Book Buzz: Supersonic

Cover image of "Supersonic" by Thomas Kohnstamm

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

Book Buzz: Orbital

Cover image of "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey

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

Book Buzz: Women’s Hotel

Cover image of "Women's Hotel" by Daniel Lavery

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

Book Buzz: Stone Blind

Cover image of "Stone Blind" by Natalie Haynes

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

Book Buzz: The Wives

Cover image of "The Wives: A Memoir" by Simone Gorrindo

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

Book Buzz: Big in Sweden

Cover image of "Big in Sweden" by Sally Franson

Big in Sweden by Sally Franson Paulie Johannson is a lovable hot mess. She’s 35, going through the motions at an unrewarding job as a college admissions coach in Minneapolis, wondering if her sweet but slightly dull computer programmer boyfriend Declan is “the one,” and nearly resigned to the fact that an exciting career as a … Read more

Book Buzz: Spirit Whales & Sloth Tales

Cover image from "Spirit Whales & Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State" by Elizabeth A. Nesbitt

Spirit Whales & Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State by Elizabeth A. Nesbitt In “Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State,” Elizabeth A. Nesbitt and David B. Williams offer a captivating popular-level paleontological journey through the ancient natural history of our state. The fossil record guides the reader through this journey, as the … Read more

Book Buzz: Cabin

Cover image for "Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman" by Patrick Hutchison

Cabin: Off-the-grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison Warmer weather and longer days are an invitation to take up home renovation projects, and weekend warrior homeowners often lean into YouTube videos and DIY books checked out from the library for guidance. If you’ve experienced home renovations that go sideways or take much more … Read more

Book Buzz: The Pacific Northwest Disaster Guide

The Pacific Northwest Disaster Guide by Henry Latourette Miller (illustrated by Jeff Parker) In the past few years, Pacific Northwest communities have experienced catastrophic flooding, landslides, wildfires and damage from severe wind. As close as it is to Whatcom County communities, a Mount Baker eruption would be cataclysmic. And there is the hulking threat of The … Read more

Book Buzz: Homeseeking

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen  This sweeping epic examines themes of displacement, identity and loss through the lives of a couple separated by war and circumstance. Suchi and Haiwen meet as children in pre-WWII Shanghai. Their connection is instant and intense, and friendship eventually blossoms into love. But Shanghai is gripped by occupation and political upheaval, … Read more