“There and Back,” by Pam Chambers (self-published, $75): After moving to downtown Honolulu, Pam Chambers, a motivational speaker, began to see its mix of historical and modern buildings from new perspectives, with fresh eyes and her iPhone 4, with which she shot the subtle, surprising color photos in this slim book. When she worked downtown, she never looked up to see the mosaic ceiling in the arcade of the Hawaiian Electric Building or the medallion of a ship under sail on the Dillingham Transport Building. Facades on an empty Hotel Street evoke a sunny conflation of Shanghai and St. Tropez. Portraits of the brownstone McCandless, the redbrick Brewery, the gilded Stangenwald and flamboyant Wo Fat Chop Sui buildings are mute but eloquent reminders of why these districts should be lovingly preserved. 

“Creating Hawaiian-Inspired Quilts,” by Judith Sandstrom (Shiffer Publishing, $16.99): Less than three months till the holidays! Whether you have itchy DIY fingers or just like to fantasize the way some read cookbooks, you’ll appreciate this colorfully illustrated, how-to book. Sandstrom, a fabric craft designer, pays tribute to traditional and contemporary Hawaii patterns and quiltmakers. She instructs how to fold, cut, applique and stitch, the latter by hand or machine. She provides stencil shapes to cut out and trace, including her own Hawaiian Christmas and sea creature motifs. It’s the perfect gift for the compulsive crafter on your list.

“Pet Sitting in Paradise,” by Pam Lewis (self-published, Kindle edition $2.99): Anyone who owns a pet or has, for love or money, taken care of someone else’s, will find laughter and vindication in Lewis’s frank, plucky memoir. “Even though most of my pets and pet owners were nuts, I hadn’t met (one) that I didn’t actually like.”

That includes Rusty, who goes on lie-down strike and has to be dragged off the beach to public cries of protest, and the owner whose bachelorette party is interrupted by a saucy policeman.

While the identities of pets and people are disguised, “Unfortunately, every detail about me is true,” she writes. Despite boggy flashbacks, it’s a fun read, with photos.

“A Pocket Guide to Nature on O‘ahu,” by Michael Walther (Mutual Publishing, $10.95): This comprehensive, photo-filled little guide to island flora, fauna and geology packs big pleasures in a small, portable package. Our 147 endemic species, which “live on Oahu and nowhere else,” range from the leafy lobelia, pictured here with its purple flowers being visited by an endangered red iiwi bird, to a charming close-up of a snub-nosed hoary bat. With a bird checklist and maps of nature trails, this book by the co-founder of Oahu Nature Tours makes you want to get out into nature right away. Remember to bring it along.