Chlorine by Jade Song “Chlorine,” by Jade Song, is a work of literary fiction that plunges into the disquieting depths of a second-generation Chinese immigrant’s adolescence. Touching on weighty topics like abuse, self-harm and body mutilation, “Chlorine” can be a profoundly unsettling read. Yet, it also offers a look at the challenges of assimilation, self-identity … Read more
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston With a hit song on her resume, songwriter Joni Lark should be at the top of her game professionally. But the truth is, Joni is stalled. Her creative inspiration has fled in the face of worries about her mother’s health and her parents’ recent decision to shutter the Revelry, … Read more
Back After This by Linda Holmes Cecily Foster dreams of hosting her own podcast, and until then, she’s busy keeping everything going as a producer. Relationships are the last thing on her mind – so when her boss pitches a show focusing on Cecily’s dating life, she immediately says no. Unfortunately, the company is in … Read more
Wild in Seattle: Stories at the Crossroads of People and Nature by David B. Williams Summer is a perfect time to slow down and look deeply at the habitat around us, and “Wild in Seattle: Stories at the Crossroads of People and Nature” by David B. Williams is a brilliant invitation to do so. While … Read more
On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer by Rick Steves Most folks in Whatcom County are familiar with Edmonds native and travel advocate, Rick Steves, whether from using his popular travel guides, watching his travel show “Rick Steves’ Europe,” hearing him speak at events (including Cascadia Daily News’ October … Read more
Supersonic by Thomas Kohnstamm A born-and-raised Seattleite, author Thomas Kohnstamm nails the Seattle ethos in his sprawling, funny and deeply human third novel, “Supersonic.” Shuttling between the late 1800s, the 1970s and 2014, “Supersonic” looks at the various inhabitants of a hillside community overlooking Seattle: the cynics, dreamers, schemers, strivers, bumblers, industrialists and idealists among them. … Read more
Orbital by Samantha Harvey Hour by hour, eight billion people wake across twenty-four time zones. High above the atmosphere, six astronauts on the International Space Station are having a very different kind of day. Over the span of sixteen sunrises and sixteen sunsets—one day—their spacecraft chases the sun as its orbit crisscrosses Earth. Orbital spends … Read more
Women’s Hotel by Daniel Lavery Welcome to the Biedermeier. It’s shabbier (and much cheaper) than the Barbizon, but it’s still a respectable residential hotel where a professional single lady can establish herself in 1960s New York City. Women’s Hotel meanders between the Biedermeier’s fifteen floors, offering the reader glimpses into the lives and daily dramas … Read more
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes “Stone Blind,” by author, classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes is a feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Medusa and Perseus. With wit and irony, Haynes shifts the perspective on a story we thought we knew, pulling no punches and plainly portraying the faults, foibles and sins of the gods. … Read more
The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are currently 2 million uniformed military personnel in the United States with 2.6 million family members. Journalist Simone Gorrindo shines a light on one subset of these military families: army wives. Her nonfiction account provides a portrait of the women … Read more