“Page Turners” highlights books by Hawaii authors and books about Hawaii or of interest to Hawaii readers. To submit a book for consideration, send a copy and information to Features Department, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. For more information, email books@staradvertiser.com.

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"The Honolulu Pact," by Michael S. Koyama (Seagull Books, $25): Part-time Hono­lulu resident Michael Koyama’s third novel is a political crime thriller that has politicians coast to coast and from both parties, including a Hawaii congressional candidate, dying prematurely of mysterious heart attacks. HPD Lt. Lisa Higa­shi­gu­chi is hot on the trail. Koyama, the pen name of retired economics professor Kozo Yama­mura, takes a few jabs at the prevailing political mood as his story unfolds.

"How Do You Grab a Naked Lady?" by Sharon L. Hicks (Abbott Press, $17.99): This memoir by Hicks, the daughter of Oahu contractor Harold Hicks, details the ups and downs of growing up with her extroverted, bipolar mother and her straight-arrow father. The book opens with a wild scene in which her mother, screaming obscenities, strips naked in a department store and is arrested, an incident that is repeated dozens of times.

"And Then Life Happens," by Auma Obama (St. Martin’s Griffin, $16.99): President Barack Obama’s other half sister — daughter of Barack Obama Sr. and his Kenyan wife — writes about growing up in Kenya, studying in Germany and pursuing a career working for humanitarian agencies, interwoven with stories about her extended family. Her first meeting with her half sibling, while he was a community organizer, reveals his profound interest in their father and his search for his roots.

"Today’s Thought — Rev. Paul Osumi: The Man and His Message," by Norman H. Osumi (Legacy Isle Publishing, $17.95): The Rev. Paul Osumi, senior minister at Nuu­­anu Congregational Church from 1958 to 1974, wrote an inspirational column for The Hono­lulu Advertiser for 35 years. His son compiled this collection of columns and wrote a biography detailing Osumi’s experiences after Pearl Harbor, when he was accused of being an enemy agent despite evidence to the contrary.

"If I Fall Apart: A Memoir of Breast Cancer and Bilateral Mastectomy," by Karen M. Garcia (Whiteginger Press, $8.99): The author, wife of Hono­lulu City Councilman Nestor Garcia, tells of her six-year battle with breast cancer in this short memoir. Without getting too technical, she relates some of the medical procedures she underwent, and without getting too maudlin, she discusses her emotional journey as well.

"Petals and Blood: Stories, Dharma and Poems of Ecstasy, Awakening and Annihilation," by Gavin Harrison (Pau Press, $49.95): In poetry, prose and photographs, South African-turned-Hawaii island resident Gavin Harrison ruminates on the meaning of life. In terms both spiritual and real, he discusses his experience under an apartheid regime, living with HIV, friendship, love and many other topics.