Nevada Books

An artist and a bookstore owner, the narrator's parents in My Mother's Lovers are known in their small town as "those hippies in the purple house." Mimi, the central figure in her daughter Lake's life, is the mother many of us would love to have yet would resent bitterly until we came to understand her. Looking back through a child's observant yet uncomprehending eyes, Lake describes how she was charmed and mystified by Mimi as a young child, then grew to resent her mother's hunger for passion and authenticity, which she experienced as betrayal. Complex and intriguing characters move in and out of Lake's life, such as GraceAnne, a native American hair dresser whose silence invites her customers to confide the bizarre stories of their lives, or Aunt Dee Dee, a would-be Princess who swoops into town bearing clothes, Barbies, and the family's first telephone. Many of these characters, including Mimi herself, have secrets that were not open for young Lake to read, so the adult Lake periodically builds on her childhood memories to imagine for herself their thoughts, experiences, and emotions. Those passages are the most evocative and beautiful in the book. In particular, if you haven't already been captivated by Passanante's poetic, humorous, and visually gorgeous style by the time you reach the sensuous interlude of Mimi and her scarred logger, you will surrender to Passanante then.

My Mother's Lovers is a short novel that compresses in its humorous, tragic, and gorgeous pages the timeless story of a girl's coming of age, her achievement of a hard won wisdom. Love is also the book's subject; there is not one false moment, no cliche, in Passanante's wise and deeply observed treatment of literature's most common theme.

Passanante's book grabbed me in the first chapter, and I never let go. Her descriptions of a child born to flower-children of the 60's in Idaho resonates in an almost magical way. The trials and tribulations of adolescence for the main character are incredibly vivid, painful and surprising. The book is fast moving, thought provoking and wonderfully written.

There are times when you pick up a book that you feel you really connect with the author, that somehow you know her and the people about whom she writes. For me, "My Mother's Lovers" was one of those books.

While this is clearly a book of fiction, the vivid description of the characters, particularly the grandfather, resonated with me.

I always enjoy books about young people coming of age in the 1960s and 1970s, perhaps because even at 49 I'm still coming of age. (Or, so I dream.)

This is also a book about a mix of cultures, Italian and Jewish, and about hippies and what used to be the establishment (which so many of the hippies have since become).

I look forward to Passanante's next book.

It's been over a month since I read it, and I can't get it out of my mind--its authentic characters (from Lake, the furious daughter of two leftover hippies to Aunt DeeDee, her mother's super-conventional, miniature, spike-heel-wearing sister, whom Lake longs to live with in "Frisco," to GranVinny, the gruff, flower-loving grandfather Lake has been separated from--along with a gallery of small-town Idaho loggers and hairdressers), its wit (Aunt DeeDee's personal-ads beaux usually "nicked themselves shaving and still had a bit of Kleenex encrusted on a thin red line on his neck"), and especially its haunting theme, of the complex ways in which emotional legacies are passed through generations. Builds to a satisfying, surprising, funny/appalling climax--a unique chase scene that I'd love to see in a movie!

Very captivating. Combines great technical detail, romance, life & death struggle; a hero who is very strong and yet full of compassion. If you like military action, this is a great book.

Rhombus is the kind of story you just can't put down. From the very first page, the story grabs you and won't let you go. I found myself coming back again and again until I finished it. Gore has done a splendid job of weaving and spinning a terrific plot, chuck full of interesting characters. An absolute must read! Dudley Henriques International Fighter Pilots Fellowship

Good things do come in threes. I rank Gore's writing up there with two other West Virginia natives. Christum has the air warrior skills of Stephen Coonts'Jake Grafton and the warm emotional side of Homer Hickam's Sonny. His technical knowledge is used in a way that makes the story enjoyable, as opposed to Clancy's style of trying to overwhelm and impress the reader. I wonder if Gore still has that '64 Mustang I admired as a kid when it sat in his parent's driveway on College Park.

At last there is an action hero with moral values-he loves his his children and his wife,loves his country and leans on his faith with God for strength. The story is believable and the historical events in the book have a new twist. If there was a Michael Christum he would remind me of my brother.

Still with Me is a wonderful read, beautifully written and warmly delivered. It is universal in its message and will touch anyone who has lost a parent. I began reading the book in a restaurant as I dined alone; but became somewhat self-conscious as I cried almost as many times as I laughed, and sometimes that happened on the same page. This book promises to be not only a best seller but would make a splendid movie.

I felt as though I was in the same room with Andrea King Collier listening to her tell this story. It is a true account of the roller coaster of emotions that accompany caring for an ill parent. The book demonstrates the importance of preventative health care and the reasons to advocate for one's own health. It is fortunate that Andrea had the support of her husband, the distraction of two young children, the strength to care for her mother, and a sense of humor to help make it through even the darkest of days. This book is a tribute and an inspiration to all women.

I was so moved and so utterly totally shaken by this book that I have been crying though the reading, my nose running and my chest tight. Now I am just raw with my grief. This book isn't so much about Ms Collier's mother as it is about all our mothers.
I am one of those daughter's who has taken on the care of an elderly parent. My mother is still living and I have been her "assisted care" for several years. In the years since my mother suffered a debillitating stroke I have struggled with the varying feelings of helplessness, inadequacy, andger, resentment - all of those and more.
This book is a gift to all of the daughters, all of the caregivers. It gave me permission to cry, to let it all out.
Beyond a clearly superior ability to write - the author posesses an indefinable quality that allows her to dip into universal truths and make them personal and immediate. "Unflinching" as one review characterizes it, does not even come close.

"Still With Me" is a story of love, life, illness, loss and healing. It is an emotional journey that made me smile, laugh out loud, talk back to the book, and shed a few tears as I read.
This is a well-rounded look at how an illness affects the entire family, not just those closest to it. The depth of the love between the author and her mother is so clear in this story. The importance of annual exams and taking full advantage of access to medical care could be considered the moral of this story.

As a mother, I pray that my daughter will not have to face this experience; as a daughter, I pray that if I am faced with this, I will handle it with in such a loving and caring manner. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in health issues, dealing with a terminal illness, or just an old-fashioned story of the special bond shared between mothers and daughters.

I look forward to future work by this author as her style of writing allows the reader to visualize the setting and the story will tug at your heart and beg you finish it. This is not "light reading", more a story with a message of love. It was wonderful!

This book is a real page turner. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. It was satisfying from beginning to end and I did not want it to end. I highly recommend it.

The struggles and hardships survived by this family should make us think twice about whining when we've had a bad day at the office, the dog throws up on the carpet, there's a traffic jam on the way home, the cable guy is four hours late, or any of the other happenings we find annoying in our modern lives. (how about that three-day trip to town and back?) As an animal lover, I skimmed over the semi-graphic descriptions of trapping animals. Other than that, an enthralling read.

Delightful rendition of the Pioneer spirit. Easy to read and hard to put down.

I was turned on to this book by the authors great nephew. This woman's tale of hardship, perseverance and determination is one to be admired by all. An easy read and a wonderful adventure.

I am pleased with my purchase. My book arrived quickly and in as stated condition. The book contained all the information I need to plan my up coming trip. I will keep it with me on the trail as a reference to flora, fauna and trail head information.

It's nice to see Tim Hauserman come out with a guide to the Tahoe Rim Trail so soon after the trail's completion. The Tahoe Rim Trail is destined to be one of the elite distance hikes in the West, right next to the High Sierra Trail, John Muir Trail, and Skyline to the Sea Trail. Having been to the Tahoe area, and recently finished reading the guide, I am already planning a thru hike on the trail for next year.

This book has a number of excellent features. The use of Tom Harrison maps (and the expertise of Jeffrey Schaffer) in the trail description chapters give the prospective hiker far more detail than typical guidebooks do. This is especially important in planning the logistics of a 150+ mile hike. In addition, Hauserman has done an excellent job of breaking the trail down into managable day-hikes and/or overnight trips. Those who, like my wife, want to complete the trail in 2 or more summers will find his organization useful. Finally, the trail description of each segement begins with helpful notes on water sources, camping locations, etc, which will greatly assist both thru hikers and those sampling the trail on a day hike.

If the book has a problem, it is the amount of space it devotes to introducing the Tahoe area and the trail. Less than half the book is devoted to trail description. While the rest of the material made for fascinating, and sometimes funny reading (Hauserman has a great sense of humor) it does add to the weight of the book. I appreciate this in my armchair, but will undoubtably be less happy with it on the trail. Other Wilderness Press Guides to similar sized trails are more compact (and still have great maps). Despite this small criticism, the book is an excellent buy and Hauserman has done a good job summarizing what will surely be one of the premier hiking trails in the years to come.

The author clearly knows and loves the area; a good thing because The Tahoe Rim Trail is the only guide out on this recently completed trail. Both planning and take with you information are in the book. When you are ready to go, just cut out the trail descriptions to take with you. I would also buy a Tom Harrison Lake Tahoe Recreation Map. The book's maps are good, but not convenient for map and compass work.

About the review lead: I was just reading along, checking out the background information chapter, and the flora and fauna chapter, then hit the Lets All Get Along chapter. On this multiuse trail, hiker, horse and mountain bike interactions are common. The Sharing the Trail With Horses section led off with "A horse believes that everything will eat it until proved otherwise" (from Sonja Willits, TRT Newsletter). That phrase made me smile and instantly simplified the horse-hiker rules I have heard. It is now engraved in my brain. I - a non-biking hiker, appreciated the Dirt User's Hints (for bikers). The chapter was rounded out by the Inconsiderate Backcountry Blockhead rules for how to be a bad hiker.

Good information in Weather, Water and When to Go chapter. This is where the author's local knowledge is obvious. Snow is a factor for many months, Lightning for others. Some of the paragraph leads: Elevation, Which Way the Mountain Faces, Lee of the Mountains:..., The Wind..., Dehydration, Hypothermia, Avalanches.

The Users Guide chapter has info on, for example: what to take, where to fish, where to take the kids, lists the trailheads, and is addressed to horse people and mountain bikers as well as hikers.

The meat of the book is the Trail Descriptions chapter. The author has organized it so that the entire 165 trail can be completed in eight trips varying from about 15 to 30 miles each. Each trip write-up follows the same format, a Tom Harrison map of the route, paragraph(s) on Difficulty, Best Seasons (when to go), Highlights, Heads Up! (cautions - water, etc.), Tips for Mountain Bikers, Getting There, and the actual Trail Description.

The Trail descriptions are detailed - example: turns north and in .8 mile, switchbacks down... Sidetrips to interesting places off the TRT are boxed off from the normal text. Finally, Alternative Routes are discussed. I am familiar with the 50 mile part of the TRT that coincides with the Pacific Crest Trail and found those descriptions quite accurate.

After the trail description chapter is one on Other Tahoe Area Attractions where the author has brief information of some of his favorite trails in the area. Not the end of the book though. The book winds up with information on Resources, Recommended Reading, Mileage Tables, Tim's Top 5 Places...

Nice job on the book design - black and white photos, maps, white space and illustrations make the book pleasant reading compared to most trail guides.

An essential resource for anyone planning to hike the TRT.

Having just completed the Tahoe Rim Trail I must say that Tim Hauserman's book was, as many Appalachian Trail hikers say of Bryson's Into the Woods, my bible. The book was great for two reasons.

First and foremost, it is a truly comprehensive guide that allowed me to carefully plan my trip. For each segment he includes useful maps, dead-on descriptions of each segment, directions to your start and end points, difficulty assessments and tips for mountain bikers. The highlights described for each section give the reader just enough to whet one's pallet and make them go out and hike. His suggestions for side trips are a great way to plan longer more enjoyable journeys into the glorious Tahoe surroundings.

Tim's way of writing is both humorous and informative. This unique style makes his opening chapters a fun and pleasant read. In covering a wide array of topics such as trail history, flora and fauna, when to go and the not to be missed "getting horsey on the TRT" Tim gives his readers a taste of Lake Tahoe, back country culture, and crucial tips.

The books only flaw is that weighing in at 15 oz. no thru-hiker would actually want to carry it with them on the trail. However for a day hiker I recommend taking out the relevant pages, or perhaps making photocopies.

All in all I think this book is well worth it. In addition to being the perfect guidebook, it is a great read.

This review is really a review of all of Robert Cameron's books of aerial photography. He has many, including books of New York City, San Diego, L.A., Chicago, etc., and every one is packed with huge, colorful, full-page aerial photos. Cameron also knows a lot about the history of the cities he photographs, writing insightful captions, and many times including old aerial photos for side-by-side comparisons.

Cameron doesn't just shoot random shots - he focuses in on landmarks, buildings, neighborhoods, parks, events, etc. The shots are so clear that, if you've been to the city, you'll be able to pick out details you remember, like a park bench you sat on or a statue you admired.

As far as the Las Vegas book goes, well, this city changes so much that now, in 2004, some of the photos are a little out of date. For example, the Bellagio was not even dreamed up yet, and the New York New York is shown under construction. Still, the wide variety of shots, from the Strip and Downtown to the sprawling suburbs to the Hoover Dam, canyons and deserts from the California line to the Arizona line, make this book exceptional. You can spend quite some time just taking in the details on a single page.

This was Camerons last original photo essay and it is a nice creshendo. Vegas is not the most beautiful place Cameron has photographed, I mean in all fairness who can compete with Carmel, Yosemite, and San Francisco, but he makes Vegas sparkle with his fantastic eye. Vegas is a city that photographs well, the desert colors really respond to the camera, one can't help but be amazed at all the construction and I'm from Houston! As a man from the west, it was fiting that Vegas should be Cameron's last hurrah, I mean if this city does not symbolize todays Sunbelt I don't know what does. I may have not chosen this city to be his last, but that does not dampen my appreciation of his talent and the beauty of his photography. I highly recommend this book as I do all of his wonderful photo essays.

I've always been a fan of photography from the air and have taken many myself. Robert Cameron has shown the beautiful city of Las Vegas in a way that most other books on Vegas (and there's a lot)lack.

The photos are crystal clear and have captions that explain the photo. Probably the most intriging of the photos are the ones of the Hotel and Casinos. The Luxor, MGM Grand, and the Stratosphere are all excellently photoed.

A great soverniger for anybody wanting to go or have been to Vegas.

One hell of a book. Great descriptions of hikes in around the vegas area. As well as a few extra bonuses with Death Valley and what not. Even has some Mojave action in there. Well This is a definate must if headin to the Vegas region and need a little something more than the usual Vegas experience.

I have a long shelf full of southwest guidebooks. For the Las Vegas area, Beffort's book is the best choice for people unfamiliar with the desert. It has a good mix of easy and difficult hikes.

My sister and her husband recently visited Vegas while I was out of town. He was at a convention; she wanted to see something other than casinos. I turned her loose with a few suggestions and Beffort's book. She did three of the trips in the Spring Mountains and didn't get lost, uncharacteristic for her. The credit goes to good directions in the book.

This is definitely the best guide available for hiking in the southern Nevada region. This book includes a wide variety of hikes with great descriptions of the areas and how to get to them. It has ideas for hikes of various lengths and difficulties and as well as information on conservation and safety. It includes great maps and photos and lists areas not found in most other guides. If you want to explore areas within a 3 hour drive of Las Vegas, this is the most comprehensive book I have found. I highly recommend it!

Mike White has borrowed the very successful book format pioneered by Jerry Schad to produce 'Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe.' Like the original books in the Afoot & Afield series, this volume aims to provide a comprehensive listing of all the day hikes over a broad region within California and Nevada. The result is 175 hikes centered around Lake Tahoe but including the northernmost parts of the Sierra near Graeagle and extending south of Carson Pass. The hikes also vary tremendously in length, ranging from 1/2 mile nature walks to 18 mile all day treks along the Tahoe Rim Trail. All of the classic hikes in the region are described, including the climb to the summits of Mt. Tallac and Mt. Rose, the Tahoe Meadows trail, and beautiful Showers Lake. Literally everyone will be able to find something to suit their tastes in this book, but readers should be warned that White does tend to favor longer and more strenuous hikes. The average hike in this guide is about 7 miles long and includes some serious elevation gain. Nonetheless, White often offers shorter options for his routes so more casual day hikers like my wife and myself will still be able to make use of this guide.

Like other books in the 'Afoot and Afield' series by Wilderness Press, this volume includes a nice chapter on the local and natural history of the region. Route descriptions also feature occasional sidebars to highlight areas of local historical interest. Most important, this book includes excellent maps and retains two features that made Jerry Schad's original books in the series so successful. The first is that the broader region is subdivided into smaller areas so that readers can find hikes that are close to their campgrounds, condos, or casinos as the case may be. Second, each description begins with a capsule summary that quickly gives you details about distance, elevation gain, approximate hiking time, and difficulty for each trail. This is invaluable for tourists who have only a few days to spend in the area.

My last visit to Tahoe was primarily for the purpose of backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail. I never finished the last 60 miles and have intended to return ever since. This book has further whetted my appetite. The Reno-Tahoe area is one of the most spectacular hiking regions in California and Mike White's volume is a fine addition to the books on the area. If you are planning a visit to the area, this book will be an excellent resource.

We purchased this book for a vacation in Lake Tahoe, and it provided a wonderfully complete summary of the hikes, organized by region. The summaries at the beginning of each hike give you the mileage, terrain, and difficulty rating and were extremely helpful in selecting hikes for each day. The maps are better than many other hiking guides I've seen, because they show all nearby trails in relation to each other, not jut each individual trail. we purchased a US Forest Service map, which was nice to have, but we could have gotten by just with the maps in the book.

Informatively written by Reno local Mike White, Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide is a satisfyingly in-depth outdoor hiking guide to the Reno-Tahoe region on the Nevada-California border. Intended for both visitors and residents, Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe covers general safety and practical guidelines for hikers plus in-depth examinations of more than 175 mountain hiking and mountain biking trips in the region. Routes vary in length from less than a mile to an 18-mile point-to-point challenge. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this top-quality guide for hikers of all skill and experience levels looking forward to enjoying the Reno-Tahoe wilderness.

This is a winner for several types of readers. If your interested in cemeteries or gravestones you get great pictures of many different types of both. For history buffs, the accompanying background stories of the towns and individuals are fascinating. And for photographs, most are excellent. There are no directions for getting to the cemeteries for reasons the author gives, but with the name of the town (or closest town) a really interested searcher should have enough info. This is a favorite.

I am from Nevada, and this is the best book on life in the old mining days of the state. Being a native of Nevada, i heard alot of stories by the old timers of the early days.....this book with it's pictures does great justice the this time period.

Excellent book full of beautiful color photography, little known history of the pioneer west, and great first-person narrative traveling rural Nevada. Long time Nevada photojournalist Marilyn Newton's explores Nevada's well known and long forgotten cemeteries, graveyards, and "boot hills." A "great read" by itself, the photography is stunningly beautiful and is a "must have" for anyone who loves the historical west or great photojournalism.

I bought this book after using and fully enjoying the Avant-Guide to Paris. I knew nothing about Vegas before a recent trip and Avant-Guide made sure I was well prepared. It had excellent information on cool and hip places as well as "classic Vegas" and must-see destinations. It covers it from the perspective of singles or couples. This is not a family vacation book or a budget travel book. It is fun to read and easy to navigate. Because of this I also bought the New York book which is equally enjoyable.

Dan Levine and his crew have experienced what they write about.It's based on reality,not on puffery. Savvy,irreverent at times, funny and wonderfully practical.It's extremely well organized and easy to use. I've read a ton of stuff on Vegas and this is the only one I actually use and give to others. Their opinions are the same as mine.

My only criticism is the binding. It tends to fall apart after many uses. Dan, would you consider spiral binding?

Thanks, Dan. Samuel Henderson

This book was my introduction to the Avant Guide series, and I was thoroughly impressed. I've been to Vegas several times and used as many guide books, but this is by far my favorite. The author demonstrates a refreshing respect for everything cool -- from groovy local dives to swanky tourist hot spots. If you wish to revel in all things Vegas -- if you dig the history and the kitsch -- this book will show you a good time regardless of your budget.

Be warned: Square types may find plenty to offend on these lively pages. Hotels are ranked from "Very Expensive" to "Cheap A--"; drugs and prostitution are given a comic wink; and the author makes a point of helping you avoid child-infested locations. If any of this sounds like a bad thing, you'd best avoid this book.

But for anyone with a healthy sense of humor, irony, and things absurd, this book is the next best thing to having a supercool, local friend guide your Vegas experience.