Welcome to Huki Links – highlighting some of our favorite literary links and more over the past week from across the ‘net!  For more about Huki-Links, check out our inaugural post.

We are back after a month-long hiatus!

The best part of the “huki” is that we all pull together, if you find any fun or interesting book related links/articles please feel free to share them via comments or contact us!

Self Love

-Check out all the winners from the 2012 Ka Palapala Poʻokela Awards.  [Hawaiʻi Book Blog]

-A Little Book for Mother’s Day, or Any Day At All.  [HBB]

-Did you see our photos from Day 1 of the Hawaii Book and Music Festival?  Day 2 pics forthcoming!  [HBB]

-In case you missed it…we are transitioning to HawaiiReads.com.  [HBB]

Hawaii Literary

-New book alert:  Autobiography of Jazz Musician Gabe Baltazar Jr.  [UH Press Blog]

-Cocktail Handbook Enhanced E-Book Edition Now Available – Includes Videos & New Recipes!  [Watermark Publishing Blog]

-Book of the Week: Hawaii’s Natural Treasures.  [BHL]

-Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased.  [The Classroom Bookshelf]

-Congrats to Frances Kakugawa, whose Kapoho won the Best Non-Fiction Award from the NCPA (Northern California Publishers/Authors).  [Frances Kakugawa's Blog]

-Paul Theroux’s Quest to Define Hawaii.  [Smithsonian]

-’Grown here. Not flown here. Integration in #Hawaii.’ By local author… [Toby Neal]

-About ‘Writing Hot Sex.’  Also by local author of Blood Orchids, Toby Neal. [San Francisco Book Review]

-’Psychic Pal’ by local author J. Arthur Rath III.  [MenehuneRATH]

-Sign up for Summer Reading Programs @ your Library.  [Hawaii News Now]

-Haruki Murakami receives doctorate in Hawaii.  [Japan Times]

General Literary

-The Appeals and Perils of the One-Word Book Title.  [The Millions]

-Alexandria, Virginia Tops Amazon’s ‘Most Well-Read Cities in America’ List.  No Honolulu.  :(  [GalleyCat]

-The Key to Maurice Sendak’s Success With Children? His Contempt for Adults.  [Good]

-7 Bad Habits of Successful Authors.  [rachelle gardner]

-What Is the Agency Model for Ebooks? Your Burning Questions Answered.  [publishing trendsetter]

-The 10 best historical novels.  [the guardian]

-Extremely Silly Photos of Extremely Serious Writers.  [Flavorwire]

-Slide-Show: Laughing at Books.  [Page-Turner]

-How a Book is Born. (Infographic) [GalleyCat]

-Thoughts on Bloggers vs. Authors.  [The Zoë-Trope]

-Could a book writing competition ever be a reality TV show? Here’s a pitch.  [EW's Shelf Life]

-Morgan Freeman sings for literacy.  [Abe Books]

Non-Literary Links

-10 Best Time Travel Movies of all Timelines.  [io9]

-”The Simpsons” slur against Hawaii residents. [KHON2]

-See the Greendale Seven as video game characters in these exclusive Community finale images.  [A.V. Club]

-Museum Month: Brush Up On Hawaiian History at Maui’s Hale Pa’i Museum.  [Gadling]

You can catch some of these links and more by following us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have interesting links you’d like to share with us, or feel like we’ve missed something out the past week, please feel free to leave us a comment!

*some exceptions to the date range may apply

Just a friendly reminder for our Hawaiʻi residents with library cards:

You’ve probably heard for the last few weeks on the news and in print that the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) will be purging inactive accounts from their patron database.  The purging will happen on Friday, June 1st.  According to the HSPLS, removing these accounts will provide an updated, accurate database for better business and management purposes.

If you’re worried about losing your library card privileges, the criteria the Library is using to remove accounts is pretty strict.  You must have an account with an expired library card and:

• No borrowed library material in the past three years and
• No outstanding items, charges or fees; and/or
• Whose card holders are former residents who have relocated from Hawaii

Now, I expect people who actively read Hawaiʻi Book Blog to have an updated library card, but, in case you haven’t checked anything out in the past three years, your account might be purged. If you use the Library strictly for Internet computer usage or subscription databases, and do not borrow materials, your account may also be purged.

If you visit your local library with your library card and find out that your record has been purged, they will reactivate your card for free, provided you complete a new library card application form and present it with your card and a valid ID.

Hawaii’s biggest literary award night came to a close this past Friday, and many excellent and deserving books won well deserved accolades.

The Hawaiʻi Book Publishers Association and Bishop Museum definitely know how to throw an event.  Misty said it best, “I love living in Hawaiʻi, where heavy pūpū means you’re eating an entire full course meal.”  The ceremony was brief but respectable, and the gala was good fun.  There was great music from Ka ʻEhā, divine chocolates by Choco Leʻa, and as Misty said, the spread was plentiful and delicious.  Our little party took advantage of being in the Museum and took a nice, leisurely tour of Hawaiian Hall.  All in all, it was an excellent event; we always encourage anyone in the literary community or anyone who loves books to come and enjoy the ceremony for the best in local publishing and the company of such great and talented individuals.

And now…here is your list of winners and honorable mentions for the 2012 Ka Palapala Poʻokela Awards, representing the best in locally publishing books:

Excellence in Children’s Literature

• Winner – Moon Mangoes by Lindy Shapiro and illustrated by Kathleen Peterson (BeachHouse Publishing)
• Hon. Mention - Kaimana Big & Strong by Dorian Nakamichi and illustrated by Don Robinson (Island Heritage Publishing)

Excellence in Hawaiian History and Culture

• Winner – Ka Honua Ola by Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele (Kamehameha Publishing)
• Hon. Mention - Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past by John R.K. Clark (University of Hawaiʻi Press)

Excellence in Literature

• Winner – Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa by Lee Cataluna (Bamboo Ridge Press)
• Hon. Mention - Significant Moments in da life of Oriental Faddah and Son by Lee Tonouchi (Bess Press)

Excellence in Natural Science

• Winner - The World of Bananas in Hawaii, Then and Now: Traditional Pacific & Global Varieties, Cultures, Ornamentals, Health & Recipes by Angela Kay Kepler & Francis G. Rust (Pali-o-Waipio Press)
• Hon. Mention – Shore Fishes of Easter Island by John E. Randall & Alfredo Cea (University of Hawaiʻi Press)

Excellence in Text or Reference Books

• Winner - Links to the Past: The Work of Early Hawaiian Artisans by Wendy S. Arbeit (University of Hawaiʻi Press)
• Hon. Mention - Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past by John R.K. Clark (University of Hawaiʻi Press)

Excellence in Cookbooks

• Winner - A Sweet Dash of Aloha: Guilt-Free Hawaii Desserts and Snacks by Kapiolani Community College (Watermark Publishing)
• Hon. Mention – The Hawaiʻi Book of Rice: Tales, Trivia and 101 Great Recipes by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi (Watermark Publishing)

Excellence in Special-Interest Books

• Winner – The Evolution of Freediving and History of Spearfishing in Hawaii by Sonny Tanabe (Fluid Media Publishing)
• Hon. Mention - Links to the Past: The Work of Early Hawaiian Artisans by Wendy S. Arbeit (University of Hawaiʻi Press)

Excellence in Nonfiction

• Winner – Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior by Mark Panek (University of Hawai‘i Press)
• Hon. Mention – Edward Bailey of Maui: Teacher & Naturalist, Engineer & Artist by Linda McCullough Decker (RainSong)

Excellence in Design

• Winner – The Evolution of Freediving and History of Spearfishing in Hawaii by Sonny Tanabe (Fluid Media Publishing)
• Hon. Mention - Lihue Mill: Grinding Cane and Building Community, One Hundred Fifty Years of Sugar Processing Along Nawiliwili Stream by Jan TenBruggencate (PAHIO Development, Inc. and Lihue Ms, LLC)

Excellence in “Aloha from beyond the Sea”

• Winner – Buildings of Hawaii by Don J. Hibbard (University of Virgina Press)
• Hon. Mention – Surfing in Hawai‘i: 1778-1930 by Timothy Tovar Delavega (Arcadia Publishing)

Samuel M. Kamakau Award for Hawai’i Book of the Year

• Winner – Ka Honua Ola by Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele (Kamehameha Publishing)

We would like to congratulate all of the authors, illustrators, designers and publishers on their extraordinary achievements. Thanks to Ron Cox for his coordination of the judging (among other things), Bishop Museum for hosting the awards ceremony, and the Hawaiʻi Book Publishers Association for another great year of local books.  As always, we hope to see even more excellent books out of Hawaiʻi next year!

Looking for a last minute gift for Mom’s Day? Or perhaps a little something to include with a present–something extra to make it that much more special? Try this little book of photos and poetic inspiration by local author Mary Ursetta.

Reflections from the Heart is a thoughtful collection of words and Hawaii images that convey emotions and ideas we are all familiar with–love, sadness, comfort, friendship and understanding. Analogous to the pictures she uses of nature and our island landscape, Ursetta’s lyrical pieces are like individual snapshots of life and how it moves and changes. Some poems reflect wisdom, some reflect hope, some are playful, and some tell you to reach for your dreams… or reach for a loved one, no matter how far away they both may seem.

You can find this book at Native Books/na Mea Hawai‘i at Ward Warehouse, Island Treasures in Koko Marina Center, or Hallmark stores.

Follow Mary Ursetta on Twitter for updates on the book and her other work.

I had the privilege to meet Mary at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival last weekend. We spoke about our mothers and a mutual love for local literature. She was very kind and bubbling with positivity so it was not a surprise that her poems were just as insightful.