Hawaii Books

I love the way Colleen Coble writes her mystery stories. This was another exceptional book of mystery and intrigue, plus a little bit of romance as well. I couldn't wait to read the next book in her series.

In BLACK SANDS, we are gifted with what Coble does so well--a furry little creature named Wilson (who I would love to have curled up in my lap at this moment), a setting we can smell and touch, and an ending that leaves us satisfied.

Even though this is book two in her Aloha Reef series, don't worry if you haven't read DISTANT ECHOES. This one stands alone.

I like this book.

Black Sands is the second installment in the Aloha Reef series by Colleen Coble. While I enjoyed the first book in the series, Distant Echoes, the characters in Black Sands truly resonated with me.

Annie, the middle child in the Tagama family, is always the one behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly, especially since her mother's death. Mano, her brother Tomi's best friend and Annie's childhood crush, has been like part of the family for years. But that all changes when Tomi is reported dead and Mano implicated in part for his death.

When Mano returns Tomi's belongings to the Tagama family the same day Annie's sister Leilani goes missing, Annie is forced to turn to him for help in finding her sister, in spite of her very mixed feelings.

The twists & turns of the story are exciting, but it is Annie & Mano who touched my heart. They are both strong but very human characters dealing with their individual weaknesses in realistic and faith filled ways. The spiritual growth of the characters, especially Annie, is as compelling to me as the suspenseful storyline.

I would recommend this book highly.

I am a loyal true-blue fan of Colleen Coble. She didn't disappoint me with Black Sands. Wonderful story, beautifully crafted with nail-biting tension. The setting was wonderful, I felt like I was there. The characters were so wonderfully flawed and real. The plot kept you guessing and everything they tried to do only compounded matters like the lava building up under the islands. I loved Mano and Annie, as they stumbled through the mystery and their growing attraction to one another. I loved Wilson. I have to get me a mongoose now, :0). The secondary characters were also well done, I closed the book feeling like I had made a whole bunch of new friends. (I also stayed up until 2:00am to finish it because I couldn't bear not knowing what happened.)

The book is not preachy, but it has definate take away value. At least it did for me. I know Colleen only wants to do God's will. I want her to know that she touched me with her work.

And now I can quit hiding it and let my son have it to read. (I think my hubby read it during the times I didn't have it clutched in my hands.) Can't wait for Dangerous Depths.

If you've never read a Colleen Coble novel, click on the BUY NOW button IMMEDIATELY. If you love suspense with clever twists and turns, a romance that will warm your heart, and a storyline that leaves you filled with hope and promise, you won't be disappointed!

Black Sands, the second book in the Aloha series, blew me away! While in a series, Black Sands is easily a stand-alone novel. Set in Hawaii, Coble weaves the island culture and scenery into the story so masterfully that you can almost feel the ocean breeze kissing your face! With a strong heroine and an even stronger hero, you can't help but fall in love with these characters--become emotionally involved in the drama they face--and root them on to not only find the heroine's missing sister, rediscover the love they are destined to share, but also to be refilled with their faith.

This book is one of the best I've read in a long time! Get it. Read it. Devour the pages. It's a must-read!

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Splendid book about Mother Russia, the way moscow was captured during the Viet Nam war was amazing. Us reds will never go wrong when we read such good books. Remember we must be who we are chosen to be and not who we want to be.

a fascinating account of one woman's childhood. the grandchildren sounded very interesting. i would like to know if someone could give me the the 4th oldest grandchild's number. he looks cute. i hope there are more books like this in the future

I particualry feel that this book was amazing and I am really interested in the people in the book. What an amazing family, how cute the young ones must be! Her story of Pearl Harbor was fascinating and i reccommend this book.

This little memoir will make you laugh and give you a genuine feeling for life in Waikiki in the Twenties and Thirties. Betty Sorensen was taking a bath when Pearl Harbor was bombed and her story includes many amusing stories of life in the Islands during the war.

Born and Raised is by far the best book about life in Hawaii that I have ever read. Mrs. Sorensen's masterful descriptions of the islands made me yearn for the great times that I'd had there. The tales of Punahou school brought back fond memories as well

My name is Hina, and I am the great grand daughter of Hanah Very. Puna (as I call her) gave me my name, and through her book is giving me insight, strength, pride in Hawaiian culture, and a beautiful glimpse into a pure Hawaiians heart. For all of you who don't know, Hawaiians are a dying breed, and their culture is finally earning respect. This book will help you to understand Hawaiians, and understand yourself. Simply written, easy to comprehend, it deals with our relationship to nature, our powers of manifestation, and love as the supreme opener and healer. This book is delightful, insightful, and great for anyone seeking spiritual counsel. Nana will show you how to be quiet and listen to yourself, where all healing takes place.

When it comes down to the wire, managing change is really all about balance, something the Japanese treasure and express in the art of Zen, and passion. Passion without direction and focus is just a bunch of energy, like an Italian lover. Passion, with focus and balance, can be like a laser beam--very powerful and significant.

The first part of one's life is usually spent chasing success, and the second half chasing significance. Nana's Change We Must is working to see that we all get an early start on the second.

If you are feeling in need of true spiritual inspiration and a look into the heart of aloha, then look no further. This is the type of book that comes along once in a lifetime. I happened across it is a used bookstore a few years ago, and I have never seen its equal. Her writing style is simple and clear, a moving account of her personal journey that also contains amazing insights into Hawaiian culture. BUY THIS BOOK, you won't be dissapointed. In fact, I recommend buying as many copies as possible and giving them away. Everyone I know who has read the book has said that it is at least one of the best books they ever read.

Brugh Joy (a wonderful Kahuna himself) knew Nana and said that she was such an embodiment of the spirit of ALOHA, that when she would stand before a crowd and merely speak that one word "ALOHA", her spirit was so strong that many in the audience would spontaneously begin weeping with joy. Incredible to imagine...but this marvelous little book captures much of that magic.

I am so happy Nana's book has not disappeared from circulation. I found my first copy at a small bookstore in upcountry Maui a decade or so ago, when it was then out of print. I have been particularly enriched by Nana's wisom regarding silence -- and yes, as she claims, one can begin to understand the language of the natural world if one is silent long enough to listen!!

Enjoy this gem from Kahuna Nana!

This book is an autobiographical story of her search for belief, faith and meaning.

First she was taught the traditional Hawaiian belief, then "christianity (Presbyterian if memory serves)", Science and Mind, Zen Buddhism, and various metaphysical traditions.

If you have a desire to learn about Hawaii, and various practises of Hawaii (working with nature, Ho'oponopono, etc) This is a good beginning, but incomplete.

In my opinion; the Hawaiians had effective prayer down to a science, and were far more spiritually grounded than the bible thumping "christians" that outlawed the spiritual practises of Hawaiians. Two Bears

Aloha nui loa (I love you very much)

Wendell Duffield's "Chasing Lava" is longer on charm than adventure, despite the subtitle.
You cannot work around an active volcano for three years without having a scrape or two, but don't expect "Chasing Lava" to be the vehicle for the next Bruce Willis film.
No matter. As he says, "Kilauea (which has been erupting on the Big Island of Hawaii continuously since 1983) would be fascinating even without the occasional shaking and breaking of ground and belching of molten rock."
Indeed, even if your interest in volcanoes is minimal, Duffield's memoir of moving to a quieter Hawaii in 1969 along with his wife Anne and cat Mingo has plenty to recommend it. From coping with mold -- not in those days regarded as a medical emergency -- to enjoying homemade ohelo berry wine, "Chasing Lava" will make many who yearn for the older, slower Hawaii mist up a bit.
As for adventure, you cannot get a better setup than falling into a river of molten lava, as one of Duffield's colleagues did; but Hawaiian lava is a kinder, gentler sort, and the man escaped with nothing worse than a good story.
This little memoir is published in cooperation with the Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program, and it gently imparts a good deal of factual material about volcanoes and volcanologists.
From tidbits about how difficult it is to measure the tiny movements of the pulsing mountain to a history of how people first came to understand volcanoes, "Chasing Lava" is consistently interesting.
Some of the first solid research about volcanoes was done at Kilauea, although even now, Duffield says, "More than once, Kilauea has leaked important new bits of information just when modern scientists thought they had finally pieced together the volcano's complex story."
There is an underlying tension in this gentle memoir, created by the discovery -- to which Duffield contributed some early insights -- that at long intervals Hawaiian volcanoes slide catastrophically into the ocean.
"We should never take for granted," writes Duffield, "even such relatively benign volcanoes as those in Hawaii."

this is a great book, really well-written and engaging, and exciting insights into experience of being one of the early(ish) USGS geologists at HVO, trying out new monitoring methods, finding snakes, drinking wine..

Wendell Duffield tells the tale of Hawaii's Volcanoes like no other. He masterfully mixes a biographical tale of moving to Hawaii and living here with his passion for studying volcanoes. The telling of both stories is infectious, you just can't put the book down. Even non-geologists will understand and appreciate how volcanoes are studies and why it's important to all of us.

If you like this book you might also read "Volcanoes of Northern Arizona" and "When Pele Stirs" also by Wendell Duffield.

When I saw the cover of Chasing Lava, I had to pick it up.
For many of us who live on the tops of these under seas volcanoes, the thought is never far away--How did it happen and are these dormant giants going to remain dormant? After all, dormant comes from the root word meaning to sleep. Sleeping things can awaken.
Anyway, Duffield takes us by the hand and helps us to understand how they came to be. And he does so in a simple enough fashion and with enough humor and local color, to make the whole journey from the middle of the earth to its verdant surface a lark. Tke the trip. It's fascinating. By the way, Pele continues to increase the size of the
Island of Hawaii--that process which Duffield experienced 35 years ago--and she seems in no hurry to stop.

"Chasing Lava" is excellent. Without being textbookish, Duffield explains the basic workings of Hawaiian volcanism, enabling readers to practically teach it to friends. Above and beyond that, Duffield gives a glimpse of what it's like to be a field scientist who flat out likes his work. Oh, that we could all enjoy our career work as much as Duffield enjoys his. And don't miss the amazing snake story.

This book was a very accurate description of the heart and soul of Hawaii,the Aloha. I could just about smell the beautifull flowers and see the rainbows. Hawaii is truely a magical and spiritual place and I felt reading this that I was transported back to the islands on a mini vacation.I didnt want to finish the book as I was so connected to the peacefull emotions I had when I was there. I recommend this for anyone who has visited or has dreamed of going there.

This is a wonderful collection of stories that bring ALOHA to the reader. After reading this book you can feel the wonder and magic that is Hawaii and the aloha sprit! A Must Read!

I bought this book because I had read co-author Sharon Linnea's fascinating book on Princess Kaiulani, the girl who would have become Queen of Hawaii. I loved Chicken Soup from the Soul of Hawaii so much that I have given it to all my friends. People who have lived in Hawaii thanked me because the book has caught the authentic aloha spirit. Friends who read it before going to Hawaii for a vacation discovered it to be a better introduction to the Hawaiian culture and way of life than the guide books they had read. One friend who has never been to Hawaii and never expects to go lost sleep because she stayed up all night reading the book because the stories are so unique, warm and inspiring.

IF YOU HAVE EVER TRAVELED TO HAWAII AND LEFT YOUR HEART THERE AS YOU RETURNED HOME, THIS BOOK WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO YOUR HEART.

THE STORYS ARE FULL OF THE TRUE ALOHA SPIRIT. THE KINDNESS OF THE PEOPLE, THEIR PASSIONS, THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR LOVE OF LIFE. YOU CAN ALMOST SMELL THE OCEAN, THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FLOWERS. ONCE AGAIN YOU WILL FEEL THE SOFT GENTLE TRADE WINDS CARESSING YOUR HEART

MAHALO.....

Chicken Soup from the Soul of Hawaii is a wonderful book. I have lived in Hawaii for 20 years, and I still learned so much about Hawaii. Reading this book is like taking a tour of the Hawaiian islands. This book has stories by celebrities like Kelly Preston and Bo Derek, but I enjoyed the stories about the local legends and regular people more. One story that sticks out is about the legendary swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku who designed and popularized the first aloha shirts in the 1930's. I was also inspired by the story of Hao Dang who found freedom in Hawaii after spending 3 months on the ocean and living in a Thai refugee camp. Today this young woman supervises 150 employees as a director of housekeeping for 2 of the biggest hotels on the Big Island. I was enjoyed the contributions of local entertainer Nalani Olds who submitted an interesting story about the history of the Royal Hawaiian Band. Olds also submitted a story about a former prison inmate who turned his life around to become a counselor. I loved the inspirational story of Kanalu Young who was paralyzed in a swimming accident as a teenager. He went on to earn a doctorate in history. He is now a professor of Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii I enjoyed reading about the story of Angela Perez Baraquio who became the first Asian to win Miss America in the pageant's 80 year history. This book is also very educational. I only knew 3 Hawaiian words before reading this book. I learned many more Hawaiian words like Lokahi which means unity and H'ookipa which means to interact or share. Chicken Soup from the Soul of Hawaii is entertaining, informative and inspirational. I enjoyed it very much.

Another great book of Colleen Coble's. As the title indicates, there is danger in the depths of the sea - and truly she captured that danger. There were times I could almost feel the agony of the characters and wanted desparately to go to their aid. Love her work.

Leia Kahale has left career and romance to settle on a secluded Hawaiian island - and Bane journeys to the island to find out why, under cover of searching for an archaeological fortune in Hawaiian waters. Treachery will drive them closer together, murder will challenge their ideas of safety, and danger will re-ignite romance and attention to valuesi n life in DANGEROUS DEPTHS, a passionate novel of adventure and love.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As always, Colleen Cobles book was a good read. I am not partial to the Hawaiian setting. But the characters and story line are good.

Dangerous Depths is Colleen Coble's third installment in the Aloha Reef series. In it she focuses on the oldest Oana sibling, Bane. He has been a rock in the first two books, and in this one you see why. He doesn't know how to not try to control events around him. But from the moment his plane dives into the ocean, the events in the book rocket out of his control.

Leia Kahale turned her back on traditional medicine to embrace homeopathic, holistic medicine, a decision her mother won't accept. She broke off her engagement with Bane, but finds him back in her life -- a situation she is not comfortable with.

Bane has returned to help a friend find a sunken ship rumored to be filled with treasure. When his partner dies, Bane and Leia work together to find answers. The interactions and conflicts between them rang true. Each had reasons for the ways they responded to the events.

Colleen paints amazing pictures of Hawaii in this book. As I read it, I could almost feel the tradewinds on my face and the stifling heat in the jungle. Her attention to detail transforms the setting into an active part of the plot. While this is the third book in the series, you don't need to have read the previous books to understand and fully enjoy this one.

Dangerous Depths is a well written book. The plot and characters are believable in that it is could have really happened. The story line moves along smoothly and keeps you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of what's going to happen next. A must read!

This series just gets better with each book. If you want an in-your-face protagonist, with a sharp wit and a keen sense of justice, Thea Kozak is a great read. In this book, she's out of her native New England, but murder follows her to Hawaii. "Death in Paradise" has a well-constructed plot, interesting characters, including a young "buddy" who helps her solve the case, and a slam-bang finish.

Thea mops up the crime scene in Hawaii in her usual style. Kate Flora has built a strong series with likable characters. She is witty and informative. I look forward to her next book.

Paradise is Hawaii, but private school consultant Thea Kozak doesn't have much time to enjoy it as she's at the mercy of the whims and bad temper of Martina, the director of an organization of girls' schools. When Martina is murdered, Thea tries to stay out of the way especially since she is not fond of cops except for her love, Andre back in the States. Even trying to avoid "detecting", Thea is more than once in great physical danger. Great characters, behind-the-scenes wrangling and a lovable little girl make this more than "just a mystery."

I read Death in a Funhouse Mirror after reading reviews on Amazon's site. It was excellent - so I then had to find each and every book written by Kate Flora. I haven't been disappointed. They get better and better. Death in Paradise is interesting, earthy and full of suspense. Kate is right up there with Jan Burke and Michael Connelly.

Thea Kozak returns, this time attending an education convention on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Thea hadn't planned on attending, but when her partner comes down with pneumonia, Thea has to take her place. But instead of spending part of her time in convention activities and the rest of her time on the beach relaxing and working on her tan, Thea finds herself in the "Ms. Fixit" role as problem after problem arises at the convention. When the universally disliked convention organizer is strangled, Thea finds herself investigating the case in spite of her desire not to become involved. She is aided by a charming 11-year-old girl who sees herself as a secret agent and spies on hotel guests constantly.

Poor Thea is much abused in DEATH IN PARADISE. Every time she turns around, she is attacked verbally and/or physically. On top of that, she is feeling ill from the very first chapter, to the point she knows she must see a doctor when she returns to Boston. What amazed me is how Thea remained oblivious to the nature of her illness throughout the book. While admitting the symptoms (extreme tiredness, nausea and excessive thirst), she didn't put 2 and 2 together to come up with the correct diagnosis. I spent the entire book waiting for her to figure things out!

As far as the mystery goes, I was clueless as to the killer's identity. Suspects abounded, and the author kept the suspence level high throughout the book. You won't want to miss this series, which combines a strong, likeable heroine with great secondary characters and realistic situations.

John Madinger is a Honolulu native with thirty years of law enforcement under his belt. He also has experience as a criminal investigator with the U.S. Treasury department, where he wrote textbooks and money laundering and informants. He lectures worldwide on financial crimes and investigation techniques. DEATH ON DIAMOND HEAD is his first Kimo Rigg mystery.

Kimo Rigg is not unlike the Mel Gibson's hilarious Riggs character in the Lethal Weapon movies. Rigg is a good cop who drives those around him crazy with his wise-cracking comments. Rigg has been relegated to basement quarters of the police station after he won a million dollar lawsuit against his supervisor. Serial Killings dubbed the "Double-Crosser" case have taken many young female lives, and the police thought the perp was dead. But another case crops up, and this time there are similarities to the modus operandi with two important differences: the victim died of heart failure, and the body turned up outside Rigg's new home. This puts Rigg in the unenviable position of having to prove his innocence before his supervisor can enact the ultimate revenge of pinning the murder on Rigg himself:

"'Yeah, but this ones goes deep into Paranoia-ville. Let's say there's somebody who really, really doesn't like me. They need to discredit me, but whatever they try has to be so strong it'll get past this legal shield I've got. Murder would do it, for sure, and they set it all up. I'm not the only one in the department who knows the Double-crosser's M.O., but I'm the one who lives 20 yards away from the body dump. Then all they have to do is a regular murder investigation with me as the suspect, do a warrant, find something of Stella's or a weapon in my place, and I'm toast.'"

John Madinger is in a unique position to construct the perfect police procedural sting murder on one of the department's own. Human emotions like jealousy and revenge are Madinger's vehicles for this excellent whodunit. Not only does he fool the reader until the very end, but he manages to create a character the reader can relate to and thoroughly enjoy. Kimo Rigg is a combination of the bad guy girls love with a sensitive soul.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

I thought that this mystery was quite good, for its type...see title. (of review) Descriptions were also good, with lots of local color.

PS Author was a former employee of mine...the reason for buying this book.

It's clear from the start this is written by someone who is a veteran law enforcement officer. Not only is it entertaining and keeps the reader guessing until the very end, it is has believable characters with dialog only an experienced crime fighter could write. Filled with both intrigue and humor, hopefully, Kimo will continue on in seveal more adventures.

My wife and I were recently in Honolulu, Hawaii and picked up this book and we have not been disappointed at all. In fact we are re-reading it again. We are big mystery and detective fans, so we like CSI, Monk, Psych, Inspector Morse, etc.

In "Death on Diamond Head" the author has fully developed his characters in a fiction novel, which is cleverly authentic, original and served up with a twist or two of humor. This novel (and we hope there are more coming)is nothing short of a great detective novel, which summons up thoughts of Mike Hammer or Charlie Chan, but without being dated or trite.

Wonder when we will see the movie or TV show?

Can't wait for a next book to see what happens with Kimo Rigg and Chief Chin. Good detective work, great setting, interesting story, all told with humor.

An excellent book and worth it for both native Cantonese speakers and people learning to speak Cantonese. I'm a native Cantonese speaker (and also fluent in English) and there are lots of slang phrases I have a hard time translating to English and this book helps with it. It should be noted that the vernacular in this book are often particular to the Cantonese in Hong Kong and may not reflect the vernacular of Cantonese spoken in Guangzhou.

There are a few mistakes in the book, however, but not a big problem. For instance, some characters that actually can be written in Cantonese are left "blank" (indicated by a square).

I recommend this book 100%

Excellent book. Though born and raised in Hawaii, Cantonese was my first language. During trips to Hong Kong and Guangzhou to visit family, my Chinese was understood perfectly and they marvelled at how well I spoke colloquial Chinese, but I never realized I wasn't speaking "proper" Cantonese, until I read this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to learn the usage and context of Cantonese as spoken on the streets of any Chinatown in the U.S. as well as Hong Kong & Guangdong.

Before you purchase a copy just remember this is a dictionary for CANTONESE slang. Cantonese being one of the many Chinese dialogues, obviously not every Chinese speaks Cantonese.
So having said that, I must inform everyone that Cantonese has the most vivid descriptions and usages of slang of the entire Chinese language (yet, being the least awful sounding). How do I know, because I was born in that wonderful city of Hong Kong! It's my native tongue, so trust me, we know how to slang in style~~ However, not all Cantonese slangs are entirely cruses nor are they offensive, you can use many of them safely in any environment. And this book presents the best of them in their original forms, including the usage of each slang and how to apply it within your speech. I am amazed by how accurate the dictionary truly is. The definations are all better than I thought they would be (as well as its entertaining value)! So if you are ever tired from repeating the same old phrases over and over again, then try adding a few Cantonese slangs into your speech to spice things up a little bit.

This is the type of cantonese colliquial I was looking for, one that doesn't just include all the usual phrases that are just slightly colloquial. This book goes all the way in terms of slang language. A lot of swearing and gangster talk is included. When I saw the book cover the first thing that came to mind was the hk movie 'young and dangerous'. Although I have to say ever since my mother brought another colloquial book from hk 'common cantonese colloquial expressions' I found that if you want the usual colloquial phrases like "ar chi don gum say" (ie pretending teeth to be used as gold - I highly take in/treausre every word you say) or "bou yee li" (ie cheating with another woman while married) it'll probably be better to get that book. This book is very slang although it does include many of the usual everyday phrases. The language in this book is probably not used by a majority of civilised hk people although many in hk do swear a lot but I guess they won't use that many variations of harsh expressions. I know this as I was born in hk myself and have visited hk once in a while as I live overseas. I myself do swear a lot in canto (although sometimes I try not to) so this book was suitable for me. It is good as a read for amusment and englightening to what can be said when hk people get pissed or are under pressure.. which is a lot of the time. The yale organisation of the book is very useful for those that can't read chinese as it is in alhapbetical order. It also helps you to pronouce the words if you figure out how to read with the sounding of the high and low tones. Overall I think that this book was well written and it isn't expensive for such a thick book as this I have to say.


hk.style

waited a long time for this to come out, and well worth it..the book is a fantastic contribution to Cantonese language study.
Cantonese is difficult anyway, and has very few good books for those learning the language, in contrast to Mandarin.
well done to the authors and publishers for sticking it out, anyone seriously studying Cantonese will need to learn the wonderfully rich and varied slang, and this really is a serious and valuable work, also rather amusing..thank you!.

Gives a very good overview of Hawaii. Tells of the lowest rates ect. Very helpfull

Well written book with lots of details and recommendations. I like the way it is laid out in geographical groupings, not just a long list of one type of attraction then another.

The Fodor's Hawaii and Oahu Trailblazer were excellent mates. Fodors was too heavy to carry around all day so we tore out the pertinent pages and used it for their takes on restaurants and Waikiki. If you're on a budget these books are a must.

We used this on Oahu and the big island. It was indispensable for getting around and finding places. The write-ups were very accurate and helped us find a much nicer hotel when the one we had checked into turned out to be a roach motel.

Along with specialty guides for Hawaii like the Trailblazer series, we use this Gold Hawaii book for things like the spa addresses and the refreshment reviews. We keep it in the back seat and reach for it when we approach the little towns. Thumbing through it always turns up something worth seeing.

The shop reviews and addresses always interesting. Sometimes the storefronts don't have curbside appeal and the book always spurs some interest to go inside.

It could stand for more young family with children stops and more cheap restaurants. That's our only criticism of this otherwise valuable book.