After Annie by Anna Quindlen Annie Brown dies at dinnertime, struck down by an aneurysm as she’s making the mashed potatoes. Her death is a shock; to those who love her, Annie is the heartbeat of life, and absent her steady sensibility, their lives are immediately upended. Husband Bill fumbles through his grief, incapable of parenting … Read more
Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard Warning: reading Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard may cause you to fall in love with Alaska’s Brooks Range – and also to dream about being pursued by grizzly bears. Engelhard is an evocative writer, and Arctic Traverse is very … Read more
Adrift: the Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea by Tracey Williams For some, summer days spent along Washington’s rocky shores conjure up memories of kite flying, flipping rocks to startle baby crabs, and beachcombing. The joy of finding the occasional shell or sand dollar, a piece of interesting driftwood or the ultimate prize – … Read more
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest: A Visual Guide to Harvesting and Healing with 35 Common Species by Natalie Hammerquist Hikers beware! It’s the season for stinging nettles, and they’re all over the place on local trails. But one person’s hazard is another person’s healthy elixir — so if you’re like my friend, the minute you … Read more
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger Against the backdrop of a dystopian landscape in a climate-changed near future, “I Cheerfully Refuse” by Leif Enger tells the story of Rainy, a gentle bear of a man, house painter and aspiring bass player, as he seeks redemption after the loss of his beloved wife, Lark. Setting sail on … Read more
Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe’s debut memoir, Red Paint, was all about healing. Her new book, Thunder Song, is all about embracing contradiction—about both charting a new path and staying rooted. These carefully crafted, multi-layered essays explore themes that are dear to LaPointe’s heart: her queer and indigenous identity, activism, and family history. … Read more
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison After the birth of her first child, Leslie Jamison finds that home is no longer a place she wants to be. She pushes her daughter’s stroller through art museums to avoid spending time with her husband, whose coldness has become unbearable. Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story is about … Read more
Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World: A History by William Alexander According to the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, tomatoes are “the world’s most popular vegetable.” Never mind that tomatoes, which come from the flowering part of the plant and have seeds, are more accurately a fruit — they represent 17% of all vegetables produced annually. … Read more
Here With You: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction by Kathy Wagner The opioid crisis has reached epidemic proportions with virtually no place escaping its devastation. Here in Whatcom County, according to data provided by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office, there were 136 overdose-related deaths in 2023, up from 91 in 2022. Libraries and other agencies now offer free naloxone, a … Read more
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai From childhood favorites to special meals with friends or family, few things bring us back to the past as immediately as the smell or taste of a particular dish. But sometimes foods become lost to time and circumstance, and that’s where Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa come in. From their … Read more