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
We discuss our free Mango Languages app with WCLS Learning Coordinator Maggie Mae Nase who is a world traveler and a lifelong learner. Download the Mango Languages app List of World Languages available on Mango Book Recommendations
Whatcom County Library System and Friends of Birch Bay Library will host a 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10 community engagement session at the site of the future Birch Bay Vogt Library Express, 7948 Birch Bay Drive. At the meeting, the design team from Osborn Architecture and Planning will share the floor plan and color schemes … 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
WCLS recently honored long-time Blaine resident and library advocate Joyce Vanderpol, whose generous gift funded a meeting pod and other improvements at the Blaine Library. Vanderpol asked library staff what immediate changes could enhance the library experience in Blaine. “Joyce shared our vision for what a small meeting room space could mean for our patrons … 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
The French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time by Jane Bertch Midwesterner Jane Bertch wasn’t much of a world traveler when her job in finance took her overseas. But after spending several years in London, she felt ready to sign on to life in Paris. It wasn’t long before she fell … Read more
April is Autism Acceptance Month, and the Whatcom County Library System is taking part by rolling out sensory kits at all county library locations. The kits include essential items to support the sensory needs of autistic children and adults during library visits. Items in the sensory kits are recommended by the University of Washington iSchool Autism-Ready … Read more