Book corner: Here are four good reads!

Living on an island is cool, but living on a literate island is even cooler.  Here are four books (including three presentations) that I know you like. Here’s the scoop:

• Nancy at Griffin Bay Bookstore reports they’re presenting Caryl Sherpa this Friday (the 2nd) at 7pm…here’s more:

I TASTE FIRE, EARTH, RAIN:
Elements of a Life with a Sherpa
by Caryl Sherpa

Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are co-sponsoring an evening with author Caryl Sherpa at Griffin Bay Bookstore on Friday night, December 2, 7:00 pm at the bookstore. This promises to be an exciting and inspiring program.  Anyone who has traveled in and or trekked around the Himalaya should not miss the Caryl Sherpa’s book talk and slide show of  a region of unforgettable majesty.

I TASTE FIRE, EARTH, RAIN: Elements of a Life with a Sherpa

Sometimes one is ready to take risks, accept the unexpected, and commit to a dramatically altered life.  Caryl Thornton leaves Los Angeles and begins her journey around the world, open to the new and ready for adventure. As she treks around the Annapurna Mountains of Nepal, she finds herself attracted to her Sherpa trekking guide, Nima. She denies her feelings for Nima, but as she comes to know the land and the Sherpas, she falls in love with Nima, his country, his people, and their joy. Together, Caryl and Nima struggle to find balance in Los Angeles and Ann Arbor, but it is on their return to Nima’s homeland near Mount Everest that they both come to terms with who they have now become. This is an inspiring story of love, cultural exploration, the importance of place, finding one’s faith, and the revelation that in the Himalaya, anything is possible.

Fire, earth, and rain represent a triumvirate of three of the five elements of Tibetan Buddhist astrology that sustains life. Fire is heat, light, and passion: earth is our foundation: rain purifies and sustains. Together, Caryl and Nima welcomed the elements of fire, earth, rain, which allowed them to grow, flourish, and transform.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After Caryl traveled around the world in 1991, she returned with a story to tell and a desire to write. Since her return, she has studied with teachers at the University of California Los Angeles and at Richard Hugo House in Seattle, as well as at workshops around the country.  Her teachers have included Kathleen Alcalá, Bernard Cooper, Philip Lopate, and Terry Tempest Williams. Her passion is for Nepal, its people, and its culture, and especially that of the Sherpa after she met and married her trekking guide, Nima Sherpa. For six years, Caryl and Nima ran Himalayan Discovery, a trekking company. Whether they go with clients or alone, Caryl and Nima trek often in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.

Caryl writes to inspire others to move towards “a broadening of consciousness, the ultimate destination after any journey.” She intends to never stop traveling, and so her migration continues. In 2012, Caryl plans to spend more time in Nepal among farm fields, family, and mountains, so she may continue to write about what she loves—the Himalaya, the Sherpa, and their joy.

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• Here’s a new one from Monika – here’s more from The Whale Museum’s Jenny Atkinson:

A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island
Book Signing on December 3 with Monika Wieland

Come to The Whale Museum on Saturday, December 3rd, from 1:00-3:00pm for a book signing of the newly released book A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island by local author Monika Wieland.  This book will make a great gift for any nature lover!

San Juan Island is a diverse place made up of a wide variety of habitats: shorelines, farmlands, forests, and prairies. As a result, over 300 bird species have been documented here. Whether a budding nature enthusiast, an advanced birder or somewhere in between, A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island will provide details about all of the birds that can be seen here and where to find them. Part species guide and part site guide, Monika Wieland’s book will help residents and visitors alike discover more about the bird life of San Juan Island.

Wieland is a naturalist, wildlife photographer and nature writer who lives in Friday Harbor, Washington. In 2007 she received a degree in biology from Reed College and published her first book, Orca Encounters. A bird watcher from a young age, she has observed San Juan Island bird life for the last decade. She blogs at www.orcawatcher.com.

“A good local field guide ranks right up there with binoculars in the birdwatcher’s toolbox.  Monika Wieland’s book will be a great asset to anyone exploring San Juan Island in search of birds.” –  Thor Hanson, author of Feathers: the Evolution of a Natural Miracle.

The event is free and open to the public, although donations are encouraged.  Light refreshments will be available.  For more information, call 360-378-4710 ext.30.  The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N.  Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales through education and research.  The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.

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• Nancy at Griffin Bay Bookstore reports they’re presenting Jim Lawrence this Sunday (the 4th) at 7pm…here’s more:

Callused Hands Hungry Heart:
Memoir of a Fisherman Farmer
by Jim Lawrence

Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are co-sponsoring a special evening with San Juan Island’s Jim Lawrence, first-time author and well-known farmer and fisherman on Sunday, December 4, 7:00 pm at Griffin Bay Bookstore.

In Callused Hands Hungry Heart Jim Lawrence writes movingly of his younger self, his quest for meaning and purpose.

Born the second son of a hard-charging doctor, Jim was unable to respond to the pressures and opportunities of his middle class upbringing. A learning disability kept him from functioning well in school, which fueled disappointment at home. The resulting tension led to bouts of physical illness for Jim.

Parts of Callused Hands Hungry Heart are reminiscent of John Krakauer’s Into the Wild. Jim, like Chris McCandless, leaves it all behind and unplugs from  his well-fed, well-bred upbringing, rejects the main staves of the American dream and wanders into the wilderness of adventure in search of a meaningful life. Jim struggles to learn new skills for survival, from logging forests of the great Northwest, to fishing commercially and working relentless hours in fish canneries, to living on a remote Aleutian Island, and hopping freights across the country.

Eventually the wine and poetry of rural living, and a childhood dream of farming lead him to buying a small piece land on San Juan Island. This is where he finds his renaissance with a life of purposeful work and great meaning. He does this by building a cabin, barns, and fences. “My hands are how I will do this life,” he discovers. With very little money Jim carves out a farm high in ideals and theory. 30 years before words like “sustainable,” “organic,” and “local” were household terms, Jim was one of the “back to the landers,” honing the skills required of this lifestyle.

This is a story of perseverance, romance, adventure, and the inevitable mistakes made while traversing the road less traveled.

Jim has many stories to tell, skills and inspiration to pass on. His hands may be worn and gnarled, but his heart is full and it’s open to telling us what it was like to lead life with your hands, and what it has taught him over the years. His stories describe a particular slice of island history, a time during the 1970s when an adventurous group of young people came to San Juan Island to pursue a handmade life.

Excerpts of this book have been published in the Sun magazine.

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• I sure enjoyed Anne L. Watson’s last novel Joy (here’s my review), and this sounds like a a winner as well – here’s more from Aaron Shepard:

THE LUXURY OF HANDMADE LOTION

Do you love the feel of a good lotion but find yourself unhappy with the cost, or wary of the chemical ingredients? Do you ever wonder if you could make it for yourself at home? Are you afraid to try because the lotion might not turn out well, or might even be unsafe?

Local author Anne L. Watson’s “Smart Soapmaking” was the first book based on modern techniques that eliminate the drudgery and guesswork from home soapmaking. Now, by popular demand, she continues her handcraft cosmetics revolution with “Smart Lotionmaking,” the first practical, comprehensive book on making lotion.

You can order “Smart Lotionmaking” now from your favorite bookseller. Or find out more from Anne’s Web site, at www.annelwatson.com.

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Categories: Around Here