Cottage Daze

James Ross’s second novel, Still in a Daze at the Cottage, will be published in March 2014 by Dundurn Press of Toronto. It is the sequel to his first novel, Cottage Daze, which was published by Dundurn in 2012.

Cottage Daze celebrates life at the cottage, where the cottage is the main character, and family, friends, pets, and fellow cottagers are the supporting cast. Whether writing about cottage routine (First Ski,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Cottage Guests”), cottage tasks (“Splitting Wood,” “Boat Launch”) nature (“A Gathering of Loons,” “The Sting,” “Autumn Spell”), cottage fun (“The Cottage Duel”), or cottage touchstones (“Start the Day,” “Bonfire,” “The Perfect Storm”). The stories are told with humour, compassion, insight, and nostalgia.

Who doesn’t remember sitting in a frigid lake, trying to help a youngster get up on water skis for the first time, launching a boat while the whole world seems to be watching, or getting caught up in a nest of wasps? The collection of stories will make the reader laugh, cry, and long to be at the cottage.

Still in a Daze at the Cottage

In the sequel to Cottage Daze, Still in a Daze at the Cottage, James Ross is back with more tales from the family cottage. Organized by nature’s changing seasons and containing sections covering nature, family, activity, and the cottage, Ross combines wry humour with a genuine love for adventure and respect for the natural world — although the local wild animal population can try his patience.

Ross’s anecdotes are full of good spirits and sound advice, whether he is describing a visit from his daughter’s special friend (“The Boyfriend Cometh”), the tricky practices of boating (“Dressing Up for Kayaking”), or encounters with wildlife both big and small (“The Frog Whisperer”). This book is the perfect companion to the time-honoured tradition of wilderness family getaways.

Reviews

“James Ross takes us deep inside the Canadian cottage experience, savouring its endless wonders, laughing at the frustrations. You’ll hear the loons, marvel at the golden sunsets, and smell the firewood. You are at the cottage.” (Lloyd Robertson, Former CTV News Anchor)

“Bill Bryson meets Stuart McLean.” (Michael Lawrence, Radio North Bay)

“Ross’s stories transcend the cottage culture across Canada and through generations.” (Lake of the Woods)

“Filled with amusing anecdotes of previous summer shenanigans, Cottage Daze explores the feeling that a cottage adds to a relaxing, enjoyable summer.” (The Echo Haliburton County)

“This engaging journalist chronicles episodes at his Muskoka cottage. Ross’s Muskoka island cottage is a place where he enjoys adventures and misadventures in all seasons. His robust sense of humour and adventure are nicely balanced with insight about nature and the human condition.” (Muskoka Magazine)