I know what you're probably thinking: A For Dummies book? This book is actually surprisingly well written and also quite interesting. Canada has its own rich and often ignored history, and this book presents it in a entertaining manner, often with a wry smile as the author (who is Canada's answer to Bill Bryson) adds his asides to the mix.

The exciting and surprisingly violent story recounts the tale of a dog named Buck kidnapped from his sedentary existence in California and thrust into the wilderness during the Yukon Gold Rush. Buck finds himself yielding to the call of the untamed wilderness in a way that will resonate with anyone who loves the outdoors.

This is one classic book that deserves every bit praise that has been heaped on it over the last few decades. This is my favorite Steinbeck novel (and from an author who I think never missed the mark, that is saying something), and is one of the most moving books I have ever read.

I have to be honest here--when I picked this book up I expected it to be a decent (albeit terribly girly) children's story about an orphan growing up on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Instead, I ended up staying up late several nights in a row to finish it because I was enjoying it so much! This is a wonderful, warm (and not too girly, just for the record) story with a completely disarming main character that had me laughing out loud on a regular basis.  This was definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time.

This book takes the semi-mythical horror of the Hiroshima explosion and makes it real and shockingly immediate. Though this book is quite short, it gets a surprising amount done as it follows the true stories four different people in the aftermath of the disaster. In my opinion, John Hersey is one of the forgotten greats of American Literature, ranking up there with Steinbeck and Hemingway, and his talents are on great display here.

This is a terrific novel from one of Montana's literary giants. Telling the story of a group of settlers making their way across the nation on the Oregon Trail, this book manages to avoid cliche while giving readers exactly what they want from a western: adventure, great scenery and moving portraits of the strong men and women who press on despite difficulties facing them.