The
Fall 2013
r e d a e R t u n a k c Chu Vol. 20 Issue 3
aders
est’s Most Avid Re
e Northw A Magazine for th
back-to-school
SALE
September 15-30 20% OFF CHILDREN'S BOOKS & Melissa & Doug
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TOYS
COOKBOOKS & FALL READS Fun Fashion at Paper Dreams & much more!
A Village Books Publication
Bookstore Love...
Congratulations to Kelly and Paul! E I N V I TE D R A U O Y to VB’s Autumn Open Book Talk
Open Book Talk with VB Owners, Chuck & Dee
Thursday, Sept 19th, 11am & 5:15pm in the VB Readings Gallery
You're invited to Village Books' Autumn Open Book Talk on Thursday, September 19th at either 11am or 5:15pm. VB co-owners Chuck and Dee Robinson will talk about a variety of books for you to consider adopting for your book groups or adding to your reading list. If you're in a book group, bring the whole gang. If you're not and want to be, maybe you'll meet someone to join you in starting a new group! Don't miss this celebration of books and reading!
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Fall 2013
Building Community One Book at a Time
Dear Reader, What a summer it's been. Chuck recently spent a few days visiting family back in Illinois and it was less humid there, and not much warmer. Can you say climate change? The climate of the book business has also changed a lot over the years. You likely followed Amazon's price attack earlier this summer in which they reduced the retail price of many books below what we independent booksellers buy them for. Their plan? Can you say monopoly? Which, by the way, has never proven to be good for the public. Thanks to all of you who responded so positively and those who signed our "One Book Pledge." See page 37 for a story about a One Book Pledger and more information on the pledge. Fall will soon be upon us and, as you'll see in the following pages, it will be packed with great books and many exciting events, among which are the annual Fairhaven Sidewalk Sale (see page 7) and the TEDx Bellingham event of which we're very proud to be a sponsor (see page 9). There are also a couple of Chuckanut Radio Hours on the docket, along with dozens of author presentations. And, mark your calendars for the First Annual Fairhaven Gives Back day—November 14 (see page 4). We hope you've had a great summer and that great books have been part of it. If you've worked your way through your stack there are plenty of new ones previewed and reviewed here to replenish your reading list. The "What Whatcom Was Reading" list for the first seven months of this year (see page 64) can help with that as well. Here's wishing you a great autumn of fine weather and wonderful reading experiences.
–Chuck, Dee,
and the Entire Village Books/Paper Dreams Family
VILLAGE BOOKS
In This Issue... Celebrating Love and Books Dear Reader Fairhaven Gives Back Thank YOU for Shopping Locally Fall Summer Activities in Fairhaven & Beyond Fiction, Mystery, and Sci Fi (highlights & reviews) Love to Travel? Books about Words and Writing Writing Opportunities Galore! Cooking & Food (book reviews & much more) Take the One Book Pledge Science, Nature, & Exploring the PNW (books) Mind and Body (book reviews) Sam Talks eBooks - Let Our eTeam help! Contemporary Cultural Criticism (books) Biographies and History (highlights & reviews) The Fall Chuckanut Radio Hour Line-up Poetry and Crafts (books) Get Fit and Get Out There - Lots of Opportunities Great Reads & Activities for Kids What Whatcom Is Reading - VB's Top Sellers Before They Were Stars - Attend VB Author Events VB Reads—Join a VB Book Group Literature Live! Author Events at VB
2 3 4 5-6 7-10 11-19 20-21 23 24-29 31-35 37 38-41 42 43 45-47 48-49 51 52 55-57 58-63 64 65 66 67-70
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
The Chuckanut Reader Fall 2013
Publishers: Chuck and Dee Robinson Production Design: Kelly Carbert
Contributors: Jenny Blenk, Kelly Carbert, Charles Claassen, Christina Claassen, Brendan Clark, Mel Erickson, Kelly Evert, Robert Gruen, Rachel Hanley, Paul Hanson, Alex Hatch, Sarah Hutton, Sam Kaas, Rachel McCausland, Claire McElroy-Chesson, Lindsey McGuirk, Janet Oakley, Laura Ogg, Laura Picco, Robin Robertson, Chuck Robinson, Dee Robinson, Rem Ryals, JoanTerselich, Jonica Todd, Terri Weiner, Jessica Williams, Cindi Williamson, and Anna Wolff. Cover: Grab some new cookbooks & enjoy the fall harvest! Photo by Kelly Carbert Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2013 Printed by the Lynden Tribune on paper made from 50% post-consumer waste
360.671.2626 800.392.BOOK (US & Canada) fax: 360.734.2573
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Village Books in Historic Fairhaven 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225
Fall 2013 3
Fairhaven Gives Back
RHA VEN I A F
Thursday, November 14th Mark your calendars now for Thursday, November 14, and save the date. Businesses throughout the Fairhaven Historic District will be donating 10% of their sales that day to nonprofits in the community during the First Annual Fairhaven Gives Back celebration. As you make your purchases in participating businesses, you'll be asked to choose one of many non-profit organizations to which your donation will go. At the end of the evening all donations will be tallied and sent to the respective organizations.
GI
VES BACK
This will be a great chance to accomplish two things at the same time—get a jump on your holiday shopping (stores will be well-stocked with gifts for everyone on your list), and help deserving non-profit organizations in the community. Please join us for the first annual Fairhaven Gives Back.
4 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Thank You
for Your
Support
W
e're so grateful to all of you for the outpouring of support since the reports of Amazon's predatory pricing onslaught. We received dozens of encouraging notes; quite a number of you have sworn off buying from predators; some have written directly to Amazon; and several of you have mentioned the issue as the reason you were consciously making purchases here. Thank you. The issue grew a bit more widely known when President Obama chose an Amazon warehouse in Tennessee as the venue for a speech on job creation. Critics have rightly pointed out that local retailers, including independent booksellers, have been far more successful in creating sustainable jobs than the massive online discounter. Some of you even told us that you have written the White House, protesting the President's choice of speaking venue. A number of you have asked "what can I do?" There are a couple of things. First, you can spread the word widely about the importance of shopping locally. Here are TEN GOOD REASONS to pass on to your friends: 1. Buy Local—Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned business, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms—continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.
4. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
2. Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average of 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
5. Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community and provide the most jobs to residents.
3. Keep our community unique: Where we shop, 6. Get better service: Local businesses often hire people where we eat and have fun—all of it makes our community with a better understanding of the products they are selling home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of and take more time to get to know customers. the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses 7. Invest in community: Local businesses are owned also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, and are more invested in the community’s future. not just anyplace.” –Richard Moe, President, National Historic continued on next page... Preservation Trust Co-presented by Village Books & The Western Washington University Libraries 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
5
...continued from previous page 8. Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community. 9. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices. 10. Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character. And, you can also take the One Book Pledge by signing a pledge in the store or at VillageBooks.com/one-book-pledge. To be clear, we have no problem with Amazon, or anyone else, selling printed books, eBooks, or even refrigerators. What we object to is the predatory pricing that is fully intended to put other retailers out of business and establish one company as a monopoly. Monopolies have never proven to be in the best interest of the public. Thanks again for your support,
Chuck & Dee and all of us at Village Books and Paper Dreams
Add yourself to the growing list of people who recognize the importance of independent bookstores to the health and culture of communities by buying one more book from us, and one less from chain stores, other online sellers or other retailer s.
Author Rewards Pre-Orders at Indies Author Jamie Ford has an offer for readers who order Songs of Willow Frost in advance at their favorite independent bookshop (Read a review of Songs of Willow Frost on page 11). "I love bookstores," he wrote. "I love them. So to support fine bookstores everywhere, I'm giving away an exclusive short story ("Middle, Lost, and Found") to anyone who boldly ventures into their local bookery and pre-orders Songs of Willow Frost (or pre-orders online from an honest-to-goodness brick-and-mortar bookstore)." He will add a signed bookplate for those who send him their mailing address along with "a pic of your receipt or order confirmation, or heck—just send me a photo of you smiling with your friendly neighborhood bookseller."
ACT QUICKLY! Pre-orders for this book must be placed by Sept. 9th!
Ford added: "Books are a physical record of the human condition. And people who maintain these records deserve our support. Though I'm somewhat biased because I met my lovely wife at the public library and later dropped to one knee and proposed in a bookstore. (You can't do that on a Kindle)." How? You can text images and contact information directly to Jamie Ford at (951) 750-9419 or email your information to Jamie at bookstoresmatter@gmail.com. Name, address, the usual‌ 6
Fall 2013
Shop 24 hours a day at www.villagebooks.com
September 22 - 28, 2013
Banned Books Week Celebrating the FREADom to Read
Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country, including Village Books, draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2013 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 22 - 28. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982. Check the Village Books website and our eNewsletter for details of programs during this week.
Fairhaven
SIDEWALK Saturday, September 21st 11am - 5pm Merchandise, gift and clothing bargains in Fairhaven will be visible in every direction during the Annual District-wide Sidewalk Sale! Enjoy browsing and getting deals at the scores of shops within the district, and perhaps from some outside-the-core businesses situated under the pergolas on the Village Green. Also passing through Fairhaven today is the annual Bellingham Traverse, with runners trekking along the Interurban Trail toward Marine Park, where paddlers will set off for their cross-bay route along Fairhaven's Waterfront Trail and Boulevard Park. See page 56 for more Traverse information. There is so much happening in Fairhaven— enjoy it all!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
International
Day of Peace
Saturday, September 21st Whatcom Peace & Justice Center will host their 10th Annual International Day of Peace Celebration on September 21st, at the First Congregational Church of Bellingham. Hundreds gather every year on September 21st in solidarity with people around the world. In 1982, the United Nations declared this day an annual worldwide 24-hour cease-fire to envision what our world can look like without weapons, violence, and oppression. This year, the guest speaker will be Ruben Garcia, Founder and Director of Annunciation House in El Paso, TX, and recipient of the 2012 Teacher of Peace Award. The celebration will also include the Kulshan Community Chorus and the presentation of the Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker Award. For more info, contact office@whatcompjc.org. Admission is free, donations requested.
5:30pm: Meet-Up at Maritime Heritage Park
5:45pm: Peace March 6:30pm: Program at the First Congregational Church
Fall 2013
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Bellingham Theatre Guild 2013—2014 Season Prisoner of Second Avenue September 27 – October 13, 2013
Last Sunday Feb. – May & Sept. – Nov. • MEMBERS FREE
Inspecting Carol
GENERAL ADMISSION: $16 advance or at the door / STUDENTS UNDER 18: $10
SEPT. 29 – NANCY KING QUARTET
November 29 – December 15, 2013
Steve Christofferson, piano; Rene Worst, bass; Jud Sherwood, drums Sponsor:
A Guild Musical Review
PHILLIPS 66 VOLUNTEER GRANTS and BP FABRIC OF AMERICA
January 24 – February 2, 2014
OCT. 27 – ANTON SCHWARTZ QUINTET Anton Schwartz, sax; Randy Halberstadt, piano; Jeff Johnson, bass; Mark ivester, drums; Milo Peterson, guitar Sponsor:
Bellingham One-Act Theatre (B.O.A.T.) Festival
WASHINGTON STATE ARTS COMMISSION
NOV. 24: RODA LEGRE BRAZILIAN JAZZ QUARTET
February 17 – March 1, 2014
Jeff Busch, percussion; Eric Verlinde, piano; Steve Mostovoy, trumpet; Dean Schmidt, bass Sponsor: BOEING MATCHING GRANTS
Women of Lockerbie April 11 – 27, 2014
A Chorus Line June 13 – 29, 2014
Season Tickets on sale now
Illustration by Christopher Woitach
Tickets 733 733--1811 1600 H St., Bellingham bellinghamtheatreguild.com
This ad is supported, in part, by a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission and the City of Bellingham Tourism Lodging Tax • The Jazz Project is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization • All concerts produced by Jud Sherwood, Jazz Project Director
Literary artS SerieS
Poetry SerieS
oct 11 maLcoLm GLaDWeLL Nov 19 maDhur JaFFrey Feb 19 chip kiDD & chriS Ware Mar 24 GeorGe SaunDerS aPr 17 GiLLian FLynn JuN 5 reBecca SoLnit
SeP 17 Jorie Graham* oct 16 Stephen Dunn Nov 21 Dorothea LaSky Feb 13 BoB hicok Mar 19 chriStine DeaveL & J.W. marShaLL May 13 anne carSon** JuN 2 Juan FeLipe herrera
7:30 pm at town hall
SaL u: cLiFF MaSS “reading our northwest Sky: understanding our Weather and climate” oct 1 & 22, Nov 5 & 26, Dec 3 7:00 pm at kane hall
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Fall 2013
7:30 pm at act theatre *Benaroya hall; **town hall
SeaSon SuBScriptionS noW on SaLe! ticketS anD inFo: WWW.LectureS.orG caLL 206.621.2230
Building Community One Book at a Time
TEDxBellingham Here by Choice - November 12th Someone has likely linked you to a TED Talk at some point, and you were probably impressed. TED (Technology, Education, Design) is a nonprofit organization devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading." Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, and many others. In the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," TED has created TEDx, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. This event is called TEDxBellingham, where x = independently organized TED event. At TEDxBellingham, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including this one, are self-organized. On November 12th, the inaugural TEDxBellingham event, “Here by Choice,” kicks off, bringing together dynamic thinkers, inspiring speakers, innovative musicians and performers, and Bellingham’s visionaries to celebrate our unique sense of place, and each individual’s “Here by Choice” life. The event, which will be held at the Pickford Film Center, is public; however, a limited number of tickets are available, due to the licensing agreement with TED. Applications are now being accepted for attendees at www.tedxbellingham.com/attend. Ticket price includes light breakfast, refreshments and lunch. Tickets go on sale after Labor Day. But even if you can’t attend, the entire event will be live-streamed—so you can watch the conference all day, as it happens, from wherever you are. All you need is an Internet connection. “I’m bringing the TEDx event to Bellingham to share with my community the TED experience of Ideas Worth Spreading,” said organizer David Wiggs. “We are fortunate to live in a very special place, with incredibly talented people, and I look forward to seeing, hearing and feeling how each speaker interprets our Here by Choice theme.” Village Books, which has always been in the business of spreading ideas, is proud to be a sponsor of TEDxBellingham. For more information, including details about an associated video contest, go to TEDxBellingham.com.
CLOSE-OUT ON ALL
30% Off EVERYTHING While Stock Remains* *limited to stock on hand
ITEMS 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
at Paper Dreams Fall 2013
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hoot! hoot! ADMISSION IS JUST $5 OCTOBER 3 - 27
CAMPUS WIDE
OLD CITY HALL | SYRE EDUCATION CENTER | FIG Visit the Whatcom Museum October 3 - 27 with $5 admission. Don’t miss Audubon at the Museum at Syre every weekend! [Lightcatcher galleries are closed for installation of Vanishing Ice: Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art 1775-2012, opening November 3, 2013]
www.whatcommuseum.org
Show Sponsors:
Series Sponsor:
Sept 25-29
Season Sponsor:
Mount Baker Theatre
Winner of 12 tony Awards! 10
Fall 2013
Tickets: 360.734.6080 MountBakerTheatre.com $20-$40
Tickets start at $20 plus applicable fees
plus applicable fees
Photo by Damian Vines
Building Community One Book at a Time
FICTION brand new
FICTION
hardcover FICTION
Subtle Bodies : A Novel This is Norman Rush's long-awaited new novel: a sophisticated romp through the tribulations and particular joys of marriage and friendship as a group of college friends reunites 20-some years after graduation. A heartfelt novel filled with unexpected, funny, telling aperçus, alongside a deeper, moving exploration of the meanings of life.
The Lowland: A Novel by Jhumpa Lahiri
available in September, hardcover, Knopf
This is the story of two brothers with gravely different futures: Udayan finds himself drawn to a rebellion waged to eradicate inequity and poverty. Subhash does not share his brother's political passion; he leaves home to pursue a life of scientific research in America. But when Subhash learns what happened to his brother outside their family's home, he comes back to India, hoping to pick up the pieces of a shattered family.
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
available in September, hardcover, Random House
New from the author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a story of a little Chinese-American orphaned boy, William, who believes that his mother is a movie actress. Set in the depression era, I love that the story takes place in Seattle, with landmarks that I could easily envision. Jamie's writing is thoughtful, and sometimes sad, but not heartbreaking. The story travels from the present to the past as William hangs on to the bits and pieces of memory he still holds of his mother. I held hope for William throughout the story, that he would reconnect with his mother, and that she would not be lost to him forever. A must-read this fall, and a good candidate for book groups. —Christina
Pre-Order this book by September 9th & receive an exclusive short story & autographed bookplate from the author! See page 6 for details!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
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available in September, hardcover, Knopf
y Money B a
RISK FREE READS
GU
ck
Da 0-
by Norman Rush
A R A N TEE
Doomed
by Chuck Palahniuk available in October, hardcover, Doubleday
Madison Spencer, the liveliest, snarkiest dead girl in the universe, continues the adventures in the afterlife begun in Damned. Having somewhat reluctantly escaped from Palahnuik Satiric Hell, she now wanders the Purgatory that is Earth as a ghostly spirit, seeking her dogooding celebrity parents and fighting the malignant control of Satan.
Bleeding Edge
by Thomas Pynchon available in September, hardcover, Penguin
So Thomas Pynchon decides to write a novel about ‘the early days of the internet,’ set in the sort of jumpy, electric guts of immediately pre-9/11 New York…and this is where you should stop reading this review and just go buy the book. I mean it. The author of Gravity’s Rainbow delivers a funny, freaky slice of neo-noir, post-modern-recently-pasthistorical excellence here that ends up being painfully hard to put down. Made it to the end of this review? Thanks for your attention. Now go buy Bleeding Edge. —Sam
Someone: A Novel by Alice McDermott
available in September, hardcover, Macmillan
"There is the temptation, after reading Alice McDermott, to read nothing else for the longest time—to hold every exquisite word of her most exquisite novels in your head . . . That she exercises patience, compassion and wisdom where others emphasize strut, that she trusts herself with the power of scenes over the inflated intricacies of complicated plot. There is the temptation to use the word 'genius'". —The Baltimore Sun
Fall 2013 11
FICTION
The People in the Trees: A Novel
by Hanya Yanagihara
The Residue Years by Mitchell Jackson
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
Set on the mean streets of '90s Northeast Portland, and told in one of the freshest voices since Junot Diaz's debut, The Residue Years is about a world of few choices and little opportunity, of drug dealers and drug users, sometimes within the same family. But mostly it's about family against all odds.
Goat Mountain
available now, hardcover, Doubleday
The blurry, ephemeral line between scientific progress and ethical accountability is also the line that this complex, intricately detailed novel tiptoes along over a period of thirty years and nearly four hundred pages. Dr. Norton Perina’s discovery of a strange condition leading to extended life earns him fame, respect and a Nobel Prize…but at what cost? Is Perina a keeper of dark secrets? How do we define good and bad? Which matters more: action or intent? This is a powerful, impressively well-crafted debut. —Sam
by David Vann
available in September, hardcover, HarperCollins
Goat Mountain is an astounding tale of tragedy in the remote mountains when a family hunting trip goes horribly wrong. Vann writes his story in a stark, terse prose that puts forth only the barest words necessary to convey his meaning. In parts eerie, and more than once quite shocking, this book is hard to put down for the simple reason that you almost can't believe what's happening. Wrestling with the concepts of death and the nature of humanity, this book left me feeling raw and reeling. —Jessica
The Night Guest: A Novel by Fiona McFarlane
available in October, hardcover, Macmillan
McFarlane's hypnotic novel is no simple tale of a crime committed and a mystery solved. This is a tale that soars above its own suspense to tell us, with exceptional grace and beauty, about aging, love, trust, dependence, and fear; about processes of colonization; and about things (and people) in places they shouldn't be.
Guests on Earth: A Novel
The House of Journalists
by Lee Smith
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
available in October, hardcover, Shannon Ravenel Books
by Tim Finch
"An Orwellian novel. First-time novelist Tim Finch gives us a re-configured Thousand and One Nights. There are hilarious characterizations. There are mysterious characters, some of whom are pulling unseen strings, some of whom give the reader (as well as the other characters in the book) a reason to be paranoid." —Reed Oros, Macmillan Sales Representative
A longime resident of Highland Mental Hospital, Evalina Toussaint recounts her life there in the company of Zelda Fitzgerald. The writer's wife, an eclectic, vibrant and troubled soul herself, takes Evalina under her wing, heavily influencing the younger woman right up until the fateful night that the hospital burned. This is a wonderfully entertaining and heartfelt account from a protagonist who will surprise and delight you. —Jenny
Sweet Thunder by Ivan Doig
A FREE EVENT at VILLAGE BOOKS!
available now, hardcover, Riverhead
In Ivan Doig’s latest book, it’s 1919 and Morrie Morgan, who debuted in The Whistling Season and returned in Work Song, finds himself back in Butte, Montana, as the chief editorialist for the Thunder, the upstart newspaper brave enough to challenge the ruthless Anaconda Company and its stranglehold on the copper boomtown. Dramatically arresting and episodically entertaining, Sweet Thunder is Ivan’s most autobiographical novel to date.
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Tuesday, September 17th, 7pm
IVAN DOIG Join us in welcoming National Book Award finalist Ivan Doig as he introduces us to his latest novel, Sweet Thunder.
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
FICTION
brand new
FICTION
A Guide for the Perplexed:
hardcover
FICTION
A Novel
The Last Banquet
available in September, hardcover, Norton
available in October, hardcover, Europa Press
It's a love letter to books, scholars, and the written word. This book is loaded with twists and turns, suspense, and shocks that will take your breath away. Horn's endings have also gotten better with each novel, and this one is devastating--and not in any way that you will expect.
T h e s e t t in g o f t his s t ra n g e story is France during the Age of Enlightenment. Jean-Marie d'Aumout is a nobleman by birth who is disgraced in childhood when his parents starve to death and he is found at their ramshackle chateau, happily eating beetles. As it turns out, he wasn't just doing this out of necessity. We learn early on that J.M. will taste anything once, and I do mean ANYTHING. This is one weird story, folks. And I loved it! (Not for the faint of heart.) —Claire
by Jonathan Grimwood
by Dara Horn
MaddAddam: A Novel by Margaret Atwood
available in September, hardcover, Nan A. Talese
Ten years after Oryx & Crake rocked readers the world over, Atwood brings her bracing speculative trilogy to a resonant conclusion. Atwood is ascendant, from her resilient characters to the feverishly suspenseful plot involving battles, spying, cyberhacking, murder, and sexual tension. The coruscating finale in an ingenious, cautionary trilogy of hubris, fortitude, wisdom, love, and life's grand obstinacy.
Enon
Man Alive!: A Novel
by Mary Kay Zuravleff
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
The bolt of lightning that lifts Owen Lerner into the air sends the entire Lerner clan into free fall. Zuravleff depicts family-on-family pain with generosity and devastating humor as she explores how much we are each allowed to change within a family—and without. "This is a novel of equal parts wit and heart, edge and deep warmth...a terrific treat." —Aimee Bender
by Paul Harding
available in September, hardcover, Random House
Grief and resolution, in two words. Harding writes a poetic, surreal account of Charlie Crosby's life in the year following his daughter's death, through fetish dreams, exquisite memories, and addiction until the reader thinks, why am I putting myself through this misery? When, at last love comes through the darkness, and hope resolves the madness. For anyone brave enough to plumb the ultimate human frailty, this story is beautifully crafted. It rings with truth. —Cindi
99¢ Shipping Yes, you read that right! 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Saturday, October 5th, 7pm
PAUL HARDING Join us in welcoming the Pulitzer Prize Winning author of Tinkers as he introduces his latest novel, Enon.
A FREE EVENT at VILLAGE BOOKS!
USPS Media Mail
–books & dvds– available on online AND in-store purchases
domestic shipping only
Fall 2013
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EVERYDAY 8 AM – 2 PM 1101 HARRIS AVENUE IN FAIRHAVEN
CLASSIC FAVORITES
Breakfast and Lunch Served Daily Homemade Soups and Pastries Wheat Free Pastries Available BEST MIMOSAS IN TOWN PLAN, HOST, AND CATER YOUR PRIVATE PARTIES OR COMPANY GATHERINGS AT HARRIS AVENUE CAFÉ! E-MAIL KELLY FOR MORE INFORMATION KB.PALADINRESTINC@GMAIL.COM
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Since 1993, stimulating presentations about topics of importance to our community.
Real people.
Real issues.
Meetings are from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Northwood Hall 3240 Northwest Avenue, Bellingham
For more information, information, visit visit
www.bellinghamcityclub.org
We Look Forward to Seeing You 14
Fall 2013
Shop 24 hours a day at www.villagebooks.com
FICTION
brand new
FICTION
Night Film: A Novel by Marisha Pessl
available now, hardcover, Random House
On a damp October night, Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse. Her death is ruled a suicide, but journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the circumstances surrounding her death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of Ashley's father: cult horror film director Stanislas Cordova. McGrath is slowly drawn into Cordova's eerie world as he pieces together the answers: What really happened to Ashley?
Necessary Lies
by Diane Chamberlain available in September, hardcover, St Martin's Press
If you liked The Help and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks you'll definitely enjoy reading Necessary Lies. Set in a small town in North Carolina, this is a story told by two women. Ivy is only 14 yet cares for her sister, nephew and aging grandmother. Enter Jane Forrester, a newly hired social worker who becomes invested in her new clients' lives. The story touches on the Eugenics Sterilization Program that ran in the United States from the 1920s until 1975. This program challenges Jane, who has a difficult choice of trusting her beliefs and finding the courage to fight for them, or to be defeated by everything she believes is wrong. —Kelly E.
hardcover
FICTION
At the Bottom of Everything by Ben Dolnick
available now, hardcover, Pantheon
Adam and Thomas were best friends until a tragedy that neither of them was really sure how to handle prompted them to go their separate ways. Now, ten years later, Adam is recovering from a bad breakup, working as a tutor, generally fumbling his way through adult life and doing his best to ignore the emails from Thomas’s parents that keep piling up in his inbox, along with the uncomfortable fact that Thomas needs his help. Sort of an Owen Meany for a new century, this novel illustrates the strange, desperate process of learning how to live with humor and sharp insight. —Sam
Longbourn: A Novel by Jo Baker
available in October, hardcover, Knopf
Our heroine is Sarah, a housemaid beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When the militia marches into town, a new footman arrives under mysterious circumstances, Sarah finds herself the object of the attentions of an ambitious young former slave working at neighboring Netherfield Hall, and the carefully choreographed world downstairs at Longbourn threatens to be completely up-ended.
The Rosie Project: A Novel Quiet Dell: A Novel by Jayne Anne Phillips
available in October, hardcover, Simon and Schuster
In the 1930's, Harry Powers wrote eloquent, chivalrous letters to multiple widows whom he "met" through matrimonial services, luring them to his home in rural West Virginia where he took their money and killed them. This is the story of one widow and her three children, all of whom were murdered, and the story of Emily Thornhill, who investigates the case and becomes determined to see Harry Powers convicted.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
by Graeme Simsion
available in October, hardcover, Simon and Schuster
The narrator is compulsive, socially awkward professor of genetics, Don Tillman. He knows he is wired differently, and the usual dating process is not working for him. Nearing 40, he decides to cut through the difficulties of finding a partner with a scientific questionnaire. Don’s befuddled interactions with Rosie Jarman, who brings an intriguing genetics puzzle, (though not the qualifications for spouse) are the premise for this sweet and wildly funny romantic comedy. I loved Don’s voice, all the fully drawn characters, and the slapstick humor of the story. —Terri
Fall 2013
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FICTION Duplex: A Novel by Kathryn Davis
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
A sorcerer's car speeds down Mary's street, and as past and future fold into each other, the resonant parenthesis of her girlhood will close forever. Beyond is adulthood, a world of robots and sorcerers, slaves and masters, bodies without souls. Davis has created a coming-of-age story like no other. Once you enter the duplex, there's no telling where you might come out.
Thank you for your continued support. We wouldn't be here without you!
The Arrivals by Melissa Marr
available now, hardcover, William Morrow & Co.
Make this your next cross-genre read! Wild West meets time travel meets romance meets vampires and Egyptian spells in this creative and engaging story of strange worlds and adventure. Despite the wide range of themes, it's a great cohesive story and makes a perfect light autumn read! —Jenny
The Tilted World: A Novel
The Goldfinch: A Novel
by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly available in October, hardcover, Harper
"The Tilted World is an exhilarating, eager, and epic novel from two of our most distinguished American writers...who handle unthinkable catastrophe, reckless behavior, and alarming pyrotechnics with grit, grace, and tenderness. Our improbable heroes, a bootlegger and the federal agent on her trail, are resolutely heroic. Their story is harrowing and haunting, and the suspense is so terrifying that you hope it never ends." — John Dufresne
The Gallery of Vanished Husbands by Natasha Solomons
available now, paperback, Penguin
Juliet Montague has a knack. She has an uncanny eye for seeing and appraising art without any inherent artistic ability or training. She is also a married woman in London in 1958 whose husband has abandoned her and their two children. Raised in a conservative, Jewish community that now considers her a living widow, she is stuck. Unable to re-marry, unable to divorce, she realizes that the only way that she can move forward is to find her husband and solve the mystery of his disappearance. Another great story from the author of The House at Tyneford. —Claire
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Fall 2013
by Donna Tartt
available in October, hardcover, Hachette
Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love—and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night and tellall-your-friends triumph.
Mr. Lynch's Holiday: A Novel by Catherine O'Flynn
available in October, hardcover, Macmillan
Lomaverde is a slowly crumbling development on Spain's impossibly beautiful Almeria Coast wherein the action of this novel takes place. The story of the inhabitants of this decrepit paradise, while mysterious, is peripheral to that of the father-son dynamic at the story's core, and yet, the ensemble cast brilliantly stays with the reader. O'Flynn is an assured storyteller who makes it easy to be her rewarded reader.
Building Community One Book at a Time
FICTION paperback
FICTION
Peaches for Monsieur Le Curé: A Novel by Joanne Harris
available in September, paperback, Penguin
When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to return to Lansquenet, where she once owned a chocolate shop and learned the meaning of home. But returning to one's past can be a dangerous pursuit, and Vianne and her daughters find the beautiful French village changed in unexpected ways. This is the tantalizing sequel to the blockbuster New York Times bestseller Chocolat.
Zoo Time: A Novel by Howard Jacobson
available in October, paperback, Macmillan
Novelist Guy Ableman is in thrall to his vivacious wife Vanessa, a strikingly beautiful redhead, contrary, highly strung, and blazingly angry. The trouble is, he is no less in thrall to her alluring mother, Poppy. By turns angry, elegiac, and rude, Zoo Time is a novel about love—love of women, love of literature, love of laughter. It shows our funniest writer at his brilliant best.
Nine Days
by Toni Jordan available now, paperback, Text Publishing
This small Australian publishing company has been coming out with wonderful novels, and here is another one: It is 1939 and Australia is about to go to war. Deep in working-class Melbourne it is business as usual, except for young Kip Westaway, who is living the most important day of his life. Told in nine different voices, this is an unforgettable story of love and family.
MYSTERY Aunty Lee's Delights: A Singaporean Mystery by Ovidia Yu
paperback
FICTION
The Watch Tower by Elizabeth Harrower
available now, paperback, Text Publishing
I had forgotten how books can hit you like lightning, and then this spring I picked up this reissued Australian novel from 1966. It concerns the story of Laura and Clare, two young women abandoned by their mother who fall under the influence of an older man named Felix. It's the best book about living with an alcoholic I have ever read. If that sounds grim it's not—like lightning, Harrower's prose illuminates dark corners. She captures two seemingly contradictory movements: living in the jolt of adrenaline as one waits for the next car crash or door slam; and the slow, inexorable numbing of the heart as one retreats from the pain of human relationship. —Rem
Y: A Novel
by Marjorie Celona available now, paperback, Simon & Schuster
"Y. That perfect letter. The wishbone, fork in the road, empty wineglass. The question we ask over and over. Why?—My life begins at the Y." So begins Celona's refreshing novel "...in which questions are not so much answered as extended... Celona is compassionate toward even her most wayward characters, figuring wisely that the consequences of their actions will be punishment enough." –The New York Times
The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
available now, paperback, Ecco
A mysterious fortune teller draws a spread of eight symbolic cards for a young gambler. Together, the eight people who match these cards will allow him to seize control of his own destiny—if he can find them. Set against the backdrop of late 18th century Sweden and the European revolutions, this richly detailed narrative sneaks between Stockholm's lowest classes and its affluent elite, linking politicians, spies, sailors, social climbers, and a treacherous baroness. Readers who love exploring plots where everything is connected will be completely entranced by The Stockholm Octavo. —Brendan
available in September, paperback, HarperCollins
Wise, witty and unusually charming, Aunty Lee's Delights is a spicy mystery about love, friendship and home cooking in Singapore, where money flows freely and people of many religions and ethnicities co-exist. "A delicious debut! Aunty Lee's Delights is no mere whodunnit—it sparkles with insight into the traditions and moral complexities of modern Singapore. Rosie Lee is a terrifically original heroine." — Louise Penny
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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Literacy Matters 11th Annual
LITERACY BREAKFAST featuring Author & NPR Commentator
NANCY PEARL Friday, November 8th 7:15am - Bright and Early!
The proceeds from this r will fundraise ore m rt suppo LC W 0 than 5 r fo ts n stude r. a e y one
Each year, Whatcom Literacy Council helps hundreds of adults in Whatcom County build their literacy skills and move forward in their lives. All of the funds raised at the Annual Literacy Breakfast will help to make that possible. This year’s Literacy Breakfast will be held on Friday, November 8th, at 7:15am at the Bellingham Technical College—which is also now home to the Whatcom Literacy Council offices. The witty and wonderful Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust, More Book Lust, Book Crush, and Book Lust To Go, will be back again this year to share her thoughts on some of the best reads available. Seating is limited, so please go to the website whatcomliteracy.org for the link to register online or call 752-8678 to reserve your spot. Guests will be asked to make a contribution at the event.
The Annual
Whatcom Literacy
USr. E HO OPa ELifeN . Become a Tuto
$50/plate donation requested. Advance reservations only: go to whatcomliteracy.org for the link to register or contact WLC at 752-8678 or events@whatcomliteracy.org for information.
Change
ber 18th Wednesday, Septemlic Librar y Pub 5pm at the Bellingham
ut the welcome! Learn more abo Our doors are open; all are and ching impact of illiteracy, Literacy Council, the far rea or. tut r literacy about becoming a voluntee for ntial, one-to-one tutoring WLC provides free, confide riting m improve their reading/w adults in order to help the ng takes ining is provided and tutori skills or learn English. Tra t for ien ven con munity at hours place within your own com skills ge gua teaching or foreign lan your schedule. No previous e at least 18 years old and hav are needed. Tutors must be . graduated from high school
2013 5K Walk/Run for Literacy Village Books & Fairhaven Runners & Walkers raised over $3000 for the Whatcom Literacy Council this year. A huge thanks to our sponsors and everyone who participated. Read more on page 57.
The Whatcom Literacy Council is dedicated to empowering adults to achieve their goals and change their lives through literacy. Since 1978, WLC has served more than 9,500 adults in Whatcom County. For more information, go to whatcomliteracy.org. 18 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Sci Fi & Fantasy A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice & Fire Book Five by George R. R. Martin
available in October, paperback, Bantam
The long-awaited paperback version of the latest book in the Song of Ice and Fire saga is finally on the horizon; if you’ve managed to wait this long to read it you’re in for a great ride. The events in Dragons actually overlap the events in Feast, following all those characters that you missed so dearly like Tyrion, Daenerys, and Jon. Roughly halfway through, events catch up to the end of Feast and the story picks up Jaime and Cersei among others. You’ll be astounded by some of the revelations that arise, with the end of the book picking up momentum for the next book in the series. —Jessica
Lighthouse Island: A Novel
The Bone Season: A Novel
available in October, hardcover, HarperCollins
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
The world's population has exploded and covered the earth with cities, animals are nearly all gone and drought has taken over so that cloudy water is issued by the quart. Orphan Nadia grows up dreaming of the vacation spot called Lighthouse Island, in a place called the Pacific Northwest. She becomes obsessed with it and, when an opportunity for escape appears, Nadia takes it.
The Bone Season's story takes place in a near future with an alternate geo-political history, and is filled with clairvoyants and other un-natural humans, e.g. augurs, soothsayers, mediums and furies, a pageant which includes our heroine—a persecuted girl with great powers. This is the much heralded first book in a seven-part series of dizzying imagination.
by Paulette Jiles
by Samantha Shannon
Crown of Vengeance: The Dragon Prophecy Book One by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory available now, mass market paperback, Tor Books
An exciting start to a new trilogy, I loved the first books written by this duo of authors and am happy to say that they keep up the excellent work with this newest book. Crown of Vengeance covers the pre-history of the world they created in the Obsidian Mountain trilogy, exploring the legend of Vielessar Farcarinon and the early history of the elves before the first war with the endarkened. The story moves along at a brisk pace following the life of hero Vielessar Farcarinon as she attempts to weld the warring elven houses into a single kingdom before their infighting leads to the loss of the bright world. —Jessica
Check out our Young Adult reads on pages 62 & 63 for more great Science Fiction recommendations!
Short Stories
The Moth: 50 True Stories edited by Catherine Burns
available now, paperback, Hachette
Stay Up With Me: Stories by Tom Barbash
available in September, hardcover, Harper
A deeply humane, piercingly funny, short story collection that features men and women we all know or might be, navigating a world made unfamiliar by a lapse in judgment, a change of fortune, by loss, or by love. "One of the most satisfying cover-to-cover short story collections I can remember." — Dave Eggers
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Stories include: Malcolm Gladwell's wedding toast gone horribly awry; rapper Darryl "DMC" McDaniels's obsession with a Sarah McLachlan s on g; p o ke r c hampion A nnie Duke's two-million-dollar hand; A.E. Hotchner's death-defying stint in a bullring with Ernest Hemingway, Press Secretary Joe Lockhart missing Air Force One after a hard night of drinking in Moscow, and Dr. George Lombardi's fight to save Mother Teresa's life.
Fall 2013
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BOOK GETAWAY Rick Steves
Village Book has partnered with the Willows Inn on Lummi Island to create a unique series of book-oriented overnight getaways. We are excited to announce that our next guest author will be none other than European travel writer and expert, Rick Steves! Join us in welcoming Steves for a two-day getaway at the Inn. You'll enjoy an intimate atmosphere as you learn tips for traveling through Europe. Rick will share some of his latest advice and favorite spots.
Tuesday, November 13 Wednesday, November 14 Check VillageBooks.com for more information about pricing and how to book this event.
While each event is distinctly different from the others, all have these things in common: breathtaking views, splendid conversation, camaraderie, real connection, and, of course, fresh, local, beautiful, intensely delightful meals. The alchemy of Lummi Island's picturesque settings, Willows Inn's transcendent dining experiences, and the warm and talented authors make this the magical beginning of a beautiful friendship.
the premier guide to arts and entertainment happenings in the region
visit ennw.info for reviews, updates and advertising info 20 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
June 3rd-14th, 2014
A Tale of THREE CITIES
TOUR
AMS
TERD
AM
BRUGES PARIS
2014
Art and Literature in Some of the World's Greatest Cities
AMSTERDAM Netherlands
Are you an independent traveler who sometimes longs for just a bit more connection in your travels? Do you like socializing with others when abroad, but don’t ever want to follow an umbrella? Would you like to get some travel guidance, without having every minute of your vacation pre-planned for you? If you answered yes, the Tale of 3 Cities tour may be just the trip for you. It’s a tour designed for people who like to walk and use public transportation. Why Tale of 3 Cities? Dee and Chuck have led a London & Paris Tale of Two Cities tour for the past two years. For 2014 they’ve decided to change it up a bit and see some other sites. They’ve had great experiences in Amsterdam and Bruges and want to share those places with others.
Belgium
The trip is limited to no more than sixteen guests and begins on Tuesday, June 3, in Amsterdam, where we will spend 4 nights. On Saturday we will take the train to Bruges, Belgium, where we will stay for 2 nights. On Monday we’re back on the train for a ride to Paris for a 5-night stay.
PARIS
Included in the trip are your hotels, breakfast each morning, train transportation between Amsterdam and Bruges and between Bruges and Paris, as well as our first night's welcome dinner, several museum visits, public transportation passes, and walking tours in each city.
BRUGES
France
Cost for the trip is $2900 p/p double occupancy. Single supplement is available for $900. A $500 deposit holds your place; a second payment of $1000 is due December 1, 2013, at which time the deposit is non-refundable. The final payment is due on March 1, 2014. Checks should be sent to Chuck Robinson, Village Books, 1200 11th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. If you have questions please contact Chuck at Village Books (360-671-2626 or chuck@villagebooks.com).
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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Before
After
Turn your fun summer photos into great holiday cards!
“When’s the last time you had a great massage?” “Schedule Yours Today!” Appointments 7 days a week including evenings Injuries • Chronic Pain • Stress Relief Most Insurance Accepted
1112 Finnegan Way in Fairhaven 360.527.9566 www.mmWellness.com
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Fall 2013
Quality Printing • Personal Service • Competitive Pricing “We’re proud to be a locally owned and operated business in Whatcom County Since 1914.” Call today for a free quote
360-354-4444 Mitze & Mary Jo
advertising@lyndentribune.com
Building Community One Book at a Time
Reading & Writing The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You
Script & Scribble: The Rise
available in September, hardcover, Penguin
Weaving together the evolution of writing implements and scripts, pen-collecting societies, the golden age of American penmanship, the growth in popularity of handwriting analysis, and the many aficionados who still prefer scribbling on paper to tapping on keys, she asks the question: Is writing by hand really no longer necessary in today's busy world?
by Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin
The authors have trawled two thousand years of literature for novels that effectively promote happiness, health, and sanity, written by brilliant minds who knew what it meant to be human and wrote their life lessons into their fiction. Structured like a reference book, readers simply look up their ailment and are given a novel to read as the antidote.
and Fall of Handwriting
by Kitty Burns Florey
available in September, paperback, Melville House
Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks
by Keith Houston
available in September, hardcover, Norton
A charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word, Shady Characters weaves a fascinating trail across the parallel histories of language and typography. Whether investigating the asterisk (*) and dagger (†)—which alternately illuminated and skewered heretical verses of the early Bible—or the at sign (@), which languished in obscurity for centuries until rescued by the Internet, Keith Houston draws on myriad sources to chart the life and times of these enigmatic squiggles, both exotic (¶) and everyday (&).
HUMOR Wordbirds: An Irreverent Lexicon for the 21st Century by Liesl Schillinger illustrated by Elizabeth Zechel
At Village Books
TOM NISSLEY A Free Event!
Thursday, November 7th, 7pm
A Reader's Book of Days: True Tales from the Lives and Works of Writers for Every Day of the Year
by Tom Nissley
available in Novrmber, hardcover, Norton
A witty and addictively readable day-byday literary companion. At once a love letter to literature and a charming guide to the books most worth reading, A Reader's Book of Days features bite-size accounts of events in the lives of great authors for every day of the year. Brimming with nearly 2,000 stories, A Reader's Book of Days will have readers of every stripe reaching for their favorite books and discovering new ones. Nissley is an eight-time champion on Jeopardy! who has written for the Paris Review Daily, The Millions, and The Stranger.
available in October, hardcover, Simon and Schuster
This beautiful gift book features a stunning array of full-color bird illustrations that bring to life the spirit of each witty and wise neologism, from the anxious "E-Quail" to the irksome "Wordpecker." With its clever embrace of language and astute cultural observations, Wordbirds takes word humor to a whole new level.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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Cheryl Strayed February 24th–25th, 2014 Whatcom READS! is a community-wide reading and discussion program intended to encourage all Whatcom County residents to read the same book and create a county-wide book club experience.
Cheryl Strayed's Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail has been selected as the featured book for 2014. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her. Enjoy the book again or discover it for the first time, then join us in welcoming author Cheryl Strayed to Bellingham in February. Keep an eye on WhatcomReads.org for details. Purchase Wild before February 24th at Village Books and we will donate 10% of the proceeds to Whatcom READS!
Torch by Cheryl Strayed
available now, paperback, Vintage Books
I picked up this novel by Cheryl Strayed as a "companion-read" to Wild, her memoir, the Whatcom READS! Book for 2014, and a bestseller. This novel explores a daughter's evolution through grief after her mother's sudden death from cancer. Starting with despair, the protagonist evolves and survives her loss; gradually she gets back up on her feet and goes on. Reading Torch in conjunction with Wild added another dimension to my understanding of the author's real-life experience and her unique voice. It might be read as a prelude to her memoir, with the same feisty style that so many readers have loved. —Cindi
Whatcom WRITES! Theme = Journeys Have you ever taken a journey where you didn’t know where you were going? Or where you ended up somewhere you weren’t planning on? Or perhaps your journey was an interior one—how did it transform you? Who helped you along the way? What did you learn about yourself or the world? October - January Enter the Whatcom WRITES! contest addressing this topic. In up to 800 words, submit your poem, fiction, or non-fiction work on the theme of journeys by midnight November 15, 2013. For all the rules and details of where and how to submit, go to www.whatcomreads.org.
24 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Shhhhh...
writers writing
THE WRITERS' CORNER by Janet Oakley, writer, historian, educator
C
oming to Village Books is like coming to a candy store for readers, but I would also add that VB offers the same excitement for writers. In addition to offering books on how to write and edit, helpful staff to locate the best reads in a writer's particular genre, and wonderful author talks, there is now a corner just for writers to, well, write. Writing can be a solitary thing so it's important for writers to get out and share their writing with other writers. Learning how to give and receive criticism is essential for honing the writing craft. I'm a founding member of a critique group formed 11 years ago this September. Some of us were finalists at the PNWA, some coming out of a writer's program at UW. We meet every Friday , choosing neutral spaces like community rooms or cafes. A couple of years ago we discovered the Book Fare Café. Great food and a space to read aloud our work, we took our chances on seating. Then, mysteriously, a table showed up on the book side of the cafe. We gravitated there and discovered that it was for writers. The perfect spot to comfortably read aloud and receive feedback. The Fridays Only Critique group is so grateful Village Books recognized the writer's need for community by providing a quiet space to stretch out and share. We're not so lonely any more.
VB Writes... Village Books hosts multiple writing groups. Choose which group most reflects your writing genre then come and share your work in a supportive environment. Groups are free and open to everyone. They meet on the mezzanine level of Village Books in our new Writers' Corner.
SpecFic/SciFi Writing Group
This group meets 2nd & 4th Tuesdays from 6-8pm.
Poetry Writing Group
This group meets the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of each month from 5:30 to 7pm.
Whatcom Young Writers
Friday Night Writes for Teens
Open to all students ages 15-18. This group meets most Fridays from 6-7pm. We're taking September off but will be back on October 4th. See you there!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fiction Writing Group
This group meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays from 6-8pm.
NonFiction Writing Group
This group meets the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month from 6:15-8:15pm.
Fall 2013
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WRITING workshops WRITING
workshops WRITING
VB Writes…Workshops with Marketing Specialist & Publishing Consultant,
ALICE ACHESON
Village Books is pleased to offer writers a couple of workshops in November with Alice Acheson, who has decades of experience in the field, working with authors, illustrators and photographers, as well as large and small publishers. She has edited books, negotiated contracts, and sold subsidiary rights. Her publicity work has been recognized with many New York Times bestsellers (four simultaneously) and a Literary Market Place Outside Services Award for Advertising, Promotion, and Publicity. We hope you can join one, or both, of these great workshops:
Fri., Nov. 15, 5:30-8:30 “The Greatest Marketing Tool”
Sat., Nov. 16, 10am-5pm “Your Book—What’s Next?
Authors, be prepared to "present" yourselves and your projects in the best manner. The listener might be an agent, publisher, bookseller, or future reader—or related to one. Acheson shares what works, what doesn't, and why. The pre-class assignment: write a 30-second pitch with instructions provided upon registration. This workshop is $60 and will take place in the Readings Gallery at Village Books.
You've chosen the publishing method. Now how—and when—to market your book and allot time, energy, and money to publishing demands—without neglecting your writing? In this class we'll create a realistic timeline, marketing plan, and "sell sheet." The pre-class assignment: Write a sell sheet: based on instructions received upon registration. This workshop is $150 and will take place in the Conference Room at the Village Inn, 1200 10th Street.
Registration information will be available at VillageBooks.com and at the main counter of our store. Registration ends Friday, Nov. 8th at 5pm.
Book & Writing Coach Individual Help • Editing manuscripts • Reaching writing goals • Navigating among publishing options • Transforming words into books
Experienced • Smart • Affordable • Friendly
Contact
www.bookandwritingcoach.com.
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Fall 2013
Building Community One Book at a Time
The Whidbey Island Writers Conference Writers of all genres, experience and ability welcome!
October 25-27, 2013 Every writer has his or her time and place, but there are some times—and places— that belong to all writers. The 15th annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference is one of those. October 25-27, 2013, gather on Whidbey Island to learn from experienced agents, editors, and authors. We’ve always had terrific programming, but we can’t wait to share this year’s lineup with writers from all over the country, and of all different levels. From songwriting to social media for writers, our experts make Whidbey Island the place to be for everyone who loves writing. Sharpen your marketing and publicity skills with experts like the founders of Writer.ly Kelsye Nelson and Abigail Carter. Or learn more about how to make your book proposal really shine from Jen and Kerry, the founders of The Business of Books. Hear about how screenwriting and songwriting play into narrative, from writers Mary Lambert and Colleen Patrick. Writing young adult works? Then you’ll want to come see Nicole J. Persun and Dianne Gardner, while you can count on Anjali Banerjee and Peter Mountford for everything literary fiction, and Doyce Testerman and Terry Persun to tell you about science fiction and fantasy. Sounds like a great lineup, right? Well, it is, but there’s another reason we think this conference will be our best ever: our unique format comprises intimate Chat Houses (think fireside chats with writers, editors, and agents), evening events like our Write Night party at historic Jenne Farms, and our “One Last Thing” event on Sunday, which allows you to visit as many mini-panels as you like, soaking up as much knowledge as you can. Plus, you’ll have ready access to all the books our accomplished faculty has written, and even some reference books, since Village Books will be on hand as our designated bookseller. All of that, plus everything you’d expect from a great writers’ conference: workshops, critiques, and, above all, camaraderie. It’s just the way we do things, here on Whidbey Island. Come join us. Early bird registration ends soon (9/16), but Chuckanut Reader readers A special invitation for readers of the get an extra 5% off of any registration (use coupon code VILLAGEBOOKSNUT. So Chuckanut Reader! register now, at www.nila.edu/wiwc, and take a look around for our up-to-date faculty Receive 5% OFF lineup and schedules. conference registration! Northwest Institute of Literary Arts: For Writers. About Writers. By Writers.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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WRITING workshops WRITING
workshops WRITING
VB Writes…Workshops Thursdays, Oct.: 3, 10, 17, 24, 6:30-8:30pm Place to Place: Writing the Environment with Nancy Canyon In this class you’ll discover and practice the details of place. Through close reading, you’ll analyze what gives setting substance, how sense details draw us in close, and how place can act as a throughline in a longer piece, tying together scenes and ultimately, story. Led by Nancy Canyon, MFA, this workshop is $100 for all four classes and will take place at the Fairhaven Village Inn Conference Room. Register by Thursday, September 26th. Check VillageBooks.com for registration details.
Tues., Nov. 12, 7-8:30pm What "Type" of Writer are You? with Cami Ostman Do you struggle with aspects of your writing life? Maybe you can't write in your own home, or you find it impossible to sit down and revise when you know you need to. Or perhaps your struggle is with writing dialogue (your critique group says your characters sound stiff ). Join author, teacher, and psychotherapist Cami Ostman in a one-hour workshop to learn how your Myers/Briggs type informs the kind of writer you are. This workshop is $10 and will take place in the Readings Gallery at VB. Register by Tuesday, November 5th. Check VillageBooks.com for registration details.
E heroes
nvironmental
2013
September 5 thursday
360.733.8307
|
10th Annual Awards Banquet
Live music, local food,
Craft Beer & Wines
Tickets on sale now
Charlie Maliszewski Jean Melious Alex Ramel Saul Weisberg Seth Fleetwood, Dan McShane & Sharon Roy
| re-sources.org
This event is made possible by our Cornerstone Sponsor, Sanitary Service Company, and our generous community sponsors:
personalized care for your catered affair
28 Fall 2013
Pacific Rim Tonewoods, Puget Sound Benefits, New Whatcom Interiors
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Writers Rave! The 2013 CHUCKANUT WRITERS CONFERENCE
by Anna Wolff, Conference Organizer
O
n the morning of Friday, June 21, I felt the way I imagine a mama bird does when she pushes her offspring out of the nest for their first flight—proud, hopeful, sure our conference was ready to fly, but a little nervous that something might go wrong. 2013 was my first year at the helm of the Chuckanut Writers Conference, so my nervousness is completely understandable. But now that the dust has settled, I can say proudly that our third year was a wonderful success! As with the past two years, our success can largely be attributed to the excellent faculty that our organizing team was able to secure to teach at the conference. We work hard to curate a faculty roster composed of excellent writers in a variety of genres and styles, who are also excellent teachers. Our attendees’ learning experience is always at the forefront of our minds, and this year's faculty more than rose to the challenge with the high quality of their breakout sessions. This year’s outstanding faculty and agents were: Alice Acheson, Bruce Beasley, Jeff Bender, Wendy Call, Felicia Eth, Karen Finneyfrock, Waverly Fitzgerald, Kathleen Flenniken, Mary Hammerbeck, Thor Hanson, Elizabeth Kracht, Gary Luke, Frances McCue, Suzanne Paola, Naseem Rakha, Natalie Serber, Jennie Shortridge, and Garth Stein. As a conference organizer, one of my favorite parts of each day was lunch time. Walking through the beautiful courtyard on Whatcom Community College's campus and seeing writers of all ages and stages in their writing career eagerly discussing and sharing with each other certainly made all of the hard work worthwhile! These informal interactions with other writers and the faculty are also consistently a highlight for faculty and attendees alike. Attendees’ comments include: “This was such an amazing experience and I feel like there was so much here that it was impossible to catch it all. I need to come back to get more.” “I’m coming away with a new sense of camaraderie with all types of writers.” “Superb faculty. Very talented and gifted as writers, speakers, and teachers.” “Affirming but, and more important, practical.” “I found the support I needed to wade deeper into the work of writing, needed more craft and inspiration. All that abounded here.” “This is my third Chuckanut—high quality of faculty, such friendly and helpful staff.” Other highlights for attendees include leaving the weekend with a variety of new tools for their writer’s toolbox and the inspiration they found in the Writers Studio plenary sessions. Naseem Rakha's talk, "The Radical Rib," in particular moved many in the audience to tears, including me. “Naseem Rakha’s Saturday address was one of the most moving moments I’ve experienced in regard to writing classes, conferences, etc.,” commented one attendee. Another added, “The plenary sessions were incredible and very motivating.” We can't wait to get started working on next year's conference, building on our past success. We also can't wait to make the next one even better! For more information about the 2013 conference and faculty please see our website at ChuckanutWritersConference. com. And save the date for the 2014 conference: June 27 and 28, 2014!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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Eat local - it’s garden fresh! Downtown Store
FOOD CO OP Bellingham’s Natural Grocer www.communityfood.coop
1220 N Forest Street Open Daily 7 am – 10 pm
Cordata Store 315 Westerly Road Open Daily 7 am – 9 pm
We’ve gathered a list of top-rated Washington experiences, restaurants and prizes to share with you.
get ready to win! For complete official rules, visit www.haggen.com/giveaway. ©2013 Haggen, Inc. • 130729-07
30
Fall 2013
Building Community One Book at a Time
Moosewood Restaurant Favorites: The 250 Most-Requested, Naturally Delicious Recipes from One of America's Best-Loved Restaurants
COOKING One Good Dish:
by The Moosewood Collective
The Pleasures of a Simple Meal
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
Moosewood Restaurant, founded in 1973, revolutionized vegetarian cooking. Moosewood Restaurant Favorites contains 250 of their most requested recipes, completely updated and revised to reflect the way they're cooked now—increasingly vegan and gluten-free, benefitting from fresh herbs, new varieties of vegetables, and the wholesome goodness of newly-rediscovered grains, including a guide to natural cooking techniques.
by David Tanis
available in October, hardcover, Artisan
The famous Chez Panisse chef is back with his first individual recipe cookbook. These 100 utterly delicious recipes—comfort food, Tanis-style—cover everything from breaded eggplant cutlets to quail eggs with flavored salt to a whole chapter devoted to dishes you can eat from a bowl with a spoon.
The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation by Mollie Katzen
available in September, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
k
Mollie Katzen’s new cuisine is light, sharp, simple, and modular; her inimitable voice is as personal, helpful, clear, and funny as ever. Burgers and savory pancakes—from eggplant Parmesan burgers to zucchini ricotta cloud cakes—make weeknight dinners fresh and exciting. This is a joyful 250-recipe manifesto from the author of the best-selling Moosewood Cookbook.
The Art of Simple Food II: Recipes, Flavor, and Inspiration from the New Kitchen Garden by Alice Waters
available in October, hardcover, Clarkson Potter
This book is a must-read for home cooks who shop at farmers markets and supermarket perimeters, who belong to CSAs, and especially for those who grow their own food in their kitchens, backyards, or community gardens. Alice teaches you how to bring out the most flavor and versatility from these plants, using familiar and new ingredients.
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
by Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi available in September, hardcover, Ten Speed Press
Yotam Ottolenghi's four restaurants are among London's most popular culinary destinations. Now readers who can't travel across the pond can recreate its famous dishes at home with recipes like Harissa-Marinated Chicken with Red Grapefruit Salad and Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters with Lime Yogurt. The recipes reflect the authors' upbringings in Jerusalem yet also incorporate a myriad of culinary traditions.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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n e h c t i K E H T N I
k
Book recommendations from one of our favorite chefs. Bon Appétit!
Autumn comes on with its rich harvest, golden light, and chilly nights. School is starting, geese are flying south, and it's time to cook up some tasty, nourishing food. What's on the menu? Here are a few fresh cookbooks that might be able to get you started.
Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard
by Nigel Slater
available now, hardcover, Ten Speed Press
This is a fantastic cookbook and culinary reference, a little bit Food Lover's Companion, a little bit orchardist handbook, complete with recipes for using all the season's variety. Sweet and savory, raw and cooked, this beautiful volume will keep you cooking all year with tree-fruits.
Best Lunch Box Ever
Ideas and Recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love by Katie Morford
available now, hardcover, Chronicle Books
Even though (or maybe because) I cook food all day long, I am also the parent in charge of packing our kids' school lunches. I can only imagine how bored the kids must get with my lunches. What I want to send is something beautiful, fresh, exciting. I want the kid at the desk next to them to say "Wow, what did your dad pack for you today?" Enter The Best Lunch Box Ever. Planning tips, pantry-stocking advice, simple recipes, even information about how to transform leftovers into a delicious school lunch. Thank you, Katie Morford!
Indian Cooking Unfolded
A Master Class in Indian Cooking, with 100 Easy Recipes Using 10 Ingredients or Less by Raghavan Iyer available now, paperback, Workman How often have you tried to hold a bowl with one hand, whisk with your other hand, and hold the cookbook open to the right page with another hand? There are all sorts of solutions to this problem, but this book is particularly inventive. With 100 recipes (all of which use only ten ingredients or fewer) to guide you through the essentials of various regional Indian dishes, each with its own fold open page that allows easy, hands-free reading, you'll be able to enjoy the fragrant flavors of India.
One Good Dish: The Pleasures of a Simple Meal by David Tanis available in October, hardcover, Artisan
Read more about One Good Dish on page 31!
David Tanis brings his signature elegant simplicity to a collection of one-dish meals. Personal thoughts preface each chapter, from bread to desserts, and don't forget the cocktails! Charles Claassen is the chef/owner of the Book Fare Café on the mezzanine of Village Books. Through the seasonal menus at the café, teaching cooking and food classes in the community, and continuing to develop relationships with farmers and food artisans, he provides thoughtful, conscientious food that's quite tasty, too.
book fare café
32 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
YUMMY!
Tiny, Tasty Treats from Sweet Maria's Bakery
by Maria Bruscino Sanchez
available in September, hardcover, Macmillan
In her newest baking book, everyone’s favorite Italian baker, Maria Bruscino Sanchez of Connecticut’s Sweet Maria's Bakery, takes the mini sweet treat trend on an eye-opening Italian vacation while offering readers a trove of new recipes that are hers alone—tiny cappuccino hazelnut or Bellini cupcakes, bite-sized orange cornmeal cakes, mini jelly-filled bombolini, individual pear and fig crostatas, mini cornetti and tangy limoncello tartlets.
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Small, Sweet, and Italian:
Apples: From Harvest to Table by Amy Pennington
available in September, hardcover, Macmillan
Apples is a wonderful collection of over 50 seasonal, easy-to-follow recipes for all kinds of delicious apple-based treats. In addition to the recipes, there is information on apple varieties, both heirloom and modern, apple lore and history, and even some fun family-friendly activities and recipes to make with the kids.
Butter Baked Goods: Nostalgic Recipes From a Little Neighborhood Bakery by Rosie Daykin
available in October, hardcover, Appetite by Random House
Butter began as a tiny bakery in Vancouver, BC, opened and operated by Rosie Daykin. The bakery is a colorful slice of heaven; its counters are piled high with glass cases and cake stands filled with sugary treats. Word soon got out and Butter is now famous across North America for one delicacy in particular: the marshmallow!
It's with Better Great Pub Food: Make Home Your New Local by Rachael Lane
BEER
available in September, paperback, Rizzoli
The best-ever international pub favorites to make at home in your own kitchen! With more than eighty recipes—from best-ever versions of old-school staples like burgers, hot dogs, and roast chicken to fancier, more modern gastropub fare such as ribs, risotto, and pork belly—this fantastic collection is all you'll need to create delicious pub meals at home.
Wed., Sept. 25, 7:30-9pm Free Event at Chuckanut Brewery
601 W Holly St, downtown Bellingham
JOHN HOLL Join us as we celebrate Bellingham Beer Week at the Chuckanut Brewery with a talk about great recipes from some of the best American breweries, recommended by author John Holl.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
The American Craft Beer Cookbook: 155 Recipes from Your Favorite Brewpubs and Breweries by John Holl
available now, paperback, Storey Publishing
The pleasure of going to the local pub or craft brewery for a pint and a delicious meal can now be recreated at home with John Holl's collection of 155 recipes that all taste amazingly great with beer. From pub grub and barbecue to appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, breakfast fare, and desserts, many of these dishes use beer as an ingredient, and all of them can be paired with your favorite brews. The recipes were contributed by brew pubs, craft brewers, and other beer lovers across the United States including a recipe from Bellingham's own Chuckanut Brewery. You'll love the new twists on traditional favorites as well as unexpected recipes like Crawfish Bordelaise, Chopped Reuben Salad, Beermosas, Beer Ice Cream Floats, and Chocolate Jefferson Stout Cupcakes.
Fall 2013
33
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SEPTEMBER IS
Celebrate seasonal eats, good food and the people who grow, raise, distribute, prepare and serve it to us!
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Half Day Wild Foraging Trip w/ Elakah Sea Kayaking, 10:30am
Saturday Sept 14 Eat Local in Everson @ Good To Go Meat Pies, 12-3pm Community Garden Tour w/ WSU Master Gardeners & Everybody Bike, 1pm 10am to 5pm
Sept 19
Threshing Party & Non-GMO Corn Project Harvest @ Backyard Beans & Grain Project; 1pm
Sept 22
Bite of Bellingham @ Depot Market Square, 12-4pm Whatcom Skillshare Faire @ Hovander Homestead Park, 10am
Sept 29
Whatcom Harvest Dinner @ BelleWood Acres, 4pm
Locavore 101 w/ Nancy Ging @ Cordata Co-op, 6:30pm
Sept 25
Bellingham Beer Week author celebration @ Chuckanut Brewery, 7pm
Saturday
Incognito Dinner @ Ciao Thyme, 6pm
Like Water for Chocolate @ Pickford Cinema for Cinema Thyme series, 6:30pm
Sept 15
UT
Friday
Sept 5
Sept 12
Eat Local Cooking Class @ Ciao Thyme, 7pm
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All Acoustic Sunday Farmstead Supper @ Vine Maple Acres, 4pm
Sept 10
MEAT
Sept 8
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Organic Pestomaking Class @ The Bagelry, 4:30pm
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Sept 4
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Dashi Farm to Table Dinner @ Acme Food Works, 6pm
Sept 21
Chef in the Market @ Bellingham Farmers Market, 11am & 1pm
Sept 26
Taste Washington Day @ Whatcom County schools Common Threads Farm Fundraiser Dinner @ Ciao Thyme, 6pm
Find event times, details and descriptions at
.J]5XLJU/R[\] X[P
Savor a local dish at these Eat Local Month restaurants: Avenue Bread, Boundary Bay Brewery, Brandywine <J_X[ J UXLJU MR\Q J] ]QN\N .J] 5XLJU 6XW]Q [N\]J^[JW]\# Avenue Bread, Boundary Bay Kitchen, Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, Ciao Thyme Cafe, Dashi Noodle Bar, Keenan’s at the Pier, Good to Go Meat Brewery, Brandywine Kitchen, Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, Café, Pies, Homeskillet, Mallard Ice Cream, Mountain Acres Bakers, Pure Bliss Desserts, Ciao Seven Thyme Loaves Pizzeria, TheDashi Fountain Bistro,Bar, The Table, Vinostrology Wine Lounge & Merchant. Noodle Keenan’s at the Pier, Good to Go Meat Pies, Homeskillet, Mallard
Ice Cream, Mountain Acres Bakers, Pure Bliss Desserts, Seven Loaves Pizzeria, The Fountain Bistro, The Table, Trapeze, Vinostrology Wine Lounge & Merchant
Pick up your Eat Local Month & Farm Tour guide at at the Community Food Co-op, Whatcom Farmers Co-op, Haggen, or at any Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community. Whatcom County library or visitor center. The Eat Local First Campaign and delectable events continue year-round. Stay connected at .J]5XLJU/R[\] X[P, sign up for the monthly Food & Farming newsletter, and find us on Facebook.
34 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
FOOD The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America
by Langdon Cook
available in September, hardcover, Ballantine Books
Despite warnings of booby-trapped patches and gun-toting pickers, the author sets out to uncover the shadowy subculture of foragers who bring these gourmet edibles to market from the far reaches of the woods. Traveling from New York to the Yukon, he meets the pickers, buyers, and chefs engaged in a frontier-style capitalism that echoes Gold Rush days gone by.
Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor
by Suzanne McMinn
available in October, hardcover, HarperOne
McMinn writes a compelling and he ar t warmin g memoir of he r introduction to farming and the discovery of her true self. After a hard divorce she finds herself drifting in West Virginia, unsure of who she is and what she wants to be. She writes with grace and warmth of the slow realization that she wants to farm and the sudden ability to follow that dream. Twined through the tales of farming hardships and triumph is the darker thread of a relationship that isn’t working out but seems necessary to continue the life she loves. —Jessica
Fields of Farmers: Interning, Mentoring, Partnering, Germinating
by Joel Salatin
available in October, paperback, Polyface
America’s average farmer is sixt y years old. Approaching a watershed moment, our culture desperately needs a generational transfer of millions of farm acres. Joel Salatin, famous author and farmer (featured in The Omnivore's Dilemma), digs deep into the problems and solutions surrounding this knowledge-transfer crisis. His book will empower aspiring young farmers and non-farming landlords to build regenerative, profitable agricultural enterprises.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing
by Anya Von Bremzen
available in September, hardcover, Crown
These days Anya lives in two parallel food universes: one in which she writes about four-star restaurants, the other in which a simple banana—a once a year treat back in the USSR—still holds an almost talismanic sway over her psyche. To make sense of that past, she and her mother decided to eat and cook their way through seven decades of the Soviet experience.
Provence 1970 by Luke Barr
available in October, hardcover, Clarkson Potter
For fans of M.F.K. Fisher's classic The Art of Eating and Julia Child's My Life in France, Luke Barr, the grandnephew of M.F.K. Fisher, tells the dramatic story of friendships and rivalries, when Fisher, Child, James Beard, and other culinary icons gathered in Provence in 1970 and debated (and unwittingly shaped) the future of food in America.
FARMING Mud Season: How One Woman’s Dream of Moving to Vermont, Raising Children, Chickens, and Sheep & Running an Old Country Store Pretty Much Led to One Calamity After Another by Ellen Stimson
available in October, hardcover, Countryman Press
Moving to Vermont, a dream come true…until that dream starts to resemble a nightmare. With good humor Stimson recounts the most glaring mishaps of her families’ move to a tiny town in rural Vermont, where reality doesn’t quite live up to their picturesque vision. Among the beautiful scenery and relaxed pace are hiding irritable townsfolk, rowdy livestock, and lots of mud. Despite all the unexpected hardships of refurbishing an old house, chickens dying, locals resenting them, and the whole debacle of the country store the family keeps it together and eventually finds their feet among the mud. —Jessica
Fall 2013
35
Enjoy Great Meals at These FAIRHAVEN Restaurants!
AW Asian Bistro Enjoy the Fine Art of
Asian Dining!
A.W. Asian Bistro
Fairhaven Garden 1138 Finnegan Way Bellingham, WA 360.715.3028 Fax 360.715.1803
HAPPY HOUR
Sun-Thurs 3pm-5:30pm
Chinese • Vietnamese • Thai • Japanese open daily for Lunch & Dinner 12th & Mill in Historic Fairhaven • 715-3028
book fare café in village books
seasonal local organic allergy-friendly come see what’s new on the mezzanine level upstairs in village books www.bookfarecafe.com 360.734.3434
Warm Up! with our homemade soups
Award- winning soups, salads, sandwic hes, burgers, ic e cream, and homemade desserts Local beer and wine ! hour f rom 3-6pm Mon -Fri! Happiness
Open Daily in Fairhaven right next to Village Books!
Please Support all of our Wonderful Advertisers! 36
Fall 2013
Building Community One Book at a Time
One Book Pledger After college in Michigan and Hawaii, Pittsburgh-native Janet Oakley moved to Bellingham with her husband and 1 1/2-year old son. The rest, as they say, is history. In fact, most of Janet's life has revolved around history—reading it, writing about it, teaching it, and visiting an untold number of historic sites. From presenting hands-on history workshops at Tennant Lake to being the Project Manager for a History Channel grant on the old Whatcom Territorial Courthouse, to teaching social studies enrichment workshops for teachers and writing curriculum for several school districts, to becoming a Humanities Washington speaker, Janet, it seems, has done it all. Raised by reading parents who also read to her, Janet fondly remembers having digested the entire Oz series and begun the Little House books by fourth grade. She still has her copy of the Black Stallion, a childhood Christmas present that prompted her to read the entire series, and she cherishes the memory of reading Ivanhoe while her family was camping at Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca, NY. In her spare time she demonstrates 19th century foodways at San Juan Island National Historical Park—something she's done for nineteen years—and is Miss Libby, an 1860 schoolmarm, at the annual Encampment reenactment of the Pig War period. She also writes. Her first novel was published just over two years ago. Set in a government forestry camp in the Cascades during the depression, Tree Soldier garnered a Chanticleer Reviews Grand Prize, an EPIC ebook award, and was chosen for the 2013 Everybody Reads program by the Lewis-Clark River Valley community. She's now working on the prequel, Timber Rose.
"Independent booksellers do the best job in reflecting their community at large."
It's a bit surprising that all of this activity still leaves Janet time to garden and, of course, read. Though she reads lots of non-fiction history accounts (she's a big fan of Erik Larson) she also has quite eclectic tastes in fiction, ranging from Austen and Dickens to Louis L'Amour and Dan Brown.
Janet's loyalty to independent bookstores, like her reading habit, stems back to her childhood. The family camped its way around New England and visited indie stores wherever they were. She continues those visits today when she travels, most recently on a trip to Gettysburg where her great grandfather was a surgeon during that horrific battle. "Independent booksellers do the best job in reflecting their community at large," she asserts. "I have loved Village Books since it opened. I remember the cat, the bus trips to Book Fest in Seattle, and the long-ago Bellingham Book Fair (a VB partnership with Bellingham Public Library) where I heard Ivan Doig for the first time and had breakfast with Sharon McCrumb." Janet insists that whatever craziness happens in publishing that "independent bookstores MUST be in the mix. Where else would I buy a book on my next trip?," she asks.
The Pledge Recognizing the importance of independent bookstores like Village Books to the health and culture of the community, and understaning the challenges faced by independent stores, I, _______________________________________________, hereby pledge to buy one more book from Village Books and one less from other online sellers, chain stores, and other retailers. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
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SCIENCE Falling Upwards:
Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era
How We Took to the Air
available in October, hardcover, Macmillan
The history of ballooning is all here: from the early Anglo-French balloon rivalries and the crazy firework flights of Sophie Blanchard; to the ascents over the great Victorian cities and sprawling industrial towns of Northern Europe and the terrifying high-altitude flights of James Glaisher FRS who rose above seven miles without oxygen, helping to establish the new science of meteorology.
by Richard Holmes
available in October, hardcover, Pantheon
by James Barrat
The promises of Artificial Intelligence are often described in utopian terms— intelligent, helpful robots, enhanced brain function, even the development of life-extending technologies. But there's a far darker possibility. Barrat argues that we may be racing towards our own extinction, as military, academic, and corporate advances in artificial intelligence lead to an uncontrollable new life form that's smarter and more powerful than we can imagine.
The Spark of Life: Electricity in the Human Body
Smarter Than You Think:
By Frances Ashcroft
How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better
available in September, paperback, Norton
by Clive Thompson
available in September, hardcover, Penguin
Smarter Than You Think is about everyday users of technology and how our digital tools—from Google to Twitter to Facebook and smartphones—are giving us new ways to learn, talk, and share our ideas. Thompson harnesses the latest discoveries in social science to explore how digital technology taps into our long-standing habits of mind—pushing them in powerful new directions.
The history of how scientists discovered the role of electricity in the human body is a colorful one, filled with extraordinary personalities, fierce debates, and brilliant experiments. With inimitable wit and a clear, fresh voice, award-winning researcher Ashcroft weaves together compelling real-life stories with the latest scientific findings, giving us a spectacular account of the body electric.
At the SPARK MUSEUM of
ELECTRICAL INVENTION
MATH
W. BERNARD CARLSON
The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity
by Steven Strogatz
available in October, paperback, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
A delightful tour of the greatest ideas of math, showing how math intersects with philosophy, science, art, business, current events and everyday life. Whether you aced integral calculus or aren't sure what an integer is, you'll find profound wisdom and persistent delight in The Joy of x. You'll never forget the Pythagorean theorem again!
38 Fall 2013
Tesla:
Free with Museum Admission
Sunday, Sept. 15th, 4pm
Inventor of the Electrical Age by W. Bernard Carlson
available now, hardcover, Princeton University Press
Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical revolution that transformed daily life at the turn of the twentieth century. An astute self-promoter and gifted showman, he cultivated a public image of the eccentric genius. Did Tesla really invent a death ray? Could he have provided unlimited free energy to the world? Did he really fall in love with a laser-eyed pigeon? There are many rumors and myths surrounding Nikola Tesla, and biographer W. Bernard Carlson will join us to help separate fact from fiction.
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
NATURE Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist
The Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin on
available in September, hardcover, Macmillan
available in September, hardcover, Rizzoli Ex Libris
With the Arctic melting, the Midwest in drought, and Hurricane Irene scouring the Atlantic, McKibben recognized that action was needed if solutions were to be found. Some of those would come at the local level, other solutions would come from a much larger fight against the fossil-fuel industry as a whole. Oil and Honey is McKibben's account of these two necessary and mutually reinforcing sides of the global climate fight.
A meditation on escaping the chaos of modern life and rediscovering the luxury of solitude: no stranger to inhospitable places, Sylvain Tesson exiles himself to a wooden cabin on Siberia's Lake Baikal, a full day's hike from any "neighbor," with his thoughts, his books, a couple of dogs, and many bottles of vodka for company.
by Bill McKibben
the Siberian Taiga
by Sylvain Tesson, Linda Coverdale
The Spine of the Continent: The Race to Save America's Last, Best Wilderness
COMING THIS FALL!
In-Store Display Celebrating the Whatcom Museum’s Vanishing Ice Program Stop by Village Books later this fall as we host a special display of books related to climate change, as well as an extended bibliography, concurrent with the Whatcom Museum’s “Vanishing Ice” exhibit and community-wide collaboration. The mission of “Vanishing Ice” is to look at climate change through the lens of art as an inspiring way to raise public awareness and spur a more productive conversation on this dramatic phenomenon…through the help of community partners.
by Mary Ellen Hannibal
available now, paperback, Lyons Press
This book introduces readers to the most ambitious conservation effort ever undertaken: to create linked protected areas extending from the Yukon to Mexico, the entire length of North America. In this fascinating, exciting, and important book, Hannibal travels the length of the Spine, sharing stories and anecdotes about the passionate, idiosyncratic people she meets along the way—and the critters they love.
EXPLORE
Atlas of The World: Twentieth Edition by Oxford Editors
available in October, hardcover, Oxford University Press
The only world atlas updated annually, guaranteeing that users will find the most current geographic information, Oxford's Atlas of the World is the most authoritative atlas on the market. Full of crisp, clear cartography, the Atlas of the World is not only the best-selling volume of its size and price, it provides the finest global coverage available and is the benchmark by which all other atlases are measured. Think about your early-bird Christmas shopping in October.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Small Feet, Big Land: Adventure, Home, and Family on the Edge of Alaska by Erin McKittrick
available in October, paperback, Mountaineers Books
McKittrick follows up her local bestseller Long Trek Home with another thrilling Alaska trek, only this time with her two young children in tow. Whether facing a curious grizzly bear, exploring shrinking glaciers, or eating whale blubber with new friends, these unconventional adventures draw Erin's family and her readers closer together as they explore the changes and wonders of America's wildest state.
Fall 2013
39
Living in the
PACIFIC NORTHWEST At Village Books
Full Rip 9.0:
Jack McLeod
The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest
Saturday, September 7th, 4pm
by Sandi Doughton
available now, hardcover, Sasquatch Books
Scientists have identified Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver as the urban centers of what will be the biggest earthquake, also called a mega-quake, in the continental United States. A quake will happen—in fact it's actually overdue. Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton introduces readers to the scientists who are dedicated to understanding the way the earth moves and describes what patterns can be identified and how prepared (or not) people are.
At Village Books
Sandi Doughton
A Free Event!
A Free Event!
Friday, September 27th, 7pm
The North Cascades Highway: A Roadside Guide by Jack McLeod
available now, paperback, University of Washington Press
Each year thousands of drivers travel Washington State's breathtakingly beautiful North Cascades Highway (State Route 20), observing the region's alpine flora and fauna and its dramatic geologic features. Organized as a series of stops at eye-catching sites along eighty miles of the highway, this book reveals the geological story of each location. This illustrated natural history guide helps travelers and readers to appreciate the deeper beauty behind the landscape. Event co-Sponsored by North Cascades Institute.
JUST ADDED!
A Free Event!
Sarah Swanson & Max Smith Wednesday, October 2nd, 7pm At Village Books
Must-See Birds of the Pacific Northwest: 85 Unforgettable Species, Their Fascinating Lives, and How to Find Them by Sarah Swanson & Max Smith available now, paperback, Timber Press
In this lively, practical guide to birds in the Pacific NW, readers discover 85 of the region's most extraordinary birds. Each profile includes notes on what they eat, where they migrate from, and where to find them in Washington and Oregon. Profiles also include stunning color photographs of each bird. This is an accessible guide for casual birders, weekend warriors, and families looking for an outdoor experience. Co-sponsored by North Cascades Institute.
40 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
ANIMALS
Primates of the World: An Illustrated Guide by Jean-Jacques Petter
available now, hardcover, Princeton
The Urban Bestiary: Encountering the Everyday Wild
by Lyanda Lynn Haupt available in September, hardcover, Hachette
In this wholly original blend of science, story, myth, and memoir, Haupt draws us into the secret world of the wild creatures that dwell among us in our urban neighborhoods. With beautiful illustrations and practical sidebars on everything from animal tracking to opossum removal, The Urban Bestiary is a lyrical book that awakens wonder, delight, and respect for the urban wild, and our place within it.
This stunningly illustrated guide to the world's primates covers nearly 300 species, from the feather-light and solitary pygmy mouse lemurs of Madagascar—among the smallest primates known to exist—to the regal mountain gorillas of Africa. Organized by region and spanning every family of primates on Earth, the book features 72 splendid color plates, facingpage descriptions of key features of each family, and 86 color distribution maps.
The Birds of America: The Bien Chromolithographic Edition by John James Audubon and Joel Oppenheimer
available in September, hardcover, W. W. Norton
A never-before-published edition of the rare chromolithographic Audubon prints of American birds. John James Audubon is arguably America’s most widely recognized and collected artist. Bound in cloth with a full cloth slipcase, this beautifully produced book is the first complete reproduction of Julius Bien's Audubon chromolithographs—the most sought after Audubon prints—and will become the centerpiece of any bird lover’s library.
Village Books is a Dog-Friendly Store!
PETS Chaser: by John W. Pilley
Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet
available in October, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
available in September, hardcover, Basic Books
Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words
The heartwarming and amazing story of Chaser, a Border Collie who has learned the names of over 1,000 objects. Pilley's work with Chaser offers a new understanding of what's possible in the relationship between a dog and a human. The story is amazing and will change the way we relate to our canine companions and open a new window into the way animals and humans learn.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
by John Bradshaw
In Cat Sense, renowned anthrozoologist John Bradshaw takes us further into the mind of the domestic cat than ever before. Tracing the cat's evolution from lone predator to domesticated companion, Bradshaw shows that cats, unlike dogs, remain independent and predatory. This must-read for any cat lover will challenge your most basic assumptions and dramatically improve your pets' lives—and yours.
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Long Life, Well Lived The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting: A French Recipe for
a Long Life, Well-Lived by Marie de Hennezel
available in September, paperback, Penguin
Marie de Hennezel shows us how to see the later stages of life through a prism that celebrates our accomplishments and gives us fulfillment in our present. Combining personal anecdotes with psychological theory, philosophy, and eye-opening scientific research, this thought-provoking and refreshing book provides an uplifting meditation on our later years.
The Psyche
BODY MIND SOUL Setting Limits Boundaries in an Overconnected World: Setting Limits to Preserving Your Focus, Privacy, Relationships, and Sanity by Anne Katherine
available in September, paperback, New World Library
Have you been at a party lately and seen half the people checking their smart phones? 24/7 connectivity has given us convenience but also a whole new kind of compulsion. Seattle author Katherine, who wrote the popular book Boundaries, now extends her work to technology. Her emphasis is not on going "cold turkey," but rather making sure our many gadgets work for rather than against our more important values.
How Are You Feeling?: At the Centre of the Inside of the Human Brain  by David Shrigley
available in September, hardcover, Norton
Shrigley takes readers on a journey between the ears, explaining how the brain decides what is right and wrong and why some people are very charming and others behave like monkeys. His side-splitting illustrated handbook questions the stability of self, the meaning of help, and whether that self was ever worth helping.
Classes in Mindfulness
Fall 2013, Bellingham & Seattle for healing, well-being, and stress reduction Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 8 week class. Scientifically shown to reduce stress. Classes in Bellingham and Seattle available. Mindfulness for the Healing Professions 6 week class. 15 CEUs (LMFT, LMHC, LASW, LICSW) Additional Classes 4 week introductory course, 8 week continuing course, new: Mindful Teens Mindfulness Retreats: October 19th day retreat, November 1-3 weekend retreat on Samish Island Schedules, registration, and home practice support available on the website.
360-734-2507
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Fall 2013
www.MindfulnessNorthwest.com 360-830-6439
Building Community One Book at a Time
Village Books Sells
eBOOKS
by Sam Kaas, VB Bookseller & VB eTeam Leader
“W
hat do you mean,” people ask. “‘Village Books sells ebooks’? Does that mean Village Books thinks digital reading is the only way forward? Only digital books? Yikes! I can’t even figure out my email…what am I going to do?” Don't panic! Village Books sells eBooks, but this does not mean that the printed, bound book is going anywhere—on the contrary, the vast majority of our ebook customers buy as many hardcovers here in the store as they do digital titles, and as your bookstore, we want to provide you with books in as many ways as you want them. Most importantly, it does not mean that you have to become a tech wizard overnight. We're here to help you. No impersonal call centers. We have the E-Team, a group of six booksellers on hand to answer your questions and even set up appointments for longer consultations. Our Kobo e-readers are top-rated and easy to use, designed for bibliomaniacs by bibliomaniacs. Come in, get a cup of coffee from Book Fare and test them out anytime. With Kobo e-readers you're not locked into buying eBooks exclusively from us. You are free to borrow books from the library, download your own PDF files, and even purchase books from other independent bookstores. You won't be locked into one device either—you can read eBooks from Village Books on the iPad, iPhone, any Android device, the Barnes & Noble Nook, or any other e-reader except the Kindle (Amazon's choice, not ours). To make an appointment with an eTeam member call (360)671-2626 or email eTeam@VillageBooks.com. With our newly re-launched monthly newsletter, the eBook ePistle, we’ll continue to provide you with the latest information about e-reading with our usual personal touch. We'll answer your questions like: Which local authors have ebooks available? Is there an information session coming up? The eBook ePistle will keep you in the loop. Email Sam@VillageBooks.com to be added to the eBook ePistle list. So don’t panic. If you’re interested in ebooks, come talk to us. Because Village Books sells ebooks. It’s just another way we’re continuing to build community, one book at a time.
Have eBook questions? We have answers! Please join us for a free e-therapy session on Tuesday, September 10th in the Village Books Reading Gallery. Two times: 11am and 5pm.
Sam, Alex, and Jenny are all members of the Village Books eTeam.
Local ebooks are Available Here! Did you know that Village Books has its own publishing imprint, Chuckanut Editions? Many titles from Chuckanut Editions are now available as ebooks, exclusively through Village Books and Kobo. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Fall 2013
43
FAT PIE Advertise in
ADVENTURES NW >>>
Photo by Lisa Toner
80,000
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of our region’s most active, engaged and hyped-up readers
Now in British Columbia! Introductory rates for new advertisers! sue@adventuresnw.com
Visit us at AdventuresNW.com 44 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Walls: CONTEMPORARY
CULTURAL CRITICISM
Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country
by Andrew J. Bacevich
available in September, hardcover, Macmillan
In Bacevich's own words:"We have become a nation that consigns one percent of its citizens to perpetual war while the other ninety-nine percent function as little more than spectators... and those who serve... come from places where opportunities are limited. We, as a populace, seem content to have a professional warrior class and we let the state limitlessly prosecute wars where it wants."
Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth?
by Alan Weisman
available in September, hardcover, Hachette
Weisman visits an extraordinary range of the world's cultures, religions, nationalities, tribes, and political systems to learn what in their beliefs, histories, liturgies, or current circumstances might suggest that sometimes it's in their own best interest to limit their growth. The result is a landmark work of reporting: devastating, urgent, and deeply hopeful.
Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety
by Eric Schlosser
available now, hardcover, Penguin
Schlosser's Command and Control offers a full accounting of the unreported nuclear weapon accidents that occurred on American soil, on the risks secretly accepted by military commanders on behalf of unknowing citizens, on the countless small graces that saved the world from accidentally entering a nuclear apocalypse. Command and Control is a tour de force of investigative journalism, an eye-opening and unforgettable history of America's atomic age.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Travels Along the Barricades
by Marcello di Cintio
available in September, paperback, Soft Skull Press
This is one of those books that looks more interesting the more you look at it. What does it mean to live against a wall or barricade? From Palestine to Belfast to the U.S.-Mexico border, di Cintio tries to find out. He learns that while every wall fails to accomplish what it was erected to achieve—each wall succeeds at some kind of subversion, whether it be by infiltrators, refugees, or artists.
Floating City: A Rogue Sociologist Lost and Found in New York's Underground Economy by Sudhir Venkatesh
available in September hardcover, Penguin
Floating City reveals the real winners and losers of the new global economy, the invisible immigrants and desperate locals who hold the city together at the bottom. Supported by Venkatesh's interviews with hundreds of prostitutes, drug dealers, madams, johns, and immigrants, Floating City is the journey into the true workings of America's most diverse and influential city.
The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan
available in September, paperback, Random House
This book brings to life the great geographers and geopolitical thinkers of the near and distant past, explaining their theories, and then applying them to the present crises in Europe, Russia, China, the Indian Subcontinent, Turkey, Iran, and the Arab Middle East. The result is a holistic interpretation of the next cycle of conflict throughout Eurasia.
The Longest Road: Overland in Search of America, from Key West to the Arctic Ocean by Philip Caputo
available now, hardcover, Henry Holt
In The Longest Road, one of America’s most respected writers takes an epic journey across America, Airstream in tow, and asks everyday Americans what unites and divides a country as endlessly diverse as it is large. What he found is a story that will entertain and inspire readers as much as it informs them about the state of today’s United States, the glue that holds us all together, and the conflicts that could cause us to pull apart.
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BIGGER is Not Always Better David and Goliath:
The Everything Store: Jeff
Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
by Brad Stone
by Malcolm Gladwell
available in October, hardcover, Hachette
Beginning with the real story of what happened between the giant and the shepherd boy those many years ago, Gladwell then examines Northern Ireland's "Troubles," the minds of cancer researchers and civil rights leaders, murder and the high costs of revenge, and the dynamics of successful and unsuccessful classrooms—all to demonstrate how much of what is beautiful and important in the world arises from what looks like suffering and adversity.
You can follow Village Books on Twitter. Each day we tweet about book events, new books, and book-related topics. We are @VillageBksBham.
Bezos and the Age of Amazon
available in October, hardcover, Hachette
Jeff Bezos wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now. This is the definitive biography of the company that placed one of the first and largest bets on the Internet and forever changed the way we shop and read.
Visit us on Facebook! You’ll find our events listed there, and there are discussions of books and other book-related topics as well. Go to Facebook.com/VillageBooks.
BE Local BUY Local EAT Local Chuckanut Celebrates Bellingham Beer Week Sept 20-29 Sept 22 Brewery Tour at Noon Sept 25 American Craft Beer Cookbook Author 7:30pm Sept 28 Oktoberfest w/Live Music & Special Menu 5pm!
Servicing Most European & Japanese Models
360 671.2420
46 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece
by Michael Gorra
available now, paperback, Liveright Publishing
In 1881 Henry James published a novel called Portrait of a Lady, and launched a young woman named Isabel Archer onto the European scene. She was a new kind of independent American woman, and this was a new kind of novel. In one long night in front of her fireplace Isabel walks through a metaphorical door and into the labyrinth of her thoughts. It's a shadowy place where she sorts out what she knows and doesn't know about the prison her marriage has become. I still remember the chills I felt as James took me deeper into Isabel's mind. Henry's brother William would coin the term "stream of consciousness" to describe it eight years later, and modernists like Woolf and Faulkner would take up the baton. But Gorra thrillingly describes in this unusual biography how Henry got there first. —Rem
No Better Time: The Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, the Genius Who Transformed the Internet by Molly Knight Raskin
available now, hardcover, Da Capo Press
This book tells the story of a young, driven mathematical genius who wrote a set of algorithms that would create a faster, better Internet. It’s the story of a beautiful friendship between an irreverent student and his soft-spoken MIT professor. Lewin was one of the first victims on 9/11—stabbed by terrorists on American Flight 11—but ironically it was his vision that kept news and government sites running that day.
REAL PEOPLE TRUE TALES Undiluted Hocus Pocus: The Autobiography of Martin Gardner
by Martin Gardner, Persi Diaconis and James Randi available in September, hardcover, Princeton University Press
Gardner's illuminating autobiography is a disarmingly candid self-portrait of the man evolutionary theorist Stephen Jay Gould called our "single brightest beacon" for the defense of rationality and good science against mysticism and anti-intellectualism. For Gardner, our mathematically structured universe is undiluted hocus-pocus—a marvelous enigma, in other words. He shares colorful anecdotes about the many fascinating people he met and mentored, and voices strong opinions.
Love & Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere by Poe Ballantine
available now, paperback, Hawthorne Press
I confess: I picked this up because both Tom Robbins and Cheryl Strayed have recommendations on the cover. Wow. I read a few pages. Five wows. Had to have it; took it home; read it all; an infinity of wows. This book is a fantastic, sprawling read and cannot be confined to one single genre—it's part memoir, part true crime, part rambling philosophy, and part commentary on this American life. Best of all, this is a testimony to what we gain, as a community, from insightful thinkers, the artists among us, and independent micro-publishers. —Jonica
The Family: Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke by Rob Sheffield
available now, hardcover,HarperCollins.
Turn Around Bright Eyes is an emotional journey of hilarity and heartbreak with a karaoke soundtrack. It's a story about finding the courage to move on, clearing your throat, and letting it rip. It's a story about navigating your way through adult romance. And it's a story about how songs get tangled up in our deepest emotions, evoking memories of the past while inspiring hope for the future.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Three Journeys into the Heart of the Twentieth Century by David Laskin
available in October, hardcover, Penguin
Seattle author David Laskin limns his own genealogy to tell the spellbinding tale of the HaKohen family. One branch emigrated to America and founded the fabulously successful Maidenform Bra Company; one branch went to Palestine as pioneers and participated in the contentious birth of the state of Israel; and the third branch remained in Europe and suffered the Holocaust.
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HISTORY Heretics and Heroes: How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World by Thomas Cahill
available in October, hardcover, Random House
Cahill traces innovations in European thought and experience that served both the new humanism of the Renaissance and the seemingly abrupt religious alterations of the increasingly radical Reformation. This is an age of artistic and scientific adventure, but also of newly powerful princes and armies, and of newly found courage, as many thousands refuse to bow their heads to the religious pieties of the past.
Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an: Islam and the Founders by Denise A. Spellberg
available in October, hardcover, Knopf
The author reveals a little known but crucial dimension of the birth of American religious freedom, a drama in which Islam played a surprising role. She recounts how a handful of the Founders, Jefferson foremost, drew upon Enlightenment ideas about the toleration of Muslims to fashion from what had been a purely speculative debate a practical foundation for governance in America.
Lawrence In Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East
by Scott Anderson
available now, hardcover, Doubleday
Scott Anderson follows the trail of four low ranking operatives (T.E. Lawrence was made a captain only because generals were offended to be advised by a civilian) who exerted a huge influence on the outcome of WWI and the future of the Middle East. British wartime policy is particularly lambasted as being simultaneously at odds with its enemies, allies, and itself. The results of these misadventures are still with us today. —Mel
The Reach of Rome: A Journey
The Sea and Civilization:
Through the Lands of the Ancient Empire, Following a Coin
A Maritime History of the World
by Lincoln Paine
by Alberto Angela, translated by Gregory Conti
available in October, hardcover, Knopf
This fascinating book is a monumental, wholly accessible work of scholarship that retells human history through the lens of maritime travel, revealing in breathtaking depth how people first came into contact with one another by ocean and river, and how goods, languages, religions, and entire cultures spread across and along the world's waterways.
available in October, hardcover, Rizzoli Ex Libris
The Roman Empire at the height of its territorial expansion stretched from Scotland to Kuwait, from the Sahara to the North Sea. What was life like in the Empire, and how were such diverse peoples and places united under one rule? This book explores these questions through an ingenious lens: the path of a single coin as it changes hands in the year 115.
A Little Gay History: Desire and Diversity Across the World by R. B. Parkinson
ART
available in September, paperback, Columbia University Press
A unique and beautiful little art book, this is a retelling of the history of gay relationships and culture through objects in the remarkable collection of the British Museum... from Ancient Egypt, though the statuary of Greece and Rome, from Renaissance paintings to David Hockney's work....and much more. The first of its kind, A Little Gay History builds a complex and creative portrait of love's many guises.
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Fall 2013
Building Community One Book at a Time
HISTORY Amsterdam:
One Summer: America, 1927
A History of the World's Most Liberal City
by Bill Bryson
available in October, hardcover, Doubleday
by Russell Shorto
available in October, hardcover, Doubleday
Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals, but the deeper history of Amsterdam, and what makes it such a fascinating place, is bound up in its unique geography: the constant battle of its citizens to keep the sea at bay and the democratic philosophy that this enduring struggle fostered.
This time around, Bryson tells the story of one truly fabulous year in the life of his native country—a fascinating and gripping narrative featuring such outsized American heroes as Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth, plus a gallery of criminals and close-mouthed politicians. It was the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things and came of age in a big, brawling manner.
At Home: Special Illustrated Edition: A Short History of Private Life
On Paper: The Everything of Its Two-Thousand-Year History by Nicholas A. Basbanes
available in October, hardcover, Knopf
by Bill Bryson
A consideration of all things paper—the invention that revolutionized human civilization; its thousand-fold uses (and misuses); its sweeping influence on society; its makers, shapers, collectors, and pulpers—by the admired cultural historian, and author of the trilogy on all things book related: A Gentle Madness; Patience and Fortitude: and A Splendor of Letters.
available in October, hardcover, Doubleday
Bryson's prose is enhanced by some two hundred carefully curated full-color images. Selected from a wide array of sources, these illustrations vividly bring his entertaining domestic adventure to visual life. Bryson has one of the liveliest minds on the planet, and he is a master at turning the seemingly mundane into an occasion for the most diverting exposition imaginable.
Village Books, in partnership with the Pickford Film Center, presents
WRITERS
HISTORY
IN THE
SERIES
On-screen Author Talks & Interviews Our popular "Writers in the Limelight" HISTORY SERIES continues! Village Books will host a discussion after each film for those interested in staying. Tickets for each show are available through the Pickford Film Center. Check out Pickfordcinema.org for more information! Please note: authors do NOT attend. Saturday, September 21, noon Harold Holzer & James McPherson –Hearts Touched by Fire:
The Best of Battles and Leaders of the Civil War
Saturday, October 19, noon David Remnick –The Bridge:
The Life and Rise of Barack Obama
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Saturday, November 16, noon Ken Burns –The National Parks
America's Best Idea
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KMRE 102.3 FM A non-commercial, community-based radio station licensed to and operated by the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention since 2005. KMRE is a powerful and entertaining extension of the Spark Museum’s world-class media collection. Underwriting a show here at KMRE supports independent local radio and connects your business, group or event to one of Bellingham’s best independent media outlets.
thousands of local listeners. Listen and learn more online at:
KMRE.ORG
MUSIC
Stop by and check out our cool CD selection!
The Leonard Bernstein Letters
When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise To The Top
by Larry Kane
available now, hardcover, Running Press
This book about the Beatles’ beginnings is a must for any true fan. When They Were Boys takes us back to 1940s and 50s Liverpool when they were just young lads, then up to the early 60s when they were just about to break onto the American scene. It is a real cast of characters, including hometown friends and relatives, as well as those who knew them in Hamburg, Germany. Kane gives us an insider’s view of how it all came to be. If you love the Beatles, you will love this book. — Laura O.
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Fall 2013
edited by Nigel Simeone
available in October, hardcover, Yale University Press
Leonard Bernstein was a charismatic and versatile musician—a brilliant conductor and composer who attained international super-star status. Bernstein was also an enthusiastic letter writer, and this book is the first to present a wide-ranging selection of his correspondence. The letters have been selected for the insights they offer into the passions of his life—musical and personal—and the extravagant scope of his musical and extra-musical activities. These writings provide a glimpse of the man behind the legends: his humanity, warmth, volatility, intellectual brilliance, wonderful eye for descriptive detail, and humor.
How Music Works by David Byrne
Now in Paperback!
available in September, paperback, McSweeney's Publishing
How Music Works is David Byrne’s remarkable and buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. In it he explores how profoundly music is shaped by its time and place, and he explains how the advent of recording technology in the twentieth century forever changed our relationship to playing, performing, and listening to music.
Building Community One Book at a Time
Chuckanut Radio Hour
The
The Chuckanut Radio Hour, a recipient of Bellingham’s prestigious Mayor’s Arts Award, is a radio variety show recorded live and played on KMRE 102.3FM. Each Radio Hour features guest authors and musicians, performance poet Kevin Murphy, Cascadia Weekly columnist Alan Rhodes, an episode of "The Bellingham Bean" serial radio comedy, and some groaner jokes by hosts Chuck & Dee Robinson and announcer Rich Donnelly. It's a lot of fun so check out our fall line-up and join us!
Monday, September 23rd, 6:30pm
Ryan Coonerty at Bellewood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian
–The Rise of the Naked Economy:
How to Benefit from the Changing Workplace
Coonerty discusses how the rise in non-traditional employment calls for a new infrastructure, strategy, and attitude for workers, companies, and communities alike. Through interviews with the people, companies, and policymakers who are leading the change and already profiting from it, The Rise of the Naked Economy provides an optimistic, humorous, and inspirational vision for readers who want to reclaim their lives and livelihoods. Ryan Coonerty is the co-founder and Chief Strategist for NextSpace. He served two terms as the Mayor of Santa Cruz, CA, and was selected by the Aspen Institute as "one of the nation's most promising young leaders." Ryan is also the author of Etched in Stone: Enduring Words from Our Nation's Monuments. —Enjoy LIVE MUSIC by the Honeybees!
Tickets $5.00 Tickets for all shows are available at Village Books & BrownPaperTickets.com
Tuesday, October 22nd, 6:30pm
Tickets $5.00 Receive one FREE ticket with each pre-event purchase of Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin.
Nicole Hardy in the Heiner Theater at Whatcom Community College
–Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin: A Memoir In her funny, intimate, and thoughtful memoir, Nicole Hardy explores how she came, at the age of thirtyfive, to a crossroads regarding her faith and her identity. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nicole had held absolute conviction in her Mormon faith during her childhood and throughout her twenties. But as she aged out of the Church's "singles ward" and entered her thirties, she struggled to merge the life she envisioned for herself with the one the Church prescribed, wherein all women are called to be mothers and the role of homemaker is the emphatic ideal. Confessions of a Latter Day Virgin is a mesmerizing and wholly relatable account of one woman's hard-won mission to find love, acceptance, and happiness, on her own terms.
A HUGE thanks to our amazing sponsors!
KMRE FM 102.3
The Chuckanut Radio Hour airs every Saturday evening at 6pm, and Sunday at 9pm on KMRE 102.3FM. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
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POETRY Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems
by Billy Collins
Dog Songs
available in October, hardcover, Random House
by Mary Oliver available in October, hardcover, Penguin
These are poems of love and laughter, heartbreak and grief. In these pages we visit with old canine friends, including Oliver's well-loved Percy, and meet still others. Throughout, the many dogs of Oliver's life emerge as fellow travelers, but also as guides, spirits capable of opening our eyes to the lessons of the moment, and the joys of nature and connection.
Containing more than fifty new poems and a generous gathering from his collections of the past decade—Horoscopes for the Dead, Ballistics, The Trouble with Poetry, and Nine Horses—Aimless Love showcases the best of his poetic maneuvers: the everyday ends in the infinite, playfulness is paired with empathy, irony gives way to wonder.
O, What a Luxury: Verses Lyrical, Vulgar, Pathetic & Profound
Stealing Sugar from the Castle: Selected and New Poems, 1950-2013
by Garrison Keillor
by Robert Bly
available in October, hardcover, Grove Press
available in September, hardcover, Norton
Bly’s poetry is spiritual yet worldly, celebrating the uncanny beauty of the everyday. Bly has long been the voice of transcendentalism and meditative mysticism for his generation. Influenced by Emerson and Thoreau, inspired by spiritual traditions from Sufism to Gnosticism, his vision is oracular. He speaks the language of images in a voice brilliant and bold.
Renowned radio host, fiction author and poetry editor Garrison Keillor goes off on a new path with this first collection of his own poetry. He writes—with his characteristic combination of humor and insight—on love, modernity, nostalgia, politics, religion, and other facets of daily life. Keillor’s verses are charming and playful, locating sublime song within the humdrum of being human.
CREATE The Yarn Whisperer: My Unexpected Life in Knitting by Clara Parkes
available now, hardcover, STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book
Renowned knitter Parkes ponders the roles knitting plays in her life via 22 captivating and laugh-out-loud funny essays. Recounting tales of family, adventure, disappointment, love, and celebration, she hits upon the universal truths that drive knitters to create. Put simply, “No matter how perfect any one sweater may be, it’s only human to crave another. And another, and another.”
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Lena Corwin's Made by Hand: A Collection of Projects to Print, Sew, Weave, Dye, Knit, or Otherwise Create
by Lena Corwin
available in October, hardcover, STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book
In 2009, bestselling author Corwin turned the top floor of her Brooklyn brownstone into a studio and began hosting classes for local crafters. For this “best of” collection, she has chosen her favorite teachers and projects: Jenny Gordy for knits and sewing, Cal Patch for embroidery and rugs, and Corwin herself for screen printing. In total, there are 26 lessons/projects, all presented with step-by-step photos and illustrations.
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
FALL FUN
& Fashion at PAPER DREAMS We Can Brighten Your Day!
Kelly, Dee and Chuck had way too much fun finding new items at the summer gift show. We can’t wait for you to see what we found! In addition to the lines shown on this page, we have several new lines of jewelry, a beautiful and unique collection of watches, some great baby gifts, wall art to add fun and beauty to your home, fashionable eyeglasses, lamps to light up the fall and winter that are approaching (including one you attach to your iPod or iPhone that make water dance to the music!), a beautiful line of French goods so you don’t have to fly to France in order to add them to your kitchen, and lots, lots more. Did I mention we had fun shopping? So here a few new things we thought you’d like to know about! We’ve ® added A WHOLE NEW COLLECTION OF BAGS BY LUG . You’ve loved our Baggallini and Vera, and we feel these Lug bags combine the best of both those lines. They’re functional, but with bright, fun solid colors. In fact, this line is all about color! Some of the functional features include exterior hidden water bottle pockets, soft-lined pockets for phones, detachable key fobs, and water-repellent exteriors. The line includes luggage, handbags, cosmetic cases, backpacks, wallets, laptop bags, even gym bags that the men in the family will love to carry. The Northwest loves SOCKS, and we’ve added GUMBALL POODLE to our growing selection of socks. Be bold and tell the world what you think and who you are with these kneesocks with words on the legs. Are you a BOOKWORM, or WICKED? Maybe you’re a DORK, NERD, or ZOMBIE. Want the world to know you like BACON or BEER? Or maybe #$@%! expresses you best. Fall means time for SCHOOL. What better way to begin the new season than with a new lunch box? If Hello Kitty is your style, we’ve got you covered! How about Dia de los Muertos? Or Spam. Tinkerbell? Ok! And the new O.R.E. lunch bags and backpacks are in. We’ve added some re-usable snack sacks in the same fun themes of robots, owls and more.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
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We s t r ive t o e n h a n c e the beauty of our clients both inside and out.
Now in Fairhaven! 1050 Larrabee Ave, Suite 102 360-752-2956
Dr. Jason Lichtenberger
Board Certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Facial care of the highest standards.
(360) 738-FACE (3223) WWW.HECHT AESTHETIC CENTER.COM 2940 Squalicum Pkwy, Suite 206, Bellingham 54
Fall 2013
Weekdays by appointment: 8am - 5pm Weekend walk in clinic: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Mitchell Kahn, MD
Julie Kahnamou, ARNP
Comprehensive Primary Care - Adolescents to Seniors
Shop 24 hours a day at www.villagebooks.com
9th Anniversary
Fairhaven Runners
Waterfront 15K Saturday, September 14th
Calling all runners, walkers and racers! It's that time again—time for your favorite race. You know, the one where the music is rhythmic, the food delicious, the course distracting in its beauty, the sky seems always sunny and the people are too? Yeah, that's the one! The Waterfront 15K, coordinated by event partners Fairhaven Runners & Walkers and Bellingham Parks and Recreation, offers a 9.3 mile (15K) scenic road and trail course along Bellingham Bay, linking Fairhaven, downtown, the marina and back traveling through Boulevard Park and up Taylor Street Dock. The San Juan Islands, Mount Baker and the Olympic Mountains provide a stunning Pacific Northwest backdrop.
"I think the 15K has already become a great Bellingham-Whatcom tradition because it's all about community. This race shows how we can grow our trails, fitness, and sense of community."
—Steve Roguski, Speaking about the event's ninth year, Steve Roguski, owner of Fairhaven RunOwner of Fairhaven Runners ners, said, "I'm so pleased to see this event as both a race and an end-of-summer rite for runners and walkers, competitors, and families." He continued, "I like how this course winds along our waterfront trail, giving participants a long, sweeping view of the bay and its beauty at the end of summer. I also like the finish-line celebration at the Village Green, because this is an outdoor public place where we can gather and take pride in our accomplishments. This event truly showcases what we love about living here: our natural world, our health as a community, and our reliance on one another. I believe that events like the 15K help remind us, in joyful ways, how important it is to actively sustain those ties." This not-for-profit event helps support Bellingham Parks and Recreation. Especially during these difficult economic times for city services, it's important to note how valuable this organization is to making this a healthy community. They consistently provide high quality parks and recreation services, while coordinating hundreds of community and athletic events each year. The race will feature commemorative technical running shirts and chip timing. The post-race celebration includes great refreshments, live music, complimentary massage and chiropractic, and prompt race results! The awards ceremony features overall and age group winners (5 year age groups to 80+), random prizes including hotel stays and shoes. Join us!
Register on-line at cob.org/services/recreation/races/fairhaven-15k.aspx More information available at fairhavenrunners.com/fairhaven-runners-waterfront-15k-2/. Registration is capped at 1,000 participants.
Village Books is a proud sponsor of this event! The Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K Race is possible because of the generous support from these major sponsors: Brooks, Village Books, Back in Motion Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Great Harvest Bread, Fairhaven Pizza, Archer Ale House, Colophon Cafe, The Chrysalis, Fairhaven Village Inn, Adventures NW Magazine and Fairhaven.com. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
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ed on G e t Hook se.com r e v N W T ra
Bellingham
Traverse A Northwest Rite of Passage
September 21st, 2013 5.5 mi
6 mi
Chinook (solo)
18 mi
Coho (tandem)
3.4 mi
3.6 mi
.5 mi
Chum (relay teams)
Company Teams
Boundary Bay Finish Line! To Benefit Appliance Depot
Grab your gear and friends and join the adventure! Thank You To Our Spawnsors, Media & Partners
klicks
RUNNING & WALKING
Bellingham Crown Plaza Brownlee, Evans, Wolf and Lee Boundary Bay Brewery Sustainable Connections Bellingham Parks and Recreation Greenleaf Accounting YMCA Port of Bellingham
NorthwestTraverse.com
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Fall 2013
Building Community One Book at a Time
At Village Books
ROBIN ROBERTSON Wednesday, Oct. 30th, 5:30pm
"Thinner Next Year: Your Action Plan" Attend a “Thinner Next Year: Your Action Plan” workshop led by Robin Robertson, Manager and Owner of the Bellingham Tennis Club and Fairhaven Fitness, to help you figure out the “Big Why” of your health. Participants will use a worksheet to write down the simple action steps to take to lose weight and get in the kind of physical shape dreamed about.
Thinner This Year: A Younger Next Year Book
by Chris Crowley & Jen Sacheck, Ph.D. available now, hardcover, Workman Publishing
You might as well recycle any other diet books you’ve ever purchased because this is the one you need. Is it a “magic pill?” Well, no, because a magic pill for weight loss and good health does not exist. Thinner This Year gives you the key to make immediate and positive changes in your life. The information about what excess fat does in your body is downright scary! It will motivate you to follow the simple guidelines to eat the right foods, in the right quantities, and exercise regularly. Thinner This Year uses solid science (this is important to me because there is so much mis-information about nutrition out there) and a heavy dose of wit and humor to explain the essential three things you need to lose weight, keep it off, and live a healthier life from now and every day forward. If living life to the fullest while feeling healthy and fit (without carrying around 20—or more!—extra pounds) is important to you, then this book is the place to start. Read it and do it.
A Free Event!
—ROBIN ROBERTSON
Owner & Manager, Bellingham Tennis Club & Fairhaven Fitness ACE Certified Personal Trainer, USAC Certified Cycling Coach
LITERACY RUN Crosses Finish Line
The 2013 5K Walk/Run for Literacy, co-sponsored by Village Books and Fairhaven Runners raised over $3000 for Whatcom Literacy Council, but after fourteen years, will be the last one. "We've loved doing this event," said Fairhaven Runners owner Steve Roguski. "But staging such events has become much more complicated over the years and we've become concerned about the safety of the participants, so we've all decided it's time to end it." Village Books co-owner Chuck Robinson echoed Roguski's sadness at ending the annual event but promised that there will be a replacement announced in the near future. "We have some ideas of events that have the potential of engaging even more folks and raising even more money for the Literacy Council," said Robinson. "Our commitment to the organization, which does such important work in the community, remains strong," he said.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
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You Don’t Want to Miss....
For teens & middle readers!
Friday, October 4th, 7pm
ANTHONY HOROWITZ —Russian Roulette: An Alex Rider Novel Join us in welcoming the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Rider series as he introduces his latest novel, Russian Roulette. This new standalone companion novel tells the back story of how Alex's father came to mentor the young man who would turn out to be the world's most dangerous assassin, Yassen Gregoravich, the very same man whose shooting death of Ian Rider caused the chain reaction that thrust Alex into the role of teenaged secret agent.
Hey Teachers, Save the date!
Halloween Stories
Visit the Village Books booth at the
Educator's Open House at the Whatcom Museum Thursday, November 14th, 3-8pm. Check out the next issue of the Chuckanut Reader for more info!
October 31, 4-6pm
While you’re trick-or-treating in the Fairhaven district this year (trick-or-treat from 3-6pm), stop by Village Books and stay for our annual Halloween storytime, featuring ghoulish tales from the Bellingham Storytellers Guild. You might meet other goblins, fairies, and witches (or a ballerina or two), so be prepared for a fiendishly fun time.
Don’t miss our
Back to School
A S LE!
20% OFF
Children’s Books & Melissa & Doug Toys
SEPTEMBER 15-30 58 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
YOUNG READERS Their Families & Educators
PICTURE BOOKS Cinderelephant by Emma Dodd
available in September, hardcover, Arthur A. Levine
Cinderelephant is forced to do all the work by her horrible Warty Sisters but the prince—ok, you know the story. However, you haven’t seen it with the sweetest, most hilarious illustrations (the glass slipper is a pink sparkly high heel) and with the touch of humor that Dodd provides. A great retelling of a classic tale! —Sarah
The Tiny King by Taro Miura
available in October, hardcover, Candlewick
The Tiny King is indeed very tiny. He is dwarfed by his table, his bed, his horse, everything. He then meets the perfect queen and the house is filled with children and laughter. Everything is just right. What sets this book apart is the design—the illustrations are distinctive in terms of color and style while elements of collage give an artistic feel.
Journey
by Aaron Becker available now, hardcover, Candlewick
A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free.
The Snatchabook
by Helen Docherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty available in October, hardcover, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
"Read it again ! Pleeeeease ? " pleaded my three-year-old daughter the moment we finished this delightful tale. My reply? "Absolutely!" The story starts at dusk with all the animals of Burrow Down snuggled up with their families reading bedtime stories. Then, mysteriously, books begin to disappear! Who is taking the books and why? You'll not only discover the answer, but along the way you will also experience intrigue, regret, amends, adorable illustrations, and some great life lessons all wrapped into a sweet story with a happy ending. —Kelly & Winslow C.
Sophie’s Squash
by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf available now, hardcover, Schwartz & Wade
Sophie picks out a beautiful squash from the farmer’s market. However, Sophie finds it much too huggable and adorable to let it be served for dinner. So she names it Bernice. Bernice accompanies Sophie everywhere she goes until Bernice gets a little too squooshy. With some advice from one of the farmers and some patience, Sophie gets an even bigger surprise next spring. I loved this book from start to finish, especially the parents who are good sports about it all. —Sarah
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Warning: Do Not Open This Book! by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe available now, hardcover, Paula Wiseman Books
You really don’t want to open this book. No, really. You will release the monkeys. And you don’t want that. In the style of The Monster at the End of This Book, there are chains and traffic barricades lurking to try to stop the impending release of the monkeys, toucans, and even an alligator. Very clever!
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PICTURE BOOKS
The Hole
by Oyvind Torseter available in September, hardcover, Enchanted Lion
This is a clever little book with a funny story at its heart. A man finds a hole in his new apartment. Then can’t find it. Then catches it to bring it in for inspection. The book itself is punched through so the “hole” becomes a doorknob, a vent, a window, and, well, a hole. A book you have to pick up and page through in order to enjoy the creativity! —Sarah
! ! ! ! ! L O O H C S Llama Llama and the Bully Goat
by Anna Dewdney
Rawr!
by Todd H. Doodler
Clark the Shark
by Bruce Hale illustrated by Guy Francis
Rufus Goes to School
by Kim Griswell illustrated by Valerie Gorbachev
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
available now, hardcover, Little, Brown
Mr. Tiger lives in a perfect little town where he wears perfect clothing and a perfect hat. But something seems to be missing. So, he tries something new—he tries going “wild.” And, of course, he loves it. His perfect town is shocked at first but then begins to see the allure of letting your wild side show every once in awhile.
Secret Pizza Party
by Adam Rubin illustrated by Daniel Salmieri available in September, hardcover, Dial
YES!!! Another Rubin/Salmieri collaboration! Ever since Those Darn Squirrels, I’ve loved this duo and this book does not disappoint. Raccoon desperately wants some pizza. It’s his favorite food after all. But, alas, no pizza for him, so he concocts a plan for a secret pizza party. The mix of story and illustration is perfect (look for the hidden gems in the background!) and sure to make you laugh, and make you hungry too. —Sarah
Halloween!!!!! Click, Clack, Boo! A Tricky Treat
by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Every Cowgirl Goes to School
by Rebecca Janni illustrated by Lunne Avril
available now, hardcover, Atheneum
My favorite barnyard animals are back! To celebrate Halloween, all of the animals put on their best costumes. But not Farmer Brown. He just puts on his jammies and goes to bed. No fun at all! Let the tricks begin! This is a fun addition to the original Caldecott honor-winning book. —Sarah
Oliver and His Alligator by Paul Schmid
The Invisible Boy
by Trudy Ludwig illustrations by Patrice Barton
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STORY TIME for Preschoolers
First Saturdays of the month from 10:30-11am in the Kids’ Section Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell
Middle Readers
available in September, hardcover, Candlewick
Flora is a cynic and expert in "Terrible Things." So, when Ulysses, a squirrel, has a rough meeting with a vacuum cleaner, Flora is the natural choice to help him with his personal disaster. However, Ulysses has emerged with magical gifts, ones that will change Flora in mysterious ways. Told in a combination of traditional text and comic book style panels, this is a new twist for a favorite author.
Counting by 7s
by Holly Goldberg Sloan available now, hardcover, Dial Every time I say, “This better win the Newbery,” the book I’m talking about never wins. Harumph. So, I am not saying that about this book. Instead, I am telling you that this tale is going to make you laugh and cry and expand your heart Grinch-style with its charming characters and its marvelous writing. Read it.—Sarah
Fri., Sept. 27, 4-5pm
Ivy & Bean After School Celebration Join us for some special activities to celebrate book 10 of the series, Ivy & Bean Take the Case. There will be activities and fun giveaways.
From Norvelt to Nowhere by Jack Gantos
available in September, hardcover, Farrar Straus Giroux
This follow-up to the Newbery Medalwinning novel Dead End in Norvelt opens deep in the shadow of the Cuban missile crisis. But instead of Russian warheads, other kinds of trouble are raining down on young Jack and his utopian town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania. After an explosion, a new crime by an old murderer, and the sad passing of the town's founder, twelve-year-old Jack will soon find himself launched on a mission that takes him hundreds of miles away, escorting Miss Volker on her relentless pursuit of the oddest of outlaws.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Rooftoppers
by Katherine Rundell available in September, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Rooftoppers made me remember what it was to be a brave child who believes in adventures. Sophie, the little girl found in a cello case, and Charles, the eccentric scholar, run away to Paris to find Sophie's mother, a mother she insists is alive despite all evidence to the contrary. Full of whimsical descriptions, adorable characters and moments of true grit and magic, I loved every page. If you love music, travel, charming orphans, or houses full of books, this book is especially for you! —Rachel M.
The Twistrose Key
by Tone Almhjell, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr available in October, hardcover, Dial
When a mysterious parcel arrives at her family's rented house, Lin Rosenquist knows the package must be for her. She uses the strange key she finds inside to open the secret door hidden in the cellar— and tumbles headfirst into an amazing new world. Sylver is a snowy land of eternal winter, where all the inhabitants were either once beloved pets or tamed wild animals. The only way for Lin to return home is to find the missing Winter Prince and save Sylver before the clock strikes midnight. But not everyone in the Winter Realm wants him to be found.
Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
available in October, hardcover, Amulet Books
Do you know a young reader who loves all things spooky, ghostly, and sinister? It just so happens that I love those qualities too and this book is sure to deliver for young and, ahem, old. It's the late 1800's and there is a crisis in London's ghost community as haunted structures are being taken over by Black Rot and their resident ghosts, obliterated. It's up to a small group of characters, living and dead, to stop the Rot before it takes over all of the haunts in London. As charming as it is spooky, this book is perfect as we head toward Halloween. —Claire
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Young Adult
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
available now, hardcover, Random House
The title and cover certainly give you a big hint what this book is about! Except it’s not only one story but a collage of different teenage boys and their romantic relationships. Harry and Craig are trying to break the record for world’s longest kiss while Peter and Neil are an established couple, Avery and Ryan have just met, and Cooper is alone. Rather than chapters, the entire book shifts through short excerpts in the lives of all these boys, narrated by a mysterious “we.” —Rachel H.
Jumped In
by Patrick Flores-Scott available now, hardcover, Henry Holt
Sam is just trying to survive high school by being a slacker and listening to the grunge music he loves so much. When he gets paired with Luis, a big scary dude who has a lot of rumors floating around him, for an English project, they find they enjoy working with each other and the words that help them express themselves. Of course it’s not that easy though.
The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer
available in September, hardcover, Atheneum
The sequel to The House of the Scorpion! Matt has always been nothing but a clone—grown from a strip of old El Patron’s skin. Now, at age fourteen, he finds himself suddenly thrust into the position of ruling over his own country. The Land of Opium is the largest territory of the Dope Confederacy, which ranges on the map like an intestine from the ruins of San Diego to the ruins of Matamoros. But while Opium thrives, the rest of the world has been devastated by ecological disaster—and hidden in Opium is the cure.
Science Fiction How many of us, when we were young, had a book put into our hands that profoundly changed the way we looked at the world? Perhaps it was a message as simple as 'yes, you can be, or do, or have.' But maybe it was a book that put words to our deepest feelings and fears, and gave us a language and a way to to understand that we are not alone. The following three books are brilliantly written, discuss 'taboo' subjects, and give us a language and a way to incorporate into our hearts some of the best lessons on being human. —Jonica
The Midnight Dress
by Karen Foxlee available in October, hardcover, Knopf
Set in Australia, this book is about a young girl so dislocated she has no family (other than her father), no friends, no connections at all. Her tentative decision to accept a friend and sew a dress to go to a prom puts in motion possibilities to escape from the grief of her mother's death. Or.....maybe not. And did I mention, this is also a murder mystery? —Jonica
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
More Than This
by Patrick Ness available in September, hardcover, Candlewick
by Neil Gaiman
The opening scene in this book is the death by drowning of the main character. Where he finds himself next might, or might not, give him the opportunity for redemption. Most of us, like our protagonist, have wondered "Is this it? Surely there is more than this?" This book is a most elegant discussion of that question. (PS: Patrick Ness is brill!) —Jonica
available now, hardcover, Harper
Nobody does a horror story like Neil Gaiman. Perhaps because he displays such frightening things within such ordinary settings, much like something hidden and unseen within our everyday lives. You can read this like a coming-of-age adventure story, or like the very best Grimm Brothers stories that drags into light our creepiest fears. —Jonica Shelved in adult Scienc Fiction
Building Community One Book at a Time
Young Adult The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
available now, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
This is the first ever vampire book that I not only liked but actually loved. I picked it up without even reading the back because I adore Holly Black and then felt quite startled once I realized I was reading a vampire book…and enjoying it. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is funny without sacrificing sincerity and the protagonist Tana is both incredibly resourceful and admirably determined to fight for what she wants, even if all she wants is to stay alive… and human. —Rachel H.
SciFi & Fantasy Inheritance by Malinda Lo
available in September, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
I enjoyed Adaptation, the first book in this duology, but Inheritance really raised the bar. Lo explores sexuality in a way that few books, especially young adult, can pull off. In Adaptation, Reese found herself in a love triangle, except she wasn’t choosing between two boys, but a boy and girl. (And, since this is science fiction, the girl’s an alien.) All three of these characters handle their romantic lives with admirable—but still believable—maturity. My biggest complaint about this book is that it ended, because I happily could have spent much longer with these characters. —Rachel H.
Untold
by Sarah Rees Brennan available in September, hardcover, Random House
I adored Unspoken, the first in this magical trilogy about a battle between old ways and new ways. Untold keeps up the same snarky humor and had me snorting at particular quotes. Brennan takes a while to really address the cliffhanger from book one, but never fear—she gets there eventually. Though be forewarned that at the end of the twisty turny ending lurks another cliffhanger! —Rachel H.
Conjured
Steelheart
by Brandon Sanderson available in September, hardcover, Delacorte Press
In a world where there are super villains but no super heroes, Newcago is ruled by Steelheart, an "Epic" who seems invincible. David joins the Reckoners, an anti-Epic group, hoping they can help him avenge his father's death. Fast-paced and witty, this book has all the action, adventure, and humor that most moviegoers expect from superhero stories. It reads like a movie in the best possible way. Bottom line, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but it is a really fun book. —Rachel M.
by Sarah Beth Durst available in September. hardcover, Walker Books
Combining the modern-day world with a fantastic multi-verse and a dark kind of carnival magic, Conjured follows the story of Eve, a magic-user who has been taken into protective custody by a witness protection program on Earth. Her memories hold the key to finding the serial killer who pursues her, but every time she uses magic or accesses her past, parts of her present life vanish from her mind. At this point she is nearly without identity. The riveting descriptions and first-person narrative give a grand sense of suspense and confusion that really brings the reader into Eve's experience. —Rachel M.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Emerald Green by Kirstin Gier
available in October, hardcover, Henry Holt and Co.
I enjoyed Gier’s first two books in this time travel trilogy, but Emerald Green is what elevated the series from good to great for me. The story gave me everything I wanted and more. The romance, which felt rushed in the first books, finally satisfied me and the villain turned out to be far more terrifying and cunning than I anticipated. —Rachel H.
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WWAS READING
HAT WHATCOM VB’s Top Sellers
January-July 2013
1. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin 2. Wild by Cheryl Strayed 3. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 4. The Stud Book by Monica Drake 5. Quiet by Susan Cain 6. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 7. Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander 8. Alien On A Rampage by Clete Smith 9. Bellingham Impressions by Mark Turner 10. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
11. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple 12. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 13. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson 14. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver 15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 16. Mink River by Brian Doyle 17. Truth Like the Sun by Jim Lynch 18. Mockingbird by Julie Trimingham 19. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh 20. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown 21. Skyship Academy #1: The Pearl Wars by Nick James 22. Aliens in Disguise by Clete Smith 23. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 24. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 25. Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt 26. Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott 27. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse 28. Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten 29. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson 30. Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coehlo
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Each time we review the results of our recent bestsellers we're struck by how many of the writers have participated in Literature Live events. On this list all but four authors of the top ten books were part of our programs and more than a third of all of the authors represented here have been participants. With the reading of young adult books on the rise—by adults as well as younger folks—it may be no surprise that several of the titles here were written for that age group and that quite a few more are appropriate for younger readers. We're especially pleased to see local author Julie Trimingham's debut novel, Mockingbird, appear at number 18 on the list, having only been published in mid-July. Several of us here love the book. As always, the list represents the eclectic tastes of our community's readers. If you want to learn a bit more about your neighbors' tastes in literature, try a few books on this list.
31. I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano 32. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 33. Tide Guide 2013 by Evergreen Pacific Publishing 34. Divergent by Veronica Roth 35. Tiny Homes by Lloyd Kahn 36. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein 37. Cooked by Michael Pollan 38. Death Comes to Pemberton by P.D. James 39. Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 40. Crow Planet by Lyanda Haupt
Building Community One Book at a Time
Before they were STARS
Literature LIVE!
EVENTS
by Rachel Hanley, Village Books Bookseller
O
ne of the (many) intoxicating things about reading is that feeling of discovery. I read a lot (1-2 books a week, which equals about 50-100 a year) and I like most of what I read, but it's the books I adore that made me an avid reader. That moment when you realize this story that you're reading is not only good, it's spectacular. It speaks to you. It haunts you. It engulfs you, changes you, challenges you. In short, the book didn't merely serve as mindless entertainment but connected with you, in a very human way. It's sad when you realize you've read everything your favorite author ever wrote. However, it's equally thrilling when you discover a new favorite author. Even better if they have a long list of previous books you can now catch up on. It's fun when you read a bestselling author for the first time and instantly understand why they're so popular, but it might be even more fun when you discover an amazing author a little ahead of everyone else. Here at Village Books we host author events nearly every day, often multiple in a day. We host all kinds of authors (national bestsellers, local bestsellers, debut authors; fiction, nonfiction; mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, memoir, history). Naturally, when a bestselling author comes to town those events have quite an impressive turnout. However, it's also exciting when you attend a smaller event for a new author before everyone else finds out about them. After all, that's what we do here at Village Books! We introduce you to books, but also to authors. Did you know David Guterson visited Village Books after he published his first book of short stories, The Country Ahead of Us The Country Behind? Or that Ursula Hegi spoke about Stones From the River long before Oprah picked it up as a book club choice? Elizabeth Gilbert visited us twice before Eat, Pray, Love became such a phenomenon. Cheryl Strayed, now famous for her recent biography Wild, spoke at Village Books years earlier about her novel Torch. Anthony Bourdain. Garth Stein. Sherman Alexie. Ivan Doig. J.A. Jance. These authors now attract huge audiences, but would you believe their first Village Books events were much smaller? As someone who regularly listens to author events after introducing them, I can honestly tell you that if you aren't stopping by a Village Books Literature Live event every now and then you're seriously missing out. So come join us! You never know who you might meet.
TUNE IN to hear selected
Literature Live! events
on your RADIO or computer! KAVZ 102.5 FM , the Voice of the South Fork Valley, proudly broadcasts Lit Live programs four times a week Monday - Thursday at noon!
Hear more at KMRE 102.3 FM Mondays at noon!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Are YOU Receiving VB's E-Newsletter? Once a week, Village Books sends out an email newsletter packed full of store and book information including our latest LitLive! events, sale dates, and on occasion, store coupons! Twice each week, we provide Shelf Awareness for Readers book reviews. If you’re not currently receiving these updates and would like to, you may sign up in the store or, even easier, do it at VillageBooks.com today!
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VB Reads...
Join a VB Book Group!
Groups meet in the VB Readings Gallery (unless otherwise noted)
Afternoon Book Chat Come discuss contemporary literature with Sittrea the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 1pm. Open to all!
Motherhood by the Book Meet with Claire the 2nd Sunday of every month at 2pm for an hour of spirited discussion of books that celebrate the trials, tribulations, and rewards of motherhood. Meetings are next to the BOOK FARE CAFÉ on the mezzanine level of Village Books.
Engaged Citizens Book Group 3rd Wednesdays of the month at noon. Join Mary Dumas for a thought-provoking lunch hour discussing books that ask us to consider how we, as community members, can more skillfully contribute to the creation of a civilly engaged community.
General Lit Discuss books from a variety of genres with Cindi at 7pm the 1st Monday of each month. This group is open to anyone and everyone who enjoys reading and discussing books.
environmental conservation book group Join the Village Books/Whatcom Land Trust co-sponsored Environmental Conservation Book Club that meets the 2nd Monday of each month* from 5-6pm. We discuss contemporary and classic texts on conservation, agriculture, and environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest. *We're taking September off—see you in October!
Go to VillageBooks.com to see the monthly book selections for these groups!
Have you heard about our book group newsletter?
This monthly newsletter is packed with author and staff interviews, book reviews, genre focuses, and discussion questions. Sign up by updating your email profile at VillageBooks.com or by emailing Rachel@villagebooks.com.
66 Fall 2013
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm • Sun 11am–7pm
Literature LIVE!
EVENTS
VB’s Literary Events Program
Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out
www.VillageBooks.com
to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you! Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!
SEPTEMBER Wed., Sept. 4, 5:30-6:30pm WWU Social Media: Building Community Info Session Join us for an info session in the Readings Gallery for WWU’s social media class. This course is designed to give working professionals a broad understanding of social media and a concrete knowledge of the various platforms that will help them reach their goals.
Thurs., Sept. 5, 7pm Cirque Literary Journal Group Reading
Humorous yet honest, this book shares a journey of harrowing hilarity and reluctant revelations that will be loved by active hikers, fans of female adventure stories, and armchair travelers alike. Author Gail D. Storey is a successful writer of fiction and poetry and a frequent writing instructor.
Sun., Sept. 8, 4pm Poetry SHEILA SONDIK —Fishing a Familiar Pond The stunning poems by artist and poet Sheila Sondik are spare as haiku, and intricately layered. One of only 85 poets invited for the National 2013 Pulitzer-Remix, Sondik’s poems are composed with random bits of text from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ The Yearling. Her artworks adorn this hand-sewn debut chapbook.
Wed., Sept. 11, 7pm Poetry RICHARD WIDERKEHR, —Her Story of Fire & SHEILA NICKERSON, —Along the Alaska Highway Join local poets Richard Widerkehr and Sheila Nickerson as they read from their poetry books. Widerkehr’s two recent collections of poems are The Way Home and Her Story of Fire. Nickerson is the former Alaska State Poet Laureate and author of the books Disappearance: A Map: A Meditation on Death and Loss in the High Latitudes, Midnight to the North: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Saved the Polaris Expedition, and Along the Alaska Highway.
Sat., Sept. 14, 7pm WILLIAM KENOWER —Write Within Yourself: An Author’s Companion
Cirque is a bi-annual literary journal that brings together the finest literary and artistic talent in the North Pacific Rim. Join Bellingham authors Deborah M. Bernard, Sheila Nickerson, John Morgan, Jeremy Pataky, and Sandra Kleven for readings from the latest issue.
William Kenower’s book is a collection of essays and stories intended to inspire writers and all creative people to do what they love without fear. Kenower is Editor-in-Chief of Author magazine, an online magazine for writers, and he hosts the online radio program Author2Author.
Fri., Sept. 6, 7pm DAVY ROTHBART —My Heart Is An Idiot In the tradition of David Sedaris and Sloane Crosley but going places very much his own, Rothbart’s essays show how things that are seemingly so wrong can be so, so right. Rothbart is a frequent contributor to This American Life and a variety of magazines, the founder of Found Magazine and the editor of its various bestselling anthologies.
Sat., Sept. 7, 10:30-11am Preschool Story Time with Claire
Sat., Sept. 7, 7pm GAIL STOREY —I Promise Not to Suffer: A Fool for Love Hikes the Pacific Crest Trail
KIDS!
Join VB bookseller Claire for our preschool story time, for ages 3-5 years old, on the bean bags in the Kids’ section. We'll have fun reading various stories.
Sat., Sept. 7, 4pm JACK MCLEOD —The North Cascades Highway: A Roadside Guide Organized as a series of stops at eye-catching sites along eighty miles of the highway, this book reveals the geological story of each location. This illustrated natural history guide helps travelers and readers to appreciate the deeper beauty behind the landscape. Co-Sponsored by North Cascades Institute.
Sun., Sept. 15, 4pm J.A. JANCE —Second Watch: A J.P. Beaumont Novel
Mystery
Join top-10 New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance for her twenty-first mystery in the J. P. Beaumont series. Second Watch is a literary thank you note to all the people who served in the Vietnam War—the ones who came back as well as the ones who didn't--and to their loved ones.
Tues., Sept. 17, 7pm IVAN DOIG —Sweet Thunder
Fiction
A beloved character brings the power of the press to 1920s Butte, Montana, in this latest from the best storyteller of the West. Read more on page.12.
Events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and are FREE unless otherwise noted.
If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!
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Wed., Sept. 18, 5:30-6:30pm Memory To Memoir WWU Info Session
Sun., Sept. 22-Sat., Sept. 28 BANNED BOOKS WEEK
Come to an info-session led by Laura Kalpakian to learn more about Western Washington University's Extended Education class, "Memory to Memoir." The classes are held Tuesdays, one night per week for eight weeks per term; Fall Term begins Oct. 1, 2013. 6-9p.m. at Western Washington University.
Behold the power of the forbidden word by celebrating Banned Books Week. Check out our in-store display of featured banned books or visit bannedbooksweek.org for more ideas on “freedom to read.”
Thurs., Sept. 19, 11am & 5:15 pm Chuck & Dee's Autumn Open Book Talk You’re invited to Village Books’ Autumn Open Book Talk. VB co-owners Chuck & Dee Robinson will talk about a variety of books for you to consider adopting for your book groups, or adding to your fall reading list.
Thurs., Sept. 19, 7pm GREGORY NOKES —Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory Gregory Nokes examines the case of former slaves Robin and Polly Holmes, who sue a slaveholder for the freedom of their children in 1852 in the only slavery case adjudicated in Oregon’s pre-Civil War courts. He examines early racial attitudes in the Pacific Northwest. A retired journalist, Nokes has also written the book, Massacred for Gold.
Fri., Sept. 20, 7pm Fiction STEVAN ALLRED —A Simplified Map of the Real World Fifteen linked stories chart a true course through the lives of families, farmers, loggers, former classmates, and the occasional stripper. Allred’s stunning debut deftly navigates the stubborn geography of the human heart.
Sat., Sept. 21, noon-1pm
"Writers in the Limelight" Film Showing
History Series
at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema Harold Holzer & James McPherson: Hearts Touched By Fire on-screen author talk & interview Pickford Film Center & Village Books present "Writers in the Limelight." Watch authors Harold Holzer & James McPherson discuss their book, Hearts Touched by Fire. (Author is not attending this event). Tickets are $5 and are available through the Pickford Film Center. Village Books will host a discussion after the showing and will provide books for sale at the event.
Sat., Sept. 21, 4pm TIFFANY DEDEAUX MOEHN —Ethics and the Earth Missionary From Bellingham-based life & career coachTiffany Dedeaux Moehn, this new book offers a means of navigation in the wilderness of change, and is a journey to outline ethical standards for those of us who want to intentionally live with the rest of the earth.
Sat., Sept. 21, 7pm JOHN HAMILTON —Hell Called Ohio
Fiction
In the American working tradition of Ben Hamper and Jim Harrison, Hell Called Ohio follows factory worker Warrell Swanson through the depressed town of Defiance, Ohio, as he deals with the limitations of a life based on work.
Events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and are FREE unless otherwise noted.
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Sun., Sept. 22, 4pm KIRK SMITH “Lab Lit: Putting Real Science Into Fiction” Are you interested in science or like to read fiction, or both? Join retired research psychologist Kirk Smith as he describes the real science behind several “lab lit” novels. Smith will also discuss his novel, Vanessa’s Curve of Mind, which focuses on neuroscience.
Mon., Sept. 23, doors & music 6:30pm, show 7pm At Bellewood Acres THE CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR with special guest RYAN COONERTY —The Rise of the Naked Economy: How to Benefit from the Changing Workplace This month's special guest is Ryan Coonerty for his book The Rise of the Naked Economy. Coonerty will be interviewed by Derek Long, Executive Director of Sustainable Connections. Tickets are $5 and are available at Village Books and BrownPaperTickets.com. Read more on page 51.
Wed., Sept. 25, 7pm DAVID WOLMAN —The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreames—And the Coming Cashless Society A contributing editor at Wired, David Wolman dares to take a critical look at cash, considering its liabilities and what our world would be like without those trillions of little numbered bits of paper and tiny metal disks.
Wed., Sept. 25, 7:30-9pm Free Event at Chuckanut Brewery JOHN HOLL —The American Craft Beer Cookbook Join us as we celebrate Bellingham Beer Week at the Chuckanut Brewery with a talk about great recipes from some of the best American breweries, recommended by author John Holl. See page 33 for more information about the cookbook!
Thurs., Sept. 26, 7pm BETSY GUTTING —The Magic of Saying Yes: Answering Your Heart’s True Calling Betsy Gutting inspires and empowers you to partner with your inner wise guide and receive answers to your life's right direction. Through practical and powerful exercises and activities, Gutting offers methods for encouraging presence to help you say YES! to your dreams.
Fri., Sept. 27, 4-5pm For Middle Readers! Ivy & Bean After School Celebration Join us for some special activities to celebrate book 10 of the series, Ivy & Bean Take the Case. There will be activities and fun giveaways.
Read more about these and other LitLive events at VillageBooks.com!
Literature LIVE!
EVENTS Fri., Sept. 27, 7pm SANDI DOUGHTON —Full Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton delves into the fascinating and often terrifying world of “The Big One.” She introduces readers to the scientists who are dedicated to understanding the way the earth moves and describes what patterns can be identified and how prepared (or not) people are in the region’s urban centers of Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.
Sat., Sept. 28, 4pm ABBE ROLNICK —Color of Lies
Fiction
Come listen to Village Books’ first staff member, Abbe Rolnick, talk about her new novel, Color of Lies, a story about a toxic waste cover-up in the Skagit River Valley.
Sat., Sept. 28, 7pm —Clover: A Literary Rag Vol. 5 Group Reading Come hear a variety of local authors read their selections from the latest volume of Clover: A Literary Rag.
Sun., Sept. 29, 2pm JAN PHILLIPS —Finding the On-Ramp to Your Spiritual Path: A Roadmap to Joy & Rejuvenation As study after study continue to show, Americans are increasingly becoming unaffiliated with any specific religion. This little book provides an access point for these individuals who have broken free of traditional religion and are looking to embark on a more generalized form of spirituality.
Sun., Sept. 29, 4pm GLORIA BURGESS “It Takes a Village: Sparks of Light” Most of us want to make a positive difference in our world. But sometimes we lose heart, unsure how much of an impact one person can really make. Writer and educator Gloria Burgess will lead an interactive group conversation on the power one person’s actions can have.
Mon., Sept. 30, 7pm Open mic with Laurel Leigh Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talents as they share their own stories, poems and essays. Sign up at our main counter on the first floor or call (360) 671-2626. Laurel Leigh, local writer and teacher, will emcee.
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OCTOBER
Thursdays, Oct.: 3, 10, 17, 24, 6:30-8:30pm VB Writes...Workshop: Place to Place: Writing the Environment with Nancy Canyon
Thurs., Oct. 3, 7pm Fiction KRISTIANA KAHAKAUWILA —This is Paradise Kristiana Kahakauwila’s short story collection strikingly exposes the dangers lurking beneath Hawai'i’s myth of paradise. In her stunning debut, Kahakauwila, a hapa haole (half-Hawaiian, half-Caucasian) whose childhood was split between California and Maui, poignantly captures modern Hawai'i in all of its richness and complexity. Kahakauwila is an assistant professor of creative writing at WWU.
Fri., Oct. 4, 7pm ANTHONY HOROWITZ —Russian Roulette: An Alex Rider Novel
For Middle Readers/ Teens!
Join us in welcoming the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Rider series! Read more on page 58.
Sat., Oct. 5, 10:30-11am Preschool Story Time with Claire
KIDS!
Join VB bookseller Claire for our preschool story time, for ages 3-5 years old, on the bean bags in the Kids’ section. We'll have fun reading various stories.
Sat., Oct. 5, 7pm PAUL HARDING —Enon
Fiction
Village Books hosted Paul Harding in 2009 for his debut novel, Tinkers, beloved by booksellers and readers across the country. We welcome Harding back for his second novel Enon, a deeply moving story that follows Charlie Crosby, grandson of George Crosby, the protagonist of Tinkers, through an emotional year that begins with a life-shattering tragedy. Read a review on page.13.
Fri., Oct. 11, 7pm NORMA SHAININ —Instead
Fiction
A family of German immigrants are living in Queens, New York and doing what they must to get on with life. These are bricklayers, window washers, house painters, and the housewives who tend to them, people for whom circumstances—two world wars and the Great Depression—have taken them farther afield than they ever imagined from their desires and roots.
Sat., Oct. 12, 7pm Multi-Author Reading for The Bellingham Herald’s Serial Fantasy “Memories of Light” Join us for a reading and talk from The Bellingham Herald’s latest serial story written by community members. A science fiction tale, it’s a post-apocalyptic story of Bellingham 100 years from now. The six writers, Larry Goolsby, Tina Shelton, Andy Brim, Mary Schleinkofer, Amanda June Hagarty and Rob Slater, will read their chapters in order and answers questions from the audience.
Thurs., Oct. 17, 7pm Western Reads Panel Discussion #1: Science and Ethics in Early Warming by Nancy Lord Join an exciting group of panelists with expertise in environmental science as they discuss the scientific and ethical issues raised in Early Warming: Crisis and Response in the Climate-Changed North, focusing particularly on the relevancy to our community, and beyond. Panelists to include Andy Bunn & Grace Wang, Environmental Studies, Huxley College of the Environment, and photographer Chris Linder. The author is not attending.
Read about this class and find out how to register on page 28.
If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!
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History Sat., Oct. 19, noon-1pm "Writers in the Limelight" Film Showing Series at the Pickford Film Center's Limelight Cinema David Remnick: The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama Watch author David Remnick discuss his book, The Bridge in this special film showing. We will have a Village Books hosted discussion after the show. Tickets are $5 and are available through the Pickford Film Center. Village Books will provide books for sale at the event. *Authors do not attend.
Sat., Oct. 19, 4pm Fiction KAREN SPEARS ZACHARIAS —Mother of Rain Come listen to Karen talk about her new novel, which is her first foray into Melungeon historical fiction. Set in Appalachia, this book follows the story of a family rocked by the ripples of World War II.
Tues., Oct. 22, doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm in the Heiner Theater at WCC THE CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR with special guest NICOLE HARDY —Confessions of a Latter Day Virgin: A Memoir This month's special guest is Nicole Hardy for her book Confessions of a Latter Day Virgin, a mesmerizing and wholly relatable account of one woman's hard-won mission to find love, acceptance, and happiness, on her own terms. Tickets for the Radio Hour are $5 and are available at Village Books and BrownPaperTickets.com. Read more on page 51.
Thurs., Oct. 24, 7pm Western Reads Panel Discussion #2: Ethics and Social Justice Issues in the Environment Join in on the discussion as a panel of educators and researchers discuss the ethical and moral issues facing us as we respond to the impact of climate change on communities, future generations, and the Earth. This panel is inspired by Nancy Lord’s book Early Warming: Crisis and Response in the Climate-Changed North.
Sun., Oct. 27, 4pm LAURA KELLY ROBB —China Rock
Fiction for Middle Readers!
Parents and kids are invited to join author Laura Kelly Robb to talk about good books for families to read together. She will discuss her new middle reader novel, China Rock, set in the San Juan Islands during the 1930s.
Mon., Oct. 28, 7pm Open mic with Laurel Leigh Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talents as they share their own stories, poems and essays. Published and unpublished writers are encouraged to attend. Sign up at our main counter on the first floor or call (360) 671-2626. Laurel Leigh, local writer and teacher, will emcee.
Thurs., Oct. 31, 4-6pm HALLOWEEN STORIES with the Bellingham Storytellers Guild Come listen to spooky, and not-so-spooky stories in the Readings Gallery as told by the Bellingham Storytellers Guild.
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NOVEMBER
Sat., Nov. 2, 10:30-11am Preschool Story Time with Claire
KIDS!
Sat., Nov. 2, 4pm LLYN DE DANAAN —Katie Gale: A Coast Salish Woman’s Life on Oyster Bay Writer and anthropologist LLyn De Danaan mines the historical record to tell the story of this strong-willed Native woman who cofounded a successful oyster business, then wrested it away from her Euro-American husband. Katie Gale’s story is one of remarkable pluck, a tale of hard work and ingenuity, gritty initiative and bad luck that is, ultimately, essentially American.
Thurs., Nov. 7, 7pm TOM NISSLEY —A Reader’s Book of Days: True Tales from the Lives and Works of Writers for Every Day of the Year At once a love letter to literature and a charming guide to the books most worth reading, A Reader's Book of Days features bite-size accounts of events in the lives of great authors for every day of the year. Nissley is an eight-time champion on Jeopardy! who has written for the Paris Review Daily, The Millions, and The Stranger.
Mon., Nov. 11, 7pm MICHAEL DALEY —Alter Mundus
Poetry
Come listen to local poet, Michael Daley, share poems from Alter Mundus, a thoughtful translation of Lucia Gazzino’s Italian poems, and the first to be published in English.
Wed., Nov. 13-Thurs., Nov. 14 Author Series at the Willows Inn on Lummi Island Featuring Travel Writer RICK STEVES Village Books and the Willows Inn on Lummi Island present a two-day getaway at the Inn with European travel writer and expert, Rick Steves. Enjoy an intimate atmosphere as you learn tips for traveling through Europe. Rick will share some of his latest advice and favorite spots. Check VillageBooks.com for more information about pricing and to book this event.
More VB Writes...Workshops See pages 26 & 28 for information!
Wed., Oct. 30, 5:30-6:30pm ROBIN ROBERTSON "Thinner Next Year: Your Action Plan"
Tues., Nov. 12, 7-8:30pm What "Type" of Writer are You? with Cami Ostman
Attend a “Thinner Next Year: Your Action Plan” workshop led by Robin Robertson, Manager and Owner of the Bellingham Tennis Club and Fairhaven Fitness, to help you figure out the “Big Why” of your health. Participants will use a worksheet to write down the simple action steps to take to lose weight and get in the kind of physical shape dreamed about. Read Robin's review of the book, Thinner This Year on page 57.
Fri., Nov. 15, 5:30-8:30 “The Greatest Marketing Tool” with Alice Acheson
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Sat., Nov. 16, 10am-5pm “Your Book—What’s Next? with Alice Acheson Building Community One Book at a Time
Take the Doctober Challenge! See eight films during Doctober and receive fabulous prizes.
pickford film center
DOC TOBER
The Summit
one month. many docs. Over 30 feature documentaries will be featured in Doctober’13—all of the best films in distribution and on the festival circuit. Here are just a few:
Red Obsession
Kiss the Water with director Eric Steel.
Gorgeous, poetic film about Megan Boyd, legendary Scottish salmon fly tier.
Antarctica: A Year on Ice
Kiss the Water
with director Anthony Powell. Time lapse photography of penguins, sunsets, and a unique look at living for a year on ice.
Betting the Farm With local farms demonstrating
at PFC: Fresh Breeze, Edelweiss, Edaleen and Twinbrook. The odds might be long, but these independent dairy producers won’t give up easily.
The Summit Everest isn’t the only place where
mountaineers make dates with destiny. K2 is around the corner.
Red Obsession And you thought wine was for
drinking? Enter the world of high stakes wine futures.
Deceptive Practice The Mysteries and Mentors The Institute
of Ricky Jay: The actor/magician performs with exquisite sleight of hand—and reveals the masters of magic.
GMO OMG The perils of genetically modified food are laid out in this entertaining and passionate doc. The Institute A master-class in deeply textured story-telling about a San Francisco cult—or game—that led respondents on some mind-boggling adventures. Like David Fincher’s The Game, but real. Full schedule, descriptions and tickets at GMO OMG
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
pickfordfilmcenter.org
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20%
OFF
Books & Melissa & Doug Toys
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 20 LYNDEN, WA
A S L E!
Children’s
SEPTEMBER 15-30
1200 11th St. Bellingham, WA 98225 360.671.2626 www.VillageBooks.com Whatcom County’s Favorite Bookstore since 1980 Building Community One Book at a Time
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