Books about Hawai`i

For the past year, I have almost exclusively read books about Hawai`i. Whether they be about travel, history, indvidual's memoirs, language, food or local culture, I have devoured them.

I first ran into some difficulty finding books about Hawai`i beyond the travel guides, but I've learned how to narrow down searches on amazon and also have discovered a few gems at the Hawai`i General Store in Seattle and Basically Books on our trips to Hilo.

I put together this list, with links to the amazon page for purchase and more information. I'd recommend all of them, and have included a few words on each.

Travel

Ultimate Kaua`i Guidebook, Wizard Publications - The "Bible" series of Hawai`i guidebooks, often known simply as the "blue book." Wizard does a marvelous job, using locals to write about the islands and offering great money-saving tips.

Kaui Underground Guide, Lenore & Mirah Horowitz - We used both the blue book and this one for our trip to Kaua`i and found both very useful. This one had some great restaurant reviews. The two worked well together, as there was different information in each guide.

Big Island Revealed, Wizard Publications - Again, the ultimate source for Big Island travel. Never leave home without it. And you can access their website for updates, or web-only reviews.

Pocket Guide to Lana`i, Marcia Zina Mager & Dennis Aubrey - Lana`i is such a mystery to me, and this helped me gain a sense of what it has to offer for the traveler. The Wizard series does not include Moloka`i or Lana`i, but rather includes bits of information on them in Maui Revealed. It's actually hard to track down travel books exlusively on Lana`i!

Exploring Historic Hilo, Leslie Lang - A pictorial with descriptions of old Hilo town. A great way to connect to the town before visiting, or after you've returned.

Food

Best of the Best from Hawai`i, Gwen McKee & Barbara Moseley - We use this one all the time. Favorite recipes include the scallops with oranges and shrimp curry. Yum!

Big Island Of Hawaii Restaurants And Dining With Hilo And The Kona Coast, Robert Carpenter & Cindy Carpenter - Just got this one in the mail, and look forward to checking it out to see what we've missed!

Chefs of Aloha, Island Heritage Publishing - Picked this one up at a bakery/gift shop on the Big Island. The hearts of palm salad recipe is terrific!

History

Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands, Dr. Phil Barnes - I've read this 3 times. It's just as the title suggests - concise and quickly gets you up to speed on the history of the islands, mostly from unification on. The author also owns the vacation house we stayed at in Puna! I refer back to this one often, for dates or a refresher.

Nana I Ke Kumu (Look to the Source) volume I, Mary Pukui, E.W. Haertig, Catherine A. Lee - I just finished this one. It is written in an encyclopedic format and outlines various ancient Hawaiian terms and the rituals/beliefs attached. It is designed for the Case Worker working with Native Hawaiian clients to better understand their cultural perspective.

Ancient History of the Hawaiian People to the Times of Kamehameha I, Fornander - Just started this one yesterday!

Biography/Memoir

No Footprints in the Sand - A Memoir of Kalaupapa, Henry Kalalahilimoku Nalaielua - A beautiful tale of a man who simply would not let disease and banishment stop him from living his dreams.

Olivia: My Life of Exile in Kalaupapa, Olivia R. Breitha - A similar story, though slightly more angry in tone.

Hawai`i's Story by Hawai`i's Queen, Lili`uokalani - The biography of Hawai`i's last Queen and Royal Sovereign. Details her trips to Europe, her struggle to retain the Monarchy and ultimately her imprisonment.

Pauahi: The Kamehameha Legacy, George H. Kanahele - A product of the Kamehameha Schools, a quick biography of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, whose generosity made the entire school system possible. Interesting insight into an amazing woman.

Aloha Niihau/ Oral Histories, Emalia Licayan; Virginia Nizo and Elama - I read much of this on Kehena Beach in Puna. Three different accounts of life on Ni`ihau - then and now.

Language

Learning Hawaiian Language at Home, Kahikahealani Wight - Comes with a CD. Haven't spent much time with this one yet as I have other CDs I'm learning from (Topics Entertainment)

A Pocket Guide to the Hawaiian Language - A nice introduction to the Hawaiian language

New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary: With a Concise Grammar and Given Names in Hawaiian, Mary Kawena Pukui - Good reference to have around. We use it often.

Local/Moving to Hawai`i

So You Want to Live in Hawaii: The Guide to Settling and Succeeding in the Islands, Toni Polancy - Some call it too negative, but it's more of a wake-up call for the starry-eyed Mainlander who dreams of packing up and embarking on a lifestyle of fun, sun and mai tais without considering the greater realities of life on the 50th state.

Family Traditions in Hawai`i, Joan Namkoong - Discussion on the various cultural practices of the people who make up the islands, including Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Tongan. Holidays, birthdays, weddings, and funeral traditions are described.

Fiction/Folklore

Hotel Honolulu, Paul Theroux - This one doesn't have a whole lot to do with Hawai`i, other than its setting but anyone who knows a bit about the culture will get a kick out of the characters, the Pidgin and the politics they discuss. Also just a good page turner!

La'ieikawai , Dennis Kawaharada - Story of twin sisters who are separated at birth. Hawaiian mythology.

Magazines

Hana Hou - the magazine of Hawaiian Airlines


Hawai`i Magazine