Remarkably Bright Creatures

 Fiction by Shelby Van Pelt

https://www.audible.com

I tried reading this book in print several years ago and couldn't get into it, but I heard people raving about the audio version. I decided to give it a another chance with the slightly different medium.

Interestingly, I liked it much better in the audiobook version. It's a weird premise: the narrator is an octopus, and that's the reason I was hesitant at first. But actually, the octopus is only one of the narrators. There's also Nova, the woman who cleans the aquarium at night where Marcellus the octopus lives, and Cameron, a young man who comes to visit the aquarium while searching for his father.

This turned out to be a fun book.

When We Had Wings

 Fiction by Ariel Lawhorn, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

Penny, Lita, and Eleanor are three women who befriend each other in the Philippine islands as World War Two begins. All three are nurses; one is in the Army, one is in the Navy, and one is a Filipino native. After the Pearl Harbor attacks, the islands are captured by the Japanese, and the women become prisoners of war.

This story covers an interesting period in the Pacific theater of World War Two, a piece of history I knew little about. I enjoyed learning about this time; however, I didn't love this story. I don't know why. There was something about the three narrators written by three different authors that didn't gel for me. 

Every review I've read of this book is very positive, so I don't know why I didn't like it as much.

Night of the Howling Dogs

Youth Fiction by Graham Salisbury.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is a great adventure story for kids, probably 5th grade and up. It's set on the big island of Hawaii.

I got it because I was looking for something for my daughter to do a book report on. She wasn't interested, but I was. Good book!

Murder on Moloka'i

Fiction by Chip Hughes.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

A Hawaiian detective story. Not bad.

(THUMBS-UP)

Raising a Soul Surfer

Nonfiction by Cheri Hamilton.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

A good memoir.

I am interested in the story of Bethany Hamilton since I live in the state of Hawaii, although not on Kauai. Also I really enjoyed the movie Soul Surfer.

Despite the title, this is not a parenting book, so don't expect that. It's mostly a story and then some spiritual reflections.

Shark Dialogues

Fiction by Kiana Davenport.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This book was a little inconsistent.

Parts of it I really enjoyed, and parts bored me. I don't really know why.

It had some great Hawaiian history, but when it came to the modern characters, they lost me.

So I guess I recommend the first half of it....

Bird of Another Heaven

Fiction by James D. Houston.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a very good book.

It's about a man who discovers the history of his half-Hawaiian granmother, who was a consort of King David Kalakaua, the last king (and next-to-last royal ruler) of Hawaii.

I'm very interested in Hawaiian history right now, so I enjoyed this book.

Moloka'i

A novel by Alan Brennert


http://www.barnesandnoble.com
I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and all that, but I often do.

And this one lives up to its FABULOUS cover.

I am very interested in Hawaiian history right now, and this book was very absorbing. I definitely recommend it.