Montana Books

WINTER TRAILS provides wonderful excursions for any snowshoe enthusiast. The descriptions are accurate and after reading it, it will be hard not to grab your shoes and get going!

Informatively written by historian, archivist and educator Charles Mutschler, Wired For Success: The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway, 1892-1985 is the exciting and enthusiastically recommended story of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway, how it became a pioneer electric railway system, and the impact it had on America from the late 1800's to the modern day. Black-and-white photographs combine with narrative description so real it transports the reader into a bygone era of railroading history.

I've read all of Mildred Walker's novels and have often wondered why they were set in Vermont, the Midwest or in Montana and how the author had such different stories to tell in each novel. Reading about where the novelist spent much of her life and with whom, it all made sense. I am anxious to re-read each novel, and compare my memory with the insights that Ms. Hugo had added about the circumstances under which they were written.

It was fascinating to read about about how Mildred Walker kept her life as a novelist separate from her life as a mother. And characters in her novels may not have been people she enjoyed associating with in life.

Thank you Ripley Hugo, for adding to my enjoyment of your mother's books!

I have been fishing the Yellowstone for seven years, inside and outside the Park. This book captures what the fishing on this magnificent river is all about. The pictures are very neat (not top-notch, yet they are taken by a high-level amateur). It has been created by people who are willing to share their knowledge of the river and the awe we all feel when we are lucky enough to be on the water. Pictures are taken during all seasons. The book shows the environment, as well as the angling itself.

In addition to the guide books, I recommend this to anyone traveling to Yellowstone as a book to read before they go.

In a concise format, the National Park Service does an excellent job of explaining the geology and natural history of the park, the wildlife and the history of the development and use of the park as a public resource. The explanation of the caldara and the volcanic activity that formed Yellowstone and continues to animate it to this day is fascinating. Warning: The "big one" when it comes, is likely to come through Yellowstone, probably the place on the earth where the protective crust is thinnest between us and hot magma below.

The books also includes very good maps and wonderful pictures. An excellent primer that will whet your appitite to visit one of our great parks.

This is the funniest book I have read in years. I found myself constantly laughing out loud.

Author Michael B. Muri has been a bartender in Montana for over 30 years. He is obviously a good listener with a fine sense of humor. During his life, he has experienced people with a wide range of philosophies about life. Whenever someone said something that struck him as humorous or insightful, he would write it down and save it. This book is a collection of those quotes and witticisms.

I highly recomend the book.

Do you know many science-fiction books that quote Latin? Where the heroes are monks and abbots? Where the protagonists argue over illuminated manuscripts? A Canticle for Leibowitz has an appeal well beyond science-fiction fans.

Too much of it shouldn't be given away, but the story takes place after a nuclear war and concerns the fight to preserve what is left of human literacy and knowledge. Of course, this is about the need for spirituality and wisdom to balance progress in scientific pyrotechnics. But A Canticle for Leibowitz is first and foremost an utterly convincing political fable, interwoven with a host of private adventures and tribulations. And while nuclear holocaust may sound less likely today than in the 1950s, what is astonishing is that this book hasn't aged a bit, that it has none of the technological and contextual faux pas that makes so much of science fiction dated.

Walter Miller wrote with authority, conviction and humour. His dialogue between churchmen is jaw-dropping in its veracity; I couldn't believe afterwards that he was never a priest or a novice. The novel's politics are as credible as they are subtle. Miller creates a reality in which you will find yourself completely immersed without wanting to leave it, however harsh it may be. My only quibble, in fact a major disappointment is that, incredibly, Walter Miller never wrote anything else.

Theme of this fifty-plus-year-old book -- written with some sardonic wit -- is what happens when nearly all recorded history is lost, and survivors have to reconstruct civilization almost from zero.

To me, the book is a "heads up" for today. With our indifference to past events that predicted and create threats we now face, we could be headed to chaos similar to the destruction Mr. Miller wrote about.

This book is still incredible and incredibly prophetic 50 years after it was written. Monks try to preserve what is left of a culture after a nuclear war. The three sections of the novel each follow a different era in the history of the monastery. But in style and content-a science fiction story about a group of people trying to preserve knowledge after the fall of civilization told over several generations- is very much comparable to the Foundation series(also excellent). The main difference between these two stories is that the former is very much imbued with a Catholic worldview while the other has a more secular scientific perspective. Miller spend much of his own novel considering that worldview. One of the themes seems to be this:technological progress and moral progress are not synonymous. The same science that gave us all our modern wonders also gave us the capability to destroy it all in a nuclear war. Of course, the same could be said of the church. Perhaps that is Miller's one fault in the book. The church almost seems too perfect in this book. While Catholics believe Christ is perfect, that doesn't mean the church itself is always perfect(thought it is always guided by Christ to perfect itself). The same religion that gave us monks who preserved and revived learning also gave us the inquisition. In science, religion or any field, humans can make mistakes.

If a man were only to write one novel in his lifetime, there are very few that could top this. This is a very disturbing, funny, and angry piece of writing. It takes place somewhere in the Utah high desert in the aftermath of a nuclear war. The abbey in the Utah desert preserves what is left of the "pre-deluge" knowledge of mankind and the technological secrets that led to the apocalypse of a Nuclear War. This is not only great science fiction, it is great modern literature. The storyline is easy to follow in itself but there are symbols and allegories lurking just underneath the surface of the prose and descriptive narratives that bring the reader back again to study this book. There is a lot of Latin and the tradition of the Catholic church as a refuge for knowledge is part of the book's central theme. What lies beneath is a morality play; the medieval mentality that technology and knowledge are some how dangerous secrets reemerges in the aftermath of the apocalypse. "Lucifer" will rise again-"lucifer" being technology-a kind of Frankenstein's monster.

The book moves through time and starts in the darkness of the post-apocalypse. A young initiate to the Utah Abbey is spending a hermitage in the desert and finds, through the help of a wandering pilgrim, an old fallout shelter. Inside the shelter he finds some notes that were written by a Jewish Engineer (the mythical founder of the Abbey) who was part of the military industrial complex. His shopping list from his wife "Pound pastrami, can of kraut, six bagels--bring home for Emma," becomes a kind of secret, cryptic document and his engineering scribbles become an ancient, secret tome. There is a kind of dark humor here that shouldn't escape the reader. Censorship and suppression of knowledge by the church is a central theme and it is very important to grasp some of the significance of this when reading this novel for the first time.

As the novel jumps through time, there is theme throughout of the circularity of man's fate in the world. Through his discoveries and technological gains, mankind creates the seeds for his own destruction. This book is a profound meditation on the dark ages and the idea that scientific knowledge can be dangerous is the central theme. It is best for the reader to familiarize his or herself with some Latin phrases and it is good to read this book with a dictionary nearby. Underneath all of the prose are hidden messages and underlying thematic currents that are masterfully conceptualized and presented.

This was the author's only novel during his life time and it is an expansion of some of his short stories that he published in the Sci-Fi Zines' of the 50's. This is definitely a period piece and hearkens back to the cold war and the threat of nuclear war which hovered over that generation. It strikes a chord for me in that when I was living through the end of the cold war, I was convinced that the end of western civilization was an inevitability. I started reading "The Road" and it led me back to this novel which I had read in my college days. This is a book that should be visited again and again. Within its pages lies a wealth of knowledge, incredible symbolism and allegory and it is an angry, profound piece of post-apocalyptic writing. It stands on its own with novels such as the Beach & the Road. I recommend it for all readers who are interested in this literary genre.

The monks of Medieval times spent much of their life copying manuscripts in philosophy and theology that further generations would read, thus maintaining lost knowledge after the decline of Western civilization following the fall of the Roman Empire. Through their efforts and Islamic scholars classical Greek thought was introduced back into Europe and facilitated the reawakening of Europe.

Now a nuclear holocaust has put humanity back into barbarism, and the monks are keeping blueprints of circuit designs and they have no idea what they mean, and a recipe of items that do not exist anymore. As time progresses humanity once again civilizes itself and the new scientists are interested in the data kept by the monks. It doesn't take long for one of the scientists to become at odds with the monks with his speculations.

This is a classic, tragic tale of how the hubris of knowledge without the humility to use for a moral end will always bring disaster. Walter Miller was a disturbed figure, and it shows reading this. It was probably his mental disturbance that lead him to know so well the foibles of human beings and how easy it is to bring about destruction though ego thinly rationalized as good intentions.

How could you not like Nora Roberts? I loved Montana Sky. You feel like you are experiencing what the sisters were going through. I could feel myself getting so caught up in this book I could not put it down. I really enjoyed it. Keep up the great writing.

I have been looking forward to reading a Nora Roberts or J.D. Robb book for a few years now and i finally got started on one...Montana Sky. It started out ok and then I was very disappointed when being the animal lover that I am, i had to read graphic details of how a killer tortured and killed 4 animals and a human in a most grotesquely horrific manner. This has ruined the whole book for me and i am so disappointed that i can not finish the book now. It could have been a good story with interesting characters even though you can see right thru it and tell who will wind up with who, i really wish the author did not ruin it with these grotesque torture and killings of animals. I dont think i would want to read another one of her books because of this. I would imagine the majority of her readers are females and i am not quite sure how many females do enjoy reading of animals being tortured, killed, decapitated. Totally ruined the book and any future books by this author for me.
Big disappointment.

This is seriously the best book i have ever read. I was upset that the book was over. I wish Nora Roberts would make a sequel to this book. I already bought the movie and i loved it too. This is a must read.

I am NOT a reader but enjoyed the movie based on the book so decided to give the book a try. I was completely hooked after only a few chapters. To the point that I read it in 3 days, I couldn't put it down, I had to find out what happened next. Even though I knew basically what was going to happen since I'd seen the movie. Roberts gives such great detail and makes you feel as though you are there and can almost feel the emotions of the characters. It has a mystery and a great love story that are perfectly molded together. It seems to have something for whatever mood your in. The characters are descriptive and personal and you care what happens to them. The dialoge is witty,very entertaining and sensual at times. You are rooting for the sisters to make it through the year and come out a family. And you definetly want Ben and Willa to find the love they both want and deserve. This book was so captivating that I got several more Nora Roberts books and have enjoyed them all. However Montana Sky is by far my favorite of the 7 or 8 I've read so far.

This story centers around three sisters. Willa has lived on Mercy Ranch her entire life. Even though she grew up with her father, he never approved of her or had a nice thing to say to her. Tess is all Hollywood. She is a writer, and thrives in that environment. Then there is Lily, who is shy, and afraid of her own shadow. She has been running from her abusive ex for a long time, and longs to find somewhere she belongs. When Jack dies, all three are brought to Montana. They find out that they must live together or lose out on their inheritance. If they can survive all the twists and turns, they may have found the family each one needs.

It is a great book, and very intense read. The characters are written very well, and the secondary characters are important to the story also. A little more violence than I am comfortable with, but I think it was necessary to the story.

Having had ADHD since birth and as a recovering alcholic, I found this books to answer the many questions that I had regarding the disease. I was always a self-medicator and that turns out to be a classic symptom of ADHD. Five years and no drugs or alcohol!

I am an MD and knew for years I did not think like other people-in fact it was extremely difficult to think at all. Getting through med school was tough; I studied constantly and would read and re-read the weighty textbooks; still only "average" among my classmates, after a stellar (and very structured) high school and college performance.

Every page of this book had an "aha" moment for me, brought me to tears numerous times when I saw how comparable my suffering was with the Hallowell patients. Knowledge of this malady alone has helped tremendously.

A well written book which listed case studies but did not fulfill my expectation with assistance for solutions to this problem of ADHA.

I have two nephews with ADD/ADHD and possibly more undiagnosed relatives which made me curious that maybe I had ADD/ADHD. I read this book and I really related to a lot of the stories and it gave me hope that there could be help for me. I wasn't really a problem student, just got in trouble often and had problems reading but I excelled at math and science (although teachers said I was an underachiever). Fast forward, I have a masters in electrical engineering but had problems in classes I had to read a lot (English, Psychology, etc.). The book also points out that Attention Deficit Disorder isn't really accurate since deficit isn't accurate. The book points out that with ADD you have difficulty paying attention most of the time, BUT you also have the ability to hyperfocus on some subjects which makes everyone different.
One con/pro about the book is it written before DSM-IV (which has small set of criteria) and it lists its own criteria. I found this books older more expansive criteria more helpful than the DSM-IV criteria.
Since I read this book, I've been officially diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and am hopeful about treatment (haven't started yet).

The ADD/ADHD "Owners Manual." Understand how your "engine" works, what kind of fuel it needs, how to tune-up, rev-up and just plain operate your race-car brain to it's highest potential! This book clears up myths and gives you the low-down on what ADD's all about. Great for parents, spouses and teachers as well. Knowledge about this often confusing and misunderstood subject will give the reader new hope and a brand-new outlook on their lives or their child's life...past, present, and future.

I really enjoyed the book so did my friends. It was in very good condition.

I enjoyed this novel. For the first time you see the characters letting their hair down and having fun doing human things and not so human things. It was also the great read Feehan fans have come to love. I like that she managed to share a bit of all the characters without rushing the story line. It flows and i am sure you will enjoy it as well.

Write on, read on
N.M. Phillips

the story is captivating and it sums up all the differnt story lines up to this point.

For anyone who has read any of Christine Feehan's Dark Series books this book is sort of like a recap on all of the previous books she's written by re-introducing the characters during a Christmas celebration in the Carpathian Mountains. It also hints at future plots for her other books that haven't come out yet. I would really recommend that you read the other books before this one to understand the full effect of the story line but you should be able to make it through if you want to read just this one.

I've read everything Christine Feehan has written. I love all her stuff. I'm so excited when a new book comes out!