Idaho Books

Please don't pass over this book for the movie. That said, I like the Chuck Jones-directed, 1966 television production but that doesn't stop me from bringing this book out from November through December for a regular rotation in our bedtime reading.

Now, I haven't perfected a Boris Karloff-style narration but I do work up a good, grinchy voice for the bedtime readings. I think you have to act it out to get the most out of the story (read my review of "The Monster at the End of the Book" for tips on imitating Grover). While my children prefer the animated movie to the Jim Carrey film version, I do borrow from Jim, too. I add a lot of scrunched eyebrows and sneers while I read the Grinch's part. I act out his faithful dog, Max, with a trembling lip and wide-eyes, especially during the sled ride down to Whoville.

My sons are now 5-years old and 4-years old. Their bookshelf holds about 80-100 books and at least 10 of those are from Dr. Suess. I recommend this book for your bedtime reading.

Purchased a lot of 8 books. All were in perfect condition, arriving in a timely manner. Great seller!

My husband and I both loved the Grinch as children. The book is wonderful and when read, you can't help but think of the animated short film and its music. Our son had his first Christmas this year and we've made reading about the Grinch part of our Christmas Eve traditions. It brings back such fond memories while creating new ones.

who doesn't love this book also love the shinny new cover

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic tale about greed, materialism, and the kindness of man for his fellow man all wrapped up in one great big package! The illustrations are wonderful and the rhyming text impresses me. This is a story by Dr. Seuss that is so popular it was made into a Christmastime TV special; and it deserves every bit of recognition that it gets. (Note: this story is very popular; and because many, many people know it all the way through there are spoilers in this review.)

When the story begins we are introduced to the Grinch. He hates Christmas with all celebrations down in "Who-ville," a village he can see from his home on a mountain. The Grinch hates the noise, the caroling, the sharing of presents and the feast of "roast beast."

Eventually the Grinch gets an idea--he dresses up as Santa Claus and uses his dog Max for a reindeer; and this perverse take on the real Santa Claus tale is meant to strike people as ugly. The Grinch comes down from the mountain with his sled and his dog Max made up to look like a reindeer. Soon the Grinch steals all the presents, the stocking hung with care on the fireplace mantle, the roast beast, the Christmas trees--and even the firewood!

The Grinch gets quite a surprise when on Christmas day the "Whos" of "Who-ville" celebrate and rejoice anyway--without any material things to mark the holiday spirit. This shocks the Grinch and he must consider the possibility that Christmas doesn't just "come from a store."

Of course, once the Grinch learns his lesson he returns everything and there's quite a huge celebration with the Grinch leading the way as he carves the "roast beast." It's a very positive ending.

The moral of the story for our children is, of course, that Christmas DOESN'T just come from a store. The importance of Christmas with its religious significance and its message of good will toward all mankind is stressed without banging the child on the head too aggressively. The story overall makes for a fascinating experience for the children. I have many fond memories of watching this TV special and reading this book when I was a very young child.

As with many Dr. Seuss books, children can use this book on a concrete, literal level to improve their vocabulary and reading skills. Older kids will learn the importance of Christmas and the need for all mankind to respect each other and share the beauties of the world together.

I highly recommend this exceptional children's book.

I give the Merck Manual 5 stars in general but I wouldn't buy this edition because is was written in 1999. Everything in this book is obsolete. It's very important to buy up-to-date medical books for the proper information. If you're looking for a newer Merck, I would buy The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Edition: The World's Most Widely Used Medical Reference - Now In Everyday Language which was written in 2004 but is the most up-to-date Home Edition of Merck. However The Merck Manual 18th Edition was written in 2006 but is intended for doctors. I wouldn't recommend The Merck 18th Edition unless you have a good knowledge of medicine.

This is the most comprehensive guide to health related issues available on the market. There is a more authorative edition of the Merck Manual, but at 1700 pages this edition will keep you occupied. It covers the broad range of illnesses with handy diagnoses. But, what I like most is the children's section, which not only fills you on all the ailments that plague little ones, but the vast array of problems that can occur during pregnancy. While much of this information may provide more anxiety than assurance, it is worth knowing, especially if going through the experience of child birth for the first time. The children's section also has good information on health and nutrition. It quite literally covers the gamut of health related issues and no home should be without it. But, don't get carried away with self-diagnoses It can be frightening!

This is a wonderful summary of general medical information written in simple terms so this is a great addition to the family. It is very current in describing medical understanding of a variety of illnesses, and it provides a solid foundation upon which you can start doing more research on the Internet for the condition that you may be interested in finding about. It even suggests temporary remedies and puts you in charge of how you are treated by the medical profession. This is a must have book to keep around!

This book is cheaper [on] AMAZON than the one I bought at my warehouse club. I'd buy it for twice list price if I did not already have a copy.

The text is marvelously complete, yet devoid of fluff and fillers despite its 1500+ pages. The illustrations are very helpful, as is its exhaustive index.

If I have a medical problem in the house, this is what I grab first, even before logging onto the net. It's that good.

All that being said, it is not a complete medical library, you can get more detailed info by visiting a medical library, buying more specific books on the condition that interests you, and be spending hours researching a subject on the net.

If you want to understand something medical in a hurry, reach for this first.

This Merk Edition is perfect for patients with limited medical background. The explanations are more in laymen's terms but it would be good to have a medical dictionary to help when needed. Most term are explained in the book and it is full of diagrams to help with understanding. Merk recognizes the need for patients to become educated and have confidence that this is not a difficult thing to do. Some doctors have led patients to believe for too long that the knowledge was beyond their comprehension, so nothing that they do is ever questioned. I have met other doctors that explain in great detail and even draw on a bed sheet what they are going to do and why, giving the patient the respect that they deserve. I have a Degree in Early Childhood Education, and one crucial thing that was drilled into us that everybody can be taught anything if you start on the level of knowledge of the subject that you wish to teach. I believe this about children, and I certainly feel the same about every age level. Doctors are just people who went to school to learn. You never know what quality of the knowledge is that they learned or if they have kept up with an ever changing field with updates from research all of the time. If you are particular about who watches your pet, you should be even more concerned about your health care. Whatever depends on you to stay alive and for you to take care of, need for you to be healthy, and the health care of your loved ones should be a serious concern. It is easy to understand. Mrs. Symmington

Joan Opyr has concocted a delicious mystery read that, while incorporating all the necessary ingredients (a dead body, mistaken identities, family skeletons and accidental detectives), also throws in some outrageously zesty herbs and spices --- a lesbian wilderness retreat cum shooting range cum softball battleground, psilocybin mushrooms (or are they shiitakes?), Radical Faeries, Lesbian Avengers, heterosexist preachers and outlandish outings. Jam-packed with witty, laugh-aloud dialogue, this story is sure to start a groundswell for more Idaho-seasoned fare from the eminently talented Ms. Opyr and her fledgling detective, Bil Hardy. (Recommend with a side of spuds and home-made hard cider.) Cheers!

I'm unsure how exactly to describe this book. It was definitely humorous, and had a unique tone and structure, as well as quality writing and editing. In fact, it grabbed me from the start, and I couldn't help but devour it. So for those reasons high marks are well-deserved. The colorful characters and crazy situations really brought small-town life to the book vividly. The humor is prevalent, and intelligent.

But I'm unsure as to whether I will be reading it again. It's often frustrating for me to read about self-destructive people, though I'd accepted it by the end of this novel, as the characters accepted themselves. But the book was almost too full of quirky characters and events. There really wasn't the contrast or foil of someone to take a look at all the goings-ons and comment on the craziness of it all. So at times it was almost a bit much: you could assume that whatever would be the most outrageous or unexpected thing to happen would come to pass. Also, I'm unsure what the message was precisely, or if there was a unifying theme beyond something like keeping secrets can destroy you and those you care about.

The characters are likable, though, and it was fun to spend some time with them. I can't tell yet whether spending much more time with them would drive me crazy, though I will likely check out the sequel to test this theory. I do love books in which the characters have a rich family life. So for all it's strengths I'm comfortable with the 4-star display. If you're looking for something well-written and diffferent from the run-of-the-mill girl-meet-girl beach/vacation book, then I expect you'll love this book. I'm trying to think of an apt descriptor...perhaps Napoleon Dynamite meets Trixie Belden?

Rollicking good read! Highly entertaining characters.

More than a mystery - more than a romance. Unique story telling with a huge cast of odd-ball characters. I was so delighted by the characters populating the story that I didn't care how the mystery was resolved.

Unlike any story you will read this year. At over 300 pages this was a substantial read.

Having looked through many of the lesbian books offered and reading a few of them, I find myself tired of the same old mystery, heartbreak and seriousness. Where are the amusing but well written stories? Idaho Code is just the ticket for that.

While there is a mystery that takes a back seat to Bil's life. Oh yeah, she's the main character. See, she's a young buck who returned to live at home and go to college. Her bigger reason is to hopefully get a shot at dating the young woman she's been in love with since she was a teenager, Sylvia. But Bil never sucked up the courage to come out to ask her out. Um... no, her family doesn't know she's gay.

Along with that is her brother Sam who's in jail, and not for the first time. Known for dealing drugs and hanging out with his good for nothing girlfriend it never surprises the family when he is in jail. This time, however, for murder.

Mix this all up with her strong willed mother, three strong willed older sisters, a silent but loving dad, a saucy gay best friend who of course has better fashion sense than her, his lesbian mother who runs the local lesbian wilderness commune, an ex-girlfriend who doesn't want to let go... whew! Wait, there's more! But I'll let you find that out when you read it.

Brilliant story, I'm looking forward to getting the sequel.

Not sure what to expect, but intrigued by reviews of the book, I picked up `Idaho Code' with high expectations. I think my expectations were too high because, although I enjoyed the book, I was not wowed by it as others seem to have been. Opyr's text is well-written and easy to follow; and the characters are interesting. However, the story is lacking something I can't quite identify. It didn't grab me and hold my attention from cover to cover. There is a lot of humor peppered throughout the story, much of which is intelligent humor and not slapstick. The humor was probably the best part of the book. This is much shorter than my typical book review, but I'm not sure there is much more to say.

This is the best western I have ever read, and I have read a lot of them.
I see that message on almost every western that is on amazon, but this time it is true. The book is excellently written and the characters are very colorful and well made. I have never done a review before for a book and probably will never make one again, but I just had to for this book.
I really recommend buying this book, you will not be disappointed.

Great book ! Emotionally, I had to put the book down several times for a few moments to" soak-in "the impact Jose' and McAllister were having on me - I became them and their feelings were my feelings. Awesome reading experience.

A wonderful epic read beautifully by James Drury. I give it 5 stars, it is one of the most engrossing books I have ever read (or listened to). However I am having some difficulty with the sadness of the story. I thought it was a little too tragic for my taste.

I read for pleasure and escape, and I like to be happy when its over. This is why I have read most all of Louis Lamour, some at least twice. There is good and bad, and good always wins in the end. Everyone lives happily ever after.

This is my first Jonas Kirby book. I probably won't be able to stay away from the rest, this one was so moving.

A sculptor taps away at a rock and reveals the body he finds beneath the stone. A painter looks at a blank canvas and sees images coming to life at the discretionary wave of his hand. It is the essence of the artist that we are left to interpret as we often see little of the toil that brought the piece to life. However, sometimes, we look upon an artistic rendering and know the artist suffered, or enjoyed, or was fulfilled by the work; and we get to see the secret innermost reaches of his soul. It speaks to us because it was so very real and important to him. And in that moment when that common thread is found, we smile and say, "I understand what he meant." Now the inverse of that would be the artist that looked at his audience and said, "I understand what they want." This book, like all those of Jonas, gives the lover of the West just that. This man ushers his readers into a time machine and brings the west alive in a way that no writer, in my experience, previously has done. Zane Gray and Louis L'Amour will always be the standards to which this writer is compared as people will find it hard to step out of the genre. But I challenge the reader to compare Jonas' work to the pieces completed by Hemingway at this stage of his career, even Kipling, or Yeats. There is a poetry and fluidity to this young man's style that happens to be portrayed in the west but should be respected on any level of writing quality. You see, PASSION, in all things, is what separates those from the common soldiers that allow the momentum of mediocrity to rule their lives. Jonas speaks volumes of heart and soul in "Eagle" because the voice he has found rings true and with a commitment to accuracy. Much like a proud man would protect his family heritage, Jonas takes the responsibility of "story teller" to the highest degree. "Death of an Eagle" is a must read. It's portrayals of accuracy, kinship, loyalty and heart are merely the superficial assets of the "piece". Lying below the sculptor's rendering, surrounded by stone, beats a heart, available to all and proudly offered by this great author.

It was great to see James Drury's name again. There are still some of us fans left, I guess. He's definitely teling the truth too. I read Death of an Eagle, and it is great from the first page on. How can anyone write such a good story? There is a bear attack from a huge grizzly bear right away, and the main character fights that bear heroically. It was so much like I was fighting it. You can't believe the depth of these characters and how close you get to them. You don't want to let them go. Bring back more of these people, Kirby Jonas! Bless you for writing a book I can read to my eight-year-old or loan to my mom. We've needed a good clean western writer since Louis L'Amour died, and now I've found one better!

What a beautiful book! I'm sure that every state would love to have such a stunning pictorial review. Anderson is a master.

Idaho Discovered does an incredible job of capturing the beauty of Idaho in pictures. The pictures are breathtaking and the quality of the book is outstanding. I would highly recommend this book!

Idaho is one of our scenic treasures. This book doesn't really do it justice. There is something lacking in many of the photos and I wonder if it isn't in the printing. A lot of the photos lack 'pop'. I would like to compare the book to the originals. It is a nice collection of images from around the state giving you an idea of the variety of scenery available in Idaho.

I truly "discovered" Idaho in this book. Having spent several years of my high school days in Northern Idaho, I didn't ever dream that such beauty surrounded me. I have since traveled over alot of the state, country and some foreign countries, and have been astounded at the scenery which had been practically in my back yard. There were landscapes that were breathtaking and Anderson's ability to capture the most minute detail of each one was magnificant. Of course, skiing, hiking and biking to some of these locations was an added bonus that most people don't have the opportunity to experience. I discovered this book on [the photographer's] website...

As a native Idahoan, this is the first book I have ever found that truly represents the entire state. Idaho is a very diverse landscape and a huge area to cover by any means of transportation. Kirk Anderson's commitment to intimately discover and share his Idaho journey is a gift to all who know or wish to know this beautiful state. The photography proves to be of the highest caliber. Great !

I read this book many years ago and then lost my copy of it, so I ordered another one on Amazon. This is the most moving book I have ever read. If you're into non-fiction westerns, this is the book for you. I found the first half a tad slow but the second half was fantastic. To this day, when I think about it, it almost brings tears to my eyes. The story was written from the memoirs of Andrew Garcia, a scout for Custer and tells of his adventures traveling through the west with his native american wives. I loaned this book to a friend and he shares my enthusiasm for it.

I purchased this book for my husband. He enjoyed it and passed it on to other readers.

Stepping Off the Edge: Learning & Living Spiritual Practice
This book's handwritten manuscript was found in a dynamite box in its author's Montana cabin after his death at age 88. Garcia was an original Western settler, arriving in Montana in 1878, one year after the famous Nez Perce Chief Joseph's surrender. If you want authentic Old West, here it is. Garcia tells it like he saw it, favoring neither Native Americans or Europeans. He marries three Indian women (sequentially) and leaves his past world behind. This book has romance, beauty, humor, deadly adventure. Danger. Thrillers come nowhere near this true story. Most of all, Andrew Garcia's soul shines through his writing. What a dear, good man. I wish I could have met him.

A Spanish-Texan quits his job wrangling for the Army in Montana to set out trapping and trading with the Indians. His stories - full of grandeur, intrigue, death and romance - never cease to have a ring of truth.
In Garcia's accounts he is never the hero, but rather the hapless greenhorn who escapes by the skin of his teeth and a generous apportionment of luck.
Written in true trapper/trader/rancher dialect, this book is a joy to read and a pity to finish. I love his insights and Tom Sawyer wisdom, self deprecation, and observations about life with the Indians (and life with whites).

this is a great story from one who lived with the indians during the time before their decline. this book is hard to put down.

Every bookseller I've ever met in Idaho recommends this book. It's informative but also fun and insanely well-written. Conley covers the Idaho basics but also wanders off down side streets and tiptoes through the state's history. And even though it's 700 pages, you still get the sense Cort knows more than he's telling.

I've had the book for 5 years and find myself going back to it again and again. I strongly recommened it for anyone living in Idaho and anyone interested in the West or just good writing

If every state could offer up a tour guide as thorough as this one, travelers would have much to cheer about, no matter where they were. This is a major achievement in the field.

Conley has arranged the book into three major sections (Lakes and Forests - North; Rivers and Canyons - Southwest; and Mountains and Deserts - Southeast), and then by major highways within each section. He takes the traveler along each route, pointing out historic sites, geological formations, archeology, towns and cities, and all kinds of points of interest along the way. When appropriate he will venture down side roads to highlight sites.

Much historical information is related by Conley (the book is 700 pages long), and there are photographs (mostly historical) galore. As useful as the guide is on the road, it is equally as entertaining and informative for the armchair traveler as well. This book will not help you with finding motels, restaurants, or modern day tourist attractions; it is strictly written with the history of the state in mind. And in that regard, it's a beauty. Travelers in Idaho or those interested in the state's history should be sure to get a hold of this book - you won't be disappointed.

We're planning our first trip to Idaho and were looking for the basic "have to have it with us" tour guide to help plan the trip and guide us through it. This book isn't it.

It appears to be a great book of local history and would be fine for backup information about the state but it is not good for planning a trip.

The only way to find items of interest is to read the whole book, set up your own itinerary, and basicaly write your own guide book from the information found here.

Fodors and Frommer have nothing to fear.

Cort Conley is to Idaho what Frank Dobie is to Texas. There is no man who has seen more of the Idaho landscape and backcountry, and known more of the Idaho people than Conley. And few people (if any) can tell you more about Idaho's underappreciated history and Indian lore. This book should be on the bookshelf of every native to the Pacific Northwest, alongside Evie Litton's Hiking Hot Springs of the Pacific Northwest (they just look good together).

Let's face it - what about Idaho DOESN'T make you curious? Whether it's the state capital Boise, or their infatuation with potatoes, Idaho has always been one of the more unusual states.

Well, thanks to author Cort Conley's vivid descriptions of the lush landscapes, and the colorful people that populate this great state, Idaho is well on its way to becoming much more than just "the state next to Montana".

As long as there are imaginative travel-authors like Conley around, Idaho will not be forgotten.

If you like cats / Kittens this is for you. Book based upon web site comparing cutest kitten. Mostly a "picture" book :)

I purchased the book on Christmas Eve at my local B&N. My son had to be practically dragged bodily from the book table even though I assured him that I had bought a copy and it was in the bag.

This book was the unexpected hit of Christmas Day. Everyone, regardless of age and whether or not they were "cat people," became engrossed in choosing which kitten was the cutest and booing if their choice was dissed on the next page. I hope they come out with a Kittenwar board game next, or maybe a Kittenwar for the X box crowd?

If you enjoy the "Kittenwar" site, you will love this book! I am giving it to my niece who has a new kitten and she will love it!

I love this little book. I participated in the contest and was pleasantly surprised to see the picture of my kitten in the book. Then I found my name in the credits for the photographs. How cool is that!

If you love kittens this is a wonderful book. My daughter brought it to school and those girls can not get enough of it.

THE BIG BURN is a fascinating and harrowing historic novel set in the midst of a forest fire that trashed Northern Idaho and Western Montana in 1910. It was a large forest fire. "How large?" you may ask. Okay--If there are 640 acres in a square mile and there were nearly three million acres affected by THE BIG BURN, then we're talking an area nearly 4700 square miles. Sonoma County, where I live, is one-third that size. If you consider the San Francisco Bay Area counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, AND Sonoma together, then you've got a sense of the scale of the destruction. For those of you on the East Coast, we're talking Long Island, plus all of New York's boroughs, and the counties of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Columbia.

"Field Notes: In the summer of 1910, rangers who were used to working in isolation suddenly found their forests filling with strangers. With new fires breaking out daily through July and older ones stubbornly resisting control, the Forest Service's District One had no choice but to hire more and more men to fight them. By the end of the month, there were almost three thousand firefighters scattered across the district's several forests...W.B. Greeley, would later write, 'It was a case of hiring anyone we could get. We cleaned out Skid Road in Spokane and Butte. A lot of temporaries were bums and hobos. In a bad fire year, the temporary is the weakest link in the chain'...They went into the burning forests wearing the clothes they'd been recruited in, and the ones wearing street shoes or snug wool suits would regret that. They worked for twenty-five cents an hour with board, thirty if they provided their own food..."

In THE BIG BURN we do meet a few scoundrels. But the main characters here are three young people--Jarrett, a local boy who leaves his harsh dad; Seth, a southern kid in a black regiment who is trying to live up to the memory of his dead father; and Lizbeth, a young woman originally from New England, who is falling in love with the land she's found herself homesteading with her young, widowed aunt. All three cross paths before finding themselves in the midst of Hell on Earth.

Perhaps the publisher is calling this an "ages 12 and up" to spare younger children potential nightmares from the vividly drawn scenes of towering flames bearing down on our heroes. But for any kid whose tastes run to disaster and survival, mixed into a coming of age story, THE BIG BURN is a riveting read.

Jeanette Ingold has pulled out all stops in her book called The Bug Burn. In this exciting tale of Idaho's wildfires in 1910, three young adults battle the forces of nature. Seth, Jaret, and Lizbeth each fight life in their own way, and overcome personal obstacles. Seth is an African American trying to fit-in in the army. Jaret is a rebel son as he goes looking for a job in firefighting after he got fired from his railroad job. Lizbeth is a niece who is trying to convince her aunt not to sell their homestead. I like this book because it is full of action and adventure, but educational at the same time. I would give it five out of five stars because I had a fun time reading it and learned a lot from it. I can't tell you the ending, but I can give you a little sneak peek. The strong wind blows many fires together, creating a giant blaze. That blaze charges forward, burning everything in its path. Eventually it comes to a city named Wallace, and everyone has to work together to try to stop it. Do they succeed? Read the book, The Big Burn, to find out.

I think that The Big Burn was a very precice and educational book. The main carachters were Jarett, a young man wanting to fight fires with his older brother; Seth, An afircan American young man trying to show his pride for his country by joining the army; and Lizbeth, a young women trying to stay and keep her aunt from selling their home. The setting is 1910's, in Idaho and Montana. They over come some goals, and others are crushed. This all adds up untill the climax were all the flames come together and

In light of the recent wildfires in Colorado and Arizona, THE BIG BURN is an interesting book, but it would certainly be noteworthy under any circumstances. The story follows two young men and a young woman as they encounter and combat the infamously ferocious Montana wildfires of 1910. Jeanette Ingold deftly switches perspectives throughout the tale to keep the reader interested in this well-crafted historical novel.

Jarrett, the brother of a forest ranger, is on a quest to prove himself to his gruff father; Lizbeth, living with her widowed aunt, wants to preserve her adopted Western home; and Seth, a young black soldier, is dedicated to serving his country and overcoming racial prejudice. Apart and together, they transcend traditional teenage roles and attempt to save their homes from the fires that ravaged the Montana and Idaho wilderness during the summer of 1910. Some of the plot developments may seem cliché (romance blooms where you'd probably expect --- close calls end with last-second rescues, etc.), but overall the adventure is unlike any other book available. This overlooked event in US history provides a wealth of excitement for a talented writer. The parallel stories of the three protagonists allow for several viewpoints of every episode; Ingold paints a comprehensive portrait of the true historical events of the period.

Ingold intersperses the chapters with "field notes" chronicling the wildfires and wilderness firefighting from an objective standpoint. These sections are actually where she writes best and they are a testament to the thorough research that went into writing the book. Both historically accurate and dramatically engaging, THE BIG BURN is a great choice for anyone who is interested in learning about the phenomena of forest fires while also reading a great story.

--- Reviewed by Lowell Putnam

Ingold tells the reader that if you talk with anyone in Idaho or Montana for long enough, the subject of the Big Burn will come up, and the person telling you about it will expect you to know all about it. After reading Ingold's well-researched book, any reader would be able to contribute to the subject. Set in 1910, when forest rangers were new, railroads were huge, and immigrants were still flooding the country, The Big Burn tells the story of the wild fires of the northwestern United States. Ingold gives us three main characters: Jarrett, Lisbeth and Seth. These teenagers each deal with the fire in their own way, and find that there is more to fighting fires than a little water or ditch digging. The three do meet in the tale (it is plausible), and each tell their view of the events in concurrent chapters. Ingold breaks in with facts and accounts of actual events, which makes the fictitious story feel all the more real.

Ingold has done her homework, and it shows in the story. Her afterword, acknowledgements, and list of suggested reading at the end all provide valuable information. The only problem I had with the book was a bit of charaterization--the relationships between the characters felt forced and unbelievable, particularly the budding romance between Jarrett and Lisbeth. On their own, the characters were strong, interesting, and contributed to the story. But when they came in contact with the others, even the minor characters became a bit forced in the relationships in which they were observing or participating. Otherwise this is a wonderful example of great historical fiction.

Braiden has captured the unique flavors of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and B.C. with her lively commentary of the distinct ingredients you can find there. Her profiles of people and places make me want to visit each and every destination. If I can't get to that farm or winery, at least I can make the meal myself - and pour a glass of Braiden's hand-picked Northwest wine recommendations to accompany it.

The recipes are easy and delicious, inspiring us to use local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. So far, our family favorites are the Grilled Asparagus Salad with Prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Balsamic Vinaigrette and the Dungeness Crab with Ginger-Cilantro Mayonnaise! Yummy~

This cookbook is absolutely gorgeous. It is a wonderful guide to the Pacific Northwest for both locals and visitors. The recipes are fabulous (try the Chipotle Chocolate Cake) and very easy to do at home, while still elegant. And the wine pairing suggestions are spot on. Outstanding book that would make a great addition to anyone's cookbook collection - and one that you will actually use.

This book offers many exceptional recipes however there are two from Chef Maury Bennett in Idaho that are amazing his passion for local fares radiates through his ideas. I would like to see an entire cook book done by him!!

For the wine and food nut, this book is of epic proportion. Vivid and lively pictures combined with the real people and real stories of the Pac NW illustrates the connection between Braiden Rex-Johnson and her subject. The
wine country traveler's guide to the good life in the Pac NW. Bravo!

To counter the damp and dreary days of winter I surround myself with distractions that promise better days to come. At the top of my pile is Braiden Rex-Johnson's Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining. Just looking at the cover of this love letter to NW cuisine warms me. I imagine myself dining al fresco on the patio of this restaurant or a myriad of others. Then I pour over the interior pages, like a gardener pouring over a seed catalogue in winter. I indulge in the descriptions of familiar restaurants and wineries as well as intriguing new ones. I plan our next excursion into Eastern Washington or the Willamette Valley or the always promising Vancouver area, while noting the recipes from these areas that we want to make today and the wines we will want to serve with them. I smile at the quotes from favorite and unfamiliar chefs and feel as though I now know something of what makes them who they are. And then I remember another friend who I want to share this book with and I'm back online to order it. What a perfectly luscious way to wile away the winter days.