Marsh Girl, Maulings, and a Virgin

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

• the story of a ‘Marsh Girl’ by the name of Kya who lives on the North Carolina coast and the intertwined death of a handsome local boy named Chase Andrews
• the author weaves an amazing story about this misunderstood girl who raises herself from a very young age and becomes involved with two locals boys who are intrigued by her wild beauty
• Kya’s knowledge of her surrounding landscape shapes her journey of survival as mother nature becomes her caretaker in navigating the world around her
• sometimes it’s hard to articulate what makes a book so enjoyable to read, but this heart-wrenching story of survival is one of my all-time favorites
• it’s one of those books that 100 pages from the end are impossible to set down

 

The Black Grizzly Of Whiskey Creek by Sid Marty

• in the summer of 1980, the citizens of Banff, Alberta were shocked when a man staggered out of the bush, terribly injured in a bear attack
• this event was the start of a summer of unprecedented terror in this beautiful mountain town

• the author had extensive first-hand knowledge of the event and used this experience as well as his local contacts to combine it with a daring work of the imagination by portraying some of the bear’s thoughts
• given that this story took place in my backcountry playground near my Canmore recreation property, it certainly created a lot of pause for thought with the amount of time I spend in bear country
• despite somewhat extensive background information and research, I felt the story could have been told in a much shorter version and hence was perhaps more suitable for a magazine article than a full-length book
• while the story attempted to add the perspective of the bears, I felt this gave it a bit of a fictional twist that didn’t blend completely with the true events
• the most notable part of the story is the impact that it had on the future preservation of this amazing species of animal
• I would rate it as a worthwhile read for anyone that spends time in the backcountry

 

Losing My Virginity – Richard Branson – The Autobiography

• Richard is one of the most unusual, frequently outrageous, but greatest business minds of all time
• from his humble UK upbringing through his many business ventures this book tells the story of a chap who does not want to be denied on anything he believes in
• who would have thought that a name like ‘Virgin’ could be so synonymous with such internationally acclaimed companies
• some of his sporting endeavors, particularly the international balloon rides, are epic tales, that depict how his business and sporting mentality is intertwined

• a great read for those that think, and those that don’t think, that a person needs an extensive scholastic background to building successful companies
• despite being a long book, it’s an easy, fun read that I would highly recommend
• when people ask me what famous person I would like to meet, Richard Branson has always come to mind, and this book solidifies this thought (I wonder if he would mind if I dropped in unannounced to Necker Island)