Canada Books

Other reviewers have hit the nail on the head with their reviews, so I will just add that this is a beautifully written novel that I found hard to put down. 2 weeks after finishing it, I find myself still thinking about this thriller.....It is a great thought-provoking read . Highly recommended !!

Set in Boston in the near future, terrorism come to the states in random bombings of innocent citizens, paranoia has increased exponentially. Suspicion replaces curiosity, those of Middle Eastern descent of particular interest. Terrorism stalks the national stage, infecting cities, although Harvard Square teems with students and life goes on, albeit more circumspect. Applying her lover of numbers to music, MIT mathematician Leela Moore has escaped her southern roots in Promised Land, South Carolina, sister and Pentecostal Bible-quoting father left behind. Entering the subway under Harvard Square, Leela is arrested by the haunting melody played by a young violinist, a classical interpretation of the Orpheus legend ("Che faro senza Euridice").

Michael Barton is lost in his own world, his music piercing the air. Hypnotized, Leela follows. Their meeting is electric, Michael (Mishka) and Leela enraptured lovers, music the language of their love, the mournful notes of his violin and Persian oud rich with tenderness and passion. They live together, but Mishka's frequent absences are troubling- there is much Leela doesn't know about her lover- but he leaves notes, gone to the Music lab or the Café Marrakesh.

A subway bombing sets everyone on edge, none more so than Cobb Slaughter, ex-military turned mercenary who monitors suspicious activity in the city. Bonded since their South Carolina childhood, Cobb has embraced his obsession with Leela, who seduced and taunted him all his life. Now Cobb has intimate photographs of Leela and the violinist, Mishka entering the Café Marrakesh, in the company of a radical student. Much has changed in this brave new world, isolation and interrogation part of the modern lexicon. Leela is warned, shocked to see Cobb after all these years, refusing to accept the coldness in his eyes.

Casting the intimate relationships of these three protagonists on a stage crowded with politics and war, Hospital injects paranoia and danger, real and imagined, creating conflicts that seduce the reader to complicity. The past reaches out to each, Leela and Cobb's long history and troubled relationships with their fathers, Mishka's unusual childhood, magical, poignant and filled with music, his father a far more complicated issue. In chapters filled with the grieving chords of Mishka's violin and dream sequences that explore the characters' deepest fears, the world intrudes, harsh and swift, Mishka lost in a netherworld where honor bows to expediency. Reliving the Orpheus myth, Leela is the anguished traveler, from Boston to Australia to Baghdad.

In a tragic opera of obsession and unfettered passion, Leela bridges the troubled psyches of the two men, tortured by unbearable possibilities: "What will I do without that which I cannot do without?" Hospital's wonderfully nuanced characters stumble through a terrifying landscape, retreating to the past for comfort, finding solace in music, in love and in redemption, Orpheus at end of his quest. Luan Gaines/ 2007.

(4.5 stars) With symbolism from the Orpheus myth reverberating throughout her novel, Australian author Janette Turner Hospital pulls out all the stops, creating a psychologically intense study of the relationship between Michael "Mishka" Bartok, a PhD candidate at Harvard who is the son of Hungarian Jews now living in rural Australia, and Leela-May Moore, a PhD candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mishka, a gifted violinist, singer, and more recently, a player of the oud, a lute-like instrument from the Middle East, has never known his father, knowing only that he is an oud-player from Lebanon. Leela is the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher from tiny Promised Land, South Carolina.

When Leela meets Mishka for the first time, he is playing his violin in the subway, "the underworld of the Red Line" between Harvard Square and Boston's Park Street Station. Mesmerized, she quickly becomes his lover, sharing his musical life. Enrapt by their young love, Mishka and Leela pay scant attention to terrorist acts which have occurred in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. When a suicide bomber attacks the Prudential Tower in Boston, however, their lives change, becoming chaotic when a bomb explodes on the MBTA Red Line. Mishka has been away from home on both occasions, "playing in the Music Lab," he says.

As the novel moves back and forth between the lives of Mishka and Leela in Cambridge and their childhoods in Australia and South Carolina, the reader comes to understand what motivates them and how they are tied to the mysteries of their pasts. Mishka, yearning to learn more about his father, has made connections with the Middle Eastern community and the mosque in Harvard Square. Leela's past comes back to haunt her when she is subjected to harsh questioning about Mishka by an intelligence service run by Cobb Slaughter, a former friend from Promised Land.

As the tension ratchets up, the reader becomes totally involved in the conflict between reality and illusion. The Orpheus myth is turned upside down when Mishka fails to come home and Leela must find and rescue him from "the underworld." Hospital is a writer with rare gifts for creating suspense and a compelling narrative. The clear Orpheus symbolism is enhanced by frequent references to the music of Gluck and other western composers who have celebrated the Orpheus myth. Filled with rich action scenes related to contemporary issues, wonderful images, and themes dealing with illusion and reality, the ways our pasts govern our present, the importance of our parents in the shaping of our lives, and the prices we are willing to pay for love, Orpheus Lost captures the nightmarish present, relates it to individual pasts, and forecasts the "costly dues" that one must pay for one's "heart's desire" in the future. n Mary Whipple

Due Preparations for the Plague
Oyster
Dislocations: Stories (Norton Paperback Fiction)

With each book, Janette Turner Hospital amazes the reader with her unique ability to write thrillers that expand the scope of possibility as well as illuminate. In haunting prose, she sets her tales in diverse locations and incorporates detail that stretch a reader's comprehension. This book in particular challenges one to make a connection between mathematics and music in a way that makes it impossible to never look at, say, a violin in quite the same way again. She weaves a story on methods for coping with unimagniable pain of loss on so many levels, seamlessly incorporating the war on terrorism and the Holocaust, and makes it work through the magic and healing properties of music. Her following is far too small to account for the prodigious talent on display on her every page.

I always think the novel I've read last by Janette Turner Hospital is her best, but her latest, ORPHEUS LOST, may indeed be the one. She writes again about what she has covered before: fanatical religions, global terrorists, the relationship between music and mathematics, a story that takes place in many locales-- in this instance, Boston; Promised Land, a small town in South Carolina; Queensland; Sydney; Beirut; Baghdad. Ms. Hospital takes the Orpheus myth and turns it on its ear. Leela (Leela-May Magnolia Moore), the child of a widowered crazed Pentecostal from a small town in South Carolina who is now a graduate student in math at MIT, one day hears Mishka Bartok, an Australian, who is also a graduate student but in music at Harvard, playing otherworldly beautiful music on the violin (the aria "Che faro senza Euridice" from Gluck's opera ORPHEO ED EURDICE) in the Boston subway. They become lovers that day. "He has the eyes of Orpheus, Leela thought. He has the eyes of Orpheus at the moment when Eurydice is bitten by the snake or perhaps when he has lost her for the second time, when she is pulled back into the underworld, forever beyond reach." For a season these two characters enclose themselves in their own cocoon, but their world is soon shattered by suicide bombers who now are blowing themselves up in Boston and other major U. S. cities.

With the first line of this novel, "Afterwards, Leela realized, everything could have been predicted from the beginning," Ms. Hospital, joining the likes of Camus, Melville and Toni Morrison, all masters of brilliant first lines, sets the tone for this finely wrought and suspenseful story, describing characters and situations with sparse but evocative language. The character Cobb as a boy had "skittish intensity" while Leela is full of "controlled intensity." She tells her former dissertation supervisor that Southerners are "unfailing courteous, especially when angry." One character's laughter "rose like a dandelion puff."

Ms. Hospital writes eloquently about three different characters, Leela, Mishka and Cobb, all so different but ultimately so much alike. Even though they wander far away from the places of their childhood, they are never really very far from those spots. In their memory, homing they forever go. Ms. Hospital has written previously of her own love for Queensland, where she grew up, in the short story "Litany for the Homeland"-- "Wherever I am, I live in Queensland." When she writes about Australia in this novel, her prose literally sings. The novel for all its bleakness-- and there is enough of that to spare-- is ultimately about hope, reconciliation, forgiveness, the power of both music and love.

ORPHEUS LOST has to be as good as any novel I've read this year, perhaps the best. Since Ms. Hospital now lives in the U. S. in South Carolina, can't we claim her, along with Peter Carey, another brilliant transplanted Australian writer, both as an American and Southern writer?

Most of us dream of adventures when we are young ... but the responsibilities of the world often derail them. David Scott's story is a tale of the dream of adventure fulfilled.

I read this book several years ago from the library. I rarely buy a book but this one I have. Great adventure story about the challenges two young men face living in a cabin for a year in Manitoba. The description of the first six days trying to find the cabin after getting dropped off is a page turner.

Makes me wish I did something similar at that stage im my life as opposed to sitting at a cubicle. This books gives me the inspiration to maybe strike out and seek my own adventure someday.

Although I found the book simple and intellectually unchallenging, its sincerity, freshness and admiration for the wilderness and being a part of it were emotionally stirring. It reminded me of the importance of being able to step away from comitments to work, banks and acquaintances to experience something larger than all of us. We need this to remind us of the essence of being alive and human.

The opening sequence of their expedition rivals that of any true life-and-death experience, including "Touching The Void." A must-read for any winter-camper who ventures off the beaten path more than a few days away from luxuries like mechanical heat from an automobile. This is one of the most profound stories of northern wilderness experience that I have ever read. Their story is similar to going to the moon on an Apollo mission, with no backup and no radio contact, and making it on their own. Truly the best story ever told of a modern Arctic expedition with a happy ending. This is a book that I read and immediately gave to a friend to read, and it has passed around to no less than 12 people as a "must read" already, and is still in motion.

I love outdoor adventure books and this book is a great one. This is a story of living and thriving in the Canadian wilderness. I was fascinated with the authors adventures of building a cabin, hunting moose, and exploring. If you like outdoor books I recommend this as a must read.

I found this to be a well written, high quality book that should prove to be a great read for anyone. The language is easy to understand which makes it a good leisure read but at the same time it provides a wealth of information about wildlife, habitats, environments, and interactions that, as a grad student, I still found very interesting and informative.

The Great Plains of the North America extend from Alberta to Texas and from the Rockies to the Mississippi river. It's the heartland of America.

This book, profusely illustrated and reverantly written is the story of the heartland. While it is the story of people, it's more the story of the land itself. It's the story of ancient seas, of Tyannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, and grass. Grass, seemingly engless miles of grass. Tall grass, short grass, drought resistent grass, food for the buffalo that wandered here in vast herds.

Of course the book talks about man's impact on the land. Farming plants a handful of crop species, where 5,000 wild plants grow in the Great Plains.

The future has to be discussed in a book like this, and for once the news is not all bad. To be sure, there are species at risk, but the overall picture is certainly one of hope.

A fascinating book on an area that is rarely thought about, let along the subject of books.

An excellent book. Well written and scientifically accurate. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is enchanted with the beauty and grandeur of the North American prairie.

I love the prairie, no doubt about that, and I'm proud to have been born and raised in the vast expanse of the middle of the great continent. The prairie brings a unique feeling of solitude, quietude, and openness that can be found not many places else in the world. I fully recommend this book to those that love the prairie, but also to those who are not interested at all in the vast expanse, who, as the book asserts, would rather get across it as quickly as possible. Scientifically and emotionally written, it is a beautiful book, with many illustrations, one that is worthy to be read.

The book is very well written, and the many artful photos in the book really make me wish I could spend a whole summer in the prairies. The author knows what she's talking about for certain. I could just keep on reading such educating books.

This is an absolutely wonderful book. It is historically acurate, interesting and very well written. Reading the trials and hardships Rosetta must go through to find her adopted sister that she loves so much makes you never want to put this book down. I loved this book, for more reasons than one! It's twists in the plot give it definition and color. Go out and get this book, it is definately worth it!

first of all i want to thank my friend Amy for lending me this book.I think we should all follow her good advice on reading this book.It was absolutely brilliant.I would reccemond this book to ages over 10.

This book was the best I have read and I could not put it down. I would advise it for over 10.So GO OUT ANDGET IT!!!!!

Linda Holeman has done it again with this young adult book. With the story of Rosetta she brings you back in time to an era when children were used and not enjoyed. You feel for Rosetta and urge her on in the hope of finding her sister who was unceremoniously delivered to a new family leaving Rosetta crying in the street. A book well written and savoured.

Rosetta and her younger sister, Flora, were sent to Canada from an English orphanage. They dreamed of a loving family, but when this does not happen Rosetta endures cruelty, love, hatred, and happiness to get back what is left of her family. This book makes me appreciate my family, even when I am mad at them. It also shows me that being an orphan does not let you do whatever you want and that others will try to stop you from reaching your goal.

My husband drives a big rig this atlas give all the scales and most up to
date changes in roads.

We just Drove for Orange Co Ca to Baltimore, Maryland and this was a very helpful guide and help us to do find many place along the way

We are extremely satisfied with our Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas.

Our son drives over the road, and this is what he uses also.

Again, we are extremely satisfied with our purchase from Amazon.com.

Sincerely.
Henley H Bennett

We are retired full time RVrs traveling across the USA. This Road Atlas is great because it reveals (normally for truckers usage) all the routes and locations that will accomodate large vehicles and with warnings for those that won't.

this atlas is great it just needs minor tweaks and itll be even better like detail to the exits you have to take and where they lead but i guess you can purchase the next exit book

This book is delightful! Well written, with marvelous characters and a colorful background, it's like literary chocolate. Anyone who has had the priviledge of visiting Newfoundland, and meeting its friendly--but different--people will especially find this a treat. If you're tired of the daily grind, curl up with this one and prepare to enjoy your read.

A couple of years ago, my sister, who lives in Newfoundland, Canada, sent me this book. I put it aside but several months later I was sick, and picked up the book. I read it straight through in 3 or 4 hours...I couldn't put it down! The story is absolutely hilarious, and just recently has been made into a movie starring William Hurt. I have not been able to find this book in the US until now. I have loaned it to countless friends and they have all loved it. It is truly a good read. Get it!

Excellent book, even better than the movie, though the movie is excellent too. If you want to read a laugh out loud book this summer, this is the one!

I was born and raised in Newfoundland, but moved away a few years ago. This book brought back the punch of Newfoundland humor in such a way that it left me laughing out loud like a lunatic til tears were running down my cheeks. I always thought that the Newfoundland sense of humor was something that couldn't be put into words...something you had to experience first hand, and even then sometimes people don't get it. Somehow this author has pulled it off. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm greatly looking forward to it. Bravo Edward Riche!!!

I have given this book as a gift to many fellow restuarant/foodies and everyone has loved it. It's a short read...FIND THE TIME, you will LAUGH! If you enjoy Tim Sandlin, Tom Robbins, John Irving, then give Edward Riche a read.

Revelation is set in 1543. A serial killer is on the loose in London using quotes from the Book of Revelations, as the inspiration for his murder spree. The books main protagonist, Matthew Shardlake, and his assistant Jack Barak, are called in to hunt the killer down, by Archbishop Cranmer, when it becomes apparent that the murders are religiously motivated.

I found this book a fascinating read, the latest in a very enjoyable series. At first, I was worried the story could turn out to be similar to the earlier novel 'Darkfire', as they are both set mainly in the same area of London, but this story is quite different.

The interaction between the factual, and fictional characters is very well done, and the attention to detail is second to none. You almost feel as if you are a bystander, watching the action unfold in front of you. An excellent read, and I hope there is more to come in this series.

First Sentence: The high chandeliers in the Great Hall of Lincoln's Inn were ablaze with candles, for it was late afternoon when the play began.

Henry VIII has asked to marry Catherine Parr and England is in a time of religious turmoil.

The Dissolution of the monasteries is done but now Henry, and the reformists, are moving back toward Catholic ways, under the King rather than the Pope, at the same time as the rise in Protestantism. An English version of the Bible has been published, but only Churches and the upper class are allowed to read it.

One of lawyer Matthew Shardlake's closest friends has been murdered and his body publicly displayed. Brought before Archbishop Cramer, Matthew learns this is not the first such killing. A serial killer is using versus in the Book of Revelations to carry out his killings.

Sansom brings Tutor England to life and makes us see what a difficult time it was in which to live. He doesn't present the romanticized image, but gives us a look at the dangers of the time from social and religious reforms to poverty to mental illness being labeled possession, without ever slowing down the story or being preachy.

The dialogue is, naturally enough, not of the time, but flavored with a sense of the time. I always learn a lot reading Sansom.

Shardlake is a wonderful character who has grown and improved as a character through the series. He is supported by Barak, for whom Matthew tries to do a bit of marriage counseling, and Guy, a Moor, once a monk, now a doctor.

Sansom is an evocative writer and masterful at combining historical detail with a multilayered story, and suspenseful mystery. I am continually impressed by the quality of Sansom's writing.

I'm a big fan of the series and special ordered this book for way to much money. Of the series this book is a mix between the second and third with a new social commentary line. I'm not a big fan of the social commentary nor how the characters are drifting into modern relationship problems, solving the debate over mental illness, or pretending to understand advanced medicine. At one point were ahead of Freud in understanding the origins of mental illness.

Don't get me wrong I read this book in 4 days straight loved the characters, setting, enjoyed the plot (the jacket claims its a serial killer on the lose --get the modern day drift). If your a fan I'd read it. If your thinking of starting the series --read the other 3 first. Read this one last.

Of the four books in the series this one is best left to be read last. Each of the first three are meant to be very different style mysteries. This book is a mixture of the second and third books style with alot of social commentary added in. Don't get me wrong I read the book in four days and enjoyed every page but for me I knew the characters and setting so well that it moved along quite quickly. The weakness of this book is that the author chose to add several story lines that would highlight a more modern way of thinking than possible for people of this period. From psychology to relationships these lines detract from the action and at points your meant to believe they were ahead of Freud in their thinking. Even the medicince seemed alittle to enlightened. I guess you can debate these points but they do provide some unsettling moments in the book which I found detracting. I gave it 5 stars. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the other three. Would not recommend it to anyone just starting the series.

There is always a ready audience for murder mystery books covering this period in English history and the Matthew Shardlake books are among the better ones on offer. They have become something of a cult following among their many readers and a new volume is always eagerly awaited. This is the fourth book in the series and the character of Matthew Shardlake is starting to feel like an old friend.

Matthew Shardlake, lawyer, confidant and servant to some of the most important and powerful men in the kingdom has come a long way since his early dealings, six years ago for Thomas Cromwell. The Dissolution of the monastries was not a happy time for Matthew, not sitting well with his own religious convictions and going against much of what he himself believed in.

Time has moved on apace, six years in fact and Matthew has struggled hard to better himself and to improve the standing of his lawyer's practice. He has over time even had dealings concerning King Henry himself. Meanwhile, Matthew has received notice of the foul murder of an old and trusted friend. So shocked is he by the news, that Matthew rashly promises the widow of his poor dead friend that he will do everything in his power to track down the perpetrators of the crime

This turns out to be no easy task in a city where life is cheap and many a throat has been cut for the price of a loaf of bread. Trying to devote his time to this case on top of his other workload is no easy task for Matthew and he needs all the help he can get from his assistant Jack Barak and his long time friend Guy Malton, The clues take them on dangerous and frightening journey, a journey that uncovers more than just the murder of his friend . . .

I thought this book was great. Robin gave very good background history of his life in ceramics and his views on what he created on his long career.
I loved the pictures and his instruction on how to be the best in what you make. I have read the book cover to cover a few times and have still learned more after a second and problably a third look.I have tried a few of his ideas and had fun which I think ceramics is all about.

Although much of this book is a compliation of his former books, it encompasses his personal and professional history as well as his philosophy, recomendations on style, and insights about pottery, designs and life.
Every potter, and collector of pottery shoud read and own this book.

This book is great. Robin Hopper shares his unique background with the reader and the thought processes that have gone into shaping his life and career. His down to earth approach to doing the work he loves so much was a joy to read. The technical information in this book and the way he presents it with illustrations and examples is great. The experienced potter as well as the beginner will enjoy this book.

I have several of Robin Hopper's books and I have enjoyed them all immensely. I am able to find any type of info I need from these books. Well laid out, good explanation and very very useful information for a home studio potter. Cheers, Cheryl

I am a potter. I make pots. I make a bunch of pots. I am always open for improvement, assistance, and suggestions. And I am very glad I added this book to my personal library!

Robin Hopper writes very simply about the various stages of making pottery. He profusely illustrates his techniques with photos and drawings, making the book itself a work of art. It is a pleasure to read, and an inspiration for all potters who want to learn to be better at it.

Hopper offers tips on every phase of making pots, from sketching, through preparing the clay, to making glazes. His examples are beautiful, and the descriptions are clear and concise.

If you're in one of those inevitable "slumps," I suggest Robin Hopper's "Ceramics: A Lifetime of Works, Ideas, and Techniques" to break you out of the clay doldrums and into new territory.

This book is a must read for everyone, and their families, dealing with any kind of cancer -- and especially the rare neuro-endocrine cancer called Carcinoid.
After reading the book I hope people will search the internet for the web pages that have solid medical information....

The magnetism of Wayne Tefs' written odyssey with his own carcinoid cancer was so intense for me that I was compelled to read his book from cover to cover before putting it down. Everything rings true. He eloquently yet succinctly and with simplicity expresses all the facts and feelings, I have heard so often from many carcinoid patients. The often unspoken or even uncrystallized thoughts and feelings, of carcinoid, patient are expressed clearly by the author. Though he feared that the tone of his book may portray him as a pompous pedagogue he came across as a humble, truthful and well spoken messenger. This book will be of tremendous interest to all concerned with carcinoid as well as other types cancers.

Monica Warner MS, RD, CDN
Director of Development and Research Coordinator
Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, Inc. NYC

Written through pain and with literary reflection, Wayne Tefs has provided an excellent resource for those struggling with a life-threatening challenge.
Tef's struggle is with a slow-growing cancer, which he acknowledges as "the worst possible thing that could happen to a person." His angst is further compounded by the realization that his cancer is, in fact, him, and a prerequisite to healing demands nothing less than a complete re-evaluation and restructuring of his life.
In this emotionally taxing journey for the author as well as those close to him, Tefs recounts the pain, fear, and rage that accompany him on his quest to deal with the single most important aspect of his life - his continued existence. As a confessed optimist, however, Tefs always leaves one with the spiritual support of hope, related with indomitable courage.
For those who would seek wisdom about life's trials, this volume has much to recommend.

Tefs has written a layer cake of a book, in which chapters of autobiographical experience alternate with an imaginary dialogue between the author and his cancer. The dialogues are contrived, but escape artificiality and reveal some of the real pain and difficulties confronting someone with a terminal diagnosis. The autobiographical chapters relate Tef's struggle with cancer to contemporaneous events in his life: his divorce, the birth of a child, the triumphs and defeats of his professional career. Cancer undermines our existence and its unwelcome introduction into our lives not only threatens ultimate defeat but also warps our self-image and self-confidence. Tefs recognizes this and struggles with the threat to his athletic, manly, capable and confident self-image, eventually defeating this threat without resorting to the seduction of denial.

This book is about carcinoid cancer from the inside out, by a teacher of literature, and is well crafted without being oppressively literary. The story is told straightforwardly and with courage.

I devoured this book, staying up quite late to do so.
The author is very correct in telling how many many people diagnosed with an unusual and rare cancer react when they
learn they have Carcinoid.
As another person who was diagnosed in 1995, and who has
been very proactive in my treatment, I recommend this book
highly to all dealing with cancer -- not just the patients, but
also family members and friends. There is a great deal of very
useful and helpful information in this book.

It's like Blue Highways or Travels with Charlie (no pun intended), but by someone who is happy and upbeat. She talks about the mechanical and weather challenges, and how she deals with them. She is so enthusiastic about Alaska and the Canadian Northwest, it makes you want to go up there NOW! (Well, maybe in spring.) I looked forward to coming home at night and reading this book with the Auto Club map in one hand. At first I thought her travels might be too tame and her adventures too un-macho -- but she had some great adventures and, hey, she did the Alaska Highway solo. I can't wait to order her other books.

I read about "Charlie" Minshall's Alaska adventures twice through and couldn't resist going myself. I traveled in Alaska (by car)and included many of the places I enjoyed in her book, finding delightful tiny villages and friendly Alaskans like she wrote about. My trip was unforgetable.

Whether you're an "armchair traveler" or you're planning to visit Alaska, this book is a MUST. I give it five stars!

Sue in Virginia

For anyone planning the great RV trip to Alaska, or the armchair traveler just dreaming of the northland, this book cannot be missed! The author takes you along in the passenger seat and introduces you to the sights, the people and the thrills to be found in Alaska. Part travelogue, part guidebook, part diary, and always interesting, you'll feel like you're part of the trip. No journey to Alaska should be condidered without reading this book first! I've read it twice and will keep in on my bookshelf for future reference and enjoyment.

This was the first book I read when planning our RV trip to Alaska. It was a fun and informative read, after which I went on to other books. The interesting thing is that when I got down to the nitty-gritty of planning I found myself referring to it more than I ever thought I would. I took it with us and...guess what? I referred to it quite often.

The reason I found it so useful was that I got a real feeling for what places were like. Other Alaska travel books give a lot of information on campgrounds and places of interest, but Charlie's book was like having a friend tell you what things are REALLY like. An example: Charlie says, "I stayed at Centennial Park just outside of Anchorage. Some pleasant big campground, with all the amenities plus, exist within the city limits, but their prices are not as pleasant as the Centennial Park. It is a dry camp park for $13/night. They have showers, dump station, and telephone. I like it because it is in a wooded area, and convenient." Compare that to a popular guide book: "Centennial Camper Park - 83 spaces w/o hookups; 3 pull-throughs; sewage dump station; flush toilets; drinking water...separate tenting area; 14 day limit."

Yes, Rving Alaska is not a guide book but one person's traveling experience. But with the author's practical advice, positive attitude and true love of adventure you can't help but love this book. Like the back cover says, "This book explains the practical 'How to' and the bold 'Why not'".

By the way, when parking in an area described in the book, I noticed a familiar looking RV. I couldn't believe it but it was her...the silver gypsy! (Picture in my personal profile.) As we talked I realized how alive and vivacious she really was. This woman has a lot of spirit and she's a kick to be around.

I typically read reference books, not storybooks, picking through them for bits and pieces of helpful information. I couldn't do that with Charlie's book about RVing in Alaska. I tried, but it just didn't work. I'd try to look up some particular thing - and a half hour later I'd be just reading along - absorbed in her adventure.

RVing Alaska! (and Canada) is Charlie's story. It's a true and fascinating story of her ventures into the Alaskan wilderness, her partaking of typical tourist attractions, her mingling and interacting with the Alaskan locals, and her descriptions of how she combines daily life as a working, full-time RVer with having a fantastic time.

If you'd love to go to Alaska, but think you can't - read this book. Charlie will have you there in a matter of minutes.

If you are planning a trip to Alaska - read this book. You need it to help you plan and prepare. It can serve as your travel planner and guidebook. It can save you grief over not knowing what to expect, what to take, how to get where you are going, etc.

If you are already in Alaska - read this book. You will find things you would never find otherwise - everything from peaceful campgrounds to scrumptious clam chowder.