Updating my “Currently Reading” section with some books that are all on my nightstand right now. You might notice a theme, here:

• The Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West (1840 -1900), by Candy Moulton — Great reference for everything from that era, from professions and food storage, to clothing and furniture. It’s a tad dry (definitely a reference book!), but still so packed with info that I’m enjoying it anyway. Just reading about how refrigeration came into being, for instance, or how after 1865 condensed milk was available in cans. … (Really? huh. …)
• Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West, by Anne Seagraves — Another interesting reference book that covers madams, the various levels of “houses,” how much money prostitutes made, some of the rough towns like Dodge and Bodie, and even some famous “wild” women like Calamity Jane and Josephine Marcus (Wyatt Earp’s eventual wife). Great characters. …
• Men to Match My Mountains, by Irving Stone — I’ve only been meaning to read this book for about 10 years! Honestly. Now it seems like a good time, while I’m looking for inspiration for wild-west characters and planning a summer trip to the Sierra Nevadas (where much of this historical novel takes place). My mom and my husband have each read this book about two or three times, and tell me it’s one of their all-time favorites (and then they throw in a plaintive wail: WHY oh WHY haven’t I read it yet! They insist I will absolutely adore it.) So here I go, Mom and Chris. …

Do you read books for reference? What is on your nightstand right now?