Alaska Books

Ray and Jenny chronicle their trip from Alaska's Bering Sea coastline northward around Alaska to Canada. In between the tales of frigid water, dodging ice floes and grizzly bears the reader is given a sense of the wonder and awe of what I would normally consider a bleak, frozen barren wasteland. Wildlife abounds, especially birds, and so do people. I was rather surprised at the number of villages they encountered along the way.

The photos are all in black and white. This helps to convey a sense of cold, but color photos would have been nice. I'm sure that costs a lot extra to print though.

While I will probably never do half the things this couple have done, this book is very inspirational to me. We are already making our own tarp, net-tent, backpacks and quilt based on Ray and Jenny's designs and I can't wait to hit the trails this fall. Books like this expand the mind as to what is possible. Buy a copy and give it to a couch potato near you.

This is a charming rhyming picture book about an adventurous young girl named Sitka Rose, with colorful illustrations by Shannon Cartwright that teach as much about Alaska as the story does. "Sitka Rose" is a great tale for teaching both girls and boys about interacting with the world around them and taking life into your own hands. A timeless tale spanning from the creation of the Yukon River and the Denali National Park and Preserve all the way up through the Gold Rush, includes numerous Alaskan animals and a map of Alaska. The author, Shelley Gill, and Cartwright are both Alaska residents -- and it shows. A great book!

Although the condition of trails change from year to year this guide does a good job preparing hikers for the trail ahead. I worked on a Forest Service Trail crew in Sitka for three years and had the opportunity to hike many of these trails for either work or pleasure. I can say with certainty that this guide is second only to first hand knowledge of the trail. The trails covered range from the easy 15 minute jaunts around town to trails that 5 or 10 people may hike in a year.

"Songs Of A Sourdough" is Robert Service at his best!. This is nature poetry at its finest. Here the Bard Of The Yukon use picture words that place the reader right in the Yukon of old. As you read you can see the stranger stagger in to the Malamute saloon and feel the fifty below gush of air until he closes the door behind him. You will hear him play the piano and see the ghastly look of the Lady that's known as Lou. You too will jump for the floor when the shooting of Dangerous Dan McGrew starts. You too will hear the Call of The Yukon and understand its Law while you come to appreciate The Younger Son.

I bought my first copy of "Songs Of A Sourdough" during my Canadian honeymoon in 1980. From experience I can give you one bit of advice. Do not, I repeat, do not ever pick up this book unless you want to be hooked on Robert Service and his songs forever.

This is a marvelous book about sourdough lore, as well as a cookbook for using a sourdough starter, for many more things than bread (and for bread too). It originally came with a packet of dry starter mix, but you can create your own starter by leaving a batter of flour and water out exposed to the air (wild yeast) overnight or for a day.

Detailed descriptions of 83 species of seaweeds, & 30 species of lichens between the tidelines with common names, scientific names, geographic distribution, location on the shore, as well as comprehensive anatomical, physiological & ecological information.

Covers Ketchikan, Prince of Wales Island, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Haines, Skagway, Yukatut, Icy Bay & other smaller towns, Islands & areas around them.

An amzing book of Art .Recent review of his work displayed incredible talent which was greately appreciated. I viewed his art work at the Museum in Anchorage last year, just beautiful.

This is a large, beautifully-done publication. It is loaded with very high-quality pictures of some wonderful examples of Pacific Northwest Coast artwork, especially masks. It is done is a style similar to museum "catalogs," with each picture having information about the item pictured.

I would say that roughly 75% of the items pictured in this book are masks, with the remainder being pictures of carved bowls, woven hats, small carved figures, etc. There are a couple of pictures of a decorated shirt and some boxes.

If you're looking for books that cover Pacific Northwest Coast native artwork in more general terms, or how to do it, or about totem poles, then there are better books.

If, however, you want a high-production-values book loaded with very high-quality pictures of some outstanding examples of Pacific Northwest Coast artwork, especially masks, then this is a fabulous book and you should not hesitate to buy it.

'I'm not a Tolstoy, just a Chex Mix everyday kind of author', is how Alan White described himself to a young reporter/interviewer. While we need Tolstoy's, I also need the whimsy of Chex Mix writers who return me to the memories of life in rural America. The fast pace of modern society often leaves me weary by the end of the day. Relaxing with stories about Grandpa's pet bass Gully, a child named Hannah, what to do when an arachniphobe faces his greatest fear while fishing in a river, a night as the official police bat catcher in small town rural America, the poignant story of Peaches the deer and fishing with a rural convenience store clerk named Calvin, well it's a satisfying read and just what I need to end my day and remember that the good things are still out there. Thanks Alan!