The Way Back Machine – Best Sellers 1962

Cloudy, windy April is upon us – which makes it a great time to finish up a few books before the nicer weather arrives, right? If you’re looking for something different, grab a read popular years ago, in today’s case, from 1962. If that year seems to be beyond your memory, here are a few events that might make it seem more familiar…

• In March, Wilt Chamberlain records the only 100-point NBA game for a single player, ever.
• In August, Marilyn Monroe dies of probable suicide at her home in Los Angeles.
• In October, the U.S. and the USSR face nuclear confrontation during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Beyond all that, we were also reading! Pick up one of these New York Times best selling books to remember the country’s cultural attitude for the week of April 22, 1962.

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FICTION

1. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

2. The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault

3. The Fox in the Attic by Richard Hughes

4. The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

5. Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter

6. Devil Water by Anya Seton

7. A Prologue to Love by Taylor Caldwell

8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

9. Captain Newman, M.D. by Leo Calvin Rosten

10. Chairman of the Bored by Edward Streeter

11. The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart

12. Island by Aldous Huxley

13. Hornstein’s Boy by Robert Traver

14. Daughter of Silence by Morris L. West

15. Pigeon Feathers by John Updike

16. Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt

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NONFICTION

1. Calories Don’t Count by Herman Taller

2. My Life in Court by Louis Nizer

3. The Rothschilds by Frederic Morton

4. The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman

5. Six Crises by Richard Nixon

6. The Making of the President 1960 by T.H. White

7. In the Clearing by Robert Frost

8. The Last Plantagenets by Thomas B. Costain

9. Scott Fitzgerald by Andrew Turnbull

10. CIA: The Inside Story by Andrew Tully

11. The Oxford New English Bible; New Testament

12. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer

13. Before I Sleep by James Monahan

14. The Rich Nations and the Poor Nations by Barbara Ward

15. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall by Gayelord Hauser

16. A Nation of Sheep by William J. Lederer

Twin Falls Incorporated

Did you know that today is the unofficial official birthday of Twin Falls? While the town had been in existence for about a year, it wasn’t until April 13, 1905 that incorporation was filed in Cassia County. New city council members (called trustees at that time) included Paul Bickel – yes, that Bickel – and Sam Hamilton, who later served as mayor. The 1905 population of Twin was about 2000, so incorporation made sense in order for the town to pass laws and make decisions for the benefit of its citizens.

So, although we celebrate 1904 as the beginnings of our wonderful metropolis (official now that we’ve hit 50,000), 1905 was the year we made plans for permanence.

Take Ten: Bette Davis

Davis in the film, “The Little Foxes.”

Silver screen icon Bette Davis was born on April 5, 1908 – 110 years ago. Depending on your age, you might remember her more for her sultry, smart, or smoldering movie roles (The Little Foxes, All About Eve), or more for her crazy ones (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?). Or, if you’re my age, you might not be able to remember her without thinking of the Kim Carnes hit song of the 80s, Bette Davis Eyes.

Learn more about this fascinating actress, or watch a great performance, by checking out one of these titles:

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BOOKS:

Bette Davis – David Thomson

Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis – Ed Sikov

The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis, A Personal Biography – Charlotte Chandler

I’d Love to Kiss You: Conversations with Bette Davis – Whitney Stine

Miss D and Me: Life with the Invincible Bette Davis – Kathryn Sermak

Warner Brothers: The Making of an American Movie Studio – David Thomson

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MOVIES:

All About Eve

The Watcher in the Woods

The Whales of August

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?