Your Summer of Adventure

It goes without saying that summer is a time for relaxation. For many, it's too hot outside to do more than kick back in a lawn chair with a good book and an icy drink. But wouldn't it be lovely to enjoy a relaxing summer as well as some adventure? North Atlantic Books is here to help you make the most of your R & R time, whether it's just a weekend in your back yard or a vacation abroad. Excitement awaits you at the bottom of the ocean, in the brutal Canadian Arctic, and in California, thousands of years into the future. Let our authors take you on a thrilling journey—all you have to do is sit back and remember to reapply your SPF!

		Undines Lessons from the Realm of the Water Spirits By William Mistele Those seeking a deeper connection with the mysteries of the ocean are sure to be entranced by this exploration of water spirits. Whether you know them as mermaids, selkies, sirens, naiads or water nymphs, these fascinating creatures have captured the minds and hearts of humans for thousands of years. Undines helps readers understand the world from the perspective of the water spirits, in order to learn qualities humans have yet to master—like empathy, peace with the universe and divine sensuality. Take this book to the nearest beach or lake and open your mind to the world of the undines. READ MORE
		Death on the Barrens A True Story of Courage and Tragedy in the Canadian Arctic By George James Grinnell This first-hand encounter with the infamous Canadian Barrens is sure to make any reader thankful for the blistering heat of summer! In 1955, seven intrepid young men set out on a canoe voyage through the unforgiving Arctic. Tragedy befalls the crew when their captain as well as most of their supplies are lost in an accident, and they must struggle to get back to civilization. Experience the danger of the Arctic without having to face the bitter cold yourself! READ MORE CLICK HERE to read what critics have to say about Death on the Barrens!
		The Great Bay Chronicles of The Collapse By Dale Pendell In this futuristic tale, a pandemic decimates the world's population and sea levels rise as global warming takes its toll on the planet. The book is set in the area formerly known as California and the large bay that has formed in the state's central valley, and describes how the surviving humans carry on while civilization as they know it collapses. The Great Bay will take readers through generations of destruction and rebirth, as human ingenuity adapts to its changing surroundings. The tumults faced by the neo-medieval societies introduced in this book are sure to satisfy any craving for adventure and leave readers happy to live in a civilized world... For now. READ MORE

Appreciate Nature with Walt Whitman

Earth, My Likeness Nature Poetry of Walt Whitman Edited by Howard Nelson

Summer also presents an abundance of opportunities to get off the couch and head outside—take advantage of the fair weather and spend some time with Mother Nature. If you're seeking a companion to appreciate all of that natural wonder, how about taking a walk with Walt Whitman? While he may be known as a mostly urban poet, Whitman's descriptions of nature are unparalleled in grace and richness. Poet and critic Howard Nelson has brought together a selection of Whitman's poems, as well as a selection of passages from his book of prose, Specimen Days, into a collection called Earth, My Likeness. This collection also features over 40 vivid watercolors by artist Rod MacIver, which present a brilliant compliment to Whitman's words.

"Miracles"
By Walt Whitman

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring,
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,
the fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

CLICK HERE to read another poem featured in Earth, My Likeness, and to view watercolors by Rod MacIver featured in the collection!

Events

Elizabeth Anne Jones, author of Awaken to Healing Fragrance
Presentation and Booksigning at Borders, Santana Row
July 17, 8-9 pm
356 Santana Row, San Jose CA
Click here for more information.

Charles A. Moss, author of Power of the Five Elements
Live interview on "The Lou Show," WLOB-AM
July 10, 4:05 pm EST
Portland, ME
Click here for more information.

Victoria Boutenko, author of Green for Life, Green Smoothie Revolution, Raw Family Signature Dishes, and 12 Steps to Raw Foods
Live interview, "Contact Talk Radio"
July 8, 1-2 pm PST
Click here for more information.

Dale Pendell, author of The Great Bay
Reading and Discussion at Moe's Books, Telegraph Avenue
July 14, 7:30 pm
2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley CA
Click here for more information.