Last month I recommended four female authors I had recently discovered which resulted in several holds being placed. I also promised then that this month I would highlight authors that might appeal to the menfolk. I should add a disclaimer here. Books are for everyone and we see plenty of crossover here at the library, so I am not endorsing a division of the collection along gender lines. Even so, some titles have more appeal to certain demographics than others. So, gentlemen (OK, and ladies), have your library cards at the ready to check out books by the following authors.
Bill Bryson is an American non-fiction author of several humorous travel and academic books. His first, Notes from a Small Island, chronicles the 20 years he lived in Britain. In A Sunburned Country, which contains his observations about Australia is well worth the read. A Walk in the Woods, which describes his attempt to walk the Appalachian trail with a buddy, was made into the 2015 starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. I listened to the audiobook version of A Short History of Nearly Everything, which made a road trip to Winnipeg a lot more interesting. Other forays into the academic world include topics such as Shakespeare, the English language and gardens.
Another nonfiction writer worthy of note is Canadian Adam Shoalts. We were lucky enough to have Adam visit the library in 2015 as part of our Out Loud Series. Adam is a modern-day true-blue explorer, often referred to as the Canadian Indiana Jones. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for his extraordinary contributions to geography. In 2017 he completed the 4,000 kilometres solo journey across Canada’s Arctic which was in the planning stages when he came to speak. He is a geographer and historian and he holds a Ph.D from McMaster University.Alone Against the North is his story of an expedition into the unknown. Yes, there are parts of Canada that no one has ever been to. He recounts many hair-raising incidents, including his face off with a 1,000-pound polar bear. I won’t ruin the account for you, but obviously he survives to write about it later. Since we last saw Adam he has published two more titles, A History of Canada in Ten Maps, and Beyond the Treeswhich tells of that Arctic trek and will be available in October.
If fiction is more to your liking, you cannot go wrong with the Craig Johnson Longmireseries which was made into a six season TV show. These novels are the perfect combination of western and mystery as they follow the fictional sheriff, Walt Longmire, as he solves crime in Absaroka County, Wyoming.
Hopefully, that’ll be enough to fill your summer with interesting reads until September arrives, bringing with it the start of our fall programs. For a full list of what’s on offer, look no further than the centre pages of this issue of the High Country News. You can also find them at www.sheepriverlibrary.ca or pick up a brochure at the library. Many old favourite programs return but we have many new ones as well, such as the Marketing Series; the CRA talks focusing on all the many tax benefits available; Astronomy nights with Les Antoniuk; and the Conservation Talks and Walks. Our Out Loud line-up for October is also listed but I will expand on those talented individuals next time.
