Blaine County Library

The Montana Book Award is an annual award that recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in a book published during the award year. Eligible titles are either set in Montana, deal with Montana themes/issues, or are written, edited or illustrated by a Montana author or artist. Books for all ages are considered for the award. The 2024 winner is The Entire Sky by Joe Wilkins. In The Entire Sky, author Joe Wilkins weaves a poignant story about a troubled boy on the run, an aging rancher, and a woman at a crossroads, who find unexpected solace and kinship in the family they make. Set in rural Montana, it intertwines themes of personal resilience and redemption with the search for belonging in the face of physical and emotional trauma. The Entire Sky is an evocative and beautiful exploration of one’s personal sense of isolation against the great expanse of the Montana landscape. The award honor book is Birding for Boomers by Sneed Collard III. Birding for Boomers is a friendly, accessible, and humorous guide to discovering the joys of bird watching. Beginning birders of all ages will get answers to every question they may have, like which birds like feeders, the difference between a finch and a flicker, or which birding app to use. The guide also helps birders plan everything from local explorations to exciting “bird-cations.” Late-bloomer birders will appreciate Collard’s personal insights and tips for overcoming aging-related challenges such as physical handicaps, poor hearing, or failing eyesight. Additional sections cover sharing birding with others and contributing to community science, habitat stewardship, and bird conservation.

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian is a Civil War love story, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, the wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she’s willing to risk for the life of a stranger, from the New York Times bestselling author of such acclaimed historical fiction as Hour of the Witch and The Sandcastle Girls. In You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose, Grace Evans, an overworked New Yorker looking for a total escape from her busy life, books an Airbnb on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming. When she arrives at the idyllic getaway, she’s pleased to find that the owner is a handsome man by the name of Calvin Wells--and he’s eager to introduce her to his easygoing way of life. But there are things Grace discovers that she’s not too pleased about: A lack of cell phone service. A missing woman. And a feeling that something isn’t right with the ranch. Can Marcus Ryker and his team of elite operatives stop a secret plot to unleash the most devastating sneak attack on the U.S. and her allies in history - before millions of Americans die? That is the question in The Beijing Betrayal by Joel Rosenberg. An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger.