After the Flood by Kassandra Montag Climate fiction, also known as “cli-fi” (referential to sci-fi), explores what life on earth will be like if climate change and global warming continue unchecked. Stories in this genre are important in that they can connect us emotionally with planetary changes occurring in our own backyards. Kassandra Montag’s debut … Read more
Book Buzz: If you Liked My Old Man and the Mountain by Leif Whittaker You may have heard that it’s Whatcom County Library System’s 75th anniversary year, and to celebrate we’ve created the Read & Share program featuring Leif Whittaker’s excellent memoir My Old Man and the Mountain. Whittaker is the son of “Big Jim” Whittaker, … Read more
Deep River by Karl Marlantes In his debut novel, Matterhorn, based on his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam, Pacific Northwest author Karl Marlantes established himself as a master of evocative settings and characters developed over time. Deep River, his second novel, is a sprawling family epic set along the mouth of the Columbia River … Read more
Before the Wind by Jim Lynch Several years ago, Whatcom READS featured Jim Lynch’s excellent novel Border Songs, about a dutiful, extremely tall, bird-loving rookie Border Patrol officer and his observations of life along the 49th parallel between the United States and Canada. Since then, he has written several fine books. Before the Wind continues … Read more
The History of Living Forever by Jake Wolff Precocious, brilliant Conrad Aybinder just spent summer vacation working with his favorite teacher to develop a winning science fair competition entry for the coming school year. In classic summer-love-story fashion, the teacher is also Conrad’s first love. And then, contrary to the title of Jake Wolff’s debut … Read more
The Way Home: Tales from a Life without Technology by Mark Boyle Mark Boyle is no stranger to remaking himself. In the fall of 2008, he embarked on an experiment in living without money, documenting the experience with the publication of The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living (2010) and a follow-up guide, The … Read more
Paddling With Spirits: A Solo Kayak Journey by Irene Skyriver Some people throw themselves a dance party for their 40th birthday. Irene Skyriver chose to celebrate hers with a solo kayaking trip from Ketchikan to her home on Lopez Island. Years later, she recounted her momentous journey in Paddling With Spirits: A Solo Kayak Journey. … Read more
The Great Pretenders by Laura Kalpakian Just in time for hammock season comes local author Laura Kalpakian’s latest novel (her 16th), The Great Pretenders. Set in Hollywood in the 1950s, it’s got the right blend of glitz and pop culture so you can while away a sun-filled Saturday, allowing yourself to recuperate after your recreational … Read more
Beauty is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan There are times when you happen upon a book and are completely blown away by its scope, craft and story. Eka Kurniawan’s Beauty is a Wound is just such a novel—sweeping, epic, with a vast but unforgettable cast of characters. It’s reminiscent of One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s … Read more
A Fire Story by Brian Fies A recent report by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center and the National Interagency Fire Center calling for this year’s wildfire potential to be “above normal” in the Pacific Northwest may have Whatcom County residents already thinking about the threat of local fires and another summer of smoke-filled air. But … Read more