Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
The greatest social novel ever...read this one every year.
PG3366 .A6 2001

At Freddie's, by Penelope Fitzgerald
Settle down with this one and prepare to be made happy.
PR6056 .I86 A92 1999

Atlas of Hawai'i, Department of Geography, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, edited by Sonia and James Juvik
This atlas, produced here at UH Hilo, is essential and fascinating reading for anyone interested in the environmental and socio-cultural geographies of the islands.
HAWN G1534.20 .U5 1998

Balzac and the little Chinese seamstress, by Sijie Dai
During the Culture Revolution of the '60s and '70s in rural China, two young men discovered a suitcase full of forbidden Western classic books which forever changed their lives, as well as that of a beautiful young seamstress.
PQ2664 .A437 B3513 2002

Bean trees, by Barbara Kingsolver
Poignant and humorous experiences are all rolled into one adventure as the twenty-something heroine takes a road trip from Florida to Arizona in an old Volkswagon. Sequel is Pigs in Heaven.
Faculty Favorites PS3561.1496 B44 1998

Bonesetter's daugher, by Amy Tan
Another great story by a superior writer. The story centers around a mother/daughter relationship. As LuLing (the mother) begins to show signs of Alzheimer's, Ruth (the daughter) begins to ponder the essence of their relationship and that of the relationship with her significant other. While caring for her aging mother, Ruth comes across a special manuscript written by her mother which unfolds a new world of understanding.
PS3570 .A48 B6 2001

Cold Sassy tree, by Olive Ann Burns
The story is set in the early 1900's in a small, traditional, rural Southern town. The town of Cold Sassy is turned upside down by the scandalous love affair that blossoms between a free-thinking, liberal Northern woman and a widowed local general store owner.
PS 3552 .U73248 C6 1984

A collection of essays, by George Orwell
If you want to learn "critical thinking" from the masters, Orwell is the first person to read.
Paperback Collection

Darwin's radio, by Greg Bear
This futuristic, action-packed story based on biochemistry and genetics satisfies the intellect and the imagination and should appeal to fans of the recent animated movie, Final Fantasy. (If you like Bear's style, also try his Moving Mars.)
PS3552 .E157 D43 1999

Diary of Anais Nin (volumes 1-4)
Anyone who enjoys the introspection of journal reading and writing will see the growth in this influential female author who traveled in the same circle of companions as Henry Miller during the 1930's through the 1970's.
PS3527 .I865 .Z5

The god of small things, by Arundhati Roy
This lyrically written novel written by a prominent Indian activist follows the lives of twins in verdant, vivid and politically-charged Kerala, Southern India.
Faculty Favorites PR9499.3 R59 G63 1997

Gone with the wind, by Margaret Mitchell
Ms. Mitchell somehow makes spoiled Southern belle, Scarlet O'Hara, a likeable heroine in this Civil War epic.
PS3525 .I972 G6 1975

Heads by Harry, by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Downtown Hilo- in all its glory!-is practically a central character in this novel by this local writer who has had an important role in helping to integrate "pidgin" (Hawaiian Creole English) into mainstream literature.
HAWN PS3575 .A434 H4 1999

An instance of the fingerpost, by Iain Pears
Superb historical fiction.
PR6066 .E167 I57 1998

Interpreter of maladies: stories, by Jhumpa Lahiri
These are stories about immigrants reconciling their North American lives with their South Asian backgrounds.
PS3562 .A316 I58 1999

Journal of William Ellis: narrative of a tour of Hawaii, or Owhyhee: with remarks on the history, traditions, manners, customs and language of the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands, by William Ellis
Starting in Kailua by canoe, the Rev. Ellis heads south and around the Big Island, stopping to see Kilauea before heading to Hilo and points north on a two month journey.
HAWN DU627.11 .E47 1963

Kona, by Marjorie Sinclair
The traffic jam and bustling Kailua of today are far from the sleepy, relaxing, perfumed atmosphere of Sinclair's romance novel set in old Kona.
HAWN PS3537 .I847 K6 1947

Light in the crevice never seen, by Haunani-Kay Trask
This powerful and provocative poetry is written by a well-known and thankfully outspoken Hawaiian author, academic and leader.
HAWN PS3570 .R3374 L53 1994

My date with Satan: stories, by Stacey Richter
These short stories rooted in popular American culture are often bizarre, always compelling! "Sally's story", about a dog, is about as superb as a short story can get.
PS3568 .I35333 M9 1999

Nectar in a sieve, by Kamala Markandaya
Life is precariously balanced with starvation experienced seasonally by a peasant Indian farming couple who must battle drought, the threat of death, loss, famine and monsoons but who persevere with their deep love and respect for each other.
PK1718 .T244ne

Once and future king, by T.H. White
Fantasy that can be enjoyed at several levels as the mood suits the reader: light, enjoyable King Arthur legend to a deeper examination of morality and the implications of power.
PR6045 .H2 O5 1996

One hundred years of solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Trials and tribulations of several generations of a Latin American family, written beautifully if not surreally.
PQ8180.17 .A73 C513 1970

Paradise park, by Allegra Goodman
I laughed a lot reading about the heroine's funny experiences and self-discoveries as she searches for the meaning of life in some interesting places, including Israel, New York, Moloka'i and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
HAWN PS3557 .O5829 P37 2001

Pride and prejudice, by Jane Austen
Witty romance with a happy ending for all.
PR4034 .P75 1984

Red pony, by John Steinbeck
This book is a classic that brought tears to my eyes as a child, teenager and adult. The story centers on a young and isolated farm boy who seeks refuge from life in his devotion to a newborn red colt. This coming of age theme story climaxes with the tragic death of the colt and Tom's realization of the complexities and harshness of life.
PS 3537 .T3234 R4 1994

Remains of a rainbow: rare plants and animals of Hawai'i, by David Liittschwager and Susan Middleton
An incredibly beautiful oversized volume of often intimate photographs of the vanishing biota of Hawai'i, which also documents some of the human efforts to halt the march toward extinctions. The book elicited (at least in me) profound feelings of both despair and hope.
HAWN GrandFolio QH76.5 .H3 L55 2001

Road from Coorain, by Jill Ker Conway
The painful and joyful influences of Australia's stark environment are richly described in this memoir by the author, a woman historian who eventually has to relocate to North America to pursue her intellectual dream of getting her doctorate. Also wrote True North about her Harvard education experience and ensuing discrimiation; also falls in love with and marries another academic who battles recurring bouts with depression.
Faculty Favorites HQ1397 .C66 1990

The sheltering sky, by Paul Bowles
Chronicling the dissolution of a Western man and his relationships with others, this story unfolds in the formidable deserts of North Africa.
PS3552 .O874 S48

Six months in the Sandwich Islands: among Hawaii's palm groves, coral reefs, and volcanoes, by Isabella L. Bird
The colorful journal of an adventurous young woman who explores the Big Island in the 1800's, riding horseback through the gulches of Hamakua, trekking to Kilauea volcano and getting to know the people of Hilo.
HAWN DU623 .B62 1998

A Small place, by Jamaica Kincaid
This small book describes in terms both humorous and dark the post-colonial landscapes on the Caribbean island of Antigua.
F2035 .K56 1988

Snow falling on cedars, by David Guterson
The movie did not do any justice to this bittersweet novel about love, losses and regaining dignity; set in Puget Sound, before, during and after the Japanese American Internment period of World War II.
PS3557 .U846 S65 1994

Song of the dodo: island biogeography in an Age of Extinctions, by David Quammen
Island dwellers especially need to know what science is learning about evolution and extinctions.
QH541.5 .I8 Q35 1997

Timeline, by Michael Crichton
An excellent and imaginative story-teller, Crichton delivers a well-researched tale that will take you back to the plagues and castles of 15^th century France with a group of interesting travelers who encounter plenty of action and intrigue.
PS3553 .R48 T56 1999

What becomes of the broken hearted? By Alan Duff
Read this totally engrossing sequel to the powerful book and film, Once were warriors, and enter the world of a Maori family dealing with modern New Zealand society.
PR9639.3 .D792 W48 1996