks the “Oklahoma Wildman” crossed the line long before this latest outrage, and he's determined to see that the hayseed psycho meets an end he deserves, with a gun pointed at him. But that means a good cop, having to play somewhat fast and loose with the rules . . . in order to maneuver Mansell into a wild Midwest showdown that he can't walk away from.

Fire in the Hole: and Other Stories

By Elmore Leonard.

Published by Mariner Books.

Published 2012.

ISBN-10: 0062120344

ISBN-13: 9780062120342

Description:

“[Leonard’s] most satisfying book since Out of Sight…. Top-notch work from one of our most gifted and consistently entertaining writers.” – New York Times Book Review.

“Vintage Leonard…. Nine stories with booze and shotguns and lowlifes…and lots of scenes that ought to be in movies.”

– Detroit Free Press.

“If Leonard were a new kid instead of a past master, this fiction collection would make his name.” – People.

“Rummaging through Leonard’s attic via these nine stories revives some fond memories and turns up a couple of forgotten treasures.” – Kirkus Reviews.

“Elmore Leonard’s 39th book ...finds one of America’s most accomplished novelists presenting his most accomplished female characters in years.” – USA Today.

In this superb short fiction collection, Elmore Leonard, “the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever” (New York Times Book Review), once again illustrates how the line between the law and the lawbreakers is not as firm as we might think. In the title story, the basis for the hit FX series Justified, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens meets up with an old friend, but they’re now on different sides of the law. Federal marshal Karen Sisco, from Out of Sight, returns in “Karen Makes Out,” once again inadvertently mixing pleasure with business. In “When the Women Come Out to Dance,” Mrs. Mahmood gets more than she bargains for when she conspires with her maid to end her unhappy marriage. These nine stories are the great Elmore Leonard at his vivid, hilarious, and unfailingly human best.

Recommended reading – Beeswax Alchemy (2015):

Beeswax Alchemy

How to Make Your Own Soap, Candles, Balms, Creams, and Salves from the Hive

By Petra Ahnert.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1592539793

ISBN-13: 978-1592539796

Published 2015.

Description:

“This is the book I’ve been waiting thirty years for. Excellent instructions. Bountiful information. Beautifully done.”

– Kim Flottum, beekeeper; author of The Backyard Beekeeper, Better Beekeeping, and The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook; and editor of Bee Culture magazine.

Create natural beeswax products for health and home.

Beeswax is truly the miracle of the beehive. Although honeybees use it to build their hives and protect their young, you can use it to make everything from candles to lip balm to decorative fabric.

Regardless of whether you are a veteran beekeeper or someone who just likes the way beeswax looks and smells, you’ll learn from apiarist and entrepreneur Petra Ahnert, who will teach you how to transform this miraculous material into the beautiful, useful, and unexpected.

Inside you’ll find:

An introduction to beeswax’s form and functions.

Tips and techniques for transforming beeswax into useful products for home and health.

Detailed recipes to get you started crafting your own soaps, balms, salves, and more.

Recommended reading – The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (2007):

The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps

The Best crime stories from the pulps during their golden age - the '20s, '30s, & '40s.

Edited by Otto Penzler.

Publisher: Vintage Crime / Black Lizard.

Published 2007.

ISBN-10: 0307280489

ISBN-13: 978-0307280480

Paperback.

Unabridged.

Anthology of short stories.

Back cover description:

The biggest, the boldest, the most comprehensive collection of Pulp writing ever assembled.

Weighing in at over a thousand pages, containing over forty-seven stories and two novels, this book is big baby, bigger and more powerful than a freight train—a bullet couldn’t pass through it. Here are the best stories and every major writer who ever appeared in celebrated Pulps like Black Mask, Dime Detective, Detective Fiction Weekly, and more. These are the classic tales that created the genre and gave birth to hard-hitting detectives who smoke criminals like packs of cigarettes; sultry dames whose looks are as lethal as a dagger to the chest; and gin-soaked hideouts where conversations are just preludes to murder. This is crime fiction at its gritty best.

Including:

Three stories by Raymond Chandler, Cornell Woolrich, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Dashiell Hammett.

Complete novels from Carroll John Daly, the man who invented the hard-boiled detective, and Fredrick Nebel, one of the masters of the form.

A never before published Dashiell Hammett story.

Every other major pulp writer of the time, including Paul Cain, Steve Fisher, James M. Cain, Horace McCoy, and many, many more of whom you’ve probably never heard.

Three deadly sections–The Crimefighters, The Villains, and Dames–with three unstoppable introductions by Harlan Coben, Harlan Ellison, and Laura Lippman.

Featuring:

Plenty of reasons for murder, all of them good.

A kid so smart–he’ll die of it.

A soft-hearted loan shark’s legman learning–the hard way–never to buy a strange blonde a hamburger.

The uncanny “Moon Man” and his mad-money victims.

Contents:

Otto Penzler: Foreword. Part One: The Crimefighers. Harlan Coben: Introduction. Paul Cain: One, Two, Three. Dashiell Hammett: The Creeping Siamese. Erle Stanley Gardner: Honest Money. Horace McCoy: Frost Rides Alone. Thomas Walsh: Double Check. Charles G. Booth: Stag Party. Leslie T. White: The City of Hell! Raymond Chandler: Red Wind. Fredrick Nebel: Wise Guy. George Harmon Coxe: Murder Picture. Norbert Davis: The Price of a Dime. William Rollins, Jr.: Chicago Confetti. Cornell Woolrich: Two Murders, One Crime. Carroll John Daly: The Third Murderer. Part Two: The Villains. Harlan Ellison: Introduction. Erle Stanley Gardner: The Cat Woman. Cornell Woolrich: The Dilemma of the Dead Lady. Richard B. Sale: The House of Kaa. Leslie Charteris: The Invisible Millionaire. Steve Fisher: You’ll Always Remember Me. James M. Cain: Pastorale. Frank Gruber: The Sad Serbian. Dashiell Hammett: Faith. Raymond Chandler: Finger Man. Erle Stanley Gardner: The Monkey Murder. Raoul Whitfield: About Kid Deth. Frederick C. Davis: The Sinister Sphere. Paul Cain: Pigeon Blood. C. S. Montanye: The Perfect Crime. Norbert Davis: You’ll Die Laughing. Frederick Nebel: The Crimes of Richmond City: i) Raw Law. ii) Dog Eat Dog. iii) The Law Laughs Last. iv) Law Without Law. v) Graft. Part Three: The Dames. Laura Lippman: Introduction. Cornell Woolrich: Angel Face. Leslie T. White: Chosen to Die. Eric Taylor: A Pinch of Snuff. Raymond Chandler: Killer in the Rain. Adolphe Barreaux: Sally the Sleuth. C. S. Montanye: A Shock for the Countess. C. B. Yorke: Snowbound. Randolph Barr: The Girl Who Knew Too Much. D. B. McCandless: The Corpse in the Crystal. D. B. McCandless: He Got What He Asked For. P. T. Luman: Gangster’s Brand. Robert Reeves: Dance Macabre. Dashiell Hammett: The Girl with the Silver Eyes. Perry Paul: The Jane from Hell’s Kitchen. Whitman Chambers: The Duchess Pulls a Fast One. Roger Torrey: Mansion of Death. Roger Torrey: Concealed Weapon. Carlos Martinez: The Devil’s Bookkeeper. Lars Anderson: Black Legion. Richard Sale: Three Wise Men of Babylon. Eugene Thomas: The Adventure of the Voodoo Moon. T. T. Flynn: Brother Murder. Stewart Sterling: Kindly Omit Flowers.

Recommended reading - Silent Mystery and Detective Movies: A Comprehensive Filmography (2009):

Silent Mystery and Detective Movies:
A Comprehensive Filmography

By Ken Wlaschin.

ISBN-10: 0786443502

ISBN-13: 978-0786443505

Published 2009.

Description:

The silent film era was known in part for its cliffhanger serials and air of suspense that kept audiences returning to theaters week after week. Icons such as Douglas Fairbanks, Laurel and Hardy, Lon Chaney and Harry Houdini were among those who graced the dark and shadowy screen. This reference guide to silent films with mystery and detective content lists more than 1,500 titles in one of entertainment’s most popular and enduring genres. While most of the films examined are from North America, mystery films from around the world are included.

The late Ken Wlaschin was former director of creative affairs at the American Film Institute, headed the Institute’s National Film Theater and founded its Los Angeles film festival. He previously directed the British Film Institute’s National Film Theater and London film festival for 14 years. Wlaschin, the author of three other McFarland books, lived in Palm Springs, California.