Northwest Books

The Good Diamond is a great addition to the long running series. Skye Moody has pulled together a fascinating cast of new and returning characters, along with intriguing detail about the diamond trade to create an exciting, action-packed mystery.

The Good Diamond is the latest mystery in the Venus Diamond series and it is absolutely fantastic. From the minute it opens in a Canadian diamond mine where a 384 carat diamond has been discovered until the final page, the action is fast-paced and heart-stopping. The characters are well portrayed, drawing the reader into the novel immediately, and the writing is of an exceptionally high quality. This is a novel which, once begun, is impossible to put down. It is a superior addition to the series, but it can also be read as a stand alone. I not only enjoyed the intense thriller action of the novel, but I learned a tremendous amount about the diamond industry and weapons smuggling. As always, Skye Moody has done extensive research to present her readers with an exquisitely written, very intelligent, highly entertaining mystery novel. This is a mystery which should be on every mystery reader's must read list.

In the Barrens of Canada's Northwest Territories, diamond prospector Big Jim Hardy strikes it rich at the Lac de Lune Mine when he finds a three hundred and eighty-four caret blue green diamond. He increases security but commandos steal the big gem and millions of dollars in small diamonds, killing the security guards and Jim. Before dying, he wrote the name Venus Diamond in blood; RCMP Sergeant Roland Mackenzie believes that U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent Diamond was a key player in the theft and killings.

Venus identifies Jim as U.S. federal undercover agent Buzz Radke who was tracking weapons and diamond smugglers. After Mackenzie is arrested because evidence points to him as one of the killers in the Lac de Lune Mine murders, Venus is assigned to find the diamond. It is on the Lay-A-Day Ranch where a white supremacist group intends to trade the diamonds for arms in their war against the U.S. government. The diamonds are stolen by a go between who was supposed to insure the gems were real before a final trade with a weapons dealer. . Instead, the head of the Lay- a- Day Ranch is killed and Venus follows a trail of and destruction leading to the mastermind.

The protagonist of THE GOOD DIAMOND is hard to understand or empathize with but that hardly matters since there is so much action in this exciting crime thriller in which readers learn about the legitimate and the seamy sides of the diamond trade. Venus realizes nobody can be trusted as she is sure the witnesses she interrogates hide information from her when they are not totally lying. Skye Kathleen Moody pens another winner in this long running series.

Harriet Klausner

I recently read the Great Black Swamp I & II and found both books to be well written with many interesting and often obscure historical accounts. The book is well illustrated with relevant photos. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in early US history, pioneers, Indians, etc.

I just bought these books three days ago and have finished them all. Mollenkopf needs to write more!!! I am from the Black Swamp area of Ohio ~~ and I remember the tales of my childhood when my father told me stories of how big the trees used to be before civilization came along and drained the Black Swamps. However, I have to clarify that I am from the southwestern part of the Black Swamp, which to my disappointment, is not featured very much in his Black Swamp books. Never mind ~~ I live in Defiance now and have traveled back and forth to Toledo ~~ so some of the landmarks he's talking about is in this book and I am familiar with them.

If you are a history buff ~~ this is a great book for you to read about this area of the country. If you like Ohio history or even American history ~~ this book is definitely for you! It starts back in the beginning with Anthony Wayne's fight against the British and the Indians and end with Charles Dicken's visit to Ohio. All these little stories ~~ beautifully written and easy to read ~~ makes you long for more stories. These stories remind me of sitting at my dad's knee and listening to the stories of days yonder. In today's frantic world, it is hard to imagine what the world used to be. This book offers a glimpse of a quieter but harsher life.

I highly recommend this book for any serious reader! It's hard put down!

10-12-05

Being from Northwest Ohio, I liked this book in particular because I could relate to every location Mollenkopf mentioned, although I believe anyone interested in how people lived in early America and dealt with the difficulties of travel will like this book. This book is very well written, not boring like some history books; I couldn't put it down. There are many pictures, old and new, and a tribute to a revolutionary war veteran. I learned many interesting things about the history of the area where I live, many of them just miles from my home. I liked it so much I put three more of Mollenkopf's books on my wish list, I can't wait to read "The Great Black Swamp II".

Who would ever think that a woman used to the commodities of modern life would accept the love of a stranger in Africa? Who would ever think that a tribe African would accept a woman not capable of cooking? Paul Meyer makes you believe this is possible in this book! This book takes you to places in Africa few people attempt to understand. I thought I would read a romantic novel, and I found a poignant criticism of the material world and the commodities we enjoy, through the search for happiness and peace of these two characters. At the end you want to know more about their future.

This poignant story builds and builds. It will delight and surprise you! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Paul Meyer has written a cross-cultural love story that provides a fascinating look at both the customs of Kenya and the complexities of human relationships. The chapters are written alternately from the viewpoint of a kidnapped American woman and a resourceful young Kenyan man, each trying to find a comfortable niche in the world. Most enjoyable!

people should be reading this stuff, not the same old boring Plato/Homer stuff. This is the interesting stuff, the trickster who gets tricked and then tricks others. It's so valuable. And beautiful. And underrated.

Just like Beck's "Shamans & Kushtakas" this book is a great reference on Tlingit & Haida mythology. She does an excellent job in both books passing on the legends of old into the 21st century. I am a Haida indian and I think she did a wonderful job

Having grown up in Alaska, I've had much exposure to Native Alaskan culture and have always loved reading or hearing their folklore. This particular book is a great collection of Tlingit-Haida legends, each of which is a sort of "how things came to be this way" story. They explain why a certain clan took a particular crest, or how a legendary hero came to fame, etc. What I found especially interesting is the comparison with folklore from other cultures. Each story is accompanied by a short introduction in which the author shows us the parallels between these tales and similar ones in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. The stories are set down in clear, simple language, but are still vivid and engrossing. My one criticism of the book would be that it's too short. There are only nine legends included, and this makes for only a small sampling of Tlingit-Haida lore. I would have loved to see more. However, I will not knock any point off my rating for this. The fact that I wish it had gone on longer only attests to its overall quality. This is a terrific book, easy to read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in native folklore.

Extracts of autobiographical writings by notable Christians, with a focus on the moment of conversion in their lives. One would have to spend quite alot of money to assemble the original literature from which this was culled. An excellent digest, recommended for devout Christians and seekers.

Genealogy is a big interest in todays world. People love to find out about their ancestors. How They Found Christ in Their Own Words gives readers a wonderful chance to trace their Christian "family" ancestry. Ranging from Augustine through Madame Guyon to Andrew Murray and Watchman Nee, the autobiographies found in this book make absorbing reading. Using their own writings with a little touch of modern wording, the editor Bill Freeman gives us a glimpse into the intimate lives of 17 of the famous saints of Christianity. I enjoyed reading this book - no theology, no long words, just heart-born reminiscences leading to friendship and learning.

This book has a great collection of personal stories of how men and women came to know Jesus Christ. Spurgeon's "Look and Live!" is one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book!

It'd be hard for me to overstate how much my daughter (seven) and I have enjoyed reading these six books. We just finished, and we're going to re-read them. My six year year old son, who initially was not interested, became an avid fan through the course of listening to Kaya develop and mature. I think the highest praise I could offer is that the kids would want to go upstairs to read books with out the usual resistance so they could get in more reading time.

This book is interesting reading. It was a gift for our granddaughter who just received Kaya. The American Girl stories are a great way for young girls to learn history! To combine the interest in reading with learning is a good combination.

What a pleasure to read the entire story of Kaya in one hardcover book. ABSOLUTELY worth the money! You should know, however, that the historal sections at the end of each of the original six books are NOT included. There is one large section on the history, but by no means as comprehensive as the six sections found in the entire series. Still worth buying...Now I have all of these new HC books AND the six book series! :-)

This is a great reference book. It is very well detailed for each trip. I like the layout, easy to read, giving ratings for protected, moderate or exposed waters, place to put in. I highly recommend it.

Lots of good trips, lots of tips about timing your trip with the tides for a more enjoyable and safe trip. Good list of saftey tips. No book is a subsitute for experience but with this on you are less likely to get into trouble. The Puget Sound region has a lot of good open water kayaking and this book covers a lot of that ground.

This is the essential guidebook for paddling around the Puget Sound regions. It is one of those books that keeps getting updated every few years, so it is never too far out of date, which is important in our changing world. The marine environment doesn't change much, but access and facilities required to get and stay there do, and this book helps a lot with that.

This is a great book for the day paddler or the committed water traveler, since it rates the difficulty of each trip, lists places to camp and gives clear directions to launch and recovery points. It covers all the inland waters of the Puget Sound at some level of detail. Maps are a key feature of a book like this, and theirs are excellent. If you paddle the Sound, this book belongs in your truck.

I'm in university taking elementary ed and this is a great story to read to students about Inuit culture in Canada. It's a big part of the curriculum now and I think literature is a great way to teach students about cultures. Great little story and great for division one!

My son wanted a book on eskimos...this was the best find I could have hoped for as Kumak and his village spend their day fishing and helping one another as only a fishing village can do. My son celebrates the victory as he jumps up and down on the final page yelling, "Hurray for Kumak!" We even had to go out and buy fishing poles so he could demonstrate just how exactly the amazing fishing stick twitches "this way" and "that way." A read-aloud that is great fun and teaches children about families, communities and other parts of our globe.

On a spring day in the Alaskan Arctic, Kumak announces "Good day for fish" and packs his family, along with Uncle Aglu's "amazing hooking stick" into their dogsled for a day of ice fishing on the nearby lake. This Iñupiat variant of the traditional tale of the enormous turnip demonstrates that it takes a village to catch a fish. An endnote explains Bania's inspiration for her tall tale.

Bania's watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations, depicting the icy Arctic setting, provide readers with authentic details of the Iñupiat culture and show the joyfulness of the characters.

Two-year-olds through nine-year-olds enjoyed this book and were captivated by Kumak. They appreciated the dialogue and repetition of numerous phrases. The ending especially intrigued the children.

Living in Barrow, Alaska, the farthest north community in the U.S., I have experienced small houses in a harsh environment, like the one in the book. The book takes place in the small Northwest Alaska village of Buckland and is based on tales elders tell the young people all the time.
Kumak and his family have a comfortable little house on the edge of a frozen river, but with several generations living there, it seems crowded.
When I first met my wife Chris in Barrow, she was living alone in a 10x12 dwelling she called "The Box." And we do have a lot of larger and newer houses, but some large families and households still live in smaller houses.
Anyway, the author writes and illustrates the very wise way a local elder helps Kumak and his family deal with their perception of "a crowded house." It is a fanciful and funny at times, but there is a good lesson to be learned.
The book is listed for children age four years old and up, but I'd say it will be interesting to older children and adults ---anyone who has lived the small village lifestyle in Alaska, or who is interested in that way of life.
Now if I can just make some space in our little house in Barrow, so I can find my notes and finish my writing for the day.
Enjoy the book!
Earl Finkler

bravo, michael bania!,more books like this one,please. i adore this book, and so do my nine year old twin son's. the pictures in the book are beautiful, the colors reflect the exact colors in the far north (how did she acomplish that?). and the message this story shares with us is priceless, to be content with what we have, NOW. this is a book we all can learn from, and one we need to teach to our children. give this book as a gift to all the people in your life that you care about. my family is already looking forward to the next one. blessings to you michael bania, your a winner.

My three year old was engrossed as I read this book to her. I couldn't turn the pages too fast because she was busy examining all the details in the illustrations. At the same time, my 11 year old 7th grader who was born reading wanted to see the illustrations also. He did not leave his chair til I had finished the book. My three year old immediately wanted me to read the book to her again. It is a pleasure to be able to read them a story depicting Native children and adults engaged in cultural activities.
From a bush teacher's point of view- a great piece of literature with local ties.
I hope this is only the first in a long line of books from this talented author and illustrator!

1982: Oregon businessman Phil Champagne, age 52, dies in a tragic boating accident off Lopez Island. He is survived by one ex-wife, four adult children, an octogenarian mother, and two despondent brothers. Phil didn't know he was dead until he read it in the paper. All things considered, he took it rather well. So did Phil's brother, Mitch, the beneficiary of a 1.5 million dollar policy on Phil's life.

1992: Wastington restauranteur Harold Stegeman, famous for his thick, juicy steaks, is arrested by the Secret Service for printing counterfeit United States currency in an Idaho shed. In addition to the bogus bills, Stegeman also has a fraudulently obtained passport, a fabricated Cayman Island drivers license, and Phil Champagne's fingerprints.

When the uproarious reality of Harold Stegeman's secret identity hit the headlines, the counterfeit resurrection of Phil Champagne became one of the most celebrated and hysterically funny true-crime stories of the twentieth century. And while every supermarket tabloid and television talk show hounded after the untold story, only Edgar Award winner Burl Barer captured Champagne's confidence and received permission to detail Phil's post-mortem career of fraud, deception, trickery, lies, and fine prime rib, bringing to life the exploits of a man his family thought dead over a decade ago.
--- excerpt from book's dustjacket

This true-crime story is told with humor, pacing and drama to rival the best fictional works. The writing is great, the "characters" are SUCH characters you cannot believe they are real, and the plot twists keep you turning pages all night long. This book is a blast!

Man Overboard: The Counterfeit Ressurection of Phil Champagne is one of the best written true crime books out there. I would recommend it to anyone who is craving a good story with lots of twists and turns. From the first page Burl Barer has you hooked. A must read for any true crime fan. RECOMMENDED!