copyright 1998

If you've been disappointed that Peter Hoeg has not written a book similar in place and feel to Smilla's Sense of Snow, you might try this Lapland psychological thriller. Ekman's second work to be translated into English, Under the Snow rewards the reader willing to work through all of its Nordic cultural references.

Shark fishing, tall tales, and existentialism. In the Slick of the Cricket is a biographical treatment of the real-life fishing captain whose exploits served as inspiration for Peter Benchley's Jaws. The story offers echoes of Melville, Faulkner, and Hemingway, and plenty of testosterone.

Fighting Fire, A Personal Story, by Caroline Paul

copyright 1998

Ever dreamed of being a fire fighter? Caroline Paul did, and traded in her film school light meter for a spot in the San Francisco Fire Department as one of its first female recruits. A first-person tale of the life of a firefighter and of fighting gender barriers in the workplace. Unfortunately, Paul finds that discrimination is still alive and well.

It's no secret that San Juan County has a huge number of gardeners, and all of the county's libraries have great selections of gardening books. One book recently published, however, belongs as part of the permanent collection in every gardener's home. The Well Tended Perennial Garden isn't just full of pretty pictures of idealized gardens; rather, it has incredibly thorough, practical advice on how to plant, prune and maintain a huge number of common, and not so common, perennials. If you only buy one gardening book this year, buy this one - it's excellent.