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
TRANSCRIPT A conversation with Mary Kinser, Jonathan Jakobitz, Emma Radosevich and Hana Boxberger, Washington Library Association’s 2025 Candace Morgan Intellectual Freedom Award Winners for their work in developing a Right to Read training for WCLS staff. Washington Library Association 2025 Merit Award Winners American Library Association Library Bill of Rights Freedom to Read Statement Five … Read more
As part of its April 6-12 National Library Week celebrations, Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Golden Apple Educator Awards. The honorees are Natalia Burke, middle school librarian at Lynden Christian School; Tammy Immer, administrative assistant to the principal, Beach Elementary School, Ferndale School District; and Jordan … Read more
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis “The Road to Roswell,” by Connie Willis is a delightful romp of a sci-fi romance novel set in the American southwest. Francie, our story’s protagonist, has traveled to Roswell, New Mexico to be the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding. Of course, Francie’s true intention in … Read more
The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister Wenna Haddesley hasn’t seen her family, their crumbling manor, or their ancestra cranberry bog since she ran away as a teenager. But when she receives a letter calling her home for her family’s mystical, once-in-a-generation ritual, she returns to Appalachia to confront her past. Upon arrival, she finds the … Read more
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei After years of pulling off interstellar art heists, Princeton graduate student Maya Hoshimoto now uses her skills of evasion to dodge her nagging thesis advisor. But when she stumbles upon a rare library book containing a map to the Stardust Grail—an artifact that could save an alien civilization—she and … Read more
On March 28, the Whatcom County Library System’s (WCLS) Board of Trustees approved a library levy lid lift resolution for the Aug. 5, 2025, primary election ballot. If approved by a simple majority of voters, this resolution would “lift the lid” on the current levy rate for properties within the library system’s service boundary, which … Read more
TRANSCRIPT Our interview with Erica Bauermeister, author of the Whatcom READS 2025 selection, No Two Persons and a recap of the Whatcom READS season with WCLS Adult Programing Coordinator, Claire McElroy. Reading recommendations from Erica Bauermeister: I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olson (100 Years of the Best American Short Stories) The Light Pirate by … Read more