Among many hobbies that people enjoy are picking up a good book!  The problem is picking the right book.  "A Good Book" is a very subjective thing, since people's interests are so varied.  Some prefer sci-fi, some like a good murder mystery, others like a good romance or historical novel, while others prefer non-fiction.  Here you will find some interesting titles complete with Dick's reviews.  Then it's up to you to decide!

It's also our intention to make this section as interactive as possible for your reading enjoyment.  If you have a book you wish Dick to review or you have a review, click here to submit your suggestions to our webmaster.

About Dick:

Born and raised in Northeast Minneapolis,  Dick Solem went to Edison High for 2 years and transferred to Osseo High in Osseo, MN.

After graduating from high school, Dick went to the University of Minnesota.  Married right after graduating from the U, Dick and his new bride, Colleen, traveled to San Antonio, Texas to begin a 3 year tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force.  After a stint in Japan, Dick left the Air Force.  He and his wife returned to Minnesota where he started a 25 year career in the Life Insurance industry.  During that time, his family grew. His 3 children all have had successful careers.  After retiring from the Life Insurance industry, Dick assisted in establishing a successful advertising agency in the Twin Cities Metro area. 
 
Besides being an avid reader, Dick has spent a lifetime as a collector.  For the past 25 years, he's had a "love affair" with English Toby Jugs and his collection presently has over 450 pieces.

For a change of pace I am not going to review a particular book this time, but rather, will discuss the author Louis L’Amour and his prolific literary endeavors.  More than 100 books in print and over 270 million copies of his books in circulation world wide is indeed prolific.  And, I should add that more than 45 of his novels and stories have been made into feature films and TV movies.  From the solo performance of John Wayne in “Hondo”, (L’Amour’s first novel) to the all-star cast that populated the epic tale of “How The West Was Won”, Hollywood recognized the popular appeal of L’Amour’s classic tales. 

Leaving his home in Jamestown, North Dakota when he was just 15, Louis began an odyssey of discovery that helped to prepare him for his writing career.  He worked as a seaman, lumberjack, cattle skinner and miner, as well as a boxer, a journalist and lecturer.  As a professional boxer he won fifty-one out of fifty-nine fights.  Over the years, he developed a large following for his stories written for popular magazines.  His first full-length novel, “Hondo”, was written in 1953.  And so it began.  His books and stories have been translated into twenty languages. 

I have read all of his novels at least once, so I consider myself a die-hard fan of L’Amour’s work.  As such I would urge anyone with the slightest bit of interest in the western genre to give him a try.  My favorites among all his books are the 17 novels written about the fictional Sackett clan.  Starting with the clan founder in 17^th Century England (“Sackett's Land”) the saga follows the Sacketts into the late 1800’s.  A couple of these novels have been made into movies. 

In 1983 Louis L’Amour became the first novelist to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress in honor of his life’s work.  His memoir, “Education of a Wandering Man” was a best seller.  He died on June 10, 1988, having left behind several unpublished works that have since graced bookshelves around the world.  Try him & ENJOY!

Click Here To View The Archive Of Dick's Past Book Reviews Here.