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    War & Beauty

    Guerrilla gardeners descend on Midtown: Can slingshots and seeds transform an ugly area?

    Joel Luks
    Apr 23, 2013 | 2:32 pm

    Take that you empty, nasty lot overrun with messy weeds. A trio of unsuspecting locations were no match for a camouflaged, armed militia of 50 beautification soldiers on a mission to root seeds for prettier days ahead.

    Following the successful "Guerrilla Gardening: Mission Possible I" hosted by eco-conscious boutique One Green Street two years ago, founder and green diva Sherry Eichberger thought it was time for another urban attack on Midtown's unused parcels of land. Joining the transport efforts that began at Monica Pope's Sparrow Bar + Cookshop for Saturday's besiege was Pedal Party, whose Nate Stout, call him general, rallied the troops to imbibe local beer, get rowdy and embrace the spirit of the operation.

    Each GI on the trenches was outfitted with a handcrafted wooden sling and nine GreenAid biodegradable cartridges filled with wildflowers.

    En route to seed bomb tracts near Holman and Travis streets, San Jacinto and Stuart streets and Elgin and Fannin streets, spectators offered words of encouragement in spite of having no clue what the coordinated raid was all about.

    Each GI on the trenches was outfitted with a matching bandana, a handcrafted wooden sling and nine GreenAid biodegradable cartridges filled with wildflower seeds suitable for the urban Houston environs.

    Back at home base, Sparrow offered light bites, Texas wine and craft beer as a respite from the arduous campaign while singer/songwriter J.J. Essen's sweet vocals transformed the restaurants patio into a happy reunion camp. The Katy-native musician contributed a combination of original country songs and covers, including James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," that had guests asking, who is this handsome guy? His latest album, Full Circle, is available on iTunes.

    Summoning their inner Rambo were art car maven Rebecca Bass, Shawn Manderscheid and Paula Hines, Jennifer Masters, David Wuensch, Michael Savino, Devon Kocian, Cheri Gossett and Yuliana de la Rosa.

    Each participant was given a handcrafted wooden sling and nine GreenAid biodegradable cartridges filled with wildflower seeds.

    033 Mission Possible II April 2013
      
    Photo by © Todd Parker STP Images Inc.
    Each participant was given a handcrafted wooden sling and nine GreenAid biodegradable cartridges filled with wildflower seeds.
    unspecified
    news/city-life

    bookworms unite

    This is what Texans are reading the most in 2025

    Amber Heckler
    Apr 21, 2025 | 3:58 pm
    Bookstore
    Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash
    Support local bookstores, y'all.

    A new study revealing the top book genres enchanting each of the 50 states has revealed fantasy books are the No. 1 pick for avid readers in Texas.

    The book trends report by security experts Cloudwards examined Google Trends data to discover the top literary genres for each state. Romance was the leading genre infatuating most states (22 in total), with literary fiction, poetry, and fantasy ensnaring 24 other states combined.

    Besides being the No. 1 genre in Texas, fantasy books also dominate for readers in Washington, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

    The report says these innovative states that boast high quality universities and bustling tech sectors are the driving force behind growing demand for fantasy books and other works of imaginative literature.

    "The enduring popularity of fantasy may be attributed to its unparalleled world-building capabilities and capacity to address complex social issues through allegorical frameworks," the report said. "Undoubtedly, for many, fantasy offers a temporary escape from day-to-day stresses and worries."

    The rise of BookTok — a popular TikTok category centered around reading, book clubs, and popular books — may be another major factor in the younger generation's shift towards reading. The category has nearly 53 million posts to prove it.

    Well-known fantasy books that have remained in the zeitgeist in recent years include George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (a.k.a. Game of Thrones), Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series, and Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series.

    Many of these titles can be found on the shelves of Houston's many independent bookstores, just in time for Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 26. It's crucial that Houstonians support their local bookstores rather than shop from big box stores like Amazon, Target, or Barnes and Noble.

    The annual Houston Bookstore Crawl, which runs through April 30, is a wonderful guide for touring many of these local literary havens.

    Here are a few non-exhaustive options for shopping at independent bookstores in the Houston area:

    • Becker's Books
    • Blue Willow Bookshop
    • The Book Attic, Tomball
    • Books Abound
    • Books by the Bay, La Porte
    • Brazos Bookstore
    • Good on Paper
    • Houston Book Warehouse
    • Kaboom Books
    • Katy Budget Books, Katy
    • Kindred Stories
    • Lit Java Coffee & Books, Pearland
    • Murder By The Book
    • Quarter Price Books
    • Village Books, The Woodlands
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