This morning, a general-reader friend headed out of town asked me, “Are there any Dakota War books that are good reads? Like I could lost in the story reading in hammock at the cabin?”

Last summer neither of my top picks was in print yet. This summer, both are and I hope many will have some cabin- and porch-reading moments –or maybe if the rain doesn’t abate, some feet-up-on-the-couch moments 🙂 –to get lost in two very good books. Better yet, you’ll have the chance to meet the authors in person.

Walt Bachman kicks the summer off with a series of engagements on Northern Slave, Black Dakota starting this Saturday June 15 at Fort Ridgely, including appearances in the Twin Cities on Sunday June 16 and Tuesday June 18. For details and his full schedule, see this post at Pond Dakota Press.

Scott W. Berg is appearing –quite appropriately –on August 18, 2013 at 2:00 PM at the Gideon and Agnes Pond House in Bloomington, MN to talk about author of 38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow and the Beginning of the Frontier’s End.

My disclaimer: I’m not an objective reviewer of either book. Both caught my attention when I was asked to read an early version of the manuscript and neither story let me go.

Pick one up, put your feet up, and see if you agree.