Thursday, June 30, 2011

Fabulous Finds...

Hey all! I have some more fabulous finds to share with you! Bills Books & Bargains is a wealth of good books... if you have the time to sort through them that is!

My latest purchases are:

-Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
-The Professor by Charlotte Bronte
-According to Jake and the Kid by W.O. Mitchell
-Roses are Difficult Here by W.O.Mitchell
-True Grit by Charles Portis

Wow! I LOVE NEW BOOKS!!! Now I just need to find time to read them all....

Happy Reading!

Monday, June 27, 2011

"Sun Dance" by Sigmund Brouwer (2000) - REVIEW

Goodday and welcome to
"The B.B. Weekly Review"
This week's pick is the third novel in Sigmund Brouwer's 'Sam Keaton Legends of Laramie' series; 'Sun Dance'. Also check out my reviews of the first two books: 'Evening Star' and 'Silver Moon'.
Back Cover Blurb:
Someone wants Samuel Keaton dead. Naturally, ever since he pinned on a badge he's had to overcome lots of bad intentions. But this time the danger seems to be coming from the very officials who hired him to guide them to Sioux territory.
Too late, Keaton discovers that this is no ordinary expedition. And when Sioux women and children are slaughtered in a calvary raid, the finger of blame points squarely at him. Neither his honorary status as blood brother or the efforts of a chief's beautiful granddaughter can forestall the results of a Sun Dance-the legendary and gruesom revenge ceremony.
To survive means living through the darkest days of his fledgling faith. And unless Keaton finds the real culprit, the whole territory may erupt in senseless violence.

Review:
The third novel in Sigmund Brouwer's 'Sam Keaton Legends of Laramie' series brings Sam and his readers face to face with fear, shame, guilt, hurt and temptation. After agreeing to accompany a military expedition into Sioux country in hopes of reconnecting with his love and fulfilling his militray debt, Sam's world is rocked beyond comprehension. Death would be welcome and is only avoided time and again by God's grace and the help of faithful friends countless times. Will Sam be able to bounce back and continue with life in Laramie? This is another intriguing and fast paced novel that continues the adventures of Sam Keaton and keeps the reader coming back for a little more.

My Rating: 4/5

Have you read "Sun Dance" by Sigmund Brouwer? I would love to know what you thought!
Want to read it? Find it on Amazon!
Happy Reading!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Fabulous Finds at Bills Books & Bargains in FSJ!!

I just couldn't resist telling you all about the fabulous finds I made at a used book store here in town (which I am ashamed to say I had never been in before!!). The store itself is crazy... when you walk in, the walls, floors and everything in between is stacked with thousands of books (mostly paperback trash). Walk a little further in to the store and it is an entire emporium of marijuana paraphenalia, knives, belt buckles, signs, etc... with, or course, the walls and shelves still stacked high with books, books and more books. All books are $2 unless otherwise marked... but of course 'Bill' likes to bargain.

I spent my lunch hour rifling through stacks of books and this is what I came up with:

The Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, all new and in perfect condition!
-Anne of Green Gables
-Anne of Avonlea
-Anne of the Island
-Anne of Windy Poplars
-Anne's House of Dreams
-Anne of Ingleside
(They had lots more... Emily of New Moon series, Avonlea series, etc... but I only had so much money!)

The rest of the 'Little House on The Prairie' series that I was missing:
-Farmer Boy
-On The Banks of Plum Creek
-By the Shores of Silver Lake
-These Happy Golden Years
-The First Four Years

I picked up a few clissics I have been wanting to get for quite some time:
-Lord of the Flies by William Golding
-Animal Farm by George Orwell
-Beowulf (I only had this work in collections, not on its own!)
-Middlemarch by George Eliot
-Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
-The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
-The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
-The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

I also found some great historical children's books by Pierre Berton:
-Trapped in the Arctic
-Steel Across the Shield
-Steel Across the Plains
-The Capture of Detroit
-The Death of Tecumseh
-Attack on Montreal
-The Men in Sheepskin Coats
-A Prairie Nightmare
-The Railway Pathfinders

And since I am mentioning new books, I also picked up a couple of classics on my last trip to Kamloops:
-1984 by George Orwell
-Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

What a great day!!! What have you picked up lately and are anxious to read?
Happy Reading!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

"Silver Moon" by Sigmund Brouwer (1994) - REVIEW


Goodday and welcome to
"The B.B. Weekly Review"
Today I am reviewing the second novel in Sigmund Brouwer's 'Sam Keaton Legends of Laramie' series; 'Silver Moon'. Also see my review for the first book 'Evening Star'.
Back Cover Blurb:
The fall of '74 was a bad time to start wearing a badge in Laramie. Try as he might, it seems to Samuel Keaton that, like his pay, too many things just don't add up. An unsolved bank robbery and a double murder only add to the frustration of knowing that many of the townspeople don't trust him.
To make matters worse, a fast-riding, hard-drinking band of ex-Confederate renegades sweeps into town, led by a bold outlaw as cold-hearted and tough as she is beautiful. And even if he can withstand her considerable charms, Keaton still faces the prospect of an explosive showdown-one that will test more than his skill as a gunfighter.
The stakes are high. So much is riding on the outcome and the only person who seems able to help is a doctor haunted by his struggles with sobriety. Now, as he considers his odds for survival, Samuel Keaton wonders if he'll still believe in the truth when all the dust has settled.

Review:
Life has changed for Sam Keaton and he now finds himself on the other side of the bars: as Laramie's new Marshall. A double murder and a bank robbery break in Sam's new career and nearly break him as well. Things heat up around town and good friends are made along the way including Doc and Jake, the newly hired, one-armed deputy. The more Sam digs, the more complicated things become. Will he lose his life and his new faith in the midst of everything? Though very predictable, that is what makes this 'cowboy' novel a fun read. I really enjoyed this second book in the 'Sam Keaton Legends of Laramie' novel and recommend it to all ages and genders.

My Rating: 3/5

Have you read "Silver Moon" by Sigmund Brouwer? I would love to know what you thought!
Want to read it? Find it on Amazon!
Happy Reading!

Monday, June 13, 2011

"Evening Star" by Sigmund Brouwer (1994) - REVIEW


Goodday and welcome to
"The B.B. Weekly Review"
For the next several weeks I will be reviewing an author I recently discovered... well actually I bought the whole series of books about 10 years ago and didn't get around to reading them unitl this year, so recent is relative I guess!
This week's pick is the first novel in the 'Sam Keaton- Legends of Laramie' series by Sigmun Brouwer.
Back Cover Blurb:
Samuel Keaton wasn't looking for trouble when he rode into Laramie. Like so many other cowpunchers on payday, having a good time was uppermost in his trail-weary mind. But a few short hours later he was in the saddle again-this time at full gallop and trailing blood and a posse.
In the aftermath of a gunfight he hadn't provoked, Samuel rediscovers that life on the run is a long gamble with uncertain returns. Aided by an enigmatic Indian, he must summon all his resources to evade not only the law, but the vengeful brother of the man he shot, a slick New York detective, and a roving band of Pawnees.
His only hope for survival lies in unraveling the puzzling tribal legend of Morning Star. But Samuel is uncertain how much he should trust the beautiful woman who holds the key, or what she really wants from him. Complicating matter further are the feelings he just can't ignore, and the nagging sense that there has to be more to a man's life than what he can see or touch.

Review: A true cowboy novel! Full of gun fights, marshals, 'Injuns', horse chases and buffalo, yet honest about personal weakness and failure (Sam Keaton always talks about the 'dime novels' that portray cowboys as invincible and how he has to practice really hard to shoot two handed, etc). The novel also includes historical figures and events mixed with the exciting fictional qualities the 'Wild West' demands. Two worlds collide as Sam Keaton tries to escape his past and the law, while Rebecca Montcalm dives headfirst into an unknown world in search of freedom, family and answers. At times the language seems too 'formal' and forced for the setting, but an all around easy and interesting novel.

My Rating: 3/5

Have you read "Evening Star" by Sigmund Brouwer? I would love to know what you thought!
Want to read it? Find it on Amazon!
Happy Reading!

Monday, June 6, 2011

"Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat (1963) - REVIEW

Goodday and welcome to
"The B.B. Weekly Review"

From the Publisher:

Hordes of bloodthirsty wolves are slaughtering the arctic caribou, and the government's Wildlife Service assigns naturalist Farely Mowat to investigate. Mowat is dropped alone onto the frozen tundra, where he begins his mission to live among the howling wolf packs and study their waves. Contact with his quarry comes quickly, and Mowat discovers not a den of marauding killers but a courageous family of skillful providers and devoted protectors of their young. As Mowat comes closer to the wolf world, he comes to fear with them on onslaught of bounty hunters and government exterminators out to erase the noble wolf community from the Arctic. Never Cry Wolf is one of the brilliant narratives on the myth and magical world of wild wolves and man's true place among the creatures of nature. "We have doomed the wolf not for what it is, but for what we deliberately and mistakenly perceive it to be -- the mythological epitome of a savage, ruthless killer -- which is, in reality, no more than the reflected image of ourself." -- from the new preface to Never Cry Wolf
Review: Mowat is one of my favourite authors and once again live's up to Canadian's expectations with this tale of life in the North; "Never Cry Wolf". The book itself is very interesting and educational, both with regards to wolves and human nature. Mowat's signature satire and sense of humour keep you engaged throughout the tale of living and observing the great Canadian wolves. Definitely recommended.

My Rating: 4/5

Have you read "Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat? I would love to know what you thought!
Want to read it? Find it on Amazon!
Happy Reading!