Village Books is Proud to Present
An Evening with
Join us in welcoming Rainn Wilson to Bellingham!
While perhaps best known for his work as the iconic Dwight Schrute on NBC’s The Office, best-selling author, producer, and three-time Emmy nominee Rainn Wilson has long been engaged with the deepest questions of what makes a life worth living. In Soul Boom, Rainn explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a “Soul Boom,” to address today’s greatest issues—mental health, racism and sexism, climate change, and economic injustice.
Filled with genuine insight—not to mention enlightening kung fu and Star Trek references—Soul Boom delves into ancient wisdom to seek out practical, transformative answers to life’s biggest questions.
Friday, May 5, 7pm
at Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham, WA
Tickets available at mountbakertheatre.com and at the Mount Baker Theatre box office.
ALL tickets include a copy of Soul Boomto be distributed at the event.
Booked at the Baker
The best part of being part of such a wonderful community is that we help each other. You, Dear Readers, have been instrumental in our donation campaign, the Round It Up program. With every purchase you make you have the option to donate up to the nearest dollar (or more). What seems like a small amount becomes a large amount over time. Whether we're a community of readers, a community of Whatcom residents, or a community of independent business supporters, we thank you for supporting local charities dear to us when you shop. On pages 7-8 you can read more about the non-profits we donate to and how another program is shutting down due to what they consider "not enough funds to make a difference".
The beginning of a year always brings new books and the excitement of author visits. We are starting the year off with Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson in March (page 63) then Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute III, aka beet farmer) will be visiting us at Mount Baker Theatre on May 5th to celebrate his book Soul Boom! The following day Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate will be in conversation with Thor Hanson—both dynamic and superbly fascinating scientists.
It is the year of the rabbit. So as you hop your way through The Chuckanut Reader you will see all the great new books, activities, and fun that awaits us this spring. As always, we are here to help you with our reading recommendations and gift giving solutions. Thank you for being our neighbor.
The Chuckanut Reader • Spring 2023
Publisher: Village Books and Paper Dreams
Production & Design: Kelly Carbert
Contributors: Kiana Allen, Anna Brown, Bee Cabezas, Kendra Calitri, Kelly Carbert, Erin Chervenock, Kelly Evert, Paul Hanson, Chloe Hovind, Sarah Hutton, Troy Luginbill, Claire McElroy Laura Miller, Jessica Moreland, Maddie Musquiz, Laura Picco, Sophie Richmond
Cover: With spring comes a huge variety of author events you don't want to miss. Meanwhile, check out the beautiful home decor available in Paper Dreams.
Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2023
Village Books & Paper Dreams - Open Daily 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225 360.671.2626
430 Front St., Lynden, WA 98264 360.526.2133
Among the many, many authors who we hosted in our stores and at off-site venues, we welcomed Bob Woodward, Anthony Doerr, and Erik Larson to Bellingham with full houses and satisfied crowds.
Author James Patterson continued his generosity this holiday season, distributing $250,000 to booksellers across the country and our own Bee was one of them. Bee's care and stewardship of things like our book group wall and our Blind Date with a Book in February as well as their overall helpfulness and eagerness made them a perfect recipient. Congrats, Bee!
#8
After two years of scheduling and cancelling our Books A'Sail, Book Group at Sea aboard the Schooner Zodiac with Kira Jane Buxton, we finally hit the open seas to discuss her book Hollow Kingdom.
2022 was another successful year with Michael Christie's Greenwood as last year's community-wide read. For the first time, the Chuckanut Radio Hour was included in the lineup of the author's appearances. Perhaps it will be a new tradition since we're doing it again this year with Jess Walter's Cold Millions!
Chloe Hovind, Village Books' Publishing Director, attended this four-week, nationally-recognized program that provided a deep dive into the world of publishing and connected her with other publishing professionals—benefitting our own publishing division along with our many clients.
We were so proud to host booksellers from the Pacific Northwest in April to meet authors and publisher representatives from across the country. For many, this was the first in-person event since 2020 and also their first trip to Bellingham. Everyone delighted in the natural beauty of the region and had a great time reconnecting and celebrating our love of literature.
#4
We're so glad that Troy Luginbill joined us in March. With his knowledge of Lynden both as a resident and as a historian, he's the perfect fit to be the store manager of our Lynden location. If you haven't already, stop by and say hi!
#3
#2
Thank you to our staff who dug, schlepped, and dug some more at the Village Books Build Day. Their team is amazing and their guidance is friendly and fun. This was the icing on top of the cake of a record RoundIt-Up contribution from Village Books and Paper Dreams of $5000!
As ever, between sponsorships, donations, creative partnerships, and you, our customers, we've contributed to the success of many dozens of organizations throughout Whatcom County that, in turn, do amazing things for our community. We're all in this together!
#1
Thank you, Whatcom Community Foundation, for honoring this "entrepreneur, artist, luthier, raconteur, philanthropist" who authored Fairhaven: A History and was the guiding force in developing the Fairhaven Village Green. See his bronze plaque on the wall of Village Books facing the Green.
Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national celebration that takes place at indie book stores across the country on the last Saturday in April. This day serves as a reminder that independent bookstores are not just stores, they’re community centers and local anchors run by and enjoyed by passionate readers. Join us in celebrating . . . US!
Stop by both our Fairhaven and Lynden stores for exclusive 2023 limited-edition Independent Bookstore Day merchandise.
• Join us in the Readings Gallery at 4pm for the BOOK LAUNCH of Barbara Davis-Pyles' latest title for kids, Nobody Likes Frogs.
• The Dirty Dan Murder Mystery begins! See page 9. and sign up to participate in this super fun event.
We can't wait to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with you!
Think back to all the books you've purchased from Village Books over the years and share your favorites with us! During the month of April, stop by either our Fairhaven or Lynden store and fill out a shelftalker—customer pick recommendations.
Online!
Go
–philanthropy.com, 2014
"Because buying through Amazon is not inevitable—it’s a choice. And if you give your supporters a moral excuse for supporting an immoral corporation, are you serving your mission or simply chasing a few bucks?
And the bucks, by the way, are very few. Say you are fairly successful in getting your supporters to put your organization down as the beneficiary of Amazon Smile. Let’s say that over the holidays they purchase $25,000 worth of goods from Amazon—purchases that otherwise would have been made at local stores that your neighbors own and where taxpaying members of your community work. That $25,000 would have been a lot of income for those local stores, perhaps the difference between survival and closure, or keeping staff members or firing them. But you’ve thrown your lot in with Amazon. And in return you will get a kickback of ... $125. Yes, that’s all that one-half of 1 percent of $25,000 amounts to. Is it worth it?"
Amazon announced in January that they would be ending their AmazonSmile program on February 20th this year. Though we’re not ones to celebrate the failures of another, when Amazon announced this, we could not keep the grin from our faces. On the surface, this may appear to be bad for non-profits in our communities who have long linked to this program. However, the effect may not be what you may expect. In 2017, the website nonprofitchronicles.com published the article titled, "Why Amazon Smile Doesn’t Make Me Smile." There, they argue that the program has neither increased the quantity or quality of charitable giving. And in an NPR article published in January, 2023, they cited the average donation per charity in 2022 was $230. In the past we’ve been hesitant to point this out as it could be construed as pointing a finger of accusation or judgement. Now, as the Smile program is ending, we see this as an opportunity to renew and celebrate our community partnerships without the specter of AmazonSmile lurking about, undermining our efforts.
Building community is both the foundation and keystone of Village Books and Paper Dreams’ mission. One of the many ways we accomplish this is through our hundreds of creative partnerships. These can include sponsorships, shared events, and charitable giving. We believe that relationships are more important than transactions.
The Round It Up Program is just one of our programs and a very good demonstration of this. Asking our customers to round up their purchases to the next dollar to raise money for our designated recipient is just a part of what we do. We view this as a launching point to create something special together that fulfills both of our missions. Our partners last year were Whatcom Million Trees Project (which joined us and Whatcom READS in welcoming and interviewing Michael Christie for his book Greenwood), Lydia Place, and Whatcom Habitat for Humanity and included book events, book drives, and a work day where our employees helped a build a home.
“Habitat is beyond grateful to be partnering with the brilliant folks at Village Books. From volunteering at the build sites, to donating to our Habitat Store, and even providing the books we give our homebuyers when we welcome them into their new home, Village Books is always coming up with new ways to support us and our vision of a world where everyone has a safe, affordable place to live.”
–Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County.
“Village Books has been a collaborative and reliable partner to Lydia Place’s programs, supporting families exiting homelessness in Whatcom County through auction donations, round-up campaigns, and their annual holiday giving tree. Not only does Village Books donate directly as a business, but they enthusiastically invite their whole community to support Lydia Place families by making it easy to give through our online wish list or their annual holiday giving tree. Each purchase through our Village Books wish list invests in families and makes our community stronger—one book at a time!” -–Lydia
PlaceAdditionally, customers’ contributions to our Giving Tree, along with our collaboration with NINE local organizations put more than 1,500 books into the hands of children this past holiday season.
Village Books and Paper Dreams is just one small business in this rich and varied community of ours. We enjoy and relish our partnerships and encourage the nonprofits around us to consider all our fellow local businesses as potential collaborators and resources to create even more amazing things that make our community such a wonderful place to live, work, play, and smile together.
Let
Us Shop For
The perfect surprise for any occasion— Easter, Mother's Day, birthdays, a surprise hello.
Go to villagebooks.com
“It was a dark and stormy night when the first train roared into Fairhaven Station in 1890. As torrential rain turned muddy streets to rivers of chocolate milk, the townspeople drank and danced at a lavish gala welcoming the railroad. No one imagined that at midnight, when the train left the station, it would roll over the town’s most prominent man leaving only his bowler hat floating in a puddle.”
Thus begins the quest to find the murderer, their motive, and their method. Join us in Fairhaven to solve the Mystery!
Participants will be given a newspaper and a map with locations where they can pick up printed clues to help you solve the mystery. All of the clue locations and the scene of the crime are within a half mile of Fairhaven Vil lage Green. As you walk around the village collecting your clues, you will encounter some of the suspects (i.e. characters) described in the newspaper. You never know who might have valuable information. But can you trust them all? Hmmmm, the real “criminal” is out there and they have every reason to lead you in the wrong direction!
When you think you have figured out who and how, enter your solution on the official ballot. Place your completed form in one of the designated ballot boxes. Correct ballot solutions will be placed in a drawing for Grand Prizes ranging from weekend getaways and merchant gift certificates to Dirty Dan Mystery memorabilia. All the other ‘incorrect ballots’ will be placed in a drawing for other prizes.
Special Thanks to the 2023 Murder Mystery author Jes Hart Stone .
April 29 & 10am-5pm
April 30 10am-1pm
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 ?
– Virtual – ?
Join the Whatcom Literacy Council on Wednesday, April 19 from 6:30pm to 8pm for their 27th annual Trivia Bee. Ryan Budds returns with his fun and interactive platform for an online trivia night akin to Jeopardy! Register your team (3 people) at whatcomliteracy.org for $75, or just watch for free. Teams compete in four rounds in a range of topics, with the winners going home with the traveling “Totten Trophy.” Because it is a virtual ZOOM event participants can play from anywhere, with answers submitted via cell phone. Last year’s winning team “The Crabpots” had players from Bellingham, Alaska, and Baltimore.
For local residents who would like to meet in person, ASLAN DEPOT (1322 N State St., Bellingham) will show the event on a big screen. It is recommended that you arrive around 6pm to find a table and order drinks and food before the game begins.
Enjoy a great night of fun while helping the WLC help others. All proceeds support the Whatcom Literacy Council’s efforts to provide literacy tutoring to adults in Whatcom County.
whatcomliteracy.org
Don't miss the ONLINE SILENT AUCTION the week of the event: APRIL 18 through 29.
Thursday, March 2, 7pm (doors 6:30pm) Jess
at the Hotel Leo - 1224 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham
Join
Tuesday, April 11, 7pm at the Hotel Leo
Local romance and fantasy author Sarah Hawley will introduce her acclaimed new novel at our April Radio Hour! “Whimsically sexy, charmingly romantic, and magically hilarious. This book put a spell on me and bewitched me, body and soul!” –Ali Hazelwood, NYT bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis. We're looking forward to a fun evening—don't miss out.
Wednesday, May 3, 7pm at the Hotel Leo
We're excited to bring bestselling author Erica Bauermeister back to the Radio Hour for a fun evening of live entertainment as she introduces her latest novel.
“If you’re passionate about reading I know you’ll be passionate about this book.”
–Liane Moriarty, NYT bestselling author of Big Little Lies. Read reviews on page 17.
Performed live and recorded for radio, each Radio Hour includes a guest author, live music, performance poetry by Kevin Murphy, and an episode of "As the Ham Turns" serial radio comedy. Hosts Paul Hanson and Kelly Evert are joined by announcer Rich Donnelly for an evening of entertainment. Register to attend at villagebooks.com. Seating is limited so don't delay. We'll see you there!
$5 Entrance Fee can be used towards the purchase of the featured book or other merchandise offered at that show!
A HUGE thanks to our amazing sponsors!
Every January we have the considerable job of heading to the Grand Poobah of retail markets; the Atlanta Market. It is an eight day shopping extravaganza, with over 8,000 gift and home brands! We search for new artists, latest product trends in home décor, tabletop, toy, jewelry, and stationery. It is three 20 story buildings that bring a large variety of different categories all in one place. Sure it may be easier to buy for the store a different way— but meeting the artists in person, seeing their wares firsthand, and feeling the quality, is extremely important to us in selecting what we have to offer our customers.
Here are a few of my favorite finds!
For many of us, nothing pairs better with a book than tea. Tea has been very important in the history of America and Oliver Pluff & Company from Charleston, South Carolina is preserving the tradition of time-honored teas and early American coffee blends. The tradition of tea and coffee spans American history in its entirety. Their teas and coffees honor this history through flavors, ingredients, and more.
A veteran-owned small business, Oliver Pluff & Co. respects the story of early America and the teas, toddies, and coffee the founders enjoyed. As the company website states, "History and the beverages we produce, are meant to be shared. We hope you enjoy Oliver Pluff products as much as we enjoy making them for you!”
The Colonial Bohea blend is a black tea with a smokey flavor. It was so popular in colonial times that "Bohea" became the common word for all tea. In fact, the majority of tea destroyed during tea tax protests in revolutionary America was Colonial Bohea. Each tin of tea comes with a historical picture and story. So when Poor Richard’s Almanac doesn’t inspire your morality, perhaps a lovely cup of Bohea would help.
One of my favorite stops when shopping for the store is with the artists who run the company In the Land of Elsewhere. Their art is like a dream and I am incredibly pleased to be able to share it with you.
In the Land of Elsewhere is a small, American-based business comprised of a family of artists. Their unique canvas and paper art prints are some of the best I have ever seen—both in design and quality. Their unique images are created by combining their artwork & photography with vintage elements to create a one-of-a-kind style. All pieces are individually antiqued and distressed by hand to create a beautiful vintage look. Each of their pieces are made with eco-friendly materials of the highest quality. They seek out small American based businesses to source their materials including the canvas, paper, and stretcher bars. Last, but not least, their studios and homes are log cabins built 12ft up in the trees on the Brazos River outside of Weatherford, Texas. How awesome is that?
During the pandemic, puzzles became a very popular past-time. Thank goodness we had New York Puzzle Company to get us through some gray days. Their beautiful art from iconic magazine covers made their puzzles not only fun but gallery-worthy gifts.
Founded in 2007 by two college pals, New York Puzzle Company started with a simple idea of making a puzzle of the NYC subway map. “We always thought that puzzles should be more than just a fun activity to do at home—puzzles should be works of interesting art. Part fun activity and part home décor, rather than throw them away when finished, they should be kept on display.” They have partnered with top artists and publishing houses such as Condé Nast and Penguin Random House.
New York Puzzle Company decided to up its environmental engagement by becoming a member of 1% for the Planet. This means they pledge 1% of the sale of each puzzle to environmental non-profits committed to creating a healthy planet. A win-win!
Kelly Evert Owner of an Independent Business Building Community Since 1980
Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.
– Lewis Grizzard
Ski to Sea is the original multisport relay race, from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. Taking place Memorial Day weekend, the Historic Fairhaven Festival celebrates the event with an all-day street party that includes live music, a beer garden, local juried arts and craft vendors, and loads of food stands with local eats. It's lots of fun so don't miss out!
Migrations of a Japanese Art
Through June 11, 2023
- Sunday, Noon - 5pm www.whatcommuseum.org
by Rachel Heng
available in March, hardcover, Riverhead Books
An aching love story and powerful coming-of-age that reckons with the legacy of British colonialism, the World War II Japanese occupation, and the pursuit of modernity, The Great Reclamation confronts the wounds of progress, the sacrifices of love, and the difficulty of defining home when nature and nation collide, literally shifting the land beneath people’s feet.
available now, hardcover, Scribner
In 1894, John Addington and Henry Ellis begin writing a book arguing that what they call “inversion,” or homosexuality, is a natural, harmless variation of human sexuality. Though they have never met, John and Henry both live in London with their wives, and in each marriage there is a third party, a lover. Shortly before the book is to be published, Oscar Wilde is arrested. John and Henry must decide whether to go on, risking social ostracism and imprisonment, or to give up the project for their own safety and the safety of the people they love.
available now, hardcover, Harper Collins
Stone Blind is what every retelling of Greek Mythology wants to be, which is witty, poignant, brazen, and eternal. This book takes minuets of different perspectives and weaves them together to create one big story. At first you don't see how the different paths affect each other, and then slowly connections start to form. In this way you get the vastness that is mythology with all its moving parts. At the center are questions only a retelling of Medusa could ask so well: who is the real monster, and who gets to decide what a hero is? –Jessica
The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
available in April, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Rachel Beanland is an extraordinary author in historical fiction. If you have loved Ruta Sepety's work, you will love The House is on Fire & Beanland's first novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever. In her latest, Beanland masterfully juggles multiple perspectives to tell the tragic story of a theater fire and how it affects the lives of everyone present. Not to be missed! –Sophie
by Jojo Moyes
available now, hardcover, Pamela Dorman Books
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars. Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?
by Parini Shroff
available now, hardcover, Ballantine Books
Geeta’s no-good husband disappeared five years ago. She didn’t kill him, but everyone thinks she did—no matter how much she protests. Freedom must look good on Geeta, because other women in the village have started asking for her help to get rid of their own nogood husbands…but not all of them are asking nicely.
available now, hardcover, Doubleday
In this gripping, horror-laced debut, a young Cree woman’s dreams lead her on a perilous journey of self-discovery that ultimately forces her to confront the toll of a legacy of violence on her family, her community, and the land they call home.
by Selby Wynn Schwartz
available now, hardcover, Liveright
Ignited by their muse Sappho, a myriad of women break from their small, predetermined lives for seemingly disparate paths: in 1892, Rina Faccio trades her needlepoint for a pen; in 1902, Romaine Brooks sails for Capri with nothing but her clotted paintbrushes; and in 1923, Virginia Woolf writes: “I want to make life fuller and fuller.” Writing in cascading vignettes, Selby Wynn Schwartz spins an invigorating tale of women whose narratives converge and splinter as they forge queer identities and claim the right to their own lives.
available now, hardcover, Berkley
A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone winters in the same high-rise building, in this gripping debut by Academy Award–nominated screenwriter Iris Yamashita. "The claustrophobic atmosphere in this unique one-building town, isolated by tunnels, weather, and secrets, builds a memorable debut crime novel." –Library Journal
available in March, hardcover, Doubleday
by
Owen Kingavailable in March, hardcover, Scribner
An alternate world Dickens-style era and vibe lands us near the waters of The Fair, and to a place where a revolution is underway. The land is only known as The Fairest. We meet Dora, on a quest to find out more about her brother's secret society and his death. D, as she is called, becomes a curator of the Museum of the Worker, positioned to explore the nearby Society of Psykical Research, which now lies in rubble. This world has a certain magic to it, and some of its inhabitants believe cats to be gods. I found myself wanting to explore all the nooks and crannies of this very unique place, but that would be a series of books unto itself. This novel of Dora's travels satisfies and leaves you wanting more. –Erin
available now, hardcover, Viking
Traveling along the path of the Underground Railroad from Virginia to Michigan, from the Indigenous nations around the Great Lakes, to the Black refugee communities of Canada, In the Upper Country weaves together unlikely stories of love, survival, and familial upheaval that map the interconnected history of the peoples of North America in an entirely new and resonant way.
A brilliantly funny debut novel that follows a writer lured to Los Angeles to adapt her feminist mermaid novel into a big-budget action film, who believes her heroine has come to life to take revenge for Hollywood's violations. "Brilliantly sharp, funny, and thought-provoking, the gripping story of a woman trying to find her way in our chaotic world." —Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe
Libro.fm makes it possible for you to buy audiobooks through your local bookstore (Village Books!) giving you the power to keep money within your local economy.
www.libro.fm/villagebooks
You can sign up for a monthly membership or make your purchases à la carte and listen to audiobooks on your own schedule with no strings attached. Thank YOU for supporting local!
Wednesday,
available in May, hardcover, St Martin's Press
A lot goes into writing and publishing a book. Have you really stopped to think about it? From the writer, spending sometimes years writing, to editor, publisher, designer, printer, shipper, bookseller. And then, this piece of magic lands into the hands of a reader. Every reader has a different response to a story. Every reader has a different experience depending on their own lives. I enjoyed Erica Bauermeister's book immensely. Extremely clever and true. –Kelly E.
At the Hotel Leo, Downtown Bellingham
Join us for an evening of live entertainment including music, poetry, comedy, and literature. In May, we'll welcome author Erica Bauermeister, who's bestselling novels include The School of Essential Ingredients and The Scent Keeper. She will introduce her latest novel, No Two Persons– pre-order your copy today !
This book should be required reading for every writer, and desired reading for every reader. This novel traces the journey of a book from inspiration to generation to publication and beyond, and touches each life in a different, profound way. Bauermeister perfectly captures and conveys the truth that every writer must realize: that once you write a book, it's no longer your own. And each book's influence is as unique, magical, and important as it is unknowable. I lost track of how many times this novel brought tears to my eyes. –Paul
available in May, hardcover, Knopf
From the Academy Award-winning actor and best-selling author Tom Hanks: a novel about the making of a starstudded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film ... and the humble comic books that inspired it. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, while also capturing the changes in America and American culture since World War II.
available in March, hardcover, Scribner
From Jeannette Walls, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, comes a riveting new novel about an indomitable young woman in Virginia during Prohibition. You will fall in love with Sallie Kincaid, a feisty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman who refuses to be corralled.
by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
available in May, hardcover, Pantheon
The explosive, hotly anticipated debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Friday Black, about two top women gladiators fighting for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America’s own. “A new and necessary American voice.” —Tommy Orange, New York Times Book Review
available now, hardcover, Riverhead Books
Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best.
by Sophie Haydock
available in March, hardcover, The Overlook Press
The beguiling and provocative portraits by Australian painter Egon Schiele come to life in The Flames. I have seen these paintings and never really thought about who the women may be that Schiele scandalously painted and drew. Obviously he must have known them somewhat intimately. Author, Sophie Haydock, has written a brilliant debut novel about this precocious artist during the art movement known as the Vienna Secession, and about the women he painted.
–Kelly E.
by Paul Harding
available now, hardcover, W.W. Norton & Co.
During the tumultuous summer of 1912, Matthew Diamond, a retired, idealistic but prejudiced schoolteacher-turnedmissionary, disrupts Malaga Island’s fragile balance through his efforts to educate its children. His presence attracts the attention of authorities on the mainland who, under the influence of the eugenics-thinking popular among progressives of the day, decide to forcibly evacuate the island, institutionalize its residents, and develop the island as a vacation destination. Beginning with a hurricane flood reminiscent of the story of Noah’s Ark, the novel ends with yet another Ark.
by Emilia Hart
available in March, hardcover, St. Martin’s Press
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. 1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. 1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Weaving together the connected stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
by Susanna Hoffs
available in April, hardcover, Little, Brown and Co.
Jane is 33, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she's living at her parents’ house, reduced to performing karaoke in Las Vegas. But when her longtime manager sends Jane to London to regroup, she’s seated next to an intriguing stranger on the flight. Jane is instantly smitten by Tom, and soon, truly inspired. But it’s not Jane’s past alone that haunts her second chance. Is Tom all that he seems? And can Jane emerge from the shadow and into the light of her own?
by Rebecca Kaiser Gibson
available now, hardcover, Arcade
The unnamed narrator is a fiercely observant, introverted Jewish-American girl who seems to exist in a private and separate realm. She's the child of a firstgeneration doctor and lawyer—whose own stories have the loud grandeur of family legend—in an America where Jews are excluded from the country club across the street. Her expectations for adulthood are often contradictory. In the changing landscape of the 1960s, she attempts to find her way through the rituals of life, her geography expanding across the country, across the ocean, and into multiple nations.
available in April, hardcover, Atria Books
In the far north of Canada sits Camp Zero, an American building project hiding many secrets. Desperate to help her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother, Rose agrees to travel to Camp Zero and spy on its architect in exchange for housing. She arrives at the same time as another newcomer, a college professor named Grant who is determined to flee his wealthy family’s dark legacy. Gradually, they realize that there is more to the architect than previously thought, and a disturbing mystery lurks beneath the surface of the camp.
available now, hardcover, Grove Press
From the acclaimed author of Miss Burma, longlisted for the National Book Award and the Women’s Prize for Fiction, comes an immersive and searing story of two women, their marriages, and the rivalry between them. Tessa is a successful writer who develops a friendship with Charlie, a philosopher and scholar based in Los Angeles. Sparks fly as they exchange ideas and their intellectual connection promises more—but there are obstacles to this burgeoning relationship. Compassionate and thought-provoking, My Nemesis is a brilliant story of seduction, envy, and the ways we publicly define and privately deceive ourselves today.
available in March, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries, a gripping thriller of kaleidoscopic insight. Five years ago, Mira Bunting founded a guerrilla gardening group: Birnam Wood, activist collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice: on the sides of roads, in forgotten parks and neglected backyards. For years, the group has struggled to break even. Then Mira stumbles on an answer: a landslide cut off the town and a sizable farm seemingly abandoned. But Mira is not the only one interested. An enigmatic American billionaire has snatched it up to build his end-times bunker—or so he tells Mira when he catches her on the property. Thus begins a gripping psychological thriller that is Shakespearean in its wit, drama, and immersion in character.
by Brom
available in April, paperback, Tor Nightfire
by Charles Frazier
available in April, hardcover, Ecco Charles Frazier, the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Mountain has written another great book that gets into the human heart and soul. Depression-era America has found painter Val Welch painting post offices through the New Deal program. But he finds himself in a mystery. He aids in looking for the wife of a wealthy ranch owner. Val travels all over America—including Bellingham! Truly fun to read, mystery enough and clever to keep you wondering and wanting to read well past bedtime. –Kelly
available in March, hardcover, Mariner Books
E.At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of the grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called and the small town of Tumbeela becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia. Thus the seeds of this story are sown and come to fruition 60 years later. This epic novel spans generations and asks what we would do for those we love, and how we protect the lies we tell. It explores the power of motherhood, the corrosive effects of tightly held secrets, and the healing nature of truth. Above all, it is a beguiling and immensely satisfying novel from one of the finest writers working today.
by Grady Hendrix
Connecticut, 1666. The time and place alone evoke witch trials and injustice. In this author’s hands, it’s reimagined in this magical, wondrous, and bewitching tale fraught with terror. The “witch” of this story is Abitha, a recently widowed outcast, alone and vulnerable in her pious village, who discovers an ancient spirit re-awakened in the dark wood. The wildfolk call him Father, slayer, protector. The colonists call him Slewfoot, demon, devil. He is the only one she can turn to for help. Together, they ignite a battle between pagan and Puritan – one that threatens to destroy the entire village, leaving nothing but ashes and bloodshed in their wake. The audiobook is amazing, too! –Paul
available now, hardcover, Berkley
This book takes you on a family's journey through some turbulent times, and teaches us that the things that haunt us aren't always supernatural. It does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat whether its a nail-biting suspenseful moment or you laugh so hard you cry. Hendrix did it again with this amazing book. –Maddie
Enjoy reading this bestselling novel then join in a variety of related events and book discussions–culminating with an author visit to Whatcom County. Jess Walter will discuss the book and his creative process at a variety of exciting and varied events over the course of three days—including a Chuckanut Radio Hour and the main event at the beautiful Mount Baker Theatre. Most events are free to attend but registation is required.
See whatcomreads.org/events for details.
Village Books is donating a portion of proceeds from sales of The Cold Millions to Whatcom READS.
Thursday, March 2
11am: In-Person
Book Discussion at the Deming Library
7pm: The Chuckanut Radio Hour at The Hotel Leo
A variety show with live music, fun skits, and Jess Walter. $5.
Friday, March 3
11am: The Art and Craft of Writing at Village Books in Fairhaven
7pm: Mount Baker
Theatre Event
An Evening with Jess Walter
Saturday, March 4
11am: Virtual
Conversation
Village Books Co-owner Paul Hanson will interview Jess Walter
by Kate Thompson
available now, paperback, Forever
While war ravages the city above her, Clara Button has risked everything she holds dear to turn the Bethnal Green tube station into the country’s only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theater. Along with her glamorous best friend and assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.
by Gina Chung
available in April, paperback, Vintage Fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures and the Soul of an Octopus will delight in this novel! Ro is a very relatable character whose personal journey might hit home for many. There are little bits of futuristic elements that are fun too. –Kiana
by Eoghan Walls
available in March, paperback, Seven Stories Press
Grieving for her mother, teenage Orla decides to run away from her home in England and her well-meaning yet oblivious father and make her way to Ireland to visit her mother’s grave. She meets a homeless man on the road who claims to be Jesus Christ. When Orla witnesses his miracles with her own eyes, she wonders if he could bring her mother back to the living world. –Laura P.
by Kristen Mei Chase
available now, paperback, Forever Grace Johnson can’t escape the feeling that her life is on autopilot—until her husband announces he’s done with their marriage. Grace has a choice: wallow in humiliation or reluctantly grant her outlandish mother’s seventieth birthday wish with a road trip Graceland. Now the two are hightailing it from El Paso to Memphis, leaving a trail of sequins, false eyelashes, and difficult memories in their wake.
at
Wednesday, March 22, 7pm
Village Books and WWU’s Center for Canadian-American Studies are pleased to host Catherine Hernandez, author of Scarborough, a contender for Canada Reads 2022! Scarborough is a lowincome, culturally diverse neighborhood east of Toronto. Like many inner-city communities, it suffers under the weight of poverty, drugs, crime, and urban blight. Scarborough the novel employs a multitude of voices to tell the story of a tight-knit neighborhood under fire. A poignant multi-voiced novel about the troubled yet noble lives of urban warriors living in low-income neighborhoods.
See page 74 for information on additional events with Catherine Hernandez during her visit to Bellingham!
Tuesday, April 11, 7pm
by Sarah Hawley
available in March, paperback, Berkley
Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to? Check out this witty and fun romantic comedy!
by Julie Gerstenblatt
available in March, paperback, Mira Books
Local romance author SARAH
will join us at our April 11 Radio Hour for a fun evening of comedy, poetry, music, and literature. Tickets $5 - villagebooks.com
by Sheila Heti
available in April, paperback, Picador
This debut historical novel is a gripping saga of the days leading up to Nantucket’s historic fire of 1846 and its dramatic aftermath. Eliza Macy is struggling to conceal her financial trouble as she waits for her whaling captain husband to return from a voyage. In desperation, she turns against her progressive ideals and targets Meg Wright, a pregnant free Black woman trying to relocate her store to Main Street. Meanwhile, astronomer Maria Mitchell loves running Nantucket’s Atheneum and spending her nights observing the stars, yet she fears revealing the secret wishes of her heart. On a sweltering July night, a massive fire breaks out in town and these three very different women are forced to reevaluate their priorities and decide what to save, what to let go, and what kind of life to rebuild from the ashes of the past.
Admittedly, this book perplexed me when I heard about it. I found neither the cover nor the description particularly appealing. But the first chapters drew me in and wouldn’t let me go. Imagine this: Here we are, just living in the first draft of creation, which was made by some great artist, who is now getting ready to tear it apart. Pure Colour tells the story of a life, from beginning to end. It is a galaxy of a novel told sparingly. It is a contemporary bible, an atlas of feeling, and a shape-shifting epic. The author is a philosopher of modern experience and has reimagined what a book can hold. If I were to say more, it would not help to sway you to read this any more or any less. But I’d encourage you to read this if you’re one to immerse yourself in the profundity of life. –Paul
Impervious: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book Three by Laurie Buchanan available in April, paperback, Sparkpress
In the village of Fairhaven —nestled between Washington state's Bellingham Bay and the Cascade Mountains, friends and family have gathered for a wedding. The bride, the groom, the toast, the explosion? What should be a joyous occasion turns lethal. Don't miss this entertaining thriller and fun event!
Our shelves are packed with a wonderful variety of books including new, used, and bargain titles. How can you tell the difference? Look at the colors of the labels! You'll also find colored dots on the spines of the used and bargain titles.
• White Labels mean that book is brand new.
• Green Labels grace our Used Books. READcycle! It's good for the earth and your wallet.
• Yellow Labels signify a Bargain Book—a publisher remainder. These titles are new but offered at a sale price. A win-win! Look for new arrivals on displays throughout the store.
Interested in selling good condition used books for store credit?
See villagebooks.com/readcycle-used-books for guidelines and instructions.
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
available in March, paperback, Berkley
One morning, Vera walks downstairs from her apartment to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she swipes the flash drive. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could. Nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands.
available now, paperback, Minotaur Books
The best cozy mystery I've read yet! A family of magicians who run a company that makes secret rooms gets embroiled in a murder. Not only is this a great whodunit, it is also filled with twists and turns that will keep even the most well-versed mystery reader on their toes. Look for the sequel in March! –Kiana
by Jacqueline Winspear
available in March, hardcover, Harper
The White Lady introduces yet another extraordinary heroine/sleuth from Winspear, creator of the best-selling Maisie Dobbs series. This heartstopping adventure set in Post-World War II Britain, 1947 follows the coming of age and maturity of former wartime operative Elinor White—veteran of two wars, trained killer, protective of her anonymity—when she is drawn back into the world of violence that she has been desperate to leave behind.
available now, hardcover, Mulholland Books
by Jessa Maxwell
available in March, hardcover, Atria Books
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect. Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid.
by Gigi Pandian
available in March, hardcover, Minotaur Books
The sequel to Under Lock and Skeleton Key was just as good as the first! The family of magicians finds themselves in the middle of yet another seemingly impossible murder. The characters in this book are so lively and fun to read, I highly recommend it to any cozy mystery fans! –Kiana
by Alice Slater
available in April, hardcover, Scarlet Roach would rather be listening to her favorite true crime podcast than assisting the customers at her local bookstore. A serious true crime junkie, Roach looks down her nose at the fans who only became interested in the genre once it got trendy. But when Laura, a charismatic children’s bookseller, arrives to help rejuvenate the struggling bookstore branch, Roach recognizes in her an unexpected kindred spirit. Roach learns everything she can about her new colleague, eventually uncovering Laura’s traumatic family history. When Roach realizes that she may have come across her very own true crime story, interest swiftly blooms into a dangerous obsession.
When multi-billionaire Roger Ferris comes to Joe King with an assignment, he’s got no choice but to accept, even if the case is a tough one to stomach. White nationalist Alfred Xavier Quiller has been accused of murder and the sale of sensitive information to the Russians. This linear assignment becomes a winding quest to uncover the extent of Quiller’s dealings, to understand Ferris’ skin in the game, and to get to the bottom of who is working for whom. Even with the help of bodyguard and mercenary Oliya Ruez—no regular girl Friday—the machine King’s up against proves relentless and unsparing. As King gets closer to exposing the truth, he and his loved ones barrel towards grave danger.
available now, hardcover, Bloomsbury Publishing
In this stunning, standalone prequel, Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of the bestselling Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come. A sister of the Priory, a Queen and her daughter, and Dumai who has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. When the Dreadmount erupts, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.
available now, hardcover, Tor Books
Have you ever read a super cool futuristic sci-fi but thought to yourself it was really lacking in a moose romance? Then this is the book for you. Easily one of the weirdest books I've ever read, and I loved it. You can't help but smile and gasp at the beautiful relationships and complex plot layers. I wasn't kidding, there is a moose romance. –Kiana
available in March, hardcover, Flatiron Books
Collette LeSange heads an elite fine arts school for children in upstate New York. Her youthful beauty masks the dark truth of her life: she has endured centuries of turmoil and heartache in the wake of her grandfather’s long-ago decision to make her immortal like himself. Now in 1984, Collette finds her life upended by the arrival of a gifted child from a troubled home, the return of a stalking presence from her past, and her own mysteriously growing hunger. Combining brilliant prose with breathtaking suspense, The God of Endings serves as a larger exploration of the human condition in all its complexity, asking us the most fundamental question: is life in this world a gift or a curse?
by Matt Ruff
available now, hardcover, Harper I was thrilled to see this follow up to Lovecraft Country and Ruff delivers once again, combining thrilling adventure, enthralling historical fiction, and fantastical horror. Here, Ruff explores the meaning of death, the hold of the past on the present, and the power of hope in the face of uncertainty. If you’ve not yet read Lovecraft Country, do yourself a favor and DO. –Paul
available now, hardcover, Harper Voyager This tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, is one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory— and write her own legend. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, Amina al-Sirafi retires peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural. But when she’s tracked down by the wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum.
by V.E. Schwab
available in April, paperback, Tor Books
A tumultuous romance where you'll learn to value being remembered. Addie makes a deal with a god to live forever, with a caveat: no one will ever remember her. An epic spanning three centuries, we travel with Addie as she makes her way from a quiet village in France circa the 18th century to a modern day New York City art scene, eternally forgotten and longing to leave a mark. Beautifully told by the prolific V.E. Schwab. –Jessica M.
by John Crowley
available in April, paperback, Tor Books
From award-winning author James Crowley comes a novel that masterfully blends history and magic. In an island nation divided against itself, governed by a larger island to the east whose monarch is Elizabeth the Great, there have been decades of war. As ancient Irish clans fought to preserve their lands and their way of life, the Queen and her generals fought to tame the wild land and make it English. Hugh O'Neill, Lord of the North, is a divided man: Elizabeth gives to Hugh her love, and her commandments, through a little mirror of obsidian; but the ancient peoples of Ireland arise from their underworld to make Hugh their champion, the token of their vow is a chip of flint. This is a historical novel shot through with fantasy, or alternately, a great fantasy novel hung on a scaffolding of history.
by TJ Klune
available in April, hardcover, Tor Books
TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts. In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe. The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.
by TJ KLune
available now, paperback, Tor Books
by H. G. Parry
available now, paperback, Redhook
Both modern and like an ageless fairy tale, The Magician's Daughter follows Biddy, a teenager who grows up on a magical island that only appears once every seven years to the mainland. She must leave the island to protect magic from the power hungry Council. Steeped in magic with a Howl's Moving Castle vibe and a main character full of intelligence and imagination, The Magician's Daughter is sure to become a classic for young adults. –Jessica M.
The Starless Crown (#1 in the Moonfall Series)
by James Rollins
available now, paperback, Tor Books
A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death. Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts: A broken soldier, a drunken prince, and an imprisoned thief. This unlikely alliance is now on the run, hunted by enemies old and new. They must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation. But with each passing moment, doom draws closer.
The Cradle of Ice (#2 in the Moonfall Series)
by James Rollins
available now, hardcover, Tor Books
To stop the coming apocalypse, a fellowship was formed. Each step along this path has changed the party, forging deep alliances and greater enmities. All the while, hostile forces have hunted them, fearing what they might unleash. Armies wage war around them. For each step has come with a cost—in blood, in loss, in heartbreak. Now, they must split, traveling into a vast region of ice and to a sprawling capital of the world they’ve only known in stories. Time is running out and only the truth will save us all.
It is hard to find the words for such an indescribable book. Klune has a way of creating characters that can be relatable to any person reading. This wonderful story reminded me to never judge, approach every facet of life with compassion, and not turn away from the hard or scary things because they can sometimes turn out beautifully. –Kiana Shop
1. Geology of the San Juan Islands by Ned Brown
2. Haunted Fairhaven by Taimi Gorman
3. The Colophon Cafe Best Cookbook Collection by David Killian
4. Murder and Mayhem in the Fourth Corner by T.A. Warger
5. Murder in the Fourth Corner by T.A. Warger
Discover
6. Walk Through Geologic Time by Don Easterbrook
7. 52 Women of Whatcom County by the League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County
8. Koma Kulshan by John Miles
9. Nooksack Wanderings by Bob Kandiko
10. 78 Beaches by Lynda Burgan
With a focus on local history, local interest, and local authors, the Village Books publishing imprint, Chuckanut Editions, has produced many popular titles over the years. These books represent a variety of interests—from local geology, murders, and hauntings, to favorite recipes, the story of our beloved Mount Baker, amazing local women, beautiful scenery, and much more. Here are the top 10 selling titles from last year: Can't
Use
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• Supports Local
• They pair nicely with other purchases
by Julia Cameron
available now, paperback, Picador
Julia Cameron has been teaching the world about creativity since her seminal book The Artist’s Way first broke open the conversation around art. Now in Write for Life she returns to one of the subjects closest to her heart: the art and practice of writing. Over the course of six weeks, Cameron gently guides readers step by step through the creative process, laying the groundwork and beginning where they are, learning to trust their process, pushing through resistance and perfectionism, and finally celebrating their accomplishments.
by Helen Humphreys
available in March, paperback, Picador
An artist’s solitude is a sacred space, one to be guarded from the chaos of the world, where the sparks of inspiration can be kindled into fires of creation. But within this quiet also lie loneliness, self-doubt, the danger of collapsing too far inward. An artist needs a familiar, a companion with emotional intelligence, innate curiosity, an enthusiasm for the world beyond. What an artist needs, Helen Humphreys would say, is a dog. This a memoir of the writing life is told through the dogs Humphreys has lived with and loved over a lifetime, including Fig, her new Vizsla puppy. Interspersed are stories of other writers and their own irreplaceable companions: Virginia Woolf and Grizzle, Gertrude Stein and Basket, Thomas Hardy and Wessex, and many more.
available now, paperback, Coffeetown Press
Dancing with the Muse in Old Age uses current science to present old age as a potentially happy, creative, and productive time. Numerous modelsincluding many elders active in the arts-illustrate the possibilities.
Tuesday, March 28
at Village Books in Fairhaven 4pm: Generating Poems Writing Class (see page 31)
7pm: Book Reading & Discussion
Find details and registration information at villagebooks.com
Last Mondays of each month at 6pm is our popular long-running Open Mic with Seán Dwyer.
Second Tuesdays of the month at 6pm the Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater Open Mic now takes place in the Fairhaven Readings Gallery.
Both Open Mics are offered in person at Village Books in Fairhaven AND online. Registration is required to read or attend virtually. See villagebooks.com for details.
Village Books and WCC Community & Continuing Education offer a writing instruction collaboration called Chuckanut Writers. These programs are designed to inspire and encourage writers at all stages of their writing journey.
Check out these upcoming classes:
Tuesday, March 28, 4-6pm
• Generating Poems with Priscilla Long at Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)
Join Priscilla Long in a journey of poem generation using three types of poems as models. We'll look at models of three forms of poems, and we'll generate drafts of our own poems using these models as our guides. Bring a notebook to write in. Priscilla Long is a Seattle-based writer and poet, and a longtime independent teacher of writing
Tuesdays & Thursdays, April 11-27 6-8:30pm
• Memoir Writing: How to Tell Your Own Story with Melissa Johnson at WCC (6 sessions)
This course will cover the basics of creative non-fiction writing for the memoirist, taking students through the entire writing process, from choosing a compelling personal story to a final finished short-form memoir. This course is taught by Melissa Johnson, a filmmaker, writer, teacher, and lifelong learner.
Wednesdays, May 31 & June 7, 6-8pm
• The Thunder Mutters: Reading and Writing Eco-poetry with Jeremy Voigt at Village Books in Fairhaven (2 sessions)
Join us for an exploration of what it means to read and write eco-poetry. Ecological poetry, poetry focused on "the relations of organisms and their environment," lends itself well to self-discovery, exploring social issues, as well as developing the art of attention. Each session will involve reading and discussing provided poems and a poetry writing exercise. Jeremy Voigt has been teaching for nearly 20 years, and has published poems in Nimrod and other magazines.
Saturdays, April 8 & 15, 10am-12pm
• Forgotten Language: Writing Poems about the Natural World with Barbara Bloom at Village Books in Fairhaven (2 sessions)
How can we describe and celebrate the natural world in our own writing? The poet W.S. Merwin tells us, "I want to tell what the forests/were like/I will have to speak in a forgotten language." Join us in this two-part workshop as we write our own nature poems, working toward discovering this forgotten language. Barbara Bloom has an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, has published two books of poetry, and has spent her life in wild and beautiful places.
Tuesdays, May 9-30, 6-8pm (4 sessions)
• Wild Mind Writing with Nancy Canyon
Virtual Classroom
Spend four evenings discovering the power of "wild mind writing!" Based on Natalie Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones, this intriguing class frees the mind through a unique practice that eliminates writer's block. Instructor Nancy Canyon will lead new and experienced students through a variety of exercises—rewarding participants with a daily practice-style, fundamentally changing one's writing forever. Ms. Canyon holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and has studied with Natalie Goldberg.
Saturdays, May 20 & 27 10am-12pm
• Poetry: Writing Into the Unknown with Kevin Murphy at Village Books in Fairhaven (2 sessions)
In this workshop, we’ll explore techniques for using writing to access the unconscious, the dream world, the irrational, and the taboo. We’ll experiment with forms and exercises to spark the imagination and open the door to mystery. Kevin Murphy is the resident poet on the Chuckanut Radio Hour and has been writing and performing poetry for over 40 years.
Saturdays, May 3-24 6:30pm-9pm
• Building Great Arcs in Fiction with Roby Blecker Virtual Classroom (4 sessions)
The arc is at the root of all forward motion in fiction: in characters, in plot, in individual scenes. Its existence provides the "bones" of the story and provides the ongoing sense of discovery vital to holding readers. Class discussion and exercises will cover creating arcs for different types of scenes, for different elements of fiction, and for a story as a whole. Instructor Roby Blecker is an author, a teacher, and a lover and encourager of good writing.
Saturday, June 6, 10am-12pm
• Marketing for Authors Who Just Want to Write with Gail Noble-Sanderson at Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)
Join us for an information-packed workshop focused on proven strategies for indie authors and publishers! By the end of class, you will have created a draft of a marketing plan you can begin to use right away. Instructor Gail NobleSanderson is an awarding-winning author of historical fiction and mystery; she self-publishes through her publishing house, Noble Press.
Class sizes are limited, register early!
Are you a writer in search of a writing group? Come meet other writers who can help you get organized, give feedback, and help you with your writing goals. These groups are free and open to newcomers and drop-ins
Currently, one group meets virtually and the others meet at Village Books in Fairhaven.
Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6-8pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books in Fairhaven
Meets VIRTUALLY 1st & 3rd Sundays, 3-5pm Visit villagebooks.com for more information
Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesdays from 12-1pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine. See page 52 for more.
Meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 5:30pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine
Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 10:30am-noon in the Readings Gallery of Village Books in Fairhaven
Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 10:30am-noon in the Readings Gallery of Village Books in Fairhaven
Just Added!
Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 6-7:30pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine level of VIllage Books in Fairhaven
Read full descriptions and expectations for each group at villagebooks.com. Please note that changes do occur. Watch the events calendar at villagebooks.com for updates.
Sign up for our Just Write! eNewsletter, a monthly publication highlighting current classes, tips and tricks, writing book reviews and the like!
SPRING CLASS REGISTRATIONS OPEN MARCH 1, 2023
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT JANSENARTCENTER.ORG
March 18, 11am-12pm
There are 12 reading spots available so call or visit Village Books in Lynden to sign up today (430 Front St., Lynden, WA • 360-526-2133). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Village Books in Lynden is excited to partner with Pack9Training to offer Read to a Dog Story Time. This is a very special story Time where THE KIDS do all the reading...TO DOGS! Reading out loud to a furry friend is known to boost self-confidence while encouraging kids to increase their reading skills. Plus it's fun!
Whether or not sweet dogs or Dairy Ambassadors are joining us, we're excited to present story time EVERY Saturday at 11am.
2022-2023 Whatcom Dairy Ambassador Alyssa Boersma joins our Saturday Story Time on the last Saturday of each month where she reads a great selection of farm and cow books for kids. Don't miss out!
March 25 • April 29 • May 27
Wednesday Story Times with Gaye are BACK! At 11am each Wednesday, you and your young book and music lovers can join Gaye for a half hour of stories and songs.
Check out our Lynden Store Bestsellers!
Lynden
1. Establish the Work of Our Hands by Ron Polinder
2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
3. Old Barns of Whatcom County by Jeff Barclay
4. Hiking Whatcom County by Ken Wilcox
5. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
6. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
7. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
8. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
9. Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
10. Dune by Frank Herbert
11. Colophon Café Best Cookbook Collection by David Killian
12. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
13. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
14. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
15. Urban Trails Bellingham by Craig Romano
16. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Thanks for supporting local
17. Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
18. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
19. Floret Farms Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein
20. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Join Gaye from Village Books Lynden and the Front Streeters book group as they discuss titles from a variety of genres. They meet in person in the Waples Room of the Inn at Lynden (adjacent to Village Books) at 7pm the third Wednesday of each month.
March 15, 7pm
Lightning Strike: A Cork O'Connor Mystery by William Kent Krueger
April 19, 7pm
The Girl with Seven Names: Escape from North Korea by Hyeonseo Lee
May 17, 7pm - Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Attendees are eligible for a 15% discount on group selections
The food we make and the community we grow is an extension of our love.
Easter Brunch
Sunday April 9, 10am-3pm with Live Music
Friday May 5, 6pm-9pm
Chef Christy Fox salutes the refined flavors of Mexico
Sunday May 14, 10am-3pm with Queen Treat Towers and Live Music
Seating is limited so reserve your space today!
evolvefairhaven.com
• desserts & baked goods
• espresso & teas
boozy chocolate drinks
• wine + beer
Thanks for your continued support!
• daily specials
Five-Course Meal Paired with Cocktails & Characters from the Book
Tuesday, March 21, 6-9pm
Catherine Hernandez
by Andrea Nguyen
available in April, hardcover, Ten Speed Press
Although many people think of Vietnamese cooking as beefy pho and meat-filled sandwiches, traditional Vietnamese cooking has always involved a lot of plants and seafood and a little meat. In Ever-Green Vietnamese, Andrea Nguyen details how cooks in her home country draw on their natural resourcefulness and Buddhist traditions to showcase a wide array of herbs and vegetables in flavorful, comforting recipes.
by Kim-Joy
and More!
available in May, hardcover, Quadrille Publishing Feline fans will love this collection of 50 a-miaow-zing cat-themed creations. Bake Me a Cat showcases the cutest bakes you will ever see, all celebrating our favorite pet. With brand new recipes for cakes, cookies, desserts, breads, and more, plus vegan and gluten-free options, it's the kitchen essential for every kitten-cuddler. Kim-Joy is an expert in creating gorgeous animal-themed bakes, and her adorable feline characters have a purrsonality all of their own. Catering for a range of skills levels, whether you fancy baking Tiger Buns, Meow Bao, Kit-tea Scones or a Happy Purrrrthday Cake, bring joy to your cooking, and a smile to every cat-owner's face with Bake Me a Cat!
by Amy Thielen
available in April, hardcover, W.W. Norton & Co. Company will have you rethinking the way you entertain, throwing dinner parties that are less formal, more frequent, and as fun for the cook as for the guests. Preaching leniency, not-guilty pleasures, and the art of making it in advance, Thielen soothes the most common party anxieties one by one. Her reflections on writing menus, produce shopping, and how to time a meal are novel but timeless.
by Orathay Souksisavanh
available now, hardcover, Hardie Grant
In Bao & Dim Sum, Orathay Souksisavanh walks you through how you can create a huge range of bao and dim sum. Try your hand at mushroom dim sum and braised pork bao, as well as sides such as cucumber salad and braised eggplants, and even a selection of sauces.
by Jocelyn Delk Adams
available in March, hardcover, Clarkson Potter Jocelyn Delk Adams believes every day deserves to be celebrated, from seemingly mundane weekdays to exuberant weekends and holidays. Her approachable take on comfort food features Southern-steeped recipes that are jazzedup, remixed classics, all sprinkled with the vibrant, colorful personality she’s best known for.
Salt
Secrets and Stories from a Greek Kitchen
by Carolina Doritiavailable in March, hardcover, Quadrille Publishing
Evoking a strong sense of place, this vibrant book shines a spotlight on local produce and traditional techniques. Carolina Doriti reveals the defining characteristics of Greek food, set against the irresistible backdrop of the mainland and islands. Salt of the Earth is the ultimate celebration of the food and flavors of Greece from one of its most forward-thinking and historically knowledgeable cooks.
Check out our fun & unique assortment of cooking, dining, and entertaining supplies and gifts.
by David Grann
available in April, hardcover, Doubleday
From the #1 New York Times
bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. Grann is one of the best non-fiction storytellers out there. This incredible survival story is almost too unbelievable to be real. The men on the Wager and their story are brought to life through diligent research and vivid imagery. This book is great for fans of history and thrillers! –Kiana
In Fairhaven...
Find our True Crime titles on the main floor adjacent to the History Section.
by Alex Mar
available in March, hardcover, Penguin Press
In Seventy Times Seven, Alex Mar weaves an unforgettable narrative of an act of violence and its aftermath. This is a story about the will to live—to survive, to grow, to change—and about what we are willing to accept as justice. Tirelessly researched and told with intimacy and precision, this book brings a haunting chapter in the history of our criminal justice system to astonishing life.
by Erika Krouse
available in March, paperback, Flatiron Books
Calling all fans of true crime, scandal, and dismantling institutional issues!! Krouse finds herself investigating a college football team for sexual assault but soon finds that the players are not the only problem. Her accounts of how far colleges will go to protect their sports teams are appalling and eye-opening. –Kiana
Proudly telling stories about the people, businesses and organizations doing good things good around Whatcom County
Each year, the PNBA Book Awards celebrate exceptional books written by Northwest authors. The books on this page were selected by a dedicated volunteer committee of independent booksellers out of hundreds of nominated titles all published in 2022. Congratulations to this year’s winners!
by Kenji López-Alt (Seattle, WA)
The Wok is an beautiful introduction to and exploration of the pan that is certain to become the most versatile in your kitchen. Filled with tricks and technique, featuring thoughtful and scientific sidebars, and loaded to the rim with recipes and photos—whether a novice considering your first wok or a seasoned cook looking to up your game, you cannot go wrong with a teacher like Kenji!
W.W. Norton & Company
by Caitlin Scarano (Bellingham, WA)
The poems in Caitlin Scarano’s The Necessity of Wildfire burn slowly but searing, her words lulling readers into a sense of comfort in the exploration of the minutiae of everyday life only to be suddenly startled into a higher clarity. The collection is complex and compelling, revealing a connection to both the personal and universal experience. These poems make an impact upon first reading and will affect you each and every time you return.
Blair
by Kim Fu (Seattle, WA)
This collection of short stories reflects on family, coming of age, grief, relationships, and both the promise and uncertainty of the future. Each story is dynamic and thought provoking. It's rare to read a collection where every story stirs something inside. Tin House
Red Paint:
The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk
by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe (Tacoma, WA)
Filled with her own experiences as a person of Coast Salish heritage alongside those of her ancestors, Sasha Lapointe’s Red Paint takes us from her rough childhood and early punk rock days in Washington to graduate school in New Mexico and back. Her journey of self-discovery, including a commitment to live up to her namesake great-grandmother’s legacy as a tribal elder, results in a powerful book and ongoing life story as LaPointe channels legacy into her work as an artist and activist. Counterpoint
An excellently interwoven story of the refugee experience, Americanization of immigrant children, tension and trauma between mothers and daughters, and the lingering effects of war. With a journalist's eye and a creative writer's heart, Reang has crafted a memorable memoir with poignant lines —worthy of bookmarking for life. MCD/Farrar,
Straus & Giroux
by Jamie Ford (Great Falls, MT)
A beautiful and ultimately hopeful story about family, legacy, hurt and healing. Ford does an incredible job of weaving together the stories and trauma of seven generations of women, connecting their hope and heartbreak. Atria Books Paperback release in May!
by Jonathan Kennedy
available in April, hardcover, Crown
By placing disease at the center of his wide-ranging history of humankind, Kennedy challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions about our collective past—and urges us to view the current moment as another disease-driven inflection point that will change the course of history. Provocative and brimming with insight, Pathogenesis transforms our understanding of the human story.
by Lynne Olson
available now, hardcover, Random House
In the 1960s, 50 countries contributed nearly a billion dollars to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples, built during the height of the pharaohs' rule, from drowning in the floodwaters of the new Aswan High Dam. But the massive press coverage of this unprecedented rescue effort completely overlooked the gutsy French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples would be at the bottom of a huge reservoir.
by Kim Todd
available in April, hardcover, Harper
A vivid social history that brings to light the “girl stunt reporters” of the Gilded Age who went undercover to expose corruption and abuse in America, and redefined what it meant to be a woman and a journalist—pioneers whose influence continues to be felt today.
Closing out Women’s History Month at Village Books in Fairhaven
Friday, March 31, 7pm
KIM TODD
available in April, hardcover, Viking "With meticulous detective work, Timothy Egan shines a light on one of the most sinister chapters in American history—how a viciously racist movement, led by a murderous conman, rose to power in the early 20th century. A Fever in the Heartland is compelling, powerful, and profoundly resonant today." –David Grann, author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon
by Caroline Dodds Pennock
available now, hardcover, Knopf
A landmark work of narrative history that shatters our previous Eurocentric understanding of the Age of Discovery by telling the story of the Indigenous Americans who journeyed across the Atlantic to Europe after 1492. Drawing on their surviving literature and poetry and subtly layering European eyewitness accounts against the grain, Pennock gives us a sweeping account of the Indigenous American presence in, and impact on, early modern Europe.
by Martin Puchner
available now, hardcover, W.W. Norton & Co.
For millennia, humanity has sought to understand and transmit to future generations not just the “know-how” of life, but the “know-why”—the meaning and purpose of our existence, as expressed in art, architecture, religion, and philosophy. From Nefertiti’s lost city to the plays of Wole Soyinka; from the theaters of ancient Greece to Chinese travel journals to Arab and Aztec libraries; from a South Asian statuette found at Pompeii to a time capsule left behind on the Moon, Puchner tells the gripping story of human achievement through our collective losses and rediscoveries, power plays and heroic journeys, innovations, imitations, and appropriations.
by Jeff Guinn
available now, hardcover, Simon & Shuster
A fascinating account of the events that went down on the Branch Davidian's compound in Waco, Texas and an analysis of the US government's involvement.Guinn does an excellent job finding connections between these moments, the January 6th Insurrection, and the Oklahoma city bombing. I found this book to be very thought-provoking. –Maddie
by James M. Zimmerman
available in April, hardcover, PublicAffairs
In 1923 Shanghai, native and foreign travelers alike are enthralled by the establishment of a new railway line to distant Peking. With this new line comes the Peking Express, a luxurious express train on the cutting edge of China’s continental transportation. But the train’s passengers are not the only ones enchanted by the Peking Express. The bandit revolutionary Sun Mei-yao sees in it the promise of a reckoning long overdue. From his vantage in Shantung Province, a conflict-ravaged region through which the train must pass, he identifies the Peking Express as a means of commanding the global stage.
Crooked : The Roaring 20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal
by Nathan Masters
available in March, hardcover, Hachette Books
Newly elected to the Senate on a promise to root out corruption, Burton "Boxcar Burt" Wheeler sets his sights on ousting Attorney General Harry Daugherty, puppet-master behind President Harding’s unlikely rise to power. Daugherty is famous for doing whatever it takes to keep his boss in power, and his cozy relations with bootleggers and other scofflaws have long spawned rumors of impropriety. But when his constant companion and trusted fixer, Jess Smith, is found dead of a gunshot wound in the apartment the two men share, Daugherty is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, exposing the rot consuming the Harding administration to a shocked public.
The Dirty Tricks Department : Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare
by John Lisleavailable in March, hardcover, St. Martin’s Press
This is the untold story of the OSS Research and Development Branch—
“The Dirty Tricks Department”—and its role in World War II. In the summer of 1942, Stanley Lovell received a mysterious order to report to an unfamiliar building in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was led to a barren room where, after a disconcerting amount of time, William “Wild Bill” Donovan, the head of the OSS, walked in the door. “You know you’re Sherlock Holmes, of course,” Donovan said as an introduction. “Professor Moriarty is the man I want for my staff … I think you’re it.” Following this life-changing encounter, Lovell became the head of a secret group of scientists who developed dirty tricks for the OSS, the precursor to the CIA.
by Alexa Hagerty available in March, hardcover, Crown I want to shout from the rooftops how incredible and important this book is. Personal accounts of the Guatemalan and Argentinian genocides alongside the forensic proof Hagerty examines are astounding. This is a heavy but beautiful book full of gut-wrenching stories, I implore anyone interested in war, history, or humanity to ingest it. –Kiana
"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it!" Well, here is your chance to prepare yourself for the future. Join the Village Books Armchair Historians Book Group - "understanding the past!"
We meet the second Monday of each month from 6pm to 7:30pm in the Fairhaven Village Books Readings Gallery. Discussion titles listed at villagebooks.com.
Whatcom Maritime Association's mission is to catalog, record, preserve and restore the past and present elements of our local maritime heritage—a big task! They have lived up to this mission by restoring the the MV Plover (the oldest foot passenger ferry in Washington), raising funds for the Fishermen’s Memorial at Zuanich Point Park, sponsoring the Sea Scout program, raising the steam engine from the historic tug “Charlotte” from the depths of Lake Whatcom, participating at maritime festivals, and hosting monthly meetings on maritime subjects.
In 2017, the Association received a large donation from local Gordy Tweit: his collection of historic photographs and maritime memorabilia. They felt, as he did, that objects that tell our history should be displayed in public, thus the Whatcom Maritime Heritage Museum was created. Located on the main floor of the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, the museum is open on Fridays from noon to 4pm. The hope now is to honor our maritime heritage by creating displays and interpretive information at the former Georgia Pacific site. With enough community support, this collection and the important stories they tell can becme part of the development of our waterfront. Thanks for your support!
With a focus on local history, local interest, and local authors, Chuckanut Editions is Village Books' own publishing imprint. We're excited to introduce our latest title!
for the Whatcom Maritime Association
Did You Know:
• Bellingham introduced the nation’s first line of fiberglass boats.
• The famous PBR river patrol boats used during the Vietnam War were designed and built in Fairhaven.
• Bellingham had the largest privately owned wooden shipyard in the country.
• Whatcom County was once the epicenter of the largest fish cannery operations in the world, and built nearly all of the workboats to support it.
For over 120 years, Whatcom County has been at the forefront of boatbuilding and ship construction. Its shipwrights, carpenters,and manufacturers have led the way in marine technology and innovation, never afraid of embracing the use of new building materials, methods—and at times, pioneering the industry itself. Local historian, author, and filmmaker Todd Warger spent years researching this intriguing subject—collecting thousands of pages, photographs, and film—resulting in an award-winning documentary. Now, he's joined forces with the Whatcom Maritime Association and Village Books to share this amazing piece of local history in book form. Check out Shipyard —available late March. Pre-order your copy today!
Friday, April 21 at 7pm - Village Books
TODD WARGER
In addition to being the author of numerous popular local history books, Todd Warger is an Emmy Award nominee for the documentary film The Mountain Runners and a recipient of the Washington State Historical Society’s 2008 David Douglas award for the documentary film Shipyard. Join us as he discusses the research and writing of Shipyard. Reserve your seat at villagebooks.com.
Pre-Order Your Copy Today! Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City : A Memoir
by Jane Wong
available in May, hardcover, Tin House Books
An incandescent, exquisitely written memoir about family, food, girlhood, resistance, and growing up in a ChineseAmerican restaurant on the Jersey shore. Read more about this highly anticipated new memoir on page 79.
Wednesday, May 24, 7pm
A Memoir
by Maggie Smithavailable in April, hardcover, Atria
In her memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself in lyrical vignettes that shine, hard and clear as jewels. With the spirit of selfinquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself. The power of these pieces is cumulative: page after page, they build into a larger interrogation of family, work, and patriarchy.
by Ava Chin
available in April, hardcover,
Penguin PressAs the only child of a single mother in Queens, Ava Chin found her family’s origins to be shrouded in mystery. She had never met her father, and her grandparents’ stories didn’t match the history she read at school. Mott Street traces Chin’s quest to understand her Chinese-American family’s story. Over decades of painstaking research, she finds not only her father but also the building that provided a refuge for them all.
available in April, hardcover, Crown You might not remember Katie Porter's name, but you remember her whiteboard. She's the one who asks questions and expects real responses from corporate America. She's now written a book that shares how she got her smarts and her honesty along with a peek behind the political curtain of what it takes to get elected and then use that position for good for actual families. –Sarah
by Gale Straub, Noel Russell, and Hailey Hirst
available in March, hardcover, Chronicle Books
People are increasingly turning to nature to relieve stress; this book celebrates nature as a place for selfdiscovery, wellness, and connection for women. It features remarkable stories of personal growth, courage, and encouragement, and includes essays from women of diverse ethnicities, ages, and physical abilities. Tons of beautiful photography to make this a wonderful gift.
Now In Paperback!
Red Paint : The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk
by Sasha taq w š blu LaPointe available in March, paperback, Counterpoint
One of the best memoirs I've ever read is now out in paperback! LaPointe's vulnerability and incredible writing allow readers into her story and her world. Her being a local writer with the book taking place throughout Tacoma and Skagit makes it feel even more personal. –Kiana
Hear her on the Chuckanut Radio Hour PODCAST - episode #139!
available in March, paperback, Crown
If you're a child of the Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow reign, as I am, then this book is absolutely for you! Through a series of essays, we are able to get a window into the mind of one of the world's most beloved comedians. From his first run-in with marijuana to meeting his wife, Rogen gives a very raw but incredibly hilarious look into Hollywood, Canada, and comedy. –Laura M.
available in March, hardcover, W.W. Norton & Co.
Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd (est. 1761) to apply for a job. Allured by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, Darkshire was soon unteetering stacks of first editions and placating the store’s resident ghost (the late Mr. Sotheran, hit by a tram). By turns unhinged and earnest, Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of life in one of the world’s oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling.
available now, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing Stranded within an ever-shifting family’s desperate but volatile attempts to love, saddled with a mercurial mother mired in crack addiction, and demeaned daily for his perceived weakness, Thomas grew up feeling he was under constant threat. Fists and palms pounded down at school and at home, leaving welts that ached long after they disappeared. An inescapable hunger gnawed at his frequently empty stomach, and requests for food were often met with indifference. In a series of exacting and fierce vignettes, Thomas guides readers through the unceasing cruelty that defined his circumstances, laying bare the depths of his loneliness and illuminating the vital reprieve geek culture offered him.
by Patrick Bringley
available now, hardcover, Simon & Shuster
This is a beautiful story of how life experiences and art can become intertwined. The book follows the author's journey through a painful life experience where he finds closure within the metropolitan museum, where he worked as a security guard for many years. Wonderfully written from cover to cover. –Maddie
Friday, April 28, 7pm
by Children of the Setting Sun Productions
edited by Darrell Hillaire and Natasha Frey
photographs by Fay "Beau" Garreau Jr. available in April, paperback, University of Washington Press
Dynamic and diverse, Coast Salish culture is bound together by shared values and relations that generate a resilient worldview. Jesintel—"to learn and grow together"— characterizes the spirit of this book, which brings the cultural teachings of 19 elders to new generations. It highlights the importance of maintaining relations and traditions in the face of ongoing struggles. Children of the Setting Sun Productions (CSSP) is a Native-owned and operated production company headquartered in Bellingham. Through storytelling, they share their Indigenous values of gratitude, generosity, respect, and responsibility.
Pre-order your copy and register to attend this event at villagebooks.com
The Salish Current, Munro Institute for Civic Education, and Whatom Community College present "CALLING BULLSHIT"
An evening with Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West
HowdoYOUdecidewhatistrue?
Withanavalancheofdistortioncomingfromeverydirection, howcanwesortoutwhatistrueandwhatismisleading, falseor“fakenews”?
Jointhisimportantconversationwithtwonationallyacclaimed authorsandeducators.
Thursday,April13~7 PM
HeinerAuditorium,WhatcomCommunityCollege Foryourfreeticketandinformation: salish-current.org/events
Nonpartisan,nonprofit,localnews InpartnershipwithVillageBooks
by Sheila Liming
available now, hardcover, Melville House Starting with the assumption that play is to children as hanging out is to adults, Liming makes a brilliant case for the necessity of unstructured social time as a key element of our cultural vitality. The book asks questions like what is hanging out? why is it important? why do we do it? how do we do it? and examines the various ways we hang out—in groups, online, at parties, at work.
by Jenny Odell
available in March, hardcover, Random House Saving Time tugs at the seams of reality as we know it—the way we experience time itself—and rearranges it, imagining a world not centered on work, the office clock, or the profit motive. If we can “save” time by imagining a life, identity, and source of meaning outside these things, time might also save us.
by Samira K. Mehta
available now, hardcover, Beacon Press
Born to a white American and a South Asian immigrant, Mehta grew up feeling more comfortable with her mother’s family than with her father’s. But in adulthood, she realized that some of her Indian family’s assumptions about the world had become an indelible part of her—and that her well-intentioned parents had not known how to prepare her for a world that would see her as a person of color.
available in March, hardcover, W.W. Norton & Co. Across the country, men “of God” glorify materialism, a gluttony of the soul, while citing Scripture and preparing for civil war. Political rallies are as aflame with need and giddy expectation as religious revivals. At a conference for incels, lonely single men come together to rage against women. On the Far Right, everything is heightened—love into adulation, fear into vengeance, anger into white-hot rage. Here, in the undertow, our 45th president, a vessel of conspiratorial fears and fantasies, continues to rise to sainthood.
by Ricardo Nuila
available in March, hardcover, Scribner
by Matthew Desmond
available in March, hardcover, Crown
This fiercely argued and compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds a startlingly original case for eliminating poverty in America and shows how we can all be part of that effort. His book calls on us to become true poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of equity.
edited by Kevin M. Kruse
and Julian E. Zelizer
available now, hardcover, Basic Books
Distortions of the past promoted in the conservative media have led large numbers of Americans to believe in fictions over facts, making constructive dialogue impossible and imperiling our democracy. In Myth America, Kruse and Zelizer have assembled a team of fellow historians to push back against this misinformation. The contributors debunk narratives that portray the New Deal and Great Society as failures, immigrants as hostile invaders, and feminists as anti-family warriors—among numerous other partisan lies. Based on a firm foundation of historical scholarship, their findings revitalize our understanding of American history.
Expensive. Broken. Americans use these two words more than any others to describe–and condemn–their own healthcare system. Could one local hospital serve as a model for the change Americans have longed for? In the tradition of transformative and revelatory works like Five Days at Memorial and Evicted, Dr. Nuila takes readers inside Houston's lauded safety net hospital, Ben Taub, to meet five patients whose moving stories demonstrate that the urgent need for reform in American health care is an issue of social justice.
Did you know that you can access the Chuckanut Reader on the go?
Visit the VillageBooks.com home page and click on the link. Once there, you can peruse past issues as well!
available now, hardcover, The MIT Press
Tenacious Beasts is quintessential nature writing for the Anthropocene, touching on different facets of ecological restoration from Indigenous knowledge to rewilding practices. More important, perhaps, the book offers a road map— and a measure of hope—for a future in which humans and animals can once again coexist.
by Karen Fine, DVM
available in March, hardcover, Anchor
All Creatures Great and Small meets Being Morta l in this compelling memoir of one woman's dream to become a veterinarian in a field historically dominated by men, and how, through her work both with her patients and their people, she comes to better understand humanity, mortality, and the unique role animals play in our lives.
Sunday, March 19, 4pm at Village Books in Fairhaven CHRISTOPHER PRESTON
by David B. Agus, MD
available in March, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Mother Nature has a lot to teach us, if only we open our eyes. Pigeons and dolphins offer creative strategies for preserving our memories and warding off dementia, while squirrels and pigs harbor secrets for managing chronic pain. Rhinoceroses demonstrate the subtle power of our environments—and how to exercise better—while chimps have surprising parenting tips, not to mention great diet advice. Filled with lively storytelling and astonishing practical takeaways, this revelatory guide will have you rethinking what’s possible for your health and wellbeing.
by Miriam Darlington
available now, hardcover, Tin House Books
Owls have existed for over sixty million years, and in the relatively short time we have shared the planet with these majestic birds they have ignited the human imagination. But even as owls continue to captivate our collective consciousness, celebrated British nature writer Miriam Darlington finds herself struck by all she doesn’t know about the true nature of these enigmatic animals. Darlington watches and listens to the natural world and to the rhythms of her home and family, inviting readers to discover the wonders of owls alongside her while rewilding our imagination with the mystery, fragility, and magnificence of all creatures.
NEW!
Do you enjoy being in nature and writing about it? Are you concerned about human's impact on the Earth or are you experiencing ecological grief? If so, stop by! Village Books hosts a variety of writing groups and we're excited to welcoming the Environmentalists Anonymous group to the mix! Meeting the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays from 12-1pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine level Village Books in Fairhaven, VB Writes groups are open to newcomers and drop-ins. (See page 32 and villagebooks.com for additional writing groups)
This writing group will offer opportunities for observation and self-reflection and regular prompts that center on regional flora and fauna, climate change, and ecology. Passages and poems from notable environmental writers will also be shared regularly. All levels welcome. This group is facilitated by local poet and writer, Jessica Gigot.
Join us for a series of in-person presentations and find your next great and inspiring read! The Nature of Writing Speaker Series hosts authors, poets, and artists sharing their new works. Events take place at Village Books in Fairhaven unless otherwise noted. Pre-registration is requested.
Sunday, March 19, 4pm
CHRISTOPHER PRESTON
–Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change the Way We Think about Animals
Friday, April 7, 7pm
ABIGAIL MORGAN PROUT –Walk Deep: Poems
Saturday, April 8, 7pm
JASON KNIGHT
–The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival: A Guide to Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, Navigation, and Survival Kits
Friday, April 28, 7pm
BOOK LAUNCH
Children of the Setting Sun Productions –Jesintel: Living Wisdom from Coast Salish Elders
Saturday, May 13, 4pm
MATT KRACHT
–OMFG Bees!: Bees Are So Amazing and You're About to Find Out Why
Saturday, April 15, 4pm
FRANCES BACKHOUSE –Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness
Saturday, April 29, 4pm
BARBARA DAVIS-PYLES
–Nobody Likes Frogs: A Book of Toadally Fun Facts
At Bellingham High School
Saturday, May 6, 7pm
PETER WOHLLEBEN with Thor Hanson
–The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them
Tickets include a copy of the book!
Watch villagebooks.com for even more Nature of Wriing Series events!
North Cascades Institute offers dozens of in-person and online classes, family camps, boat tours and Base Camp retreats at the Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake in the heart of North Cascades National Park. Learn more and make your plans at ncascades.org/get_outside
by Thomas Hertog
available in April, hardcover, Bantam
"Like his mentor and colleague Stephen Hawking, Thomas Hertog has never shied away from being ambitious in theorizing about the universe. This sweeping book provides an accessible overview of both what we know about cosmology and some audacious ideas for moving into the unknown. It is an introduction to Hawking's final theory, but also a glimpse into even grander theories yet to come." –Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion.
by Matt Kracht
available in March, paperback, Chronicle Books
Are you ready for the ultimate bee book?
With lighthearted watercolor and ink drawings, humorous quips, lists, and musings, OMFG, BEES! will show you just how important these esteemed bee-list celebrities really are. (Hint: We can't live without them.) Delving into various bee topics, from distinguishing between bees and not bees (very crucial), to exploring the absolute wonder that is bee behavior (they do a coded dance directing their bee friends to food, for crying out loud!), to divulging the mind-blowing bee-magic behind honey making (within some extremely intricate and precisely constructed hexagonal honeycomb, no big deal), and more, Kracht's ode to bees paints a charming and enthusiastic picture of our favorite pollinators. Bee-autiful full-color illustrations fill these pages that playfully and earnestly examine different kinds of bees, from the honeybee to the teddy bear bee, providing unbelievably cool facts about bees and reasons why they deserve a lot more credit as well as our appreciation and advocacy. Because omfg, BEES!!
by Jason Knight
available now, paperback, Alderleaf Press
by Dan Egan
available in March, hardcover, W.W. Norton & Co. Phosphorus has played a critical role in some of the most lethal substances on earth: firebombs, rat poison, nerve gas. But it’s also the key component of one of the most vital: fertilizer, which has sustained life for billions of people. In this major work of explanatory science and environmental journalism, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dan Egan investigates the past, present, and future of what has been called “the oil of our time.”
Nature of Writing Series
Saturday, May 13, 4pm
MATT KRACHT
at Village Books in Fairhaven
Literature and Landscape
by Katie Holtenavailable in April, hardcover, Tin House Books
In this gorgeously illustrated and deeply thoughtful collection, Katie Holten gifts readers her tree alphabet and uses it to masterfully translate and illuminate beloved writing in praise of the natural world. She guides readers on a journey from "primeval atoms" and cave paintings to the death of a 3,500 year-old cypress tree, from Tree Clocks in Mongolia and forest fragments in the Amazon to the language of fossil poetry, unearthing a new way to see the natural beauty all around us and an urgent reminder of what could happen if we allow it to slip away.
Nature of Writing Series
Saturday, April 8, 4pm
JASON KNIGHT
at Village Books in Fairhaven
By reading this book, you will learn about a systematic approach to survival that will increase your confidence in the outdoors and teach you exactly what to do, and in what order, if you find yourself in an emergency. Discover key strategies of shelter, water, fire, food, and other life-saving skills.
Village Books and the North Cascades have teamed up once again, to bring you another great event in the Nature of Writing Series, and this one is a doozy!
Peter Wohlleben will present his latest book, The Power of Trees and he will be in conversation with another bestselling author and naturalist, Thor Hanson!
The Power of Trees is forester Peter Wohlleben's follow-up to The Hidden Life of Trees, a New York Times bestseller that sold millions of copies worldwide. The Power of Trees is as fascinating and eyeopening as it is trenchant in its critique: on the one hand, Wohlleben describes astonishing discoveries about how trees pass knowledge down to succeeding generations and their ability to survive climate change; on the other, he is unsparing in his criticism of those who wield economic and political power—who plant trees exclusively for the sake of logging and virtue-signaling, even as they ruthlessly exploit nature.
Saturday, May 6, 7pm
Tickets include a copy of the book. Watch villagebooks.com for details.
NEW ONLINE TOOL HELPS YOU PURCHASE DIRECTLY FROM FARMERS
Home delivery • Neighborhood drop sites • Farm pick-up
EatLocalFirst.org/CSA
REDUCE WASTE AT YOUR BUSINESS OR EVENT
Get assistance with navigating the single-use plastics ban, donating surplus food to those in need, planning a Toward Zero Waste event, and more!
SustainableConnections.org
OPEN THURSDAY - SUNDAY
Curbside pick-up • Delivery options • In-person shopping
Online store • Outdoor workshops
CloudMountainFarmCenter.org
PURCHASE A WHATCOM THINK LOCAL FIRST GIFT CARD Valid at over 260 local businesses in Whatcom County. There’s something for everyone!
ThinkLocalFirst.org
by Kristin Currin and Andrew Merritt available
in March, paperback, Timber Press
The benefits of native plants are enormous—they reduce maintenance, require less water, and attract vital, earth-friendly pollinators like birds, butterflies, and bees. Packed with proven advice that every home gardener can follow, this incomparable sourcebook profiles 225 recommended native wildflowers, grasses and grasslike plants, ferns, shrubs, and trees.
by Felicity Hart
available now, hardcover, Summersdale
Have you ever been curious about growing your own food? Do you lack a garden? Have you got limited space?
Whether you want to produce fresh herbs for your cooking, save money on your food bill, reduce your carbon footprint or enjoy the simple pleasure of watching something grow, My Tiny Kitchen Garden is bursting with tips and ideas to help you get started. Whether you’re a budding gardener or a seasoned expert looking for seeds of inspiration, dig into this book to hone your green thumb and cultivate your very own tiny kitchen garden.
by Sarah Wyndham Lewis available
in May, hardcover, Quadrille Publishing
This book is an essential, practical resource for anyone interested in biodiversity and sustainable gardening, featuring sections on container gardening, the no-dig method, how to maintain soil health, the principles for rewilding, and wildflower gardening for success—it doesn’t matter how big or small your space, you can still garden to support wild bees. From the author of Planting for Honeybees, The Wild Bee Handbook is a celebration of the wild pollinators and a beautifully illustrated, informative guide that will equip you with the gardening knowledge to offer them the food and habitat they need.
by
Karel Capek,translated by Robert Weatherall & Marie Weatherall, illustrated by Josef Capek available in April, hardcover, Macmillan Collector's Library
A gift for any gardener, this pocket sized classic with gold foiled edges and ribbon marker is a charming and light-hearted insight into the life of an amateur gardener. Structured loosely around what to plant, grow or cultivate each month, Karel Capek takes us on a rollicking journey through a year in his own small garden. From making puddles with an untamable hose to sowing luxuriant weeds instead of grass, Capek reveals how a gardener grows into his surroundings ‘spurred on by each new failure’. As the year progresses and frail buds turn from flowering stems to drooping bulbs and falling leaves, Capek’s small garden buzzes with life, wisdom and humor.
Walks : Joolz Guides' Quirky and Informative Walks Through the World's Greatest Capital City
by Julian McDonnell
available in April, paperback, Quadrille Publishing
In Rather Splendid London Walks you can join Joolz himself on 20 fun-packed walks around the city, picking out the top sights, sounds, and secret features that you wouldn’t spot without an expert guide on hand. On your journey you will learn about London's finest palaces, historic houses, and murky drinking dens, visiting unscrupulous politicians, literary figures, scientific heroes, notorious criminals, and stars of the stage and screen along the way. Highlighting historical features and oddities enroute, including stink pipes, cattle troughs, and parish boundary markers, Joolz has more tales, facts, and anecdotes than you've had hot dinners.
15 Modern Crochet Designs to Stitch and Wear
by Emma Wrightavailable in March, paperback, Quadrille Publishing
In this fresh and modern guide to crochet, Emma Wright shows you how to create your own stylish crochet collection. Once you have mastered the basics, Emma will show you how to confidently play with color and pattern to make clothes that suit you style and add your own creative flair to. With 15 beautiful designs, CIY: CrochetIt-Yourself takes you through all the steps and techniques that you need to master and refine your crochet skills.
Visit
by Chandler O’Leary
available in March, paperback, Sasquatch Books
This alternative atlas features hundreds of illustrations and hand-drawn maps with ideas aplenty for island hopping excursions, like the best place for pie and steamed mussels on Whidbey Island, the most picturesque hikes in the San Juans, and the town on Vancouver Island to visit for salmon angling. Chock-full of unusual facts, hidden history, and roadside attractions, this offbeat island adventure celebrates a slower lifestyle that is diverse, fascinating, and altogether magical.
by Molla Mills
available in March, paperback, Hardie Grant Crochet has certainly made a comeback, and no wonder—it's a playful, mindful, and easy craft; its sturdiness allows you to create wear-intensive items like carpets and bags; and the results are nothing short of stunning. In this amazing collection, Molla Mills brings together the best in modern crochet design, with projects including a duffel bag, cushion, sun visor and picnic blanket. The colourful designs incorporate modern practicality and unique style, inspired by flowers, nostalgic summers and Brooklyn neighborhoods. There is also a comprehensive section on getting started with crochet, including choosing yarns and using tools to create a range of stitches and effects.
by Robin R. Means Coleman, Ph.D.
and Mark H. Harris
available now, paperback, Simon
& ShusterAn exploration of blackness in horror movies and the film community in general, the authors dive into various topics and tropes of cinema. Including questions and fun facts, I found the sidebars throughout the book to be especially interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this new way of analyzing films. This book is perfect for the horror movie fanatic in your life ... which very well could be you! –Maddie
1. The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
2. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
3. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
5. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
6. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
7. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
8. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
9. Hiking Whatcom County by Ken Wilcox
10. Greenwood by Michael Christie
11. Circe by Madeline Miller
12. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
13. Urban Trails Bellingham by Craig Romano
14. Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
15. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
16. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
17. All About Love by bell hooks
18. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
19. The Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
20. Verity by Colleen Hoover
21. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
22. Geology of the San Juan Islands by Ned Brown
23. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
24. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
25. Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl
26. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
27. Northwest Know How: Beaches by Rena Priest
28. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
29. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
30. Working Boats by Tom Crestodina
Whether you're looking for your next read or just interested in seeing what's keeping your neighbors up at night, this is the list for you!
A reflection of local interests (Whatcom READS is #1), author visits, and national bestsellers, these are our top reads of 2022.
31. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
32. The Art of Shralpinism by Jeremy Jones
33. Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard
34. Devotions by Mary Oliver
35. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
36. The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
37. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
38. The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
39. Red Paint by Sasha taq w š blu LaPointe
40. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and Mackinnon
available now, hardcover, Harvard University Press
Everywhere we compete, rank, and measure. Yet this relentless drive to be the best blinds us to something vitally important: the need to be humble in the face of life’s challenges. Costica Bradatan mounts his case for failure through the stories of four historical figures who led lives of impact and meaning—and assiduously courted failure. Their struggles show that engaging with our limitations can be not just therapeutic but transformative.
by Tara Lawall and Anne Marie Wonder
available in March, hardcover,
Chronicle BooksWhether pondering the overwhelming plethora of nondairy milk options that drag out your coffee shop experience or grocery trip by a solid half-hour, trying to figure out why you always have a fork that never matches all of your other forks, or wondering why a salad costs $30 (the lettuce costs extra!), this exploration of modern life and its toll on our collective sanity invites readers to revel in the hilarity of these shared experiences. Poking fun at the things we all do to make life more bearable, like crystal healing, picking the perfect email sign-off, eating fancy cheeses, or Botox, this is the perfect sassy gift for birthdays, holidays, graduations, or any other day that needs some comic relief.
April is National Poetry Month!
Celebrate with 20% Off Poetry Books and Live Poetry Readings. See page 59 for a preview.
Above Ground : Poems
by Clint Smith
available
in March, hardcover,
Little, Brown and Co.Enchantment : Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age
by Katherine Mayavailable now, hardcover, Riverhead Books
In Enchantment, Katherine May invites the reader to come with her on a journey to reawaken our innate sense of wonder and awe. With humor, candor, and warmth, she shares stories of her own struggles with work, family, and the aftereffects of pandemic, particularly the feelings of overwhelm as the world rushes to reopen.
The Wonder Paradox :
available in March, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Religion once formed the rhythms and structures of society: marking time with calendars, carving out space for contemplation, creating connection, reinforcing legacy and morality. Now, for many, religion no longer runs the show. So where shall we find our magic? How do we celebrate milestones? Which texts can focus our attention but still offer space for inquiry, communion, and the chance to dwell for a dazzling instant in what can’t be said? The answer, Hecht—the historian, poet, and bestselling author of Doubt —tells us, is poetry. In twenty chapters built from years of questions and conversation with those looking for an authentic and meaningful life, Hecht offers ways to excavate the useful aspects of tradition and to replace what no longer feels true.
From the author of How the Word is Passed, Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith’s lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children’s lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up—through the changing world of which we are all a part.
by Dayna Patterson
available now, paperback, Signature Books
The witchy, spell-soaked poems in Patterson’s collection explore female characters from Shakespeare’s plays— with a Post-Mormon feminist twist. If you’re not well-versed in Shakespeare or Mormonism, don’t worry—you will find these poems delight and enchant you with their own deep magic, their tremendous power, their singing. Prepare to be entranced.
Sunday, April 23, 4pm
DAYNA PATTERSON at Village Books in Fairhaven
Saturday, April 22, 7pm
MARIE MARCHAND at Village Books in Fairhaven
available now, paperback, Winter Goose Publishing
The poems in Gifts to the Attentive traverse the domains of reverence, resilience, and reverie. Marchand's work illuminates the transcendent within the ordinary. She is the first Poet Laureate of Ellensburg, WA.
by Caitlin Scarano
available now, paperback, Blair
by Maureen Kane
available now, paperback, Gray Matter Press
The poems in this collection are an exploration of the human condition through the lens of a mental health therapist. They are about reclaiming and celebrating oneself and one's story in a time of turmoil. Local poet Maureen Kane is a winner of the 2022 Sue C. Boynton Poetry Award.
Sunday, April 2, 4pm
MAUREEN KANE at Village Books in Fairhaven
Walk Deep : Poems
by Abigail Morgan Prout
available now, paperback, Wayfarer Books
Inspired by the island songs of the Salish Sea, the poems in Walk Deep arise from a deep love of the natural world and call attention to the power that a familiar outer landscape has—to be all at once, companion, mirror, compass, and divination tool for our inner landscape.
Friday, April 7, 7pm
ABIGAIL MORGAN PROUT at Village Books in Fairhaven
Wednesday, April 26, 6pm
Poetry Celebration
CAITLIN SCARANO with JANE WONG and JESSICA GIGOT at Village Books in Fairhaven
Take a Poetry Writing Class or Join a Poetry Group
(pages 30-32)
Winner of the Wren Prize and now the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Bookseller’s Association award for poetry! Wrestling with family violence, escaping home, unraveling relationships, and the complexity of sexuality, this collection is “hungry, clear-eyed, tough, and generous.”
2 0 2 3
submissions and more information at: whatcomdrc.org/youth-peace-poetry-contest
A p r i l 1s t submissions open on
partnering with:
The vision of the WDRC is for Whatcom County to be a community in which people approach conflict in creative and healthy ways.
by James Christopher Carroll
available in March, hardcover, Creative Editions
A poetic personification of the spring season, Sister Spring is revealed to be the force behind beautiful sunrises, blooming trees, sudden showers, and other springtime wonders. After Sister Spring awakes "with the first daffodil on the very last breath of frost," she colors the sunrise with a kiss, provides thunder for the hills, and invites the reader to gambol in the meadow and "dream the seeds of the morrow." A companion to Mother Winter, this poetic celebration of springtime revels in the life-affirming renewal of the season.
available in March, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Sandra Boynton is back with another book full of silly rhymes. Encouragement for all ages! If you or someone you love needs a pep talk, this book is the perfect gift. Sometimes you just need a chicken to cheer you on. –Sophie
by
Marc Colagiovanni,illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds available in March, hardcover, Orchard Books
"One day for no particular reason, nothing was going right. Absolutely positively, nothing was going right. So, I decided to go left..." From New York Times bestselling creator Peter H. Reynolds and talented debut author Marc Colagiovanni comes an inspirational story about optimism, overcoming adversity, and forging your own path.
All Named Broccoli
by David Larochelle, illustrated by Lian Cho available in April, hardcover, Dial Books
What a silly fun escapade! We start with one hundred dragons but some travel to ballet school, some blow away, some take a cruise, and we’re subtracting numbers all the way. When we get to the final Broccoli, we get a little (BIG!) surprise. Get ready to giggle with your littles! –Sarah
Remember by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Michaela Goade available in March, hardcover, Random House Studio
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s iconic poem "Remember," illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.
by Jackie Azúa Kramer and Jonah Kramer, illustrated by Zach Manbeck available in April, hardcover, Cameron Kids Celebrating tiny humans with big interests! To Manolo the world is a magical place—a place where he searches for the most magical creature of all: a unicorn. Manolo loves unicorns. When the Wild Animal Parade is announced at school, and Manolo declares that he will come as his favorite animal, his classmates say there is no such thing as unicorns, making the world feel ordinary. That is, until Manolo meets a real unicorn—wild and graceful—and discovers that the world is truly extraordinary.
by David Álvarez with David Bowles available in March, hardcover, Levine Querido También disponible en español!
Ancient Night is a twist on two Nahuatl traditions: the rabbit which the Feathered Serpent placed on the moon, and Yaushu, the Lord Opossum who ruled the earth before humans came, and who stole fire from the gods to create the sun.The book will be published simultaneously in English and Spanish editions, giving young readers everywhere the chance to savor this ancient tale in its most beautiful format possible.
by Hanh Bui, illustrated by Minnie Phan available in April, hardcover, Feiwel & Friends Naliah is excited to perform a traditional Vietnamese Fan Dance at her school’s International Day. When she finds that her special áo dài no longer fits right, she goes to her mom’s closet to find another. She puts on a pretty yellow one that had belonged to her grandmother—only to accidentally rip it. But with a little help, Naliah learns not only how to mend the áo dài but also how to believe in herself and make it her own. Lovingly illustrated by Minnie Phan, Hanh Bui’s debut picture book is a warm story of family, identity, and remembering those who came before.
Wallace West
available in May, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Cinda sure loves a good adventure... but her life’s been nothing but miserable since awful Aunt Hildy and her boys tromped in and took over. Told in Wallace West's distinctive, chuckle-inducing read-aloud style bursting with southwestern flair, here is a story that shows readers a different but equally satisfying kind of happily ever after.
Meza available in March, hardcover, Harper Collins
A young boy and his older sister have left home to play a game.
To win, they must travel across endless lands together and make it to the finish line. Each child imagines what might be waiting for them across the border: A spotted dog? Ice cream! Or maybe a new school. But the journey is difficult, and the monsters are realer than they imagined. And when it no longer feels like a game, the two children must still find a way to forge ahead. Authorillustrator Erika Meza delivers a stunning and emotionally rich book from the viewpoint of those most impacted by border walls: young refugee children.
And Lynden!
In Fairhaven: Tuesdays at 11am
In Lynden: Saturdays & Wednesdays at 11am
See page 35 for a line-up of fun and varied story times taking place at our store in Lynden!
Village Books is thrilled to welcome two of the most celebrated authors/illustrators in childrens’ literature!
In Twenty Questions, award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson tap deep into childhood curiosity with a mind-tickling ode to the open-ended. Kids and kids-at-heart are encouraged to attend this special event.
available in March, hardcover, Hardie Grant
A kind and generous book of advice for any new LGBTQIA+ parent. Becoming a parent is already a challenging time, even more so if you don’t see yourself reflected in mainstream parenting resources, culture, or even language. A beautifully illustrated hardback full of warmth and personality, You’ll Be a Wonderful Parent is unlike any other book on the market in its inclusive and celebratory approach to queer parenting, and there is something for everyone to learn from the values and experiences of rainbow families. It is the perfect book for new or expecting parents of all descriptions.
Join
Seasonal Family Almanac : Recipes, Rituals, and Crafts to Embrace the Magic of the Year by Emma Frisch and Jana Blankenship, photographs by Allison Usavage available in April, hardcover, Chronicle Books
An indispensable guide and handson resource for families that want to joyfully build or deepen their connection with nature through a range of recipes for cooking, wellness, personal care, and crafts all year long. Emma Frisch and Jana Blankenship have a kindred friendship from their shared experiences as mothers, entrepreneurs, and nature lovers. Observing a growing demand from families wanting to reconnect to nature, they created this fun and practical resource.
An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures. Read more on page 77.
Thursday, April 27, 7pm
is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Hot Dog by Doug Salati is the 2023 recipient.
Awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, the 2023 winner is Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson.
Motherhood by the Book is led by Claire, VB staffer, mother, step-mother, and grandmother. The book group meets on the second Sunday of every month at 2pm in the Fairhaven Readings Gallery for an hour of spirited discussion of books that celebrate the trials, tribulations, and rewards of motherhood. This group is by no means exclusive to moms with kids still at home. We read fiction and non-fiction, older and newer titles, all with the theme of motherhood. Check out the next titles we're discussing at villagebooks.com.
Saturday, April 29, 4pm
Join us in welcoming the author of Grizzly Boy, Stubby The Fearless Squid, and Cliff The Failed Troll as she introduces her fun new title!
by Barbara Davis-Pyles, illustrated by Liz Wong available in April, paperback, Sasquatch Books
Why would you pick up a book about frogs? Nobody likes them! At least according to Persnickety Q. Turtle. In this humorous narrative nonfiction picture book the text cleverly puts the reader in the role of the “expert” to educate a persnickety turtle about the amazing amphibian known as the frog. With the reader's help, Persnickety Q. Turtle learns intriguing frog facts, such as they can breathe through their skin while underwater and their eyes help them swallow. Pick up this book and help Persnickety find out all the reasons frogs are such incredible creatures.
by David A. Robertson
illustrated by Maya McKibbin
available in April, hardcover, Tundra Books
One summer day, Lauren and her little brother, James, go on a trip to the land with their Moshom (grandfather). After they've arrived, the children decide to fish for dinner while Moshom naps. They are in their canoe in the middle of the lake when the water around them begins to swirl and crash. They are thrown overboard and when Lauren surfaces she sees her brother being pulled away by the Memekwesewak—creatures who live in and around water and like to interfere with humans.
Non-Fiction
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art
by Hannah Salyer
available in April, hardcover, Clarion Books
Around the world, our ancient ancestors’ mysterious art is left behind on cave walls, in rain forests, and with ink made from charcoal and crushed clay. These people told their stories in magnificent drawings that still speak to us today, echoing across generations.
May 1-7, 2023
Understading that children’s books and literacy are life-changers, National Children's Book Week was established in 1919—an annual celebration of young people and the joy of reading! Watch villagebooks.com for events and other Children's Book Week activities.
Village Books donates 10% of all kids’ book purchases made during Children's Book Week to the children’s departments of the city and county libraries!
by Saskia Gwinn
illustrated by Ana Albero
available in May, hardcover, Magic Cat
This engaging graphic novel brings young readers into the world of real scientists and their exciting discoveries. This riotous romp is a front-row seat into the world of today’s scientists. Find out who travels back in time to the land of dinosaurs, spends their day singing with whales, who collects stars in jars, who spies on snails, and more. The best part about scientists? They started off a lot like YOU!
by Dav Pilkey
available in March, hardcover, Graphix
DOG MAN IS BACK! The highly anticipated new graphic novel in the #1 worldwide bestselling Dog Man series starring everyone's favorite canine superhero will hit the streets in March. Piggy is back, and his newest plot is his most diabolical yet. Dog Man and the rest of your favorite characters must join together in this heroic and hilarious all new adventure.
by Jack Briglio,
illustrated by Claudia Dávila available in May, hardcover, Kids Can Press An action-packed superhero story about the power of imagination. When he's separated from his parents at the parade, Logan goes where he's the bravest version of himself— his imagination. Transforming into superhero ThunderBoom, Logan is ready to stomp through any challenge! A fresh take on dealing with life's difficulties.
by K. O'Neillavailable in March, hardcover & paperback, Random House Graphic
This charming story follows a desert village that relies on the moon moths, a gift from the moon spirit herself, whose magic is woven throughout their culture. We follow Anya, the newest moth keeper, as she learns what it means to hold responsibility, carry on traditions, and have community and family. Charming and cozy, this graphic novel is a fairy tale a person of any age can enjoy!
–Jessica M.
Bellingham School District 4th & 5th Graders are given the opportunity to read a variety of new titles that were hand-selected by their librarians for their content, diverse characters, and broad reading level range. Students can test their knowledge of the books in a trivia-type competition that takes place in the spring but EVERYONE can take advantage of this curated collection of great reads—on display in our kids section!
Check out our display of 2023 SASQUATCH, OTTER, and YOUNG READERS CHOICE AWARD nominees. You Can't Go Wrong!
Grizzly Bears : Guardians of the Wilderness available now, haardcover, Orca Book Publishers
Grizzlies are one of North America’s most iconic wildlife species.They once roamed across half the continent, but today the grizzly population has declined at an alarming rate. Yet grizzlies are key members of their ecological communities and a powerful symbol of wilderness. Filled with facts and richly illustrated with photos, Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness explores the biology of grizzlies and the vital ecological role these bears play, and it asks readers to consider what it takes to share the land with them. Learn from conservationists, scientists, Indigenous Peoples and young people who are working to ensure that grizzlies will be with us forever.
KENDRA RECOMMENDS - New Non-Fiction
Graphic Novels / Science & Nature
Science Comics : The Periodic Table of Elements
Understanding the Building Blocks of Everything
by Jon Chadavailable in March, paperback, First Second
I am excited about this addition to one of my top favorite non-fiction graphic novel series. A book that can actually make learning the table of elements fun? Yeah . . it exists, enjoy! –Kendra
Graphic Novel / History
Bomb : The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon –A Graphic Novel
by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Nick Bertozzi available now, paperback Roaring Brook Press
A graphic novel adaption of the Cold War book Bomb ! If you have an interest in history, war, or chemistry then this will check off all those boxes. Sheinkin is a well-known non-fiction writer so check out his other titles too. –Kendra
Science & Nature
Outdoor School : Tree, Wildflower, and Mushroom Spotting —The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide
by Mary Kay Carson, illustrated by John D. Dawson available now, paperback, Odd Dot
A very thoughtfully laid out guide for adults or kids. If you have an appreciation for nature, science, and geography this will be a great addition to your pack. This book is informational as well as interactive. Get outside! –Kendra
Total Garbage : A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World
by Rebecca Donnelly
illustrated by John Hendrix available in March, hardcover, Henry Holt and Co.
This book is a narrative that talks about the waste humans produce and is a great read for those interested in STEM while remaining comprehensible to others. It tries to answer some difficult questions about climate change and how we should handle our waste. –Kendra
by A.F. Harrold,
illustrated by Levi Pinfold available now, hardcover, Bloomsbury Children's Books
A powerful middle grade novel about friendship and forgiveness from acclaimed author-illustrator pair A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold. This unforgettable story, complete with lush black-and-white illustrations throughout, explores why we sometimes make unkind choices and how to move forward when we do. It tackles the difficulties of friendship and forgiveness—and how sometimes the most difficult part isn’t making amends but forgiving ourselves.
by Lois Lowry
available now, hardcover, Clarion Books
Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in? Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in northern Germany, Newbery medalist and master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby Child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.
available in May, hardcover, HarperCollins
In the way that only Katherine Applegate could craft, this highly anticipated novel in verse is the perfect mix of heartfelt and humorous, poignant and sweet, with beautiful black-and-white interior illustrations from artist Patricia Castelao. Ruby’s story picks up a few months after the events of The One and Only Bob, as her caretaker from the elephant orphanage in Africa where she grew up is visiting. Seeing him again brings back a flood of memories of her life before the circus, and she recounts the time she spent in the African savannah to Ivan and Bob.
available in May, hardcover, Nancy Paulsen Books
Agnes has been encouraged not to question authority by her mom—but that’s especially hard in religion class, where it bugs her that so much gets blamed on Eve and that God’s always pictured one way. And when Agnes learns that some cultures picture God as a female, she feels freed to think—and write—about things from new perspectives. Ann Braden has written a fast-paced, funny novel that will resonate with anyone who’s ever been afraid to say what they think or question the status quo.
by
DaveEggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris available in May, hardcover, Knopf Books for Young Readers
From the award-winning author of The Every and the illustrator behind the beloved picture book Her Right Foot comes an endearing and beautifully illustrated story of a dog who unwittingly becomes a hero to a park full of animals. A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.
by Alejandra Algorta, illustrated by Iván Rickenmann, translated by Aida Salazar available in May, paperback, Levine Querido También disponible en español!
Fabio flies through the streets of Bogotá on his bicycle, the children of his neighborhood trailing behind him. It is there that life feels right—where the world of adults, and their lies, fades away. But then one day, he simply forgets. Forgets how to ride his bicycle. And Fabio will never be the same again. Algorta's distinct and poetic prose has been translated by award-winning author Aida Salazar, and presented in English and Spanish.
by John Florio & Ouisie Shapiro
available now, hardcover, Roaring Brook Press
From Emmy Award–winning duo John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro comes a monumental YA nonfiction about the heartbreaking case of Sacco and Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants who were wrongfully executed for murder in 1920s, xenophobic America.
by Chasten Buttigieg
available in May, hardcover, Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Introducing the Young Readers' Edition of the moving, hopeful, and refreshingly candid memoir by the husband of former Democratic presidential candidate and current Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, about growing up gay in his small Midwestern town. I Have Something to Tell You is for anyone who's felt like a fish out of water, and it will give readers courage and inspiration to forge their own path to acceptance in the face of all obstacles.
available in March, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Rising Class follows three first-generation freshmen, Briani, Conner, and Jacklynn, as they experience not only their first semester of college, but the COVID-19 pandemic that turned their spring semester upside down. From life in the Ivy League to classes at a community college, readers follow these students' challenges, successes, and dreams as they tackle their first year of college and juggle responsibilities to their families back home.
by Heather McGhee
available now, hardcover, Delacorte Press
The New York Times bestseller, now adapted for young readers of a new generation of leaders, thinkers and activists. A groundbreaking call to action that examines how racism affects all of us and how we need to face it head on, together.
by Deb JJ Lee
available in March, paperback, First Second Enjoy this debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean American girl's comingof-age story—and a coming-home story—set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea. Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee knows she's different. Ever since her family emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she's felt her Otherness. And as the pressures of high school ramp up, friendships change or end and everything gets harder. Even home isn't a safe place, as fights with her mom escalate. Deb is caught in a limbo, with nowhere to go.
by Dan Nott
available in March, paperback, Random House Graphic
We use water, electricity, and the internet every day—but how do they actually work? And what's the plan to keep them running in years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future.
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
by Deya Munizavailable in May, paperback, Little, Brown Ink
A funny, heartfelt YA romance about finding love—and lots of grilled cheese sandwiches—in the place you least expect it. Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert. But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?
by Megan Paasch
available now, hardcover, Feiwel & Friends
Author from Duvall, WA!
Eva Sylvan didn’t ask for this. Not the cross-country move to a town in the middle of nowhere, not the inherited family estate that’s falling apart at the hinges, and definitely not the sudden death of her beloved father. So when the locals react with hostility to the very mention of her last name, Eva’s pretty sure things can’t get any worse. Until she has a dream about a gas station employee and the next day, he’s in a coma. Until it happens again. To defeat the shadows in her unconsciousness, Eva must unearth the magic tied to her family history and confront the guilt that has been following her since her father’s death.
The Anatomy Duology Series #2
by Dana Schwartzavailable now, hardcover, Wednesday Books
The eagerly-anticipated sequel to Dana Schwartz's #1 bestselling gothic romance, Anatomy: A Love Story. Hazel Sinnett is alone and half-convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.
by Terry J. Benton-Walker
available in April, hardcover, Tor Teen
Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen. This contemporary fantasy debut is "a conjuring of magnificence" (Nic Stone) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans.
by Claire Forrest
available in May, hardcover, Scholastic Press
By the time Effie Galanos starts her senior year, it feels like she’s already been thinking about college applications for an eternity—after all, finding a college that will be the perfect fit and be accessible enough for Effie to navigate in her wheelchair presents a ton of considerations that her friends don’t have to worry about. Where You See Yourself combines an unforgettable coming-of-age tale, a swoon-worthy romance, and much-needed disability representation in this story about a girl who's determined to follow her dreams.
by Marie Lu
available in March, hardcover
Meet Winter Young—rookie backup dancer turned global pop phenomenon. His star power has smashed records, selling out stadiums from LA to London. Now he’s bringing his swoon worthy assets to a whole new arena. . . This smoldering enemies-to-lovers novel from New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu puts a superstar global phenomenon and a hotshot young spy on a collision course with danger – and Cupid’s arrow – in an electric new series perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Nicola Yoon.
available in April, hardcover, Antheneum Books For Young Readers
This story is truly one of love; for the birds, trees, art, resistance, and each other. Margarita Engle shares a beautiful work of fiction inspired by the harsh truths of our modern world. The two main characters, Soleida and Dariel, represent different aspects of the author's own experiences, both united through passion for the planet and community. This story is not only one of young love but it is also a call to action. Anyone at any age who is passionate about human rights and climate activism would truly benefit from reading this eloquent spoken word poetry style story. Wonderfully written and beautifully told. –Anna
available now, hardcover, Wednesday Books
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles
Jacobson has two New Year’s resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his arch-nemesis at the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition. Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does—and makes his stomach flutter. “A sweet queer love story sure to delight any YA rom-com fan.” –Booklist
by Ibi Zoboi
available in May, hardcover, Balzer + Bray
From Ibi Zoboi, bestselling, awardwinning author of American Street and co-author of Punching the Air, comes a bold new YA coming-of-age story, which explores race, feminism, and complicated family dynamics, about a girl whose father is the leader of a Black liberation group. The ideal next read for fans of Roxane Gay, Jacqueline Woodson, and Elizabeth Acevedo.
by Rebecca Ross
available in April, hardcover, Wednesday Books
A dark historical fantasy and a pretty epic enemies-to-lovers story. This book has a lot going for it. When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.
available in March, hardcover, Tor Teen Mark Oshiro returns to his roots in a thrilling, ripped-from-the-headlines story of a young man wrestling with the pain that he's inherited, and hoping to build a better future, all with Oshiro's signature mix of raw emotions and gorgeously depicted queer love.
This award annually recognizes a title that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a longtime active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).
The 2023 recipient is Pakistani-American author Sabaa Tahir and her book, All My Rage. This bestselling novel explores two high school students struggling to balance family, grief, love, life and a desperate desire to escape a small town that only seems to be suffocating them. Check it out!
Village Books both hosts and co-sponsors a variety of lively book groups and YOU are invited to join in! All are welcome.
Find additional book group information and reading selections under the Readers Corner tab at villagebooks.com.
VB Reads...
Join Claire from Village Books for an hour of spirited discussion of books that celebrate the trials, tribulations, and rewards of motherhood—both fiction and non-fiction. By no means exclusive to moms with kids still at home, this group meets on the second Sunday of most months*at 2pm in the Fairhaven VB Readings Gallery.
March 12 –All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
April 16 – A Children's Bible : A Novel by Lydia Millet
May 21* –The Honey Bus by Meredith May •meeting a week later than usual to avoid Mother's Day
*watch villagebooks.com for meeting details and changes
Let's chat, discuss, and dissect the most current and interesting history being written. We meet in the Readings Gallery at Village Books in Fairhaven the second Monday of the month at 6pm.
March 13 –Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan
April 10 –The Age of the Vikings by Anders Winroth
May 8 – Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Participants receive 15% off all book group reading selections. Just mention the group when paying!
VB Reads...
"Variety is the spice of life!" Join Gaye from Village Books, Lynden, and the Front Streeters book group as they discuss books from a variety of genres. They meet in the conference room of the Inn at Lynden the third Wednesday of each month at 7pm. March 15 –Lightning Strike by William
Kent KruegerJoin Sittrea in the Readings Gallery on the second Wednesday of most months at 1pm for a lively early afternoon book chat. Everyone welcome.
March 8 –The Cold Million by Jess Walters
No Meeting in April
May 10 –The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V. E. Schwab
Meeting three times a year, Village Books is excited to join with Sustainable Connections in presenting this exciting book group. Virtual AND in person options. Next meeting: Thursday, June 15, 8am Book: TBD Watch sustainableconnections.org/events/ for details.
Unless otherwise noted, authors do not attend VB Reads.
facebook.com/mandysbookclub/
March Read: –A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Sponsored by Village Books
Additions and changes to this schedule will occur so check out VillageBooks.com to stay updated—or even better, let us come to you! Register for the Village Books eNewsletter!
Pre-registration is required for Whatcom READS events. See whatcomreads.org.
Thursday, March 2
11am: Book Discussion with Jess Walter at the Deming Library - 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy
Join in a lively discussion of The Cold Millions with author Jess Walter.
7pm: The Chuckanut Radio Hour at the Hotel Leo - 1224 Cornwall Ave
Unless Otherwise noted, events take place at Village Books in Fairhaven. Registration to save your seat is required for most events. When the $5 fee applies, you will receive a voucher for that amount to use at the event!
Details at VILLAGEBOOKS.COM
Friday, March 10, 7pm
DANIELLA CHACE
–Home Detox: Make Your Home a Healthier Place for Everyone Who Lives There
From cleaning products to mattresses, furniture, food storage materials, and more, our homes are filled with hidden toxins that can contribute to chronic health conditions. Professional toxicologist and health writer Daniella Chace offers an enlightening and accessible room-by-room guide to identifying and removing potentially toxic items, along with suggestions for safe, affordable alternatives.
Sunday, March 12, 4pm
JANE DWINELL
–Alzheimer's Canyon: One Couple's Reflections on Living with Dementia
VillageBooks
The Chuckanut RADIOHOUR
Join us for an evening of music, comedy, poetry, and literature. Jess Walter will be interviewed by David Tucker, current Secretary of the WhatcomSkagit Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World. Village Books is proud to produce this event as part of the Whatcom READS author series. Tickets $5 at villagebooks.com.
Friday, March 3
11am: The Art and Craft of Writing at Village Books in Fairhaven
Gain insight into the writing process as Jess Walter shares his writing practice and tips to inspire your own writing.
7pm: An Evening with Jess Walter at the Mount Baker Theatre
Join us at the Mount Baker Theatre for our premiere event. Following his lecture, Jess Walter will answer audience questions and sign books. Free to attend.
Saturday, March 4
11am: A VIRTUAL Conversation with Jess Walter Paul Hanson, co-owner of Village Books and Paper Dreams, will interview Jess Walter for the final event in this year’s Whatcom READS series!
Note: event details are subject to change
“In the middle of the night I don’t know where I am…. Am I in my house? My neighbor’s house? Do I get dressed? I turn to Jane, hold her hand, and let her bring me back to reality.” What do you do when your reality slips away? If you’re Sky Yardley and Jane Dwinell, you accept each new challenge, reshape your life, and write. Welcome to Alzheimer’s Canyon: one way in, no way out.
Tuesday, March 14, 6pm
Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater Open Mic
This Open Mic is held at Village Books on the second Tuesday of the month from 6-8 PM Pacific time. Our CSWT emcee is Carla Shafer, who founded Bellingham’s first continuous Open Mic in Bellingham in 1991. The Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater is named after the local rock which looks hard at first, but breaks open easily and like all great writing has grit.
Thursday, March 16, 7pm
PAIGE TOWERS
–The Sound of Undoing: A Memoir in Essays
This new book deconstructs the way sound has overwhelmingly shaped the author’s life. Experimental in form and provocative in content, this lyrical book uses research on silence, nature and noise pollution, sound art, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and the acoustic environment in general. Paige Towers is a Bellingham-based creative and freelance writer who earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Emerson College.
Keep turning for more events
Friday, March 17, 6:30pm Kids Event! An Evening with MAC BARNETT and CHRISTIAN ROBINSON at Sehome High School –Twenty Questions
Village Books is thrilled to welcome two celebrated authors/illustrators in childrens’ literature! In Twenty Questions, award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson tap deep into childhood curiosity with a mind-tickling ode to the open-ended. In this spare yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and profound. Some make us giggle. Others challenge our assumptions. The result is a quirky, wandering exploration of where the best questions lead—to stories. Intriguing, richly interactive, and brought to vivid life by Caldecott Honor recipient Christian Robinson's bright and whimsical illustrations, Twenty Questions is a charming invitation to speculate without limits and know no bounds. Tickets $5 - available now
Nature of Writing Series
Sunday, March 19, 4pm
CHRISTOPHER PRESTON
–Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change the Way We Think about Animals
Join us in the Readings Gallery for an inspiring look at wildlife species that are defying the odds and teaching important lessons about how to share a planet.Tenacious Beasts is quintessential nature writing for the Anthropocene, touching on different facets of ecological restoration from Indigenous knowledge to rewilding practices. More important, perhaps, the book offers a road map—and a measure of hope—for a future in which humans and animals can once again coexist. Christopher Preston's essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Smithsonian, Aeon, and on the BBC website. He teaches environmental philosophy at the University of Montana and lives in Missoula, MT.
Wednesday, March 22, 7pm
CATHERINE HERNANDEZ –Scarborough
Village Books and WWU’s Center for Canadian-American Studies are pleased to host Catherine Hernandez, author of Scarborough, a contender for Canada Reads 2022! Scarborough is a low-income, culturally diverse neighborhood east of Toronto. Like many inner-city communities, it suffers under the weight of poverty, drugs, crime, and urban blight. Scarborough the novel employs a multitude of voices to tell the story of a tight-knit neighborhood under fire. A poignant multi-voiced novel about the troubled yet noble lives of urban warriors living in low-income neighborhoods.
This is one of three appearances that Catherine Hernandez will make in Bellingham. Head downtown to the Pickford on March 21 for a screening of the film adaptation of Scarborough, and then dine with Catherine Hernandez that same evening at Evolve Café’s Life Between the Pages literary dinner! (evolvefairhaven.com)
Monday, March 27, 6pm (new time!)
Open Mic with Seán Dwyer
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. Our regular emcee and celebrated local author, Seán Dwyer, will host as he does every month.
Tuesday, March 28, 12pm
Hour of Mindfulness with Carolyn McCarthy
Curious about mindfulness? Led by Carolyn McCarthy, certified Mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion Instructor with Mindfulness Northwest, this one-hour interactive presentation will introduce you to the research behind mindfulness and how it can help us live more peaceful and fulfilled lives. You'll leave with a handout and a tool kit of simple practices to use at work and home.
Tuesday, March 28, 7pm
PRISCILLA LONG
We’re so pleased to welcome Priscilla Long back to the Readings Gallery for her newest book on writing. Dancing with the Muse in Old Age uses current science to present old age as a potentially happy, creative, and productive time. Numerous models-including many elders active in the arts-illustrate the possibilities. Priscilla Long is a Seattle-based writer of science, poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and history, and a longtime independent teacher of writing. Take a writing class with Priscilla the same day - see page 31 for details.
Friday, March 31, 7pm
KIM TODD
–Sensational: The Hidden History of America's "Girl Stunt Reporters"
We’re closing out Women’s History
Month with a great event featuring some very important women in US history. n the waning years of the nineteenth century, women journalists across the United States risked reputation and their own safety to expose the hazardous conditions under which many Americans lived and worked. In various disguises, they stole into sewing factories to report on child labor, fainted in the streets to test public hospital treatment, posed as lobbyists to reveal corrupt politicians. Inventive writers whose in-depth narratives made headlines for weeks at a stretch, these “girl stunt reporters” changed laws, helped launch a labor movement, championed women’s rights, and redefined journalism for the modern age.
Unless otherwise noted, events take place in the Readings Gallery at VIllage Books in Fairhaven
all events at villagebooks.com
Register for all virtual events and reserve your seat for in-person events through Fees may apply.
Note: Additions and changes to this schedule WILL occur so watch our website—or even better, let us come to you!
Every week, Village Books sends out an email newsletter packed full of store and book information including our upcoming Literature Live events. Twice each week, you'll receive the popular Shelf Awareness for Readers book reviews. Sign up in the store or at villagebooks.com today! VB READS
Village Books currently hosts multiple book groups. See page 72 or villagebooks.com for details.
All are welcome!
VB WRITES
After a long hiatus, our writing groups are back in the store! See page 32 and villagebooks.com for details.
All are welcome!
Village Books and WCC Community & Continuing Education program have created a writing instruction collaboration called Chuckanut Writers to support writers at all stages of their writing journey throughout the year. Turn to pages 31-32 for upcoming classes and go to whatcom.edu for more information and to register.
Sunday, April 2, 4pm Poetry
MAUREEN KANE
–The Phoenix Requires Ashes
We're kicking off Poetry Month with local poet Maureen Kane! The poems in this collection are an exploration of the human condition through the lens of a mental health therapist. They are about reclaiming and celebrating oneself and one's story in a time of turmoil. Maureen Kane is a mental health therapist in private practice. Her past work focused on literacy, health care access, aging, homeless youth, and disability. She is a winner of the 2022 Sue C. Boynton Poetry Award.
Tuesday, April 11, 7pm
The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring SARAH HAWLEY at the Hotel Leo, Downtown Bellingham –A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
Join us for a fun evening of comedy, poetry, music, and literature! Bellingham author Sarah Hawley’s new book is an “..utterly witchy sort of meet cute” that is garnering all kinds of buzz!
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain. Sarah Hawley is an author of romance and fantasy novels. She co-hosts the Wicked Wallflowers Club podcast about romance fiction, which was featured on Entertainment Weekly.
Thursday, April 6, 7pm Fiction ANN PUTNAM –Cuban Quartermoon
The protagonist of this evocative and gripping novel journeys across a ravishing and perilous terrain—both dreamscape and landscape— from tourist Havana with its Havana Club, to an alley in Central Havana, with its mysterious Santeria drumbeat, and finally to the caves of Pinar del Rio, where she discovers her own family’s heart of darkness and the answers she seeks. Ann Putnam is an internationally-known Hemingway scholar, who has made more than six trips to Cuba as part of the Ernest Hemingway International Colloquium, sponsored by the Cuban Ministry of Culture.
Keep turning for more events
Nature of Writing Series
Friday, April 7, 7pm Poetry
ABIGAIL MORGAN PROUT
–Walk Deep
Walk Deep is inspired as much by the words of poets like Mary Oliver, Ada Limon, Pádraig Ó Tuama, and David Whyte as by the island songs of the Salish Sea in the PNW. The poems within arise from a deep love of the natural world and call attention to the power that a familiar outer landscape has — to be all at once, companion, mirror, compass, and divination tool for our inner landscape. Abigail Morgan Prout was a finalist for the 2020 Homebound Poetry Contest. She is an advocate for poetry as a medium of cultivating professional leadership. Abigail now lives with her family on Lopez Island where she was raised.
Nature of Writing Series
Saturday, April 8, 4pm
JASON KNIGHT
–The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival: A Guide to Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, Navigation, and Survival Kits
The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival shares a systematic approach to survival that will increase your confidence in the outdoors and teach you exactly what to do, and in what order, if you find yourself in an emergency. Discover key strategies of shelter, water, fire, food, and other life-saving skills. Jason Knight has been teaching wilderness survival skills since 1997. He is a cofounder and instructor at Alderleaf Wilderness College, one of the leading outdoor schools in the United States offering training in wilderness survival to a broad range of clients including the US Forest Service, the Seattle Mountaineers, and the cast of the award-winning film Captain Fantastic
Tuesday, April 11, 6pm
Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater Open Mic
Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater (CSWT) Open Mic is held at Village Books on the second Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm. Our CSWT emcee is Carla Shafer, who founded Bellingham’s first continuous Open Mic in Bellingham in 1991. The Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater is named after the local rock which looks hard at first, but breaks open easily and like all great writing has grit. Pre-registration required to read.
Thursday, April 13, 7pm
An Evening with
CARL BERGSTROM and JEVIN WEST
Truth, Trust, and the News at Whatcom Community College’s Heiner Auditorium
The Salish Current and the Munro Institute are pleased to welcome the co-authors of Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World, for a discussion on the importance of truth in the news. How do YOU decide what is true? With an avalanche of distortion coming from every direction, how can we sort out what is true and what is misleading, false or “fake news”? See page 48 for details.
Saturday, April 15, 4pm
FRANCES BACKHOUSE
–Grizzly Bears:
Guardians of the Wilderness
Fact-filled and richly illustrated, Grizzly Bears explores the biology and ecological importance of grizzlies and considers what it takes to share the land with them. Meet the bears and learn from Indigenous knowledge keepers, scientists, conservationists, and young people who are working to ensure grizzly bears will be with us forever. Frances Backhouse is a former biologist who once spent five months studying grizzly bears in the wild. She now makes her living as an environmental journalist and author. She lives in Victoria, BC.
Friday, April 21, 7pm
TODD WARGER
–Shipyard: Short Histories of Whatcom County’s Boatbuilders & Shipyards, with Remembrances from those Who Worked Them
For over 120 years, Whatcom County has been at the forefront of boatbuilding and ship construction. Its shipwrights, carpenters, and manufacturers have helped led the way and at times pioneered the industry itself. Warger will discuss the research and writing of Shipyard.
Todd Warger is an Emmy Award nominee for the documentary film The Mountain Runners and a recipient of the Washington State Historical Society’s 2008 David Douglas award for the documentary film Shipyard. Read more on page 45.
Saturday, April 22, 7pm Poetry
MARIE MARCHAND
–Gifts to the Attentive
The poems in Gifts to the Attentive traverse the domains of reverence, resilience, and reverie. While some poems move through despair into hope, others hover in the questions and stand as witnesses to life’s emerging dialectic. Marchand's work illuminates the transcendent within the ordinary. Marie Marchand has been writing poetry for 35 years to find healing for herself and the world. In April 2022, she became the first Poet Laureate of Ellensburg, WA.
Sunday, April 23, 4pm Poetry
DAYNA PATTERSON
–O Lady, Speak Again
The witchy, spell-soaked poems in Patterson’s collection explore female characters from Shakespeare’s plays—with a PostMormon feminist twist. If you’re not well-versed in Shakespeare or Mormonism, don’t worry—you will find these poems delight and enchant you with their own deep magic, their tremendous power, their singing. Prepare to be entranced. Dayna Patterson is a photographer, textile artist, and irreverent bardophile. She’s the author of Titania in Yellow and If Mother Braids a Waterfall. Honors include the Association for Mormon Letters Poetry Award and the 2019 #DignityNotDetention Poetry Prize judged by Ilya Kaminsky.
We Appreciate Your Continued Support of Village Books and our Literature Live Programming
Monday, April 24, 6pm
Open Mic with Seán Dwyer
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. Our regular emcee and celebrated local author, Seán Dwyer, will host as he does every month. Pre-registration required to read.
Tuesday, April 25, 5pm Fiction
DENNIS LEHANE
in conversation with Gillian Flynn
–Small Mercies
A VIRTUAL EVENT
Join us on Zoom as we partner with independent bookstores across the nation for a riveting conversation with two bestselling authors in the suspense genre! Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city’s desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write. He is the author of 13 previous novels—including the New York Times bestsellers Gone, Baby, Gone; Mystic River; and Shutter Island —a collection of short stories and a play. Tickets include a signed copy of Signed Mercieswhile supplies last.
Wednesday, April 26, 6pm Poetry
Poetry Celebration with CAITLIN SCARANO, JANE WONG, and JESSICA GIGOT
–The Necessity of Wildfire
We’re closing out Poetry Month with a bang! Caitlin Scarano’s collection, The Necessity of Wildfire has won the Pacific Northwest Bookseller’s Association award for poetry and we’re celebrating in the Readings Gallery! She’ll be joined by two other local poets, Jane Wong and Jessica Gigot.
Caitlin Scarano holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This, her second full length collection of poems, won the 2023 PNBA Award for Poetry and was selected by Ada Limón as the winner of the Wren Poetry Prize
Jane Wong is the author of two poetry collections: How to Not Be Afraid of Everything and Overpour. Her debut memoir, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, is forthcoming in May 2023. She likes raccoons and is an Associate Professor at WWU.
Jessica Gigot is a poet, farmer, and coach. She lives on a little sheep farm in the Skagit Valley. Her second book of poems, Feeding Hour, won a Nautilus Award and was a finalist for the 2021 Washington State Book Award. Her memoir, A Little Bit of Land, was published in 2022.
Tuesdays at 11am in Fairhaven
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11am in Lynden Stop by for a half hour of stories and fun.
Thursday, April 27, 7pm
ANGELA TUCKER
–You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption
An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures.
“Your parents are so amazing for adopting you! You should be grateful that you were adopted.” Angela Tucker is a Black woman, adopted from foster care by white parents. She has heard this microaggression her entire life, usually from well-intentioned strangers who view her adoptive parents as noble saviors. She is grateful for many aspects of her life, but being transracially adopted involves layers of rejection, loss, and complexity that cannot be summed up so easily. In You Should Be Grateful, Tucker centers the experiences of adoptees to share deeply personal stories, well-researched history, and engrossing anecdotes from mentorship sessions with adopted youth. These perspectives challenge the fairy-tale narrative of adoption, giving way to a fuller story that explores the impacts of racism, classism, family, love, and belonging. Angela Tucker is the Executive Director of the Adoptee Mentoring Society and a well-known voice in the conversation about interracial adoption.
Friday, April 28, 7pm Children of the Setting
Sun Productions
–Jesintel:
Living Wisdom from Coast Salish Elders
Join the editors of this beautiful book as we celebrate its launch in the Readings Gallery. Dynamic and diverse, Coast Salish culture is bound together by shared values and relations that generate a resilient worldview. Jesintel—"to learn and grow together"— characterizes the spirit of this book, which brings the cultural teachings of 19 elders to new generations. Featuring interviews that share powerful experiences and stories, Jesintel illuminates the importance of ethical reciprocal relationships and the interconnectedness of places, land, water, and the spirit within all things. Collaboration is at the heart of this work and informs how the editors and community came together to honor the boundless relations of Coast Salish people and their territories.
Keep turning for more events
Note: Additions and changes to this schedule WILL occur so watch our website—or let us come to you!
Saturday, April 29
Independent Bookstore Day, A Dirty Dan Murder Mystery and a Book Launch!
It's a great weekend toe get out and about! Stop by our Fairhaven store for a fun book launch for kids (see below) or partake in the Dirty Dan Murder Mystery. See below and pages 6 & 9 for details. Meanwhile, both our Fairhaven and Lynden stores will have a variety of exclusive Independent Bookstore Day merchandise for sale—check it out!
Saturday, April 29, 4pm
BARBARA DAVIS-PYLES
Join us in the Readings Gallery for the launch of another great kids book by local author, Barbara Davis-Pyles! In this humorous narrative nonfiction picture book, the text cleverly puts the reader in the role of the “expert” to educate a persnickety turtle about the amazing amphibian known as the frog. With the reader's help, Persnickety Q. Turtle learns intriguing frog facts, such as they can breathe through their skin while underwater and their eyes help them swallow! Pick up this book and help Persnickety find out all the reasons frogs are such incredible creatures. Barbara Davis-Pyles, author of Grizzly Boy, Cliff the Failed Troll, and Stubby the Fearless Squid, has written hundreds of fiction and nonfiction pieces for the children's education market.
Wednesday, May 3, 7pm
The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring ERICA BAUERMEISTER
–No Two Persons
at the Hotel Leo, Downtown Bellingham
Join us for an evening of music, comedy, poetry, and literature as we welcome Erica Bauermeister BACK to the Chuckanut Radio Hour as she introduces her latest novel, No Two Persons. One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. No Two Persons is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.” FindErica Bauermeister is the author of the bestselling novels The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. She is also the author and co-author of nonfiction works including House Lessons: Renovating a Life; 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader's Guide; and Let's Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington. Tickets $5 - available at villagebooks.com.
Friday, May 5, 7pm
An Evening with
RAINN WILSON at the Mount Baker Theatre
–Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution
We are thrilled to welcome actor, comedian, producer, writer, and director. Rainn Wilson as part of our Booked at the Baker series! Each ticket comes with a copy of his new book, Soul Boom. Tickets on sale soon at mountbakertheatre.com. In Soul Boom, Rainn explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a “Soul Boom,” to address today’s greatest issues—mental health, racism and sexism, climate change, and economic injustice. Wilson’s approach to spirituality—the non-physical, eternal aspects of ourselves—is relatable and will apply to people of all beliefs, even the skeptics.
Rainn Wilson is a three-time Emmy nominated actor best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on NBC’s The Office. Rainn is the author of The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy, as well as the coauthor of SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions, a New York Times bestseller.
Nature of Writing Series
Saturday, May 6, 7pm
An Evening with PETER WOHLLEBEN and THOR HANSON
at Bellingham High School
–The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us if We Let Them
Village Books and the North Cascades Institute have teamed up once again, to bring you another great event in the Nature of Writing Series, and this one is a doozy! Peter Wohlleben will present his latest book The Power of Trees and he will be in conversation with bestselling author and biologist Thor Hanson!
The Power of Trees is forester Peter Wohlleben’s follow-up to The Hidden Life of Trees, a New York Times bestseller that sold millions of copies worldwide. This latest work is as fascinating and eye-opening as it is trenchant in its critique. It is a love letter to the forest and a passionate argument for protecting nature’s boundless diversity, not only for the trees, but also for ourselves. Tickets include a copy of The Power of Trees. Don't miss this event!
We Appreciate Your Continued Support of Village Books and our Literature Live Programming
Tuesday May 9, 6pm
Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater
(CSWT) Open Mic is held at Village Books on the second Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm. All welcome! Register to read through villagebooks.com or just show up and enjoy.
Saturday, May 13, 4pm
MATT KRACHT
–OMFG Bees!:
Matt Kracht is best known as the cantankerous, bird-loathing author of bestsellers, The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, and The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World. One might assume that Kracht finds bees to be another detestable flying nuisance, but that can’t be further from the truth. “Seriously, bees are so important to our agricultural food supply that we should be kissing bees’ asses” he asserts in his newest book, OMFG, BEES! Bees Are So Amazing and You’re About to Find Out Why. Based in Tacoma, Matt Kracht is a writer, artist, and amateur naturalist who enjoys creating books that celebrate the humor inherent in life’s absurdities.
Friday, May 19, 7pm
LAURIE BUCHANAN and ASHLEY SWEENEY
–Impervious: A Sean McPherson Novel
Friends and family gather for the union of Sean McPherson and Emma Benton at Pines & Quill, a writers’ retreat in Bellingham, Washington. But just as the festivities begin, an explosion shatters everything. From Bellingham to New Orleans and San Francisco, the chase is on to discover who’s dead set on ensuring the newlyweds don’t live happily ever after. Laurie Buchanan writes the Sean McPherson novels—fast-paced crime thrillers set in the Pacific Northwest. Ashley E. Sweeney, a long-time Northwest Washington resident, has garnered twelve awards, including the Nancy Pearl Book Award, for her three historical novels, Eliza Waite, Answer Creek, and her newest, Hardland.
Wednesday, May 24, 7pm
JANE WONG
–Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City: A Memoir
An incandescent, exquisitely written memoir about family, food, girlhood, resistance, and growing up in a Chinese American restaurant on the Jersey shore. In this, her debut memoir, Wong tells a new story about Atlantic City, one that resists a single identity, a single story, as she writes about making do with what you have—and what you don’t. Filled with beauty found in unexpected places, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City i s a resounding love song of the Asian American working class, a portrait of how we become who we are, and a story of lyric wisdom to hold and to share. The author of How to Not Be Afraid of Everything and Overpour, Jane Wong is a Kundiman fellow and the recipient of fellowships and residencies from the U.S. Fulbright Program, the Fine Arts Work Center, Bread Loaf, and others. An associate professor of creative writing at Western Washington University, she grew up on the New Jersey shore and currently lives in Seattle, Washington.
Monday, May 29, 6:00pm
Open Mic with Seán Dwyer
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. Our regular emcee and celebrated local author, Seán Dwyer, will host as he does every month.See villagebooks.com for details and registration information.
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