Alma Libre Newsletter - February 2010

	The Painted Fish and other Mayan Feasts This book written by Sonja Lillvik, who founded the Cuzan Guest House in Punta Allen is memoir of a life in the land of the Maya told with food! This is a gorgeous book with more than 100 recipes (perfected in the Mayan Riviera and tested up north) and lots of glossy pictures of food and fun.
	Crosswords & Sudoku Puzzles For some, there is nothing better than sitting under a lovely palm tree and fracturing their brain over a puzzle. For those of you who like to solve, we have a great selection of crossword puzzle and Sudoku puzzle books. Some are tough (like the game show Jeopardy) and some are easy (like celebrity Jeopardy) and some are made specifically for the beach. Many of our selection of puzzle books are from the New York Times.
	Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal The truth is, there is no easy way to learn Spanish or any other language. It takes study and practice. There are ways to make learning Spanish more pleasant however, and this is the best book we've found. The Madrigal's method allows the reader to learn Spanish through this unique and proven method, which completely eliminates rote memorization and boring drills. Features illustrations by Andy Warhol. We know a lot of people who learned to speak Spanish well using this book.
	Thor Janson Wildlife photographer Thor Janson dropped by the bookstore the other day and brought some of newest books. Thor is the author of our popular "Maya Nature" book, which has been an Alma Libre bestseller since we opened. Thor's new titles include "Mundo Maya" an excellent book of photographs that Thor has allowed us to sell at a lower price, "Guatemala" which features some of Thor's favourite photographs of Guatemala and "In the Land of Green Lightning: The World of the Maya" a gorgeous, full size picture book exploring the people, places and flora and fauna of the land of the Maya.
	On Mexican Time by Tony Cohan One of the books that inspired us to move to Mexico. Writer Tony Cohan and his wife, decided they had had enough of the hectic pace of Los Angeles and made tracks for the historic town of San Miguel de Allende. Where they eventually found themselves buying a 250-year-old hacienda on the verge of collapse. What followed was a love affair with Mexico
	Birds & Fish - We share our beautiful area with some of the world's most interesting creatures. Every day we see wildlife in and around the town, from big birds to slithering reptiles and everything in between. To help you get to know your neighbours better, we offer several guides. For an overall view, you can't beat this book, the Traveller's Wildlife Guide to Southern Mexico by Les Beletsky. A gorgeous book packed with information and pictures. Covers fish, mammals, reptiles, birds and a little about the plant life here. For more detail, we offer a choice of bird guides and our popular snorkel guide.
	Spanish Language Learning Software- Now available for the Mac! - Since moving to Mexico, Joanne and I have struggled with our Spanish, especially those nasty verbs. Now our friend Jacky has invented a fun way to learn your verbs. Her Amigos Spanish program has full conjugation for 700 verbs and helps you learn with tests and puzzles. The program is totally customizable, allowing you to focus on the verbs you need to know. Plus it's fun, so you will stick with it and learn those verbs. To expand your vocabulary, try Amigos Spanish Puzzles a program featuring word games with English clues and Spanish answers (or vice versa). The program comes loaded with 2500 words, and you can even add your own words if you like! Both programs are available on CD at Alma Libre Bookstore or download it at Amigos Spanish.
	Secrets of the Talking Jaguar is the story of the author's physical and spiritual journey from the Southwestern US to the highlands of central America. There he becomes apprenticed to a local shaman who teaches Pretchel much about indigenous Mayan life, and about life in general. We sold out of these last year in hardcover, this year we were lucky enough to get some soft cover editions. If you missed this book last year, don't miss it this time.
	SPECIAL OFFER for Alma Libre Bookstore Customers Cenotes of the Riviera Maya is the best book ever written about the cenotes in our area. Beautifully photographed, it could easily be called a coffee table book, but it is also has all the practical information you need to explore the cenotes whether you are swimming or diving. Many have drooled over this book, but the hefty (500 peso) price tag kept some people away. Now author Steve Gerrard has authorized us to lower the price. At 300 pesos, this book is an incredible bargain and it has been flying off our shelves...in fact we ran out for a while around Christmas, but we're stocked again.
	Maps! If you drive in our area, you need a map! We have excellent and detailed maps of the Yucatan, the country of Mexico, Cancun city, Merida as well as Belize, Guatemala, Cuba and Central America. We also have souvenir-quality maps you can hang on the wall. This year we also have a good supply of "Map Chick" Mayan Riviera maps. These incredibly detailed maps will lead you to the best of the Mayan Riviera including restaurant and accommodation recommendations. This map has the most detailed map of Puerto Morelos ever made, as well as Puerto Adventuras, Akumal and the entire Mayan Riviera corridor. Maps are usually difficult to find in Mexico, but only if you are looking in the wrong place! Plot a course to the bookstore...if you get lost...ask for directions...