Book Buzz: Daughters of Riga

Daughters of Riga by Marian Exall

Daughters of Riga by Marian Exall Bellingham author Marian Exall trades mysteries for historical fiction with her newest title, “Daughters of Riga,” which follows the lives of several women whose lives crossed paths in Latvia during World War II. While so much has been written about the Blitz in Britain and the occupation of France and the … Read more

Ep. 46: Cynthia French and A Forest of Words

A Forest of Words 2024

TRANSCRIPT A Forest of Words webpageA Forest of Words Poetry Reading and Celebration, Friday May 10, 2024, at Ferndale Library Books by Robert LashleyPoetry Evening with Robert Lashley, Friday April 17, 2024, at Deming Library Books and Authors mentioned in this podcast Bands mentioned in this episode: The Bigfoot Poetry Festival

Book Buzz: The Chaos Machine

Cover image for "The Chaos Machine: the Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World" by Max Fisher

The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World by Max Fisher Max Fisher, an international reporter and columnist, has written extensively on diplomacy, conflict and social change. In “The Chaos Machine,” Fisher turns his journalistic lens to the world of social media and its impact on society. … Read more

Book Buzz: This Is the Honey

This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets; edited by Kwame Alexander

This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets; edited by Kwame Alexander In 2020, poet Kevin Young, current director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and poetry editor for the New Yorker, published “African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song.” Young’s 1,110-page anthology is a comprehensive array of Black poets from … Read more

Book Buzz: Brutalities

Brutalities: A Love Story by Margo Steines

Brutalities:  A Love Story by Margo Steines   Since she was a teenager, Margo Steines has been drawn to risk and self-inflicted suffering. Substance use, an abusive relationship, and careers as a dominatrix and a welder in high-rise buildings are all stops on her lifetime tour of pain—both physical and emotional. Even after she settles into a … Read more

Book Buzz: The Night Parade

The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin

The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin “Maybe this isn’t a story about ghosts, but a story about telling a story about ghosts.”  This genre-defying memoir uses multiple storytelling traditions to make sense of mental illness, motherhood, and grief. Jami Nakamura Lin, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at seventeen, has always struggled … Read more

Book Buzz: Find Yourself at Home

Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life by Emily Grosvenor

Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life by Emily Grosvenor Emily Grosvenor is a feng shui consultant, editor of Oregon Home magazine and author of “Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life.” (Photo courtesy of Beth Olson Creative) How would your life change if your concept of home was not as sanctuary, a … Read more

Whatcom READS announces 2025 book selection

Whatcom READS 2025 Selection: No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. Read the book. Join the conversation.

No Two Persons by Port Townsend, Wash.-based author Erica Bauermeister is the Whatcom READS 2025 book selection. Sasha taqʷšəblu Lapointe, author of the 2024 featured title, Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk, made the announcement at the close of the March 15 Whatcom READS author event at the Mount Baker Theatre. Liane Moriarty, … Read more

Book Buzz: Sourdough

Cover image for "Sourdough: A Novel" by Robin Sloan

Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan Like the joy of freshly baked bread, “Sourdough” is a warm and comforting read.   Satire traditionally employs irony and exaggeration to humorously point out social and political failings. Consequently, satire tends to run blunt and stark. In “Sourdough,” Robin Sloan crafts something different: A subtly satirical look at the … Read more

Ep. 45: YAI Podcast interview with Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe

Young and Indigenous Podcast Logo

TRANSCRIPT We feature an episode from the Young and Indigenous (YAI) Podcast from Children of the Setting Sun Productions. YAI hosts, Cyrus James and Wykeklyaa Curleybear talk with Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe about her book Red Paint and about life and everything else. Sasha’s powerful memoir, Red Paint, is the 2024 Whatcom READS selection.  Hy‘shqe to our friends at YAI and Children of the Setting Sun … Read more