Chuckanut Reader - Summer 2015

A Magazine for the Northwest’s Most Avid Readers

The

Chuck anut Reader A Village Books Publication • Summer 2015

1980-2015

35

35th

Anniversary

YEARS

SALE & CELEBRATION Summer Reading Recommendations

SUMMER FUN

Steampunk, Baseball, and much more!

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2

Visit www.thecrossingguide.com/nw-tours or call 360-224-2387

LOCAL TOURS

Discover the best eateries and breweries that only the locals know about. View some of the scenic natural beauty only our little corner of the state can offer. Find hidden treasures shopping at local boutiques. Enjoy a customized tour of the county with 7 other friendly people.

2

Summer 2015

• Shopping • History • Breweries • Food • Parks

Building Community One Book at a Time

Dear Reader, This Reader is packed with big news. First is the 35th anniversary of Village Books and the grand celebration that will surround it. Then there's the 2400-mile bike trip that Chuck is embarking on the day after we celebrate. Following that is a summer full of fun, including Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema, the Chuckanut Writers Conference, another Where's Waldo contest, Camp VB, a Steampunk Festival, and much, much more.

One very special event of the summer will take place the evening of July 13th. See page 13 for details of how we're going to celebrate the publication of Harper Lee's new novel, Go Set a Watchman.

You'll read some news on page 11 that you'll perhaps find surprising. Village Books & Paper Dreams, along with a couple of Fairhaven neighbors, will be opening new locations in the fall—guess where?

It's been a grand three and a half decades and we expect the fun will continue long into the future. You, Dear Reader, are of course our only reason for being here after all these years. We are grateful to you for your support, your patronage, and your friendship. Thank you so much.

We wish you a great summer of relaxation, celebration, recreation, and of course, reading.

–Chuck, Dee,

and the entire Village Book & Paper Dreams Family Village Books & Paper Dreams Store Hours Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm Fri-Sat 10am-10pm • Sundays 10am-7pm

VILLAGE BOOKS

The Chuckanut Reader

In This Issue...

Dear Reader 35th Anniversary Sale and Celebration Seasonal Fun in Fairhaven & Beyond Steampunk Festival in Fairhaven Village Books & Paper Dreams Opening in Lynden Fiction, Mystery, Sci Fi (highlights & reviews) Whatcom Reads! 2015 Recap The Chuckanut Writers Conference 2015 Chuckanut Writes—Writing Classes!

Gardening and Food (book reviews and highlights) Biking for a Cause—Chuck to Ride 2400 Miles Indies Choice Book Awards Poetry & Art (book hightlights and reviews) Northwest, Nature, Science (book highlights) Current Events & History (book highlights) Bios, Humor, Performing Arts (book highlights) Join our First Editions Club The Chuckanut Radio Hour Upcoming Shows Teen & Teacher Writing Workshops Great Books & Activites for Kids and Teens Y.A.R.C. Spotlight and book reviews Literature Live! Author Events at VB

Summer 2015

3 4-5 6-9 10 11 12-21 23 25 27 28-34 35 37 38-39 40-43 44-46 47-49 50 51 52 53-61 62-64 65-70

Publishers: Chuck and Dee Robinson Production Design: Kelly Carbert

Contributors: Amy Blackwood, Jenny Blenk, Hana Boxberger, Rebecca Brown, Kelly Carbert, Charles Claassen, Stephanie Douglas, Kelly Evert, Robert Gruen, Paul Hanson, Sarah Hutton, Sam Kaas, Linda Lambert, Claire McElroy-Chesson, Laura Picco, Chuck Robinson, Dee Robinson, Rem Ryals, Chris Sanders, Lauren Sommer, Joan Terselich, Jonica Todd, Terri Weiner, Cindi Williamson Cover: Celebrating 35 Amazing Years!

Thank you for being a part of it.

Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2015 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

browse & shop anytime!

1980 -2015

35 YEARS

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

VillageBooks.com

Village Books in Historic Fairhaven 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225

visit us 24/7 at villagebooks.com Summer 2015 3

35th Anniversary

SALE

20% OFF STOREW

*

IDE

at both Village Books AND Paper Dreams!

June 13th & 14th Saturday & Sunday 10am-7pm

10am-7pm

Can't make it in? Call in your book order and receive the sale price when you pre-pay!

*Some exceptions apply.

Besides Village Books opening, what was happening 35 years ago?

1980

Ronald Reagan is elected President

4 Summer 2015

1980

Sony Walkman is introduced

Pac-Man arcade game is released • •

1980

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

35th Anniversary

CELEBRATION June 12-14, 2015 How time flies when you're having a good time, and a good time has been had by owners, staff members, and loyal customers for three and a half decades.

Beginning on Friday evening, June 12th, Village Books invites you to help us celebrate an incredible 35 years.

Friday, June 12, 7pm

CHUCK ROBINSON

–It Takes a Village Books:

The weekend's festivities will kick off with Chuck presenting the 35th Anniversary edition of It Takes a Village Books: 35 Years of Building Community, One Book at a Time. Five years ago, Chuck penned a 30-year retrospective of the store and the book business. He's now added the history of the last five years, and will be presenting a slide show and talk at 7pm that evening.

Thirty-Five Years of Building Community, One Book at a Time This is the story of an idea that became a bookstore and a bookstore that became a central part of the community. Join Chuck Robinson as he presents a new, updated edition for the store’s thirty-fifth anniversary. A FREE EVENT at VB.

Join us on Saturday from 10am to 7pm for our annual ANNIVERSARY SALE, with nearly everything in the store being sold at 20% off, and some extra special deals as well.

The sale resumes at 10am on Sunday morning and will continue until 7pm.

Sunday, June 14, 7pm, doors at 6pm at the Mount Baker Theatre

OU

N T B A KE

DAVID SUZUKI

–Letters to My Grandchildren

R

TH

ESENT

V IL L A G E

E PR

BO

OK

TR EA

S&

The grand finale of the anniversary weekend will be a special appearance of the renowned environmental scholar and writer David Suzuki, as part of the "Booked at the Baker" series we present with Mount Baker Theatre. Tickets are $7.50 and are available at the store, at the Mount Baker box office, and online through the theater. Folks who pre-purchase Suzuki's new book, Letters to My Grandchildren, will receive one free ticket. Named a "National Treasure" in Canada, Suzuki has packed the Mount Baker BOOKED Theatre in the past, so get your BAKER tickets quickly.

M

New Edition!

AT THE

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

In this inspiring series of letters to his grandchildren, revered environmentalist David Suzuki offers grandfatherly advice mixed with stories from his own remarkable life and explores what makes life meaningful.

As he offers up a lifetime of Tickets wisdom, Suzuki inspires us On all to live with courage, conSale Now! viction, and passion. Join us!

Summer 2015 5

Produced by Epic Events in conjunction with the Historic Fairhaven Association

2015

BEN KINNEY & KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY

Saturdays on the Fairhaven Village Green

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jun 20 GREASE

8:15 - Bellingham Dance Co.

__________________________________________________

Jun 27 HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 8:15 - Strangely

__________________________________________________

Jul 11 MEAN GIRLS

8:15 - Gentri Watson

__________________________________________________

Jul 18 JURASSIC PARK 8:15 - Trivia

__________________________________________________

Jul 25 BIG HERO 6

8:00 - JustinCredible

Aug 1 THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY 8:00 - Trivia

__________________________________________________

Aug 8 DIRTY DANCING

7:30 - Bellingham Dance Co.

__________________________________________________

Aug 15 UP

7:30 - TBA

__________________________________________________

Aug 22 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 7:00 - Trivia

__________________________________________________

Aug 29 THE PRINCESS BRIDE 7:00 - Amber Darland

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

$5

FairhavenOutdoorCinema.com - Facebook.com/FairhavenOutdoorCinema

$5

Enjoy the wonders of movie-watching under the stars on the Village Green. Each evening starts with live entertainment and giveaways which are followed by a full-length feature film. Admission is $5 per person (5 & under free).

Bring a blanket for the grass or a lawn chair for the brick side areas. Vendors will have food available for purchase at the events or you're welcome to bring your own picnic. Sit back and enjoy!

Village Books & Paper Dreams are proud to sponsor Grease, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Mean Girls, Jurassic Park, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, and The Princess Bride.

6

Summer 2015

Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com

R E I N V I TE D YOU A to VB’s Summer Open Book Chat

Open Book Chat with VB Buyers, Joan, Sarah, and Jonica

Thursday, June 25th, 11am & 5:15pm in the VB Readings Gallery

You're invited to Village Books' Summer Open Book Chat on Tuesday, June 25th at either 11am or 5:15pm. VB buyers Joan, Sarah, and Jonica will talk about a variety of books for you to consider adopting for your book groups or adding to your summer 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!

See you at the Ball Game!

Join us as we cheer on the Bellingham Bells on July 8th!

Who doesn’t love a good baseball game? Maybe you’ve memorized stats and figures. Maybe you’re into the myths and legends of the game. Maybe you really like Cracker Jack.

On July 8th, we’ll be rooting for the Bellingham Bells as they take on the Cowlitz Black Bears at Joe Martin Field, and whatever it is that you like about baseball, we hope you’ll join us. It’s the Village Books sponsored game night, so you never know who might show up (keep an eye out for Waldo).

Kids participating in our Summer Reading Challenge can receive two free tickets to the game if they complete the challenge before July 7th! We’ll give a pair of tickets to the first 25 kids to complete the challenge before that date. See page 53 for the inside scoop on the Summer Reading Challenge.

Dinger, the Bellingham Bells mascot, will pay a visit to Village Books this summer. Stay tuned for details.

See you at the Game!

10th Annual

Girls Night Out in Fairhaven

GO BELLS!

Saturday, September 19

Save the Date!

Be part of Fairhaven’s annual gala for ladies! 2015 brings the 10th annual Fairhaven Girls Night Out event to the district and will encourage ladies to bring out their pretty, girly, dressy-uppy side! All proceeds from this year's event will be donated to Lydia Place to support their efforts to end homelessness in Whatcom County.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

7

— Monty Python’s Spamalot

September 25 – October 11, 2015

A Tuna Christmas

November 27 – December 13, 2015

Baby

January 29 – February 14, 2016

August: Osage County April 22 – May 8, 2016

Anything Goes June 10 – 26, 2016

8 Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

Don't Miss the Annual

Summer Solstice

ART WALK in Fairhaven

Friday, June 19th, 5–8pm What a fantastic night for a stroll through Fairhaven! You’ll find dozens of shops and galleries displaying unique local art for the home and garden. Many artists will be in attendance.

Get out and enjoy yourself!

Village Books will feature Yaqui Native Flutist, Peter Ali, who will be playing a variety of native flutes under the glass sculpture on the main floor between 5pm and 7pm.

He will share stories about his music, as well as his rich ethnic heritage, intermixed with performances of his original songs.

1980 -2015

35

Black & Hispanic Barbie are introduced

YEARS

1980

So Much to Do! Saturday & Sunday

June 27–28, 10am-4pm 13th Annual Imagine This!

Home & Landscape Tour This year’s tour includes 10 amazing locations featuring the best in eco-friendly homes and landscapes and a chance to win a home energy audit with the Community Energy Challenge!

Prices are $10 for individuals age 16 and up.

Supervised children are welcome.

Includes access to all tour stops.

Tickets on sale at Village Books and both Community Food Co-op locations. Each site will have tickets available for purchase via cash or check only on the day of the event.

Do-it-yourselfers and those looking for great contractors for an upcoming project will delight in a weekend of exploring beautiful, innovative and eco-friendly homes and landscapes. The tour is self-guided, so you can go at your own pace. Pick and choose the locations you would like to visit or make an effort to stop at them all. New this year: Sustainable Living Festival.

This FREE festival will be featuring businesses offering products and services to help homeowners bring their sustainable values home. Attendees will see offerings for energy improvements, water-reuse and efficiency, urban farming tools, products and service, native landscape plants and installers, green builders and products, and much more.

See sustainableconnections.org for more!

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

9

2015

FAIRHAVEN

P M U A N E K T S FESTIVAL ALL

AGES

Saturday, July 25th is the Fairhaven Steampunk Festival – Mr. Flip's Carnival of Wonders and Curiosities. From noon until 5pm, a motley collection of sky pirates, airship captains, daring adventurers and well-heeled society ladies (most of whom, we'll warn you, fight crime by night and are not to be challenged to a duel) will descend upon the Village Green. Will you be among them?

See Trevor the Sword Guy and listen to the Nathaniel Johnstone Band. Check out a vast array of Steampunk Vendors (including Black Market Boutique, Steampunk Junq and Owlkeyme Arts). Experience some Victorian science and magic with the Foundry. Don’t miss local performer Strangley. And dress up in your Steampunk best for the costume contest! There’s sure to be something that will strike your fancy.

Village Books is excited to host Phil and Kaja Foglio (authors of the Girl Genius series), Jeffrey Cook, and Langley Hyde (author of Highfell Grimoires, which was named a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2014).

12pm: Langley Hyde –Highfell Grimoires 2pm: Phil & Kaja Foglio –Girl Genius Webcomic 4pm: Jeffrey Cook –Dawn of Steam

Mr. Flip’ s Carnival

of Wonders & Curiosities

SATURDAY JULY 25, Noon - 5pm

on the Fairhaven Village Green and in Village Books

see facebook: fairhaven steampunk festival Brought to you by

the Bellingham Steampunk Society, Historic Fairhaven Association, and Village Books

10

Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

Village Books & Paper Dreams

TO OPEN IN LYNDEN North county residents and visitors to the scenic village of Lynden will have a new bookstore and gift store to shop this coming holiday season. In November Village Books & Paper Dreams will open in the Waples Mercantile Building at the corner of Front and 5th Streets. Some will recognize the location as the former Delft Square, the building that burned in the summer of 2008.

Bellingham architect Jeff McClure bought the building soon after the fire, and has designed an entire renovation, which is now in progress. Jeff, along with his wife Debra, and partners Teri and Matt Treat, will operate a 35-room inn in the building, which will also house two current Fairhaven neighbors who will each be opening an additional location—Avenue Bread and Drizzle.

The new Village Books & Paper Dreams store will be an integration of the two sides of the Fairhaven business.

Gifts and cards will be interspersed with a relatively large, carefully curated collection of books. "We're thrilled to be opening in Lynden," said co-owner Chuck Robinson. "The mission of our business has been to help build community," he said. "We've spent thirty-five years doing that, mostly within the city of Bellingham. We now look forward to joining the great city of Lynden and northern Whatcom County, in contributing to strengthen those communities."

Teri Treat, speaking for Forefront Ventures, said, "We are thrilled to have Village Books & Paper Dreams as the newest tenant in the Waples Mercantile Building in Lynden. Not only are they a nationally recognized, successful retailer, they provide a wonderful example of community stewardship. Downtown Lynden and all of north Whatcom County will benefit by this expansion!"

In addition to bringing books and unique gifts to the north county, the store also plans to present a number of events in the community, both within the walls of Waples Mercantile Building and with community partners like the Jansen Art Center. "The north county will be new territory for us, but we already have a large number of customers there," said the company's General Manager Paul Hanson. "We're happy to provide a more convenient location for folks who've been loyal to the business for years."

Available soon in Fairhaven, online, and at Watch our weekly eNewsletter updates for the the Lynden Chamber of Commerce! date of opening and the announcements of special events in the new Lynden Store.

Bonus Gift Certificates! for exclusive use at our Lynden Store

We hope you're as excited as we are!

These special certificates have added value if used before December 30, 2015. $25 gift certificates worth $30! $50 gift certificates worth $60!! $100 gift certificates worth $120!!!

1980 National Book Award Winners Fiction: Sophie’s Choice by William Styron Nonfiction: The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

1980 -2015

35 YEARS

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

After December 30, they revert to their face value.

1980

Population of Bellingham: 45,794

Summer 2015 11

FICTIONFICTION brand new

FICTION

hardcover

FICTION

Kitchens of the Great Midwest

A Staff Favorite!

by J. Ryan Stradal

available in July, hardcover, Penguin

Our Souls at Night

by Kent Haruf

available now, hardcover, Knopf Doubleday

This novella contains the last musings of Kent Haruf, an award-winning author who died in November 2014, carrying on his literary tradition of stories about the common people who live in Holt, a small town on the Eastern plains of Colorado.

In this story we meet a seventy-year-old widow and a widower, who seek companionship and love against the protests of their very practical middle-aged children. This is a tale of sweet but thwarted love. –Cindi

Each chapter in Stradal's startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, it marks the entry of a brilliant new talent.

What Is Visible

by Kimberly Elkins

available in June, hardcover, Hachette

One day, Addie drops in on her neighbor Louis, because she's lonely and wants someone to talk to at night. So begins Kent Haruf's intricate, moving final novel, a parting gift to lovers of American literature everywhere. If you think a story about widowed septuagenarians learning to love sounds trite, think again—this powerful, finely written tale of endurance and human connection will stay with you long past the final page. –Sam

At age two, Laura Bridgman lost four of her five senses to scarlet fever. At age twelve, Charles Dickens declared her his prime interest for visiting America. And by age twenty, she was considered the nineteenth century's second most famous woman.

"What is Visible is not only a compelling, deeply moving novel, it is a fully realized work of art."

–Robert Olen Butler

In his simple, spare style, Haruf brings us a story of great depth. Following the developing relationship between two elderly people in a small American town, he explores friendship, loneliness, love, and family ties. There is a quiet wisdom and honesty in the telling of this story of two such ordinary yet lovely people, searching for happiness. –Chris

The Only Words That Are Worth Remembering available now, hardcover, Macmillan

In an America of the semi-distant future, a perfectly preserved space vehicle is discovered beneath the ruins of Cape Canaveral. Enter the miscreant Van Zandt clan, leading to a darkly comic road trip across the ass-end of an all-too-familiar America that pits the simple hell of solitude against the messy consolations of togetherness.

The Book of Aron

by Jim Shepard

available now, hardcover, Knopf

From the hugely acclaimed National Book Award finalist, this is a novel that will join the shortlist of classics about the Holocaust and the children caught up in it. Jim Shephard has masterfully made this child's-eye view of the Warsaw Ghetto mesmerizing, sometimes comic despite all odds, and truly heartbreaking.

I Saw a Man

by Owen Sheers

available in June, hardcover, Nan A. Talese

A Free Event

At Village Books

Jim Shepard Tuesday, June 16, 7pm

12 Summer 2015

by Jeffrey Rotter

When journalist Caroline Marshall fails to return from an assignment in Pakistan, her husband Michael leaves their cottage in Wales and returns to London where he quickly develops a friendship with his neighbors, Josh and Samantha Nelson, and their two young daughters. Michael’s friendship with the Nelsons marks the beginning of a long healing process, until a terrible accident adds yet more grief, and the burden of a shattering secret, to Michael’s life.

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

join us for a very special

Late Night Film & Midnight Sale

Celebrate Publication of Harper Lee's Second Novel

Monday July 13, 9:30pm

In 1960 Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird. On July 14, nearly fifty-five years to the day after the publication of that American classic, Ms. Lee's second novel, Go Set a Watchman, will be released.

To celebrate this momentous literary event, Village Books will offer a FREE screening of the iconic film version of To Kill a Mockingbird on the Fairhaven Village Green, on Monday night, July 13, just after 9:30pm. The two-hour-andten-minute film, featuring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, will end just before midnight, when Go Set a Watchman will go on sale for the first time.

The new novel, though written before To Kill a Mockingbird, is a sequel, in which an adult Scout returns to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, to visit her father, Atticus. She grapples with personal and political issues, her father's attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place she was born and spent her childhood.

Please join us for this once in a lifetime event.

FICTION FICTION brand new

FICTION

hardcover

FICTION

When We Were Animals

by Joshua Gaylord

available now, hardcover, Little, Brown and Company

Did you love Oskar Schell's simple yet elegant voice in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? You'll love Joshua Gaylord's latest novel as well. This is not your traditional love story; it's about the harsh light of the human condition, the sharp points and edges of loving someone and what that means you'll do for—or to—them. Lumen, the protagonist and also the narrator, offers a poignant yet violent picture of her own quest for self growing up in a unique small town. Read this book for the simultaneously brutal and beautiful language and the complex main character. –Jenny

At the Water's Edge

Death and Mr. Pickwick

available now, hardcover, Spiegel & Grau

available in June, hardcover, Macmillan

After embarrassing themselves at the social event of the year in high society Philadelphia, Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off financially

by Ellis’s father, a former army Colonel. To Maddie’s horror, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed in a venture his father attempted and very publicly failed at: he will hunt the famous Loch Ness monster.

From the author of Water for Elephants.

Death and Mr. Pickwick is a vast, richly imagined, Dickensian work about the roughand-tumble world that produced an author who defined an age. Like Dickens, Stephen Jarvis has spun a tale full of preposterous characters, shaggy-dog stories, improbable reversals, skulduggery, betrayal, and valor, all brilliantly brought to life in his unputdownable book.

by Sara Gruen

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

by Stephen Jarvis

Summer 2015 13

FICTION FICTION brand new

FICTION

The Book of Speculation

by Erika Swyler

available in July, hardcover, Macmillan

Simon's sister, Enola, ran off to join the circus six years ago. An old book arrives on Simon's doorstep, a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s whose strange reports include the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned-always on July 24, which is only weeks away.

hardcover

FICTION

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

by Fredrik Backman

available in June, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

From the author of A Man Called Ove comes a new novel just as funny, quirky, and heartwarming, with the irresistible child narrator and her unforgettable, hilarious grandmother, and all of the colorful characters encountered along the way.

This is a story of fables and fairy tales, and their heroic and menacing counterparts in real life.

The Rocks

by Peter Nichols available now, hardcover, Penguin

"All of it is absolutely riveting, leaving the reader desperate to depart immediately for swoony Mallorca...Nichols' expertise on everything from the Odyssey to olive oil to classic movies enriches the story, as does his profound understanding of his screwedup cast of characters. …A literary island vacation with a worldly, wonderfully salacious storyteller." –Kirkus

Dinner with Buddha

by Roland Merullo

available in June, hardcover, Algonquin

At last, the long-awaited follow-up to Breakfast with Buddha in which Otto, an inveterate skeptic, and Rinpoche, a world-renowned spiritual master, set off across America. Now, some eight years later, the world has spun a few times, and what had once been certainties in both men’s lives have proved fleeting. Rich with humor and wise in its commentary on modern American life, Dinner with Buddha takes us along on an exhilarating path to self-discovery with two of the most intriguing men in modern fiction, whose lives seem to be forever entwined.

Racing the Rain

by Nina George

available in June, hardcover, Crown

Monsieur Perdu is a literary apothecary.

From his floating bookstore on the Seine, he prescribes novels as medicine for the hardships of life, using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love, Manon, disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

War of the Encyclopaedists

by Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

"Only a poet and a soldier—like these collaborating authors—are mad enough or ambitious enough to conceive of this smart, wise and wise-assed first novel. Seattle hipsterville to Baghdad, Cambridge theory nerds and Army grunts, this book has sweep and heart and humor. It captures coming of age during foreign wars and domestic malaise, and it does so with electrifying insight." –Mary Karr

The Truth and Other Lies

by Sascha Arango

by John L. Parker, Jr.

available in June, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

available in July, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

Henr y Hayden is a world famous author and a cold-blooded killer who is equal parts disturbing, charming, and fascinating. Smart, sardonic, and compulsively readable, here is the story of a man whose cunning allows him to evade the consequences of his every action, even when he's standing on the edge of the abyss.

John Parker's prequel to the New York Times bestseller Once a Runner vividly captures how a runner is formed and the physical endurance, determination, and mindset he develops on the way to becoming a champion. Racing the Rain is an epic coming-of-age classic about the environments and friendships that shape us all.

14

The Little Paris Bookshop

Summer 2015

Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com

FICTION FICTION brand new

FICTION

Bradstreet Gate

by Robin Kirman

available in July, hardcover, Crown

hardcover

FICTION

The Sunken Cathedral

by Kate Walbert

available in June, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

Within the hallowed halls of Harvard University, student life teems with excitement as graduation looms near. Hundreds of students dream of the possibilities their newfound freedom will offer, never fathoming that one of their privileged own would be left behind forever--a tour de force coming-of-age debut that traces the effect of a murder on three Ivy League students and their adult lives.

Walbert explores the growing disconnect between the world of action her characters inhabit and the longings, desires, and doubts they experience. She paints portraits of marriage, of friendship, and of love in its many facets, always limning the inner life, the place of deepest yearning and anxiety.

The Sunken Cathedral is a stunningly beautiful, profoundly wise novel.

In the Unlikely Event

Church of Marvels

available in June, hardcover, Knopf

available now, hardcover, Harper

Thirty-five years ago, when Miri was fifteen, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, Judy Blume weaves together a haunting story of three generations of families, friends, and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed by these disasters.

Four strangers' lives become increasingly connected as their stories and secrets unfold.

Moving from the Coney Island seashore to the tenement-studded streets of the Lower East Side, a spectacular human circus to a brutal, terrifying asylum, Church of Marvels takes readers back to turn-of-the-century New York—a city of hardship and dreams, love and loneliness, hope and danger.

by Judy Blume

Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories

by China Miéville

available in August, hardcover, Del Rey

Eight years in the making, this collection bristles with staggering concepts and unforgettable images. By turns speculative, satirical, heart-wrenching, and spooky, fresh in form and language, these stories reveal an alternate version of our own universe: one in which art not only reflects humanity’s violence but causes it, and nature has turned the tables, making humankind the endangered species.

The Ambassador’s Wife

by Jennifer Steil

available in July, hardcover, Doubleday

When artist Miranda falls in love with Finn, the British ambassador to an Arab country, she finds herself thrust into a life for which she has no preparation. Trailed everywhere by bodyguards to protect her from the dangers of a country wracked by civil war and forced to give up work she loves, she finds her world shattered when she is taken hostage, an act of terror with wide-reaching consequences.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

by Leslie Parry

The Small Backs of Children

by Lidia Yuknavitch

available in July, hardcover, HarperCollins

In war-torn Eastern Europe, an American photographer captures a heart-stopping image: a young girl flying toward the lens, fleeing a fiery explosion that has engulfed her home and family. The image becomes an icon for millions—and a subject of obsession for one writer whose husband tries to save her by rescuing the unknown girl and bringing her to the United States.

Inside the O'Briens

by Lisa Genova

available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice, now introduces us to the O'Briens, a family who is dealing with Huntingtons Disease.

HD is a frightening, ugly disease, which is hereditary. Although the disease is terrible, the book is uplifting. As we live and learn with the O'Briens, we see the strength and love they find in each other, which allows them to face their future with courage, while they learn to live each day in the Now. —Chris

Summer 2015

15

FICTION FICTION brand new

FICTION

Loving Day

by Mat Johnson available now, hardcover, Spiegel & Grau

“In the ghetto there is a mansion, and it is my father’s house.” From the author of the critically beloved PYM (“Imagine Kurt Vonnegut having a beer with Ralph Ellison and Jules Verne”—Vanity Fair), this is a brilliant and biting ghost story about family, real estate, and the dream of utopia—for readers of inventive comic writers who play with issues of American identity.

hardcover

FICTION

Last Bus to Wisdom

by Ivan Doig

available in August, hardcover, Riverhead Books

In the spirit of The Bartender’s Tale, this is a lively and poignant coming-of-age story about a boy and his great-uncle on a cross-country odyssey. The pair meet a classic Doigian ensemble of characters and experience rollicking misadventures along the way. Charming, wise, and slyly funny, Last Bus to Wisdom is another treasure of a novel from the best storyteller of the West.

At Village Books

The Truth According to Us

by Annie Barrows

A Tribute to Ivan Doig

available in June, hardcover, The Dial Press

Evoking the same small town charm with the same great eye for character, the co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society finds her own voice in this new novel about a young debutante working for the Federal Writer’s Project whose arrival in Macedonia, West Virginia changes the course of history for a prominent family who has been sitting on a secret for decades.

Join us in September as we celebrate the life and work of the great Ivan Doig (1939-2015) at a special evening tribute with his good friend, author David Laskin. Keep an eye on villagebooks.com for details.

Circling the Sun

by Paula McLain

available in July, hardcover, Ballantine Books

Paula McLain, author of the bestseller The Paris Wife, now returns with her keenly anticipated new novel. Transporting readers to Kenya in the 1920s, McLain breathes life into a fearless and captivating young woman—Beryl Markham, a record-setting aviator whose passionate love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, awakens Beryl to her truest self and her fate: to fly.

I Refuse

by Per Petterson available now, hardcover, Graywolf Press

Petterson's latest novel—his first in several years—is a literary punch in the gut, a book as alluring and ambiguous as life itself. When two estranged childhood friends meet accidentally one early morning, each is struck by a wave of memories. Before the day is done, both men will be forced to grapple with the ghosts of their families, the far-reaching consequences of long-ago actions, and the realities of their divergent paths. This is a stark, earthy portrait of two people facing the specters of the past and the maw of the future. –Sam

16 Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

FICTION paperback

FICTION

The Canterbury Sisters

by Kim Wright

paperback

FICTION

Fridays at Enrico's

by Don Carpenter, edited by Jonathan Lethem

available now, paperback, Gallery Books

available now, paperback, Counterpoint Press

Eight women make a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, sharing their complex tales of love in this modern day version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

These true confessions are reminiscent of the whimsical stories of Kris Radish and Fannie Flagg. –Cindi

A story of four writers living in Northern California and Portland during the early, heady days of the Beat scene, when writers and bohemians were busy creating what was later to become "the counterculture," this story mixes the excitement of beginning with the melancholy of ambition, often thwarted and never satisfied. Recently discovered as a complete manuscript lost since the author's death, Jonathan Lethem has taken on the task of editing and developing this last draft into the shape we imagine Carpenter would have himself accomplished.

How to Write a Novel

by Melanie Sumner

available in August, paperback, Vintage

Aristotle “Aris” Thibodeau, age 12.5, is writing the Great American Novel.

According to Write a Novel in Thirty Days! it shouldn’t be that hard—all she needs to do is write what she knows. But when a random accident exposes Aris to a dark part of her family’s history, she’s forced to confront that fact that sometimes in life—as in great literature—things might not work out exactly as you hoped.

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel available in June, paperback, Vintage

It is fifteen years after a flu pandemic wiped out most of the world’s population. Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony, a small troupe moving over the gutted landscape, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors.

Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the disaster brought everyone here, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty. A National Book Award finalist!

The Meursault Investigation

by Kamel Daoud

available in June, paperback, Other Press

The Stranger is of course central to Daoud’s story, in which he both endorses and criticizes one of the most famous novels in the world. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria, but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Lisette's List

by Susan Vreeland available in June, paperback, Random House

A young Parisian woman must move to Provence to take care of her husband’s ailing grandfather, and discovers that despite the horrors of war, the paintings of Cézanne, Pissarro, Chagall, and Picasso bring a fresh perspective and breathe new life into her, and allow her once again to experience love.

The Color of Smoke: An Epic Novel of the Roma

by Menyhert Lakatos, traslated by Ann Major

available in August, paperback, New Europe Books

A nameless Romani boy is torn between the shantytown community of his birth and the mainstream village society that both entices him and rejects him. From the travails of hunger and cold to being harassed by gendarmes, his is a life steeped in misery and persecution. But it is also a life passed in the fold of a close-knit community—a life that, with its rituals and superstitions exudes a deep sense of freedom.

The Secrets She Keeps

by Deb Caletti

available in July, paperback, Bantam

A trio of women gather at their aunt’s once famous Nevada “divorce ranch,” where in the 1950’s, high-society women and Hollywood elite gathered to obtain quickie divorces. As they tackle their own conflicts of love and marriage, past and present collide when secrets of the ranch’s tumultuous history are revealed.

Summer 2015

17

FICTION paperback

FICTION

paperback

FICTION

Lost Canyon

The House We Grew Up In

available in August, paperback, Akashic Books

available now, paperback, Simon & Schuster

Four unlikely Angelenos on a backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada find more adventure than they bargained for. Moving effortlessly between city and wilderness, Revoyr explores the ways that race and class shape perception and delivers a fast-paced, high-altitude thriller while she's at it.

A happy family slowly unravels and implodes, reacting to the matriarch's steadily worsening problem with hoarding. After her lonely death, her family is left to excavate the house they grew up in and while doing so, excavate any affection and understanding they might have left for each other. A very moving and acutely observed family novel.

by Lisa Jewell

by Nina Revoyr

The Untold

by Courtney Collins

A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing

available in June, paperback, Penguin

An epic romantic novel and surreal saga set in the rugged 1920's Australian outback that never loses its scope. It paints a devastating portrait of an nearly impossible love.

"Collins's gripping debut novel is based on a legendary wild woman . . . A fast-paced, heart-wrenching story that never loses speed, this extraordinary first novel is not to be missed." –Library Journal

The Red Collar

by Jean-Christophe Rufin

available in June, paperback, HarperCollins

"A seductive meditation on greed, power and the tortuous journey even the wellheeled must endure for self-possession.

Burton adroitly depicts (in 1686 Amsterdam) a culture of contradiction: a love of affluence and indulgence chafing against the impulse for Godfearing abstinence. The result is a population living in the shadows between lies and truth."

–New York Times Book Review

9

RISK FREE READS

ck

y Money B Da a 0-

A R A N TEE

The Betrayers

by Laline Paull

by David Bezmozgis

available now, paperback, Harper

available in June, paperback, Hachette

"It's rare to come across a book as mindblowingly imaginative as The Bees. It's even more rare for such works to be successful, well-written, gripping stories.

Paull's novel—a strange, poetic tale about a homely sanitation bee and her place in the Hive—is both unique and triumphant.

Do yourself a favor and read this book." –Kirkus

18 Summer 2015

Eimear McBride’s award-winning debut novel tells the story of a young woman’s relationship with her brother and the long shadow cast by his childhood brain tumor.

Not so much a stream of consciousness as an unconscious railing against a life that makes little sense, it is a shocking and intimate insight into the thoughts, feelings, and chaotic sexuality of a vulnerable and isolated protagonist.

by Jessie Burton

In 1919 France, we find a prisoner of war, an extraordinarily intelligent woman, and a judge. In their midst, a dog who holds the key both to their destinies and to an intriguing plot. Full of poetry and life, The Red Collar is at once a delightfully simple narrative about the human spirit and a profound work about loyalty and love.

The Bees

available in June, paperback, Hogarth

The Miniaturist

available in July, paperback, Penguin

GU

by Eimear McBride

These incandescent pages give us one fraught, momentous day in the life of Baruch Kotler, a Soviet Jewish dissident now an Israeli politician. When he refuses to back down from a contrary but principled stand regarding the settlements in the West Bank, his political opponents expose his affair with a mistress decades his junior.

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

FICTION paperback

FICTION

The Guild of Saint Cooper

by Shya Scanlon

available now, paperback, Dzanc Books

An obscure author, drawn in by the mysterious Guild of St. Cooper, must rewrite the history of a dying Seattle. But the changes become greater than those he set out to make, and the story quickly unspools backward into an alternate history—a world populated by giant rhododendrons, space aliens, and TV's own Special Agent Dale Cooper.

1980

What You Were Reading

Bestselling Nonfiction

1. Crisis Investing by Douglas Casey 2. Cosmos by Carl Sagan 3. Free to Choose by Milton & Rose Friedman 4. Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins 5. Thy Neighbor’s Wife by Gay Talease 1980 -2015

35 YEARS

Bestselling Fiction

1. The Covenant by James A. Michener 2. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum 3. Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon 4. Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz 5. Firestarter by Stephen King

The Blessings

by Elise Juska

available now, paperback, Hachette

"In this absorbing novel, Elise Juska moves effortlessly among family members and across decades, covering tragedy and triumph, love and loyalty. I adored everything about this book and raced to finish it, only to turn the last page and long for more time with this large, complicated, close-knit family." –Jennifer Close

paperback

FICTION

The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street

by Susan Jane Gilman

available in July, paperback, Hachette

Lillian's rise to fame and fortune spans seventy years and is inextricably linked to the course of American history, from Prohibition to disco days. Unlike the whimsical motherly persona she crafts for herself in the media, Lillian is conniving, profane, irreverent, and a supremely complex woman who prefers a good stiff drink to an ice cream cone.

Neverhome

by Laird Hunt

available now, paperback, Hachette

"Constance Thompson binds her breasts and dons men's clothing to become Ash, nicknamed Gallant Ash by her fellow Union soldiers, leaving her beloved husband to tend their Indiana farm. With spare, poetic, transcendent prose, Hunt portrays the horror of the Civil War and the trauma experienced by soldiers, their families and the country at large."

–Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Book Store

Make an impression with custom invitations and announcements!

Night Heron

• Wedding • Graduation • New Baby • Special Events

available in June, paperback, Hachette

Quality Printing • Personal Service • Competitive Pricing

by Adam Brookes "Night Heron is not an over-amped, carchasing, gun-riddled, thriller. It is taut, subtle, and feels all too real. Beijing looms as its own character as this tale of espionage unravels as diffuse and murky as the city's smog." -HBG Sales Rep John Lefler Author Adam Brookes was formerly the BBC's China Correspondent.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

You’re Invited!

“We’re proud to be a locally owned and operated business in Whatcom County Since 1914.”

Call today for a free quote: 354-4444

Mitze & Mary Jo

Visit our new website at: www.lyndenprintco.com

Summer 2015 19

MYSTERY The Ways of the World: A James Maxted Thriller

The Wild Inside:

by Robert Goddard

A Novel of Suspense

available June, hardcover, Mysterious Press

by Christine Carbo

available in June, paperback, Simon & Schuster

"An intense and thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride. Carbo's literary voice echoes with her love of nature, her knowledge of its brutality, and the wild and beautiful locale of Glacier National Park. The Wild Inside is a tour de force of suspense that will leave you breathlessly turning the pages late into the night." –Linda Castillo

Four years of horrific fighting have finally ended the Great War, and in the spring of 1919, Paris is filled with delegates who are still trying to hammer out the terms of peace. One such delegate is British diplomat Sir Henry Maxted. But before a deal is reached, Sir Henry turns up dead, apparently having fallen from the roof. Since the murder of a diplomat could be disastrous for the peace conference, no one is keen to ask questions–except his son Max.

How a Gunman Says Goodbye, Book one The Sudden Arrival of Violence, Book two The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter, Book three

by Malcolm Mackay

available nowl, paperback, Hachette

Malcolm Mackay's lauded Glasgow Trilogy pounds a familiar beat... the Glasgow backbeat of chisel-faced hard men, organised crime, vengeance, punishment beatings, vicious killing...the prose is as terse as the tale is tense . . . Mackay grabs the action from the start . . . He completely commands his material as he steers it towards a dramatic culmination." –Scotsman

Introducing VB Reads...

New Book Group!

Bellingham Mysterians

A Book Group for Mystery Readers Do you love a mystery? So do we! The Bellingham Mysterians is a book group for adults who are fans of the genre in all its sub-categories and micro-niches. If you’re interested in discovering new authors, sharing your favorite books, and exploring fresh twists on old themes, then join us the third Tuesday of every month at 4pm on the mezzanine level of Village Books in the Writers' Corner. Authors do not attend.

See villagebooks.com for monthly reading selections and follow us @bhammysterians on Twitter for updates on all things mysterious.

1980 -2015

1980

20 Summer 2015

Booker Prize Winner Fiction: Rites of Passage

by William Golding

35 YEARS

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

SCIENCE FICTION Seveneves

by Neal Stephenson available now, hardcover, William Morrow & Company

Fans of hardcore techno jargon, rejoice!

Neal Stephenson's new and absolutely enthralling novel starts off with a bang; literally...on the first page we learn that the moon has exploded! Humankind is doomed! We have two years to get as many people into space as we can before the Earth becomes a fiery ball of doom! Can we do it? Yes we can! –Laura

My Real Children

by Jo Walton

available now, paperback, Macmillan

"While wrestling with dementia, Pat reflects on how strange it is that she remembers two distinct lives. It becomes clear that the 20th century worlds Pat and Tricia inhabit are aslant our own and that just as the events of each woman's personal life are different, so are the politics, the wars, and the societies through which they move." –Amal El-Mohtar, NPR

The Fold

by Peter Clines

Tomorrow and Tomorrow

by Thomas Sweterlitsch

available now, paperback, Penguin

"A wild mash-up of Raymond Chandler, Philip K. Dick, and William S. Burroughs" (Stewart O'Nan, author of The Odds), the near-future thriller Tomorrow and Tomorrow is an insightful exploration of humanity's relationship with evolving virtual environments and an accurate portrayal of how the technology that was developed to connect people inevitably isolates them.

Armada

by Ernest Cline available in July, hardcover, Crown

When a spaceship lands in Zack's schoolyard and men in dark suits leap out and call his name, he's sure he's dreaming. But it's all too real and the people of Earth really need him. As Zack discovers, the videogame he's been playing isn't just a game; it's part of a top-secret government program, designed to teach gamers the skills they'll need to defend Earth from an alien invasion. And now…that invasion is coming.

available in June, hardcover, Crown Publishing

An old government friend of investigator Marco Leland presents him with an irresistible mystery—one that he seems uniquely qualified to solve: it seems that a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device that could make teleportation a reality. But something is very wrong with the project. The personalities of the scientists who work on it are changing. People are dying. And reality itself seems to be…warping.

The Chuckanut Radio Hour

Ernest Cline Thursday, July 16, 6:30pm tickets $5 - available now See page 51 for more information about this show!

Uprooted

by Naomi Novik

Fantasy

available now, hardcover, Random House

The Dead Lands

by Benjamin Percy

available now, hardcover, Hachette

In a post-apocalyptic America ravaged by flu and fallout, where civilization exists in tenuous pockets, a small group sets out from the shell of St. Louis to follow the Lewis and Clark trail to Oregon. "You will not come across a finer work of sustained imagination this year. Good God, what a tale. Don't miss it." –Stephen King

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

In Novik’s new fantasy, small villages abut a dangerous, enchanted Wood. Villagers have for generations relied upon magician protectors with varying success rates. The reader might be reminded of the best traditional fairy tales as Agnieszka, a girl from one endangered village, narrates the story of her part in this battle to reclaim their homeland. The characters are as complete and well-constructed as the world in which they dwell. This compelling and thought-provoking story telling swept me away. –Terri

Summer 2015 21

VB Reads...

Village Books

Groups meet in the VB Readings Gallery unless otherwise noted

Bellingham Mysterians

Mystery Book Group Meets at 4pm the 3rd Tuesday of each month in the Writers' Corner on the Mezzanine Level of Village Books. Do you love a mystery? So do we! This is a book group for adults who are fans of the genre in all its subcategories and micro-niches.

Sharpen Your Saw

Business Book Group Meet with Mike Cook the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 11am-1pm to discuss an alternative approach to keeping your mind sharp and life balanced while being part of a continuous learning 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.

Afternoon Book Chat Bring your tea or latte and come discuss contemporary literature with Sittrea the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 1pm—open to all!

Cover to Cover Adventure For ages 8-12. Enjoy a book chat & activities with Hana at 4pm the 2nd Tuesday of most months. This group is taking July & August off but will be back in September!

Book Book Groups Groups Pacific Northwest Book Group Meet with Maren the 4th Monday of every month at 7pm to discuss books set in the Northwest, books about the Northwest, and books from local authors.

Meetings take place in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.

Engaged Citizens Book Group Meets the 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.

Speculative Fiction Book Group Meet with Rachel the 3rd Monday of every month at 7pm to discuss thought-provoking speculative fiction in a group that welcomes diversity. Meetings take place in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.

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 take place in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.

Groups are open to Everyone.

Authors do Not Attend VB Reads

VB Reads book groups are open to anyone in the community to attend. There is no group membership. However, those who attend are eligible for a 15% discount on that group's selections.

Each month, Hana, VB 's book group coordinator, sends out a fantastic e-newsletter, specifically geared for book groups. It often contains staff recommends & fun facts about the reading habits of those of us here at the store! Sign up for the Book Group Newsletter at villagebooks.com or by emailing hana@villagebooks.com.

Go to villagebooks.com to see the monthly book selections for these groups!

Contact hana@villagebooks.com to:

Register YOUR book group with us and receive 15% off your book selections or to sign up for our monthly book group eNewsletter.

22 Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

When Daniel James Brown Came to Town Whatcom READS! 2015

by Linda Lambert, Retired WCC Library Director

T

he people who attended Whatcom READS! programs this year—those who handed in feedback forms—responded with a bunch of adjectives to describe Daniel James Brown: lively, warm, engaging, informative, humorous, inspirational, and humble.

The popularity of the author and his book, The Boys in the Boat, accounts for the largest audience ever for a single event since the program began in 2009.

Nine hundred twenty people went to the main presentation at the Mount Baker Theater and there were overflow crowds at the Jansen Art Center and the Community Book Discussion at the Fairhaven Library Auditorium.

More than 600 students, educators, and members of the public heard Brown speak at Mount Baker High School.

Gordy Adam, a member of the 1936 Olympics rowing team, was a graduate of Mount Baker High. MBHS staff members assembled and displayed pictures of Gordy and the members of the graduating class.

This year’s Whatcom READS! included a full slate of programs, including a sold-out viewing of Leni Reifenstall’s film about the Olympics, the publication of the Whatcom Writes anthology, and two presentations by Judy Rantz, the daughter of Joe Rantz—the primary subject of the book.

Judy Rantz, a neighbor of Brown’s in Redmond, invited Brown over to meet her father.

“She had an agenda,” Brown said, “She wanted to find someone to write her Dad’s story.” Joe Rantz died a few months after their meeting.

“I spent hundreds of hours with Judy. I was really just a conduit of information—from Joe to Judy to me.”

He also spent hundreds of hours doing research. “The book couldn’t have been written if I hadn’t had access to articles, photos and film in the Suzallo Library at the University of Washington.” He did extensive research on Nazi Germany.

“I became obsessed by Germany. I wrote 80 pages which were not in the book. I wanted readers to have an understanding of what was happening in Germany at the time.”

Brown described himself as “picky” about the projects he chooses—“and sometimes they pick me”—-since each takes him around five years to complete. The catalyst for writing his first book Under a Flaming Sky: the Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894 came when he was helping his mother move out of the house in which she had lived for forty years. He found letters and newspaper clippings that talked about the fire during which his great grandfather died.

He has not yet decided on his next project, but a movie deal has been struck for The Boys in the Boat. “Although,” he said, “there is no obligation except to list me as a consultant and to give me two tickets to the premiere.”

You can view a video of Brown's Mount Baker Theatre presentation by visiting the Whatcom READS! Facebook page at www.facebook.com/whatcomreads (no account needed).

RUTH OZEKI is the 2015/2016 Whatcom Reads!

Author Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being, shortlisted for the Booker Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award, is next year’s Whatcom READS! choice.

Village Books will donate 10% of revenue from sales of A Tale For the Time Being to Whatcom Reads!

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 23

Writing Groups

VB Writes...

Village Books

Groups meet in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of VB

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 all meet on the mezzanine level of Village Books in our Writers' Corner.

Fiction I

Prompts

SpecFic/SciFi

2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 6-8pm

2nd & 4th Mondays, 6-8pm

Poetry I

Young Adult & Children

1st & 3rd Thursdays, 5:30 to 7pm

2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6-8pm

2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6-8pm

Fiction II

1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 6-8pm

Poetry II

Creative Nontiction f

Nontiction f & Memoir

1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 10:15-12:15am

1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6-8pm

1st & 3rd Sundays, 3:15-5:15pm

Read more about each group at villagebooks.com. Please note that meeting times may vary during the holidays. Check our events calendar to confirm meeting times.

Contact Paul@villagebooks.com for more information.

GET T WRITE T

Prose

Wr t ng

best

at its Fusing Clarity, Grace and Style for All Genres

Subscribe to the Village Books

Just Write! eNewsletter

Info Sessions Our monthly eNewsletter gives tips for every stage of writing—from craft to publication to presentation.

Hear from local and national writing gurus and keep abreast of VB events, workshops, classes, and conferences for writers.

Thursday, May 21

How? Go to Villagebooks.com and click on the "Sign Up for our Weekly eNewsletter" icon.

When you receive the confirmation email, follow the link to update your profile and check the box next to "Just Write!"

wwu.edu/Enrich

5:30 p.m. at Village Books

Monday, September 21 5:30 p.m. at Village Books (360) 650-3308 Evening classes Open to the community.

Active Minds Changing Lives AA/EO

24 Summer 2015

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

Register Today for the 5th Annual

CHUCKANUT

WRITERS CONFERENCE

Friday & Saturday, June 26-27

by Jessica Lohafer, Chuckanut Writers Conference Planner The beginning of summer is a magical time in Bellingham. The days get longer, the weather gets warmer, and people finally begin to venture out of their homes to enjoy everything our beautiful town has to offer. It’s the perfect time for the fifth annual Chuckanut Writers Conference, a writing weekend you’ll never forget. The conference takes place on Friday and Saturday, June 26th and 27th.

Featuring literary agents, marketing specialists, and published authors, the conference truly lives up to its theme of Inspiration into Action. Writers at every stage of their career will have the opportunity to participate in lively writers’ workshops, enjoy faculty readings, pick up tips from industry experts, and even pitch their book to literary agents. 2014 Conference Attendee Rayma Haas had this to say about their experience: “The faculty were so approachable, accessible, and willing to share wonderful insights about their craft!”

This year we are thrilled to announce that we are offering not one, but three master classes! For an additional fee, attendees will have the opportunity to work more closely with conference faculty.

Jennifer Worick and Kerry Colburn (The Business of Books) will be sharing their book proposal expertise in their class, Secrets of a Successful Proposal. Washington State’s Inaugural Poet Laureate, Sam Green, will be exploring the structure of different poetic frameworks to inform and inspire new work in his class, The Art of Framing. In his class Fiction: What is it Made Of, writer Steven Galloway will look at each of the elements of theme, narrative, action, image, language and time in detail, to see what purpose they serve in the creation of story. These master classes will fill up quickly, so be sure to register soon!

Teaching Faculty Betsy Amster Philip Athans Carol Cassella Kerry Colburn Anne Depue Brian Doyle Steven Galloway Elizabeth George Sam Green Lee Gulyas Denise Jolly Stephanie Kallos William Kenower Elizabeth Kracht Erik Larson Robert Lashley Kate Lebo Brenda Miller Elissa Washuta Molly Wizenberg Jennifer Worick

Co-presenters Village Books and Whatcom Community College are very excited for this year’s conference, and proud to continue to promote literacy and a love of reading and writing within our community. This year, proceeds of the conference support the Sue C. Boynton Poetry contest. Their mission is to build and strengthen community spirit through a creative public activity that encourages persons of all ages, levels of writing experience and walks of life to express their perceptions of shared values in a poetic format.

The fifth anniversary of the Chuckanut Writers Conference is an incredible milestone that couldn’t have been reached without the help of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant community of writers. You are the inspiration that brings this conference to life. Join us on June 26th and 27th, and get ready to write!

For more information about this year’s Chuckanut Writers Conference, including registration, conference scheduling, literary agents, marketing specialists, featured authors, and master classes, visit the conference website at www. chuckanutwritersconference.com, “like” our conference page on Facebook (Chuckanut Writers Conference), call us at 360-383-3200, or send an email to comed@whatcom.ctc.edu.

Register Now!

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 25

Stories

Literature

The Guilty: Stories

Dead White Guys:

by Juan Villoro, translated by Kimberly Traube

A Father, His Daughter and the Great Books of the Western World

available in July, paperback, Norton

A brilliant, prize-winning collection of stories by Mexico’s most important living writer. From the semiotics of pet iguanas to the disillusionment of mariachi singers, Villoro reveals the deep dissatisfactions and absurdities of life in Mexico and its carnivalesque capital. As a master of the post-modern narrative, Villoro gives us contemporary Mexico through a complex interplay of culture and character psychology in the most surprising, fresh and humorous ways.

by Matt Burriesci

available in June, paperback, Cleis Press

After his daughter was born prematurely in 2010, Burriesci set out to write a book for her 18th birthday. In short, honest, and simple letters, Burriesci teaches his daughter about 32 great books, from Plato to Karl Marx, and how their lessons have applied to his life. As someone who has spent a long and successful career advocating for great literature, Burriesci defends the titles in this series of tender and candid letters, rich in personal experience, and full of humor.

Faculty:

“The faculty were so approachable, accessible, and willing to share wonderful insights about their craft!”

Rayma Haas Seattle, WA 2014 Conference Attendee

Inspiration into Action Friday and Saturday June 26 & 27, 2015 Whatcom Community College Bellingham, Washington www.chuckanutwritersconference.com

Betsy Amster Philip Athans Carol Cassella Kerry Colburn Anne Depue Brian Doyle Steven Galloway Elizabeth George Sam Green Lee Gulyas Denise Jolly Stephanie Kallos William Kenower Elizabeth Kracht Erik Larson Robert Lashley Kate Lebo Brenda Miller Elissa Washuta Molly Wizenberg Jennifer Worick

presented by

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Left: Original serigraph titled “Along Chuckanut Drive” by Nancy McDonnell Spaulding, commissioned by Chuckanut Bay Gallery, www.chuckanutbaygallery.com

1980

Pulitzer Prize Winners Nobel Prize in Literature: Czeslaw Milosz 1980 -2015

35

1980

Poetry: Collected Poems by Donald Justice Fiction: The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer Drama: Talley’s Folly by Lanford Wilson Nonfiction: Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter

YEARS

26 Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

Chuckanut Writers COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Conferences, classes, and retreats for your writing life

Village Books and WCC Community & Continuing Education offer a variety of classes and seminars as part of our collaborative writing program, Chuckanut Writers. These programs are designed to inspire and encourage writers at all stages of their writing journey.

Wednesday, July 29, 5-6:30pm

Teen Writing Workshop

The Art of Crime Fiction

with Joel Gillman

with Jenny Milchman

Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 7, 9, 14, 16, 10:30am-12:30pm in the Village Books Readings Gallery

Killing People for a Living in the Village Books Readings Gallery

By some accounts, crime fiction is the most popular kind of all— and always has been. Think Dostoevsky, Dickens, & Edgar Allan Poe. In this workshop, participants will learn why we love this genre, and how authors use suspense and danger to keep readers glued to the page.

Whether you're a writer, reader, or fan, you will come away with insight about thrilling books by some of your favorite authors...and learn how to create your next suspenseful tale.

Jenny Milchman is the author of three award-winning, critically acclaimed suspense novels published by Penguin Random House. She speaks nationally about writing and publishing and teaches for New York Writers Workshop. Registration includes a signed copy of Jenny's newest thriller, As Night Falls, along with a chance to win a Writer's Wishlist or Book Club Basket. 1 session - $45. Stick around after the class for a free Literature Live! event with Jenny at 7pm.

This two-week workshop is for teen writers ages 13-18.

4 sessions: $89

Teacher Writing Workshop with Joel Gillman July 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15, 8:30-10:30am in the Village Books Readings Gallery 5 sessions: $105

Turn to page 52 to read more about Joel Gillman's teen and teacher writing workshops!

Class registration is now open.

Visit whatcomcommunityed.com or call 360-383-3200 to reserve your space today.

NAME THE

PENGUIN

For nearly thirty-three years, the penguin, who was first the centerpiece of our Paper Dreams logo, and has more recently been seen carrying a book in the combined emblem of Village Books & Paper Dreams, has been nameless. Can you imagine—more than three decades without a name? It's time to remedy that.

On May 2nd—Independent Bookstore Day—we launched a contest to name the penguin. We've gathered a lot of great suggestions, but there's still time to get your entry in. On Saturday, June 13, we'll unveil the winning name. So what's in it for you? Some great prizes—a year's supply of Fairhaven's Finest Fudge, a $35 gift card (in honor of our 35th anniversary), and best of all, bragging rights.

So, stop in the store anytime through Friday, June 12th and fill out the entry form. Do the poor penguin a favor, help it get a real name.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

27

Flowers & Gardening The Reason for Flowers: Their History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives

by Stephen Buchmann

available in July, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

"Flowers are miniature chemical factories, wireless signal stations, inspiration for artists, and sustenance for the most important creatures living on the planet. Buchmann is a gifted storyteller and an inquisitive scientist who is intrigued by the dazzling and intricate world of flowers. Thanks to this delightful new book, you will be, too." –Amy Stewart

FIND ME IN PAPER DREAMS!

Garden Projects: 25 Easy-to-Build Wood Structures and Ornaments

by Roger Marshall

available in June, paperback, Norton

Garden Projects gives you a range of plans for useful and ornamental additions to your garden. Each project is fully explained, with detailed step-by-step descriptions and illustrations to guide you through. Author Roger Marshall has carefully designed projects that don’t require a vast array of tools or advanced woodworking skills. Every gardener will find ideas and plans to enhance his or her garden in this helpful book.

#coopgrown

EST CONT

Stylish Reusable Snack Bags Not just for kids anymore!

Show us your garden!

Making a Wildflower Meadow: The Definitive Guide to Grassland Gardening

WIN A $50

by Pam Lewis

available now, hardcover, Lincoln, Frances Limited

Meadow-making helps preserve our fragile environment from further decline but it requires knowledge and skill to create a successful meadow. In this timely book, Pam Lewis's passion for traditional pasture management and the preservation of our native species of plants and her extensive meadow-making experience, are translated into an easy-toread, informative and highly practical text on creating and preserving wildflower meadows—from the smallest garden meadow to large-scale field projects.

CO-OP GIFT CARD!

A Natural History of English Gardening: 1650-1800

by Mark Laird available in June, haradcover, Yale University Press

Mark Laird unearths forgotten historical data to reveal the complex visual cultures of early modern gardening.

Illustrated by a stunning wealth of visual and literary materials—paintings, engravings, poetry, essays, and letters, as well as prosaic household accounts and nursery bills—Laird fundamentally transforms our understanding of the English landscape garden as a powerful cultural expression.

28 Summer 2015

#coopgrown

FIND ME IN PAPER DREAMS! Crabtree & Evelyn

Gardeners Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Therapy

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

MARKET DAYS in FAIRHAVEN The Perfect Mid-Week Pick-Me-Up

It’s hard to believe that after all these years, there are still locals that don’t know about the Bellingham Farmers Market’s Wednesday Market in Fairhaven. This little market has been going strong for over a dozen years and it continues to evolve and grow as more and more folks discover this gem!

Bellingham Farmers Market is celebrating its 23rd season this year! While this Market is a quarter the size of the iconic Saturday Market, it delivers the same assortment of local food, gifts, and fun in a more intimate experience on the Fairhaven Village Green, right behind Village Books. Through the years, this Market has developed into a unique destination – a laid back gathering place that offers families and visitors the perfect location to spend an afternoon (noon to 5 pm), relaxing, putting together a picnic and enjoying lunch from the market's food and produce vendors, and soaking up the festive atmosphere.

June 3rd was opening day for the Wednesday Market! If you missed it, not to worry – there will be 17 more opportunities to relish the Wednesday Market, as it runs through September 30.

More than 25 vendors gather on the Fairhaven Village Green to offer market-goers a diverse range of products, from fresh produce to fine jewelry, vibrant flowers to tasty treats, and much more. Many customers find this Market to be more convenient for their weekly shopping as it offers a wide array of fresh, local produce in an easy-to-access location and perfectly timed for their much-earned breaks from work. And families love the kid-friendly atmosphere that the Village Green offers them.

With support from Village Books, the Market will continue to offer up the Fresh Local Music series started in 2011. This music line-up features a live performance every Wednesday afternoon from 2:30-4:30pm! Local favorite Chad Petersen will kick things off on opening day. Among the other performers slated for the 2015 season are Amber Darland, Chuck Dingee, Jean Mann, the Loofahs, and Quickdraw String Band to name a few.

Also, one of the most popular features from the Saturday Market has been added to our Summer Wednesday programming, Kids Vending Day! It's always exciting to see what the creative young entrepreneurs have made or grown themselves! In recent seasons, their products have ranged from duct tape wallets, paperweights, fabric bags, and toys for pets to original cards, jewelry, bath products, plants, and baked goods. Kids are invited to try their hand at running a business every Wednesday when school is out, July-August.

"The Fairhaven Village Green offers a relaxed setting, perfect for perusing booths at a slower pace," said Caprice Teske, Market Director. "It's an ideal place to meet a friend for lunch, or have a picnic on the grass with your kids. And the fact that you can pick up fresh fixings for dinner is an added bonus!"

Wednesdays Now - September 30 Our flagship Saturday Market continues to operate at Depot Market Square in downtown Bellingham from 10am to 3pm every Saturday from April through December and also the third Saturdays of January, February and March. It is a perennial favorite with locals and tourists alike. This vibrant Market is known for attracting large crowds to shop the 100 vendors that sell local produce and goods. This Market also offers special events such as our Chef in the Market series which showcases local chefs demonstrating their favorite recipes using market-fresh products.

See you at the Market!

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 29

ALL-AMERICAN 100% RECYCLABLE A BENEFIT FOR RE SOURCES

Yes, We CAN! July 4th Polecat & Wild Rabbit 40 Breweries

Hot Food. Live Music.

Family Fun.

6pm to Fireworks

Outside Elizabeth Station • Great View

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1 CANNED CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

THE NORTHWEST’S No.

20 adv. $25 door • Kids < 14 free TICKETS: re-sources.org • 733.8307 $

RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

PROTECT. ACTIVATE. INNOVATE. THRIVE.

30 Summer 2015

THE

RESTORE

SPEND A LITTLE. SAVE A TON.

Building Community One Book at a Time

k

A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)

by Anna Jones

available now, hardcover, Ten Speed Press

Any cookbook recommended by Jamie Oliver is worth looking at. In this beautiful new collection of recipes and general culinary advice, Anna Jones focuses on presenting delicious, decadent recipes while keeping health—yours and the planet's—as a priority. The recipes in this book emphasize the importance of a homecooked meal while keeping in mind that most of us eat on a budget and don't have time to prepare a fancy meal every night. Using household staples like quinoa and rice, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and creative flavors, many of these recipes are vegan and they're all delicious! –Jenny

At Village Books

Samuel Fromartz

A Free Event!

Saturday, August 22, 4pm

In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker’s Odyssey

by Samuel Fromartz

FOODk

Sunset Eating Up the West Coast: The Best Road Trips,

Restaurants, and Recipes from California to Washington

by Brigit Binns

available now, trade, Oxmoor House

Sunset Magazine teams up with cookbook author and Road Foodie blogger Brigit Binns to take readers on a mouthwatering tour along scenic highways and picturesque back roads of the Pacific coast. Brigit and her trusty canine companion, Stella, make their way up the region in four bites—Southern California, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington—discovering local eateries, dives, and cafes that showcase the true flavors of each region. More than 125 delicious and authentic recipes fill the pages of this part cookbook, part delicious journey, along with tales from owners, patrons, and employees that bring each restaurant's and region's personality to light.

available now, hardcover, Viking

In 2009, journalist Samuel Fromartz was offered the assignment of a lifetime: to travel to France to work in a boulangerie. So began his quest to hone not just his homemade baguette, but his knowledge of bread, from seed to table. Entertaining and inspiring, this book will be a touchstone for a new generation of bakers and a must-read for anyone who wants to take a deeper look at this deceptively ordinary, exceptionally delicious staple: handmade bread.

At Village Books

Kirsten & Christopher Shockey Monday, A Free Event!

June 15, 7pm

Fermented Vegetables:

Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes

by Kirsten & Christopher Shockey available now, paperback, Storey Publishing

Fermented foods are a delicious, healthy addition to any diet. This guide includes in-depth instruction and more than 120 recipes for fermenting 64 different vegetables and herbs. Discover how easy it is to make dozens of exciting dishes, including curried golden beets, carrot kraut, and pickled green coriander. .360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

A Bone to Pick: The good and bad news about food, with wisdom and advice on diets, food safety, GMOs, farming, and more

by Mark Bittman

available now, hardcover, Pam Krauss Books

As an opinion columnist, Mark has delighted us, enraged us, and inspired us to do more for ourselves and our world in his nononsense style. In the tradition of his New York Times bestselling Food Matters, this book collects the best of his columns, updated to reflect the latest research, and tied together with new material to give context and show how far we’ve come in just a few years.

Driving Hungry: A Memoir

by Layne Mosler

available in July, hardcover, Pantheon

After leaving a tango club in Buenos Aires following a terrible turn on the dance floor, the author impulsively asks her taxi driver to take her to his favorite restaurant. Soon she’s savoring one of the best steaks of her life, and in the weeks after, repeating the experiment with equally delectable results.

So begins the gustatory adventure that became the basis for her cult blog, Taxi Gourmet.

Summer 2015

31

Enjoy Great Meals at These Fairhaven Restaurants!

book fare café in village books

now catering

seasonal local organic allergy-friendly come see what’s new on the mezzanine level upstairs in village books

EVERYDAY 8 AM – 2 PM 1101 HARRIS AVENUE IN FAIRHAVEN

www.bookfarecafe.com 360.734.3434

CLASSIC FAVORITES

AW Asian Bistro A.W. Asian Bistro

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PLAN, HOST, AND CATER YOUR PRIVATE PARTIES OR COMPANY GATHERINGS AT HARRIS AVENUE CAFÉ!

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open daily for Lunch & Dinner 12th & Mill in Historic Fairhaven • 715.3028

Go to VillageBooks.com to see this issue, as well as past issues, of The Chuckanut Reader online!

32 Summer 2015

Breakfast and Lunch Served Daily Homemade Soups and Pastries Wheat Free Pastries Available BEST MIMOSAS IN TOWN

E-MAIL KELLY FOR MORE INFORMATION KB.PALADINRESTINC@GMAIL.COM

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Please Support all of our Amazing Advertisers!

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

n e h c t i K E H T IN

k

Book recommendations from one of our favorite chefs. Bon Appétit!

T

he salad days of summer have arrived at last! What to do with all that free time? Read, cook, and eat of course! This selection of freshly picked books will keep you entertained and fed throughout the season.

Milk Bar Life: Recipes & Stories

by Christina Tosi available now, hardcover, Clarkson Potter Here's something of a catalog of the important foods from the life of NYC's Momofuku Milk Bar celeb chef Christina Tosi. It's sort of a crazy mashup of recipes from Grandma, odd but delicious combinations for quick dinners, party food, and of course, cookies. This book is for having fun, celebrating life, good food, and the people we love to share it with.

The Joy of Cheesemaking:

The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Making, and Eating Fine Cheese

by Jody M. Farnham available now, paperback, Skyhorse Publishing In teaching a little bit about the making of cheese, Jody Farnham teaches us a whole lot about how to choose and enjoy the kinds of cheese other people make that we can love. Goat, cow, sheep, raw, washed, bloomy, yum! .

My Organic Life:

How a Pioneering Chef Helped Shape the Way We Eat Today

by Nora Pouillon available inow, hardcover, Knopf Doubleday Take this book with you to sit out in the sun. Nora Pouillon is famously known as the founder of the first certified organic restaurant in the U.S., and this memoir takes us through her pastoral childhood in Austria through the difficult challenges of trying to change the way Americans think about and buy their food. It's about the birth of the farm-to-table movement and the heroics of one woman who brought her ideals to the world.



Endless Summer Cookbook

by Katie Lee available now, hardcover, Abrams Fun, easy, delicious recipes fill this book celebrating the season. Whether it's a quick bite before heading out to the beach, a colorful, fresh market lunch, or a relaxing dinner with friends and family in the long, long evenings, you will find inspiration to cook lovely summer meals from this cookbook.

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 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 33

BE A

LOCAL LOVER! Are you a local lover? Do you love Thinking Local First and supporting the local, independently owned businesses that make our community one-of-a-kind?

Check out these upcoming events and publications to enjoy the BEST of what our unique community has to offer!

MONTH OF JULY

JUNE 27TH & 28TH

Tickets

$10 Imagine This!

Home & Landscape Tour

Do it your-selfers and those looking for great local contractors for an upcoming project will delight in a weekend of exploring beautiful, innovative and eco-friendly homes and landscapes during the 13th Annual Imagine This!

Home & Landscape Tour. This year’s tour includes 10 amazing locations featuring the best in eco-friendly homes and landscapes.

Support our Independents

NEW THIS YEAR! SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH

Exercise your freedom to choose and make an extra effort to shop at local, independently owned businesses. Watch for fun events for the whole family including local tours, celebrations and prize giveaways at your favorite local businesses throughout the entire month!

Sustainable Living Festival

FREE

A new addition to the Imagine This! Home & Landscape Tour - featuring local businesses offering products and services to help you find sustainable options for your home including energy improvements, water-reuse and efficiency, urban farming tools, native landscape plants and installers, green builders and products, and much more. 210 E. Laurel St., Bellingham, 10am - 4pm

MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

YEAR ROUND...

Eat Local Month & Whatcom Co. Farm Tour

Whatcom Food & Farm Finder

September is officially Eat Local Month in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Look for local food themed events, dining specials at your favorite local restaurants and the amazing harvest of local food available directly from farmers. And don’t forget about the Farm Tour always the Second Saturday in September. FREE!

TREAT Your Tastebuds - Go where the locals go, pick up your free Food & Farm Finder and plan your next foodie getaway right here in Whatcom County!

Home & Landscape Tour Tickets and Food & Farm Finders available at Village Books.

For more details visit www.sustainableconnections.org

Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community.

34 Summer 2015

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

CHUCK'S GREAT

BIKING ADVENTURE

Just a matter of days after the publication of this edition of the Reader, Chuck will head off to cover about 2400 miles back to his hometown of Galva, Illinois. He's going to celebrate his 50th high school reunion (and don't believe him when he tells you he was a child prodigy who graduated at the age of five).

To make the trip a bit more interesting, he's decided to do it on his bicycle. And to make it even more interesting, he's doing it as a fundraiser for three foundations—The Whatcom Community Foundation, The Book Industry Foundation, and the Galva Foundation for Educational Enrichment. He's donating $1.00 for each mile he rides to each of the three.

He's hoping you will also contribute to one or more of the foundations of your choice. You don't have to donate a dollar per mile, though he'd love it if you do, but each of these foundations would appreciate anything you can contribute.

A penny a mile would cost you less than $25—that's not even

lunch in most restaurants, and it's less than a week worth of lattes. A dime a mile would be less than $250—try getting a night at a hotel in Seattle and dinner out for that. And… well you've got the picture.

To pledge, you can simply go to VillageBooks.com and scroll down until you find the "Ride2400" block. You'll just need to click through, fill out the form with your name and email address and your pledge, and hit the submit button.

After the ride, Chuck will let you know the actual number of miles and how to make the donation to your chosen foundation(s).

If any of you would like to ride part of the ride—perhaps the first day from Bellingham to Newhalem on June 15th— just email Chuck at ride2400@villagebooks.com. Follow him on his blog: ride2400.typepad.com/chucks-big-ride.

Chuck's ride is sponsored in part by Fairhaven Bicycle and Cirrus Cycles BodyFloat™.

D

FIND ME IN PAPER DREAMS! on

't

Bike Chain Mug

35th Anniversary s our mis

SALE

Sat. & Sun. June 13th & 14th

20% OFF

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

at Village Books AND Paper Dreams!

Two Days Only!

Summer 2015 35

6 Week Summer

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GET Fit: Just $67 GET Fit & Play Tennis: Just $147

Call us today!

800 McKenzie Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225

360.733.5050

www.bellinghamtennis.com

36 Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

Indies Choice BOOK AWARDS 2015

Reflecting the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide, the 2015 Indies Choice Book Award winners, chosen by the owners and staff at American Booksellers Association member stores are: • Adult Fiction All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)

• Young Adult The Darkest Part of the Forest

by Holly Black (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

• Adult Nonfiction Being MortalNine

• Adult Debut The Martian

Medicine and What Matters in the End

by Atul Gawande

by Andy Weir (Crown)

(Metropolitan Books)

E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards

Reflecting the playful, well-paced language, the engaging themes, and the universal appeal to a wide range of ages embodied by E.B. White’s collection of beloved books.

• Middle Reader Brown Girl Dreaming

by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books)

• Picture Book Sam and Dave Dig a Hole

by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick)

2015 Indie Champion Award Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer Presented to the author or illustrator that has both the best sense of the importance of independent bookstores to their communities at large and the strongest personal commitment to foster and support the mission and passion of independent booksellers.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

37

Poetry Selected Translations

City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology

available in July, paperback, Copper Canyon Press

edited by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Selected Translations is the lifework from one of America's greatest poets and translators.

Dedicated to the art of translation since his undergraduate years at Princeton, Merwin has achieved an unmatched oeuvre of translated poems from every corner of the earth. The Midwest Review says: "An absorbing experience that resonates with a multitude of cultural viewpoints and traditions...An astonishing tour de force."

available now, hardcover, City Lights Publishing

60th Anniversary Edition

by W.S. Merwin

This is a comprehensive selection from Ferlinghetti's famed series. He has selected three poems from each of the sixty volumes, including the work of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Denise Levertov, Marie Ponsot, and many other groundbreaking poets from around the world. It's an invaluable distillation of the iconoclastic and still fresh body of work that this series represents.

The Essential Ginsberg

The Poetry of Emily Dickinson

by Allen Ginsberg, edited by Michael Schumacher

by Emily Dickinson

available now, paperback, HarperCollins

available in July, leather-like paperback, Thunder Bay Press

Canterbury Classics presents a special edition of poetry by Emily Dickinson.

Dickinson insisted that her life of isolation gave her an introspective and deep connection with the world. As a result, her work parallels her life; misunderstood in its time, but full of depth and imagination, concerned with such universal themes as nature, art, friendship, love, society, and mortality.

"Allen Ginsberg brilliantly adhered to the poet's job of looking into the darkness of his time, seeing the generative aspects of imagination, composing texts as orality and believing in the power of poetry to re-awaken the world to itself. When planet earth is dust this will be one of the books to take to Mars to remember us by." –Anne Waldman

A Free Event at Village Books

Allen Frost & Fred Sodt Join Us!

Saturday, June 6, 4pm

Roosevelt

by Allen Frost & Fred Sodt available now, paperback, Good Dead Rain

In Bellingham in July 1942, a boy and a girl search for a missing circus elephant.

In appreciation of the old Scholastic paperbacks, this poetic novel is beautifully illustrated and written for children and adults, bringing joy and cheer to a troubled world.

1980

John Lennon is shot outside his New York apartment

38 Summer 2015

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

Art I’m giving a shout-out for three fantastic art books that are simply mindblowing! –Jonica Gordon Smith: Don’t Look Back

by Andy Sylvester available now, hardcover, Black Dog Publishing

Look behind the cover to discover Canada’s powerful genius, whose work is somewhere between Jackson Pollack and Monet. What a gorgeous vision of the Pacific Northwest! –Jonica

9

RISK FREE READS

GU

ck

y Money B Da a 0-

A R A N TEE

Art of the Middle East:

Dustin Yellin:

Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World and Iran (Revised)

Heavy Water

by Alanna Heiss available now, hardcover, Rizzoli

by Saeb Eigner available now, paperback, Merrell Publishers

Who knew that powerful, bold, caustic, political, and war-ravaged cultural visions could be so very graceful? This is a collection of very diverse artistic styles, but unlike most political Western art, this proves it’s possible to make a powerful statement and keep faith with beauty. –Jonica

Influenced by the Chinese terracotta warriors, Nikola Tesla, and Marcel Duchamp, Yellin’s sculptural work, composed of small collage pieces assembled into sixfoot-tall statues, is totally mindblowing.

This is obsession at its most gorgeous, powerful, and astounding. –Jonica

Playing to the Gallery: Helping Contemporary Art in Its Struggle to Be Understood

by Grayson Perry

available now, hardcover, Penguin

Grayson Perry wants to show that any of us can appreciate art. Based on his hugely popular Reith Lectures and full of words and pictures, this funny, personal journey through the art world answers the basic questions that might occur to us in an art gallery but seem too embarrassing to ask.

Art Technique Tate Watercolor Manual: Lessons from the Great Masters

by Tony Smibert and Joyce H. Townsend available now, paperback, Tate Publishing

British artists have excelled in watercolor painting even before Turner amazed the world with his watercolor sketches and studies. This book explores the specifics of how, using the master watercolorists and their techniques in step-by-step instructions. Even if you don't wish to paint yourself, you'll come away with a greater appreciation of the masters and just how difficult this medium can be.

Don't Forget... Village Books also offers a wide variety of gorgeous used and bargain art books.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 39

Science Glaciers: The Politics of Ice

by Jorge Daniel Taillant

Spirals in Time: The Secret Life

available in June, hardcover, Oxford University Press

Glaciers is a scientific, cultural, and political examination of the cryosphere—the earth's ice. Comprising three quarters of the world's fresh water, they freeze in the winter and melt in the summer, supplying water that is plentiful enough for agriculture and clean enough to drink. Without them, many of the planet's rivers would run dry shortly after the winter snowmelt.

Taillant makes suggestions on what can be done to preserve these crucial sources of fresh water, from both a scientific and policy-making standpoint.

Mathematics

and Curious Afterlife of Seashells

by Helen Scales

available in July, hardcover, Macmillan

Seashells are touchstones leading into fascinating realms of the natural world and cutting-edge science. Mollusks are among the most ancient animals on the planet. Their shells provide homes for other animals, and across the ages, people have used shells not only as trinkets but also as a form of money, and as powerful symbols of sex and death, prestige and war.

The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures

How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics

by Malba Tahan, translated by Leslie Clark, Alastair Reid, and Patricia Reid Bacquero

available now, hardcover, Basic Books

available now, paperback, Norton

Math professor Eugenia Cheng provides an accessible introduction to the logic and beauty of mathematics, using insights from the kitchen. For example, how the béchamel in a lasagna can be a lot like the number 5, and why making a good custard proves that math is easy but life is hard. At the heart of it all is Cheng’s work on category theory, about figuring out how math works.

The Man Who Counted is the creation of a celebrated Brazilian mathematician looking for a way to bring some of the mysteries and pleasures of mathematics to a wider public. The adventures of Beremiz Samir, the man who counted, take the reader on a journey in which, time and again, Samir summons his extraordinary mathematical powers to settle disputes, give wise advice, overcome dangerous enemies, and win for himself fame, fortune, and rich rewards.

by Eugenia Cheng

We Offer

99¢

Shipping USPS Media Mail –books & dvds–

available online AND in-store domestic shipping only

In Fairhaven 1050 Larrabee Ave, Suite 102 360-752-2956 Walk in Clinic: Saturday & Sunday 9:30am-4:00pm

By Appointment: Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm Same day appointments usually available

Mitchell Kahn, MD

Julie Kahnamoui, ARNP

Comprehensive Primary Care -- Adolescent to Geriatric

40 Summer 2015

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

Nature Beyond Words:

The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs:

What Animals Think and Feel

by Carl Safina

available in July, hardcover, Macmillan

Safina delves deeply into the lives of animals, witnessing their profound capacity for perception, thought, and emotion. Weaving observation with new understanding of brain functioning, his narrative erases many previously held distinctions between humans and other animals. Readers travel from Kenya's Sheldrake elephant orphanage, to Yellowstone to observe free-living wolves, to the whales off of Vancouver.

Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys of the Avian World (10th Anniversary Edition)

by Candace Savage

Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals— and Other Forgotten Skills

by Tristan Gooley

available in July, paperback, The Experiment

If you’re walking with Tristan Gooley, leave your smartphone at home. Over the last 20 years, Gooley has learned from some of the most remote tribal people on earth. With his first book, The Natural Navigator, he started a renaissance in the rare art of reading nature’s clues. Now he’s compiled more than 850 outdoor tips—many not found in any other book in the world—that will open readers’ eyes to nature’s hidden logic. He shares techniques for forecasting and tracking, and for walking in the country or city, along the coast, and by night.

available now, paperback, Greystone Books

This new, revised edition of Candace Savage’s best-selling book about ravens and crows is enhanced by additional paintings, drawings, and photos, as well as a fascinating selection of first-person stories and poems about remarkable encounters with crows. In one story, a pack of crows brilliantly thwarts an attack by a Golden Eagle; in another, a mischievous crow rescues the author from grief.

At Village Books

David Neiwert Wednesday, June 24, 7pm

Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us

Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins

by David Neiwert

available in June, hardcover, The Overlook Press

by Susan Casey

available in August, hardcover, Doubleday

No writer is better positioned to portray these magical creatures than Susan Casey, whose combination of personal reporting, intense scientific research, and evocative prose made The Wave and The Devil’s Teeth contemporary classics of writing on the oceans. For two years Casey traveled the world, and now she has written a thrilling book about the other intelligent life on the planet.

1980

Popular Movies 1. Airplane 2. All That Jazz 3. Caddyshack 4. The Blue Lagoon 5. The Blues Brothers

A Free Event!

1980 -2015

35 YEARS

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

“A wide-ranging, interesting book that should be required reading for schoolaged environmentalists.”

–Kirkus Review Of Orcas and Men arises from journalist David Neiwert’s writing over the past 20 years about orcas. This in-depth book, a mix of cultural history, environmental reporting, and scientific research, details what we have learned about orcas from studying them closely in the wild. Neiwert is an investigative journalist based in Seattle. He is the author of many books, including And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border and Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community. His reportage for MSNBC.com on domestic terrorism won the National Press Club Award for Distinguished Online Journalism. Neiwert is also the senior editor of Crooks and Liars.

1980

Dallas is the #1 TV show

Summer 2015 41

$10 General/$5 Members BrownPaperTickets.com/ event/1381965

Co-sponsored by North Cascades Audubon Society and North Cascades Institute.

www.whatcommuseum.org

THE OWL & THE WOODPECKER

TA L K > P a u l B a n n i c k , “ T h e O w l & t h e Wo o d p e c k e r R e v i s i t e d ” Tu e s . A u g . 1 1 , 7 p m Rotunda Room | Old City Hall

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL BANNICK | THROUGH AUGUST 30, 2015 | OLD CITY HALL

Photo by Paul Bannick Northern Hawk Owl

Nature A Free Event at Village Books

Jack Nisbet Wednesday, June 10th, 7pm Part of the Nature of Writing Series, in partnership with North Cascades Institute.

Ancient Places: People and Landscape in the Emerging Northwest

by Jack Nisbet

available now, hardcover, Sasquatch Books

Jack Nisbet uncovers touchstones across the Pacific Northwest that reveal the symbiotic relationship of people and place in this corner of the world. From rural Oregon, where a controversy brewed over the provenance and ownership of a meteor, to the great floods 15,000 years ago that shaped what is now Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, this is a compelling collection of stories about the natural and human history of our region.

Self-Improvement Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives

by Gretchen Rubin

available now, hardcover, Crown Publishing

Having just finished The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, I wanted to enhance that experience and follow it up with Rubin's book on organizing and shaping my habits to match the tidiness. This project is a work-in-progress and I am learning better mental decluttering exercises. Rubin advises the reader that good habits come from good selfknowledge. Some of her pithy phrases include: Sitting is the new smoking, it's enough to begin, lightning bolt changes, and avoid tomorrow-logic. Worthy reading for anyone who may have a habit they would like to re-shape. –Cindi

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

Village Books is a Dog-Friendly Store!

For more information, information, visit visit

www.bellinghamcityclub.org

We Look Forward to Seeing You 42 Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

Northwest Mount St Helens Erupts

1980

Washington's Pacific Coast: A Guide to Hiking, Camping, Fishing & Other Adventures

1980

U.S. Open Tennis Champions are John McEnroe and Chris Evert Lloyd

by Greg Johnston

available now, paperback, Mountaineers Books

Hang on to your sand bucket: This is the first ever comprehensive guidebook to the entire Washington coast from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Columbia River.

In addition to Olympic National Park's spectacular 70-milelong wilderness strip, Johnston covers every park, fishing and clamming spot, paddling option, and the best beachcombing destinations. Whether it's a day trip or a week long backpacking vacation, you'll find the perfect beach here.

Adventure Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight

by Matt Higgins

Advertise in

ADVENTURES NW >>>

available in July, paperback, Penguin

"Gripping ...In a way that shocked me, the book is perversely entertaining when Higgins reveals the fates of many of the men and women he writes about with such admiration. In a truly intoxicating read that was hard to put down, Higgins has managed to make real a world about as far removed from daily life as it gets." –Chicago Tribune

· 60,000 Readers · Affordable Rates · Beautiful, World-Class Content · A Perfect Fit for Our Community Contact Chara @ 360.202.5151 or Chara@AdventuresNW.com

Village Books & Paper Dreams

Gift Cards For All Ages

& Any Occasion 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

43

Current Events The Hillary Doctrine:

The Ferguson Report: Department of Justice Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department

Sex and American Foreign Policy

by Valerie M. Hudson

available in June, hardcover, Columbia University Press

by The United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division introduction by Theodore M. Shaw available in July, paperback, The New Press

In the wake of the Ferguson protests, the Department of Justice launched a sixmonth investigation, resulting in a report that Colorlines characterizes as "so caustic it reads like an Onion article" and laying bare what the Huffington Post calls "a totalizing police regime beyond any of Kafka's ghastliest nightmares." Contextualized here in a substantial introduction by former NAACP president Theodore M. Shaw, this is a sad and sobering document, providing a snapshot of American law enforcement at the start of the twenty-first century.

This is not a book about Hillary Clinton's run for the presidency. This is a smart, thoughtful book about what has been labeled The Hillary Doctrine: the idea that the subjugation of women in other nations poses a threat to U.S. security and must be considered in foreign policy. It reports directly on the work being done by U.S. government agencies, including the Office of Global Women's Issues Department and explores the complexity and pitfalls of attempting to improve the lives of women while safeguarding the national interest.

Indonesia, Etc.: Exploring the Improbable Nation

by Elizabeth Pisani

The Language of Tears: My Journey into the World of Shi'i Muslim Women

available in June, paperback, Norton

by Bridget Blomfield

available in June, paperback, White Cloud Press

The Language of Tears details the engaging five-year experience of an American scholar throughout her journey teaching and participating in a Shiite Muslim community in Southern California. As a teacher in a Muslim school, she participates in the lives of Iranian, Iraqi, and Pakistani women as they perform their religious rituals.

Jakarta tweets more than any other city on earth, but 80 million Indonesians live without electricity and many of its communities still share in ritual sacrifices. With over 300 ethnic groups spread across 13,500 islands, the world’s fourth most populous nation has been working on a structured goverment. Fearless and funny, Pisani bunks down in a sulfurous volcano and takes tea with a corpse. Along the way, she observes Big Men with child brides, debates corruption and cannibalism, and ponders “sticky” traditions that cannot be erased.

1980 -2015

Straight to Hell:

1980

True Tales of Deviance, Debauchery, and Billion-Dollar Deals

available in July, hardcover, Atlantic Monthly Press

“Some chick asked me what I would do with 10 million bucks. I told her I'd wonder where the rest of my money went."–@GSElevator.

Over the past three years, the notorious GSElevator Twitter feed has offered a shamelessly voyeuristic look into the real world of international finance—but that's only part of the story. Here John LeFevre offers his own story—an unapologetic and darkly funny account of a career as a globe-conquering investment banker.

US leads boycott of Moscow Olympics in protest of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

44 Summer 2015

35

CNN is launched for the 1st time

by John LeFevre

1980

Iran/Iraq war begins

YEARS

1980

Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local—and Helped Save an American Town

by Beth Macy

available in June, paperback, Hachette

Macy brings to life Bassett's deeply personal furniture and family story, along with a host of characters from an industry that was as cutthroat as it was colorful. As she shows how he uses legal maneuvers, factory efficiencies, and sheer grit and cunning to save hundreds of jobs, she also reveals the truth about modern industry in America.

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

History Sicily: An Island at the The Cost of Courage

by Charles Kaiser

available in June, hardcover, Other Press

This fascinating story of one family's work for the French Resistance is hard to put down. Despite the crucial role they played in the Second World War, and the massive sacrifices they made, almost nothing has been written about Andre Boulloche, his sisters Christiane and Jacqueline, and the people who worked with them in occupied Paris. Thankfully, Charles Kaiser's stirring, insightful book changes that. –Sam

The Wright Brothers

by David McCullough

available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them in their "mission" to take to the air.

Nautical Adventures

Crossroads of History

by John Julius Norwich

available in July, hardcover, Random House

John Julius Norwich offers a page-turning account of an island and the remarkable kings, queens, and tyrants who fought to rule it. From its beginnings as a feared Greek city-state to its rise as a wealthy, multicultural trading hub during the Crusades, to its rebellion against Italian unification and the rise of the Mafia, the story of Sicily is rich with extraordinary moments and dramatic characters.

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris

by Alex Kershaw

available in August, hardcover, Crown

Avenue de Foch, an exclusive residential street in Nazi-occupied Paris, was a hotbed of spies, secret police, informers, and Vichy collaborators. So when American physician Sumner Jackson found himself drawn into the Liberation network of the French resistance, he knew the stakes were impossibly high.

Jackson’s neighbors included Theodor Dannecker, an Eichmann protégé, and the Parisian headquarters of the Gestapo, run by the most effective spy hunter in Germany.

& Misadventures!

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship

by Robert Kurson

available in June, hardcover, Random House

Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson is the perfect summer read. A completely true tale about two men seeking out legendary pirate ships and the treasure that sunk with them. Things are never what they seem in this adventure-packed biography. This book is an insightful look into the pirates that shaped the 1700's and the men that are still chasing them. –Rebecca

Last Man Off: A True Story of Disaster and Survival on the Antarctic Seas

by Matt Lewis

available now, paperback, Penguin

Twenty-three-year-old Matt Lewis had just started his dream job as a scientific observer aboard a deep-sea fishing boat in the waters off Antarctica. As the crew haul in the line for the day, a storm begins to brew. When the captain vanishes and they are forced to abandon ship, Lewis leads the escape onto three life rafts, where the battle for survival begins.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Shipwreck: A History of Disasters at Sea

by Sam Willis

available in July, paperback, Hachette

Sam Willis traces the astonishing tales of ships that have met with disastrous ends, along with the ensuing acts of courage, moments of sacrifice and episodes of villainy that inevitably occurred in the extreme conditions. This is a thrilling work of narrative history from one of our most talented young historians.

Summer 2015 45

Celebrating Local

HISTORY

WITH THE BUREAU OF HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION

by Marissa McGrath, Co-Founder and Co-Boss of The Bureau of Historical Investigation

F

inally! Bellingham has its own Images of America book written by Cecil W. Jentges, President of the Historic Fairhaven Association. You might think you don't know what we're talking about when we refer to the ubiquitous picture-rich Arcadia Press books, but with over 7,000 titles covering communities from all around the United States you'd be hard-pressed to miss these little windows into the past. Unless, of course, you don't get out of town much.

You see, while cities like New York, Chicago, and Tulsa, Oklahoma each have more than a handful of Images of America titles written by local history enthusiasts, Bellingham was still without until Jentges put us on the map. Bellingham can now join the annals alongside the city's nearest Arcadia Press book, John D'Onofrio's Mount Baker.

And if you are assuming that this will be a wholly one-sided and nostalgic look at our past, think again! Jentges broke with the often fluffier tradition of the series and included a chapter on our history's dark side. If there is something that The Bureau of Historical Investigation likes, it's comprehensive and engaging depictions of our history.

NEW TOUR STARTING THIS SUMMER! The Bureau's Historic Holly Street Tour explores Bellingham history and how it has left its mark on our iconic arterial main street. Public tours begin this summer on Saturday afternoons. Check out our website for more information: www.thebureaubellingham.com

Other great local history books you don't want to miss:

Looking Back: The Collectors' Edition

Bellingham Then and Now

Memories of Whatcom County/ Bellingham

Whatcom Then and Now

by Galen Biery and Dorothy Koert

and

by Wes Holsather and Kent Gannaway

Visit The Bureau of Historical Investigation downtown for a truly unique Bellingham experience. It is a gift and souvenir shop, as well as a home-base for Good Time Tours and special events. They take pride in offering handpicked, handcrafted goods from all over the country—with special emphasis on local finds. While you're there, check out a variety of hand-selected books for sale through a partnership with Village Books.

217 W. Holly, Downtown Bellingham • 360.305.3172 • thebureaubellingham.com 46 Summer 2015

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

You Deserve a Drink:

REAL PEOPLE TRUE TALES

Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery

by Mamrie Hart

available in June, paperback, Penguin

Hart has compiled her best drinking stories into one hilarious volume, from the spring break where she and her girlfriends avoided tan lines by staying at an all-male gay nudist resort to the bachelorette party where she accidentally hired a sixty-year-old meth head to teach the group pole dancing. Hart accompanies each story with an original cocktail recipe.

The Ingenious Mr. Pyke: Inventor, Fugitive, Spy

Bastards: A Memoir

by Henry Hemming

by Mary Anna King

available now, hardcover, PublicAffairs

available in June, hardcover, Norton

Living in Oklahoma with her maternal grandfather, Mary gets a new name and a new life. But she’s haunted by the past—by the baby girls she’s sure will come looking for her someday, by the mother she left behind, and by the father who left her.

Mary is a college student when her sisters start to get back in touch. With each subsequent reunion, her family becomes closer to whole again. Moving, haunting, and at times wickedly funny, Bastards is about finding one’s family and oneself.

This is the extraordinary story of Geoffrey Pyke, an inventor, war reporter, escaped prisoner, campaigner, father, educator, and all-around misunderstood genius. Pyke was an unlikely hero of both world wars and, among many other things, is seen today as the father of the U.S. Special Forces. In his day, he was described as one of the world's great minds, yet he remains virtually unknown today.

In case you missed it earlier....

DAVID Every Day Father's Day Graduation 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

OK

BO

N T B A KE

R

V IL L A G E

ESENT

A Booked at the Baker Event brought to you by Village Books and Mount Baker Theatre

at the Mount Baker Theatre

OU

E PR

Receive ONE FREE TICKET with each purchase of Letters to My Grandchildren

(all general admission) available at Village Books, The Mount Baker Theatre & at mountbakertheatre.com.

M

TR EA

Sunday, June 14, 7pm

TH

Tickets: $7.50

S&

SUZUKI

BOOKED AT THE BAKER

Village Books & Paper Dreams

Gift Cards

Summer 2015 47

Humor

Pardon My Hearse: A Colorful Portrait of Where the Funeral and Entertainment Industries Met in Hollywood

Modern Romance: An Investigation

by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg

by Allan Abbott and Greg Abbott

available in June, hardcover, Penguin

From actor comedian Aziz Ansari and NYU sociology professer, Klinenberg, what begins as a humurous and clever idea turns into a serious survey and study of modern romance. They enlisted many of the world's leading social scientists for this book and the result is like no other social science or humor book seen before.

available in June, paperback, Linden Publishing

Allan Abbott ran the leading mortuary and funeral services in Hollywood, getting an unprecedented glimpse of how celebrities really live and die. In his memoir, Abbott tells the rags-to-shroud story of how he went from a young man with a hearse to the funeral driver for the stars in an unexpectedly hilarious story of glamorous funerals, mishaps with corpses, and true-life glimpses of celebrities at their most revealing moments.

The Quotes

1980

"Who Shot JR?" -Fans of CBS's Dallas "Here's Johnny!"

- Jack Nicholson, in The Shining

Striker: "Surely you can't be serious?!"

Rumack: "I am serious... and don't call me Shirley."

-Robert Hays and Leslie Nielsen, in Airplane!

"Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?" -Grey Poupon ads

"No, I am your father" -Darth Vader, to a surprised Luke Skywalker

48 Summer 2015

1980 -2015

35 YEARS

Building Community One Book at a Time

Performing Arts Dreams to Remember: Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul

by Mark Ribowsky

available in June, hardcover, Norton

Otis could do it all! He was one of the most startling and amazing performers of the era. Otis was amazing, one of a kind, and his impact was only beginning to be felt across all spectrums of society. Ribowsky gets it right—all the details, the good, the bad, the nitty, the gritty, the players, the hustlers, the musicians, the darkness, the light, the sounds, the sights, the bad deals, the cheating, the women, the drugs, the guns, mostly the music—and all wrapped around the brilliance of Otis Redding.

Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead

by Bill Kreutzmann with Benjy Eisen available now, hardcover, Macmillan

Kreutzmann, founding member and drummer for every one of their over 2,300 concerts, has written an unflinching and wild account of playing in the greatest improvisational band of all time. This was a band that knew no limits and Bill lived life to the fullest, pushing the boundaries of drugs, drums and high times, through devastating tragedy and remarkable triumph.

1980

It's a Long Story: My Life

by Willie Nelson with David Ritz available now, hardcover, Hachette

Having recently turned 80, Nelson is ready to shine on a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his collaborations, and his biggest lows and highs—from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid. Told in his distinct voice he leaves no moment or experience unturned.

Behind the Scenes 27: A History of the 27 Club through the Lives of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse

by Howard Sounes

available now, paperback, Da Capo Press

Howard Sounes examines the popular myth of the “27 Club,” that ubiquitous notion that our most iconic musicians die at that young age, whether from drugs and alcohol, misadventure, suicide, or even murder. Sounes tells their stories as well as the connections—surprising as well as eerie—between them. The author conducted more than 180 interviews for background material and details.

On the Big Screen Academy Awards Winners

Best Picture: Ordinary People Best Director: Robert Redford ... Ordinary People Best Actor: Robert DeNiro ... Raging Bull Best Actress: Sissy Spacek ... Coal Miner’s Daughter

Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs

by Sally Mann

available now, hardcover, Hachette

"Photographer Sally Mann's book Hold Still is one of the great portraits of the American South. Written in her pitch perfect prose style, it is a textbook of illumination and desire for anyone who hears the siren call of art beckoning to them. It's southern to the bone, hell on wheels. Hold Still is a masterpiece." –Pat Conroy

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

1980 -2015

35 YEARS

The hit film Urban Cowboy revives country music sales

1980

1980

Popular Music

1.”Please Don’t Go”

... KC & the Sunshine Band 2.”Rock With You” ... Michael Jackson 3.”Do That to Me One More Time”

... The Captain and Tennille 4.”Crazy Little Thing Called Love” ... Queen 5.”Another Brick in the Wall” ... Pink Floyd 6.”Call Me” ... Blondie 7.”Funkytown” ... Lipps, Inc. 8.”Coming Up” ... Paul McCartney 9.”It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” ... Billy Joel 10.”Magic” ... Christopher Cross Summer 2015

49

Books Signed Join theFirstVillage Editions Club!

Signed FIRST EDITIONS CLUB

As a member, you’ll receive a newly published signed first edition novel six times a year. Our qualified buyers work together to select books based on literary quality and potential collectability. In fact, two of the five National Book Award finalists were selections last year.

What does it cost to join? - Nothing! You pay for the books, but not for the membership. The list prices of the books vary around an average $25-$35 range, but members only pay a flat $25 for each book. Each selection also comes with a protective dust jacket cover. $150 covers full membership for a year including shipping.

Can I give a membership as a gift? - Absolutely! This would be an ideal gift for the bibliophiles in your life, especially the book collecting kind, and maybe even for someone who isn’t obsessed with books…yet. Memberships last for a year and you, as the gift giver, will be charged $150 for that year. After that, the gift receiver can decide whether or not to continue the membership on his or her own...or you can renew the membership.

Happy Reading!

How do I sign up? - You can register by phone, in-store, or online at villagebooks.com/signed-first-editions-club.

Your online local information source

Sharing the stories that remind us why we love to live, work and play in Whatcom County

Don't Forget, We Buy

USED BOOKS & Textbooks

50

Summer 2015

Bring in your once-read books and we'll give you up to 30% of the list price in store credit (15% for cash). You can use that to buy more books or gifts in both Village Books or Paper Dreams.

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 poetry, comedy skits, and some groaner jokes. It's a lot of fun so check out our upcoming line-up and join us!

These shows will take place in the Heiner Theater at Whatcom Community College.

Thursday, June 25, 6:30pm

A Plethora of Poets with Samuel Green & Other Northwest Poets Join us for the kick-off event for the Fifth Annual Chuckanut Writers Conference. The evening will feature Washington State's First Poet Laureate, Sam Green, along with his wife Sally, also a well-known poet. They'll be joined by other acclaimed regional and local poets as well as the Chuckanut Radio Hour's own Poet in Residence, Kevin Murphy.

Music will be by Bay Area favorites The Lady Crooners.

Thursday, July 16, 6:30pm

Tickets $5.00

Ernest Cline –Armada: A Novel We’re thrilled to welcome internationally best-selling author of Ready Player One, Ernest Cline, to Bellingham for his new novel Armada. At once a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien-invasion tale, Armada is like nothing you've ever read before—one whose every page is infused with author Ernest Cline's trademark pop-culture savvy. Receive ONE FREE TICKET with each purchase of Armada.

Tickets for all shows are available at Village Books & BrownPaperTickets.com

Friday, September 11, 6:30pm

Jonathan Evison –This is Your Life, Harriet Chance!

Jonathan Evison—bestselling author of West of Here and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving—is returning to Bellingham in September. He has crafted a new big-hearted novel with a supremely endearing heroine at its center. Nothing is what it seems in this tale of acceptance, re-examination, forgiveness, and, ultimately, healing. Pre-order your copy today and receive a FREE TICKET to the show.

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 • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 51

Chuckanut Writers

Conferences, classes, and retreats for your writing life

Register today for the

TEEN WRITING WORKSHOP with Joel Gillman This two-week workshop for teen writers (ages 13-18) will provide numerous writing techniques and tools for tapping into and experiencing the thrill of unadorned creativity. Within that context, you will be motivated to start and finish several pieces during the course—or make substantial progress towards completing a longer piece. Each session will feature writing time, sharing of work, generating and discussing feedback, and discussion and sharing of the individual's writing practice.

You will leave this workshop feeling connected to a community of like-minded writers as well as better equipped to continue your own writing practice in a way that further inspires and elucidates. Joel Gillman has an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch LA and has been teaching for 25 years. He has written for newspapers including the Seattle Times.

4 sessions: $89 Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 7, 9, 14, 16, 10:30am-12:30pm in the Village Books Readings Gallery

TEACHER WRITING WORKSHOP with Joel Gillman This two-week workshop is designed for teachers who want to initiate a writing practice that will sustain them both personally and professionally. Its implications will be felt in the classroom with students turning out more authentic, voice-driven writing. In the workshop, you will experience numerous techniques for generating writing in all genres that reaches and strives for deeper meaning and connection. You will have the opportunity to start and finish several pieces, learn modes of giving and receiving feed-back, and for creating a culture that moves seamlessly from one's own practice to the classroom. Ten clock hours are available to K-12 teachers for additional $20 fee.

5 sessions: $105 July 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15, 8:30-10:30am in the Village Books Readings Gallery

Class registration is now open.

Visit whatcomcommunityed.com or call 360-383-3200 to reserve your space today.

You can follow Village Books on Twitter.

Each day we tweet about book events, new books, and book-related topics. We are @VillageBksBham.

52 Summer 2015

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Like us on Facebook! Make sure to select Get Notifications so you'll always see our posts about local events and other book-related topics. Go to Facebook.com/VillageBooks.

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

Summer Reading Challenge Take our

Ages 14 & Under

KIDS + SUMMER + READING = FUN! Early Reader Bonus!

Hey Kids! Join us in celebrating summer with one of our favorite activities— The first 25 kids to complete the READING! Select and read a variety of books from different genres including challenge by July 7 will recieve poetry, history, and nonfiction. Once you've completed reading ten books, 2 FREE TICKETS to the Bellingham select your favorite—and, on the card we provide you, tell us what you liked Bells game on July 8th! about it. We'll hang your review up in the store! Pick up your form and review card at the main counter and return them to us by August 31st to receive a $5 gift certificate to Village Books & Paper Dreams AND a cookie from our good friends next door at the Colophon Cafe! Stumped about what to read? Check out the great selections in this Reader or ask any of us at the store for help!

He's BACK! Find Waldo in Fairhaven!

FAIRHAVEN In July 2015

July 1st-31st

Have you seen Waldo recently? He's an elusive fellow, but rumor has it that he'll be hanging around Fairhaven this summer. If you're looking carefully, you might just spot him. Yes, you read that right. “Find Waldo in Fairhaven” is back in July!

For the fourth year in a row, twenty-five local businesses will participate in a scavenger hunt all month long. Do you think you can find Waldo? Pick up a passport from Village Books & Paper Dreams or one of the other participating merchants and spend some time in Fairhaven looking around for the guy in stripes. He'll be hiding somewhere in each of the businesses on the passport. If you can find Waldo in 10 different stores, you can come back to Village Books for a special Waldo button (while supplies last). If you find Waldo in 20 different stores, you'll be entered in a raffle for the chance to win all sorts of great prizes!

We hope you'll join us as we search for Waldo all around Fairhaven in July.

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

All Ages!

Grand Celebration at Village Books July 31st 4-6pm Stop by for games, treats, the prize drawing for scavenger hunt participants, and maybe, just maybe, a sighting of the real Waldo.

Come in your red stripes and glasses!

Summer 2015 53

GET HOOKED!

BELLINGHAM

KIDS TRAVERSEth

Sunday, June 28

Bellingham Kids Traverse supports the Stewardship and Education programs of Recreation Northwest 54

Summer 2015

Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com

YOUNG READERS Their Families & Educators

PICTURE BOOKS Ninja Bunny

The Princess and the Pony

by Jennifer Gray Olson available in June, hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf

by Kate Beaton

available in June, hardcover, Arthur A. Levine

Princess Pinecone wants a BIG, STRONG horse fit for a warrior instead of the cozy sweaters she usually gets. What she receives is, well, not a big, strong horse (nor is it a sweater) and it takes a bit of patience and creative thinking for Princess Pinecone and her friend to be the best warriors possible. –Sarah

Rule #1: A super awesome ninja must always work alone. So, Ninja Bunny practices being stealthy, escaping tricky situations, and creating carrotinspired tools. But what happens when a foe is too big to face alone? Perhaps alone is not always the best way to work. A cute addition to the ninja bookshelf for the youngest of readers!

The Day Everything Went Wrong

One Word from Sophia

by Moritz Petz, illustrated by Amélie Jackowski

by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail

available now, hardcover, NorthSouth

available in June, hardcover, Atheneum

Sophie has One True Desire—a pet giraffe for her birthday. However, she needs to convince her family.

She creates presentations, polls her animals, and prepares speeches until only one word needs to be said. With a bold color palette and a plethora of vocabulary words, this one is sure to be loved.

Sometimes a day starts out rough and then goes from bad to worse!

Poor Badger is having one of those days- he loses his pencils, his cup breaks, nothing seems to be going right! However, even in the midst of a bad day, Badger finds ways to help his friends and solve problems which just might lead to a surprise when he gets home. A sweet story about dealing with the little ups and downs of everyday life. –Sarah

Why Dogs Have Wet Noses

by Kenneth Steven, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter

available in June, hardcover, Enchanted Lion

Pedro and George

This retelling of Noah and the Ark is a secular take on the popular biblical story with a bit of a tall tale thrown in.

Noah is building and building, waiting and waiting, until the rain starts to come. The animals are on board the ark with one small addition—a lonely brown dog. When the ark suddenly springs a leak, this pup becomes the hero of the story! Torseter manages to get so many expressions on the dog’s face, from joy to panic, that it only enhances the cleverness of the tale. –Sarah

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

by Delphine Perret

available in June, hardcover, Atheneum

Pedro and George are fed up with the children of the world getting them confused. Pedro is a crocodile, and George is an alligator. There's a difference, you know! This determined pair decides to go on a mission to prove who's who, once and for all.

The classroom at the other end of the world is unsurprisingly shocked by their arrival—but after a little learning and a lot of chaos, Pedro and George head back home, satisfied that they've taught an important lesson.

Summer 2015

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Children's Poetry

Early Readers Rat Attack:

Changes:

A BraveMouse Reader Short Vowel Adventure

A Child's First Poetry Collection

by Molly Coxe

by Charlotte Zolotow, Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke

available now, paperback, Brave Mouse Books

available now, hardcover, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

This is a charming book of poems for young children, written by the wellknown author Charlotte Zolotow. The poems celebrate the seasons, beautifully expressing the simple joys of each—wind, colors, lying in the grass, birds—in a way that will delight children and adults alike. The gently colored illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to draw you into experiencing each poem. A book to enjoy again and again. –Chris

We all know it. Early reader books can be painful. HERE IS AN EXCEPTION! From the author of Benjamin and Bumper to the Rescue comes a set of intelligent and fun stories that are a joy to read again and again.

Gorgeously illustrated with adorable hand-made characters and beautifully photographed settings, each page is a visual treat. With the added bonus of story starters at the end of the book, these stimulating little tales are a great way to cultivate the love of reading and storytelling in your little one. ALSO SEE... Princess Pig, Wet Hen, and coming this fall, Cubs in a Tub. –Kelly C.

Tuesday Story Time - Every Week at 10:30am NEW!! Join Claire in the Kids section every Tuesday at 10:30am for a half an hour of stories, songs, and movement as we read and get silly about books!

First Saturday STORYTIMES with Claire

summer

authors do not attend

Sat., June 6, 10:30am

FUN for KIDS

Story time with Claire featuring Click, Clack, Peep!, the latest book in the celebrated series that all began with Click, Clack, Moo!

Saturday, June 20 at 10:30am

Sat., July 4, 10:30am

Join Claire in the Readings Gallery for stories, activities, and a sweet treat as we celebrate Dad, and, if it's nice out, we'll move the festivities out to the Village Green! This is a free event but registration is required so stop in or call to sign up today. Authors not attending.

Story time featuring books

by Eric Carle. Join Claire as we read favorites like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear..

Sat., Aug. 1, 10:30am Story time introducing a newly published Dr. Seuss book! It's called What Pet Should I Get? and we'll be reading it, along with other classics from our favorite "doctor."

56 Summer 2015

Celebrate Father's Day (early) with us!

Thank you for your continued support.

We wouldn't be here without you!

Building Community One Book at a Time

Village Books is hosting a week-long, half-day summer camp, Monday, August 3rd through Friday, August 7th, from 1-5pm each day. Join Village Books staff member Claire as she leads each day of themed activities with hands-on projects, outdoor activities, and field trips around town.

Snack included.

Check out our Themes!

Monday - Science Fun Tuesday - Marine Life Day with a visit to the Marine Life Center Wednesday - Food & Farm Day visit to Common Threads Farm Thursday - Art Day visit to Ben Mann's studio Friday - Fun in the Sun Day

Village Books is pleased to announce its NEW week-long, half-day summer camp, Village Books Lit Camp!

Geared toward middle grade readers and writers (ages 9-12) it will take place Monday, July 20 through Friday, July 24, from 1-5pm. During the five days, kids can expect to explore how books are created from start to finish and do some writing of their own. Other activities will include playing games, solving mysteries, getting outside, eating healthy snacks, and a craft or two.

Camp VB is $129 per child. Registration is for the entire week and is limited to 10 campers. Registrations must be received by Sat. Aug. 1st. If you have questions you can email Claire McElroy-Chesson, Claire@villagebooks.com or you can call our store at 360-671-2626.

Daily Activites will be Inspired by 1 of 5 Selected Beloved Middle Grade Titles: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein Bone: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

by E.L. Konisgburg Village Books Lit Camp is $129 per child. Registration is for the entire week, is limited to 10 campers, and is first-come, first-served (no waiting list). Registration must be received by Sat., July 18. Each child will receive a discount on all 5 bundled titles upon registration. **Purchase of books is NOT required and kids do NOT have to have read the books in advance to participate.**

360-671-2626 â&#x20AC;˘ 800-392-BOOK â&#x20AC;˘ villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

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The Village Books & Paper Dreams

STAFF LOVE

Middle Readers Circus Mirandus

by Cassie Beasley

available in June, hardcover, Dial Books

When Micah's grandfather becomes ill, his great aunt Gertrudis moves in, making Micah's life miserable. Grandfather tells him stories about the magical Circus Mirandus, and this drives Gertrudis nutty.

But are they stories? Micah goes out to find the truth. Along with his friend Jenny, and a talkative parrot, Chinty, Micah finds an adventure as he searches for the Man Who Bends Light—the one person who can save his Grandfather. This is a great read aloud family book with wonderful characters. –Kelly E.

Chasing Secrets

by Gennifer Choldenko available in August, hardcover, Wendy Lamb Books

Living in San Francisco in 1900, where young ladies are expected to attend finishing school and marry young men of good standing, makes it difficult for Lizzie to follow her passion, which is to become a doctor like her father. Once Chinatown is put under quarantine, it’s only Lizzie and Noah, her Chinese cook’s son, who believe the rumors of the plague reaching the city are true. If they want to save everyone they love, then it’s up to them to figure out the truth! –Lauren

My Life in Dioramas

by Tara Altebrando

available now, hardcover, Running Press

Twelve-year-old Kate is moving. Where to, neither she nor her parents know.

All she knows, and all she cares about, is that she is leaving the house she has lived in her entire life. I cannot get over how realistic this book is. It tugs at all the right heartstrings, and Kate's struggle to come to terms with leaving the house she loves feels completely real and true. –Hana

The Sign of the Cat

by Lynne Jonell

available in June, hardcover, Henry Holt and Co.

Duncan is a main character you can't help but root for. He is smart and keeps the strangest assortment of friends. His mother refuses to allow Duncan the chance to prove himself, and so he seeks out adventure alone. However, Duncan might be biting off more than he can chew. Between betrayal, missing royalty, and talking cats, The Sign of the Cat by Lynne Jonell is one book that shouldn't be missed. –Rebecca

Secrets of Selkie Bay

by Shelley Moore Thomas

by Alison McGhee

available in August, hardcover, Atheneum

Firefly wants to fly to the moon.

Cricket wants to be a famous baseball player like Yogi Berra. Vole wants to sail the sea. And Peter the boy?

He just wants a friend. While Firefly Hollow can and certainly does stand on its own, this new book from Alison McGhee has a very special charm akin to Charlotte's Web or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Don't miss it! –Hana

Seaborne: The Lost Prince

available in July, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

by Matt Myklusch

Cordie's home, an Irish seaside town, is famous for selkie lore. Selkies hear the call of the sea, and while they are human on land, they become seals once they step into the water. Cordie's mother has also gone missing, and while all signs point to the sea and the mythical selkies, it is up to her and her younger sister to track her down. –Hana

58 Summer 2015

Firefly Hollow

available now, hardcover, EgmontUsa

Thirteen-year-old Dean Seaborne was raised by pirates and has now been told that in order to keep his life he must do the impossible. Seaborne: The Lost Prince kept me guessing as each new character and plot twist was revealed.

This book is an excellent adventure for any age. –Rebecca

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

1980

‘ghetto-blaster’ is included in the English dictionary for the first time

Women Who Broke the Rules Series

by Kathleen Krull

available in June, paperback and hardcover, Bloomsbury Publishing

Sonia Sotomayor: I'll Be the Judge of That Judy Blume: Are You There Reader? It's Me, Judy

Sacajawea: Lewis and Clark Would Be Lost Without Me

Dolley Madison: Parties Can Be Patriotic Each of these short chapter books, appropriate for elementary school readers, tells the story of a remarkable American woman. The women come alive through stories of their childhoods and the struggles they overcame to reach their goals. Did you know that Judy Blume was once told she had no writing talent?

How did Sonia Sotomayor rise above her background, growing up in a poor inner city neighborhood with immigrant parents, to become a Supreme Court justice? Read these books to find out, and be ready to be inspired! –Chris

Middle Readers Wonder at the Edge of the World

by Nicole Helget

available now, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

What a fabulous adventure! Hallelujah Wonder wants to be one of the first female scientists. Her scientist and explorer father discovered many invaluable artifacts, one of which he was killed for. With this item now in her charge, Hallelujah sets out on a voyage across the world with her best friend, also a runaway slave, by her side to keep her father's discovery safe. –Hana

A Handful of Stars

by Cynthia Lord

available now, hardcover, Scholastic

When Lily's blind dog, Lucky, slips his collar and runs away across the wide-open blueberry barrens of eastern Maine, it's Salma Santiago who manages to catch him.

Salma, the daughter of migrant workers, is in the small town with her family for the blueberry-picking season. After their initial chance meeting, Salma and Lily bond over painting bee boxes, and Salma's friendship transforms Lily's summer. But when Salma decides to run in the upcoming Blueberry Queen pageant, they'll have to face some tough truths about friendship and belonging.

The Golden Specific

by S.E. Grove

available in July, hardcover, Viking Books

FIND ME IN PAPER DREAMS! RETRO TOYS for the kid in all of us!

The Glass Sentence was one of my absolute favorite books from last year, and I have been anxiously waiting for the sequel ever since. Well, it was definitely worth the wait! The beautifully unique world Grove built in the first book of The Mapmakers Trilogy is further expanded on here as Sophia leaves New Occident (formerly the U.S.) to explore beyond the borders she has always known. If you haven't discovered this brilliant series yet, it is not one to be missed. –Hana

Thank you for your continued support.

We wouldn't be here without you!

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015 59

Staff Picks Now in Paperback Heap House:

Courage for Beginners

Secret Hum of a Daisy

The Iremonger Trilogy Book One

by Tracy Holczer

by Karen Harrington

available in July, The Overlook Press

available now, Penguin Young Readers Group

available now, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

by Edward Carey

Under the Egg

by Laura Marx Fitzgerald available now, Penguin Young Readers

1980

Caldecott Award Winner Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, illustrated by Barbara Cooney

60 Summer 2015

Ice Whale

by Jean Craighead George available now, Penguin Young Readers

Newbery Award Winner

A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal

by Joan Blos

1980 -2015

35 YEARS

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

Young Adult I am Princess X

by Cherie Priest

available now, hardcover, Arthur A. Levine

When they were younger, Libby the artist and May the writer created Princess X together—she could conquer and slay with the best of them. But she died when Libby died and May can’t believe it when, years later, she sees a sticker of Princess X on Capitol Hill in Seattle. This one small sticker relating to a webcomic May didn’t even know existed opens up an entire world that May must solve on her own and gives her just the tiniest glimmer of hope. –Sarah

A Free Event at Village Books

William Ritter Friday, August 21, 7pm

Beastly Bones: A Jackaby Novel

By William Ritter

hardcover, Algonquin books

Hold on to your hat! R. F. Jackaby, investigator of the unexplained, is back in Beastly Bones, the second title in the young adult Jackaby series. For fans of Doctor Who and Sherlock, readers of paranormal mysteries, and those—both teens and adults—who like smart, riveting storytelling, Beastly Bones delivers. Look for a writing workshop with William Ritter!

Subscribe to our Just Write eNewsletter or watch villagebooks. com for updated information.

Short Stories

To Hold the Bridge

by Garth Nix

available in June, hardcover, HarperCollins

Nix presents another collection of short stories similar to Across the Wall in his latest book since Clariel. From the Old Kingdom to vampires to aliens to unicorns, these new stories showcase a wide range of creative characters that really speak to Nix's considerable and wide-ranging talents. The book is arranged thematically into sections, like "Coming of Age," but each story is unique and follows its own arc instead of repeating a similar pattern to others within the same section. Pick up this book if you're looking for a wide-ranging collection of bite-sized fantasy pieces from an author who's already proven his status as a top-notch writer. –Jenny

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

The Game of Love and Death

by Martha Brockenbrough

available now, hardcover, Arthur A. Levine

Flora and Henry were born a few blocks from each other, innocent of the forces that might keep a white boy and an African American girl apart; years later they meet again and their mutual love of music sparks an even more powerful connection. But what Flora and Henry don't know is that they are pawns in a game played by the eternal adversaries Love and Death, here brilliantly reimagined as two extremely sympathetic and fascinating characters. Can their hearts and their wills overcome not only their earthly circumstances, but forces that have battled throughout history?

Valiant

by Sarah McGuire available now, hardcover, EgmontUSA

The Tailor loves his bolts of fabric much more than he has ever loved his daughter. But then he becomes ill, and Saville has to pretend to be a boy and pick up the needle herself so they both can survive. When she tricks two giants away from the kingdom's gates, things spiral very quickly. Before she knows it, Saville is caught up in dangerous court politics, all the while trying to keep her secret. A retelling of "The Valiant Little Tailor" by the Brothers Grimm, Valiant will pull you in and keep you pinned to your seat until the very end. –Hana

Not Your Typical

A Free Event at Village Books

Summer Reads Tour

Sunday, August 9, 4pm with SHARON HUSS ROAT Between the Notes

STEPHANIE OAKES The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

& HILARY T. SMITH A Sense of the Infinite These are stories of rebellion and the dangers of blind faith, of deep friendship and the weight of secrets, and what happens when life as you know it flips completely upside down.

Summer 2015 61

YA RC .

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Spotlight

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EMMA WONG

by Claire McElroy-Chesson, Village Books Kids' Programming Director In the Fall of 2014, we launched our Young Adult Review Committee (affectionately known as Y.A.R.C.). Since then these 15 local teens have been meeting with me once a month, selecting Advanced Reader Copies of soon-to-be-released books, and submitting reviews of those books. We publish some of them here in the Chuckanut Reader (see next two pages), post them on our website, and have a dedicated display in the store for featured titles. When I was approached to do a spotlight on one of my YARCers, I knew right away who I wanted to ask first. Emma Wong has become the rock-star reviewer of the group, often submitting 4 high-quality reviews each month when I ask for a minimum of just 1! I wanted to find out what makes Emma tick as a reader, how did she get this way? Has she always read?

Was she born reading? Fortunately, she was happy to fill me in on her history as a reader.

Emma has lived in Bellingham her entire life. She was home-schooled until the age of 16, at which time she enrolled in the Running -Emma Wong Start Program at BTC. She graduated from there with her high school diploma and an AA in Computer Networking. When asked if she has always been a reader, she replies, "When I was learning to read I hated it, absolutely hated it. But then my mom and I discovered that it wasn't reading I hated, but the books I was trying to learn with. As soon as we found books I enjoyed, I was lost to the world." When asked which book was a pivotal read for her, she replies that The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley stands out in her memory.

Once she became hooked, she and her mother would go to the library and check out "..as many books as I could carry." Some other favorites from her childhood and teen years are A Little Princess, Animal Farm, The Princess Diaries, and Catcher in the Rye. She says that reading throughout her childhood, and now as a teenager, has grown her vocabulary and has shaped who

"As soon as we found books I enjoyed, I was lost to the world."

62 Summer 2015

she is in more ways than she realizes. To quote one of Emma's favorite movies (You've Got Mail),"When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."

These days, her literary leanings are toward fantasy and science fiction, "....especially fairy tale re-tellings and anything about time travel." She also likes comedies and just about anything light. But don't ask her to read anything really sad or scary.

She also steers clear of crime novels and whatever the current "in" plot is, admittedly because she's contrary. Her favorite book that she has read for Y.A.R.C. is the newly released A School for Unusual Girls: A Stranje House Novel by Kathleen Baldwin. See page 64 for her review.

Emma says that she now reads 4 to 5 books per month, which is extraordinary considering that she works at a local financial institution and volunteers at the Ferndale Library!

When asked how she manages this, she replies that not having homework anymore frees up more time for books. Being in the Young Adult Review Committee doesn't seem to have placed any undue burden on her, thankfully. I was curious to know how being in the group has impacted her and what it means to her.

Her response: "It's been wonderful! Y.A.R.C. has been a great creative outlet for me. It's also been a great way to get to know other people my age with similar interests. Our meeting days have definitely become my favorite days of the month!" It has benefited her in other ways. "Y.A.R.C. has helped me improve my writing and reading. I've felt like I've analyzed the books..... more than I would if I was simply reading for pleasure. I think more about why do I like or dislike this book? What makes it different? And our word limit of fifty to one hundred words has helped me become more direct and concise in my thoughts and opinions."

When asked about the future, Emma says she's unsure.

She would like to do something involving both technology and literature but, "....I'm also really happy where I am." This pleases me to no end because it means that we can look forward to more great reviews and recommendations from this bright young woman.

Building Community One Book at a Time

YA RC .

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Young Adult

Review Committee Recommendations

Enjoy reviews of the latest and greatest Young Adult books to hit the streets in recent and upcoming months. Don't miss our in-store Y.A.R.C. display that is always up-to-date and evolving with the best reviews by teens, for teens!

Court of Fives

The Revenge Playbook

available in August, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

available in June, paperback, Harper Teen

by Kate Elliott

Court of Fives is the first Young Adult novel written by World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliot. In this book, we find a stunning story about a young woman named Jessamy.

Jes, the daughter of a Patron man and a Commoner woman, finds herself trying to act like one of the elite while aching for the freedom Commoner life has to offer. To satisfy this tug-of-war inside of her, Jes sneaks out each night and trains for the Fives, a multilevel competition of athleticism that the kingdom uses for entertainment. Jes is good—very good. She faces a problem, however; victors of the Fives must unmask and reveal his or her identity at the end of the run. Given Jessamy's mixed bloodline, people becoming aware of her running the Fives could ruin her family's already insecure social standing. This novel of adventure, risk, defying societal pressures, loyalty to family, and even some romance, is sure to thrill teens and adults alike until the very last page.

–Jackie J. age 15

The Six

by Mark Alpert available in July, hardcover, Sourcebooks

The Six by Mark Alpert is an extremely well-written, intriguing story. Six terminally ill teenagers have accepted an offer to undergo a new treatment: copying their minds into computer form to inhabit robot bodies. But there is another purpose for them: an artificial intelligence known as Sigma is threatening to wipe out the human race. The Six must learn to manipulate their new forms and stop Sigma before it is too late. I loved this book. But it can be a little scary, so be careful. —Oliver M. age 14

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

by Rachael Allen

Melanie Jane, Liv, Ana, and Peyton, four unlikely friends with one thing in common, they have all been wronged by the football team, who are the royals of the school and community. The girls band together to beat the boys at their own game, discovering a scavenger hunt they must complete to win the team's lucky football. Rachael Allen's The Revenge Playbook has been quite possibly, my favorite book I've read since joining this program. It's hilarious, deep, feminist, and completely recommended. Like the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. –Emma W. age 18

The Porcupine of Truth

by Bill Konigsberg

available now, hardcover, Arthur Levine Books

The Porcupine of Truth is a book with a message. A message buried in a reckless, improbable road trip from the Midwest to the West Coast to find a long-lost grandfather; in a string of strange and wonderful characters who teach morality; in so many terrible, terrible (hilarious) puns. All along their trip, our protagonists learn the value of tolerance, in regards to religion, sexuality, and race. The (ubiquitous) jokes are fast and fun, but never detract from the warmth of the story itself— although they will make you wince, because oooh god, Carson, this is not the time. –Haleh M. age 16

More Y.A.R.C. recommendations on the the next page!

Summer 2015

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More

YA RC

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Recommendations

A School for Unusual Girls: A Stranje House Novel

by Kathleen Baldwin

available now, hardcover, Tor Books

The Stranje House is a reform school to turn unusual girls into proper young ladies. Or is it? Sent to the Stanje House as punishment for setting their barn on fire (among other things), Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam quickly finds that the school is not what she expected.

The girls are taught the finer points of diplomacy, espionage, and grace. Kathleen Baldwin's A School for Unusual Girls is part historical fiction, part spy thriller, and part regency romance.

Clever and engrossing, this novel is recommended especially for fans of Etiquette & Espionage and The Gallagher Girls. – Emma W. age 18

5 To 1

by Holly Bodger available now, hardcover, Knopf Books for Young Readers

This book is a powerful masterpiece because it's scary in the way that it's possible. The year is 2052, and in India, girls are a national treasure. The leaders realized the error in their ways of thinking less of females. Boys now must compete in a series of trials to win a woman’s hand in marriage. The objective? To make more girls. Sudasa, an obedient girl raised in privilege has turned seventeen, and must make her choice, to make her family proud. She can’t choose for love, she must choose a boy who will help her bear a female child. Kiran, a rebellious boy, abandoned by his mother at a young age, doesn’t want to compete in the tests. He and Sudasa both face extremely difficult choices. This haunted me, because its scary how some girls are treated in the world today. This book opened my eyes to the simple truth of what could happen if that continues.

The prose in this is really strong. I could picture the scenery, and the descriptive language made reading this a heavenly experience. —Fiona P. age 13

Mindwalker

by A.J. Steiger

The Eternal City

by Paula Morris

available now, hardcover, Point

The Eternal City by Paula Morris takes place in the modern day, but is based on Roman mythology. It tells the story of a girl named Laura, who is on a class trip to Rome, when suddenly the enchanting, peaceful city becomes hostile and chaotic. Volcanoes are erupting, people are falling ill, and most peculiarly, ancient statues are moving and attacking innocent people. Laura soon learns that that the ancient Roman gods of folklore are very much alive, and it’s up to her to keep them from causing more destruction. This book is full of intriguing and unique concepts. —Aislinn K. age 13

Ruthless

by Carolyn Lee Adams available in July, hardcover, Simon Pulse

When you wake up disoriented and don't know where you are, it's usually simple enough to open your eyes and find out— bedroom, on the couch, hotel room, friend's house. For Ruth, waking up in the back of a moving truck tied up and unable to see is anything but simple. She escapes into the woods, but her captor is armed and ready to spend all the time it takes to get her back. In Carolyn Lee Adams' thrilling debut novel, she spins a web of desperation and hope that will leave you on edge and wanting more. –Lydia W. age 17

64 Summer 2015

available in June, hardcover, Random House

It has been decades since what was once the United States of America erupted into civil war. After the Black Coats were defeated the United Republic of America was created. IFEN was founded to better the lives of everyone in society, and monitor and improve the mental health of the people.

Lain Fisher is a trainee at IFEN Headquarters, she is studying to become a Mindwalker, one of the psychiatric doctors who modify, or delete, traumatic memories. But Lain begins to question her beliefs about IFEN when the director forbids her to talk to Steven, a troubled boy at her high school, who asks her for help.

A. J. Steiger’s Mindwalker is a wonderfully thought-provoking story. It is both relevant and well written. With well-rounded characters and a plot that manages to go whatever way you weren’t expecting. –Henry W. age 16 I really loved Mindwalker. This is a world where hierarchy is determined by one’s mental health, and where mental health is determined by a ruling class of psychologists, to which the intelligent protagonist, Lain Fisher, belongs. She has the ability to erase her patients’ traumatic memories, presumably allowing them to live normal, happy lives. Though she’s often weighed the pros and cons of the system, the benefits of her safe world quell her doubts. But then bad boy, depressed Steven appears, with his broken memories. And then the world-building turns to dystopian thriller. –Haleh M. age 16

Young Adult Building Community One Book at a Time

Literature LIVE!

VB’s Literary Events Program

EVENTS

Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out

VillageBooks.com

to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you!

Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!

JUNE Friday, June 5, 7pm JUDITH ROCHE –All Fire All Water

Sunday, June 7, 4pm RAMON LEDESMA –Migrant Sun

Local Author!

Migrant Sun is a poignant, eloquently written book of poems and prose with family pictures documenting a family of Mexican migrant workers living in labor camps and working the harvest fields. These are the intimate tales of a struggle for survival written of his family’s early years on the land.

Monday, June 8, 7pm LAURA DA’ –Tributaries

Poetry!

Tributaries lyrically surveys Shawnee history alongside personal identity and memory. With the eye of a storyteller, poet Laura Da’ creates an arc that flows from the personal to the historical and back again. With narrative content from the period of Indian Removal in the 1830s to the present, the collection is composed of four sections that come together to create an important new telling of Shawnee past and present.

Tuesday, June 9, 7pm PAUL THOMPSON –From Field to Fork: Food Ethics for Everyone

Poetry!

From American book award-winner Judith Roche comes her latest collection, All Fire All Water. It is both a hymn to all that is broken and destroyed in the world and a song of celebration for the earth’s renewal and rebirth.

Saturday, June 6, 10:30am Story Time with Claire featuring Click, Clack, Peep!

KIDS!

In From Field to Fork, Paul B. Thompson brings more than thirty years of experience working closely with farmers, agricultural researchers and food system activists to the table. Thompson explores food ethics today, as nutritional science rises and diet-based disease has become a public health concern.

Wednesday, June 10, 7pm JACK NISBET –Ancient Places: People and Landscape in the Emerging Northwest

Story Time with Claire featuring Click, Clack, Peep!, the latest book in the celebrated series that all began with Click, Clack, Moo! Author not attaending.

Jack Nisbet uncovers touchstones across the Pacific Northwest that reveal the symbiotic relationship of people and place in this corner of the world. This is a compelling collection of stories about the natural and human history of our region.

Saturday, June 6, 4pm Local Author & Illustrator!

ALLEN FROST & FRED SODT –Roosevelt

Thursday, June 11, 7pm SARAH ALIZABETH FOX –Downwind:

In Bellingham in July 1942, a boy and a girl search for a missing circus elephant. In appreciation of the old Scholastic paperbacks, this poetic novel is beautifully illustrated and written for children and adults, bringing joy and cheer to a troubled world.

Saturday, June 6, 7pm JOHN BURGESS –By Land

Poetry!

By Land is a riff on the journals of Lewis & Clark that follows where the author intersected with the Trail–Montana, Pacific Coast, and St. Louis. The book is a collage of sonnets, concrete poems, handwritten lists, a memoir in 10 fragments, and drawings (“graphic poems”). John Burgess's previous collections include Punk Poet and Graffito.

NEW! Tuesday Story Times, 10:30am Join Claire in the Kids section every Tuesday at 10:30am for a half hour of stories, songs, and movement as we read and get silly about books!

A People’s History of the Nuclear West

Downwind brings to light the experiences and concerns of Americans living in the atomic West whose voices have been marginalized for decades in the name of patriotism and national security.

Friday, June 12, 7pm CHUCK ROBINSON –It Takes a Village Books: Thirty-Five Years of Building Community, One Book at a Time

This is the story of an idea that became a bookstore and a bookstore that became a central part of the community. The book chronicles thirty-five years of the publishing and bookselling business, recounts local and national censorship and privacy incidents, and offers a glimpse into the future of the book and bookstores. Join Chuck Robinson as he presents a new, updated edition of It Takes a Village Books for the store’s thirty-fifth anniversary.

Events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and are FREE unless otherwise noted.

Keep turning for more events!

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

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FEATURING ALI CAMPBELL, ASTRO, AND MICKEY VIRTUE

MON

JUN 29

TUE

JUL 21

TUE

AUG 11

FRI

OCT 2

Sponsor:

INFUSION SOLUTIONS, INC

MAR

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The premier guide to arts & entertainment happenings in the region!

Click on the cover of the magazine at ennw.info to download or read online.

Pick up a copy at one of nearly 200 locations in Whatcom & Skagit Counties.

Visit ennw.info for reviews, updates and advertising info.

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Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri & Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 10am-7pm

Literature LIVE!

EVENTS

Events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and are FREE unless otherwise noted.

Sat., June 13, 10am-7pm & Sun., June 14, 10am-7pm

Paper Dreams and Village Books’ Anniversary

STOREWIDE SALE

Join us for our anniversary sale in celebration of 35 years in business. You will receive 20% off almost everything storewide at both Village Books and Paper Dreams.

Sunday, June 14, 7pm (Doors at 6:00) Event at the Mount Baker Theatre!

DAVID SUZUKI –Letters to My Grandchildren Join us for an unforgettable evening with David Suzuki, as he reads from his new book Letters to my Grandchildren. Tickets are $7.50. Receive one free ticket with pre-purchase of Letters to my Grandchildren. Read more on page 5.

Monday, June 15, 7pm KIRSTEN & CHRISTOPHER SHOCKEY –Fermented Vegetables Fermented foods are a delicious, healthy addition to any diet. This guide includes in-depth instruction and more than 120 recipes for fermenting 64 different vegetables and herbs.

Discover how easy it is to make dozens of exciting dishes, including curried golden beets, carrot kraut, and pickled green coriander.

Tuesday, June 16, 7pm JIM SHEPARD –The Book of Aron

Fiction!

From the hugely acclaimed National Book Award finalist, this is a novel that will join the shortlist of classics about the Holocaust and the children caught up in it. Jim Shepard has masterfully made this child's-eye view of the Warsaw Ghetto mesmerizing, sometimes comic despite all odds, and truly heartbreaking.

Wednesday, June 17, 7pm ALICE LEE –Necklace of Stones

Poetry!

Poet and artist Alice Lee retraces her life in Alaska, China, Italy, Washington and elsewhere, reinventing herself and refusing to be defined by her genetic inheritance. While the family illnesses of schizophrenia and ataxia are the stones that weight her shoulders, Lee wears the necklace with grace.

Read more about these and other LitLive events at VillageBooks.com!

Thursday, June 18, 7pm ALLISON GREEN –The Ghosts Who Travel With Me: A Literary Pilgrimage Through Brautigan’s America

Why would a lesbian and feminist writer identify with author Richard Brautigan, whose most famous work doesn’t even name its female characters? With humor and candor, Allison Green searches for the answer, traveling with the ghosts of her ancestors and idols on a literary pilgrimage across Brautigan’s America.

Friday, June 19, 7pm Local Author!

STEVEN WINDELL –Transcending the Gordian Knot: A Boating Adventure With a Father-Son Rite of Passage

In 1987, Steven Windell and his teenage son made a rite of passage voyage from Seattle to Glacier Bay, Alaska in an open 19.5-foot motorboat. Following the Inland Passage to Alaska, their route exposed them to the open Pacific Ocean. Their journey comes alive in Windell's journal and photos.

KIDS! Saturday, June 20, 10:30am Celebrate Father’s Day (early) with us!

Join Claire in the Readings Gallery for stories, activities, and a sweet treat as we celebrate Dad, and if it's nice out, we'll move the festivities out to the Village Green! This is a free event but registration is required so stop in or call to sign up today. Authors not attending.

Tuesday, June 23, 7pm RICK PERLSTEIN –The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan

From the bestselling author of Nixonland comes a dazzling portrait of America on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the tumultuous political and economic times of the 1970s.

Wednesday, June 24, 7pm DAVID NEIWERT –Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us

Of Orcas and Men arises from journalist David Neiwert’s writing over the past 20 years about orcas. This in-depth book, a mix of cultural history, environmental reporting, and scientific research, details what we have learned about orcas from studying them closely in the wild.

Thursday, June 25, 11am & 5pm Open Book Chat with the VB Buyers!

Join three of our fantastic Book Buyers—Sarah, Joan and Jonica—as they discuss their favorite upcoming books. If you're wondering what to read next, don't miss this talk!

Couldn't make our 11am book talk? Don't panic...we're doing a pair of them!

Thursday, June 25, Doors at 6:30, Show at 7pm at Whatcom Community College The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring a Plethora of Poets!

Join us as we welcome former Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green, his wife Sally Green, and a number of other acclaimed regional and local poets to the Chuckanut Radio Hour! Read more on page 51.

If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!

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Literature

LIVE!

Friday, June 26-Saturday, June 27 at Whatcom Community College Chuckanut Writer's Conference Five years ago, the Chuckanut Writer's Conference launched with the theme Inspiration into Action. This year, we continue our mission—to profoundly inspire your writing life.

Registration for the Chuckanut Writer's Conference is $269.00. To register, visit chuckanutwritersconference.com/register, or call (360) 383-3200.

Saturday, June 27, 7pm Chuckanut Writer’s Conference Open Mics Multiple Locations Come listen to a variety of writers share their work throughout Fairhaven.

Readings will take place in Village Books, Book Fare Café, the Fairhaven Village Inn, and Magdelena’s Creperie.

Friday, June 26, 7pm SUSAN PHILLIPS –The Cultivated Life:

so far in

JULY

Saturday, July 4, 10:30am

KIDS!

Story time featuring books by Eric Carle. Join Claire as we read favorites like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Author not attending.

Saturday, July 4 We'll close at 6pm. Enjoy the Fireworks!

Wednesday, July 8, 7:05pm The Bellingham Bells vs.

The Cowlitz Black Bears – Game Sponsored by Village Books!

Come on out to the ball game! Village Books presents The Bellingham Bells in this exciting home game! Join us at Joe Martin Field for an evening of baseball and books.

Thursday, July 9, 7pm CHRISTOPHER KELLY –America Invades: How We’ve Invaded or Been Militarily Involved with Almost Every Country on Earth

Sociology professor and spiritual director Susan Phillips walks us through the “circus” of our cultural landscape to invite us into a cultivated life of spirituality.

Kelly takes readers on a global tour of America’s military involvement with nearly every country in the world. From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli and everywhere in between, this popular history documents the triumphs and the tragedies of American forces serving overseas.

Sunday, June 28, 4pm NANCY NELSON –Blue River Apple: An Exploration of

Saturday, July 11, 4pm KATELYN SCHNEIDER –Secrets

From Ceaseless Striving to Receiving Joy

Alzheimer's Through Poetry

“Blue,” “river,” and “apple” were the words Nelson missed on the memory test that helped lead to her formal diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s. It is a diagnosis that we know brings with it certain disabilities, but in Nelson’s case, also brought new found abilities. Nelson’s diagnosis helped reveal her muse and inspired her to write.

Monday, June 29, 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 and enjoy a welcoming audience. Bring your written words about nature—or any creative work in progress. Call or sign up at our main counter.

Tuesday, June 30, 7pm AMY KITTELSTROM –The Religion of Democracy: Seven

Summer 2015

Monday, July 13, 9:30pm FREE Movie Showing & Midnight Release on the Fairhaven Village Green Village Books will offer a FREE screening of To Kill a Mockingbird on the Fairhaven Village Green. The two hour and ten minute film, featuring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, will end just before midnight, when the newly discovered novel by Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman, will go on sale for the first time.

in the Heiner Theatre at WCC

American democracy was intended by its creators to be more than just a political system—it was to be a guide to the right way of thinking, a morality of sorts. In her new book, Kittelstrom shows how religion and democracy have worked together as universal values in American culture.

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Nothing is more tantalizing than a secret. What if trying to figure out everything about someone else is the key to finding out who you really are and unlocking a future you never thought possible? Join Victoria Laine as she struggles to discover the secrets of a world she thought she knew.

Thursday, July 16, Doors 6:30, Show 7pm

Liberals and the American Moral Tradition

Receive VB's E-Newsletter

Young Adult Fiction, Local Author!

THE CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR with ERNEST CLINE – Armada Join us as we welcome Ernest Cline—author of Ready Player One—to the Chuckanut Radio Hour for his new novel Armada. See pages 21 and 51 for more about this book and show!

Village Books sends out a weekly 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!

Monday, July 20-Friday, July 24, 1-5pm VILLAGE BOOKS LIT CAMP!

There is no charge for most Village Books Literature Live events. Event costs are offset by customer book purchases; in order to maintain our robust program, we urge you to purchase those event books that interest you.

Village Books is pleased to announce its new week-long, half-day Summer camp, Village Books Lit Camp! Geared toward middle grade readers and writers (ages 9-12). Each day's activities will be inspired by 1 of 5 selected beloved middle grade titles. Read more on page 57.

Thursday, July 23, 7pm JOHANNA DeBIASE –Mama and the Hungry Hole Julia’s Mama steals her away to New Mexico. Lonely and forced to take care of herself during Mama’s “quiet time,” Julia befriends Tree. When Nana visits and a Circus moves in next door, everything seems better, but Tree notices something very wrong, an eerie sensation of nothingness deep beneath its roots.

Thank you for supporting Literature Live Events!

Saturday, July 25, 12pm-5pm 4th Annual Steampunk Festival in Fairhaven!

Join us as we welcome several Steampunk authors throughout the day as part of the Fairhaven Steampunk Festival, co-sponsored by the Bellingham Steampunk Society. See page 10 for more.

Sunday, July 26, 4pm RODERICK KIMBALL –Path Puzzles

Local Author!

Path Puzzles is a new book of logic puzzles in the vein of Sudoku and Ken Ken. Join Roderick Kimball, who has written puzzles for the New York Times, the National Museum of Mathematics and NPR, for a Sunday afternoon puzzler!

Monday, July 27, 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 and enjoy a welcoming audience. Bring your patriotic or political pieces—or any creative work in progress.

Wednesday, July 29, 7pm JENNY MILCHMAN –As Night Falls From the acclaimed and award winning author of Ruin Falls and Cover of Snow comes a breathless new novel of psychological suspense about a dark, twisted turn of events that could shatter a family—a read perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Tana French, and Nancy Pickard. Turn to page 27 to learn how to take a writing class from Jenny!

Friday, July 31, 4pm Find Waldo in Fairhaven Celebration!

Join us as we wrap up “Find Waldo in Fairhaven” with a party here at Village Books! We’ll play games, draw for prizes for those who participated in our month-long scavenger hunt, and search for a real live Waldo hiding in our store. Wear your stripes and glasses! Read more on page 53.

Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out

VillageBooks.com

to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you!

Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!

so far in

AUGUST

Saturday, August 1, 10:30am Story Time with Claire featuring What Pet Should I Get?

KIDS!

Story time introducing a newly published Dr. Seuss book! It's called What Pet Should I Get? and we'll be reading it, along with other classics from our favorite "doctor".

Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 7, 1-5pm CAMP VILLAGE BOOKS!

KIDS!

Join Village Books staff member, Claire, as she leads each day of themed activities with hands-on projects, outdoor activities, and field trips around Fairhaven. Snack included.

Wednesday, August 5, 7pm ELIZABETH LITTLE –Dear Daughter

Fiction!

Former "It Girl" Janie Jenkins is sly, stunning, and fresh out of prison. Ten years ago, at the height of her fame, she was incarcerated for the murder of her mother. Now, released on a technicality, Janie makes herself over and goes undercover, determined to chase down the one lead she has on her mother's killer. The only problem? Janie doesn't know if she's the killer she's looking for.

Sunday, August 9, 4pm Young Adult Fiction!

Not Your Typical Summer Reads Tour with SHARON HUSS ROAT, STEPHANIE OAKES & HILARY T. SMITH These are stories of rebellion and the dangers of blind faith, deep friendship, the weight of secrets, and what happens when life as you know it flips completely upside down. Not your typical summer reads! Join Sharon Huss Roat (author of Between the Notes), Stephanie Oakes (author of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly) and Hilary T. Smith (author of A Sense of the Infinite) as they read from their new books.

If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!

Keep turning for more events!

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Wednesday, August 19, 7pm JENNIFER STEIL Fiction!

–The Ambassador’s Wife From a real-life ambassador's wife comes a harrowing novel about the kidnapping of an American woman in the Middle East and the heartbreaking choices she and her husband each must make in the hope of being reunited.

Friday, August 21, 7pm WILLIAM RITTER Beastly Bones: A Jackaby Novel Hold on to your hat! R. F. Jackaby, investigator of the unexplained, is back in Beastly Bones, the second title in the young adult Jackaby series. For fans of Doctor Who and Sherlock, readers of paranormal mysteries, and those—both teens and adults—who like smart, riveting storytelling, Beastly Bones delivers. Coming Soon: A Writing Workshop with William Ritter! Subscribe to our Just Write eNewsletter or watch villagebooks.com for updated information.

Saturday, August 22, 4pm SAMUEL FROMARTZ In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker’s Odyssey

In 2009, journalist Samuel Fromartz was offered the assignment of a lifetime: to travel to France to work in a boulangerie.

So began his quest to hone not just his homemade baguette which later beat out professional bakeries to win the Best Baguette of D.C. but his knowledge of bread, from seed to table.

Friday, August 28, 7pm ROBERT L. SLATER –Straight Into Darkness

Local Author!

Ninety-five percent of the people on the planet are dead. Lizzie is pregnant from an end of world one-night stand, and the situation is complicated. Her family, friends, and the government of Provo, aka The City—one of the last outposts of civilization—all want to keep her safe. And it's driving her nuts. She should be staying safe inside the walls of The City, but she's got to get out. A dangerous mission is exactly what she needs right now. Straight Into Darkness is the sequel to All Is Silence.

Monday, August 31, 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 and enjoy a welcoming audience. Bring your stories and poems inspired by Whatcom County—or any creative work in progress.

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!

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Summer 2015

Building Community One Book at a Time

360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • villagebooks.com

Summer 2015

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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

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 20 LYNDEN, WA

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF FAIRHAVEN

EST. 2014