UPside of Life: Yoopers are only as far away as the nearest bookstore

Winter is almost upon us (the way the hose is freezing each morning and the temperatures are dipping at night, it's almost arguable that it's already here). What does that mean? Besides snow shovels and plows coming out in force, it means that there is no better time to pick up a good book, snuggle next to a crackling fire and enjoy the great indoors when the weather gets real bad.

While you could turn to the best seller list and grab a title or two (Stieg Larsson is a good bet if you're into fiction, and Mark Twain's autobiography is a must read for those who love him), there are some books that will bring you a bit closer to the Upper Peninsula.

Sure, we all know about the amazing writing in books like John Voelker's Anatomy of a Murder and if you haven't read the mysteries by Steve Hamilton like A Cold Day in Paradise, you really should.

But what's out there that uses the Upper Peninsula as a backdrop you may not have heard of?

Kathleen Hills has several books to her credit based in the fictional town of St. Adele here in the U.P. They all center around the life of John McIntyre, the township constable who didn't want the job in the first place but has found himself doing it despite himself. Unfortunately, St. Adele isn't the type of town most of us would move to, with a few too many murders for the taste of most residents up here. Yet, that doesn't stop Hills from producing some very quality work with believable characters and a strong rural American feel to the town she's created.

You may not have heard of Gina (G.J.) Linko's new novel Flutter yet, but that's because it hasn't hit shelves. The book is aimed at our younger readers and is expected to be published in the fall of 2012 by Random House Children's division. The book focuses on a 17-year-old girl who keeps experiencing deadly "loops," which could be clairvoyance, telepathy, time travel or something entirely different. To keep her deadly abilities from harming those she cares about, the girl runs away to the most remote place she can think of, which just happens to be the U.P. There, she meets up with a young man with secrets of their own and they soon realize that their individual mysteries may not be so separate after all.

And who can forget about our youngest readers? A love for reading, studies have proven, starts at a young age, so don't forget to promote a nice book with your young children. One such book is Sooper Yooper, written by Mark Newman and illustrated by the late Mark Heckman. The book follows the story of one man's efforts to defend the environment against the negative forces that threaten our natural resources. The hero, Billy Cooper, is not your typical crime fighter. The fact that he displays no apparent superpowers is intentional. The book's authors felt it was important to underscore their belief that it is the average person--not someone endowed with X-ray vision or superhuman strength--who can make a difference when it comes to protecting the planet.

While the writing is strong and the message is clear, the real treat to this book is the art. Each page is a visual masterpiece, and kids will love the vibrant colors (especially the hero's sidekick bulldog, Mighty Mac, in his yellow SCUBA suit).

No matter if it's written for adults, for teens and tweens or for children, any book based in the U.P. is a winner. Don't hesitate to pick these titles up or others by U.P. authors and those who choose to set their stories in our peninsula.

Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of the U.P. Second Wave and a full-time freelance writer. He was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula. He can be reached via email.