The 2013 Ka Palapala Poʻokela Awards gala is fast approaching (Friday, May 10), and to generate excitement for the event as well as educate the public on the nominees, we will continue our tradition of doing a countdown of posts, highlighting the books nominated for each awards category. Where applicable, I will link to book reviews from Hawaiʻi Book Blog.

For a complete list of all the nominees we’ve posted and for all the updated information on the event, please visit our dedicated Ka Palapala Poʻokela Awards page.

We continue our nominees countdown with the category Excellence in Special Interest. This is often one of my favorite categories due to the wide range of non-fiction subject matter included in the list. Last year’s winners of this award include The Evolution of Freediving and History of Spearfishing in Hawaii by Sonny Tanabe and Links to the Past: The Work of Early Hawaiian Artisans by Wendy S. Arbeit.

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Books reflecting humor, trivia, crafts, hobbies, sports, travel, etc.

$266 Million Winning Lottery RecipesL L&L Hawaiian Barbeque Cookbook
Eddie Flores, Jr., Jon J. Murakami (illus.)
Mutual Publishing, 2012
144 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 978-1566479882

Feng Shui for Hawaiʻi Gardens
Clear Englebert, Steve Mann (photog.)
Watermark Publishing, 2012
216 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 978-1935690153
HBB Review

Gentleman Ed Francis Presents 50th State Big Time Wrestling
Edmund C. Francis with Larry Fleece
Watermark Publishing, 2012
162 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1935690245

Native Paths to Volunteer Trails: Hiking and Trail Building on O‘ahu
Stuart M. Ball, Jr.
University of Hawai‘i Press, 2012
296 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 978-0824835606

The ‘Ukulele: A History
Jim Tranquada and John King
University of Hawai‘i Press, 2012
296 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 978-0824836344
HBB Review

The Painted King: Art, Activism and Authenticity in Hawai‘i
Glenn Wharton
University of Hawai‘i Press, 2011
216 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 978-0824836122

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What a fun collection of books—from music, art and cooking to feng shui, hiking, and professional wrestling! Read any of these books? Who do you think should win? We’d love to hear your thoughts on these books!