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
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
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
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
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
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
The Names by Florence Knapp The baby is to be named Gordon. Her husband insists on it. Gordon is his name, and the son should be named after his father. And Cora knows that she must obey her husband’s instructions. Years of abuse have taught her the consequences if she does not. Yet she cannot … Read more
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters We’re several months away from berry season here in Whatcom County but that shouldn’t deter you from reading Amanda Peters’ thoughtful debut novel “The Berry Pickers,” which won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and topped many “best of the year” lists. The book opens during the summer of … Read more