Teaching in the Rain: The Story of North Cascades Institute by John C. Miles The North Cascades inspire dreamers. Count among them a group of five friends who, beginning in the early 1980s, turned a shared vision into the North Cascades Institute. The nationally respected environmental education nonprofit organization marked its 35th anniversary in 2021. … Read more
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel Stéphane Breitwieser’s crimes seem almost unfathomable. In the span of 6 years, from 1995 to 2001, the French thief and his girlfriend stole more than 200 paintings, sculptures, and priceless objects from museums across Europe. They committed their crimes … Read more
Edison’s Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History’s Greatest Geniuses by Katie Spalding You know their names. You might even know their famous accomplishments. But do you know how truly, well, weird they were? Probably not – which is exactly where mathematician and author Katie Spalding shines. Pulling back the layers of reverence that surround well-known … Read more
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin Legendary music producer and founder of Def Jam Recordings Rick Rubin is known for his light touch with artists and an ear for what’s profitable. The list of musicians and bands he’s worked with is a who’s who of rap, hip-hop, heavy metal and rock: … Read more
Trailer Park Psalms: Poems by Ryler Dustin Ryler Dustin’s latest book of poetry, “Trailer Park Psalms,” is a slender volume of poems that speaks to readers with a quiet voice. Dustin developed his skill as a poet and spoken word performer at the long-running Poetry Night open mic at Stuart’s Coffeehouse on the corner of … Read more
I Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer by Robert Lashley I have read and heard Robert Lashley’s work for more than 15 years. He has published three books of poetry and has presented his work in venues across the country. In 2021, at the peak of the pandemic, Lashley gave a live 10-poem performance via … Read more
Phoebe’s Diary by Phoebe Wahl Welcome to Bellingham. The year is 2006. Teenagers smoke weed, play pool at Kendrick’s and rent movies from Trek Video. Flirting happens via flip phone and Myspace. Irony and ballet flats are in. Phoebe is a sophomore who wears DIY skinny jeans, listens to the best indie bands and attends … Read more
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang “Bad Art Friend” meets psychological thriller in this pacy, satirical page-turner. June Hayward is a struggling author whose debut novel flopped. Her college friend, Athena Liu, is a bestselling author who just landed a Netflix deal. When Athena dies in an accident, June finds herself in possession of the secret manuscript … Read more
American Mermaid by Julia Langbein This splashy debut novel is part Hollywood satire, part girl-power eco-thriller. High school English teacher Penny moves to LA for the summer to adapt her bestselling novel into a movie. In Penny’s book, also called American Mermaid, protagonist Sylvia is an asexual engineer who discovers that her disability—she has chronic … Read more
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister Some people mark summer by road trips and barbecues. Book lovers track the season by the pages we’ve read. Like Jenga pieces, we pull hardbacks from our teetering “to be read” piles, scan media for trending titles, and turn to library and bookstore staff for the next great book … Read more