Oregon Books

This book is an essential guide to any one wishing to have a wedding ceremony that is as rich as the Catholic faith itself (also applicable to all faiths). It describes the why's and how's of all components of a beautiful celebration of the sacrament of matrimony and enables a couple to be the fully active, informed, hospitible ministers of the sacrament that the Church calls them to be.

This book is truely helpful and insightful for Catholics getting married - to other Catholics or to anyone of another faith. Very well written, much less steril than other "church sponsored" literature.

Having worked with the author I knew of this book, but didn't fully appreciate it until asked to coordinate my best friend's wedding. It was a fantastic resource and gave us lots of good reasons to avoid many of the hackneyed and outdated "traditions" that really have nothing whatsoever to do with the Catholic vision of marraige.

Since then I've use the book several other times with other couples and have given it as an engagement gift several times.

When my then fiance and I were trying to prepare for our Catholic wedding, our wedding coordinator at our parish suggested we use this book. It was the best suggestion we got for preparing our wedding! This book helped us prepare our ceremony down to the finest detail, without being "preachy". It just gave us exactly what we needed, examples and all, and told us what we could do, couldn't do, and why. I highly recommend this workbook to any and all Catholic brides and grooms!

With many of the hiking guides lining my bookself, this one stands out with its unique, user-friendly format. All of the most important information regarding selection of a trail are on easy-to-reference columns of stand-out font along each side of the pages. The supporting narratives fill the remainder of the pages with plenty of detail to give you a clear understanding of exactly what you can expect to encounter, plus ensure that you fully enjoy and appreciate each hike. Despite the title, this book is for all hikers and I would especially recommend it for families with young children. I certainly hope that these authors are considering more publications to cover other areas throughout the Northwest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on 'little' outings in Central Oregon. It is a thoughtful approach to walks and hikes in that area with those folks in mind who are not able to do the rigorous hikes that most hiking books focus on. The authors remind us that we need to enjoy the things that we can do rather than bemoan the things that we cannot do. The book is well written and accurate. Having taken several of the hikes myself, I can say that with confidence. The book needs to be taken along on the walk as a good 'tour guide'. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and the humor of the authors. It is a great resource for those with small children, older parents or handicapped friends or family.

I am a world traveler and have lived in Argentina, Columbia, and Israel. It is my understanding that Walks, Hikes and Strolls is for "mature folks". I am a young tourist in the United States for the first time as an adult and I appreciate finding a guide book that is easily understandable and points out many important things in a way that looks out for my safety, my body and my sanity. What a pleasure to be in a strange land and have such competent directions and instructions at my finger tips. I hope that many other people from other countries are as lucky as I have been to come accross this book. Good hiking to everyone!

As a lifelong hiker and adventurer, I highly recommend Johnson and Gray's "Walks, Hikes and Strolls". When I am on a hike, I want to be enjoying nature, focusing on the beauty around me and appreciating the inner peace that comes with this experience. "Walks, Hikes and Strolls" better allows me to relax and get what I want out of a hike because of its simplicity, clarity, and its common-sense approach. This book will allow young and old alike to enter nature with a feeling of security and with the knowledge needed to make the most of the experience. The Fact Finder in the left hand column gives valuable information on miles, elevation, permits needed, trail timeframes and where to obtain maps. The Feasibility Gauge in the right hand column consisely tells trail conditions, facilities, type of exposure and types of use that the trail has.
I can't wait to try out the hikes that are listed!

Don Coyote is more than a book, and how Dayton Hyde became such a wonderful storyteller, we may never know. The symbiotic relationship between animals, nature and man is explained in such a loving, sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic way, one cannot but treat this book with reverence. A highly entertaining, will make you cry, kind of read.
Miki Cutler

Once in a great while an author tells a story that is both awe inspiring and down to earth at the same time. , Dayton O. Hyde, author of "Don Coyote" has compiled such a work. His tale is the great American novel that not only speaks, but also sings from the heart, Hyde's story is told from his own point of view, and is about his life as a struggling cattle rancher in Oregon and the amazing friends one can meet thru tolerance and understanding. His is a tale of the brilliance one gains when one stops and listens to his environment instead of destroying it. It teaches that one can live in harmony with all of its creatures. In Hyde's life he has experienced the hardship of honest work, the toils and troubles of dreams not working out, and the friendship of one extraordinary creature. When Don Coyote first came into Hyde's life he was but a nuisance, a so called "threat" to his cattle, a threat that by all of the old laws of the west needed to be poisoned and snuffed out of existence imeadetly. Hyde was a good rancher, a good husband to his wife and a good father to his children, an over all a good person. So when it came time to raise his rifle in Don's direction Hyde couldn't kill him, no matter the old myth that coyotes live to only kill sheep, and should be destroyed on sight .Hyde didn't know it then, but that simple decision to not take an "animal's" life would change his own forever. The New York Times Book Review says, "Mr. Hyde is an engaging writer, and he portrays his coyote characters as charming, quirky and almost irresistibly appealing. He also convincingly demonstrates the senselessness of those who kill the wildlife he loves." Experience the extraordinary true story of a man who decided to observe nature with not just his eyes but also his heart, therefore discovering that man is not the controller of his environment but very much controlled by it. Welcome one and all to a tale of true friendship and

camaraderie. "Don Coyote" was published by Ballantine Books and is available wherever Ballatine Books are sold. Also by Dayton O. Hyde: "The Major, The Poacher and The Wonderful One-Trout River," "One Summer In Montana" and "Thunder Down the Track."

Don Coyote is one of my favorite books of all time. I have just finished this book - again - as I have done every year since 1990. This book is such an easy book to read - it is very hard for me to put this book down once started - and every year I am re-aquainted with Don, Coy, and the Hyde family. I have recommended this book (and the author) to my friends and family and cannot wait to share Don Coyote with my grandchildren.

Dayton Hyde has a wonderful command of the English language and paints pictures with words so you can actually see whatever he writes about. The story was engaging, humorous, informative, and well-written. It is a story of his own struggle to be at one with nature and habitat. He taught his children this love. He was a good father and a good husband, and he maintains his sense of wonder throughout the whole book. He draws the reader into his thoughts and world. I loved the book. I have now read two that Dayton Hyde has written, and this was my favorite, but I loved both books. He is a man I truly admire. He is a good teacher. I read the books before giving them to my son for Christmas, and I want to give other people his book. He shares his life with several coyotes on his ranch and learns their ways and their habits. I learned a lot. Thanks, Dayton!!!

This book was absolutely perfect for my third grade literature circle group. It was just the right amount of pages for our meetings. The story followed the journey of one family on the Oregon Trail. We actually heard their story from the start to the end when they made it to Oregon. The students enjoyed reading the book and were not overwhelmed by the length.

My book is called facing west I like it because it has a lot of adventure and scary moments in it. They name things different then what we do. Zach and Ben are best friends it's a funny book too. AS you read this book you will find what the real Oregon trail and it feels like really on the Oregon Trail with Zach and Ben. I think you should read this book because I think you'llen joy it.

My book is called facing west I like it because it has a lot of adventure and scary moments in it. They name things different then what we do. Zach and Ben are best friends it's a funny book too. Read this to find out if his family will make it.

Ben is the main person in this story. They went west in 1845. His family went to Oregon. His doctor said it was better for him out there. I like the story very much. I liked how they showed the old pictures of the wagons going down the road. I liked the part where Pete pushed Ben and he hit his head against the tree. I also aliked the part where the oxen starting pulling the wagons and Ben sat on the ground. I didn't like the way Pete walked up and started talking to Ben. I thought it would be a surprise meeting.

Personally, I think the Peterson Guides are far more helpful than the Audobon publications. As mentioned in other reviews, Peterson uses illustrations organized by color and flower configuration. The illustrations are very well done. Audobon uses photos. The idea is that you match your specimen to the photo it most closely matches and follow further identification from there. The books are complimetary and work well together; however, if you can only choose one-- get the Peterson book. Overall, I have had much better success keying out plants with Peterson and repeatedly have found the plant I am looking for overlooked in the Audobon text. The truth be known, I doubt I will ever buy a Audobon plant book again-- perhaps they are better with birds.

I take this guide (and the Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers-- west) on all my field trips to identify wildflowers. Though Peterson has fewer real photos, it does have better aids to identify specific wildflowers, as it is organized by color, as well as number and types of petals. The sketches help me do a preliminary id on the wildflower.

I like the book and the topic, however the binding is is such bad shape that the book is useless in the field or for a more robust usage. Can this be fixed?

Though this title may be a little pricy, it is a must have for residents of California, Oregon, and Washington. At any rate, any family within which there is a flower collecter, should have a copy of this excellent resource. Though my family originally purchased this title because of a biology project assigned to my daughter, it has since opened up an interesting world of the natural plant life of this area and even those farther away.

With determined will and strength, an impoverished Laila Mitchell sets out from St. Louis to find her last living relatives in Oregon. Lack of money forces her to settle short of her destination in a small mining community in the Snake River Canyon where she manages to support herself by nursing the miners and settlers. With fortitude, Laila faces each new setback that might break the will of a weaker person. She even assumes the care of an abandoned child while falling in love with attractive rancher and hotel owner, Ash Corbett. But Ash is betrothed and wealthy, and Laila believes there is no chance he could ever love her.

The reader is quickly drawn into Laila's plight while fearing she can't possibly overcome each new obstacle placed in her path. There is much to be enjoyed and appreciated in this story. As always, Brown gives the reader a fast-paced, well-written story filled with compassion, human strength, courage, and hope. Brown's heroines are always strong western women to be admired and remembered. Brown is a writer to put on your favorites list.

I downloaded The Haven from my library and listened to it in one sitting. The story was wonderful, the characters delightful, and spending the day "living" with Laila and Ash proved to be a great way to spend my time.

The reader, Stephanie Brush, does a very good job with the voices--I had no trouble knowing who was speaking whether that person was identified by gender or not.

Irene Bennett Brown has written a series of four books placed in Paragon Springs. I'm now off to listen to them. What fun to discover a new author!

Carol

Irene Bennett Brown's Haven blends impeccable historical research with a romantic plot reflecting the morals and manners of the 19th Century. It's this kind of accuracy that has endeared Brown to her fans. For history buffs, background details on her strong-willed heroine, Laila Mitchell's, crusade against the destructive patent medicine industry lend an unmistakable aura of authenticity. Even a wee glimpse of the well-constructed plot would spoil the intrigue for readers. But the setting is a search for her grandparents that leads to a magical peach-laden canyon, and the handsome entrepreneur, Ash Corbett, who disapproves of her independent bent. There's an adorable wild cat of a little girl, and Ash's father, a cantankerous old man who fights change to the last ditch. Haven is a treat for readers of all ages. Another feather in the cap of this fine historical novelist!

Laila Mitchell was an orphan by the time she was fifteen. A few years later in 1893, Laila decides to join her grandparents living in la Grande, Oregon where she hopes to make a living from her medical skills learned nursing an elderly person for five years. In Boise, Laila meets widow Kate Boston who is crossing the Snake River to work as a housekeeper to a gold mine owner, Austin Corbett. When Kate is injured in an accident, she persuades Laila to cover for her on her new job until she can take over.

Across the river, the two women are shocked to learn that Ruby Gold is not a mine, but a peach farm. Austin welcomes the two women, but his father is nasty and abrupt. Austin warns Laila not to go down river, but she does anyway. There she is the only female besides an abandoned wild child. Austin keeps coming down to ostensibly see that's he is okay, but in fact has fallen in love with Laila. She reciprocates, but her need for independence threatens any future together.

HAVEN provides readers with picturesque view of life in a remote area (decades before Kneval's failed jump) during ironically that is so opposite to what is often seen in novels occurring during the "gay nineties". The cast is fabulous as fans can see their movies especially the heroine's need to prove herself to herself. Fans of historical fiction with romance as a secondary subplot will take immense pleasure in this powerfully vivid description of a bygone era.

New author, Kathy Vollmer, has created a promising future for herself in the world of mystery with her novel, Haunting for Justice. She weaves a web of intrigue and deceipt between the present lives of Belinda and Martin, the past lives of the Erickson's, and those who have the misfortune of having been touched by both. This is a wonderful first novel by an author with the talent to keep you guessing, and the kind of splendid writing style that keeps pages turning. I look forward to future novels by Kathy Vollmer.

This mystery novel has you thinking from the very first page. You will find yourself engaged and not able to put the book down. Just when you think you have figured it out, something changes and keeps you reading right through the end.

Kathy Vollmer's picturesque words make you visualize the place and the characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys twists and turns in a good book.

Make a great gift for anyone!

New author Kathy Vollmer captives the reader from beginning to end of this exciting mystery. Just when you thought you knew "who done it", the plot twists. The rural Oregon setting could be Anywhere, USA. The characters are developed so well there are those you love and those you love to hate. A surprise ending wraps it all up but still leaves room for the imagination!

I look forward to reading more books by Kathy Vollmer!

Martin and Belinda Alexander move from Seattle to Hope Springs, Oregon so he, a doctor, can start over following a malpractice case that led to his being fired from a hospital. Belinda soon learns that their new home, the Old Erickson place, was the setting of a 1958 murder suicide.

She finds three five year journals starting in 1943 written by the alleged murderer Martha, who supposedly killed her womanizing husband Albert and then herself. Belinda begins to make inquires and searching for the missing last journal She believes an injustice occurred and that important people want the deaths of four decades to remain as is. As her spouse pressures her to drop her obsession, she falls in love Bobby Lassiter, son of the town's icons and the only one willing to help her learn the truth that might free Martha, but could lead to Belinda's death.

HAUNTING FOR JUSTICE is an intriguing amateur sleuth tale starring a delightful champion who turns from a need to know the truth to an obsession to provide peace to the deceased maligned Martha. Bobby is her gutsy equal having to defy his beloved father and a close family friend to help Belinda on her quest. Her spouse is pathetic, no competition to Bobby and is brushed aside too easily. Still Kathy Vollmer furbishes a solid investigative contemporary tale with a historical haunting hum.

Harriet Klausner

I was sooo amazed by how this woman raised her family. They were able to comfortably raise 9 people on one income. It's amazing!! I have also been looking for new updates on them but it seems nothing. Love to see how they are now!!

This book is one of my favorites! The day-to-day living of a family with quintuplets is captivating. The pictures are precious. You will come away feeling that you know the family. It is wonderful how the Anderson quintuplets were raised as regular children. I also have wondered how the family is doing now, but have not found any information.

I loved this book!
The pictures are so fantastic that I can't help looking at them again and again.
I really want to know how all the Andersons are doing now; I've been searching to know avail. After reading this book, they seem very familier to me. I just envy them.
Anybody know anything?
Must read; a great book for all parents and those who love children.

Can you imagine having quintuplets when it was hardly ever heard of? Karen Anderson describes her emotions, the physical process, and incredible experience of giving birth to quintuplets. This narrative lets you into their lives on a very personal basis, with many funny moments as well as great parental advice.

This book should be published again for the next generation. The hardcover edition includes excellent photographs from the birth of the quints to age 6, as well as comments from Dr. T. Berry Brazelton. A must-read!

This book has the best information of any ghost town book that I have read. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in learning about the mining camps and people of the old west.

A great book on the subject! The only reason I did not give it five stars is the lack of maps and the antiquity of the maps shown. Otherwise this book is a great source of information!

This book is the most extensive ghost town book I have ever seen or read. I believe the content is well detailed and documented. Though true of many ghost town books, I wonder if Florin's photos illustrate current conditions. Florin does not appear to leave any stone unturned in order to find historical details to compose each town's history in an interesting and many times comicial combination of text and pictures. To the book's detriment, the pictures are horrendous. Many are too contrasty, poorly exposed, and lack detail. I would have rated this book 10 if the photographs complemented the extensive research and text. If you are interested in ghost towns, it would appear that this publication could be a benchmark by which others are judged (exclusive of Florin's apparent lack of photographic expertise)

I have been to many of the locations given in this book. It is almost a shame that some of them are no longer in the same shape as when this book was originally published. I think that the research used by the author to be very accurate and makes for very entertaining reading. When I wish I was out exploring but can't go I pull this book off the shelf and it is as if I am there. The pictures leave a little to be desired but that adds to the mystery of the ghost town being described. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a thorough guide to western ghost towns. Well worth the cost of the book.

Purchased as a gift. If you want a book on hiking trails in Oregon, this is it.

I really enjoyed this book. I own all of his hiking books and have done about 50-60 different hikes (some many times) because of him. I have lived in Oregon all of my life and did not know many of these stories that William tells in this book. My favorite part is about Silver Creek Falls State Park and how they use to float cars over the South Falls for tourists to view for ten cents. I also like the story about the building of the lighthouse on an island of off Tillamook.
I highly recomend this book and I hope William Sullivan writes more history books, because he is very well researched and is a very good author with an easy to follow writing style.

My husband bought me this book because we're moving to Oregon; I'm thrilled with it, both the book and the move. Mr. Sullivan's writing style is wonderful. It is amazing what this guy knows about every nook and cranny of the state. I am eager to explore the terrain the author describes and look forward to reading his other books on hiking in Oregon. Every travel or hiking book should strive to be as informative and interesting as this one. Alas, its rarely the case. This is a special book.

After moving to Oregon a few months ago, I discovered this gem of a book. While most hiking books will have plenty of information about where to go and what to see, I've never seen one that's just plain fun to read before. The book is full of interesting and amusing stories that will keep you turning pages late into the night. And, even better, the places that are described--you can hike them! One "hike" described is through downtown Portland that describes the flood of 1894 (among other things). Sullivan writes, "Chinese locals staged a gala boat race from the New Market Theater up Second Street to Stark and back on First. Winning time for the eight-block course was five minutes flat, a record that is likely to stand for some time." Last weekend I did the Tillamook Head hike (#11). If you haven't heard the story behind Tillamook Lighthouse located a mile offshore, pick up this book and read about it. You won't be disappointed! It's the best darned hiking book I've ever read in my life!