Oregon Books

This is a very nice Junior League Collection of Recipes in this 135 Page Hardback book! I love it when reviewers take the time to list several of the various recipes that I will find in a book, after all isn't this what we all want to know? So this is what I'm going to do, some of the many recipes you will find in "From Raindrops To Roses" are:
Newport Shrimp with Roasted Pepper and Horseradish Dip, Hawthorne Avenue Black Bean Soup, Reedsport Wild Rice, Cauliflower with Prosciutto and Swiss Cheese, Couch Street Scallops with Saffron Sauce, Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze and Goat Cheese, Blueberry French Toast, Crab and Artichoke Frittata, Northwest's Best Oatmeal Cookies, Heavenly Ginger Creme Brulee, Mrs. Stolee's Rum Cake, Fiesta Bowl Chicken Soup, Tarragon Roasted Potato Wedges, Fish Tacos with Guacamole and Corn Salsa, Sellwood Black Bean Lasagna, Double Chocolate Cherry Drops, Baked Brie Quesadillas with Mango and Avacado Salsa, Crater Lake Coleslaw, Marinated Artichoke and Potato Salad, Sun Kissed Potatoes with Saffron, Columbia River Grilled Salmon with Blueberry Salsa, Herbed Grilled Halibut, Cannon Beach Beer Can Chicken, Burnside Baby Backs, Apricot and Blueberry Chicken, Penne Pasta with Summer Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Almond Cake with Strawberry Sauce, Blackberry Ice Cream Pie, Oregon Blackberry Vodka Lemonade, Sauvie Island Tomato Soup with Basil Cream, Mixed Greens with Apples Pears Pecans and Poppy Seed Dressing, Belmont Couscous, Farmer's Market Chanterelle Fettuccine, Rogue River Cedar Planked Salmon in Sweet and Sour Dill Sauce, Apple Stuffed Pork Loin with Raspberry Sauce, Oven Roasted Halibut with Fennel Tomatoes and Basil, Waterfront Smoked Salmon Quiche, Golden Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin and White Chocolate Drops, Umatilla Apple Cake, Fireside Shrimp Dip, Spinach and Pomegranate Salad, Toasted Hazelnut Sweet Potatoes, Herbed Potato Souffle, Roasted Acorn Squash with Harvest Apples and Currants, Black Cherry Tea Truffles with Hazelnuts, Tiramisu Delicioso, First Night Chocolate Torte, Pear Tart, Crab and Chanterelle Chowder, Hazelnut and Gorgonzola Salad, Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Cream Sauce, Chinese Gate Pork Wraps, Vegetable Panini, Duniway Chocolate Sheet Cake, Sweet Home Cookies, Oatmeal Spice Cake with Caramel Pecan Glaze and Stumptown Mocha Cheesecake, just to name a few! This should give you a very good idea of what you can find in this lovely cookbook! Enjoy!

I bought this book a few days ago. It is already a very favorite cookbook (and I have quite a collection). It is one of those rare cookbooks where you want to try almost every recipe. Many of the recipes are native Northwest cuisine (yes, we do have our own cuisine in this neck of the woods) but it also includes recipes that span foods from the the Southwest to Europe.

Well worth the money. Highly recommended.

An essential guide to travelling throughout Oregon! It was a life- saver during those times that we would enter a town and want to know what there was to see or do in it. I used it everyday on my 7 day vacation! I will continue to purchase Frommer's products for whatever destination I am planning.

This is a great book for an overview of the total state. If you are looking for lots of info on one particular area this probably isn't what you are after, but it gives a good description of each area. We found it useful for our trip but not terribly in depth about each area.

This book covers the highly interesting history of the colonization of Africa. Part of this history are incredible events, great stories and colorful people. This makes the book absolutely worth reading especially because Wesseling has a very attractive style of writing.

I first read "Scramble for Africa" and thought that book was the definitive history of the European conquest of Africa. But then I discovered this book. It covers much of the same topic as "Scramble" but does so in a way that presents a better developed thesis. The conquest of Africa was not a scramble, but rather a systemic effort that led nations to dominate certain parts of Africa.

Imperialsim was in high gear during this time frame and the nations of Europe did in Africa what they had done in east Asia (namely China) and central Asia before. They carved out territory and spheres of influence. land that was taken by one nation was contested and fought over, but nations did accept boundaries as there was plenty of land to be conquered. Ironically, the land closest to Europe, Morroco, was among the last African lands to be taken over (likely because it had fewer resources than the rich southern lands).

Divide and Rule does a very good job of explaining what and how Eurpoe took over Africa. This ultimately led to the turbulent 1960s when African nations emerged from colonialsim to rule themselves in a format that their history and culture did not understand. Both this book and "Scramble" should be read, but I believe Divide and Rule is the true definitive account of this fascinating period of history.

In this book the author describes his travels through ghost towns. In describing the areas, the author explains the directions and difficulties that were endured getting to the actual site. There is history about the towns and the author also notes the cause of a towns' demise. There are wonderful anecdotes from old-timers and some humorous tales of the author's travels. It is a book that makes for good reading, but not one that may be easily referred to during traveling, so reading and taking notes or marking pages is helpful. There are descriptions of the roads, but not all directions are clear whether some of these roads are accessible without a four-wheel drive vehicle. Many good photographs, but all pictures are in black and white. It does however make this reader want to get off the couch to travel and explore.

This is an absolute great book about searching out and exploring all kinds of abandoned towns in the boonies of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The author explores a total of 62 ghost towns. It would be of interest to history buffs, explorers, and off-roaders, as well as nature lovers. It's interesting, even if you never venture out your front door. Weis is a great writer, with a light, lively and humorous style as he recounts the ups and downs of back roads, dirt trails and encounters with locals as he tracks down these lost worlds of the west. And Weis is also truly an outstanding photographer, with dozens of dramatic black and white photos here to prove it. We've all heard about a handful of "tourist attraction" ghost towns, but this author, after checking out a few of those, goes way beyond and finds all kinds of ghost towns that truly have been forgotten. Reading this book is truly inspiring, encouraging readers to go out and explore and find their own lost towns with their weed-filled roads and teetering buildings, and perhaps a few odd characters lurking about. Weis gives tips for how to study topograhic maps to discover old town sites and what it takes to get to them. This book really strikes a chord in the heart of all would-be explorers and western history buffs. This is truly an enjoyable book, mixing light history, exploration, and just plain fun. It includes maps, and lots of great info. Who knows what has become of these ghost towns since this book was written? Weis' book makes that a question most people who read it will be hankering to explore.

Like her first novel, Going to Bend, Hammond's story is set in rural, coastal Oregon. She is a master at setting the scene -- you can almost taste the ocean. Her characters speak to you like old friends, even if you've never known anyone like them...but you have! This second novel is dark -- be prepared to face life's challenges head-on. But the messages sent are as strong as lighthouse beacons: friendship and kindness are what get us all through the dark times. I can't wait for her third novel.

Anita, runner-up in a local beauty contest, hit her physical peak in high school, soon to grow fat with childbearing and heredity. Bernadette, fondly nicknamed Bunny, finds herself a man too good-looking to trust, so she doesn't. Hack Neary is just too smooth, the used-car-salesman kind of smooth. In fact, he's exactly that --- a used car salesman, one with a roving eye and maybe a roving, uh, something else. Bunny certainly suspects him at every turn, and it's making Hack crazy.

Anita, on the other hand, is confident of Bob's love. He may be a drunk and a loser, but he's no cheat. His devotion to Anita is true. But when he starts disappearing for long periods without explanation, Anita can't help but wonder why. Does he have some shameful secret, or has he fallen --- one more time --- off the wagon? She has very little time, however, to worry over it because their daughter has moved back home with granddaughter Crystal. Between daycare and the extra mouths to feed, Anita finds almost no chance to sit and mull things over. Plus, she is just so tired.

Meanwhile, Bunny has noticed Hack acting oddly. He seems distracted and does not pay as much attention to her as he used to. Could he be having an affair? There's a real looker working down at the dealership with him who seems mighty attentive, and then there's the time Bunny picked up the phone at home and heard a woman whispering to Hack.

Nearing 40, both women find themselves disillusioned with life. Bunny has plenty of disposable cash, but Anita can barely make ends meet. Her usually cheery outlook starts to wane. "You know what you end up asking yourself?.... How little can I live with...and how much do I need? And the answer keeps getting smaller, and your marriage keeps shrinking." Maybe things would have been different if Anita and Bunny had left the gray, sodden wide spot called Hubbard. But despite all that weighs them down, their friendship remains steadfast.

The two women are by no means model spouses. But maybe Hack isn't as bad as his wife thinks he is. And then maybe Bob is worse than his wife thinks he is. Whatever the case, none of them is a saint. But who in this world is?

While HOMESICK CREEK is, on the surface, a look at the seedy side of small town life and the ugly side of the people in it, ultimately it weighs in as a story of genuine friendship, love gone wrong, and families in crises.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

After searching in vain for books on Black-Tailed deer for years, I purchased Dr. Terkla's fine book many years ago. His scientific training comes thru in his straight-forward, logical approach in which he talks about the favorite browse plants in different seasons, their behavioral habits, water requirements, and preferred habitats. He uses this information to explain how to successfully hunt these elusive creatures. He also goes into detail on how to minimize your human scent, discusses the need for maintaining good physical condition, and makes a good case for consuming venison as a health-conscious strategy. Finally, his tone is an encouraging one, and he approaches this subject with humility and admiration for the deer. If you believe that hunting is all about how powerful your rifle is then this book is not for you. If you see hunting as a complex set of skills using knowledge of deer habits, weather, plants, navigation, a good level of fitness, and patience then you will find this book useful. This is a thinking man's guide to hunting black-tailed deer.

Shelves of books exist about whitetails, but very little is in print concerning blacktailed deer. Terkla fills a real need. I am an amatuer naturalist and a hunter, and I found his book to be very well researched. He cites from numerous studies found only in college archives and wildlife department file cabinets: information that is inexcessible to the general public. It compares favorably to the text on blacktails published in the 1950s by the Washington Department of Game (now the Department of Fish and Wildlife). Details include the seasonal movement and diet of blacktails, their favored habitat, and the best methods to observe and hunt these shy creatures. Forget about trying to translate what you read about whitetails or mule deer to the blacktailed deer. This book will deals with them specifically.

I'm Sorry Almira Ann is a wonderful book about a young girl named Sarah . Sarah and her family are traveling on the Oregon Trail from Missouri on a covered wagon with a group of other covered wagons . Sarah's best freind,Almira Ann , is also traveling with the group and with her family . But if only Sarah's , hasty spirit would just leave the trip would be alot easier for everyone. But Sarah can't quite keep the hasty spirit from causing her to disobey the rules . Along the way Sarah accidentally causes Almira Ann to fall from her wagon , and when she does she breaks her leg . Sarah knows she needs to control her hasty spirit . If you enjoy historical fiction you should enjoy this book.

Jane Kurtz's newest book truly fulfills the need for accurate historical fiction for the middle grade reader. The story of Sarah and Almira Ann, two best friends, as they travel the Oregon Trail with their families moves quickly and should draw in even the most reluctant reader. Sarah rapidly moves from one adventure to another, some with unfortunate consequences. When Almira Ann is injured as a result of Sarah's actions, it is easy to identify with Sarah as she struggles to deal with her feelings. Susan Havice's soft pencil illustrations and colorful cover add to the warmth of the book. This is a great transition book for student s who are moving from easy chapter books to novels. Also, as an elementary school librarian, I am so pleased to be able to offer this little gem of a book to students who must choose a book "over 100 pages" for their next book report.

This book in the form of a diary was foremostly a handbook by and for an emigrant on the Oregon Trail. Palmer took the Trail in 1845, within 5 years of the first practical wagon crossing of it and had published his book within 2 years. It contained practical advice on the composition of the train,the ill-defined route, chosing nightly camp sites and the daily problems facing the pioneers. With wonderful practical advice on the choice of wagons, animals, supplies and proposed progress. His observations of the land crossed, native people encountered and perilous problems facing the pioneers, particularly of the desperate forcing of a road around Mount Hood in appalling conditions, are made with the eye of a seasoned traveler. Although the prose retains the flavour of having been written contemporaneously, it is easily assimilated by the modern reader. However, armchair pioneers will benefit greatly from access to a topographical map of the route which will supplement the somewhat limited sketches from the original documents.

Thanks to Joel Palmer's artistic writing abilities and keen observations, we have a sweeping visual perception of what it was like to travel along the Oregon Trail in 1845-46. Palmer is very descriptive of landforms, climate, people he met, and all the other happenstances not only along the Oregon Trail itself, but also of Oregon. He was one of few to blaze a new wagon road from the Dalles, around Mt. Hood to the Williamette Valley, which was later referred to as the Barlow Cutoff. Also included are excellent descriptions of the disastrous Stephen Meek wagon party; Oregon City in its infancy; advice to future emigrants; economic and agricultural possibilities in Oregon; etc. There is also a somewhat lengthy but insightful and prophetic letter from Reverend Spalding to Palmer with his thoughts and descriptions of Oregon.
I did find it somewhat peculiar though that Palmer's advice to emigrants mirrors the same advice of Overton Johnson's "Route Across the Rocky Mountains" published a year earlier. A map would be handy for those unfamiliar with the geography as the one included is quite vague. Still, a great book.

This is a great book as an all-around reference for understanding not only the science and theory behind CA earthquakes, but also the hitory and cultural factors that have shaped our response to earthquakes.

Living With Earthquakes In California by Robert Yeats is an excellent book. I bought the book on the strength of The Geology Of Earthquakes, a textbook Yeats co-authored, but I never expected a book that would rival Bruce Bolt's Earthquakes in my mind. Even though the book is focused on California [Yeats also has one coming out on the Pacific Northwest], it is comprehensive enough to be an all purpose reference on earthquakes. The book covers everything from the science of earthquakes to earthquake insurance. People that find Bolt a little too difficult will find Yeats a little more comprehensible. While the College Board mulls over whether to instate an AP Geology course, I'm already compiling my supplemental reading list for the class and this book will be at the top of the list.

AS ALWAYS, GILBERT MORRIS DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN BRINGING THIS BOOK TO LIFE. I ENJOYED IT THOROUGHLY AND LOOK FORWARD TO HIS NEXT BOOK.

Temperance Peabody has the daunting responsibility of getting six orphaned kids to their relatives back East. Against his will, but indebted to Temperance, Thaddeus Brennan has agreed to be their guide. His hate for children and dislike of Temperance makes the arrangement less than ideal, but Temperance has no choice, and Thaddeus has reason himself to put space between him and the little town of Walla Walla, Oregon.

A MAN FOR TEMPERANCE is an enjoyable story. Though somewhat predictable, some amusing twists added to the pleasure of reading it. Thaddeus is far from hero status when he is introduced in the story. A hard man with a hot temper and an unhealthy drinking habit, Thaddeus¡¯ bristly ways takes some time to warm up to. Temperance, ever level-headed in the task before her, butts heads with Thaddeus but has to put up with his vices if she is going to see the kids safely home to their extended families. The characters of Rena, Belle, and Quaid, really added to the story. I especially enjoyed watching the transformation in Rena.

With its western setting and colorful characters, A MAN FOR TEMPERANCE has entertained me enough that I have decided to read SANTA FE WOMAN, the first book in the Wagon Wheel series by GILBERT MORRIS.