“There are about 115 hot springs mentioned in this book, some well-known and easy to access, others much visited but more of a trudge to get to (boat or plane needed), and some more recently discovered and worth the trek to visit. Most of the hot springs discussed in the book give the route to reach the place, fine photographs, and excellent primers and teasers in what will be seen when there.” Ron Dart reviews Hot Springs of Western Canada: A Complete Guide (4th edition) by Glenn Woodsworth & David Woodsworth (Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2023) $26.95 / 9781990776441
“Myth is the only truth, says Eros, echoing Jung, and perhaps we would be better served by a novel that focused more on myth and less on boring humans.” —Sheldon Goldfarb reviews A Bouquet of Darts: A European Travel Mystery, by Reed Stirling (Drayton Valley: BWL Publishing, 2024) $18.99 / 9780228631309
This memoir, a “whimsical look at the fall of the British Empire,” features anecdotes about the author’s assorted encounters with celebrities over the decades. —Valerie Green reviews Celebrities Who Have Met Me: A Child of the Lost Empire, by John D’Eathe (Vancouver: Adagio Media, 2024) $21.99 9781999433925
“Whistler Hiking is divided into three main sections with, understandably so, the front stage given to a detailed, visual, and evocative approach to the shorter, medium, and longer treks in the Whistler area.” Ron Dart reviews Whistler Hiking by Marc Bourdon (Squamish: Quickdraw Publications, 2024) $34.95
“Here, Haye’s drug of choice is speed, and not the illicit kind, for his clear-eyed aim is to track the fastest trains in history and to look to those that are coming in the future.” —Ron Verzuh reviews Quest for Speed: A History of Trains from Rocket to Bullet and Beyond, by Derek Hayes (Madeira Park, BC: Douglas & McIntyre, 2024) $44.95 / 978177162379
“Consider the evocative words of the book’s subtitle: ‘A Year Inside the Life of a Chronic Adventurer.’ The three key words? ‘inside,’ ‘life,’ and ‘chronic.’ Why? As much as this is the account of three long expeditions, it is also a frank and supercharged self-portrait. Holding back is not something Wolf does. On the contrary.” Theo Dombrowski reviews Two Springs, One Summer: a year inside the life of a chronic adventurer, by Frank Wolf (Victoria: Rocky Mountain Books, 2024) $28 / 9781771606844
“Most readers are likely to experience the whole narrative sequence, not as a life arc, but, rather, a scrapbook of incidents, many wonderfully ‘insane’.”—Theo Dombrowski reviews Have Bassoon, Will Travel: Memoir of an Adventurous Life in Music, by George Zukerman (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2024) 24.95 / 9781553807131
“Henry Miller said that Blaise Cendrars was the man Ernest Hemingway wanted to be.” Jim Christy writes an essay to introduce A Dangerous Life, Vol. 1: True tales from the life and times of Blaise Cendrars, the world’s greatest vagabond by David J. MacKinnon (translation), Blaise Cendrars
(Gananoque, ON: Guernica Editions, 2024)
$24.95 / 9781771839228
Essay collection relates the “great pleasure of strolling in great cities” and offers an appealing and illuminating “window into a wider world.” —Bill Paul reviews The Coincidence Problem: Selected Dispatches 1999-2022, by Stephen Osborne (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024) $24.95 / 9781551529653
“[Neering] begins the book with some powerful words: ‘More than 30 years ago, wandering the province for a book on small town life in B.C., I sat with one of the Ktunaxa band counsellors on the St. Mary’s reserve near Cranbrook. David talked about ‘that place over there’ —the hated residential school that dominated the centre of the reserve. He described the beatings, the deprivation—but he also described the traditions and rebirth of pride among the Ktunaxa.'” Valerie Green reviews A Traveller’s Guide to Historic British Columbia (revised), by Rosemary Neering (Vancouver: Whitecap Books, 2023) $34.95 / 9781770503700
Veteran mystery writer returns with an intriguing case, a “captivating, enigmatic” style, and a chase for clues across England. —Valerie Green reviews Bad Boy (A Jason Davey Mystery), by Winona Kent (New Westminster: Blue Devil Books, 2024) $19.99 / 97817390418
Atmospheric and poetic writing supports a striking novel that follows an aunt and niece on a perilous, uncertain journey. —Bill Paul reviews Bad Land, by Corinna Chong (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024) $24.95 / 9781551529592
‘Bill Arnott is different: he’s looking around. And what does he see? Not what I would see. In the middle of reading this book, I thought, Let’s look around on a walk like he does.’ Sheldon Goldfarb reviews A Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot
by Bill Arnott (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024) $24.95 / 9781551529639
A fun and easy beach read, this Mexican resort-set murder mystery brings together secrets, ulterior motives, and extravagant wealth. —Candace Fertile reviews The Plus One, by S.C. Lalli (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2024) $25.99 / 9781443467049
In this touching poetic novel, a pair of exes are accompanied by simmering grief and guilt as they journey from southern Ontario to Tofino. —Jessica Poon reviews Moon Road, by Sarah Leipciger (Toronto: Viking, 2024) $26.00 / 9780735249691
“Harrington devotes a separate chapter to each of the fifteen largest islands, namely Gabriola, Thetis, Salt Spring, North and South Pender, Saturna, Mayne, Galiano, Hornby, Denman, Quadra, Cortes, Savary, Bowen, Gambier, and Lasqueti, in that order.” Jack Little reviews Voices for the Islands: Thirty Years of Nature Conservation on the Salish Sea
by Sheila Harrington (Victoria: Heritage House, 2024) $34.95 / 9781772034929
Novel about American socialite struggles to unearth the woman behind the “constant posturing.” —Candace Fertile reviews Peggy, by Rebecca Godfrey with Leslie Jamison (Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2024) $36.00 / 97803458082
“Howard White, the founder of Harbour Publishing and author of Raincoast Chronicles, is well qualified to write this updated edition of his popular guide to B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. He has lived there since childhood in the 1950s and has travelled to every nook and cranny of the jagged coastline, visiting all the unique communities along the way.” Ron Verzuh reviews The Sunshine Coast: From Gibsons to Powell River (Third Edition)
by Howard White, photography by Dean van’t Schip (Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2024) $36.95 (hard cover) / 9781990776809
“Once people see the inequities in the world, it is hard to unsee them – Dr. Mayhew’s descriptions bring a humanity and familiarity in a way to a very different culture.” Dr. Laura Sauvé reviews Hand on My Heart: A Canadian Doctor’s Awakening in Afghanistan by Maureen Mayhew (Qualicum Beach: Caitlin Press, 2023) $26 / 9781773861029
