Favorite Books

Feel free to ignore if this suggestion is too off-topic, but one of my all time favorite books is, 'Winterdance', by Gary Paulsen. True story of training for ( in Minnesota ) and running the Iditarod. I've never laughed out loud so much reading a book as I have with this one! Enjoy...
 
Moose Dog said:
Feel free to ignore if this suggestion is too off-topic, but one of my all time favorite books is, 'Winterdance', by Gary Paulsen. True story of training for ( in Minnesota ) and running the Iditarod. I've never laughed out loud so much reading a book as I have with this one! Enjoy...
You should hear him read the book. I nearly ruptured my face trying to keep from losing it. This is a great read/listen.
 
While in Canyonlands, I picked up Wallace Stegner's "Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West". A great read, with a huge amount of detail. Read it carefully/slowly, or you'll miss good material.
 
Wandering Sagebrush said:
While in Canyonlands, I picked up Wallace Stegner's "Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West". A great read, with a huge amount of detail. Read it carefully/slowly, or you'll miss good material.
It's been a long time since I last read this...maybe due for another round. At least, add it to the library in my Kindle to have it at the ready.
 
I really like Stegner, but don't know this book. Must find it and read it. Thanks, Mr. Sage.

And I'll also have to find, Modoc, the Tribe that Wouldn't Die. Again thanks for both of these.
 
The Emerald Mile
by: Kevin Fedarko

If you like reading about the Colorado River and their epic whitewater, then this is a great book!
 
One of my favorite books is by Howard Frank Mosher. "Disappearances" . It is out of print but can be found on Abebooks.com . It is a great place to find books for cheap. The book is about the Canadian-Vermont border... an area know here as the Northeast Kingdom. It is a tall tale told about Quebec Bill (pronounced keybeck). Thoroughly entertaining and very well written.
I have given this book to many people and, to a one, all loved it.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=howard+frank+mosher&sts=t&tn=disappearances
 
Mormon country, by Wallace Stegnar.

A good read if you want some insight into the culture and attitudes in southern utah.
 
Any books on the Basque country in northern nevada area? I was just up there this past weekend and was smitten with the wild beauty of the area. In looking around for some literary inspiration, i came across this book: Sweet Promised Land by Robert Lamalt. Ordered it.
 
Been awhile since anyone's posted on this topic.

Just read "The Last Season" by Eric Blehm. Story of the disappearance of Randy Morgenson, a backcountry ranger in Kings Canyon/Sequoyah NP for 28 seasons.
 
Reading a coupe right now. I'm on Storm Prey, in the Prey series by John Sanford. I like this series, the books are all about 350-400 pages and can be easily read on a camping weekend 9well by me anyways).

I'm also reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. For anyone who has worked the kitchen, or had family that has worked in a kitchen it is a great read. My father was a professional Chef for decades, and struggled with mental health issues for his life...which seems to have provided a small connection to Mr. Bourdain and hiswritings. I also worked the line for a number of years while in college and can relate to some of the stories of life as a cook and the strange and odd personalities the cooking life seems to attract.
 
Just read Fire Season by Philip Connors. Connors worked as a fire lookout in the Gila Wilderness for 10 years. Great read about his take on the history of wilderness and fire management as well as his observations of the natural world. Ironic that as I was finishing the book the Camp Fire had just broken out.
 
Ronin's recommendation above, along with the incredibly tragic current and recent firestorms in California, reminded me of Norman Maclean's nonfiction work "Young Men and Fire". "Young Men and Fire" was first published in 1992 some 16 years after the 1976 release of Maclean's first work, the novel "A River Runs Through It". "River" was published when he was 73 and Maclean had died in 1990 before "Young Men" was released.

"Young Men and Fire" is an extraordinarily detailed account and analysis of the Mann Gulch Fire, a "blowup" which caused the deaths of 13 of the 15 US Forest Service Smokejumpers who had jumped on the scene in the Gates of the Mountains area along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front in August 1949. "Young Men" is well-documented and includes lots of maps and sketches, but I found myself with my Montana Benchmark and DeLorme at my side the whole time I was reading it about 20 years ago.

Those with firefighting, SAR, exploration, and related backgrounds would find "Young Men" a hard book to put down.

Foy
 
There are enough books listed to keep me going for quite some time. Thanks to all for your additions.

Ivan Doig grew up in Montana as the son of an itinerant stock man. His memoir This House of Sky documents the life he had as his widowed father and maternal grandmother tried to create a family and some stability for this only child as they moved from ranch to ranch and small town to small time so Ivan could get his education. It is an interesting read as they are definitely Wandering the West.

If Ivan's writing sets well with you, then try English Creek, Dancing At the Rascal Fair, and Prairie Nocturn. There are several others.

Willa Cather is another great writer and all of her books are excellent.
John Steinbeck wrote East of Eden, which I only recently discovered. EXCELLENT.
Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See , Amazing story taking place in Vichy France during WW ll. The story of a blind boy and a secret homemade radio.
Ian W. Toll, Six Frigates, A very readable and interesting true story of how the US Navy began.

Mitchell Zuckoff, Lost in Shangri-la, A True story of Survival, Adventure and eventual rescue of some pilots and friends who crashed into a high altitude, never before seen valley in New Guinea with a remarkable encounter with StoneAge people.
Hannah Nordhaus, The Beekeepers Lament
Daniel James Brown, The Boys In the Boat

I recommend all of the above.
 

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