This week's book reviews, by Connie Forst, as submitted for publication in the Tofield Mercury.

The Great Karoo by Fred Stenson

The Great Karoo begins in 1899, as the British are trying to wrestle control of the riches of South Africa from the Boers, the Dutch farmers who claimed the land. The Boers have turned out to be more resilient than expected, so the British have sent a call to arms to their colonies -- and a great number of men from the Canadian prairies answer the call and join the Canadian Mounted Rifles: a unit in which they can use their own beloved horses. They assume their horses will be able to handle the desert terrain of the Great Karoo as readily as the plains of their homeland. This title is shortlisted for the Governor General's Award.

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

Here's the set up: A burnt-out political aide quits just before an election - but is forced to run a hopeless campaign on the way out. He makes a deal with a crusty old Scot, Angus McLintock - an engineering professor who will do anything, anything, to avoid teaching English to engineers - to let his name stand in the election. No need to campaign, certain to lose, and so on. Then a great scandal blows away his opponent, and to their horror, Angus is elected.

Exit Lines by Joan Barfoot

Seniors begin to settle into the lates retirement facility in their small city. Four of them become their own little group dedicated to small acts of pleasurable rebellion, not least the consumption of decent wines. In their pasts they've had a few connections, both faint and bold, with each other. 

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