Early on last winter I discovered a new non-fiction book titled “The Grizzly in the Driveway: The Return of Bears to a Crowded American West” by Robert Chaney. The subject matter of this new book was interesting and relevant to our locale. The author is a Montana native with decades of journalistic experience, much of which has involved the grizzly.
Selecting books for a non-fiction collection involves considering the interests of patrons, current events and preserving historical integrity. This title was a solid selection for our library’s non-fiction collection. I also put it on my personal reading list.
The title was added to the Library’s non-fiction collection in March. Naturally patrons had first choice to checkout the book and they did so immediately. This book did not sit for long on the shelf, so I patiently waited my turn, which finally came in July.
Coincidently – that same month – my husband was chosen to review this title for the 2021 High Plains Book Awards, a non-profit organization originally started by the Billings Public Library Board of Trustees. Charlie received a copy of the book in the mail and on one hot summer evening showed me his assigned read. I laughed out loud and shared that I purchased the book for the Library and it was on my book reading list. “The Grizzly in the Driveway” seemed to naturally gravitate to us for an abundance of reasons. At this point, we decided to read it together.
“What page are you on?” we’ve curiously asked each other on multiple occasions (usually I was ahead).
It is a true pleasure to read with a partner or book club, as it’s fun to be “on the same page” and have good conversations while the story moves along. I highly encourage all readers to partner up with a friend, spouse, daughter/son or a book club to delve into the experience of sharing a book and discuss as the story unfolds. Double the pleasure and you’ll double the fun.
The High Plains Book Awards was established in 2006. The volunteer-based non-profit reviews books from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and the Canadian province of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. For more information, go to www.highplainsbookawards.org.
