What better time of year to buy books? They make great presents for otherwise hard to buy for people, or a treat for yourself to help get you through the dark days of winter.

With that in mind, here is a sampling of some of the books on offer from B.C. publishers.

The Library Book: A History of Service to British Columbia, by Dave Obee, is a great gift for the avid reader on your shopping list. But not a stocking stuffer - the book is large and heavy.

Filled with historical details and background that tracks how libraries have changed over the years, from book lending trucks to Surrey's newest branch at City Centre Library and the incorporation of computers, video games and meeting spaces. Indeed, Obee makes the case that libraries are just as relevant now as ever.

Obee has spent nearly 40 years in journalism in Victoria, the Okanagan Valley, Kamloops and Alberta. He is also the author of a dozen books on history and genealogy.

The Library Book is published by the B.C. Library Association to mark its 100th anniversary.

Among the new titles from Harbour Publishing are two that caught my eye. The first is West Coast Wrecks and Other Maritime Tales, by Rick James.

This book also takes a look at local history, but from a maritime view. James shares his vast knowledge of ships, shipbuilding and shipwrecks. There are also some great photos of notable ships, including the ship that is believed to have given Wreck Beach its name. This is also an entertaining survey of how shipbuilding helped shape the province, both as a maritime centre and the logging industry needed to support the manufacturing of large wooden ships for business and war.

Harbour Publishing has also just released Bill Reid and the Haida Canoe, which is edited by Martine J. Reid.

This gorgeous book not only looks at the impact of Bill Reid's art, it also delves into how he brought one of the most iconic symbols of his mother's culture into the world of fine art.

This book also tells the tale of Reid's ultimate return to his roots in Haida Gwaii in Lootas, paddled by fellow Haida friends, after his death.

Beautifully illustrated in photos and art reproductions, the story is told through Reid's own writings, and is likely one book you'll want to keep for yourself.

Mulligan's Stew (Heritage) is, not surprisingly, about Canadian music icon Terry David Mulligan.

This rollicking tale is told by TDM through Glen Schaefer, and goes from Mulligan's days as a Mountie to his supposedly ignoble switch to radio announcer and onward to the days of TV and videos and beyond.

His tour through the music scene through the decades is fascinating and tough to put down once you start in.

Another local figure is animal wrangler Gary Oliver, who shares his life story in Cinemazoo: My Urban Safari.

Oliver has teamed up with Wendy Bancroft in this title from Granville Island Publishing to reveal the details of another colourful and fascinating local character. Oliver's South Surrey zoo is a draw in itself, and you can learn all about how it came to be.

Many readers have been waiting for the follow up to Daaku, now on bookshelves.

Ranj Dhaliwal, a Surreyite, has picked up the tale of gangster Ruby Pandher in Daaku: The Gangster's Life (New Start Books). Pandher starts out in hospital after being shot by his own crew. Now he needs to get back on his feet and fight back against those looking to take over his business, and he also begins to wonder what life outside the underworld of drugs, violence and parties might be like. The realism is both gripping and rather worrying, but either way, this is a great story.

Surrey publisher Libros Libertad seems to have kicked into high gear recently. The last three titles are all from right here.

The Second Wedding of Doctor Geneva Song, by Robert N. Friedland, is a novel about a woman who marries outside of her culture, and pays a heavy price for it. This book has earned rave reviews so far, and for a good reason.

George Amabile's Small Change is a collection of short stories and an excerpt of a novel in progress. The stories explore the reality of growing up in an inner city environment, but with humour and a sensitivity to the going concerns of boys reaching for adulthood. Like Friedland, Amabile's work has been published in many countries and in many literary magazines.

In a different vein, Manolis, owner and publisher of Libros Libertad, has just released his latest tome of poetry. Vortex is in both Greek and English and, as the name implies, takes readers into the turbulent waters of life. His work has a lovely classical lyricism to it.

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