ANYWAY, I wanted to tip my hat to the great guys at CASTLE PERILOUS GAAMES & BOOKS in Carbondale (207 West Main Street). They have been able to help me out the last couple of years with getting the comic!
I look forward to my next visit to the area so I can visit their shop.
This book is well written, and interesting. It is mostly a collection of people encountering bears while in the wild. Chapters are separated by specific types of encounters. I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter on photographers encountering bears in the wild, and some of their less than ethical ways to get good pictures.
Mike is very open about the pros of carrying proper bear spray when you go hiking in bear territory. In fact, at one time I speculated that the book may have been funded by a bear spray company (they could give out copies of the book as promotional material). He even says in the beginning of the book that the book's purpose is to encourage the use of bear pepper spray, for the safety of the user and for the bear. He includes lots of stories about hikers and others saving themselves and friends by using the spray. He also includes stories of epic bear spray fails (the users often picked up cheaper, generic sprays).
Each story is memorable, and Lapinski does include some graphic tales involving death and dismemberment. He doesn't hold back.
One story that truly sticks with the reader involves a grizzly who becomes the subject of a children's book about a sweet bear tolerant of humans. A month after the publication of the book, the bear would kill and eat a man (she and her cubs would be killed for the incident).
Sure, there are some dark stories like that one in the book, but this would be a good book for just about anyone with an appreciation for nature and the creatures you might encounter.
The whole process takes time, but it is a part of the adventure. And, as you leave your ship and when you return, you go through a warehouse like building at Ward Cove. The building, as you would expect, is set up selling lots of shirt, trinkets, books, gifts, etc. Sure, I am certain most of the stuff here is sold by Norwegian, but we found some good deals, and some interesting selections.
As a book person, I was super excited to encounter Captain William M. Hopkins and his wife selling some of his books at Ward Cove.
They had 3 different volumes there. Each book is small, and you can read each one in one sitting. They clock in at about 50-60 pages a book. Each one has 2-3 stories each.
Don't be fooled by their small size though. Captain Hopkins is good with words, and you won't want to skim these. He is giving descriptive nautical details that are fun to visualize in your mind and think about at length. Each story has a purpose and a nice flow, but the reader will appreciate his descriptions of the ship crews, their conversations and what they are experiencing. You will be able to smell the fish head stew he describes.
The stories often involve a ship getting in to some sort of trouble, often relating to the Alaskan weather conditions. If you have been on an Alaskan cruise, and appreciate the state and its character, especially from a ship, you will enjoys these fun to read books.
It was a treat getting to buy them directly from the author, and chatting with him a bit about his life.
