Books read in 2016

At the end of the year, I like to look back at the books I've read in the last 12 months.  This year's list includes a mix of both fiction and non-fiction, thrillers and history, phycology and forensics, science fiction and science fact.

This lists stretches across a broad spectrum and reflects my interest in a wide sweep of subjects. I use this interest to expand the breadth and depth of my thrillers.

History of the Supreme Court

Science Odyssey

Potsdam

The Affair

The Righteous Mind

The Ghost

Trails of Evidence

Forensic's: Bugs, Burns, Prints

Lincoln's Melancholy

Tarkin

Boys in the Boat

My next novel is a mystery set in Glacier National Park and centers around an arson fire that destroys a genetics lab on the BlackFeet Indian Reservation.  Twenty Seventeen's list of books will likely include titles dealing with arson investigation, BlackFeet Culture, and how to write a mystery.

What did you read this past year? Any recommendations?

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers

Need to Know Now on Amazon!

Need to Know Sean Smith's latest national park thriller, is now available from Amazon. Kindle and
Paperback versions of Need to Know can be found here. 

Need to Know starts in 1947 when nine silver discs were spotted over Washington State's Mount Rainier National Park. Since then, buried high on its volcanic slopes is a secret government's would kill to protect.

In Need to Know, Park Ranger Grayson Cole finds himself once again at the center of a worldwide conspiracy.

Along with Aimee Crocker, the daughter of a disgraced Army Intelligence officer, the two risk avalanche, blizzards, and deadly agents in a race to uncover something that could shake the world to its foundation.

Need to Know is Sean Smith's third Grayson Cole thriller. The first is Unleashing Colter's Hell about a terrorist attack in Yellowstone. The second called Lost Cause is about a search for a Civil War relic that supposedly has the power to start a second Civil War.

Park Service Top Stories of 2016

Twenty sixteen was another amazing year for national parks.  National Parks receive positive and negative media attention this past year.  The following are the top park stories from 2016.


Malheur National Wildlife Refuge: While not technically a national park, the year started with the occupation of of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon.  The standoff lasted through all of January and into February. Several of the occupiers went to trial and were ultimately found not guilty of conspiring to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs.  This occupation is a national park story in particular and federal lands one in general, because the ultimate goal of this types of actions is to call into question and undermine the legitimacy of federal ownership and management of public lands. If federal lands can be wrested from agencies such as the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service and given to states and local governments its more likely they will be opened to extractive uses such as ranching, logging, and mining. The battle over who ultimately controls federal lands is one as old as the republic and likely will continue for years to come.  With the acquittal of the occupation's ring leaders, we are likely to see similar "occupations" in the future.


Idiot Visitors: This past year saw the National Parks' break visitation numbers once again.  While official counts are not yet final, its expected the parks will have surpassed the previous record of 307 million visitors set in 2015.  This monumental rise in visitation over the past several years is evidence that the national parks are still well loved by the world.  The vast majority of visitors who come to the national parks enjoy them responsibly.  However, 2016 appeared to also have a record number of visitors who simply lost their minds.  From a group of Canadians skipping across thermal features in Yellowstone to others putting a bison in their SUV. Visitors also tried to take dips in park hotsprings, spray paint their way across several parks, to others being run down by elk. Twenty Sixteen appeared to be the year, many visitors forgot to pack their brains and common sense when the visited the parks.


National Monument Designations: Over the past 12 months, President Obama and the Congress used their constitutional authority to designate and create several new national parks and monuments, including the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, Stonewall Inn National Monument,  and  the Maine North Woods National Monument.   President Obama used the Antiquities Act to establish four new national park monuments.


Corruption and Mismanagement:  Unfortunately, the National Park Service's image took a hit this year as well.  Stories about ethical lapses from top park management,  rangers, illegally renting out their government quarters, and wide spread sexual harassment dominated many news cycles these past 12 months. These stories battered the agency and made its already difficult job even harder.


Centennial Celebration: This past year marked the 100th birthday of what some call America's best idea. Parks across the country held special events,  concerts, birthday parties, and speaker series.  The NPS, non-profits, businesses, and countless others used this milestone birthday to raise awareness about the national park idea, the challenges the park system faces, and the opportunities that lay ahead.

So, that's the list of the top National Park stories from 2016.  What do you think? What did we miss?  Tell us in the comments section and make sure to forward this story to your friends.

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers