The Pacific Northwest is known as a foodie paradise and Darrin Nordahl keeps that reputation alive with his book, Eating the Pacific Northwest. Nordahl begins his belief with a brief history of the area and how food indigenous to the area [...]
Fourteen islands and seven marine parks are explored in Kahn’s Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. But first, Kahn begins with the history of the area, hiking etiquette and tips, overview of the flora and fauna, and even safety tips. He [...]
Ever wondered what it would be like to time travel to the colony of Massachusetts during the American Revolution? This guide prepares time travelers for what to expect and how to survive during this time period. After a brief overview of the [...]
Books, bridges, beards, and beer are a sampling of the cultural aspects Alexander Barrett and Andrew Dickson touch on in This is Portland: The City You’ve Heard You Should Like. Before Alexander Barrett moved to Portland, everyone told him it [...]
Jaime de Angulo, born in Spain and raised in France, became a legend in California, particularly around the Big Sur as a self-trained linguist and ethnologist, a novelist, and a poet. He traveled around California learning native languages and [...]
Are you a traveler, writer, or arm-chair explorer interested in other cultures and peoples beyond the bounds of your neighborhood, town, or country? This book will whet your appetite and give you new vistas and modes of expression. It is [...]
Cioletti passion for booze is evident in The Drinkable Globe. It appears that Cioletti left no stone unturned in his detailed anthology of global alcohol. History lessons, fun facts, and personal favorites are littered throughout the book. [...]
The mystical power of the Camino de Santiago is captured in a provocative way by Prince in this part-travel, part-leadership lessons book. Between jobs Prince decides to do the 500-mile pilgrimage in northern Spain. Prince has tied his lessons [...]
Readers should know that this book is thorough and well written and while categorized as young adult audience, would be enjoyed by readers of many ages. The author posits that life = locomotion, starting with walking and how we then leveraged [...]
Any wine enthusiast, especially one interested in the Willamette Valley, will pour over Willamette Valley Wineries by Barbara Smith Randall. Painstaking research clearly went into this book. Each page is littered with photos coupled with [...]
I read this well-written, fast-paced historical documentary in (almost) one sitting, with (near the end) Tchaikovsky’s great Fifth Symphony surging along in the background (on Oregon Public Radio) towards its dramatic conclusion. Both the [...]
Having grown up in a Catholic family, discussions often focused on a wide variety and number of appearances by Mary. Due to those family talks, I recall the first time the visions at Medjugorje rippled out to public recognition. Judith T. [...]
The Prologue to this funny travelers’ romp, featuring Sue and Sara, begins with sage advice from Sue’s mother: “Wherever you go, whatever you do, just… don’t do anything stupid.” The lives of these two young women were stagnating. Both had [...]
This is a book about those exceptional women around the world who have dedicated their lives to Buddhism. It covers the lives of Buddhist nuns in 20 chapters of personal stories. Ten chapters focus on the East: Nepal, India, Burma and Japan; and [...]
Like a box of Swiss chocolates, this book is filled with rich, quality bonbons for readers, writers and (otherwise) fans of Switzerland. The Gilded Chalet: Off-piste in Literary Switzerland is a tour de force of good writing, with insightful [...]
History lovers, as well as architecture aficionados, will appreciate the research and stories presented in Timberline Lodge (Images of America). William Turner, the architect, was hired to design Timberline and he had integral influence in the [...]
In 2010, some time after his marriage turned into a divorce, Rocco Versaci set out on a road trip. Not any old road trip, but a bicycle ride across the United States. He was not a long-distance biker prior to his decision; it sounded like a fun [...]
In the latest bucket list to hit the shelves, 100 Things to Do in Portland, OR Before You Die, Ann Smith and Allison Symonds offer a basic guidebook of things to do in Portland and the surrounding area. Smith, a native Oregonian, has lived in [...]
Many available memoirs tell the story of the author’s adventures through a wilderness that is either a literal outside, or an inner journey. Jan Boal tackles adventures of both kinds in her book Safari for the Soul. After she faced several [...]
After finding himself stranded in the Netherlands, Ben Coates called up a local girl he met some months earlier and, after staying for dinner, kept on staying. He not only fell in love with the girl, but with the country as well. In this [...]
