Monthly Archives: January 2010

Book End: Weekend of Jan. 29, 2010

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Check it out: BeachHouse Publishing is the first Hawaii publisher to bring you local children’s books available on your iPhone and iPod Touch, produced locally in Hawai’i by Bluewater Media.  In addition to the colorful, whimsical illustrations and text in the printed book, the ibeachhouse books are narrated and animated so children can enjoy the book on a whole new level in English or Hawaiian.

Their first book, currently available at the iTunes store is Diving for Colors in Hawai’i.  For more information check out the BeachHouse Publishing web site.

Don’t Forget: You have only two days left to go to the library and enter your haiku about tofu for a chance to win a family package to Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii or runner-up prizes from Aloha Tofu. For ages 7–17. Kapolei Public Library, 1020 Manawai St.: Deadline expires Saturday, 1/30. 693-7050.

Now on to the events:

Friday, January 29

  • 09:00am – Library Book Sale at Wahiawa Public Library from 9am to 3pm.  Used books, CDs and videotapes will be on sale at bargain prices. Come early for the best selection.  For more information, please call the Library at 622-6345.
  • 10:30am – At Princeville Public Library (Kauai):  Honolulu Theater for Youth presents “Keiko and Louie: Best Best Friends (Mostly)”  Created by Daniel A. Kelin, HTY’s Director of Drama Education, this 30-minute interactive program uses humor, movement, and participation to engage young audiences directly in the performance.  More Info
  • 06:00pm – A book signing and public lecture featuring Allan Winkler, author of To Everything There is a Season:  Pete Seeger and the Power of Song (2009), Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Making of Modern America (2006), and Home Front, U.S.A.:  America During World War II (2000).  More Info

Saturday, January 30

  • 10:00am – Every Saturday is Children’s Storytime at Barnes & Noble Lahaina (Maui).  More Info
  • 11:00am – It’s Children’s Storytime at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana, reading Creaky Old House by Linda Ashman.  More Info
  • 01:00pm – Book Signing event at Borders Pearlridge.  Arnold Hiura signs his book Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands.
  • 01:00pm – Book Signing event at Barnes & Noble Kahala.  David Heenan will be signing copies of his new book Bright Triumphs from Dark Hours.  More Info
  • 01:00pm – Author Event at Kona Stories Bookstore (Big Island).  Harry Uhane Jim will talk story about his Laulima work and sign copies of his book Wise Secrets of Aloha.  More Info

Remember, all events listed above may be subject to change.  Please contact the venue beforehand if you plan on attending.  More events can be found on our Hawaii Book Blog Calendar.

If you have an event you would like us to help promote, please leave us a comment here or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Replace the [dot] with a ‘.’ when you compose the message.  Mahalo and have a great weekend!

Photo credit: BeachHouse Publishing

Book Review – Top Maui Restaurants 2010

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We recently reviewed mythology surrounding the legend of Maui (see “Book Review- How Maui Slowed the Sun”).  Let’s stay with the Valley Isle and focus on its culinary delights and local cuisine.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting a new place is trying out the local dining scene.  When we are in an area that we rarely travel to such as Hawaii Kai or Kailua, Misty and I will make an effort to eat somewhere unique to that locale.

Keeping that in mind, the Maui traveler—whether kama’aina or tourist—should consider checking out the new book Top Maui Restaurants 2010 (Maui Media) by James and Molly Jacobson.  James and Molly have spent the last five years together eating their way across the breadth of Maui.  Immediately from the start, the one thing that they hammer into your conscience is that Top Maui Restaurants 2010 is not just another dining guide, it’s a dining review.  Written by this duo, these “food-obsessed home chefs” make the case that they have grown up around family chefs, studied the art of cooking intently and traveled all over the world eating in the best restaurants, providing them with the culinary resume that gives this book an air of professional legitimacy.

The alphabetical reviews include detailed anecdotes of their dining experiences, supplemented with a five-star rating system that spans five categories:  Food, Ambiance, Service, Value and Love—the latter reflecting the immeasurable feeling of genuine care put into food preparation.  Each review also includes a handy icon guide that alerts you to a restaurant’s relative cost as well as its amenities such as providing vegetarian options, being on the water or having a children’s menu, to name a few.

The best part of the book are the sections after the reviews.  “Top Maui Tips” provides you with a crash course on the ins and outs of Maui, including how to eat local, where to spend special nights, food related activities, different local fish and local culinary definitions and even non-food related advice such as where to see shows and movies, the value of certain scenic spots, and how bad traffic can be.

After this (and the long-winded, yet informative “Sponsors” section) they provide a great breakdown of the restaurants reviewed.  I find it a bit more useful to use their “Ten Meals on Maui” list to help me decide the best places to go.  They also do a great job of splitting up the entire list of restaurants again into three sections: by Food Craving (“man, I like Hawaiian food”), by Location (“I’m in Hana, what can I eat?”) and by Budget (“I need to stretch this $10 into something good”).

What sets this book apart from other food guides and reviews is the enthusiasm and detail these food lovers put into their review guide.  Reading Top Maui Restaurants 2010 gives me the feeling that I’m hanging out with Maui folk who know exactly where to go if I want to find some grinds or take a lady out to a nice dinner.  The next time I end up on Maui, I will rest assured that I’ll know where to eat with this book.

Don’t forget to visit their blog:  http://www.MauiRestaurantsBlog.com, where they keep their readers up to date on their latest food adventures, share recipes and alert everyone to changes in Maui’s volatile restaurant scene.

Disclaimer:  I received a free PDF copy of Top Maui Restaurants 2010 provided by Maui Media for review purposes.  Maui Media or any related affiliates had no input in the content of this review.

Book Review-The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book

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Artist and author Monika Mira recently sent us a copy of the latest edition of The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book (Lucid Publishing) now printed on recycled paper! As a long time diver and artist, Mira put a lot of love and knowledge into making this book and it really shows. What a fun way to encourage people to take care of our oceans and reefs while simultaneously teaching about native ecology and the wondrous species of fish that populate our waters. Each illustration includes a full description of the fish, its coloration, feeding and mating habits, Hawaiian names and so much more.

Filled with fun facts and detailed pictures just waiting to be colored, this would be a great companion to any reef walk. An excellent resource for educators, parents, and ocean enthusiasts alike; children and adults will enjoy exploring the reef through Mira’s wonderful coloring book. Plus, this eco-friendly version is recommended by the Save Our Seas organization. You can check out the book’s webpage to learn more and print out coloring page samples!

I brought the book to work with me so I could peruse it throughout the day and everyone who came to my desk picked it up and said “hey, this is cool.” I barely had a chance to look at it since it was being passed around so much.  After lunch I decided to read it in depth and as I saw some of my favorites like the Porcupine Fish I could only grumble at myself for neglecting to bring along some colored pencils. Though, I am sure if I had, my co-workers would be busily coloring instead of working.

Book End: Weekend of January 22, 2010

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Happy Aloha Friday everyone!  We here at Hawaii Book Blog hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Here on Book End, we provide you with a list of the weekend’s literary/library events for you to decide.

Don’t forget to check out our new Calendar which expands upon our Book End by listing literary events on the weekdays and weeks in advance as they come to my attention.  I’ve been meaning to do one since before last summer, but wanted to find a calendar application that satisfied all of my preferences.  Finally, in lieu of pushing forward with the new template, I decided to run with Google’s due to the simplicity. 

Having the calendar will be a huge help for me to keep track of all the events that pop up on a day to day basis.  That way I can properly promote them through tweets, posts and messages.

Now, on to the weekend!

Saturday, Jan. 23

  • 10:30am – “Goin’ Buggy” a free puppet performance at McCully-Moiliili Public Library.  Goin’ Buggy is a multicultural feast using stories from Africa, Mexico, and Native America. This interactive story adventure emphasizes the value of respect for oneself and others.  More info
  • 10:30am – Valentine’s Day Card Workshop at Kapolei Public Library.  Local crafter Arnheidur will conduct this free one-hour workshop and teach participants how to create a total of three cards.  More info
  • 11:00am – It’s Storytime at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana.  Hold your noses kids, there will be a reading of Walter, the Farting Dog.  More info
  • 01:00pm – “How To Start A Home Business” at Hawaii Kai Public Library.  Jim Haley will present information and explain how to set up a home business in Hawaii. Learn what resources are needed and where to find them.
  • 02:00pm – Author signing event at Borders in Ward Centre.  David Heenan will be on hand to sign copies of his book Bright Triumphs From Dark Hours: Turning Adversity Into Success. More info
  • 05:00pm – Book signing event with author Ann Wright and her book Dissent: Voices of Conscienceat Barnes & Noble Lahaina, Gateway Mall (Maui).  Info

Sunday, Jan. 24

  • 10:00am– The Twinklings Twilight Book Group at Barnes & Noble Kahala discussing Edward and Jacob: Heroism in Twilight.  More info
  • 03:00pm – It’s the Bamboo Ridge Issue #94 reading at Native Books/Na Mea Hawai’i at Ward Warehouse.  Featuring readings by Jeffrey Carroll, Lee Cataluna, Jon Hamblin, Milton Kimura, Jean Yamasaki Toyama, and Beryl Allene Young.  More info
  • 03:00pm – Author event with Ann Wright, talking about the Gaza Freedom March at Revolution Books.  2626 S. King St.

Remember, all events listed above may be subject to change.  Please contact the venue beforehand if you plan on attending.

If you have an event you would like us to help promote, please leave us a comment here or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Replace the [dot] with a ‘.’ when you compose the message.  Mahalo and have a great weekend!

Book Review- How Maui Slowed the Sun

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sun

A wise songwriter dubbed him the “Hawaiian Superman” and immortalized one of his tales into a hit song—one cultural icon singing about another. The songwriter was Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and the “Hawaiian Superman” is the mythological hero, Maui.

Living in Hawaii you’d be hard pressed to avoid the tale of how Maui snared the sun, and variations of his many exploits can be found in legends across the Pacific, most prevalent in Maori and Hawaiian legends. How Maui Slowed the Sun (UH Press) by Suelyn Ching Tune is an adaptation of that tale. This keiki picture book illustrated by Robin Yoko Burningham, is told from the point of view of a young Maui, still in his boyhood who doesn’t have enough daylight hours to fly his kite. It’s a small twist on the original tale, but it makes a big difference in making the story accessible to young kids who can relate to wanting more time outside to play. As the young Maui walks home from his short day he notices how the different people of his village are affected by the sun moving so quickly across the sky. The fisherman have no time to fish, the farmers have no crops, and his mother cannot dry her tapa. So, he sets out to catch the sun by lassoing its legs and forcing it to slow down.

The book is quite close to the original tale, as recorded by Mary Kawena Pukui in Tales of the Menehune (Kamehameha Press), which was also illustrated by Burningham. It amused me that the children’s book version of the story is longer than the actual tale, but still had less details in its narrative. I read this keiki book aloud to a toddler (2-3 yrs.) and he lost interest right when Maui was going home after playing with his kite. Although the pictures are lovely, especially the pictures of Maui and the sun, they’re not substantial enough to hold the attention of a young one who depends on the illustrations to show the progression of the story and stay involved. However, the book is perfect for an early reader who will enjoy reading the story as much as looking at the pictures.

Ms. Mitchell, the YA Librarian from Liliha, had kindly recommended this book for our Library Tour Challenge.  As mentioned in the write-up of our Liliha Library visit (which you can view here if you missed it), we agree with Ms. Mitchell in encouraging Hawai’i kids to pursue an interest in local literature at an early age. This is definitely one of the better produced keiki books on Hawaiian legends and illustrates how important fishing and farming were to the Hawaiian people.

If you’re interested in reading more of Maui’s adventures, Martha Beckwith and William Westervelt are two early folklorists who were successful in recording some of the old legends of Hawaii and the Pacific. You can find electronic versions of their work on Google.

Folktales about capturing the sun are not restricted to Maui and Pacific cultures. People have crafted stories to explain the nature of the sun and weather for centuries. There are a few American Indian and African tales that have a similar theme and I went in search of some to share. Luckily, someone already did all the hard work for me and I found an excellent site run by Stanford University with lots of links to folktales about the sun. Check it out here!

New Year, New Look

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Well, it’s a new year and one of our blog resolutions was to finally change the layout of Hawaii Book Blog.  We’ve been running the simple “default” template since the beginning of Hawaii Book Blog (HBB) back in 2008.  You may recall we did a makeover of our logo and banner back in August, which really helped to brand ourselves with an identity and set the stage for us to make design changes. 

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a template that satisfied all of the needs we required.  At least, one that would accommodate our new banner and provide us with the extra columns that we desired.  Those of you in the blog game may know how we felt.

After months of half-hearted searching, I finally told myself that there probably wouldn’t be a template that would be ready to go without some manipulation.  I settled on one that I thought had a lot of potential and would be easiest to change, and then set upon re-coding it.  Man…I haven’t written a web page since the 1990’s so I wasn’t up to snuff with CSS and PHP like I had been with HTML and JAVA.  It took me a while, but I was finally ALMOST there with what I wanted.  Then the holidays hit, and HBB was put on hold for the time being.

Fast forward to this past weekend…we finally decided to put out the new template, even if I felt it was still a bit unfinished with some of the peculiarities.  Something screwy happened with WordPress and the site was down from Saturday night up until Sunday afternoon (I slept through most of it).  Basically, I ended up having to delete everything and reinstall and upload the whole enchilada back on the server and here we are today.

I hope the new design makes it a little easier to navigate.  One of the problems I had with the default design was that when you clicked on a single post, the sidebars would disappear and there were just less means of navigation to get you around the site.  We may also experiment with abbreviating the posts on the Home page, which would require you to click on the post title in order to continue reading it.  Also, some of the font structures and colors may change in the coming weeks as we slowly settle into a finalized design.  Please bear with us with these changes!

Any feedback on the design, whether functional or aesthetic, would be greatly appreciated.  You can leave a comment here, or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Just don’t forget to replace the [dot] with a period. 

Thank you once again to all of our readers for visiting our site.  Now that this hill has finally been climbed, hopefully I can now focus more attention on reading and writing more posts.  We have a lot of catching up to do this month, and with our Library Tour, but we are very positive about the future.

Mahalo!

Book End: Weekend of January 15, 2010

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Book End

Sick as dogs…no, worse, we have been sick as sloths the past week.  And no, I don’t mean the types of sloths that would hire a dog to burn down a hospital; I’m talking about the laid back, slow-moving mammals that bear the moniker of one of the seven deadly sins.  Yes, we’ve been blog sinners this past month–sloth to the idea of reading our assignments and writing our homework–but like I said, our excuse is that we’re sick as sloths.  Don’t worry, it pains us to see our monthly post count so low, so that’ll all change soon–we’re excited about a few things coming up, including getting the proverbial train that is our Library Tour over the hill and racing along again (I think I can…).  And bless Misty for posting about surfing books!  I was worried I might have back-to-back Book Ends, which is never a good sign.

But January just seems to be a slow month anyway.  I thought last week’s Book End was sparse, but this week may top it for the least events I’ve had prepared.  Maybe I missed something, and if I did then please share, but it looks like it may be slim pickings for the rest of the month.  Here are this weekend’s events:

Friday, January 15

  • 10:30am – Visit Kihei Library (Maui) to see “Keiko and Louie: Best Best Friends (Mostly)” presented by the Honolulu Theater for Youth.  Louie needs a friend. Keiko loves to make friends. When Louie and Keiko find each other, they also discover the ups and downs, the fun and trouble of friendship.  More Info
  • 07:00pm – It’s “An Evening of Ecstatic Poetry, Music and Stories of Awakening” at the Living Arts Gallery in Hawi (Big Island).  Drawing upon Sufi poetry, music, myth and metaphor from mystical traditions around the world, Gavin Harrison and Nelson Denman help you expereince the Sublime, the Divine, the UnNameable Mystery. Original poems by Gavin and cello compositons by Nelson.  More info
  • 07:30pm – McCoy Studio Theater of the Maui Arts and Cultural Center: Kumu Kahua Theatre presents Shirota’s latest play, Voices from Okinawa.  More Info.

Saturday, January 16

  • 11:00am – Storytime at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana!  Reading of Where the Mild Things Are: A Very Weak Parody.  More Info
  • 01:00pm – Book Signing event at Barnes & Noble Kahala.  Arnold Hiura, author of Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands will be on hand to sign copies of his new book.  More Info
  • 02:00pm – Book Signing event at Borders-Kahului in Maui Marketplace.  Jon Shirota will be signing copies of his books Lucky Come Hawaii and Voices from Okinawa.  More Info
  • 07:30pm – McCoy Studio Theater of the Maui Arts and Cultural Center: Kumu Kahua Theatre presents Shirota’s latest play, Voices from Okinawa.  More Info.

Sunday, January 17

  • 01:00pm – Book Signing event at Barnes & Noble Kahala.  There will be a special storytime and signing with author Zachary Shapiro. He will be signing copies of his book, We’re All in the Same Boat.  More Info
  • 03:00pm – At Kaimuki Public Library: Frank De Lima, winner of 12 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards and one of Hawaii’s most popular comedians, will present “Laughing and Learning in Hawaii Today,” a free program to be conducted in the Adult Reading Room.
  • 03:00pm – At Revolution Books: Book launching for Tinfish 19 and Eulogies, recently released by Tinfish Press. Poet Lyz Soto, author of Eulogies, will be joined by poets featured in Tinfish 19.  More Info

Remember, all events listed above may be subject to change.  Please contact the venue beforehand if you plan on attending.

If you have an event you would like us to help promote, please leave us a comment here or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Replace the [dot] with a ‘.’ when you compose the message.  Mahalo and have a great weekend!

Riding Mountains–A review of some surf related books

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Coming out of the recent 25th Eddie Aikau Memorial Surf Competition and the Billabong Pipeline Masters 2009, this surf season’s swells are still making headlines. Most recently it’s the 30ft monsters making their way to the North Shore that are drawing the crowds and shutting down the beaches. Surrounded on all sides by the Pacific, locals know and respect the awesome power of the ocean and Hawaii has contributed a great deal to surf culture and history. Naturally, there are LOTS of books out there to check out if you’re interested, though sadly, I have not read as much from this genre as I would like. I’ve barely scratched the surface of surf related reading materials but here’s a quick review on some of the books I have had the privilege to read.

surfingA few months ago MVP Books was kind enough to send us a copy of their new hardcover book on surfing Legends of Surfing: The Greatest Surfriders from Duke Kahanamoku to Kelly Slater by industry insider, Duke Boyd. Boyd is a local author, long-time surfer and co-founder of Hang Ten surf-wear. In the introduction to his book he laments not being able to squeeze everyone in… but believe me he tried, with over 200 pages of people who have influenced surf culture and industry. I was disappointed at the lack of details provided on many of these important people specifically “the pioneers” and felt like the title of this book was a bit misleading. It should really be called “Who’s Who In Surfing”. This book is a nice comprehensive look at the people who shaped and continue to shape surf culture and great for someone who is just getting into learning about surf history. However, if you’re familiar with surf history and looking for the kind of anecdotal writing that displays the richness and depth of surf culture and its legends, then you may find this book a bit lacking. However, Boyd does do a very nice job of illustrating how BIG surfing is, even going so far as to include influential board shapers, surf filmmakers and other industry professionals that outsiders would never guess to contribute to surf culture. You can tell a lot of the book was written based on Boyd’s personal knowledge. The best thing about the book though are the photographs—visually stunning!

Hawai’i publishers Bess Press , Watermark and Island Heritage have put out some great surf books on Duke mountssKahanamoku and Eddie Aikau including a children’s picture book by Ellie Crowe which we reviewed here.  But one of the best books I’ve come across in surf literature is Men Who Ride Mountains: Incredibly True Tales of Legendary Surfers (Lyons Press) by Peter Dixon. Great details and passionate, fluid writing make this book hard to put down. It reads almost like a novel and really captures the essence of what early surfriders were doing… making history, having fun. Stories of waves they rode, wipeouts they took and feats they accomplished all together in a book that makes you say “wow”.

 I still have a long way to go in my exploration of surf lit so look out for more surf related book reviews in the future. 🙂

Book End: Weekend of Jan. 8, 2010

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Book End

It’s 2010 and we are finally back!  All of the holiday business and distractions we’ve had ended today, and I begin the year by bringing back our weekly Book End after a two week hiatus.

Hope everyone had a great new year.  Here are this weekend’s events:

Friday, January 8

  • 07:00pm – Volcano Art Center’s Poetry Slam at Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village (Big Island).  15 poets selected evening of the event. Scoring based on writing/performance. Prizes to top 3 finalists. Rules: 1) bring 2 original poems, 2) each no longer than 3 minutes, 3)no props allowed. A $6 fee collected at the door.  More info

Saturday, January 9

  • 10:00am – New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i.  Visit the Bamboo Ridge Press table in the fifth floor Manoa Ballroom, start your New Year off stocking up on bargain books!  Info
  • 10:00am – Adult Literacy Tutor Program Orientation at Borders in Ward Centre.  Learn to be a one-on-one tutor.  Call 537-6706 to register.
  • 10:00am – Writers Workshop: Michael Little will be leading a hands-on fiction writers workshop on “Rewriting Dialogue” at the Aina Haina Library.  Info
  • 11:00am – “The Battleships USS Arizona and USS Missouri Memorials: Historic Bookends of World War II” will be presented at Hawaii Kai Public Library.  Learn the history and stories of the events leading up to the attack and the attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as the history of the “world’s last battleship.”  Free, for ages 10 and up.
  • 11:00am – Storytime at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana.  Reading Too Many Toys by David Shannon.  Do you have too many toys, just like Spencer? Come and find out if Spencer gives away some of his toys.  Info
  • 11:45am – Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele virtuoso, will present “Music is Good Medicine,” a free informational program at the Hawaii State Library in the Lobby.  The Friends of the Library of Hawaii are sponsoring this 45-minute program which is suitable for all ages.
  • 01:00pm – UnTherapy: A Positive Psychology for Enlightened Living (Workshop) at ING Direct Cafe with author Sunny Massad.  $65 gets you the book, $50 if you have it already.  Info
  • 01:00pm – Author Event at Kona Stories bookstore.  Carla Hannaford is back with her new book Playing in the Unified Field.
  • 02:00pm – Book Signing Event at Borders in Ward Centre.  Arnold Hiura will be on hand presenting his new book Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands.  More info

Sunday, January 10

  • 03:00pm – Book launching: Talking with Sartre: Conversations and Debates, edited and translated by John Gerassi.  At Revolution Books, 2626 South King Street.  Call 808-944-3106 for more info.

Remember, all events listed above may be subject to change.  Please contact the venue beforehand if you plan on attending.

If you have an event you would like us to help promote, please leave us a comment here or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Replace the [dot] with a ‘.’ when you compose the message.  Mahalo and have a great weekend!