22 ~ Wednesday, February 7. 1990 - North Shore News Book column’s circulation growing HIS WEEK I'd like to abuse readers’ indulgence even more than | usually do by sharing with you a celebra- tion for which you are largely responsible. [believe that itcan be said in all fairness that I have, in these week- ly columns, taken considerable liberties with the bounds of your endurance. Certainly the content of these reviews, both of style and subject matter, bears little resemblance to that found elsewhere, a fact which is no doubt disconcerting if not irritating to those of a more conventional bent. Greener readers might assume that the diverse topics are a whim of statistical chance but battle- hardened veterans know other- wise. No, for better or worse, this column is to books and publishing what breakfast is to the butterily: a repast of many and random dips into whatever catches the eye. This column was never intended to be an academic exercise but in- stead a celebration of books and reading. If, along the way, oppor- tunities arose to identify and defiate some of the more blatant examples of publishing excess then so much the better. There is, after all, no better fun than hauling on the armor of self-righteous in- dignation and riding off with a MIKE STEELE book review licence to slay dragons in the guise of public protector. | confess that | had doubts «when all of this began. After all, thad no way of knowing whether readers would tolerate let alone accept a puckish reviewer running rampant over custom and customers alike. And there was likewise no method of foretelling how readers might welcome a reviewer intent on straying frequently from the heavi- ly trampled paths of the bestseller lists. It’s just that there had always seemed to me to be so much more to books than the handful that were propelled more often by commercial design than merit to prominent positions of attention. And there was never any lack of voice: willing to discuss such books, even if they did represent only the smallest possible fraction of titles produced. Pause for a moment and con- sider this: that of some 90,000 books published each year in North America a/one, afew hun- What started as a book review column in this newspaper only two years ago is, as of this month, the largest print forum for book reviews in Western Canada. Thanks to the North Shore News and its readers, today BOOKS NOW reaches a weekly potential audience of 720,000. Hence what was perhaps rashly termed, in the first paragraph, a celebration; credit or blame, the choice is yours, one As writers are the occasional prey of book reviewers, book reviewers themselves are not im- mune to predation (food chain or fool chain, take your pick). In this case, the B.C. Book Prize orga- nivers have put the bite on me to serve as one of this year’s judges. As a result of that desperate act t have, sitting next to my desk, a carton packed to the brim with contenders for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. Named for the former logger, trapper, guide, writer and patron saint of fly-fishermen who passed away in 1976, the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize is awarded to the author of the book jucyed as one that ‘contributes mos! to the enjoyment and under- stancing of British Columbia.” A substantial cash prize accom- panies the award. Since I'm sure that you'd like to know something about these B.C. books (and since | haven't time to read anything else in addition to the contest entries), we will, sturt- ing next week, be looking at many of the cantenders. CURES ECAR NEY ROA Oo. PASESVOPTES glee FF ‘ fh on waar HM tb. DOEEIHS esis weepstakes started February Ist. Decks, Mountain Bikes, Join in the fun now! You can be earning good money delivering the newspaper one to three days a week, and at the same time be accumulating chances to win dred at most are named to bestseller rolls. What of the rest? What are they about? What have they to say? And what of the books published in Europe, Australia, South America and so on? And then there were the Sony Walkmans and much, much more. There’s even a family trip to Disneyland in the offing. children’s books. Despite the fact that more books are written for children today than at any previous point in publishing histo- ry, seldom are children’s books mentioned in reviews other than during the Christmas season. Why not, when children’s books are available the year ‘round as, pre- sumably, are the children to read them? Would readers accept a book review written to both entertain and inform, one written by a reviewer with catholic tastes and a mischievous eye? Well, as much perhaps to your surprise as mine, it seems vou would and did. Which brings us finally to the reason for this rambl- ing monologue. outstanding prizes. Each month we offer surprise bonus prizes as well. By entering the Sweepstakes you can win Nintendo Control Why not call today? You can be earning good money and participating in the Sweepstakes by next week. 986-1337