A St. Patrick’s Day reflection on a writer's own odyssey

By E.A. Barrera

"We may now imbibe freely of the contents of bottles and forthright books"
Morris L. Ernst, Co-Founder of the American Civil Liberties Union. December 11, 1933.

March 13, 2010 (San Diego) -- The same week this country ended Prohibition, America opened the doors to let people legally read James Joyce's Ulysses. With St. Patrick's Day once more at hand, the greatest of 20th Century novels and the author whose genius gave us at look into our own daily souls deserve a brief remembrance.

By Lady Shaunte’ Garrett
 
Book Review by Dennis Moore
 
 February 4, 2010 (San Diego) -- Yesterday, I ministered to inmates at the George Bailey Center Jail in San Diego County, reading from Speak to Your Life, a book of daily devotionals by San Diego's Stellar Award-winning gospel radio announcer Lady Shaunte Garrett:  “Today I will have an attitude of peace. I won’t get upset with petty things. I will be pleasant to everyone I come in contact with and will not fall for satan’s attempts to get me upset. I will resist him and he will flee.”
 
This was followed by the Biblical scripture: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they will be called sons of God.
 
 
These inmates  attentively held on to the words that I read from Lady Shaunte’s book, and later expressed an appreciation for being ministered to as we prayed together.

by Walter Hall

January 16, 2010 (El Cajon) - Sunbelt Publications, El Cajon’s award-winning regional press, observes 25 years of hard-won success in the book trade this month. The anniversary is a remarkable achievement by a singular couple – Diana and Lowell Lindsay – who have the mischievous look of people who know they’re onto something special. 

By Christian Young
 
January 15, 2010 (San Diego)--Drawing on his own experiences, San Diego author Walter G. Meyer embarked upon a decade -long journey to create his recently published novel, Rounding Third. This book is much more than a fictional account drawn together from adolescent memories. Wthin the story’s characters can be found, according to Meyer, “a bit of everyone.” In addition to Meyer’s past, Rounding Third is a blended anthology of the lives of many real people, including several youths from East County. One of the central characters, Josh, is partly based on a youth who in addition to sharing the character’s name, comes from El Cajon.

 

Edited by Robert A. Donnelly and David A. Shirk


Book Review by: Dennis Moore

January 13, 2010 (San Diego’s East County)--Yajaira Mota Orozco,a San Diego mother of two children, lost her life while eating at a restaurant in Tijuana. During December, she became the 88th victim of alleged gang and drug violence in a single month, underscoring the theme of a new book edited by Robert A. Donnelly and David A. Shirk, Police And Public Security In Mexico.

GENDER-BENDER BOOK RATED “BEST OF 2009” BY BARNES & NOBLE, SCHOOL LIBRARY SCHOOL JOURNAL, AND ROBOTS AND VAMPS
 
San Diego, CA January 8, 2010 – San Diego author Kirsten Imani Kasai’s debut novel ICE SONG, about a uniquely gifted single mother’s quest to rescue her abducted children, has been lauded as one of the best books of the year. Selected from a pool of more than 600 titles, the School Library Journal listed ICE SONG as one of six fiction picks for Best Adult Books for High School Students 2009.

Reviews by Dennis Moore

December 21, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) -- If you're looking for last-minute holiday gifts for the pet lovers on your list, I heartily recommend  Richard Lederer's newest books.

Most of us are either a cat lover or a dog lover--though Lederer, author of A Treasury for Cat Lovers and A Treasury for Dog Lovers, seems to be both. I have to confess that I am more of a dog lover, although cats have been a part of our household out of deference to my daughter. There seems to be something about the innate qualities of cats and dogs that have people attracted to one but not the other. Lederer, a San Diego author and host of the "A Way With Words" radio show,  explores these differences with humor and insight, helping readers understand  the motivations and behaviors of dogs, cats and their owners.

Anza-Borrego: A Photographic Journey. By Ernie Cowan.
Foreword by Diana Lindsay (Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute).
San Diego. Sunbelt Publications. 2008. Illustrated with full color plates. 80 pages. $19.95.

Reviewed by Walter Hall

Cowan captures the essence of this grand desert Park and shares it with the world in this heartfelt account. Mark C. Jorgensen, Superintendent, Anza-Borrego.

December 17, 2009 (Borrego) -- This is the story of a desert love affair. A romantic journey suitable for all ages. San Diego author Ernie Cowan put his heart on his sleeve for Anza-Borrego many years ago. With this luminously illustrated volume, it is easy to understand why.

The Straight-Up Truth About the Down Low

 By Joy Marie

 Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 9, 2009 (San Diego) -- While having dinner at a friend’s home this past Thanksgiving, my friend told me that her friend’s husband had left her after more than 30 years of marriage for a man that he had been having a homosexual relationship with for years. This occurrence, which seems to be more commonplace than previously thought, is the topic profiled in The Straight-Up Truth About The Down-Low, a book written two co-authors using the pseudonym Joy Marie.

San Diego Bay: A Call for Conservation

By the Students at Jacobs High Tech High. Foreword by E. O. Wilson. Preface by Jane Goodall.

University of California San Diego Sea Grant Program. San Diego. 2009. Paperback. Illustrated. 344 pages. $24.95.  Distributed by Sunbelt Publications, El Cajon, CA.

Reviewed by Walter Hall

Part history, part politics, part biology, part artistic reflection and all heart…a remarkable testament to the power of project-based learning in a complex and changing world. -- Allison Alberts, Zoological Society of San Diego.

San Diego teacher Dr. Jay Vavra and his colleagues at Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High have quietly accomplished something extraordinary. Over the past six years, under the rubric of the San Diego Bay Study, they engaged some 250 students in original research leading to ecological assessments that today are invaluable references for San Diego’s civic leaders, policymakers and conservation advocates.

December 2, 2009 (El Cajon)-- San Diego’s own book publisher, Sunbelt Publications, whose latest local-interest book is San Diego’s Finest Athletes: Five Exceptional Lives, turns twenty–five years old in December with a wide array of new books for all ages, and a big holiday party. On December 3, 2009, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, Sunbelt will host their annual Holiday Party, with presentations by local authors, refreshments (including samples from three cookbooks), open warehouse shopping with discounts on books, and prize drawings.

 
 
Xulon Press, ISBN # 9781604773200
Available through author’s website at www.hayneskid.com , Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble

 
Review by Dennis Moore

November 29, 2009 (San Diego) -- TJ Johnson, a Bible teacher at Bayview Church in San Diego, sums up the genesis of her inspiration for writing a book of Biblical crossword puzzles.

SAN DIEGO, CA October 20, 2009 Join author Joey Seymour in celebrating the launch of his new book San Diego’s Finest Athletes: Five Exceptional Lives on Thursday, November 5th. The launch party for the book, published by Sunbelt Publications of El Cajon,  will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Book Review: Nugget on the Flight Deck By Patricia Newman

New York, Walker and Company, 2009. Illustrated by Aaron Zenz. Hardback Picture Book, 40 pages, with Target Age: 4-8 years.

Reviewed by Deena While

“Welcome aboard, Nugget…I’ll bet you’ve never been aboard a carrier before…”

October 13, 2009 (La Mesa) -- San Diego may be the nation’s 9th largest city, but it is still a Navy town at heart. The graceful passage of San Diego’s homeport aircraft carriers down the harbor channel, past Ballast Point and out to sea is one of our area’s most awe-inspiring sights. And any one of those ships could have a nugget aboard.  Navy and Marine jargon is often heard in our community. In Navy-speak, a nugget is a new pilot on his first tour of duty. Patricia Newman’s just-released book is a fun-filled introduction to the basics of carrier operations, centered on the heart-warming story of one particular nugget.

 
 
October 12, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County Libraries will host a book festival in celebration of the written word on October 16-18. The festival includes appearances by nearly 100 authors at libraries in Bonita, Borrego Springs, Enicnitas, Poway, and Vista as well as appearances by top authors at the County Administration building. 
 
Among the authors who will appear are best-selling detective novelist Joseph Wambaugh, reknown Western author Chet Cunningham, mystery writer Ken Kuhlken, “A Way With Words” radio host/author Richard Lederer, romance novelist Christie Ridgway, former TV broadcaster Kathi Diamant, cookbook author Kitty Morse, true crimes novelist Gar Mitrovich, and Victor Villaseñor, whose works have been compared to Steinbeck. Dozens of others span genres from poetry to humor to children's books. Many of the featured authors are also East County residents.

October 9, 2009 (El Cajon)--Bette Blaydes Pegas, local author of Chasing a Dream in the Galapagos: A Personal Evolution, will be at the Rancho San Diego Library in El Cajon on Tuesday, October 13th. Pegas will give a slideshow presentation on her life-changing trip to the Galapagos in the library’s conference room at 5:30 PM. She will also be available afterward to sign copies of her book.

October 9, 2009 (San Diego)--Independent bookstore and coffeehouse Upstart Crow of Seaport Village and acclaimed small press Sunbelt Publications of El Cajon are teaming up to offer the public a free monthly author appearance and book signing. These “Third Thursday” events began in June, and have featured appearances by local authors of books on such diverse topics as the history of San Diego, adventure in the Galapagos Islands, and money management.

Gary Mitrovich is the next scheduled to appear on Thursday, October 15th at 6:30 PM. Mitrovich is the local author of East of San Diego: The Lost History of the East San Diego Police Department 1912-1923.

I’M IN THE TUB, GONE. By Richard James Carlson

Publish America, Baltimore. 2004. 123 pages.
Available at the San Diego Police Museum and on Amazon.com

Reviewed by Walter Hall

“Today is the final day of this life…”

Only once in a long while do we encounter a book that just won’t let go. This is one of those books. The subject is suicide; the format is simple: a collection of the notes left behind. Identities are protected, but the texts are rendered just as they were found. Unvarnished. No commentary. Just a last wish, an edgy accusation, or a lonely cry against the coming night. Each voice wallops the unsuspecting reader from a different corner of life.

An experienced SDPD emergency negotiator, Richard Carlson introduces the collected letters and notes with a personal appeal not to give up. He is addressing two audiences: those who would consider taking their lives and the rest of us. After absorbing even a handful of these notes, readers will find it difficult to argue.

September 27, 2009 (San Diego)—The Fourth Annual San Diego City College International Book Fair kicks off a full week of literary and cultural events on Monday. Already San Diego’s largest book event, the Lucha Libro theme for 2009 assures a broad regional appeal again this year--including paticipation by some East County writers.

The Lucha Libro program offers San Diegans a unique opportunity to meet award-winning writers, in different literary genres and experience a variety of related cultural forms, including music and film. A number of special activities are planned for children, and the young at heart.

 
EAST OF SAN DIEGO. The Lost History of the East San Diego Police Department, 1912-1923. By Gary E. Mitrovich
 
San Diego Police Historical Association, San Diego, 2008. 112 pages, illustrated.  Distributed by Sunbelt Publications, El Cajon, CA.
 
Reviewed by Walter Hall
 
To counter the reckless operation of motor vehicles, City Marshal J.P. Ayers “...declared war on all automobile drivers” in 1916. 

 
September 11, 2009 (Rancho San Diego)--James Thomas, author of Corp of Discovery: Lewis & Clark will be at the Heritage of the Americas Museum for a presentation and book signing on Saturday, September 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. Garbed in period costume, the author will make a presentation about his book and the historic Lewis & Clark Expedition.
 
"Jim is an expert on Lewis and Clark, so the facts are all there. But he novelized the story, so his book is filled with conversation and you really feel like you get to know each person on the expedition," says Kathleen Oatsvall, the museum curator. "We also sell his book in the Museum Store."

 
by Richard W. Halsey
 
Second Edition, Revised and Updated
Sunbelt Publications, San Diego. 2008. 232 pages, illustrated, color plates.
 
Reviewed by Walter Hall
 
“The Viejas fire in ’01, the Galivan fire in ’02, and then again during the Cedar fire in ’03. It’s always the same damn thing.” -- A weary incident commander back on the fire line
 
It is fire season. And with it, the specter of a firestorm again hovers over the West. The flames will come – only the where and the when are unknown. For that reason alone, this guide to survival deserves a space on the bookshelf of every Southland family.

 
by Craig S. Maxwell
 
The memorial service for my grandfather, Vernon Wahrenbrock, was sparsely attended; the inevitable consequence, I suppose, of his having lived nearly a century. All his friends and much of his family were gone. We, his survivors, were there of course. And so were a few of the folks he'd come to know at the rest home. But the only other person to pay his respects that day was Chuck Valverde. It was February 18th, 2008 and already he was pale and thin. Still, I had no way of knowing that within six months I and hundreds of others would be attending a memorial service for Chuck himself.
 
The link between these very dissimilar but remarkable men was, of course, Wahrenbrock's Book House – the shop my grandfather founded in 1935 and that Chuck had operated (and later owned) since 1967.

By Howard Dean, M.D.
Chelsea Green Publishing

Reviewed by Miriam Raftery

The free market just doesn’t work in medicine. You can’t be an informed consumer. I never saw someone with severe chest pain jump off the table and say, Doctor, I’m going to the cheaper guy down the street.” -- Howard Dean. M.D. , on a recent book tour in San Diego

August 16, 2009 (San Diego) –I first became intrigued to read this book when a conservative Republican hospital board member in East County confided, “I hate to admit it, but the healthcare reform plan that makes the most sense to me is Howard Dean’s.” Dean visited San Diego on a book signing tour last month, where he spoke about his book and fielded questions from the audience—providing scalpel-sharp responses.

George Galdorisi and Thomas Phillips.
Minneapolis, Zenith Press. 2008. 642 pages.

Reviewed by Walter Hall

August 15, 2009 (San Diego)--This is a remarkable and opportune book. San Diego-based authors George Galdorisi and Thomas Phillips – both with significant operational experience in multiple theaters – are not poets. But they have given their narrative an epic quality.

To distill the past 100 years of combat search and rescue (CSAR) experience between two covers is an achievement; to publish it just as the battle for future national security resources is joined may well be a public service.

 
Author of New Book on Anza-Borrego Desert’s Fossil Treasures Featured at Aug. 15 Event

July 29, 2009 (San Diego)—Lowell Lindsay, co-author of Fossil Treasures of the Anza-Borrego Desert: The Last Seven Million Years, will be at the San Diego Zoo’s new Elephant Odyssey Exhibit on Saturday, August 15. He will be discussing, in a hands-on presentation, one of America’s most significant fossil treasure troves—the Anza-Borrego Desert, located in San Diego’s own desert backyard.

San Diego County’s Anza-Borrego Desert region boasts the longest continuous fossil record in North America, with fossils of such unique animals as mammoths, giant camels, bathtub-sized tortoises, and a sabertooth cat.