Books By Local Authors
By Nadja Maril
Whenever I walk into a bookstore, time is suspended.
I pick up the books, fascinated by the titles and covers.
I select a volume that looks particularly appealing and
browse through the words and sentences. Does the story capture
my interest? Should I buy this book to take home and enjoy? My
hours for pleasure reading are few, but the next best thing is to buy
a book as a gift for a friend. So when the holiday season arrives,
| look forward to purchasing stacks of books to give as gifts.
“Shop local. Buy local.” It’s become a daily mantra, often
repeated but not always heeded. We may not be printing many
books right here in Maryland but we certainly are blessed with
scores of authors. When you purchase a book written by a local
author, he or she receives a percentage of the sale. So, a little bit
goes back into our local economy. Many local authors choose local
settings, and it is fun to read about our hometown. And who
knows—you may have the opportunity to actually meet the author
at a book signing and discuss with him or her the contents of the
book.
Throughout the year, we try to briefly review local books that
are sent to our offices. Because of space limitations in the magazine
we print many of these reviews on our website. For your convenience,
our New Media editors have assembled all our reviews
from throughout the year, and placed them together with a link
so you can go on your computer and get to them easily. Read more about some of the wonderful books that have recently
been published by local authors in our
What's Up? Book Review section.
Are you a fan of mysteries? Just out in August, by Marcia
Talley, is
Without a Grave, featuring the sleuthing talents of
Hannah Ives. While many of Talley’s mysteries are set in
Annapolis, this one takes place in the Bahamas—a nice escape
from the winter cold. If your taste runs closer to a traditional
English mystery inspired by Jane Austen, locate a copy of
Murder
at Longbourn, by Severna Park resident Tracy Kiely. Eastern Shore
writer Diane Marquette recently released
Suitable for Framing,
the third mystery in her Chesapeake Conference Center series.
For fanciers of well-constructed short stories,
Abraham’s Bay
& Other Stories by Jack Greer, an Edgewater resident who is a
senior writer on marine science and policy for the University of
Maryland Sea Grant College, is set around the theme of sailing,
but it focuses on people and how they resolve their conflicts with
nature and each other.
Skipjack: The Story of America’s Last
Sailing Oystermen was written by Christopher White, who spent
his boyhood exploring the waters and wetlands of the Bay. To
conduct his research he lived and worked among skipjack
captains on Tilghman’s Island for two years.
Local history has become a popular topic and two publishers—
Arcadia Press and History Press—have released books this past
year that make great gifts to give to longtime residents and friends
visiting the area for the first time.
Images of America: Crofton by
Janice Fuhrman Booth, a contributing writer to What’s Up?, fills
you in on the history of Crofton.
Chesapeake’s Western Shore:
Vintage Vacationland, by Lara L. Lutz, documents the change
of people and landscape on the banks of the Bay.
Maritime
Annapolis: A History of Watermen, Sails, and Midshipmen,
written by Annapolis resident Rosemary F. Williams, provides an
overview of the city’s love affair with the Bay and the Severn River.
Remembering Kent Island: Stories from the Chesapeake, by Brent
Lewis, also a frequent contributor to What’s Up?, captures the
flavor of what it means to live on Maryland’s Eastern Shore,
specifically Kent Island, in this day and age.
One of the easiest ways to get a sense of a place is through
historic photographs of it. Several fine illustrated history books of
photography have been published this season. One book released
in September documents the history of two famous beaches with
antique postcards. It is
Steamboat Days on the Chesapeake:
Betterton and Tolchester Beach, by James Tigner Jr., who is originally
from Annapolis.
Chesapeake Ferries: A Waterborne
Tradition, 1636–2000, relates stories of water travel on the
Chesapeake and is illustrated with historic photographs and maps.
The author, Clara Simmons, an Eastern Shore resident for more
than 50 years, died before the book was published. Fine photography
matched with prose makes an excellent gift. You can find that
in
The Nanticoke: Portrait of a Chesapeake River, by Eastern
Shore residents and longtime collaborators David Harp and Tom
Horton.
Annapolis: Sailing Capital of Maryland, by Roger Miller
puts the emphasis on sailboats. Also featuring captivating photography
of boats and the water are
Where Severn Joins the Tide—
The United States Naval Academy, by Alison Harbaugh, and
Annapolis Reflections, another book by James Tigner Jr.
Books for children are important items on your gift list. Here
are a few favorites: Annapolis author Priscilla Cummings writes for
both young children and young adults. She won the Maryland
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award for her novel
Red Kayak, and her
fans will be pleased to know that her book for readers ages nine
and up,
Autumn Journey, is back in print.
The Pretty One, by
Annapolis author Cheryl Klam, is popular with teenagers. Several
lovely picture books focus on understanding the fragility of our
local ecosystem:
Osprey Adventure, by Jennifer Keats Curtis and
illustrated by Marcy Dunn Ramsey, raises the issue of the effects of
plastic and pesticides on our local bird population.
Where Did All
the Water Go? by Carolyn Stearns and illustrated with watercolors
by David Aiken, explains the Bay’s tides.
While a Tree Grew: The
Story of Maryland’s Wye Oak, Elaine Race Bachman and illustrated
by Kim Harrell, lets Maryland’s famous oak tell its story itself. A
book released just in time for the holidays, by local author Dan
Donovan and illustrated by Julie Picott, is
A Christmas Tail! The
main character is a friendly little skunk who rescues Santa from a
dangerous situation and—spoiler alert!—saves Christmas. Many
more books have been written during 2009 and the close of 2008
by local authors. Visit our website to learn about them—and
remember to support our local scribes!
Editor-in-Chief Nadja Maril has penned a few books herself. In
addition to her reference books on American antique lighting, she is the
author of two children’s books published by Stemmer House: Me,
Molly Midnight, the Artist’s Cat and Runaway Molly Midnight,
the Artist’s Cat.
Both are illustrated with paintings by her father, artist
Herman Maril. Appreciation goes to Darlene Swanson, community
relations manager at Barnes and Noble, for her assistance.
Eastern Shore Books
Maryland Book Authors
Annapolis Books
Book Review
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