The
Chuck anut Reader A Village Books Publication • FALL 2020
FREE!
• •
take enjoy
• Fall Reads & Gifts • Virtual Events – See What's Happening • Local Authors – Printed by VB
Stay Safe Read
Books
A Magazine for the Northwest’s Most Avid Readers
VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3
Screen-Free Fun Village Books & Paper Dreams - Helping Make Home Time Happier
"We can always find something for both of the girls at Village Books— it's often something we would never have thought of!" -VB Customer Molly, mother of two daughters, ages 10 and 13
"Village Books has a great selection of manga, even ones I've never heard of!" –Ruby, age 12
Explore and discover new ways to entertain and interact with loved ones.
"Putting puzzles together with my family is really fun. My favorite was shaped like an octopus!" -Winslow, age 10
"We've had fun rediscovering some of the simple pleasures of drawing, card games, and board games. And of course, we've been reading!" -Sarah, VB Co-Owner
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Fall 2020
The unusual circumstances of this year have left us with an uprecedented need for screenfree activities that help both kids and adults enjoy the experience of thinking creatively and freely—without technology. Between online schooling and work, Zoom meetings, T.V. binging, and video calls with long-distance family, we could ALL use a break from screens. Village Books and Paper Dreams is here to help. In addition to stimulating reads, we offer games to play alone as well as with others. We have unique craft supplies, educational kits, puzzles, and toys.
Building Community One Book at a Time
Dear Reader, “How are you doing?” In ordinary times, it’s such a simple question, a common courtesy and almost a throwaway. During these times, though, there’s an underlying concern and understanding that both the asked and the asker are going through something extraordinary—and we truly want to know the honest answer. Either these circumstances swirling around us can drive us apart or these shared experiences can bring us together. We can either wail at the storm as we sink or build a sail that will catch the wind, looking for opportunities to build and improve our circumstances. In each case, we choose the latter. Even in the midst of social distancing, building community is the cornerstone of Village Books and Paper Dreams. In response to the added reliance upon our website, we’ve added shopping and delivery services and curated lists of resources. In normal times, we are either creating or attending events that bring people together. Right now, thanks to the demand of our customers and the aid of technology, we’re hosting events virtually (see pages 59-62). We’re staying connected with our many community friends, partners, businesses, and non-profits to aid one another—like Whatcom Peace & Justice Center, last season’s Round It Up partner. And with The League of Women Voters of Bellingham / Whatcom, we’re celebrating 100 years of women getting the vote by publishing 52 Women of Whatcom, biographies of some of our most formidable and exceptional citizens. All of these efforts would be in vain if not for your continued support for locally owned businesses like ours. We can all pay it forward to our community only as long as you continue to buy locally first. Thank you, Dear Reader. We’re all in this together.
VILLAGE BOOKS
& Paper Dreams The Chuckanut Reader • Fall 2020
Publisher: Village Books and Paper Dreams Production Design: Kelly Carbert Contributors: Eric Bowen, Kendra Calitri, Mel Ericson, Kelly Evert, Bailey Fletcher, Emma Fitzpatrick, Paul Hanson, Sarah Hutton, Rachel Johnson, Jenni McDowell, Claire McElroy-Chesson, Laura Ogg, Mckenzie Oliver, Laura Picco, Melissa Searle, Lauren Sommer, Mariam Wolters Cover: Rediscover the art of letter writing. It makes everyone feel good AND supports the postal service! A win-win. Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2020 Printed by the Lynden Tribune on paper made from 50% post-consumer waste. browse & shop anytime!
villagebooks.com
Village Books & Paper Dreams 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225 and 430 Front Street, Lynden, WA 98264
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
– Paul, Kelly, Sarah,
and the Entire Village Books and Paper Dreams Family
In This Issue... Screen-Free Breaks – We've Got You Covered Dear Reader From Banned Books to Podcasts Happy Retirement to Mel and Donna! Customized Care Packages Annual Literacy Breakfast with Nancy Pearl What Whatcom is Reading Whatcom Reads & Writes 2021 Online Book Groups Subscribe to Something New – and Signed! Fiction, Mystery, and Sci-Fi Poetry Books and Events Writing Classes, Conferences, and Inspiration VB Publishing Local Authors Round It Up at Village Books and Paper Dreams Evolve Chocolate + Cafe, New Cooking Books Gardening Reads Current Events, History, Biography and Memoirs Science, Nature, and Explorations Treat Yourself — Gifts & Cards & So Much More Great Reads and Activities for Kids & Teens Literature Live Author Events – Now Virtual Get Outside and Enjoy
2 3 4-5 7 8 9 11 13 14-15 16 17-23 25 26-28 29-30 31 32-33 34 35-39 40-43 45-48 49-58 59-62 back
Fall 2020
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censor B y t h e N u m b e r s 2 01 9
READ A
Censorship is a dead end. It limits exploration and creates barriers to Censorship is a Dead End access information. The path toward the
Find Your Freedom freedom toto read READ starts at the library.
BANNED BOOK
Learn more at ala.org/bbooks.
W h o i n i t i at e
Banned Books Week • September 27 - October 3, 2020
18% Parents
what is a
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
Challenge? Attempt to materials or services based
George
by Alex Gino
Beyond Magenta:
Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Prince & Knight
Reasons for
on content
is a exploration Censorship is a dead end.what It limits B a n and creates barriers to access?information. WHAT IS A
Most Challenged Books of 2019
45% Patrons
remove or restrict
CHALLENGE? The attempt to remove or restrict materials or services based on content
607
Total materials affected in censorship attempts in 2019
Removal of
WHAT IS A
materials or
BAN?
cancellation of
The removal of services based materials or
on content of services cancellation
Each word and phrase in this
based on content
Where do WHERE DO c CHALLENGES hallenges taTAKE k e PLACE? place?
607
19%
Total material affected in censorship attempts in 20
12%
(including books films, newspaper
66%
Public libraries
School libraries
(including books, films, newspapers)
Schools
+14%
+14%
2%
Academia
Increase from last year
1%
Increase from last year
Special/prison libraries Statistics based on 377 responses
books and beyond
The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracke 377 challenges in 2019. Here’s the breakdown:
by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
The top five banned books of 2019 were ALL challenged, restricted, vandalized, relocated, or hidden because of their LGBTQIA+ content. Read more at bannedbooksweek.org 4
Fall 2020
56%
22%
Books
Programs, Displays, meeting artwork rooms
9%
8%
5%
Films
Other*
* Includes social media, hate crimes, games, filtering, databases, newspapers, magazines
Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
Join Us!
Save the Date! Sunday, November 15
Annual
Village Books & Paper Dreams
Fairhaven
SIDEWALK
Pre-Holiday
Open House
Saturday, September 5 Enjoy special offers throughout the district! A huge variety of items—household, gift, art, clothing, recreation, and many other items will be offered at special pricing from many establishments throughout Historic Fairhaven during the annual district-wide Sidewalk Sale!
We're not quite sure how it will look this year, but we know that the holidays are coming, that we all deserve a little something special, and that you love to support your locals—so let's make a day of it! Mark your calendars and be sure to stop by Village Books and Paper Dreams to get a jump on your holiday shopping. • Look for Special Offers • Enjoy the always-anticipated Book Walk
HONORING VETERANS Wednesday, November 11 This Veterans Day, we are offering a storewide 20% off discount for active military and veterans with I.D. at both Village Books and Paper Dreams locations. Thank you for your service.
SAFE SHOPPING The health and safety of our community of customers and staff is a top priority at Village Books and Paper Dreams. With limited store capacity, you can enjoy socially distanced
browsing. High touch surfaces are regularly cleaned and sanitized throughout the day and all who enter are required to wear a face covering. Hand sanitizer is available for customer use at our entrance and throughout the store. Although our shelves are open, the public restrooms in our Fairhaven store are currently closed so please plan your trip accordingly. For those who prefer contactless book buying, we have continued curbside pick-up, shipping services, and home delivery! Online orders are accepted 24/7 and processed and shipped daily. See page 8 for information about our online gift box and greeting card selection opportunities. We're here for you! Village Books & Paper Dreams Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com
Fall 2020
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Catch up on Episodes of
The
Chuckanut
Radio HOUR
No live entertainment? No worries! Produced by Village Books, The Chuckanut Radio Hour is a radio variety show recorded live and featuring author interviews, live music, fun skits, and much more. You can't catch one live right now, but you CAN do the next best thing.
LISTEN to Episodes! • The Chuckanut Radio Hour airs every Sunday at 10am on KMRE 102.3FM Radio • It also airs every Monday at 8pm & Friday at 6pm on KAVZ-LP 102.5 • You can hear past episodes ANY TIME online at KMRE.org • Radio Hour episodes are now available as SPOTIFY PODCASTS and APPLE PODCASTS. Listen on the go. Super Cool!
NEW!
WATCH! You can watch past episodes of the Chuckanut Radio Hour on Facebook Live! Go to www.facebook.com/VillageBooks/ and select "videos" to find a variety of entertainment choices–all from the comfort of your couch.
SHOP 24/7 at VILLAGEBOOKS.COM In-Store Shopping available daily! 6
Fall 2020
• 99c Shipping • Curbside Pick-Up • Home Delivery Whatever your shopping preference, We're here for you! Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com
Farewell to Donna & Mel Donna has been a recognizable face in Bellingham for quite a while. In the eighties she owned Tapestry–a knitting and weaving supply shop in downtown Bellingham. She nurtured her love for books by working at Wilson Library before coming to work for Village Books and Paper Dreams in 2008. Always an appreciated perfectionist, you would have seen her busily focused on buying used books or happily recommending her much-read and loved fiction. Enjoy your well-earned retirement, Donna!
We'll miss you!
When you talk to Mel, you really don't know what you will hear next. Mel Ericson is the bookseller customers would go to for the latest in history books. But the staff know to go to Mel for both crazy stories and profound expertise; from how to wire a house to how to buy a car, from how to fix a toilet to how to do, well, anything at all. Mel always has the answer. Mel did a ton of work for the store that was never seen by customers but was very much needed. His devotion to his job was never-ending. Enjoy your lovely garden, time with family, and a dram of well-aged scotch now and then, Mel.
2020 International Day of Peace
"No Justice, No Peace" Virtual Celebration Sunday, September 20, 2020
or the 17th year in a row, Whatcom Peace & Justice Center will host F Bellingham’s International Day of Peace celebration. This year features a series of virtual events including the presentation of the annual Lifetime Peacemaker Award, and a oncein-a-lifetime conversation between Seattle Black Panther co-founder AARON DIXON and Portland artist, author, and educator WALIDAH IMARISHA.
This is WPJC's main fundraising and educational event of the year, raising critical funds to support the ever more critical work of the Center in advocating for peace and against wars and militarized systemic violence at home and abroad. You can also Take Out for Peace–restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds to WPJC that weekend.
Register, donate, and read more at
whatcompjc.org
Buy Books Online - 99¢ Shipping
Fall 2020
7
BUILD YOUR OWN
CUSTOMIZED CARE PACKAGE! Send love, send books, send gifts, with the help of Village Books and Paper Dreams. Reach out while social distancing by sending Customized Care Packages to friends, family, co-workers, employees—anyone at all, including yourself! What's better than receiving a gift package in the mail? Select your own content or answer a few questions about reading habits and preferences, and we'll take care of the rest. Packages include a new hardcover or paperback book plus a gift selection—including items like socks, soap, lotion, mugs, and/or earrings. You can pick from themes including positive energy/rest & relaxation, Pacific Northwest nature, biking, writing, tea lover, crazy for cats or dogs, or just let us surprise you with all of it!
Get started now by going to VILLAGEBOOKS.COM where you'll also find options for reading recommendations and greeting card selection. We're here for you!
Committed to strong community journalism Proudly telling stories about the people, businesses and organizations doing good things around Whatcom County
Please note: Customized Care Packages are made to order, and take roughly 24-48 hours to process (unless you request a specific book that we do not have in stock, which will increase your processing time). Questions? Email orders@villagebooks.com. We're here for you.
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Tennis All Ages All Levels
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Get Started Now! Small Groups ~ Limited Space ~ Call 360-733-5050
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Fall 2020
Building Community One Book at a Time
Literacy Matters Whatcom LiIteracy Council
LITERACY BREAKFAST Featuring Author & NPR Commentator
NANCY PEARL Thursday, October 29
8am - 9am • A VIRTUAL EVENT Join us for this year's Literacy Breakfast with Nancy Pearl, an online event, Thursday, October 29th, 8am-9am. Make yourself a cup of coffee and listen to the wonderful and witty Nancy Pearl share her book recommendations for the year. You'll be able to purchase Nancy’s recommendations through Village Books. Proceeds support the free adult literacy programs of the Whatcom Literacy Council. Registration is free (go to whatcomliteracy.org to sign up) but a donation is suggesterd. Each year, Whatcom Literacy Council helps hundreds of adults in Whatcom County build their literacy skills through free tutoring and small group classes which help them get jobs and take care of their families. The funds raised at the Annual Literacy Breakfast help make that possible. Nancy Pearl is a best-selling author, librarian, and literary critic, but first and foremost, she is a reader and has spent her life promoting reading as one of the most beneficial and joyful experiences anyone can have. She can be found on NPR’s Morning Edition, on KWGS-FM in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and on her monthly television show Book Lust with Nancy Pearl talking about her favorite reads. Her own books include Book Lust, More Book Lust, Book Crush, Book Lust To Go, the novel George and Lizzie, and her new book, The Writer's Library Don't miss out!
? ?
??
REGISTRATION Go to whatcomliteracy.org to sign up!
The Whatcom Literacy Council and Dewey Griffin Subaru present this year's TRIVIA BEE, an online event on Saturday, November 14th, 7pm-9pm. Join hosts Ken Jennings, the Greatest of All Time Jeopardy! winner, and Scotty VanDryver of KAFE Radio as trivia teams compete for bragging rights and the traveling "Totten Trophy." Watch the fun and take notes to see how you compare with some of the sharpest minds in Whatcom County. Fun baskets will be available for auction. Proceeds support the free adult literacy programs of the Whatcom Literacy Council.
The 2020 Literacy
TRIVIA BEE
A Virtual Event
Save the Date! Saturday, November 14, 7pm-9pm
?
KEN JENNINGS
by: Eric McCandless/ ABC
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
Fall 2020
9
Are you receiving the Village Books e-newsletter?
Village Books sends out an email newsletter packed full of store and book information including our latest virtual LitLive events, sale dates, and on occasion, special promotions. Twice each week, we also provide Shelf Awareness for Readers book reviews. If you’re not currently receiving these updates and would like to, you may sign up in the store or, even easier, do it at villagebooks.com today!
Historic Hospitality Historic Hospitality
35 Luxury Rooms / Meeting Room / Shopping & Dining 360-746-8597 • innatlynden.com • 100 5th Street
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Fall 2020
Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
WHATCOM WHAT IS READING
Top Sellers at Village Books
2020
We can always count on our customers to explore and educate themselves on hot issues and current events. The top books sold so far this year are a reflection of this year of change. Read on! 1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi 2. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 3. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 4. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan 5. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump 6. Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad 7. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram Kendi and Jason Reynolds 8. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander 9. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 10. Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi
11. The Overstory by Richard Powers 12. Hiking Whatcom County 6/E by Ken Wilcox 13. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 14. My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem 15. Circe by Madeline Miller 16. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah 17. Untamed by Glennon Doyle 18. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 19. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 20. Antiracist Baby by Ibram Kendi
21. I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown 22. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 23. This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell 24. Normal People by Sally Rooney 25. Breath by James Nestor
Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com
Fall 2020
11
Bellingham
City Club
JoinJoin us for non-partisan programs uslively, for monthly speakers who willmonth inform, connect and engage onon each with interesting speakers critical issues within ourcommunity. community. important issues in our
Everyone welcome while
virtually ting program: eeLunch Doors 11:30 a.m. 12 - 1:30 p.m. is m Club Cityopen: ible. Hall ss po t no the 4th Wednesday of each month at Northwood e gatherings ar FOR PROGRAM INFORMATION AND PRICING
www.bellinghamcityclub.org 12
Fall 2020
Building Community One Book at a Time
2021
Join Whatcom’s Largest Book Group! Read the Book. Join the Conversation. with guest author
Esi Edugyan
March 2021
Washington Black by Canadian author Esi Edugyan has been announced as the Whatcom READS 2021 book selection. Bestselling novelist Esi Edugyan writes richly imagined and impeccably researched stories that illuminate complicated truths about race and belonging. She is only the third writer to twice win the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada’s most prestigious literary award. Washington Black, her third novel, was included in numerous best books of the year lists when it was published in 2018.
Purchase Washington Black at Village Books and we will donate 10% of each book sold to Whatcom READS! Whatcom READS is organized by all the public and academic libraries in Whatcom County and Village Books, with significant funding from Friends of the Bellingham Public Library and Whatcom County Library Foundation and support from other local businesses and organizations.
Whatcom WRITES invites writers of all ages and experience levels to explore a theme inspired by the Whatcom READS book each year. Top entries are selected for publication in the Whatcom WRITES anthology and contributors are invited to present their work.
Annual Writing Contest The theme for 2021 is RECONCILIATION, drawn from Esi Edugyan’s novel Washington Black. Poetry, fiction, and non-fiction are all welcome. Find submission guidelines at whatcomreads.org/whatcom-writes. The deadline is midnight, Oct. 15, 2020.
RECONCILIATION FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
Fall 2020
13
Village Books has the great opportunity to work with the energetic Mandy from KAFE 104.1. She loves to read and talk books so we excitedly added Mandy's Book Club to the many book groups that we host and support in our community. Every month Mandy picks a fantastic book and has a discussion with her listeners. New book picks are announced on-air the first Monday of every month… but, book club members always get advanced notice! Check out KAFE.com for more information. Recieve 15% off each month's reading selection... just tell us you're buying it for Mandy's Book Club!
Village Books Co-owner Kelly Evert recently had the opportunity to catch up with Mandy and ask her a little about herself. Q: How did you get into radio? A: I got into radio as a student at Western Washington University—I was a newsreader and hosted shows on KUGS 89.3 for several quarters. I was having such a blast that I added a Communication Major to my studies and scored an internship at Cascade Radio Group. Then I just hung around until they agreed to hire me! Q: What time do you wake up in the morning for work? A: My alarm goes off every morning at 3:45am, but I usually hit snooze a couple times before getting up! Q: How do you like to chill? A: Enjoying a glass of wine with a good friend! Or binge watching the latest must-see Netflix series. Q: What was your favorite book as a child? A: I’m lucky to have such fond memories of being read to as a child! When it was my turn to pick, I always went with The Boxcar Children or anything in the Little House series. Q: Favorite reading spot? A: The couch is my usual spot, but I love reading in a comfy lawn chair in the yard when the weather allows!
Join this virtual discussion whenever it fits into YOUR schedule!
Q: Why did you start a book group? A: I started Mandy’s Book Club on KAFE because I wanted to start reading again after years of missing it! I used to read all the time, but life got busy and I fell out of the habit. I always intended to start again, but just never made the time. When I started chatting with friends who felt similarly—those who grew up reading but had trouble prioritizing it in adulthood—I figured it could be a relatable issue for a lot of my listeners too! I wanted to structure a club where everyone felt like they had time to participate, so the idea was to host a ‘virtual’ book club that allowed members to listen to the radio for updates and check in online when it fit their schedule. Q: Favorite bookgroup book discussed in the last year? A: Gosh, that’s hard to choose! Thanks to some awesome recommendations, we’ve read some really good books in the first year of MBC. The one that’s stuck with me the most is Educated by Tara Westover. Q: What is one thing you would like your listeners to know about you? A: I’m passionate about our local non-profit community and encourage everyone to find ways to support them, especially during these difficult times! I currently sit on the board of the Max Higbee Center in Bellingham, a non-profit that provides community-based recreation programs for youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Q: Words to live by? A: ‘Wrinkles only go where smiles have been.’ -Jimmy Buffet
facebook.com/mandysbookclub/ 14
Fall 2020
Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com
New!
Village Books
VIRTUAL
BOOK GROUP
Village Books is delighted to announce our new virtual book group—open to all! Join Village Books co-owners Kelly Evert and Paul Hanson for a lively discussion of books from a variety of genres. We'll meet via Zoom the first Monday of each month at 7pm. Registration is required.
Join Us! Monday, October 5 - First Meeting! –Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging by Alex Wagner An acclaimed journalist travels the globe to solve the mystery of her ancestry, confronting the question at the heart of the American experience of immigration, race, and identity: Who are my people? Monday, December 7 A Live Monday, November 9 Discussion –The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac –Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry by Sharma Shields Jayber Crow is the story of a man's love for his comA dark, fantastical, multi-generational munity and his abiding and unrequited love for tale about a family whose patriarch is Mattie Chatham, a good woman who had too early consumed by the hunt for the mythical, elusive sasquatch he made one bad mistake. encountered in his youth.
Meet with us via Zoom the first Monday of the month at 7pm. For registration intructions & details please see Book Groups under the Readers Corner tab at villagebooks.com.
Village Books
Book & Writing
GROUPS
With mandated limited gatherings and store capacity, most of our usual book and writing groups are not currently meeting in person. Some groups have taken a hiatus while others continued to meet via online venues with no distruption in schedule. Wondering about your group or a group you're interested in joining? Go to villagebooks.com for updates!
Watch
Villagebooks.com for group updates & Reading Selections
Contact bookgroups@villagebooks.com to:
Register YOUR book group with us and receive 15% off your book selections. Buy Books Online - 99¢ Shipping
Fall 2020
15
The Signed
A Great Gift!
First Editions Club! Subscription Program Join the club and receive six newly published first edition fiction books signed by the authors (and an occasional nonfiction title) over the course of one year. Our qualified buyers work together to select books based on literary quality and potential collectability. Each selection also comes with a protective dust jacket cover. To join Village Books’ Signed First Editions Club, we can help you register at the store or you can read our Signed First Editions Club FAQ page at villagebooks.com to find everything you need to get started. If you have any questions, please contact us at firsteditions@villagebooks.com.
Reader Online
Do you love picture books or want to get a gift for a child who does? Paige's Picks is our monthly picture book subscription program. Visit the book recommendations tab at villagebooks.com for more information and sign up today.
Paige's Picks • Delivering Smiles Monthly Go to VillageBooks.com to see this issue, as well as past issues, of The Chuckanut Reader online!
community, arts & entertainment
all local, all the time www.cascadiaweekly.com
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Fall 2020
Building Community One Book at a Time
FICTION new
FICTION
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
available in October, hardcover, Harper
The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Beautiful Ruins delivers another “literary miracle” (NPR). An intimate story of brotherhood, love, sacrifice and betrayal set against the panoramic backdrop of an early twentieth-century America that eerily echoes our own time, The Cold Millions offers a stunning, kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation grappling with the chasm between rich and poor, between harsh realities and simple dreams. Featuring an unforgettable cast of cops and tramps, suffragists and socialists, madams and murderers, it is a powerful and moving tour de force from a “writer who has planted himself firmly in the first rank of American authors” (Boston Globe).
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
available in September, hardcover, Dutton
“If a woman knows nothing else, she should know how to be silent…Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist.” Such is eight-year-old Noriko “Nori” Kamiza’s first lesson. She will not question why her mother abandoned her with only these final words. She will not fight her confinement to the attic of her grandparents’ imperial estate. And she will not resist the scalding chemical baths she receives daily to lighten her shameful skin.
upcoming
FICTION
A Lover’s Discourse by Xiaolu Guo
available in October, hardcover, Grove Press
A Chinese woman moves to London for a doctoral program just as the Brexit campaign reaches a fever pitch. Isolated and lonely in a Britain increasingly hostile to foreigners, she meets a landscape architect and the two begin to build a life together. Suffused with a wonderful sense of humor, this intimate and tender novel asks what it means to make a home and a family in a new land.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
available in September, hardcover, Knopf Publishing Group
Gyasi's first novel Homegoing so wowed us all with her incredible storytelling that I was unsure if I would be as impressed with her second book, which is distinctly different. I couldn't have been more wrong. This contemporary, heart-wrenching story about a Ghanaian immigrant family in Alabama is told with so much complexity and skill, Gyasi's talent floored me. This important novel tackles many difficult subject matters and demands to be read. –Lauren
The Exiles A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire
available in October, hardcover, William Morrow
The bestselling author of Wicked turns his unconventional genius to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans," transforming this classic tale into an Italian-American girl's poignant comingof-age story set in 1960s New York. Following her brother's death and her mother's breakdown, Laura lives in a lonely Manhattan townhouse with her strict old-world grandparents. The quiet, troubled teenager is startled when a handsome swan boy with only one wing lands on her roof. This haunting, beautiful tale of magical realism illuminates one young woman’s heartbreak and hope as she begins the inevitable journey to adulthood.
Pre-order Your Copy Today! FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
by Christina Baker Kline available now, hardcover, Custom House
The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Orphan Train returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel that captures the hardship, oppression, opportunity and hope of a trio of women’s lives. In this gorgeous novel, Christina Baker Kline brilliantly recreates the beginnings of a new society in a beautiful but challenging land, telling the story of Australia from a fresh perspective, through the experiences of Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna. While life in Australia is punishing and often brutally unfair, it is also, for some, an opportunity: for redemption, for a new way of life, for unimagined freedom. Told in exquisite detail and incisive prose, The Exiles is a story of grace born from hardship, the unbreakable bonds of female friendships, and the unfettering of legacy.
Thank You for Shopping Local! Fall 2020
17
FICTION new
FICTION
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
available in September, hardcover, Little, Brown and Company
Akhtar forges a new narrative voice to capture a country in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule, where immigrants live in fear, and where the nation's unhealed wounds wreak havoc around the world. Akhtar attempts to make sense of it all through the lens of a story about one family and spares no one–least of all himself–in the process.
The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk
available in September, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing
A father searching for his missing daughter is suddenly given hope when a major clue is discovered, but learning the truth could shatter the seemingly perfect image Hollywood is desperate to uphold. A grim and disturbing reflection on the commodification of suffering and the dangerous power of art, The Invention of Sound is Chuck Palahniuk at the peak of his literary powers–his most suspenseful, most daring, and most genre-defying work yet.
upcoming
FICTION
The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
available in September, hardcover, Viking
Thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Now, Follett’s masterful new prequel The Evening and the Morning takes us on an epic journey into a historical past rich with ambition and rivalry, death and birth, love and hate, that will end where The Pillars of the Earth begins.
A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne
available now, hardcover, Hogarth
This story starts with a family. For now, it is a father and a mother with two sons. One with his father’s violence in his blood. One with his mother’s artistry. One leaves. One stays. They will be joined by others whose deeds will determine their fate. It is a beginning. Their stories will intertwine and evolve over the course of 2000 years.
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All the Devils Are Here : A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny
available in September, hardcover, Minotaur Books
The 16th novel by #1 bestselling author Louise Penny finds Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec investigating a sinister plot in the City of Light. On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for a bistro dinner with Armand’s godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man’s life. It sends them deep into the secrets Armand’s godfather has kept for decades. Even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide.
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Fall 2020
Mystery Shadows of the Dead : A Special Tracking Unit Novel
by Spencer Kope
available now, hardcover, Minotaur Books
The best tracker in the world, a man with a secret and a special set of skills, must find two nearly untraceable killers before time runs out for their victims. A woman—abducted and found in the trunk of a car after a high-speed chase—regains consciousness in the ICU to reveal two crucial pieces of information: the man who kidnapped her is not the same as the man who left her in the woods, and she's not the first victim—in fact, she is number eight. LOCAL AUTHOR!
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FICTION new
FICTION
Piranesi
by Susanna Clarke available in September, hardcover, Bloomsbury Publishing
From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality. Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house. Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds.
Jack
by Marilynne Robinson available in September, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Marilynne Robinson’s mythical world of Gilead, Iowa—the setting of her novels Gilead, Home, and Lila, and now Jack—and its beloved characters have illuminated and interrogated the complexities of American history, the power of our emotions, and the wonders of a sacred world. Robinson here tells the story of John Ames Boughton, the prodigal son of Gilead’s Presbyterian minister, and his romance with Della Miles. Their deeply felt, tormented, star-crossed interracial romance resonates with all the paradoxes of American life, then and now.
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hardcover
FICTION
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls by Ursula Hegi
available now, hardcover, Flatiron Books
In the summer of 1878, the Ludwig Zirkus has come to the island Nordstrand in Germany. Big-bellied girls rush from St. Margaret's Home for Pregnant Girls, thrilled to see the parade and the show, followed by the Sisters who care for them. The Old Women and Men, competing to be crowned as the island’s Oldest Person, watch, thinking they have seen it all. But after the show, a Hundred-Year Wave roars from the Nordsee and claims three young children. Three mothers are on the beach when it happens. As full of joy and beauty as it is of pain, and told with the luminous power that has made Ursula Hegi a beloved bestselling author for decades, this is a shattering portrait of marriage and motherhood, and of the ways in which women hold each other up in the face of heartbreak.
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals by Becky Mandelbaum
available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
It’s late 2016 when Ariel discovers that her mother Mona’s animal sanctuary in Western Kansas has not only been the target of anti-Semitic hate crimes—but that it’s also for sale, due to hidden financial ruin. Ariel, living a new life in progressive Lawrence, and estranged from her mother for six long years, knows she has to return to her childhood home—especially since her own past may have played a role in the attack on the sanctuary. Author Becky Mandelbaum recently moved to Bellingham—welcome, Becky!
Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender
Bestiary
by K-Ming Chang available in September, hardcover, One World
With a poetic voice of crackling electricity, K-Ming Chang is an explosive young writer who combines the wit and fabulism of Helen Oyeyemi with the subversive storytelling of Maxine Hong Kingston. Tracing one family’s history from Taiwan to America, from Arkansas to California, Bestiary is a novel of migration, queer lineages, and girlhood.
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available now, hardcover, Doubleday
I’ve waited so long for a new novel from Aimee Bender! It has all of Bender’s signature strangeness; inexplicable happenings like real roses manifesting from rose-printed curtains and butterflies that were once on a lampshade. This book is about memory and detail and those pivotal moments in our lives that define us as we grow up. It’s the kind of book where once finished, demands to be re-read. –Claire
Fall 2020
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FICTION new
FICTION
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
available in September, hardcover, Atria Books
On the surface, this book is about a hostage situation - but deeper down, it is so much more. The story unfolds like a puzzle, pieces falling into place as the picture slowly becomes clear. Along the way, you meet a variety of unique, relatable characters; everyone can find a bit of themselves in this book. Intriguing and insightful, Anxious People brings to light the power of forgiveness and human connection. –Mckenzie
The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein
available in September, hardcover, Europa Editions
A powerful new novel set in a divided Naples by Elena Ferrante, the best-selling author of My Brilliant Friend! With this new novel about the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, Ferrante proves once again that she deserves her many accolades. In The Lying Life of Adults, readers will discover another gripping, highly addictive, and totally unforgettable Neapolitan story.
Now In Paperback! Answer Creek
upcoming
The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
available in September, hardcover, Park Row
Margot Lee's mother, Mina, isn't returning her calls. It's a mystery to 26-year-old Margot, until she visits her childhood apartment in Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. The discovery sends Margot digging through the past, unraveling the tenuous invisible strings that held together her single mother's life as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother. A profoundly moving and unconventional motherdaughter saga, The Last Story of Mina Lee illustrates the devastating realities of being an immigrant in America.
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons
available in September, hardcover, HarperCollins
If you enjoyed A Man Called Ove and The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared you'll enjoy this novel as well. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is a charming book. It is the story of Eudora, an older woman who has had it with life, who wonders why she should stick around any longer. But when Rose—a 10-year-old with wit and joy abounding—takes Eudora on as a friend and has her join her in adventures, everything changes. Eudora learns that perhaps there is still more to learn and enjoy in life. Get a nice cuppa and a biscuit and settle in. –Kelly E.
by Ashley Sweeney
Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com!
available now, paperback, She Writes Press
A gripping tale of adventure and survival! Based on the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party on their 2,200-mile trek on the Oregon-California Trail from 1846 to '47. Nineteen-year-old Ada Weeks confronts danger and calamity along the hazard-filled journey. “Ada is every pioneer woman who accomplished more than she ever thought possible." --Booklist
Join us for a virtual event with
Ashley Sweeney Thursday, November 12, 7pm see villagebooks.com for details 20
Fall 2020
FICTION
Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney
available now, paperback, Penguin Books
A saga of hope and duty, love and endurance, as well as the claustrophobia of fame, Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey is a tragic yet life-affirming war story that the world has never heard. Inspired by true events of World War I, Kathleen Rooney resurrects two long-forgotten yet unforgettable figures, recounting their tale in a pair of voices that will change the way that readers look at animals, freedom, and even history itself.
Building Community One Book at a Time
FICTION paperback
FICTION
paperback
FICTION
Now In Paperback!
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Imaginary Friend
available now, paperback, Anchor
by Stephen Chbosky
The author of Night Circus brings us another fantastical fable. This homage to the magic, true magic, of books and reading takes you on a journey that’s like experiencing a vivid dream of sensorial delights. Dive in and let yourself be swept away. –Paul
available in October, paperback, Grand Central Publishing
Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, has returned with an epic work of literary horror. "What is astonishing and laugh-out-loud genius is that Chbosky has disguised all this wisdom in an entertaining thriller. In true Stephen Chbosky style, he gives you the bran and the doughnut. Spiritual enlightenment and horror. I don't know how he did it. But he did it. It's a masterpiece." –Emma Watson, actor
Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles
available in September, paperback, House of Anansi Press
Hollow Kingdom
By turns savage, biting, funny, poetic, and heartbreaking, Megan Gail Coles's debut novel rips into the inner lives of a wicked cast of characters, exposing class, gender, and racial tensions over the course of one Valentine's Day in the dead of a winter storm.
by Kira Jane Buxton
available now, paperback, Grand Central Publishing
Think you’ve read every ‘end of humankind because of a zombie apocalypse’? Think again. This is like no other...funny, profound, profane, cautionary, and illuminating. Oh, and told from the point of view of a foulmouthed domesticated crow who’s a huge fan of humans and humanity. The Libro.FM audiobook is awesome! –Paul
Celia's Heaven by Nancy Canyon
available now, paperback, Penchant Press
Set in a small town that is snowed in, the feeling of claustrophobia is palpable as the title character, grieves over the loss of her twin (who happens to be haunting her) and her conflicted relationship with her father. Dark and atmospheric, it’s no wonder Celia’s Heaven won the Cygnus Award for Paranormal Fiction from Chanticleer Reviews. –Claire
A Small Crowd of Strangers by Joanna Rose
available in September, paperback, Forest Avenue Press
Join us for a virtual event with
Nancy Canyon Saturday, September 19, 6pm see villagebooks.com for details
How does a librarian from New Jersey end up in a convenience store on Vancouver Island in the middle of the night, playing Bible Scrabble with a Korean physicist and a drunk priest? She gets married to the wrong man for starters. Pattianne Anthony is less a thinker than a dreamer, and she finds out the hard way that she doesn't want a husband and that getting out of a marriage is a lot harder than getting into it.
Village Books & Paper Dreams
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For All Ages and Any Occasion
Fall 2020
21
Fantasy & Science Fiction To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
A Deadly Education
by A. Christopher Paolini
by Naomi Novik
available in September, hardcover, Tor
available in September, hardcover, Del Rey
"At the Scholomance, monsters are everywhere and the breakfast might kill you, but the wonderful cast of characters will grab ahold of your heart and you'll never want to leave this deadly school. Naomi Novik skillfully combines sharp humor with layers of imagination to build a fantasy that delights on every level. I loved this brilliant book." –Stephanie Garber, bestselling author of the Caraval series.
Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow
available in October, hardcover, Tor
Most days, Masha Maximow was sure she'd chosen the winning side. In her day job as a counterterrorism wizard for a transnational cybersecurity firm, she made the hacks that allowed repressive regimes to spy on dissidents and manipulate their every move. The perks were fantastic, and the pay was obscene. Just for fun, and to piss off her masters, Masha sometimes used her mad skills to help those same troublemakers evade detection, if their cause was just. It was a dangerous game and a hell of a rush. But seriously self-destructive. And unsustainable.
by V.E. Schwab
available in October, hardcover, Tor
V.E. Schwab's newest book is ten years in the making, and it's even better than you'd expect. While technically a romance, it is also about the captivating journey of a girl who has lived 300 years and has fought tooth and nail to leave her mark on the world when she is cursed to have no one remember her. Once you start reading, you'd better clear your schedule. You won't want to put it down. –Melissa S.
by P. Djèlí Clark
by Leigh Bardugo
available in October, hardcover, Tor
available in October, paperback, Macmillan
Following Galaxy “Alex” Stern on her journey into the bowels of dark secret societies at Yale University, Bardugo's first adult novel is chillingly inventive, but stays grounded with some of the most realistic and relatable characters I've come across in speculative fiction. Even Stephen King himself called it “the best fantasy novel I've read in years.” –Emma
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Fall 2020
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Ring Shout
Ninth House
22
During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she's delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move. As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity's greatest and final hope.
Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns with a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan's reign of terror. In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die. Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Can they stop the Klan before it ends the world?
USPS Media Mail Available for online AND in-store book purchases. Domestic shipping only. Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
Fantasy & Science Fiction Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker
available in October, hardcover, Tor
Writing as A. Deborah Baker, awardwinning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to a world of talking trees and sarcastic owls, of dangerous mermaids and captivating queens in this exceptional tale for readers who are young at heart in this companion book to McGuire's critically-acclaimed Middlegame.
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
available in October, hardcover, Solaris
Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint. One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers. But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes, they find they can no longer stay out of politics. What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight.
Locked Tomb #1 Gideon the Ninth
Locked Tomb #2 Harrow the Ninth
by Tamsyn Muir
available now, paperback, Tor
This story of two gay, goth necromancers fighting to win the dark emperor's favor in space is just so fun. Creepy, tragic, and side-achingly hilarious, Muir's debut novel is a monstrous mashup of spooktacular genres. Honestly it really *shouldn't* work but it does, and does so beautifully. –Emma
Black Sun
by Tamsyn Muir
available now, hardcover, Tor
Speaking of goth space lesbians, this second book of The Locked Tomb Trilogy follows Harrowhark Nonagesimus as she struggles to adjust after the events of Gideon the Ninth. Instead of playing it safe with the same snarky tone, this series takes a dark, rather manic tone that—though a little challenging at times—is terribly satisfying. –Emma
by Rebecca Roanhorse available in October, hardcover, Gallery
In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, carries but one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.
Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston
available in September, hardcover, Tor
The world is changing. Poison desert eats good farmland. Once-sweet water turns foul. The wind blows sand and sadness across the Empire. To get caught in a storm is death. To live and do nothing is death. There is magic in the world, but good conjure is hard to find. Awash in the rhythms of folklore and storytelling and rich with Hairston's characteristic lush prose, Master of Poisons is epic fantasy that will bleed your mind with its turns of phrase and leave you aching for the world it burns into being.
Start Holiday Shopping Now! There's no time like the present to get a jump on your holiday shopping. Our shelves are fully stocked and exciting new merchandise is arriving daily. Life is unpredictable – take advantage of now. No stress. No rush. No reason to wait. See you soon!
Thanks for Supporting Local
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Fall 2020
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The 2020
September 8 – 13, 2020
Chanticleer Authors Conference
Now VIRTUAL
& International Book Awards Ceremony
Headliners Include • ROBERT DUGONI, International Bestselling Thriller Author • J. D. BARKER, Master of Suspense
Book Room - 2020 Enjoy the work of presenters, award winners, and participants. Village Books is your source for everything Chanticleer.
Local Authors include: Janet Oakley, Sean Dwyer, Pam Beason, Tana Hope, Judith Kirscht, Gail Noble-Sanderson
Unlock the Secrets of Successful Publishing
Registration and more information at chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/
2020
Pulitzer Prize Winners
Poetry
The Tradition
by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press) A collection of masterful lyrics that combine delicacy with historical urgency in their loving evocation of bodies vulnerable to hostility and violence.
General Nonfiction
Biography
Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America
Sontag : Her Life and Work
by Benjamin Moser (Ecco) An authoritatively constructed work told with pathos and grace, that captures the writer’s genius and humanity alongside her addictions, sexual ambiguities and volatile enthusiasms. Fiction
The Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead
(Doubleday)
A spare and devastating exploration of abuse at a reform school in Jim Crowera Florida that is ultimately a powerful tale of human perseverance, dignity and redemption.
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Fall 2020
History
Sweet Taste of Liberty :
The End of the Myth : From the
A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America
by W. Caleb McDaniel
by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books) A sweeping and beautifully written book that probes the American myth of boundless expansion and provides a compelling context for thinking about the current political moment.
(Oxford University Press)
A masterfully researched meditation on reparations based on the remarkable story of a 19th century woman who survived kidnapping and re-enslavement to sue her captor.
The Undying : Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care,
by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) An elegant and unforgettable narrative about the brutality of illness and the capitalism of cancer care in America.
Building Community One Book at a Time
Poetry Whale Day : And Other Poems
Love Poems for the Office
by Billy Collins
by John Kenney
available in September, hardcover, Random House
available in October, hardcover, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Collins takes us for a walk with an impossibly ancient dog, discovers the proper way to eat a banana, meets an Irish spider, and invites us to his own funeral. Facing both the wonders of being alive and the thrill of mortality, these new poems can only solidify Collins’s reputation as one of America’s most durable and interesting poets.
Thrown in the Throat by Benjamin Garcia
available now, paperback, Milkweed Editions
Benjamin Garcia makes a stunning debut with Thrown in the Throat. In a sex-positive incantation that retextures what it is to write a queer life amidst troubled times, Garcia writes boldly of citizenship, family, and Adam Rippon’s butt. With language that arrives equal parts regal and raucous, Thrown in the Throat shines brilliant with sweat and an iridescent voice. These are poems complex and unabashed and unmistakably alive.
VB Virtual Poetry Readings! • Sept. 12, 7pm - Euphrates Moss • Oct. 11, 4pm - Group Poetry Reading Richard Widerkehr, Alice Derry, Gayle Kaune, and Jordan Hartt • Oct. 16, 5pm - Luci Shaw • Oct. 25, 4pm - Alexandra Teague & Elizabeth Vignali details & registration at villagebooks.com
With the same brilliant wit and biting realism that made Love Poems for Married People, Love Poems for People with Children, and Love Poems for Anxious People such hits, John Kenney is back with a brand new collection that tackles the hilarity of life in the office, masterfully capturing the warmth and humor of working the “9 to 5” in today’s modern era.
How to Fly–In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons : Poetry by Barbara Kingsolver
available in September, hardcover, Harper
In her second poetry collection, Barbara Kingsolver offers reflections on the practical, the spiritual, and the wild. She begins with “how to” poems addressing everyday matters such as being hopeful, married, divorced; shearing a sheep; praying to unreliable gods; doing nothing at all; and of course, flying. Next come rafts of poems about making peace (or not) with the complicated bonds of friendship and family, and making peace (or not) with death, in the many ways it finds us. Some poems reflect on the redemptive powers of art and poetry itself; others consider where everything begins
The Generosity: Poetry by Luci Shaw
available now, paperback, Paraclete Press
“Luci Shaw’s poems have always been welcome company, but how much more so in anxious times ... Time spent with Luci is time redeemed. There is a substantial comfort in her instinct for pleasure—in language, creation, people, habits.” —Mary Kenagy Mitchell, Executive Editor, Image
Literature
Breaking Bread with the Dead : A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind
by Alan Jacobs
Check out our
Virtual LitLive
event schedule on pages 59-62!
available in September, hardcover, Penguin Press
How does Frederick Douglass deal with the blind spots of America’s Founding Fathers? What can we learn from modern authors who engage with the past? How can Ursula Le Guin show us truths about Virgil’s female characters that Virgil could never have seen? In Breaking Bread with the Dead, a gifted scholar engages us with texts from across the ages, including the work of Edith Wharton, Amitav Ghosh, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Italo Calvino, and many more.
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
Fall 2020
25
Inspiration into Action
Friday and Saturday
June 25-26, 2021 Mark Your Calendar!
Registration for the 2021 Conference is Now Open
chuckanutwritersconference.com
“Along Chuckanut Drive,� Nancy McDonnell Spaulding
Whatcom Community College 360.383.3200 Bellingham, Washington
Historic Fairhaven Winterfest celebrates Whatcom County writers in our 2nd annual "Tales of the Season" event. Think of your favorite holiday memory and boil it down to between 300 and 500 words. Up to 20 stories and poems (divided by age groups) will be selected to be honored at the Winterfest celebration, which includes a video of a storyteller reading your work, story will also be posted online and in one of the festive shops in Fairhaven throughout the season.
Submissions from all ages are due by November 12, 2020. $5 entry fee. For more information and to register, please visit"
fairhavenwinterfest.com 26
Fall 2020
Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
Chuckanut Writers Classess for Your Writing Life COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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 virtual classes: Overcoming Writer's Block with Roby Blecker New! Tuesday, 10/13, 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 session) F8294 / $29 Every once in a while, all writers hit a wall. This class offers techniques and exercises on how to make it easier to get back to work when blocks occur. Roby Blecker is a writer and editor, and has been helping others perfect their craft for over 27 years.
Ecopoetics: Voicing the Planet with Kevin Murphy
Saturdays, 10/17 & 10/24, 10am-12pm (2 sessions) F8108 / $59 Ecopoetry is nature poetry updated for the age of climate change and mass extinction. Informed by the urgency of the moment, it uses poetry as a vehicle for moving beyond a human-centered worldview. We'll look at a wide range of relevant poems and will work with writing exercises to explore the wildness and rhythms of the natural world and our place in it. New!
Keeping an Illustrated Journal New! with Nancy Canyon
Write Tight with Heather Lea
Tuesdays, 10/20 - 11/17, 6pm-8pm (4 sessions) F8258 / $125
Thursdays, 11/5 - 11/19 6:30-8pm (3 sessions) F8423 / $75
Keeping an illustrated journal of personal discoveries and life observations is a delightful way to record daily experiences and create an heirloom. Through guidance, this class will support your daily recordings in pictures and words. Different drawing techniques and writing styles will be explored; no prior experience is necessary. Nancy Canyon, MFA, is a published author and artist. Her new book, The Daily Artist, is forthcoming. Have a blank journal and fine or medium point black waterproof drawing pen the first session. Class does not meet November 3.
Do you ramble on when you could be more concise? Are exclamation points your favorite punctuation mark? What about verbiage—is there one word you could use to replace three or four? Do you really need a paragraph to explain something that can be said in a few sentences? Never again fear limiting word-counts or comments like, "Please simplify this." You'll learn to spot excessive wording, redundancy, and over-punctuation along with other tight-writing gems.
Introduction to Fiction Writing with Roby Blecker Wednesdays, 10/21 - 11/ 4 6:30pm-9pm (3 sessions) F8237 / $119
All classes will take place in a virtual classroom using Zoom
It's often said that everyone has a book in them, but many never write that book because they don't know how to get started writing fiction--perhaps after years of writing reports, memos, or emails. This class provides the basics for someone who wants to dip their toe into creating fiction for the first time.
Chuckanut Writers
Read more and reserve your space today at whatcomcommunityed.com You can also register by calling 360-383-3200
Youth Writing Contest Every year, the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center coordinates the Youth Peace Poetry Contest to inspire youth to imagine what healthy and happy relationships, and their community as a whole, could look like. The contest is open to any youth in Whatcom County ages 4-18. Submissions are accepted through September 25th at whatcomdrc.org or emailed to youth@whatcomdrc.org. It is called a poetry contest, but submissions of raps, songs, stories, or any kind of short creative writing piece is accepted. Participants are encouraged to explore themes related to peace in their writing such as listening, respect, antibullying, friendship, social justice, etc. Village Books is a proud sponsor.
Free Online Youth Poetry Workshop Wednesday, September 16, 4pm
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whatcomdrc.org
Fall 2020
27
WhaMemWriMo
Write your Memoir in September! September is your opportunity to turn your memories into memoir. Join all of Whatcom County in the annual WhaMemWriMo: Whatcom Memoir Writing Month, presented by Chuckanut Writers. What do you do? Commit to writing 1,666 words a day for the month of September. At the end of September you’ll have 50,000 words: a book. You will have given shape and voice to the stories and adventures you always wanted to share, the stories your readers want to hear.
WhaMemWriMo Zoom Webinars Thursdays, September 3, 10, 17, and 24 from 5:30pm-7pm
Get Inspired!
As a part of the annual Whatcom Memoir Writing Month, this series of weekly workshops will help you along the way as you turn your memories into memoir. These workshops, all taught or led by experienced memoir writers and teachers, can be taken as a whole ($99), or you can select from the individual workshops ($29) to suit your needs and schedule.
September 3 Four Essential Practices for Successful Memoir Writing with Cami Ostman No matter how long you've procrastinated or how many times you've tried to write your memoir, this class will give you the tools you need to get it done. Walk out of this class with a plan that will carry you through the rest of your writing life. Cami Ostman is the founder of The Narrative Project, author of Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents and editor of several anthologies.
September 10 Managing Family Relationships While Writing About Them with Laurel Leigh What should come first: publishing your memoir or preserving family relationships? Sometimes writers feel they have to choose—on occasion, they do. This discussion will encourage thoughtful exploration of the memoirist's commitment and responsibility to the project, to their authorial voice and freedoms, and to family members whose private lives may be part of the story. Laurel Leigh, MFA, has been a book editor for 20 years. Her memoir and fiction have appeared in The Sun.
September 17 The Scene and Three Acts with Nancy Lou Canyon We'll examine pacing, flashback, action, dialogue, and learn how conflict is essential to writing a dramatic story. In this introductory class, we'll generate a beginning time-line and several scene ideas to write at your leisure. Nancy Canyon, MFA, an award-winning writer, is the author of "Dark Forest" (short fiction), Saltwater (poetry), Celia's Heaven (novel), and Lookout, a memoir detailing her work as a fire lookout attendant in the 70s.
VB VIRTUAL AUTHOR EVENT Nancy Lou Canyon will introduce her latest novel, Celia's Heaven September 19, 6pm • Info at villagebooks.com September 24 Q&A Discussion with Memoirists with Cami Ostman Writing a memoir is a very personal journey which requires insight and bravery. Join your memoir month instructors and a panel of published memoirists to ask your questions about what it takes to write, publish, and stand behind your memoir. Ask anything from how to deal with missing memories to how to handle writing about family to how the authors managed to write about trauma without re-traumatizing themselves.
Don’t Wait Too Long! Visit whatcomcommunityed.com for registration information. 28
Fall 2020
Chuckanut Writers classes are self-supporting and require a minimum number of students to run. Unless we hear from you in time, we may be forced to cancel a class you were planning to take due to low enrollment. Please register early. Building Community One Book at a Time
Village Books
PUBLISHING F
or many years, Village Books Publishing has been proud to work with a wonderful array of local writers whose talents have brought excitement and life to our bookshelves. Together, we’ve been able to share the stories of our community, and as we press forward with 2020, we hope to continue doing so! Currently, our publishing division proudly boasts an array of genres written by Pacific Northwest authors, ranging from memoir to local history to children’s picture books. This year, we wanted to introduce you to a few of our newest additions. All of their books will be gracing our shelves soon, and whether they are debut authors or seasoned professionals, they’re all worth taking a moment to appreciate!
Friday, October 9, 5pm Virtual Author Event
with Mike Rostron The Kabul Conscript by Mike Rostron
available now, paperback, Village Books
In the summer of 1973, David Stuckrath, a Peace Corps Volunteer, becomes embroiled in a dangerous adventure in the ancient bazaars of Kabul. He befriends an AWOL soldier, falsely accused of treason, who is pursued by his vicious captain. The enigmatic expatriate, Conrad Slocum, comes to their aid. While these events are unfolding, the friends must deal with the plight of Reshtina–a young Afghan teacher trying to escape the horror of a forced marriage to an abusive fiancé. Mike Rostron lived for over 20 years in Alaska, before sailing to Whatcom County on a boat of his own construction. The Kabul Conscript is a prequel to Cape Decision, published in 2019, and is also available at Village Books.
The Blue Bottles Writing Studio Anthology :
Titles recently printed by Village Books How We Garden by Vonnie Voris
available now, paperback, author
Written by a physical therapist, this book can help you re-think your current approach to gardening. It is filled with pictures that guide you on how to safely lift, rake, weed, and other tasks. It will also teach you the value of planning, garden design, and attitude adjustment. It contains a simple program for improving your most important gardening tool (your body) though fitness, strengthening, and stretching. Vonnie Voris is a graduate from University of Washington and has been helping gardeners as a physical therapist for over 30 years.
Virtual Group Reading Sunday, September 20, 5pm
A Variety of Stories from Four Independent Authors
by Elizabeth Jane Pryce, George Francis Edward, Sandra J. S. Stanton, Sita C. Amba-Rao available now, paperback, Village Books
This debut anthology gives us 68 vastly different stories divided into five sections: Creative Memoirs, Stories from a Photograph, Short Stories, Scribblings, and The Newspaper Challenge. Some pieces are purely fictional and some autobiographical. Although each started with the same writing prompt, no two are alike! Each story is short, making it a fun read that leaves you feeling like you have discovered four new friends. Elizabeth Jane Pryce is a retired landscape artist who moved from London to Bellingham in 1991. She has an awardwinning garden, has been published before, and is working on the memoir of her childhood in the Caribbean. George Francis Edward holds a Juris Doctorate from USD School of Law. While working at the local credit union as the chief fraud investigator, he developed a program called WECUSAFE and published a book titled How to Steal from Mom. Sandra J.S. Stanton traveled extensively in the USA and abroad before moving to Bellingham with her husband. She is a freelance writer and editor for Chanticleer Reviews and Media LLC and is a member of Bellingham at Home. Sita C. Amba-Rao has a doctorate in Management and Industrial Relations, and has worked in various states in America as well as in India. After her husband passed, she moved to Solstice Senior Living and is now working on his biography.
Continued on the next page FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
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Village Books Publishing (Continued)
Sunday, September 27, 4pm
Locally Made New Reads by VB Publishing Clients
Virtual Event
with Dick Cathell
The Gift of Becoming : Fulfilling Nine Basic Needs for Enhanced Living by Dick Cathell
available now, paperback, Resources for Enhanced Living LLC
In his new book, Dick Cathell shares a moving collection of stories, poems, and vignettes resulting from decades of heartbreaking encounters that all came as “part of the job.” The job? Serving 37 years as a hospital chaplain. Through that experience, he discovered nine basic needs essential for coping with others’ grief, as well as his own. Join us as he shares the steps in fulfilling those needs for enhanced living. Dick Cathell, Ph.D., M.Div., BCC, is President of Resources for Advanced Living LLC. He has served 37 years as a hospital chaplain in Okinawa and the U.S. Mr. Cathell has also been endorsed and ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
52 Women of Whatcom
by The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County Check out the latest Village Books publishing project on page 31.
Sunrise :
Daoist Practices for Women
by Caryn Boyd Diel
available now, paperback, Dragon Fire Productions
Sunrise: Daoist Practices for Women is a compilation of 20 years of study, practice, and teaching by author Caryn Diel. This book allows the reader to learn ancient methods for healing and self-care. There are three sections: Healing and Curing, Longevity Practices (Yang Shen), and Immortality Practices, which includes stories about women immortals in China. Sunrise guides us on an exploration into new ways of creating inner peace and health during a time when we need it more than ever. Caryn is the founder of White Cloud Institute and enjoys teaching classes in the Healing Arts. A graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and a Senior Universal Healing Tao instructor, she teaches Chi Nei Tsang; Taoist Abdominal Massage and other classes for Women and hands-on healers.
Whimsy Park : Poems for the Whole Family
by John Green illustrated by Christen Mattix
KOANS : Starving to Find Fulfillment
by Janet Gilmore, edited by Brian Gilmore available now, paperback, True Grit Productions/Reel Perspectives
KOANS is the story of Janet Gilmore's lifelong struggle with anorexia/bulimia as told through her essay and mood poetry. Her son, Bellingham filmmaker and school counselor Brian Gilmore, arranged and edited KOANS from Janet's powerful poetry, letters, and journaling of her ongoing battle and increasing sense of pain and isolation. Janet's granddaughter, Sehome 2020 grad and artist Emma Gilmore, provides a riveting series of illustrations that interpret her grandmother's struggle with her self-described "demon" that eventually took her life. Janet Gilmore was a lifelong resident of Grand Rapids, MI, who advocated for a holistic treatment approach for eating disorder recovery. Her battle with anorexia began as a teenager in 1946 and she experienced institutionalized, medical and psychological treatment throughout the 1960s until her passing in 2002.
avialable now, paperback, J & J Green Bean Press
While sure to put a smile on your face, Whimsy Park contains deep and thoughtful concepts for the whole family. Prepare to have a Munchkin jump into your sock. To share jellied donuts with a pinecone, and meet a funny fox and skunk. Dance with a ball of clay, and sit silently, as good friends sometimes do, with an old dog. Featuring 40 watercolor illustrated poems, adults and children can equally enjoy their walks through Whimsy Park for years to come. As an early childhood development and education advocate, John believes in respectful and thoughtful parenting foremost, but also understands the huge benefits of playfulness and humor. Although a widely published poet, this is John’s first book of children’s poetry.
Saturday, October 24, 2pm Virtual All Ages Event
with John Green & Christen Mattix
If you’re interested in having your book published by Village Books, please submit your project for consideration! Our request form can be found at villagebooks.com under the “Writer’s Corner” tab, or you can send an email to publishing@villagebooks.com. We look forward to hearing the stories you have to tell! –Sincerely, Rachel Johnson, Publishing Director & Chelanne Evans, Publishing Assistant 30
Fall 2020
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ROUND IT UP
for the
League of Women Voters Bellingham & Whatcom County Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
O
ur Round It Up donation program has been raising money for local nonprofits for over three years and we’re happy to announce that our newest partner is The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/ Whatcom County ! The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government, works to
increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League has two separate and distinct roles: • Voters Service/Citizen Education: they present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues. • Action/Advocacy: they are nonpartisan but, after study, they use their research to develop positions and advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.
An active and positive influence in our county since 1956, it is a grassroots organization and depends on members and volunteers to implement their programs. Membership is open to men and women and we invite you to attend our events and meet us to learn more.
52 Women of Whatcom
by The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/ Whatcom County available in September, Chuckanut Editions
52 Women of Whatcom profiles women who were the backbone of their pioneer community—raising families, making friends with the tribes, contributing to local culture, and leading in the establishment of schools, colleges, hospitals and museums. They fought for the vote and gradually became elected leaders themselves and worked for the world beyond. As you read the stories of these women right up to the present time, you'll understand why the League of Women Voters Bellingham/Whatcom Country included each one in this book to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote and the 100th birthday of the LWV.
Available in September! "We're so very proud to partner with the League to publish these profiles of pioneering Northwest citizens." –Village Books co-owner, Paul Hanson
Round your purchases up to the nearest dollar and make a difference! Visit lwvbellinghamwhatcom.org to learn about programs, membership, volunteer, and additional donation opportunities. Meanwhile, we’ll see you at the store to Round It Up!
Thanks for Rounding Up! Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com
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read. eat. repeat.
With the two laughing wives
Celebrating TWO YEARS Christy and Shannon were amazed at the gem they were shown above Village Books in Fairhaven, February 2018. The laughing wives were a shoo-in when seeing the mezzanine and started cleaning and writing menus immediately! The first year and half was tiring (working 65+ hours weekly) but they were on top of the world, getting to know customers, community, and new friends!! Many food events were established including; weekly PRIX FIXE menus Friday & Saturday nights, weekly SUNDAY BRUNCH, monthly LIFE BETWEEN THE PAGES book club dinner and daily “CHALKBOARD SPECIALS” chef Christy love to create on a moment's notice! In the interim, gratitude + love is what's heartfelt towards the covid pivoting period with personalized cards, sweet letters and voicemails, curbside dinners and eGift cards purchased! Evolve Chocolate + Cafe will re-open its counter in September with grab + go food, baked goods, chocolate confections and coffee + tea drinks. The dining room will re-open when it is safe with a new DESSERT + DRINK menu change! Join our newsletter list and see what other NEW things Evolve is up to! evolvechocolatecafe.com
Counter Service Reopens Fall 2020 Watch for our new 2nd location Evolve Espresso + Provisions adjacent to Hotel Leo in downtown Bellingham! grab-n-go food • wine • cigars
We Recommend... Wherever You Go There You Are:
Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
There's LOVE in EVOLVE...
k
Indulge your palate and your mind! 360.220.1898 Deliciously perched above Village Books - 1200 11th St. in Historic Fairhaven, Bellingham, WA
evolvechocolatecafe.com - See our Carry Out Menu!
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A Field Guide to Cheese:
How to Select, Enjoy, and Pair the World's Best Cheeses
by Tristan Sicard
available in September, hardcover, Artisan
This new book is the ultimate guide to the world of cheese and the only fully illustrated cheese reference. This tour de fromage begins with a history lesson on the creation of cheese, offers a primer of the many types of milks and categories of cheeses, and then leads readers to an encyclopedic survey of over 400 global cheeses including maps of their production, and guides for the perfect pairings. Packed with information, this book is for professional cheesemongers just as much as it is for those with a simple love of cheese.
The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook, Tenth Anniversary Edition 150 Delicious Recipes Using Favorite Ingredients from the Greatest Grocery Store in the World by Cherie Mercer Twohy
available now, paperback, Ulysses Press
From hors d’oeuvres and appetizers for the perfect party to restaurant-worthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, you’ll be surprised at the amazing meals you can make after a quick trip to Trader Joe's! Try sausage and cheddar bites, margarita pork chops, or brie and pear galette to optimize the budgetfriendly deliciousness.
COOKING Ottolenghi Flavor : A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ixta Belfrage
available in October, hardcover, Ten Speed Press
In Ottolenghi Flavor, Yotam Ottolenghi collaborates with longtime colleague Ixta Belfrage to identify the principles behind his stylish, innovative brand of cooking with a new collection of revolutionary plant-based recipes. They build on the vegetarian cooking that made Plenty and Plenty More phenomenal bestsellers, this time adding Italian and Mexican influences and revealing how to understand, build, and amplify flavor through more than 100 vegetarian recipes.
Modern Comfort Food : A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
available in October, hardcover, Clarkson Potter
There are few things more comforting than gathering for a meal with the ones you love, especially when dishes like Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas are at the center of the table. Home cooks can always count on Ina’s dependable, easy-to-follow instructions, with lots of side notes for cooking and entertaining—it’s like having Ina right there beside you, helping you all the way.
Find the cookbooks along with fun food and cooking items in Paper Dreams!
Cooking Lit Pies, Glorious Pies : Mouth-Watering Recipes for Delicious Pies by Maxine Clark
available in October, hardcover, Ryland, Peters, and Small
Whether savory or sweet, for a crowd or just for one, there’s something irresistible about breaking through that golden pastry crust and tucking into the succulent filling inside. First you’ll learn about basic equipment, pastrymaking techniques, and tips on latticework for a show-stopping pie topper. Then, experience Everyday Pies, Posh Pies, Portable Pies, and, finally, Sweet Pies. Nothing better!
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The Man Who Ate Too Much : The Life of James Beard by John Birdsall
available in October, hardcover, W.W. Norton
Birdsall looks beyond the public image of the "Dean of American Cookery" to give voice to the gourmet’s complex, queer life and, in the process, illuminates the history of American food in the twentieth century. At a time when stuffy French restaurants and soulless Continental cuisine prevailed, Beard invented something strange and new: the notion of an American cuisine. Informed by previously overlooked correspondence, years of archival research, and a close reading of Beard’s writing, this majestic biography traces the emergence of personality in American food while reckoning with the outwardly gregarious Beard’s own need for love and connection.
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Gardening Windcliff : A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens
by Daniel J. Hinkley, photographs by Claire Takacs available in September, hardcover, Timber Press
Daniel Hinkley is widely recognized as one of the foremost modern plant explorers and one of the world’s leading plant collectors. He has created two outstanding private gardens—Heronswood and Windcliff. Both gardens, and the story of how one begat the other, are beautifully celebrated in Hinkley’s new book, Windcliff. You’ll delight in Hinkley’s recounting of the creation of his garden, the stories of the plants that fill its space, and in his sage gardening advice. Hinkley’s spirited ruminations on the audacIty and importance of garden-making will appeal to the hearts of every gardener.
Blooming Flowers : A Seasonal
Killer Plants : Growing and Caring for Flytraps, Pitcher Plants, and Other Deadly Flora by Molly Williams
available in September, hardcover, Running Press Adult
Carnivorous plants are among the most fascinating botanical specimens in this world. They're weird, they're gorgeous, and they're the perfect addition to your urban jungle of pothos, snake plants, and succulents. However, they can also be intimidating to grow and care for. Let Killer Plants—with its light approach and adorable two-color illustrations—be your guide as it walks you through the different types and how to keep each variety alive and well.
See our new exhibition online!
History of Plants and People by Kasia Boddy
available now, hardcover, Yale
Boddy looks at the wealth of floral associations that has been passed down in perfumes, poems, and paintings; in design; in songs, shows, and names; and in nearly every religious, social, and political ritual. Exploring the first daffodils of spring and the last chrysanthemums of autumn, this is also a book about seasons. In vibrant detail and drawing on a rich array of illustrations, Boddy considers how the sunflower, poppy, rose, lily—and many others—have given rise to meaning, value, and inspiration throughout history, and why they are integral to so many different cultures.
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Designing History : The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House by Michael S. Smith
available in September, hardcover, Rizzoli
Darren Waterston; Mount Verna with Wound (detail), 2007; Pigment print on Innova, Edition 1 of 20; 40 x 18.5 in framed. Gift of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom in honor of Virginia Wright.
Northwest Pictoral
Whatcom Museum | whatcommuseum.org
Decorating
Designing History documents Michael Smith’s collaboration with the President and First Lady. Not since Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic work on the White House has a designer of Michael Smith’s stature been commissioned to bring a new design spirit to the mansion. Through extensive photography, behind-thescenes stories, and rich archival material, the book places the Obama White House within the context of the building’s storied past and its evolution over the past two centuries.
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Life Stories The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg
available now, hardcover, Abrams Press
This taut, electrifying memoir explores timely and timeless questions about desire, identity, and the limits and possibilities of family. Wizenberg forges a new path: through the murk of separation and divorce, coming out to family and friends, learning to co-parent a young child, and realizing a new vision of love. The result is a frank and moving story about letting go of rigid definitions and ideals that no longer fit, and learning instead who we really are.
Travel Light, Move Fast by Alexandra Fuller
available now, paperback, Penguin Books
Alexandra Fuller spent her childhood in South Africa. Here, she chronicles their “large, loose, scrappy lives,” with mother Nicola, father Tim, and sister Vanessa. Following the Rhodesian Bush War, and the ghosts of lost siblings in a place where the patriarch declared himself to be, “Tim Fuller of No Fixed Abode,” the women continue after his unexpected death. She ultimately connects with the true meaning of what the land represents to its indigenous cultures embedded there before apartheid was installed. –Laura O.
Rough House : A Memoir by Tina Ontiveros
available in September, paperback, Oregon State University Press
Graphic Novel
Full disclosure: I know Tina and she is a great person. Her memoir--about being raised in the timber towns of the Pacific Northwest in that hardscrabble way of making ends meet and families navigating their own peaks and valleys--is a quick immersive read that has a gritty 80s PNW vibe combined with a view toward what we carry as a child and as a parent. –Sarah
The Times I Knew I Was Gay
On the surface, Rough House could be just about abuse and family dysfunction and addiction. But the lingering elements that hover around the edges are beauty and love, which Ontiveros deftly weaves through the dark parts. Her writing is gorgeous and hopeful: “…the things that hurt can also make us mighty.” There is so much wisdom in this book. –Claire
Performing & Fine Arts The Baddest Bitch in the Room : A Memoir by Sophia Chang
available in September, hardcover, Catapult
Sophia Chang’s debut memoir The Baddest Bitch in the Room is an inspiring story about her life as the first Asian woman in hip-hop, working with such acts as The Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest. The book spans her career in the music business, her path to becoming an entrepreneur, and her candid accounts of marriage, motherhood, aging, desire, marginalization, and martial arts.
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by Eleanor Crewes
available in October, hardcover, Scribner
Ellie always had questions about who she was and how she fit in. As a girl, she wore black, obsessed over Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and found dating boys much more confusing than many of her friends did. As she grew older, so did her fears and a deep sense of unbelonging. The Times I Knew I Was Gay reminds us that people sometimes come out not just once but again and again; that identity is not necessarily about falling in love with others, but about coming to terms with oneself. Full of vitality and humor, it will ring true for anyone who has taken the time to discover who they truly are.
Me and Sister Bobbie : True Tales of the Family Band
by Willie Nelson and Bobbie Nelson available in September, hardcover, Random House
This heartfelt dual memoir weaves together the lives of Willie and Bobbie as they experienced them both side-byside and apart with powerful, emotional stories from growing up, playing music in public for the first time, and the trials they each faced in adulthood as Willie pursued a songwriting career and Bobbie faced a series of challenging relationships and a musical career that only took off when attitudes about women began to change in Texas.
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Memoirs Stephen Hawking : A Memoir of Friendship and Physics by Leonard Mlodinow
available in September, hardcover, Pantheon
Mlodinow puts us in the room as Hawking shares his feelings on love, death, and disability; and grapples with deep questions of philosophy and physics. Whether depicting Hawking's devotion to his work or demonstrating how he would make spur of the moment choices, such as punting on the River Cam (despite the risk the jaunt would pose), Mlodinow captures his indomitable spirit.
Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl : A Memoir
Beauty in Breaking :
A Memoir
by Michele Harper available now, hardcover, Riverhead Books
In her memoir, Beauty in B re a king, D r. Michele Harper, a Black, ER physician, mixes the often maddening scenes of the ER, with honest meditations on matters of empathy, morality, and healing. This book comes at a time where we, as a society, are grappling with similar issues. Nevertheless, Dr. Harper has written a memoir that includes themes that will continue to withstand the passage of time. –Mariam
by Jeannie Vanasco
available now, paperback, Tin House Books
After 14 years of nightmares, Jeannie Vanasco reached out to the friend who'd raped her when they were teenagers. Is it possible for a good person to commit a terrible act? That's the question she wants answered. “Perhaps the most important book of the season.” –Esquire
Listings with this symbol are INDIES INTRODUCE DEBUT AUTHORS titles. These outstanding books by first-time authors were chosen by independent booksellers to share with readers everywhere. Discover fresh new talent!
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Whether you do it yourself, or do it with help, The RE Store has your back. Come to The RE Store and see our affordable rotating inventory of new and recycled building materials and home furnishings. We have cabinets, doors, windows, lighting, hardware, lumber, tools, furniture & more. Save up to 75% off retail prices. Perfect for homeowners & renters!
FREE
Donation pickup (360) 647-5921 | re-store.org
Mon - Sat: 9am - 6pm, Sun: 10am - 5pm
2309 Meridian St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Building Community One Book at a Time
Local History by a Favorite Local!
Available September 15 Order your copy today!
Bellingham residents drive along Donovan Avenue, picnic at Bloedel Donovan Park, and sit on the bench at 11th and Harris with the bronze statue of John Joseph (J.J.) Donovan. But who was this J.J. Donovan and what did he do to deserve all this recognition? Local author and historian Brian Griffin has the answers in his fascinating new book, The Donovan Diaries. J. J. Donovan (1858-1937) was a guiding citizen in Bellingham’s formative years. When a treasure trove of letters, diaries, and company correspondence that were saved for decades by Donovan’s descendants and long hidden in an old steamer trunk were discovered, Griffin–long interested in local history–was hooked. Join us for a
Virtual Event with Brian
Griffin Friday, Sept. 25, 7pm Go to villagebooks.com for details & to register
After extensive research, Griffin curated a 2013 exhibition at the Whatcom Museum on the life of J.J. Donovan: his career as a civil engineer, lumberman, railroad superintendent, progressive business man, and community builder were highlighted while his determination, philanthropy, and character were also revealed. For example, Donovan castigated everything the influential Ku Klux Klan stood for and implored his fellow citizens to end bigotry and vile demonstrations of intolerance. Find out more in The Donovan Diaries!
A native Bellinghamster, Brian Griffin has been a driving force in shaping many of Bellingham’s public spaces, including the Depot Market Square, Boulevard Park, and the Fairhaven Village Green. He implemented the creation and funding of the beloved Fairhaven bronze statue of J.J. Donovan. The Donovan Diaries is his fifth local history book. While his additional lifetime achievements warrant a book of their own, Griffin was honored with the “Living Treasure“ award at the Mayor’s Arts Award ceremony in 2015. At 87, he can still be found on most days in his basement workshop crafting custom ukuleles that he sells worldwide. Village Books is honored to host a virtual book launch of this new book on September 25 at 7pm. Join us!
History History of the World in 1000 Objects by DK
available in September, hardcover, DK
With stunning, exclusive photography, History of the World in 1000 Objects shows you the objects that our ancestors treasured—from the jewelry worn by the Mesopotamians to the prized ritual vessels used by the people of the Shang Dynasty—and gives you insight into what gave each culture its own identity.
Burning the Books : A History of the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge by Richard Ovendon
available in October, hardcover, Harvard
Ovenden describes the deliberate destruction of knowledge held in libraries and archives from ancient Alexandria to contemporary Sarajevo, from smashed Assyrian tablets in Iraq to the destroyed immigration documents of the UK Windrush generation. He examines both the motivations for these acts and the broader themes that shape this history. In Burning the Books, Ovenden takes a polemical stance on the social and political importance of the conservation and protection of knowledge, challenging governments in particular, but also society as a whole, to improve public policy and funding for these essential institutions.
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
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History Tecumseh and the Prophet : The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation
by Peter Cozzens
available in September, hardcover, Knopf
Cozzens brings us to the forefront of the violence that characterized the young American Republic, when settlers spilled across the Appalachians to bloody effect in their haste to exploit lands won from the British in the War of Independence. Tecumseh and the Prophet presents the untold story of the Shawnee brothers who retaliated against this threat—the two most significant siblings in Native American history who should be writ large in the annals of America.
Children of Ash & Elm : A History of the Vikings by Neil Price
available now, hardcover, Basic Books
My ideas about the Vikings are forever changed after reading this scholarly but very readable book. Helmets with horns? Never happened. Ferocious warriors ( known as "slaughter wolves")? Yes. But sometimes women and transgendered people were on the battlefield too. How do you make all the sails for their many ships? Slaves. Thousands of slaves. They might have started out stealing silver plate from English monasteries but eventually graduated to importing Chinese silk from Persia. Read it! It's really great! –Mel
Vanguard : How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
Mad and Bad : Real Heroines of the Regency
by Bea Koch
available in September, paperback, Grand Central Publishing
Koch takes the Regency, one of the most loved and idealized historical time periods, and reveals the independentminded, standard-breaking real historical women who lived life on their terms. She also examines broader questions of culture in chapters that focus on the LGBTQ and Jewish communities, the lives of women of color in the Regency, and women who broke barriers in fields like astronomy and paleontology.
The Quiet Americans : Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold son War–A Tragedy in Three Acts
by Scott Anderson
available in September, hardcover, Doubleday
The Quiet Americans chronicles the exploits of four spies - Michael Burke, a charming former football star fallen on hard times, Frank Wisner, the scion of a wealthy Southern family, Peter Sichel, a sophisticated German Jew who escaped the Nazis, and Edward Lansdale, a brilliant ad executive. The four ran covert operations across the globe, trying to outwit the KGB in Berlin, parachuting commandos into Eastern Europe and plotting coups.
Whiskey Women : The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey by Fred Minnick
by Martha S. Jones
available now, paperback, Potomac Books
available in September, hardcover, Basic Books
Whiskey Women tells the tales of the women who created the industry, from Mesopotamia’s first beer brewers and distillers, to Scotland’s almost-lost whiskey legacy, to America’s rough-and-tough Prohibition bootleggers. Women have long distilled, marketed, and owned significant shares in spirits companies, including Bushmills, Johnnie Walker, and Maker’s Mark.
In Vanguard, acclaimed historian Martha S. Jones offers a new history of African American women's political lives in America. From the earliest days of the republic to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and beyond, Jones excavates the lives and work of black women—Maria Stewart, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Fannie Lou Hamer, and more—who were the vanguard of women's rights, calling on America to realize its best ideals.
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George
POLITICS &
CURRENT EVENTS
Gender and Sexual Diversity The Queer Advantage : Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity by Andrew Gelwicks
available in October, hardcover, Hachette Go
Dy-
From Troye Sivan to Margaret Cho, George Takei to Billie Jean King, Shangela to Adam Rippon, each person credits their queer identity with giving them an edge in their paths to success. Collecting incisive, deeply personal conversations with LGBTQ+ trailblazers about how they leveraged the challenges and insights they had as relative outsiders to succeed in the worlds of business, tech, politics, Hollywood, sports and beyond, The Queer Advantage celebrates the unique, supercharged power of queerness.
Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man
by Mary L. Trump Ph.D
available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
What shaped the personality and ethics of the most controversial, polarizing American president in living memory? In her scathing denunciation of her uncle, Mary Trump combines her training in psychology with her intimate knowledge of the extended Trump family to paint a sometimes oddly disculpatory view of Donald's "monstrosity," not so much as his own failing but as the product of the overarching influence of the president's father Frederick. While she is far too close to and emotionally involved with her subject to be objective, her painful experience nonetheless informs her warning against our country becoming "a macro version of my malignantly dysfunctional family." –Eric
Evil Geniuses : The Unmaking of America—A Recent History by Kurt Andersen
available now, hardcover, Random House
Why and how did America take such a wrong turn? In this deeply researched and brilliantly woven cultural, economic, and political chronicle, Kurt Andersen offers a fresh, provocative, and eye-opening history of America’s undoing, naming names, showing receipts, and unsparingly assigning blame—to the radical right in economics and the law, the high priests of high finance, a complacent and complicit Establishment, and liberal “useful idiots,” among whom he includes himself.
As the World Burns : The New Generation of Activists and the Landmark Legal Fight Against Climate Change by Lee van der Voo
available in September, hardcover, Timber Press
Timely, important, and urgent, As the World Burns is climate breakdown like you've never seen it—through the eyes of the young—a book that hits home the dire consequences of inaction and the potential pitfalls of leaving the fate of the planet in the hands of U.S. court system. Lee van der Voo is an award-winning investigative and environmental journalist. In 2015, 21 kids across America sued the federal government over climate change, arguing their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property were being violated. Theirs was to be the civil rights trial of our century. But it hasn’t happened yet. Instead, their day in court—Oct. 29, 2018—slipped by while the Trump Administration deployed rare legal tactics to stymie the case, leaving our nation’s courts in a tangle and legal observers aghast. This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.
Join us for a virtual event with
Lee van der Voo Thursday, October 8, 7pm see villagebooks.com for details
Because Libro.fm makes it possible for you to buy audiobooks directly through Village Books, you can listen AND support local! Head to villagebooks.com and get started today – enjoy á la carte listening or monthly memberships.
Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com
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Join us for a virtual event with author
GEORGE DYSON Tuesday, September 22, 6pm
Village Books is excited to welcome Bellingham's own George Dyson to our Virtual Readings Gallery. Dyson, the science and technology historian behind 2012’s Turing’s Cathedral, explores the entangled destinies of nature, human beings and machines in his new semi-autobiographical book, Analogia.
In Conversation with Clyde Ford
Analogia: The Emergence of Technology Beyond Programmable Control available now, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
The convergence of a startling historical archaeology with George Dyson’s unusual personal story leads to a prophetic vision of an analog revolution already under way. We are, Dyson reveals, on the cusp of a new moment in human history, driven by a generation of machines whose powers are beyond programmable control.
see villagebooks.com for registration details
Science Nose Dive : A Field Guide to the World's Smells by Harold McGee
available in October, hardcover, Penguin Press
Nose Dive distills the science behind the smells and translates it, as only McGee can, into an accessible and entertaining guide. Incorporating the latest insights of biology and chemistry, and interwoven with personal observations, McGee reveals how our sense of smell has the power to expose intangible details of our material world and life, and trigger in us feelings that are the very essence of being alive.
If Then : How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future by Jill Lepore
available in September, hardcover, Liveright
If you are a science fan or history buff, this is for you. If you are not, this is also for you. Lepore takes a littleremembered corner of technology history and illuminates it in her amazing narrative fashion. If you look around and wonder, “How did we get here?” this is the book to read. I know history books can be called “page-turning” but this book truly earns that distinction. –Sarah
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Livewired : The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain by David Eagleman
available now, hardcover, Pantheon
The magic of the brain is not found in its parts, but in the way those parts constantly reweave themselves in an electric, living fabric. To help us understand the nature and changing texture of that fabric, there is no more accomplished and accessible guide than renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman. With his hallmark clarity and enthusiasm, Eagleman reveals the myriad ways that the brain absorbs experience.
Editing Humanity : The CRISPR Revolution and the New Era of Genome Editing by Kevin Davies
available in October, hardcover, Pegasus Books
Editing Humanity takes readers inside the world of a new gene editing technology called CRISPR, a high-powered genetic toolkit that enables scientists to not only engineer but to edit the DNA of any organism down to the individual building blocks of the genetic code. If our genes are, to a great extent, destiny, then what if mankind could engineer and alter the very essence of our DNA coding? Millions might be spared the devastating effects of hereditary disease or the challenges of disability. But this power to “play God” also raises major ethical questions and poses threats for potential misuse.
Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com
Science & Nature Oceanology : The Secrets of the Sea Revealed by DK
available in September, hardcover, DK
Oceanology offers up riches from every corner of the ocean, from coral reefs and mangrove swamps to icy fjords and deep-ocean trenches, and from great whales to the microscopic beauty of plankton. Along the way, it explains how the ocean itself works, including tides, currents, hurricanes, tsunamis, and the global processes of oceanography and climate. An informative and beautiful introduction to the ocean, this book brings the wealth of the sea onto the printed page.
The Reign of Wolf 21: The Saga of Yellowstone’s Legendary Druid Pack by Rick McIntyre
available in September, hardcover, Greystone Books
In this compelling follow-up to the national bestseller The Rise of Wolf 8, Rick McIntyre profiles one of Yellowstone’s most revered alpha males, Wolf 21. McIntyre recounts the pack’s fascinating saga with compassion and a keen eye for detail, drawing on his many years of experience observing Yellowstone wolves in the wild. His outstanding work of science writing offers unparalleled insight into wolf behavior and Yellowstone’s famed wolf reintroduction project.
Fathoms : The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs
available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
In Fathoms, we learn about whales so rare they have never been named, whale songs that sweep across hemispheres in annual waves of popularity, and whales that have modified the chemical composition of our planet’s atmosphere. We travel to Japan to board the ships that hunt whales and delve into the deepest seas to discover how plastic pollution pervades the undersea environment. In the spirit of Rachel Carson and Rebecca Solnit, Giggs gives us a vivid exploration of the natural world even as she addresses what it means to write about nature at a time of environmental crisis.
Nature Writing World of Wonders : In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, illustrated by Fumi Nakamura available in September, hardcover, Milkweed Editions
From poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction--a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us. Even in the strange and the unlovely, Nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. Warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is a book of sustenance and joy.
Nature Matrix : New and Selected Essays
by Robert Michael Pyle
Braiding Sweetgrass : Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants
available in September, paperback, Counterpoint
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Nature Matrix shows a way back toward possible integration with the world, as it plumbs the range and depth of experience in one lucky life lived in close connection to the physical earth and its denizens. This collection brings together the thoughts and hopes of one of our most widely read and respected natural philosophers as he seeks to summarize a life devoted to conservation.
available in October, hardcover, Milkweed Editions
Buy Books Online - 99¢ Shipping
Updated with a new introduction from Robin Wall Kimmerer, the special edition of Braiding Sweetgrass celebrates the book as an object of meaning that will last the ages and will inspire readers to gift it again and again, spreading the word about scientific knowledge, indigenous wisdom, and the teachings of plants. Beautifully bound in stamped linen cloth with a bookmark ribbon and a deckled edge, this edition features five brilliantly colored illustrations by artist Nate Christopherson.
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— Please join us at a virtual event honoring community action —
From Crisis to Recovery FORGING A COLLECTIVE PATH TOWARDS A MORE JUST, EQUITABLE AND GREEN FUTURE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH • 5:30 - 6:30 pm
A collaborative fundraiser and conversation with leaders from: RE Sources • Lhaq’temish Foundation of Lummi Nation • Community to Community Development
RSVP at: re-sources.org/recovery
A portion of proceeds raised at this virtual event will go to participating organizations, and RE Sources has secured a challenge match to increase your financial impact. Please come prepared to make a gift that is right for you.
SPECIAL THANKS TO EVENT SPONSORS:
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Building Community One Book at a Time
Into the Mountains Day Hiking North Cascades: Mount Baker * North Cascades Highway * Methow Valley * Mountain Loop Highway
by Craig Romano
available now, paperback, Mountaineers Books
This guide covers Mount Baker, the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) corridor, North Cascades National Park, Winthrop and the Methow Valley, the Pasayten Wilderness area, parts of Glacier Peak Wilderness, and the Mountain Loop Highway. Compact and fresh with a broad range of hiking options, this is the most up-to-date guide for the area, and is organized along highway and other travel corridors with an emphasis on trails that are 12 miles or shorter, round-trip. The new edition features 136 hikes total, with 30 all-new ones and several expanded routes. Many of these hikes are not included in any other guide.
Advertise in
ADVENTURES NW >>>
· 60,000 Readers · Affordable Rates · Beautiful, World-Class Content · A Perfect Fit for Our Community
Above the Clouds : How I Carved My Own Path to the Top of the World by Kilian Jornet, translated by Charlotte Whittle available now, hardcover, HarperOne
The world's fastest mountain climber, ultrarunner, and mountaineer, Kilian Jornet has broken nearly every mountaineering record in the world and twice been named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. In 2018 he burnished that legend, setting the FKT (fastest known time) ascending and descending Mount Everest—in 26 hours from base camp—without bottled oxygen or ropes. In this sweeping, soulful journey—the flip side of stories like Into Thin Air—Jornet illuminates with beauty and brilliance what it means to be an athlete, a competitor, and a human facing the greatest life challenges—for him, the mountain he yearns to climb and honor.
Edge of the Map : The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff
by Joanna Garton
available now, paperback, Mountaineers Books
Groundbreaking. World-class. Legendary. All have been used to describe Christine Boskoff, one of the world's top alpinists, a trailblazing record holder who overcame challenge after challenge...until she and her partner, renowned climber Charlie Fowler, disappeared. This is her story. Johanna will share an inspiring presentation on the life of Christine Boskoff and the legacies she left behind from her adventures climbing the highest mountains in the world. Johanna Garton interviewed more than 75 friends and family of Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler in writing Edge of the Map.
Join us for a virtual event with
Johanna Garton Saturday, October 17, 5pm Part of the North Cascades Institute Nature of Writing Series See villagebooks. com for details
Contact John @ 360.319.1614 or john@AdventuresNW.com
We're here for your outdoor needs. Find guides, maps, water bottles, journals, and even waterproof notebooks! FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
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THANK YOU
Many things have changed since Village Books first opened in 1980, but the consistent support of our amazing community hasn't. Thanks to you, we have continued to achieve our goals of championing the enduring power of books, promoting diverse perspectives, upholding the free exchange of ideas, and supporting our great community of readers and authors.
g n i t a r Celeb
4
YEARS
0 1980 -202
Here's to the next 40!
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Building Community One Book at a Time
Because You Deserve It It's 2020. Treat Yourself!
Relax Nothing Much Happens : Cozy and Calming Stories to Soothe Your Mind and Help You Sleep
by Kathryn Nicolai
Check out the fun candles from Snohomish-based Malicious Women Co. because it's 2020 and "it's okay to feel all the things."
available in October, hardcover, Penguin Life
Busy minds need a place to rest. Whether you find yourself struggling to sleep, awake in the middle of the night, or even just anxious as you move through the day, Kathryn Nicolai offers a healthy way to ease the mind before bed: through the timeless appeal of classic bedtime stories. You'll fnd this book in our psychology section!
Create
Macramé for the Modern Home : 16 Stunning Projects
Using Simple Knots and Natural Dyes by Isabella Strambio
available now, paperback, Search Press
The 16 projects in this book range from classics such as the wall hanging and the plant hanger, to a lantern, table runner, mirror hanger, rug and tassels. Each project clearly explains which knots to use, how to cut your yarn, how long the project will take and a difficulty level, and step photographs are provided as necessary. The projects are easy to follow, genuinely desirable and best of all, really simple to make! Find this and other craft and art books in our craft section!
Discover Bath and Body Journals and Notepads Toys and Plush Games and Puzzles Kitchen Accessories Jewelry and Attire Novelty Gifts
The pledge is a commitment to buy, in any given month, one fewer book (or gift item!) from online sellers and chain stores and one more from Village Books and Paper Dreams.
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
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celebrate
autumn
self-guided farm stand loop
AUGUST – SEPTEMBER Whatcom & Skagit Counties
EatLocalFirst.org book club, Trivia night, and more!
SEPTEMBER 21-27 Join us in celebrating Climate Action Week
SustainableConnections.org nursery sales, recipes, and growing guides
OCTOBER Place orders online or by phone for pick-up
CloudMountainFarmCenter.org
THINK LOCAL FIRST
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Fall 2020
Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
Fall Comfort Seasonal Selections for Home by Kelly Evert, Village Books and Paper Dreams Co-owner As we transition into autumn from a strange spring and an unusual summer, I’m reminded of how much we’re influenced by our senses. The rain and wind are starting, leaves change color, fall, and become nutrients for plants for the winter months. We have spent a considerable amount of time at home, working on our gardens, patios, and yard projects. With cooler weather we are now moving indoors and probably spending more time in our homes than ever before. As we think about our interior spaces it is also important to nurture ourselves. We sit in front of the glow of our technology much of the day. Take the time to unplug and light a candle. The natural light of candles encourages a sense of calm, as do their scents and sounds. In addition to scents of pine, pumpkin, or cider, we carry a wide array of pleasant smells that evoke home and comfort while our WoodWick candles have the gentle crackle of flickering flame. All made in America.
Autumn also brings us into the kitchen. We may not be able to share the space with loved ones this year but we can bring warm bread and fresh pies to friends. Covering them with a textured linen makes a perfect gift.
September is Eat Local Month. Whatcom County bees have been busy bees making honey this summer. As you settle in with a book or magazine grab a cup of tea and add a bit of local honey by BeeWorks.
Treat Yourself to Something Nice Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com
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Treat Yourself Reaching out to friends and family with a handwritten note has become increasingly important. Why not write on something special? From letterpress cards by Saturn Press, humorous cards, and wooden cards, to a lovely selection of stationary, we'll help you get it just ... write.
We're excited to carry multiple lines of cards created by local artists and photographers—perfect for every occasion. Staff favorites include creations by local artist Phoebe Wahl. Check out her new picture book, The Blue House on page 49.
Shopping for cards can be time-consuming and even overwhelming. We recently made this task easier for you by creating a page at villagebooks.com that allows you to order cards— we will be your personal shoppers! Check it out.
We are all eager to help you in any way to bring cozy and fun to your autumn season. From curling up on seasonal pillows to write a dear friend, to art supplies for craft endeavors and school projects, we are here to get you through.
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Fall 2020
Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com
YOUNG READERS Their Families & Educators
PICTURE BOOKS Board Books
Baby Astrology : by Roxy Marj
available now, board book, Doubleday Books for Young Readers
"Absolutely love love love this Baby Astrology series, adorable illustrations through-out and includes such gentle & encouraging attributes about your little one, such a great baby-shower gift!" –Kendra
All Zodiac Signs Available!
Friends Make Everything Better!
A Five Story Collection by Charles M. Schulz available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
From the first time Charlie Brown meets Franklin to Snoopy trying to build a lifelong friendship with a snowman, this 70th anniversary story collection has the sweet, silly Peanuts humor that fans know and love. The whole gang’s here in this lovely gold-foiled collection—a perfect gift for any Peanuts fan!
Bling Blaine :
Throw Glitter, Not Shade
You Are a Beautiful Beginning
by Nina Laden illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley available now, hardcover, Roaring Brook Press
Three children come together to build a magnificent and cozy treehouse for all their forest friends. Along the way, they discover the truth behind the adage that "it is not the destination, but the journey." This is another uplifting and original book from bestselling local author & illustrator Nina Laden, the creator of Peek-A-Who and the author of If I Had a Little Dream.
by Rob Sanders, Illustrated by Letizia Rizzo available in September, hardcover, Sterling Children's Books
Blaine’s a boy who loves to shine. Actually, he loves to sparkle. Whether it's his uniform, his book bag, or even his baseball cap, Blaine’s all about the bling. But when his bling rubs some people the wrong way, and the bullying begins, Blaine—along with the entire school—starts to lose his shine. Can Blaine's friends bring back his glimmer and gleam by glittering up their own wardrobes? This delightful story proves that anyone can love bling, and that happiness comes when allies band together to throw glitter—not shade.
The Blue House Because You're Mine by Nancy Tillman
available in September, hardcover, Feiwel & Friends
"I have loved every children’s book written & illustrated by Portland-based Nancy Tillman— they are such treasures to be cherished and are especially great gifts for new parents!” –Kendra
Buy Books Online - 99¢ Shipping
by Phoebe Wahl
available now, hardcover, Knopf Books for Young Readers
A new treasure from a local author and illustrator! In the tradition of Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House comes a heartfelt story about a father and son learning to accept the new while honoring and celebrating the old. "This powerfully relevant, moving portrayal of a loving single-parent family during a period of unexpected change and transition is a must-have." —School Library Journal, starred review
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Kids
Picture Books
Girl on a Motorcycle
David Roberts' Delightfully Different Fairy Tales
by Amy Novesky, Illustrated by Julie Morstad available in September, hardcover, Viking Books for Young Readers
The illustrator of this lovely book is Julie Morstad from Vancouver, BC! Such an empowering picture book biography by award-winning women about the first woman to ride a motorcycle around the world. An incredible true story for any fearless and persistent young person that illustrates an important lesson that we are all responsible of our own destiny! –Kendra
by David Roberts and Lynn Roberts-Maloney
available in October, hardcover, Pavilion Children's
Star illustrator David Roberts joins forces with his author sister, Lynn, for the humorous, stylish, and empowering retelling of three classic tales: "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Rapunzel." These stories have a feminist twist with leading ladies full of personality—classic fairy tales for a modern audience!
Wild Symphony
by Dan Brown, illustrated by Susan Batori
Joy School : 22 Children's Stories to Teach the Joys of Honesty, Family, Your Body, the Earth, Goals, Sharing, Uniqueness, and More!
available in September, hardcover, Rodale Kids
by Richard Eyre, Linda Eyre, illustrated by Olga Zakharova available in September, hardcover, Bushel & Peck Books
Each story in the anthology teaches one of 10 essential values that are critical for healthy, happy children: Joy of the Body, Joy of the Earth, Joy of Honesty and Communication, Joy of Sharing and Service, Joy of Goals and Order, Joy of Confidence, Joy of Wonder, Joy of Imagination and Creativity, Joy of Family, and the Joy of Uniqueness. For decades, Richard and Linda Eyre, authors of the bestselling book Teaching Your Children Values, have taught these joyful values to half a million kids through their highly acclaimed Joy School program. Now for the first time ever, these stories are available to everyone who wants to bring their kids the very best gift possible: JOY!
Maestro Mouse takes us around the world to meet cheetahs and kangaroos, elephants and big blue whales! Along the way, he discovers that there's something to learn from each of his friends, a piece of mindful wisdom. The adventure culminates in a double gatefold that celebrates the joy of community and music. This is a wonderful interactive story with an accompanying free streaming music app (did you know Dan Brown is also a composer?!!). This involves some really cool technology that automatically changes music when the page is turned. "This is an excellent and totally fun addition to your child's library!" -Kendra
Join the Village Books
PICTURE BOOK Subscription Program
Paige's Picks Delivering Smiles Monthly
There's not much that is more exciting for a child than receiving a package— especially if that package contains a beautifully illustrated picture book! Paige the Penguin!
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Fall 2020
Visit villagebooks.com/paiges-picks for information about our subscription program and sign up today. Let us take care of the selection and mailing for you. It's time to let the stories and smiles begin! Building Community One Book at a Time
Middle Grade A Tale of Witchcraft... A Tale of Magic #2 by Chris Colfer
available in September, hardcover, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The enchanting sequel to the New York Times bestselling A Tale of Magic is filled with brand-new adventures and a cast of memorable characters, both familiar and new.
Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klassen
available in September, hardcover, Algonquin Young Readers
This is sure to become a classic at your house—it's just so easy to fall in love with Jon Klassen's illustrations!! They remind me of the beloved Frog & Toad stories I was read as a child. Klassen is an award winning Canadian writer & illustrator known for his picture book series I Want My Hat Back and author Amy Timberlake is from Seattle! -Kendra
New Series! Max Meow: Cat Crusader #1 by John Gallagher
available in October, hardcover, Random House Books for Young Readers
For any child who loves Dogman comes Max Meow, Cat Crusader—a secret superhero with CAT-ITUDE in this purrfectly awesome, hiss-sterically funny new middle grade series!
The Riverdale Diaries, Vol. 1: Hello, Betty! by Sarah Kuhn Illustrated by J. Bone
available now, paperback, BuzzPop
Rising star Sarah Kuhn and critically acclaimed artist J. Bone deliver an authentic and funny tale of middle-school life as they reimagine the iconic gang from Riverdale into contemporary middlegrade students. Full of lively dialogue and stunningly hilarious art, the dynamics of friendship and school struggles are as classic as the characters themselves—and fresh and engaging for today's readers.
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
Tristan Strong Destroys the World A Tristan Strong Novel, #2 by Kwame Mbalia
available in October, hardcover, Rick Riordan Presents
Bestselling author Rick Riordan presents the second book in the New York Times best-selling Tristan Strong trilogy by Kwame Mbalia. Tristan Strong, just back from a victorious but exhausting adventure in Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, is suffering from PTSD. But there's no rest for the weary when his grandmother is abducted by a mysterious villain out for revenge. Tristan must return to Alke—and reunite with his loud-mouthed sidekick, Gum Baby—in order to rescue Nana and stop the culprit from creating further devastation. Anansi, now a "web developer" in Tristan's phone, is close at hand to offer advice, and several new folk heroes will aid Tristan in his quest, but he will only succeed if he can figure out a way to sew broken souls back together."
Graphic Novels Act A Click Graphic Novel by Kayla Miller
available nowr, paperback, HMH Books for Young Readers
Act is the funny and honest follow-up to the middle school graphic novel sensations Click and Camp. Bestselling authorillustrator Kayla Miller crafts a genuine and inspiring story about evolving friendships, supportive family, and finding out that you—yes, you—have the power to make a difference.
Class Act
by Jerry Craft available in,October paperback, Quill Tree Books
New York Times bestselling author Jerry Craft returns with a powerful companion book to New Kid, winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal—the first graphic novel to win this prestigious award. This time, it’s Jordan’s friend Drew who takes center stage in another laugh-out-loud funny, powerful, and important story about being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school.
Pre-Order Your Copy Today! Fall 2020
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Witches, Monsters, Spooky
BOOOOOOks!
Whatever Halloween looks like this year, we know you'll want to celebrate with some haunted reads! Enjoy!
Season of the Witch : A Spellbinding History of Witches and Other Magical Folk
by Matt Ralphs, illustrated by Nuria Tamarit
available now, hardcover, Flying Eye Books
Get whisked away into the history of some of the most controversial women in history: witches. From Egyptian priestesses to Norse healers, take a closer look at witches throughout history and across the world, in this holistic non-fiction book that incorporates poetry, art, mythology, hexes, potions, and magic from different cultures and religions around the world.
Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang, Kati Bartkowski available in September, hardcover, Margaret K. McElderry Books
Stranger Things meets The X-Files in this eerie, heart-pounding middle grade adventure about a young boy and girl who must protect their small town from otherworldly forces threatening to destroy it.
The
Gravedigger : A Creepers Book
by by Edgar J. Hyde, Illustrated by Chloe Tyler available in September, paperback, Flowerpot Press
Strange things are happening in the Creeper series! These middle grade illustrated chapter books are perfect for readers who love a good mix of spooky and silly. Featuring stories with tween protagonists who find themselves in paranormal predicaments, the Creepers series is sure to give readers goose bumps as they dive into each haunting tale.
Atlas of Monsters and Ghosts
by Lonely Planet Kids, text by Federica Magrin, illustrations by Laura Brenlla
LEGO: Halloween Ideas : With Exclusive Spooky Scene Model by Selina Wood, Julia March, Alice Finch available now, Mixed Media, DK Children
Celebrate Halloween with 50 spooky build ideas, plus an exclusive scary scene model!
available now, hardcover, Lonely Planet
Join famous monster hunter Van Helsing on a trip around the globe to find haunted castles, restless spirits, terrifying dragons, wicked witches, and more. Learn the defining characteristics of each beast, where it can be found and-most importantly-how to defeat it.
We have the latest YETI and SASQUATCH Reading Selections conveniently compiled for quick and easy browsing. Selected by Washington State librarians for their merit, it's hard to go wrong!
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Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
Middle Readers Performing Arts Fierce Heroines :
Inspiring Female Characters in Pop Culture by Rosie Knight, illustrated by Arielle Jovellanos
available in September, hardcover, Running Press Kids
I've learned some pretty important life-lessons from my favorite TV feminist idols and I know many friends who have as well! I always have fun introducing my nieces to my life-long favorite characters in hopes they'll take on some of that feminist-power themselves, and even though they're quite a few ages apart (12 & 18) they'll enjoy reading these heroine tales together! -Kendra
Science Climate Change, The Choice is Ours : The Facts, Our Future, and Why There's Hope!
by David Miles, illustrated by Albert Pinilla available in September, hardcover, Bushel & Peck Books
• One of the first children's books to fully explain the science behind climate change to a young audience. Most offer cute stories that only touch on the issue. • Discusses the science of climate, Earth's climate history, the greenhouse effect, and emissions, plus weather, agriculture, deforestation, oceans, disease, and other ways climate change impacts the world. • Gentle but real—it doesn't dodge the tough questions. • Filled with hope! Kids will finish reading feeling empowered and hopeful about the earth's future. • Profiles famous kids from around the world fighting climate change, including Greta Thunberg, Xiye Bastida, David Wickerman, and more! • Packed with facts, illustrations, and activities.
Cattywampus
by Ash Van Otterloo available now, hardcover, Scholastic Press
Cattywampus has everything: friends, enemies, a very charming raccoon, magic, ancient family feuds, and zombies. This is a magical story of a hex that goes haywire, and the power of friendship to set things right!
Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com
Becoming Muhammad Ali
by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile available in October, hardcover, Jimmy Patterson Books
Before he was a household name, Cassius Clay was a kid with struggles like any other. Kwame Alexander and James Patterson join forces to vividly depict his life up to age 17 in both prose and verse, including his childhood friends, struggles in school, the racism he faced, and his discovery of boxing. Readers will learn about Cassius' family and neighbors in Louisville, Kentucky, and how, after a thief stole his bike, Cassius began training as an amateur boxer at age twelve. Before long, he won his first Golden Gloves bout and began his transformation into the unrivaled Muhammad Ali.
Reference 50 Adventures in the 50 States
by Kate Siber, illustrated by Lydia Hill available in October, hardcover, Wide Eyed Editions
What a beautiful gift for any child or truthfully any adult! One of the best illustrated travel and fact guides I've seen about the United States that includes fun adventurous activities for each State to plan for your future travels! –Kendra
A Nature Novel! A Whale of the Wild
by Rosanne Parry, illustrated by Lindsay Moore available in September, hardcover, Greenwillow Books
This tale shows some of the effects of pollution and natural disasters on ocean life from a young orca whale's perspective. The kind main character finds herself lost with her younger brother, who she has to look after while searching for her family. This is a great tale about finding your way around obstacles and carrying on even when it would be easier not to. I would highly recommend to ocean animal lovers. –Bailey
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Popular with Parents Tackling the "New Normal" Unplugged Play Series by Bobbi Conner
available now, paperback, Workman Publishing Co.
Select from volumes specifically created for Grade School, Preschool, or Toddlers— and discover hundreds of age-appropriate screen-free games and activities.
The Home Education Handbook : A Comprehensive
and Practical Guide to Educating Children at Home
by Gill Hines, Dr. Alison Baverstock available now, paperback, Piatkus
"Home-educators want to provide a high quality learning experience for their children and this handbook is an excellent resource for making this aspiration a reality." –Dr Adam Boddison, Chief Executive of National Association of Special Educational Needs
The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12 : Teaching for Engagement and Head to villagebooks.com to find additional Resources for Homeschooling and Schooling at Home 54
Fall 2020
Impact in Any Setting
by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Hattie available now, spiral bound, Corwin Publishers
Effective teaching is effective teaching, no matter where it occurs. the essential hands-on guide to preparing and delivering distance learning experiences that are truly effective and impactful.
Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com
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Reading Recommendations
VB's Young Adult Review Committee
Enjoy these reviews of the latest and greatest Young Adult books to hit the streets in recent and upcoming months. Don't miss our in-store Y.A.R.C. display, which is always up-to-date and evolving with reviews by teens, for teens! What better way to find out what teens are reading than to go straight to the source?
A Song Below Water
Bookish and the Beast
available now, hardcover, Tor Teen
available now, hardcover, Quirk Books
A Song Below Water is a fresh and modern fantasy that’s incredibly relevant to the world today. It tells the story of two black teensTavia, a siren who hides her magic from a distrustful world, and her best friend Effie, a Rennaissance Faire actor trying to move on from a traumatic magical experience. Their lives are buffeted by the public's prejudices around both magical beings and race, but held together by their friendship, determination, and courage. This book is a masterful fairy tale for the here and now. –Ella T. age 15
A fresh spin on a classic fairy-tale, Ashley Poston artfully blends geek culture with that of Beauty and the Beast. In an unfortunate incident involving a priceless book and a poorly-placed pool, small-town girl Rosie Thorne must work with the snobbish yet handsome Vance Reigns, star of the popular Starfield movie series. As they grow closer, they begin to realize that first impressions aren't always as they seem. Overall, Bookish and the Beast is a retelling that stands apart, which is very much due to its realistic LGBTQ representation and utterly unique premise –Aria S. age 19
by Ashley Poston
by Bethany C. Morrow
The Assignment by Liza Wiemer
Today Tonight Tomorrow
available now, hardcover, Delacorte Press
When assigned to take the role of Nazis and debate how to execute the Final Solution for their history class, Logan and Cade are outraged. Determined, they intend to put a stop to an assignment that will only fuel discrimination and hatred. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Logan and Cade show that you are never too young to stand against something that is wrong, and you’re never alone in the fight. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to improve the world, but doesn’t know how. –Isabel F. age 15
Young Adult Reviews Established in 2014, this program offers teenagers and young adults the opportunity to read yet-to-be-published books, also known as ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies). In exchange for this privilege, they write reviews as recommendations for Village Books customers. Enjoy these and find many more on our Y.A.R.C. web page. Find them under Book Picks in the Readers Corner at villagebooks.com!
Buy Books Online - 99¢ Shipping
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
available now, hardcover, Simon Pulse
Today Tonight Tomorrow is the most Seattle book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Set over the course of 24 hours, it follows two rival classmates as they team for a last hurrah senior class game that is part scavenger hunt around Seattle, part Assassin. A phenomenal author, Rachel Lynn Solomon is from the area and it absolutely shows. This book is adorable, romantic, and all around perfection. I cannot recommend it enough. –Gretal M. age 21
Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest
available now, hardcover, Roaring Brook Press
Just as fantastic as Kristina Forest’s debut, Now That I’ve Found You is a compelling and romantic story set in New York City. Evie and Milo are fantastic characters both individually and together, and it’s easy to fall in love with them as they travel around the city searching for Evie’s famous grandmother. I cannot recommend Kristina Forest’s books enough, and I eagerly look forward to reading what she writes next. –Gretal M. age 21 Turn the page for more Y.A.R.C. reviews!
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Y A RC .
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Plus!
Horrid
by Katrina Leno
The Bridge
available in September, hardcover, LIttle Brown Books for Young Readers
by Bill Konigsberg
available in September, hardcover, Scholastic Press
In the wake of her father’s death, Jane and her mother leave LA for her mother’s childhood home in Maineknown by the local kids as the Creep House. But as Jane tries to move on, making new friends and getting a job at the local bookstore, something in the house won’t let go. Inspired by Agatha Christie and horror novels, Horrid is positively haunting. Katrina Leno’s latest novel is full of rage and mystery, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the last page- full of twists that will stay with you long after the cover’s shut. –Emma W. age 24
The Bridge is a heartfelt exploration of suicide and life at its rawest. Centering on two teenagers—Aaron and Tillie—who are dealing with depression and loneliness. Written in 4 parts, The Bridge examines what happens if one of them jumps, the other jumps, they both jump, or neither of them does. Each segment ends with a wonderful sense of closure and honesty about what it feels like to want to die and what it feels like to live. –Kamden I. age 16
The Captive Kingdom
The Ascendance Series, Book 4 by Jennifer A. Nielsen
available in October, hardcover, Scholastic Press
Six years after the publication of the last book of the trilogy, Jennifer A. Nielsen returns to the world of The False Prince with a new story that is just as enthralling and twisty as the first three. Not too long after the end of The Shadow Throne, life is going well for Jaron: he’s engaged to the love of his life, and there’s peace. Then his ship is attacked and his life is thrown into a spin as he begins to wonder if his older brother, and the heir to the throne, is in fact alive. –Gretal M. age 21
Y.A. GRAPHIC NOVELS The Magic Fish
Young Adult Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Gabriel Picolo
by Trung Le Nguyen
available in September, paperback, DC Comics
available in October, paperback, Random House Graphic
If you love Teen Titans: Raven then you gotta read Beast Boy! Have you ever dreamt of waking up one day with super powers? Perhaps bigger and stronger? Faster? Well Garfield Logan has that exact dream come true . . find out what happens when even someone bigger, stronge & faster takes on a dare that gets completely out-of-control!! –Kendra
"I personally can't wait to get my hands on this Graphic Novel! If you are a fan of graphic novels such as Hey Kiddo and The Prince and the Dressmaker or if you just enjoy books about the love and power of stories then you gotta check this out!" –Kendra
Y.A. NON-FICTION The Talk : Conversations about Race, Love & Truth edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson available now, hardcover, Crown Books for Young Readers
A collection of short stories, essays and poems that are illustrated and honest, this is a very helpful tool for parents and young adults to educate themselves together on topics of racism, identity and self-esteem. It is published in partnership with Just Us Books, a black-owned children's publishing company. –Kendra
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Building Community One Book at a Time
Young Adult Grown
by Tiffany D. Jackson available in September, hardcover, Katherine Tegen Books
Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers a riveting, ripped-from-theheadlines stand-alone mystery that exposes horrific secrets hiding behind the limelight and the power of a young woman’s voice. When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one has more questions than she does. Legendary R&B artist Korey Fields is dead and all she really knows is that this isn’t how things are supposed to be.
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
available in September, hardcover, Crown Books for Young Readers
It has finally arrived and they're signed! Nic Stone delivers powerful and honest truths about the American Justice System in this sequel to Dear Martin. For YA readers who are fans of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas or Stamped by Jason Reynolds! –Kendra
SLAY
by Brittney Morris available in September, paperback, Simon Pulse; Reprint edition
Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a black teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers. Now available in paperback!!!
The Black Kids
by Christina Hammonds Reed available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Los Angeles, 1992. Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and she can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer. Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids. As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, her world splinters around her. Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
Don't Ask Me Where I'm From
by Jennifer De Leon, illustrated by Elena Garnu available now, hardcover, Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
First-generation American Latinx Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
available in October, paperback, Delacorte Press
NOW IN PAPERBACK, YAAAS!!! “A rare and enviable mix of impeccable writing, heart-stopping action, lush scenery, and complex, relatable characters… brilliant!” –Bestselling author Christina Lauren pre-order your copy today!
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Recommended for You by Laura Silverman
available in September, hardcover, Margaret K. McElderry Books
When self-proclaimed non-reader Jake starts working at the same bookstore as Shoshanna, she becomes determined to beat him out for the holiday top bookseller bonus no matter the cost in this charming and hilarious rom-com for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson.
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
available now, hardcover, Bloomsbury
Forget everything you thought you knew about the Cinderella tale because according to this refreshing take on the classic, we have it ALL WRONG. What if Prince Charming was a megalomaniac intent on subjugating a rebellious Cinderella and all women in the kingdom? 200 years later, Sophia is determined to topple the regime perpetuated by Charming so that all women can have the freedom to love whoever they choose. –Claire
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Greetings from the Virtual Readings Gallery LitLive! Author Visits - At Home! with Claire McElroy-Chesson, Village Books Events Coordinator
T
his time last year, I was in the throes of planning my favorite kind of event; a nearly sold-out show at the Mount Baker Theatre for Louise Penny where every attendee
got a signed copy of her book with their ticket! That all seems like a distant memory now as the world of event coordinating has done an about-face so completely that I’m still trying to gain my footing. Here we are in 2020, navigating events where we try to emulate intimacy and connection while being separated, not to mention the total reliance on technology. Where previously when lining up events, I asked questions about things like venue, accommodations for authors, and what beverage and snack to have on hand (Hank Green: a potato burrito from Casa Que Pasa and Diane Rehm: champagne and chips, who knew?), today it's a different ball game. Now, considerations lean toward time zones and preferred virtual platforms, but that brings me to one of the upsides of all this. For the first time, I hosted an event where we had attendees from New Zealand, Connecticut, Arizona, Alabama, and Schenectady, NY, just to name a few locales. I am no longer limited by geography and that opens up a world of possibility that is very exciting to me. So far, my adventures in virtual events have been a roller-coaster running the gamut of terrifying to completely gratifying when all goes well. And that is something that has not changed for me in all of this. When an event goes smoothly, whether it’s with 1,500 people at the Mount Baker Theatre or 35 people in our Virtual Readings Gallery, there is no greater satisfaction for this Events Coordinator. We can look forward to one day, being in the same room with our favorite authors, handing over our worn copies of beloved titles for signatures, getting our picture taken with them and maybe, just maybe, even getting to shake their hand. In the meantime, I’ll soldier on and keep those events coming because whether we’re in the same room or not, our shared love of good books is what keeps us all truly connected. "Okay, that is absolutely the most fun I have ever had at one of these events. Claire, thank you for your graceful hosting and all your work beforehand to make sure it would go smoothly. And Jennie, as always, you are so much fun to talk with, and you are always ready for any contingency, which makes it all relaxed." –Erica Bauermeister
If you missed this or any other recent virtual LitLive author event, don't worry! You can watch them now at facebook.com/VillageBooks/ 58
Fall 2020
"That was so fun! Thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of it!" –Jennie Shortridge Open Daily - See villagebooks.com for store hours
VIRTUAL
Literature LIVE!
VB’s Literary Events Program
EVENTS
The landscape of events during the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way we gather and listen to our favorite authors. Village Books wants to assure our community that we are not letting this situation put a halt to our outstanding programming! We're excited about our fall line-up so mark your calendar and watch for additions and complete listings on our online Lit Live calendar or by following us on our Crowdcast channel.
-2020 Style-
VB CROWDCAST CHANNEL
Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out
www.crowdcast.io/villagebksbham
to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you! Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!
Read more about these and additional upcoming events at
VillageBooks.com
villagebooks.com
SEPTEMBER Thursday, September 10, 6:30pm Virtual Reading for
WRITING TOGETHER, RISING TOGETHER, part of Peoples' Perspectives: Covid-19 in Whatcom County Join us for this culminating event created by the Chuckanut Writers Conference, produced by Whatcom Community College and Village Books. We invited submissions of poetry or creative non-fiction that responds to the coronavirus pandemic as part of Peoples' Perspectives: Covid-19 in Whatcom County. Peoples’ Perspectives: COVID-19 in Whatcom County is a countywide, multimedia initiative to capture and archive our experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual reading is the conference’s contribution to this project.
Saturday, September 12, 7pm Virtual Event with
Poetry!
EUPHRATES MOSS –Telos and Other Psychographs
Join us for a virtual event that is sure to please any fans of Shakespeare, James Joyce, and T.S.Eliot. The poems in this book are about Roman times, Shakespearean times, and the general hardships and oddities of life. Spliced in are philosophies, sciences, various observations, aphorisms, and references from just about any book Euphrates could get his hands on–except the bad ones. Euphrates Moss is a graduate with a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Seattle University and borrows liberally from his experiences both in and outside of college for the grist in his mill.
September 8-13, All Day Chanticleer Authors Conference The 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA ceremonies will be held virtually this year. See page 24 for more.
With instructions/links to join in!
Sunday, September 13, 4pm Virtual Event with
LINDA MORROW in Conversation with Cami Ostman –Heart of This Family: Lessons in Down Syndrome & Love Linda Morrow’s new memoir details the pioneering journey of a mother whose son is born with Down syndrome in 1966 – a time when disability rights are non-existent. With little information or formal support, the author strives to break down barriers for her son. Her advocacy focuses first on his education and integration into his community, then, as he grows into adulthood, employment and independent living. This debut memoir also records the author’s gradual awakening to her own authentic self as she discovers her own voice and understands her needs have value as well. A native of New England, Linda Morrow graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in sociology and later earned her MEd in Guidance and Counseling. In her younger life she raised three sons and enjoyed a 35 year career in public school education. In 2013 she and her wife relocated to Bellingham, WA. Cami Ostman is the founder of The Narrative Project, a nine-month program that helps writers get their books done. She is also author of the book Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, and the editor of several anthologies.
Receive VB Email Updates Village Books regularly sends out an email newsletter packed full of store and book information including our latest LitLive events. Twice each week, we provide Shelf Awareness for Readers book reviews. Sign up in the store or at VillageBooks.com today! Keep turning for more events!
If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!
Fall 2020
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Literature
LIVE!
Saturday, September 19, 6pm
Virtual Event with
Fiction
NANCY CANYON in Conversation with Cami Ostman
–Celia's Heaven
Join us as Nancy Canyon presents her long-awaited novel, winner of the Cygnus Award: Paranormal Fiction from Chanticleer Reviews! Set against a backdrop of a nightmarish snowstorm, Canyon’s characters are put to the test, trying to survive the current situation that seems to have supernatural strength and the emotional turmoil they each face. Is peace a possibility? Is happiness and love too much to hope for? Celia’s deceased twin may know something that will change lives forever if only Celia discovers the key to unlock her ghostly message. Nancy Canyon holds the MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and a Certificate in Fiction from University of Washington. Ms. Canyon is a creative writing instructor for Whatcom Community College Community Ed and a Writing Coach for The Narrative Project. Cami Ostman is the founder of The Narrative Project, a nine-month program that helps writers get their books done. She is also author of the book Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, and the editor of several anthologies. Read a review of Celia's Heaven on page 21.
Sunday, September 20, 5pm Fiction! GROUP READING –The Blue Bottles Writing Studio Anthology A Variety of Stories from Four Independent Authors
The Blue Bottles Writing Studio is a debut anthology of 68 stories by four authors. Some stories are purely fictional and some autobiographical. Every story is different, although started with the same writing prompt! Each story is short, making it a fun read leaving the reader feeling they have discovered new friends. Read all about authors Elizabeth Jane Pryce, George Francis Edward, Sandra J.S. Stanton, and Sita C. Amba-Rao on page 29.
Tuesday, September 22, 6pm Virtual Event with GEORGE DYSON in Conversation with Clyde Ford –Analogia: The Emgergence of Technology Beyond Programmable Control
Join us in the virtual readings gallery for what is sure to be a fascinating conversation between these two celebrated local authors! In his pathbreaking new book, Analogia:, technology historian George Dyson combines vivid historical storytelling with his own personal narrative to offer a startling look back at the analog age and life before the digital revolution—and an unsettling vision of what comes next. George Dyson is a historian of technology whose subjects have included the development (and redevelopment) of the Aleut kayak (Baidarka, 1986), the evolution of artificial intelligence (Darwin Among the Machines, 1997), a path not taken into space (Project Orion, 2002), and the transition from numbers that mean things to numbers that do things in the aftermath of World War II (Turing’s Cathedral, 2012). Dyson lives in Bellingham. Clyde Ford is the author of 13 works of fiction and non-fiction including, most recently, Think Black: A Memoir. A psychotherapist, accomplished mythologist, and sought-after public speaker, Ford lives in Bellingham, where he writes aboard his 30-foot trawler, and cruises the waters of the Inside Passage.
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Wednesday, September 23, 5pm PETER LAUFER
in Conversation with Peter B. Collins –Up Against the Wall: The Case for Opening the Mexican-American Border
Join us in the Virtual Readings Gallery for a discussion on this timely topic. Up Against the Wall offers a step-by-step blueprint of radical proposals for the U.S.-Mexican border that go far beyond traditional initiatives to ease restrictions on immigration. The book argues that the border with Mexico should be completely open for Mexicans wishing to travel north. Peter Laufer, PhD holds the inaugural James Wallace Chair in Journalism at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication where he was awarded the Marshall Prize for teaching innovation. A former and longtime global correspondent for NBC News, Laufer reports on borders, identities and migration. He has covered the requisite wars and earthquakes, coups and elections. Peter B. Collins is a veteran radio host, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He's been talking about news and politics since Nixon was president, in Chicago, San Francisco, on satellite radio and in national syndication.
Friday, Septemeber 25, 7pm Virtual Event with
Local History!
BRIAN GRIFFIN –The Donovan Diaries Join us in the Virtual Readings Gallery for an event with one of our favorite local historians, Brian Griffin. John Joseph Donovan was a man born of common clay who lived the American dream, rising to great heights of achievement, wealth, and community affection. Donovan lived a storied life illuminated in this fascinating book by the discovery of his diaries long hidden in an old steamer trunk in Sag Harbor, New York. Brian Griffin is a Bellingham native. Born in 1932 at the old St. Joseph’s Hospital, he has lived most of his life on the city’s South Hill. Long interested in history, The Donovan Diaries is his fifth local history book. Read more on page 37.
Sunday, September 27, 4pm Virtual Event with
DICK CATHELL Local Author –The Gift of Becoming: Fulfilling Nine Basic Needs for Enhanced Living
The life of every human sees hardships at times. A tragedy can spark questions it seems no one can answer. As a hospital chaplain, Dick Cathell’s job required him to be present in circumstances that were unbearable and unfathomable. How does one console the parents of a four-year-old mauled by a dog or the spouse of a recently-retired heart-attack victim? In this, Mr. Cathell writes a moving collection of stories, poems, and vignettes resulting from nearly four decades of heartbreaking encounters that call came as “part of the job.” Through his experiences, Mr. Cathell discovered nine basic needs essential for coping with others’ grief, as well as his own. Dick Cathell, Ph.D., M.Div., BCC is President of Resources for Enhanced Living LLC. He has served 37 years as a hospital chaplain in Okinawa and the U.S., with leadership roles in chaplain and ministry associations. Visit enhanced-living.org for more information.
Monday, September 28, 7pm VIRTUAL 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, Sean Dwyer, will host as he does every month. Pre-registration to read is required and spaces are limited so please email Sean at sean@seandwyerauthor.com to secure your spot! Open mic is held the last Monday of most months at 7pm.
OCTOBER
Please note event start times as they vary
Literature
Thursday, October 1, 7pm Virtual Event with
AMY ROOST –Fury: Women's Lived
LIVE!
Experiences in the Trump Era
Fury brings together a diverse community of women who reveal the impact Donald Trump’s behavior, words, and presidency has had on each one of them, how each is confronting the problem, and how she is fighting back. Fury is a cohesive narrative of the times we live in, and chronicles a unique chapter in history for the edification of generations of women and allies to follow. Amy Roost is a documentary podcaster and freelance journalist. She is an Annenberg School of Journalism 2019 California Health Journalism Fellow and recipient of numerous journalism awards for her op-ed columns appearing in San Diego Union Tribune publications.
VIRTUAL EVENTS
Thursday, October 8, 7pm Virtual Event with
LEE VAN DER VOO –As the World Burns: The New Generation of Activists and the Landmark Legal Fight Against Climate Change
When 21 youth activists filed Juliana v. United States, they asserted that the government’s continued negligence of the environment constituted a violation of their rights to life, liberty, and property. In As the World Burns, Lee van der Voo follows the still-evolving legal case as she tells the plaintiffs’ stories, all against the backdrop of the current climate-related crises and the mass protests happening and around the world. Granted unparalleled access to the plaintiffs and their legal team, van der Voo reveals the human side of the climate crisis, the dire effects of decades of inaction, and the reasons why tackling our environmental issues in the courts is possibly our last real hope for meaningful intervention. Lee van der Voo is an awardwinning investigative and environmental journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, among others. This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.
Friday, October 9, 5pm
Fiction!
Virtual Event with
MIKE ROSTRON –The Kabul Conscript The Kabul Conscript is a suspenseful story of friendship, intrigue, and deception. A Peace Corps Volunteer stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, becomes involved in a dangerous adventure with other young Americans, Afghan friends, and an enigmatic intelligence agent during the days leading up to the coup d'état by General Daoud in the summer of 1973. The Kabul Conscript is a prequel to Rostron’s novel, Cape Decision, published in 2019. Author, playwright, and musician Michael Rostron was raised in Oregon and lived for 25 years in Alaska. For the last 20 years he has resided in Whatcom County. During the summer of 1973, Rostron was a Peace Corps trainee in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Sunday, October 11, 4pm RICHARD WIDERKEHR, ALICE DERRY, GAYLE KAUNE, & JORDAN HARTT Virtual Group Poetry Reading! Join us for an afternoon of poetry with this stellar line-up of local poets! • Richard Widerkehr's newest book of poems is In the Presence Of Absence. He has one other collection of poems, The Way Home, along with three chapbooks and a novel. (cont.)
• Alice Derry's new book is Hunger. She was a runner-up for The Washington State Book Award. She has five other books, has published widely. • Gayle Kaune's new book is Noise from Stars, and others are All the Birds Awake and Still Life in the Physical World, along with two chapbooks • Jordan Hartt is the author of the story collections Leap and Drifting. His work has appeared in about fifty different magazines. Jordan was the managing director of the Port Townsend Writer’s Conference for over 10 years.
Friday, October 16, 5pm Virtual Event with
LUCI SHAW –Generosity: Poetry
Poetry!
We're so excited to welcome one of our favorite local poets to the Virtual Readings Gallery! The Generosity is Luci Shaw's 38th book. In it Shaw celebrates the beautiful diversity of nature and human nature in lyric poems with wide-ranging themes. The writing is both accessible and profound, and has been described as reminiscent of Dylan Thomas. Shaw is the recipient of the Denise Levertov award for Creative Writing. Luci Shaw is a poet and essayist and since 1986 she has been Writer in Residence at Regent College, Vancouver. Author of both poetry and creative non-fiction, her writing has appeared in numerous literary and religious journals. She was a recipient of the Denise Levertov Award for Creative Writing.
Saturday, October 17, 5pm Virtual Event with
JOHANNA GARTON –Edge of the Map: The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff
Join us for a very special installment of North Cascades Institute's Nature of Writing Series. Groundbreaking. World-class. Legendary. All have been used to describe Christine Boskoff, one of the world's top alpinists, a trailblazing record holder who overcame challenge after challenge...until she and her partner, renowned climber Charlie Fowler, disappeared. This is her story. Johanna will share an inspiring presentation on the life of Christine Boskoff and the legacies she left behind from her adventures climbing the highest mountains in the world. Johanna Garton interviewed more than 75 friends and family of Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler in writing Edge of the Map. Garton is a journalist, attorney, and nonprofit consultant who lives in Denver. Edge of the Map is her second book.
These Events are free to attend
with an option to donate to our LitLive program! Keep turning for more events
If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!
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VIRTUAL
Literature LIVE!
EVENTS Monday, October 19, 6pm
Sunday, October 25, 4pm
Virtual Event with
Poetry!
ALEXANDRA TEAGUE –Or What We'll Call Desire & ELIZABETH VIGNALI –Endangered [Animal] Join us for an afternoon of poetry by these two extraordinary writers. Alexandra Teague, a former Stegner and NEA fellow, and recent fellow at Civitella Ranieri, she is a professor at University of Idaho. Or What We’ll Call Desire is a heartrending, darkly playful new collection of poems that respond to patriarchal culture and a family history of mental illness and loss. Endangered [Animal] by Elizabeth Vignali gives us beauty and captivity, survival and extinction. Elizabeth Vignali lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she works as an optician, co-produces the Bellingham Kitchen Session reading series, and serves as poetry editor of Sweet Tree Review.
Virtual Event with
Monday, October 26, 7pm Virtual Open Mic with Seán Dwyer!
Journey in Fitness, Health, & Saving the World
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, Sean Dwyer, will host as he does every month. Pre-registration to read is required and spaces are limited so please email Sean at sean@seandwyerauthor.comto secure your spot! Open mic is usually held the last Monday of every month at 7pm.
P J BEAVEN –ZooFit Safari: A 5-Week Jumpstart to Your ZooFit Safari empowers you to change your health and fitness, your life, and even the world. Discover how your habits have an impact on the environment and on your well-being, and then connect to the earth in a healthy way. Find “Your Way” on this adventure unlike any other. PJ will do a cooking demo, offering healthy and delicious alternatives to Halloween candy! PJ Beaven is a fitness consultant, using the principles of zookeeping- positive reinforcement, enrichment, and conservation- to help others achieve success. PJ focuses on making exercise and nutrition a positive, engaging, and sustainable experience. She lives in Blaine with her husband and their two cats.
Tuesday, October 20, 7pm
Thursday, October 29, 8am Virtual Event
LITERACY BREAKFAST with NANCY PEARL Make yourself a cup of coffee and come listen to the wonderful and witty Nancy Pearl share her book recommendations for the year. Registration is free (go to whatcomliteracy.org to sign up) but a donation is expected. See page 9 for more information!
Virtual Event with
SIERRA CRANE MURDOCH –Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country
When Lissa Yellow Bird was released from prison in 2009, she found her home, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, transformed by the Bakken oil boom. In her absence, the landscape had been altered beyond recognition, her tribal government swayed by corporate interests, and her community burdened by a surge in violence and addiction. Lissa navigates two worlds—that of her own tribe, changed by its newfound wealth, and that of the non-Native oilmen, down on their luck, who have come to find work on the heels of the economic recession. Sierra Crane Murdoch is a journalist based in the American West and has written for The Atlantic, The New Yorker online, Virginia Quarterly Review, Orion, and High Country News. She is a MacDowell Fellow.
Saturday, October 24, 2pm Virtual Event with
FAMILY EVENT
JOHN GREEN and illustrator CHRISTEN MATTIX –Whimsy Park: Poems for the Whole Family Join us in the Virtual Readings Gallery for a fun event for the entire family. Who doesn't love poetry for kids? We'll have the author AND illustrator on hand to talk about their collaborative effort. Turn to page 30 to read more!
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NOVEMBER Thursday, November 12, 7pm
Virtual Event with
Fiction
ASHLEY SWEENEY –Answer Creek Starvation. Desperation. Madness. Follow 19-year-old Ada Weeks as she travels west on the OregonCalifornis Trail in 1846 as a member of the ill-fated Donner Party. A native New Yorker, Ashley E. Sweeney now lives and writes in La Conner, Washington. In her 25 years living in Whatcom County, Sweeney worked for The Lynden Tribune, Lynden Christian Schools, Whatcom Literacy Council, Bellingham Technical College, and Nooksack Indian Tribe. Her first novel, Eliza Waite, won PNWA's Nancy Pearl Award. Answer Creek is her second novel. See page 20 for more.
Sunday, November 15 VBPD Pre-Holiday Open House Get a jump on the holiday shopping season and have some fun while you're at it.
Building Community One Book at a Time
FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com
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