Local Book Spotlight
We at the Independent get many books sent to us by local authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that have a local spin. They are all either written by a local author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!
Scar Songs: Stories by W. Royce Adams
Flowers of Emptiness: Imaginal Haiku by Avrom Altman
Wired to Become: The Brain Science of Finding Your Purpose, Creating Meaningful Work, and Achieving Your Potential by Dr. Britt Andreatta
Everything Within and In Between, by Nikki Barthelmess
Lark Ascending: Magic, Mystery and Mayhem in a Spiritual Community by Lark Batteau
No Lessons Learned, Vietnam: The Fighting, The Dying, A Legacy Replayed by Alfredo Bonadeo
Birds of the Central Coast, by Debra Ellen Brinkman
Spies on the Sidelines: The High-Stakes World of NFL Espionage, by Kevin Bryant
Who Is Cristiano Ronaldo?, by James Buckley Jr.
Rincon Point by Vince Burns and Stephen Bates
The Dark Room: A Memoir of Triumph by Claudia Chotzen
American as Apple Pie: An Autobiography, by Rodney H. Chow
Border Crossings by Sneed B. Collard III and Illustrated by Howard Gray
Flight to Armageddon by William Congdon
The Rogue Insurrection by William Congdon
Spiritual Growth Through Travels, Nature, and Living Life, by Lance Crawford
Lemons and Ladybugs, by Mike Critelli
What’s Left by Susan Read Cronin
Romeo’s Breakfast, by Gary Delanoeye
Escaping Nazi Germany: A Jewish Family’s Story by R.B. Dickinson
From Where I Sit: Essays/Art, by Judy Ann Gilder, edited by Margaret Kay Dodd
With a Kiss We Die by L.R. Dorn
Oil and Water: Stories from the Windward Shore, by Terry Dressler
The Golden Calf, by Terry Dressler
Cinema in Flux, by Roger Durling
Santa Barbara and Beyond: The Photography of Mike Eliason, by Mike Eliason
Three Days at Millie Flowers’, by Leah Evert-Burks
Resetting Civilization by Patrick M. Foster
Clara’s Secret, by Stephan R. Frenkel
The Whisper of a Distant God, by David L. Gersh
All’s Fair by David L. Gersh
Trusting the Dawn: How to Choose Freedom and Joy After Trauma, by Mary Firestone
The Garden of Second Chances by Mona Alvarado Frazier
Boat Girl by Elizabeth Foscue
Movies & Million-Dollar Mansions: Silent Movies Made in Montecito, by Betsy J. Green
Building Community: Answering Kennedy’s Call, by Harlan Russell Green
The Color of Roses by Danielle Hahn
Murder in a Small Town, by A.J. Harris
Dancing on Waves: A True Story of Finding Love & Redemption in the Ocean, by Hillary Hauser
The ABCs for Future Country Music Stars, Written by Ashley Hayes, Illustrated by Derek Mast
Werewolf, by David Alton Hedges
Barbwire, Brothels and Bombs in the Night: Surviving Vietnam by Conrad Hogan
Mavericks, Mystics, and Misfits: Americans Against the Grain, by Arthur Hoyle
YES SHE CAN: Biblical and Practical Reflections on Women in Ministry in the Church, by John Jenks
My Days of Sorrow and Joy in Rwanda by Betsy Kain
Henry, the Curious Hermit Crab by Kathy Kamel
Medicinal Herbs of California, by Lanny Kaufer
Wheels Up: A Novel of Drugs, Cartels, and Survival, by Jeanine Kitchel
The Earthquake Child by Elayne Klasson
A Hard Place, by Dennis Koenig
Wiggly Worm and Her Friends Recycle Organics, by Lissa Landry
DON’T SAY A THING: A Predator, A Pursuit, and the Women Who Persevered by Tamara (Tammy) Leitner
Colors of Santa Barbara, a Bilingual Coloring Book, by Carlos Lomeli
The Premonition, by Michael Lewis
What Are Our Supports? edited by Joni Low and Jeff O’Brien
Growing from the Ashes by Sheila Lowe
Sex Talks: The Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life by Vanessa Marin
The Thread: Six-Steps to Intentional Living After Trauma or Crisis, by Leonie H. Mattison, Ed.D.
Leo’s Lesson by Tony Navarro
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Well That Was Funny : 101 Feel Good Stories by Amy Newmark
Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles by Cathy Pepe
A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization by John Perlin
The Transentients by Sergio Missana, translated from Spanish by Jessica Powell
The Angkor Abduction, by Austin I. Pullé
Serenade to the Moon by Esteban Ramirez
Front Row Rebel, by Loretta Redd
I Am Eli: Chasing the World While Being Chased: The Monty Rieck Story by Monty Rieck
First to the Front, the Biography of Dickey Chapelle by Lorissa Rinehart
Beyond the Clouds The Sky is Blue, by Dennis Santos
Wolves of Wagria, Olaf’s Saga Book 3 by Eric Schumacher
1970’s Nature Posters: The Lost Art of Rick Sharp by Rick Sharp
The Fig District, by Jeff Shelton
The 90 Day Stay Atypical Travel by Marjorie Shields
Mr. McCloskey’s Marvelous Mallards: The Making of Make Way for Ducklings by Emma Bland Smith
Meeting Mozart: A Novel Drawn From the Secret Diaries of Lorenzo Da Ponte, by Howard J Smith
Slowly by Madison Brie Snider (available at Chaucer’s and Tecolote Books)
The Ghost and the Greyhound, by Bryan Snyder
All Hands On Deck: A Modern-Day High Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World by Will Sofrin
A Parable of Lies, by Lawrence Spann
Santa Fe Psychosis, by Max Talley
A Lesson in Woo-Woo and Murder by David Unger, PhD
National Monuments of the U.S.A. by Cameron Walker, illustrations by Chris Turnham
Jemma and the Mermaid’s Call by Laura Vonracek
Your Path of Best Existence: A Medical Guide’s Roadmap, by Glenn Wollman, with Tracey Davis
Montecito Style by Firooz Zahedi and Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Bipolar, A Gift of Thorns by Dale Zurawski
If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book on this page and in the All Booked newsletter, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “Local Author Spotlight.”
