Christmas may be over but there's still time to enjoy a little holiday reading. Enjoy a little taste of B.C. from the cozy comfort of your favourie armchair with one of these local book options.
Whether a person's only been in B.C. a few years or a lifetime, they are sure to find something informative or nostalgic in The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver, published by Harbour.
Though he didn't live to finish his massive work, it was completed by a first-class team of writers, historians, archivists and editors.
Davis's easy-to-read style, the anecdotes and stories, with many historic pictures on almost every page, make for pleasant browsing, from the great fire, to Elvis at the Empire, or the erection of the East Van sign, it's all here.
For B.C. buffs, there's a wide choice to suit all tastes. Neighbourhoods? Try Opening Doors - In Vancouver's East End, by D. Marlatt and C. Itter. Our province and its pioneers? There's Beyond The Home Ranch, by Diana Phillips; Texada Tapestry, by Heather Harbord; The Kelowna Story - An Okanagan History, by Sharron J. Simpson - all well illustrated.
If your taste is biography, there's a new reprint of Howard White's A Hard Man to Beat - The Story of Bill White: Labour Leader, Historian, Shipyard Worker, Raconteur. White's story is that of a turbulent labour time in our province.
Caring and Compassion: A History of the Sisters of St. Ann in Health Care in British Columbia is a fascinating account of four sisters from Quebec who came to early B.C. and established hospitals and schools that serve us today.
West Coast Wrecks & Other Maritime Tales, by Rick James, combines the sea, adventure and mystery, in great stories.
For nature buffs, there's the big and beautifully illustrated British Columbia's Magnificent Parks: The First 100 Years, by James D. Anderson.
Or how about a new publication by Calypso Press, Trees of the Northwest, by J. Duane Sept?
The book is llustrated with excellent, clear colour photos in a compact format.
There's also Harbour's small leaflet format A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest, by Daniel Winkler, with very good photos and descriptions in a neat accordion-folded, easy-to-carry leaflet.
Ultimate Trout Fishing in the Pacific Northwest, by Larry E. Stefanyk, talks about and illustrates fish, catching gear, lures and locations - everything the angler needs to know.
Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, by Charles Kahn, tells the reader how to get to, what to see, where to stay and why our coastal islands have attractions that lure world hikers. Illustrated and with maps. (All by Harbour Publishing.)
Beautiful full-page portraits and inspiring stories are in Remarkable Yukon Women, by Claire Festel and illustrated by Valerie Hodgson. This book is about women from Canada, and the world, who loved, influenced and helped build their chosen territory.
Suitable for almost anyone is Mike McCardell's Here's Mike, the latest collection of his amusing, inspiring and sometimes mindboggling glimpses into our everyday world.
Full of inspiration? So You Want to Write a Children's Book, by awardwinning author Peter Carver (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) for would-be writers and illustrators, is a practical guidebook covering everything from ideas and getting it down to approaching publishers and using new technology.
These are just a sampling - your book store will give you even more ideas.
