They don't come much better than the Ella Clah series. The authors keep this book on a personal level so that you feel you know and understand the character. You feel her pain and her joy. One isn't enough. Buy them all.

Navaho Police Special Investigator Ella Clah and her cousin, police officer Justine Goodluck loudly argue in public over a recent incident. When a few days later, Justine's burnt bones are found partially buried on the top of RED MESA, everyone, including some members of her own family, conclude that Ella killed Justine. Even Ella's beloved mother believes her daughter has turned evil and wants to protect her infant grandchild from her.

While Ella flees to buy time and the truth behind Justine's murder, the law chases after her even more convinced she is an escaping killer. As the law gets closer to capturing her, Ella begins to unravel a plot to eliminate her. Will she be able to expose the dastardly scheme before her time runs out?

The fifth Clah entry is a great tale because the talented duo, Aimee & David Thurlo never lose sight of the scheme or the personalities of the cast. Even on the lam, Ella remains Ella, as fans know her. The plot works because the "plot" against Ella still retains plausibility even with the villains known early in the tale. The Thurlos talent resides in deep and thorough characterizations that lift their Native American police procedurals to a plane shared by the likes of Hillerman.

Harriet Klausner

The field of modern Mexican history has been waiting for years for a book like this. Mexican culture is given its rightful place among the great cultures of the world in many pre-Columbia studies, but almost never treated fairly in the 20th century by political historians. This book would make a great text for a class in modern Mexican cultural history.

This is a bright, thoughtful and engaging book! Anyone interested in the culture of Mexico or the history of the Southwest will enjoy this historical perspective.

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, when the family goes searching for pine nuts, Josefina's father offers a reward for the one who gathers the most, and Josefina can't wait to collect the most and impress her aunt Dolores. But, when she is ordered to stay at camp and watch her nephews, Josefina is crushed. She refuses to give in though, and seeks a way to do both what she is told, and what she wants to do!

The final chapter of this book looks at rancho life in 1824, and gives directions for making a pastel (a spicy pie that includes pine nuts). As always, Jean-Paul Tibbles has produced some excellent illustrations that add a great deal to this already excellent book. My daughter and I both highly enjoyed this book, and we recommend it to you.

"A Reward for Josefina" is the first Josefina short story that was published. It is set in the Fall shortly after Tia Dolores's arrival to Josefina's family, possibly putting it shortly before or during the time period in "Josefina Learns a Lesson". Tia Dolores is a new adult in the family, and Josefina desparately wants her to think of Josefina as being special. The family and their hired hands go out to gather pinon nuts (pine nuts from a Pinon tree), and as a motivator, a reward is offered to the one who gathers the most. Josefina hopes it will be her, until she is left behind to tend to her oldest sister's two young sons. Josefina and her three year old nephew, Juan, find a way to gather the biggest treasure of nuts without leaving their camp site. Somehow, the reward, a cone of sugar, has run off with a squirrel (in exchange for the nuts?), but Josefina finds the reward that she is looking for.

Don J. Usner's love of Chimayo and it's history comes through loud and clear in this book. Through interviews, historical documents preserved by families of Chimayo, stories of residents, and pictures Don Usner is able to tell the history of this interesting plaza.

I feel that the stories and information in this book serve as an example of each plaza in New Mexico. I believe that many of the plazas and towns are similar to Chimayo. The difference is that Chimayo has preserved it's history through being off the beaten path and not much of a tourist attraction (except for those who are interested in history!)

I was able to hear Mr. Usner talk to a group of teachers about the writing of this book and his other book. He has gone through a lot of trails to publish this book and preserve the history of Chimayo. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Usner.

I would buy more books by this author. He able to take a subject that many authors would make dry and uninteresting and make it come alive. Very good.

Before reading Sabino's Map: Life in Chimayo's Old Plaza (1995), one should first read Benigna's Chimayo: Cuentos From The Old Plaza (2001), both by Don J Usner. Reading the newer book first will allow for a better understanding and appreciation of the older book.

Don is an extraordinary writer who is an 8th generation Chimayoso, even though he was not actually raised full time in Chimayo. He brings to his writing a humanity informed and formed through family, place and the cuentos of his grandmother, Benigna, and others.

This story of the Chimayo Plaza, the oldest Hispanic plaza in the U.S., is the story of Sabino's Map and about the houses and families of the Plaza noted on that map. It is the story of their histories, religions, natural history and the cultural/social history of northern New Mexico over 300 plus years.

The writer is connected in many ways to his topics in these two books and those connections come through loud and clear by way of excellent writing, which is not very common, and careful scholarship. Don has objectivity with both passion for the subjects and compassion for the people, many to whom he is related, sometimes through more than one branch of the family.

In the end one has the cuentos of Benigna, the history of the Plaza, the smells of the chiles and old plaza rooms, the feel of the weavings and the living and loving histories of families.

Did I like these books and will I purchase other books by Don J Usner? You bet.

I bought this book today and read it all in one reading, could not set it down one moment. So now I'm on Amazon.com to buy his other book. As I can best describe it, Reveles stories are warm but realistic, light but insightful, and each with their own points of wit. Having lived in Mexico for 7 weeks this summer, I could appreciate the brief inclusions of Spanish vocabulary tidbits and "culturalisms", but Reveles writing brings these cultural pieces to life equally for the American reader unacquainted with life south of the border. I absolutely recommend this book to all ages and both genders alike, and I'd say buy it since those around you will be curious after you laugh out loud while devouring each story in this book. Enjoy!

This is one of the best kept secrets of eloquent writing. I've finished this book in one breath. Since I live in San Diego and have been in Tecate, I can relate to a lot of the descriptions. Reading this book makes me want to visit Tecate again and really look for some of the things described. The style of the book is such that Reveles seems to compose music with his words. The descriptions are original, complex and show a command of the english language like no other. The suspense makes this book a first rank page turner. Great book worth to buy several copies of to send to friends.

PS. I can't believe I found a autographed copy in the dumpster, thrown away by one of my neighbors. What a sin.

The name is right. Many of these pieces are tresures. Volume 2 includes photos (a little too small... each is about 3.5 x 5 inches) of all 94 folios in Codice Saldivar 4(some enhanced because the original has sustained water damage). Also included are transcriptions to the sixty nine pieces in the manuscript. This is a scholarly edition and the transcriptions are for study, not for performance. Do not expect to see fingerings for either right or left hand or other indications for modern guitar.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Spanish baroque circa 1700 as well as info on transport of this music to the New World. Vol. 2 is of less use as the guitar tablature is barely readable. Michael Lorimer's facsimile edition of the Saldivar Codex is the definitive one to get.

I have only just finished reading this wonderful book about Henry Shukman's journeys in New Mexico.My own imagination would take over as i took in all the fascinating landscapes,people and places that the author was sharing with me.Indians and artists,shacks and glorious views from the middle of no-where...The author came across as sensitive and although at times he would feel pulled by fond memories of England,his passion for where he was there and then was so obvious.I now have a passionate dream of my own. To go and search out these places for myself and be inspired by all they have to offer..

The writings of the author left a deep impression on me. He writes with a very romantic, extremely descriptive style that allows you to feel what he saw. I lived in NM for 3 years and after reading the book was ready to go back. Mr Shukman did such a great job detailing his journey. He described many of the places I remember from there. I found myself nostalgic for the Southwest. He did such a good job, that I was ready to go back because I wanted to visit some of the places that I had never gone to when I had the opportunity. After you read the book, if you've never been to the Southwest you too will be ready to pack your bags!!!

It was with some trepidation that I started reading Steven Havill's latest book, SCAVENGERS, knowing that it was the start of a new direction in one of my favorite series. Bill Gastner has retired as Undersheriff of Posadas County, and Estelle Reyes-Guzman, his young protegee, is taking over. Havill is about as good at bringing the small world of a Southern New Mexico town to life as anyone could be. My fears were soon set to rest as I was reassured that he can also write well and convincingly from the point of view of a female, and a Latina at that. SCAVENGERS is just as sound in its police work, real in its evocation of the desert, and touching in its portrait of one busy woman in a small town. The U.S.-Mexico Border has many facets, but this series realistically portrays one of them, where the mixing of cultures is constant and taken for granted. A sound detective story in an endlessly fascinating setting.

Posedas County is a wide-open range between New Mexico and the Mexican border and for the most part it is a quiet place. There are some areas that are patrolled rarely because there is nothing there. One day a pilot flies over the area and sees what she thinks is a body. She returns to base and the local authorities are on the scene almost immediately. A man is lying in the dirt, his faced so smashed in that they can't obtain dental plates.

Now that Bill Gastner is retired and the newly elected sheriff Robert Torrez is in Virginia taking a law enforcement course, the case is headed up by Under Sheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman. Even with her ailing and aging mother and her son down with the flu, Estelle copes with the investigation just fine until they find a second body buried in a shallow grave located a few miles near the first. Estelle thinks the two deaths are tied to together and Eurelio Scener, a person who acts like he knows more than he is telling, might have some answers but he has disappeared, perhaps involuntarily.

Anyone who likes to see an investigation played out from the beginning to the end will definitely like SCAVENGERS, a police procedural that has heart. Watching the Under Sheriff balance her home life with her work gives the audience an appreciation for the police performing duties that sometimes can be at the expense of their own families. Steven F. Havill continues to write excellent crime thrillers as his series keeps evolving with a true time line.

Harriet Klausner

If you are looking for fishing tips or availability of gasoline in Catavina you sure won't find it here. This fine review will not give you the information you can find elsewhere. You will get some of the feeling and emotions from the writings women and men who have been "inspired by baja." The inner lives of gringos living in the glory of Baja.

The cover alone is easily more than worth the price.

Sea of Cortez provides an excellent anthology of short stories, personal narratives and literary pieces which looks like a magazine but reads like a blend of journal and travelogue. Writings are inspired by Baja California and provide excellent insights on local communities and Baja atmosphere.

A new and refreshing type book from National Geographic ... about a mini-submarine journey to the recently discovered life around thermal vents. It's a busy book ... profusely illustrated in a creative style that uses photography, pastels and watercolors. My two children, who have some leaning toward science, love this story ... you can sense the enthusiasm of the author. The dive sequence is particularly priceless ... nice blend of images and story. I and my children give this book 5 stars ... and hope there are more of this type coming from National Geographic. And ... we all love Max ... the ugligator!

This book is a treat to behold. The vividness of the imagery is breathtaking. The author is certainly state of the art and brilliant as she weaves together all of the newest in media. This book must have taken her a terribly long time to create. She does such an excellent job of explaining technically difficult material to all, including youth. Her scrapbook-diary format gives the reader the feeling that they have accompanied her. It is whimsical, serious, artistic and soundly scientific all in one. BRAVO