The Chuckanut Reader - Spring 2020

The

Chuck anut Reader A Village Books Publication • SPRING 2020

FREE!

• •

A Magazine for the Northwest’s Most Avid Readers

take enjoy

1980-2020

Celebrating 40 Years!

Jim Carrey & Dana Vachon David Allen Sibley May 19 Veronic Roth April 24 Laurie Halse Anderson March 15 Alex Gino May 11

Children's

BOOK WEEK May 4-10

May 17

Independent Bookstore Day April 25

20%

OFF POETRY All April

VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1

JIM CARREY

with Dana Vachon Sunday, May 17, 7pm on the Main Stage at WWU's Performing Arts Center 516 High St, Bellingham, WA

“None of this is real and all of it is true.”

–Jim Carrey

Village Books is thrilled to welcome Jim Carrey and co-author Dana Vachon to Bellingham on tour for their novel, Memoirs and Misinformation.

Memoirs and Misinformation is a fearless semi-autobiographical novel, a deconstruction of persona. In it, Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon have fashioned a story about acting, Hollywood, agents, celebrity, privilege, friendship, romance, addiction to relevance, fear of personal erasure, our “one big soul,” Canada, and a cataclysmic ending of the world–apocalypses within and without.

Jim Carrey is an award-winning actor and artist. Dana Vachon is a writer who lives in Brooklyn.

TICKETS Each ticket includes a hardcover copy of Memoirs & Misinformation to be handed out at the event.* $45 I $55. Tickets will be available at WWU’s box office and online at wwu.edu/pacboxoffice/. Online purchases are subject to standard WWU box office fees.

Note: all bags at the event are subject to search. No backpacks permitted.

We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone. *If you are unable to attend at the last minute, a copy of Memoirs and Misinformation will be held for you at Village Books until May 25, after which, your copy is forfeit. To claim copies after the event, proof of non-attendance will be required in the form of an unmarked ticket. Standard fees will apply to ship your copy to you.

Photo credits: Caroline Kessler & Jason LaVeris, FilmMagic

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Dear Reader, 2020–how did that happen? Just three years ago, we three became the owners of the stores. Five years ago, we opened our store in Lynden. Almost 16 years ago, the 'new' Village Books building opened. Seventeen years ago, the Village Green became, well, green. Forty years ago, Chuck and Dee opened Village Books.

Though Fairhaven has seen many faces over the years, we are continuing to look forward to our future and what is has in store.

As you flip through this issue of the Reader and plan your spring reading list, please keep an eye out for some of our exciting events that are coming up. Always a fun evening, David Sedaris will be coming back to entertain us. David Allen Sibley of Sibley Guide to Birds will be here to talk all things birds. Local author Gigi Berardi will be here to make us wiser about the food we eat. And Jim Carrey, yes–THE Jim Carrey will be visiting to talk about his first collaboration in writing fiction.

As always, we are glad to have you Dear Reader, to join us in all we strive to do. With deep gratitude we wish you a lovely spring and good reading.

– Kelly, Sarah, Paul,

VILLAGE BOOKS

& Paper Dreams The Chuckanut Reader • Spring 2020 Publisher: Village Books and Paper Dreams Production Design: Kelly Carbert Contributors: Sally Bowen, Kendra Calitri, McKenna Cardwell, Diana Clayton, Kelly Evert, Paul Hanson, Sarah Hutton, Hannah Jennings, Rachel Johnson, Donna Marcantonio, Jenni McDowell, Claire McElroy-Chesson, Laura Picco, Jessica Moerman, Rielley Rogers, Melissa Searle, Lauren Sommer Cover: Spring has Sprung at Village Books and Paper Dreams Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2020 Printed by the Lynden Tribune on paper made from 50% post-consumer waste.

Browse & Shop 24/7 at

villagebooks.com

Village Books and Paper Dreams 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225 and 430 Front Street, Lynden, WA 98264

1980-2020 360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

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and the Entire Village Books and Paper Dreams Family

In This Issue...

Jim Carrey & Dana Vachon are coming to Bellingham 2 Dear Reader 3 Join Village Books for a Book Group at Sea 4 Fun Activities You Don't Want to Miss 5-8 Round It Up for Common Threads 9 VB Top Ten Stories of 2019 11&13 Whatcom READS 2020 Author Visits & More 15 Fiction, Sci-Fi, Awards, and Author Visits 16-25 Spring Texture at Home - Gifts & Decor 26 Writing Classes, Groups, and Conferences 27-29 There's Love and Much More in Evolve 30 Cooking & Cooking Lit 31-33 The Chuckanut Radio Hour Upcoming Shows 34 Check out What's Going on in Lynden 35-40 Art and Crafts 41-43 Book Groups & What Whatcom is Reading 44-45 History, Current Events, Biography, and Memoirs 46-51 Science, Gardening, and Nature 52-55 Inspiration, Psychology, Poetry 56-58 Great Reads and Activites for Kids & Teens 59-70 Literature Live! Author Events at VB 71-78

Celebrating 40 Years YEARS

Spring 2020

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Join us for

l i a S ' A s Book t Sea

a p u o r G k o A Bo Buxton! e

n a J a r i K h t i w

All hands on deck! Book your cabin and join Village Books co-owners Paul Hanson and Kelly Evert, and special guest author KIRA JANE BUXTON on a seabound book-club adventure of a lifetime with the Schooner Zodiac Books A'Sail Cruise.

We'll sail during the day through the San Juan Islands, where passengers will have an opportunity to navigate and sail this classic ship.

September 8-10, 2020

We’ll take advantage of the late-summer days to get in three full days of sailing and book discussion amid the gorgeous San Juan Islands, accompanied by a variety of marine life from bald eagles to porpoises and maybe even whales! In between we’ll dip into all that the Schooner Zodiac has to offer, from kayaking to hiking to topnotch meals to wine on deck at sunset.

Then the anchor drops and the books come out! Paul and Kelly will guide your literary journey with the help of guest author, Kira Jane Buxton, whose novel Hollow Kingdom, has been making big waves in the literary world. Space is limited so book today!

Check Out Our Fun Reading Selection!

• Hollow Kingdom

by Kira Jane Buxton • Crow Planet

by Lyanda Lynn Haupt • My Family and Other Animals

by Gerald Durrell Participants receive 15% off the reading selections at Village Books.

Space is limited so register today!

See schoonerzodiac.com or call 206.719.7622 for more information and to book your cruise today!

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Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Spring into Action!

Fairhaven Activities

Saturday, March 28, 10am - 3pm

The 32nd Annual Fairhaven

Plant & Tree Sale Extravaganza!

Shop for your home and garden ... and gifts!

in the Hillcrest Chapel Parking Lot 14th & Old Fairhaven Parkway

Now in its 32nd year, Fairhaven's fabulous one-day shopping extravaganza features local and regional nurseries and other delights for your home and garden. Veggie starts, perennials, specialty edibles, natives, blueberries, raspberries, garden art, ornamental trees and bushes, bamboo...so much variety and all quality, local plants! Sponsored by Fairhaven Neighbors.

Fairhaven Neighbors shared its portion of the 2019 sale proceeds with other local non-profits, sending a total of $1,000 to Chuckanut Center and Bellingham Senior Center.

Sunday, April 26, 10am - 5pm

Dirty Dan Harris Celebrate the unscrubbed community founder of Fairhaven during this annual event-packed day!

This year’s festivities will feature family-fun activities including the Peoples Bank fish toss for adults & kids, and the legendary Dirty Dan look-a-like & 1800's dress contests. Arrive hungry as there will be food and street vendors as well as live music on the Fairhaven Village Green between 10am and 5pm. Look for the chili cook off, arts and crafts booths, and more.

At 10am is the Dan Harris Challenge Rowing Race at Boulevard Park replicating the cross-border, rum-rowing adventures of Dan Harris. At "high noon," you won't want to miss the always exciting uphill piano race! After the race, head over to the Dirty Dan Sidewalk Saloon—serving wine and beer to those 21 and over from noon to 5pm next to the Village Green on 10th St.

Come in costume or come as you are!

The Dirty Dan Harris Festival is produced by the Historic Fairhaven Association, a non-profit organization that promotes and preserves the historical character of Fairhaven and also organizes the district festivals.

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Dirty Dan’s amazing feats include traveling by rowboat between Fairhaven and Victoria, B.C. A shrewd businessman, he once rolled his piano out of the Fairhaven Hotel in 1890 and straight down Harris Avenue into the bay after the hotel’s new owner wouldn’t pay for it.

Spring 2020

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Join us in celebrating

INDEPENDENT

BOOKSTORE April 25, 2020 DAY Saturday, Fairhaven & Lynden I

ndependent Bookstore Day is a one-day national celebration that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April. This day serves as a reminder that independent bookstores are not just stores, they’re community centers and local anchors run by and enjoyed by passionate readers. Join us in celebrating...US! FREE AUDIOBOOKS! All day long, anyone with a Libro.fm account will have the ability to collect some free audiobooks. Create your account now so you're ready for the big day—we're happy to help!

Plan on stopping by at 10am in Lynden or 9am in Fairhaven to be first in line to purchase exclusive, limited-edition Independent Bookstore Day items. Look for the Double Vinyl Album of Face It: A Memoir by Debbie Harry, bookish socks, poems of resistance and hope, candles, reversable superhero capes, totes, hip onsies, stencils, and more! Grab a treat and look out for opportunities to win prizes!

We can't wait to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with you!

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Spring 2020

Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com

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Friday, May 1, 2020

Literacy Trivia Bee ? and Silent Auction ? ?

Have you heard the buzz?

The Whatcom Literacy Council’s 23rd Annual Trivia Bee is Friday, May 1.

Taking place in Bellingham Technical College's Settlemyer Hall, the Trivia Bee & Silent Auction is the Literacy Council’s annual spring fundraiser for know-it-alls, know-a-little-bits, and fun lovers of every stripe. Dozens of teams sponsored by local businesses––including Village Books’ team, The Village Idiots––compete against each other while the witty remarks of co-hosts Scotty VanDryver of KAFE Radio and Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time trophy winner Ken Jennings provoke laughter and competitive spirit.

There is even an award for the best CHEER section of the audience.

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KEN JENNINGS

by: Eric McCandless/ ABC

The evening begins with a Silent Auction offering tables full of great items. Bidding in the Silent Auction begins at 6pm and the Trivia Bee starts promptly at 7pm. Wine and beer will be available at a cash bar; snack on pizza and cookies (by donation). Miss Whatcom County will be on hand again this year selling raffle tickets to benefit the Literacy Council services.

You’ll have a great night of fun, and you’ll help the WLC help others. All proceeds support the Whatcom Literacy Council’s efforts to provide literacy tutoring to adults in Whatcom County. Teams are forming now!

Contact events@whatcomliteracy.org for more information.

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Tickets are $15/person and are available at Village Books and at the door.

in Settlemyer Hall at BTC!

Become a Tutor Facilitate or Assist in a Class Change a Life!

As a volunteer tutor, you can help adult learners reach their goals and strengthen our community.

Build new relationships. Discover hidden potential.

Learn about other cultures. Share your skills and knowledge with others.

Training and support is provided.

Visit whatcomliteracy.org to watch the orientation videos, download an application, and find out how to set up an inverview. Questions? Call 360-752-8678.

Never Miss Out! Follow Village Books on Twitter.

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

Our team,

The Village Idiots will be back competing to take the traveling “Totten Trophy” home.

Come cheer us on!

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

Find and follow Village Books and Paper Dreams on Instagram (village_books). #Tag your favorite VB/PD photos! We post fun behind-the-scenes images of staff book and gift favorites, new arrivals, author events, specials, and our always popular Book Face Friday images!

360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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When You're Not Reading...

Ken Imus Day

Fairhaven Clean-up!

Saturday, April 11, 9am When Ken Imus came back to Fairhaven in the early 1970s, he began what would be the current day Fairhaven renaissance. Upon his passing in March of 2017 the Historic Fairhaven Association Board declared Ken Imus Day, whereas individuals that participate will do something for the good of Fairhaven: Sweeping gutters, picking up litter, weeding common areas, checking in on a business to offer support and other things Ken was known to do.

Me e t at t he G a z eb o on 10th and Harris. Bring brooms, dustpans, garden tools and stories to tell of Ken!

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Fairhaven Festival and Ski-to-Sea Race

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Village Books

4

YEARS

1980-2020

Saturday, June 20, 2020 Save the Date

Don't miss this all-day, multi-street party!

• Live Music on Two Stages • Beer & Wine Garden • Food, Arts, Crafts, Exhibits • Children's Activities

When the Ski to Sea race finishes at Marine Park the celebration happens in the heart of Fairhaven with Bellingham's biggest and best street fair of the year for all ages and tastes! Live music, beer and wine garden, arts and crafts booths, children’s activities, and food booths.

Fairhaven

4th Friday Art Walks Fridays, March 27, April 24, May 22 Celebrate local creative spirit at the Fairhaven Fourth Friday Art Walk. Every fourth Friday of each month (except December) merchants throughout Fairhaven Village9 open their doors to share the artwork of emerging and established artists.

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Spring 2020

Procession of the Species Parade Downtown Saturday, May 2, 4pm Come one, come all, creatures great and small!

This annual non-commercial parade celebrates community, creativity and our natural world.

Parade route follows Commercial Street to Holly and then down to Maritime Heritage Park where a celebration will ensue.

Building Community One Book at a Time Building Community One Book at a Time

ROUND IT UP for Common

Threads

Connecting Kids to Healthy Food

W

e’re thrilled to introduce you to this season’s Round Round It Up partner, Common Threads!

Common Threads helps kids across Whatcom County learn to make food choices that are good for their bodies, their communities, and the environment. Through gardening, cooking, and eating, we create opportunities to practice teamwork, learn healthy habits, and try new things. The majority of their programs take place on school grounds through experiential learning in the garden and classroom.

Additionally, Common Threads helps meet the nutritional and recreational needs of our community’s most vulnerable youth through after-school and summer programming in low-income apartment complexes and community centers. They also run spring break and summer camps at WWU’s Outback Farm (sign up today!).

Round It Up, our amazingly simple giving program, was designed to support local non-profits.

Join Village Books and Paper Dreams customers who are supporting our community by rounding up your next purchase to the nearest dollar. Ask a bookseller for details.

The PROBLEM When kids don’t eat well, it’s hard for them to learn well, behave well, or feel well.

The SOLUTION Common Threads joyfully gardens, cooks, and eats with 7000+ kids in schools across Whatcom County, as well as at our partner site locations across Washington State.

See commonthreadsfarm.org to read more information and to discover additional ways to support Common Threads.

Thanks for rounding up your purchases this season in support of Common Threads.

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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Facing Homelessness

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Book Group Inspired by Unity Village, the HomesNOW! project in Fairhaven, we invite you to join our limited run book group focusing on topics concerning homelessness. We will meet from 5-6pm on Tuesdays, March 17 & April 21. Meetings take place in the Readings Gallery at Village Books in Fairhaven.

Tuesday, March 17 Nomadland : Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

by Jessica Bruder

Tuesday, April 21 Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive

by Stephanie Land

Our Final Two Meetings!

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

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

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

Call 360-599-6827 or visit ennw.info for advertising information.

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

The Village Books Countdown...

TOP 10 STORIES #10

Giving Tree Programming a Success For almost 25 years, we’ve been honored to serve as host for our Giving Tree program to help you provide books to kids in need during the holiday season. It’s a highlight of our holidays, and we often hear how it is a tradition to share favorite titles with deserving kids. Thank you for participating!

Life Between the Pages, a Tasty Addition

#9 #8

FOR 2019

Evolve has been a great addition to the mezzanine level, and they’ve also added a delicious literary spin on dinner! Monthly Life Between the Pages book groups celebrate the feelings evoked by a book which are then interpreted by Chef Christy and a guest mixologist. If you haven’t been to one yet, treat yourself!

WhatcomREADS Events Tim Egan generously shared his time with events around the county to celebrate The Big Burn as the 2019 Whatcom Reads selection. His book inspired many conversations and folks were fascinated with the research included in his writing. Check out page 15 for this year’s events with Eowyn Ivey!

#7 #6

First Winterfest Tales of the Season Dozens of storytellers answered the call for favorite memories of the holiday season, leading to our first annual Winterfest Tales of the Season event. With events at both Village Books and the Firehouse Arts & Events Center, it was a spirited addition to our bustling December calendar!

Book Groups Expand

In addition to our already stellar line up of book groups, we added even more in 2019! Be sure to check out Books and Brews which meets in Overflow Taps in Lynden.

In Fairhaven, join us in a reading a Year of Atwoodly, (yes, Margaret Atwood), or stop by our Community Conversations book group–inspired by the HomesNOW! community in our neighborhood. We love seeing new and familiar faces so turn to page 44 to find a book group that suits you and see villagebooks.com for upcoming reading selections.

continued on page 13 360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

11

MAR 15

BETWEEN WORLDS Daniel Bolshoy, guitar Jessica Choe, piano MAY 31

BRAHMS' VIOLIN Chee-Yun, violin

Tickets start at $15 (360) 734-6080 WWW.BELLINGHAMSYMPHONY.ORG

OP EN IN G DAY J u n e 2, 2020

Season Tickets, Team Sponsorships & Group Events AVAILABLE NOW! www.bellinghambells.com

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Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

TOP 10 COUNTDOWN - Continued from page 11

#5

Joan and Carol Retire After 20 plus years, both Joan Terselich and Carol Hamilton have earned a calm, relaxing retirement. Although they are missed, we hope they are hanging out with their respective pets and enjoying all the books they’ve been meaning to read!

Round It Up Highlights Good Works

#4

#3

We’re always proud of the philanthropic parts of our business, but we’re especially proud of our Round It Up program which highlights a different nonprofit organization each quarter. This past year we were pleased to partner with Pass the Hat, Lydia Place, and the Bellingham and Project Hope Food Banks–thank you for your contributions!

Chuckanut Radio Hour Now on Facebook Live Wait a minute? *Watch* a radio show? You bet! With the magic of Facebook Live technology, if you’re not able to join us in person, you can watch the Chuckanut Radio Hour streaming online. Now you can see us telling bad jokes and puns instead of just hearing them! Find us at facebook.com/VillageBooks and select"videos." You can still hear us every Sunday at 10am on KMRE 102.3FM plus Mondays at 8pm and Fridays at 6pm on KAVZ-LP 102.5.

#2

Crazy Good Events Lineup

The events that we host both here at the store and around the community are always a great mix of fan favorites and fresh faces.

Luckily, we’ve had a particularly stellar set of events in 2019 including Louise Penny, Flea, Gloria Steinem, Shannon Messenger, Marcus Zusak, Meg Tilly—so many, they don’t all fit!

#1

Lauren Sommer Becomes Fairhaven Store Manager With our growing staff and expanding offerings, it was well time to hire a manager for our Fairhaven location and Lauren is the perfect fit. Her transition to manager has been great and we are thankful for all that she does to help make the store run smoothly. Thanks Lauren!

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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The Signed

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.

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.

If you have any questions, please contact us at firsteditions@villagebooks.com.

Paige's Picks

Happy Reading!

Delivering Smiles Monthly

U CATAP

Expect uncontrollable laughter in the presence of “the master of satire,” and New York Times best-selling humorist.

OW SH A D

Photo by Jenny Lewis

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Spring 2020

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*Plus applicable fees. Mount Baker Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the performing arts.

Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com

Read the Book, Join the Conversation!

Join Whatcom’s Largest Book Group! with guest author

EOWYN IVEY March 5-7, 2020

Whatcom READS is a county-wide program that encourages everyone to read and discuss the same book. Join your neighbors in reading To The Bright Edge of the World this year—an atmospheric, transporting tale of adventure, love, and survival from the bestselling author of The Snow Child, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Author Eowyn Ivey will visit Whatcom County March 5-7, 2020. The following events as well as a large number of authorless community events are scheduled. They are free-of-charge and open to the public. See whatcomreads.org for event details.

Thursday, March 5 Book Discussion with the Author Ferndale Library 11am

Thursday, March 5 An Evening with Eowyn Ivey Mount Baker Theatre 7pm

Friday, March 6 The Art and Craft of Writing WWU Wilson Library 2pm

Purchase To Tbe Bright Edge of the World at Village Books and we will donate 10% of each book sold to Whatcom READS!

Annual Writing Contest

Discovery

whatcomreads.org

The winners were published in a printed anthology which is now available at Village Books!

Saturday, March 7 Coffee with Eowyn Ivey WCC Heiner Theater 11am

Don't Miss Out!

Saturday, March 7 VB's own Paul Hanson in conversation with Eowyn Ivey Jansen Art Center, Lynden, 7pm

Whatcom READS

Art Challenge & Exhibit March 6-28 The Art Challenge offers artists of all ages and experience levels an opportunity to explore themes related to this year’s Whatcom READS title and present their work for public display. Details and submission forms available through March 3 at whatcomreads.org.

Artist Reception: March 6, 6pm-9pm

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.

360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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FICTION new

FICTION

upcoming

FICTION

Sea Wife

Conjure Women

available in April, hardcover, Knopf

available in April, hardcover, Random House

by Afia Atakora

by Amity Gaige Sea Wife is told in gripping dual perspectives: wife Juliet’s first-person narration, after the ocean journey, as she struggles to come to terms with the dire, life-changing events that unfolded at sea; and husband Michael’s captain’s log—that provides a riveting, slow-motion account of those same inexorable events.

Exuberant, harrowing, witty, and exquisitely written, this is a novel that’s impossible to put down.

Rue is a midwife, healer, and conjurer of curses on the plantation of Marse Charles.

Moving through time between the years before and after the Civil War, Conjure Women tells the story of Rue, the families she cares for, and the secrets she knows about the plantation owner’s daughter, Varina. The intimate bonds among people and across racial divides are at the heart of this mesmerizing first novel.

Braised Pork

Beheld

by An Yu

by TaraShea Nesbit available in March, hardcover, Bloomsbury

With Beheld, TaraShea Nesbit weaves a female narrative of the Plymouth colonies like no other. Three women’s perspectives; the first wife of the Governor who doesn’t survive the crossing on the Mayflower, the second wife of the Governor, and the third, the wife of a man accused of committing the first murder in the colony. The Plymouth of this tale is grim and, I suspect, a more accurate portrayal of life there as told by women. –Claire

The Glass Hotel

by Emily St. John Mandel available in March, hardcover, Knopf

In this captivating story of crisis and survival, Emily St. John Mandel takes readers through often hidden landscapes: campgrounds for the near-homeless, underground electronica clubs, the business of international shipping, service in luxury hotels, and life in a federal prison. Rife with unexpected beauty, The Glass Hotel is a captivating portrait of greed and guilt, love and delusion, ghosts and unintended consequences, and the infinite ways we search for meaning in our lives.

Simon the Fiddler

by Paulette Jiles

available in April, hardcover, Grove Press

It's rare that we see a novel set among China's affluent middle classes, exploring questions of personal identity rather than politics or poverty. Braised Pork is a novel about womanhood, grief, family, and selfrealization, centering on a young woman at a crossroads after the unexpected death of her husband. Beautiful, dreamlike, and utterly intoxicating, Braised Pork is the beguiling debut of an outstandingly talented young writer.

Death in Her Hands

by Ottessa Moshfegh

available in April, hardcover, Penguin Press

Vesta lost her husband, gained a dog, and found a very strange note in the woods. But don't let this book fool you. Ottessa Moshfegh may have painted a murder mystery ... but was there really a murder? Is the mystery actually hiding inside Vesta's spiraling thoughts? Death In Her Hands explores the mentality of aging, and how sometimes everything means nothing. –Rachel “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.” Our protagonist finds this note on her daily morning walk and becomes obsessed with the mystery of it. As she finds more and more clues, her sense of reality is shaken. This novel is a real psychological thriller that I could not put down! –Laura P.

available in April, hardcover, William Morrow

The critically acclaimed, bestselling author of News of the World and Enemy Women returns to Texas in this atmospheric story, set at the end of the Civil War, about an itinerant fiddle player, a ragtag band of musicians with whom he travels trying to make a living, and the charming young Irish lass who steals his heart. Incandescent in its beauty, this is a captivating, bittersweet tale of the chances a devoted man will take, and the lengths he will go to fulfill his heart’s yearning.

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

FICTION new

FICTION

Shadowplay

upcoming

FICTION

When We Were Vikings

by Joseph O’Connor

by Andrew David MacDonald

available in May, hardcover, Europa Editions

Set in the late-Victorian world of the London theater, Shadowplay tells the story of the first superstar thespian, the era's greatest Shakespearian actor, and a young man who would go to write the most iconic and best-selling horror novel of all time. A magnificent portrait both of lamp-lit London and of lives and loves enacted on the stage, Shadowplay’s rich prose, incomparable storytelling, and vivid characters will linger in readers’ hearts and minds for a long time.

available now, hardcover, Gallery/Scout Press.

I was crying by page 11 at the utter sweetness of this story. By page 14, I wanted to have another daughter and name her Zelda. Despite her many challenges (Zelda was born with FASD), she summons her courage again, and again, inspiring those around her. You haven't heard a story quite like this. I predict there will be a movie. Read the book first. –Diana

The Night Watchman

The Book of Lost Friends

available in March, hardcover, Harper

available in April, hardcover, Ballantine Books

It’s 1953, and the US Federal Government has proposed to disband the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota, overturning a treaty established in perpetuity, and deeply threatening the livelihoods, culture, and relationships of its Chippewa residents.

Based on fact and peopled by largely fictional characters, by turns humorous and heart wrenching, this is a story of a carefully orchestrated resistance. –Donna

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a new novel inspired by historical events: a dramatic story of three young women on a journey in search of family amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who rediscovers their story and its vital connection to her own students’ lives.

by Lisa Wingate

by Louise Erdrich

Redhead by the Side of the Road

Enter the Aardvark

by Anne Tyler

by Jessica Anthony

available in April, hardcover, Knopf

available in March, hardcover, Little, Brown and Company

A Republican Congressman struggles to save his career after a mysterious stuffed aardvark appears on his doorstep in this wholly original and uproarious novel.

Enter the Aardvark is a stunningly prescient exploration of the consequences for all of us when repressed male love meets oppressive male power. It is also a work of art so utterly original and masterfully built that it seems to have sprung fully formed from its visionary maker's head.

Separation Anxiety

by Laura Zigman

No one writes people like Anne Tyler.

She is a master of character study and this short novel is just that. Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit, to put it delicately. His life is one long sequence of calculated processes until...Of course, there’s an ‘until’ because that’s Tyler’s specialty. A wrench is thrown in Micah’s carefully crafted existence and from there, we watch a man unravel and then…what? You’ll see. –Claire

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!

available now, hardcover, Ecco

Wickedly funny and surprisingly tender, Separation Anxiety offers a frank portrait of middle-aged limbo, examining the ebb and flow of life’s most important relationships. Tapping into the insecurities and anxieties that most of us keep under wraps, and with a voice that is at once gleefully irreverent and genuinely touching, Laura Zigman has crafted a new classic for anyone taking fumbling steps toward happiness.

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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PNBA BOOK AWARDS 2020 PACIFIC NORTHWEST BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION AWARD WINNERS

Each year since 1965, the PNBA Awards have celebrated exceptional books written by Northwest authors. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

My Heart

The Death & Life of Aida Hernandez:

A Border Story

by Aaron Bobrow-Strain

by Corinna Luyken (Olympia, WA)

(Walla Walla, WA)

A deeply-researched narrative of one woman and her family who have fought to survive and to build a life straddling the United States-Mexico border for generations. While centered by the intimate, individual story of Aida, the book also explores U.S. immigration history, cycles of violence, and the complex realities of border policies in play on the ground. F​ arrar, Straus & Giroux

Exhalation: Stories

by Ted Chiang

(Seattle, WA)

Exhalation is a brilliant work by a brilliant writer.

Amid all of the disquisitions on free will, artificial intelligence, and time travel, this collection of short stories is centrally concerned with the loves, pains, and joys that populate real life. Alfred A. Knopf

Is, Is Not: Poems

by Tess Gallagher

Spring 2020

Queen of the Sea

by Dylan Meconis

(Portland, OR)

Exiled royalty. Nuns with secrets. Life and death situations as inspired by the early years of Queen Elizabeth I. Island-raised, convent dwelling Margaret's quite ordinary existence becomes complicated with the arrival of William—a boy her age and her first friend—and the dethroned Queen Eleanor, whose schemes of revenge will put all their lives in jeopardy. Meconis has crafted a gripping historical fantasy full of exquisite details that will have readers of all ages wanting more. Walker Books

The Cassandra: A Novel

by Sharma Shields

(Port Angeles, WA)

Is, Is Not is a luminous study of the interior, quiet spaces of life, and a study of moments and transitions—the glass before it is shattered, the step between living and dying. It is a collection of grief, joy, and most of all, deep wisdom. Graywolf Press

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Have you ever considered your heart and all the amazing things it can do? The newest from Northwest favorite Corinna Luyken reminds us with every breathtaking turn of the page how our wondrous hearts love and hurt and mend, all to make us exactly who we are. Plus, look for a hidden heart in every spread! Dial Books

(Portland, OR)

Mildred Groves is a secretary for the Hanford Project who joins the war effort as a way to escape her overbearing mother. She’s always seen visions of the future and, like the eponymous mythical figure of the title, no one believes her. Shields writes with visceral detail about the Southeastern Washington landscape as well as the interior landscape of the mind. Her story blurs the line between prophecy and complicity, creating an intimate portrait of the costs and lasting effects of war and toxicity. Henry Holt & Co.

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

FICTION new

FICTION

Greenwood

by Michael Christie available now, hardcover, Hogarth

Like trees, families have roots and within those roots we gather strength, we share diseases, we grow (or not), we feel turbulence and individually we strive for great heights. This is a sweeping saga about the family Greenwood. We follow them for one century starting in 1934 and stopping along the way in 1974, 2008, and 2034. We cross Canada with them during dust storms, Volkswagen vans, babies, relationships, and of course trees. A brilliant read! –Kelly E.

Join us for the live taping of

The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring author

Michael Christie Tuesday, March 10

doors & music 6:30pm, show 7pm

in the Heiner Theatre at WCC TICKETS $5: available at Village Books and eventbrite.com.

Receive a free ticket with each pre-event purchase of Greenwood.

Agency

by William Gibson

upcoming

FICTION

How Much of These Hills is Gold

by C. Pam Zhang

available in April, hardcover, Riverhead Books

After the death of their parents, young siblings Sam and Lucy struggle to understand themselves and their family as they try to find 'home' in the days of the gold rush. Combining Chinese folklore and the historical American West, this vivid and soulful novel explores the complicated emotion of loss and the struggle to feel at home in a land and people that only see you as foreign. –Hannah

The Prettiest Star

by Carter Sickels

available in April, hardcover, Hub City Press

A stunning novel about the bounds of family and redemption which shines light on an overlooked part of the AIDs epidemic when men returned to their rural communities to die. The Prettiest Star is an urgent story about the politics and fragility of the body, sex, and shame. And it speaks to the question of what home and family mean when we try to forge a life for ourselves in a world that can be harsh and unpredictable.

available now, hardcover, Berkley

When Verity Jane accepts a new job, beta testing an AI app for a gaming firm, she has no idea of the political intrigues to which she’s opened herself.

She finds herself connected to a future world that’s trying to control her present one, retroactively, in an effort to change the course of history. Her device clearly has a mind of its own, and a will to develop “agency”. –Donna

This Town Sleeps

by Dennis E. Staples

available in March, hardcover, Counterpoint

"Elegant and gritty, angry and funny.

Staples’s work is emotional without being sentimental. Dennis unmakes something in us, then remakes it, a quilt of characters that embody this town, this place, which sleeps but doesn’t dream, or it is all a dream we want to wake up from with its characters." —Tommy Orange, author of There, There

A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth : Stories

by Daniel Mason

Short Stories

available in May, hardcover, Little, Brown and Company

From the award-winning author of The Winter Soldier comes a collection of interlaced tales of men and women as they face the mysteries and magic of the world. At times funny and irreverent, always moving and deeply urgent, these stories cap a fifteen-year project. From the Nile's depths to the highest reaches of the atmosphere, these are tales of ecstasy and epiphany.

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

19

FICTION new

FICTION

upcoming

FICTION

The Mirror & the Light

Actress

available in March, hardcover, Henry Holt and Co

available in March, hardcover, W.W. Norton

“If you cannot speak truth at a beheading, when can you speak it?” England, May 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead, decapitated in the space of a heartbeat by a hired French executioner. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Thomas Cromwell breakfasts with the victors. Mantel brings to a triumphant close the trilogy she began with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. She traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell, the boy from nowhere who climbs to the heights of power, offering a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present and past, between royal will and a common man’s vision: of a modern nation making itself through conflict, passion, and courage.

Katherine O’Dell is an Irish theater legend.

As her daughter, Norah, retraces her mother’s celebrated career and bohemian life, she delves into long-kept secrets, both her mother’s and her own. Bringing to life two generations of women with difficult sexual histories, both assaulted and silenced, both finding—or failing to find—their powers of recovery, Actress touches a raw and timely nerve.

by Anne Enright

by Hilary Mantel

A Long Petal of the Sea

Liberation

by Imogen Kealey available in April, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing

A thrilling historical novel about real-life WWII spy Nancy Wake, who was once at the top of Nazi's Most Wanted List.

Under the code name White Mouse, she fought with the underground resistance in France before escaping to Britain and becoming a special operative. A riveting richly imagined historical thriller, Liberation brings to life one of World War II's most fascinating unsung heroines in all her fierce power and complexity.

by Isabel Allende

available now, hardcover, Ballantine Books

Whenever there is a new book by beloved author Isabel Allende it is a great day for readers. Allende’s latest epic brings us to the late 1930’s Spain, poet Pablo Neruda, and a flight across continents in search of a new life. With her powerful prose and keen ability to write about human emotion I know you too will enjoy this novel. –Kelly E.

Writers & Lovers

by Lily King

Black Sunday

available now, hardcover, Grove Press

by Tola Rotimi Abraham available now, hardcover, Catapult

Written with astonishing intimacy, Black Sunday takes us into the chaotic heart of family life, tracing a line from the euphoria of kinship to the devastation of estrangement. In the process, it joyfully tells a tale of grace and connection in the midst of daily oppression and the constant incursions of an unremitting patriarchy.

This is a novel about two young women slowly finding their own distinct methods of resistance and paths to independence.

To say I loved reading this book is an understatement. I was glued to the couch to finish every single word - and when I "had" to get up, I took the book with me, reading at the kitchen counter while I cooked and had it propped up with me on the table while I ate. Lily King's writing is beautiful and captivating—Casey's story so human and vulnerable, you feel her struggle and want her to succeed, just like you would a close friend. –Lauren

Go to villagebooks.com and click on Get Digital Audiobooks Here to browse audiobook selections and to start your membership today.

Thanks for supporting local!

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Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Friday, April 24, 7pm

VERONICA

ROTH at the

SPARK MUSEUM of Electrical Invention 1312 Bay St, Bellingham

The Chosen Ones

by Victoria Roth

available in April, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Unputdownable. There. I said it. I’ve never used that word before but it’s just plain true. You’ll be so involved with the fantastic storytelling that you won’t even realize Roth’s skill at world-building. Brace yourself for a book with more twists than an Escher painting. –Paul

Join us as we welcome bestselling author of the Divergent series, Veronica Roth! Long-awaited, Chosen Ones is Roth’s first book for adults.

For fans of her previous books, this one does NOT disappoint.

FREE to ATTEND! Doors open at 6:30pm Seating not Guaranteed

American Dirt

by Jeanine Cummins available now, hardcover, Flatiron Books

I truly could not put this book down. It is a suspenseful and terrifying, yet hopeful story about Lydia and Luca, two fictional characters. However, they represent thousands of very real people. Daily there are people sacrificing everything trying to find safety for themselves and their families. “There are dreams on this side too.” –Kelly E.

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

A Good Neighborhood

by Therese Anne Fowler

available in March, hardcover, St. Martin’s Press

For fans of Celeste Ng and Jodi Picoult, a stunning page-turner about two very different families living side by side in an idyllic neighborhood–and the summer that changes their lives forever. This novel asks big questions about life in America today. What does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye? It explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.

Spring 2020

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now in paperback FICTION Circe

Deep River

by Madeline Miller available in April, paperback, Back Bay Books

by Karl Marlantes

This is now one of my all time favorite books and I'm so excited it's out in paperback! I loved how Madeline Miller brought the character Circe into her own story as a hero. Even if you're familiar with mythology, the stories she weaves together feel brand new and mesmerizing; Miller's writing is so lyrical and beautiful, you'll get lost in her words. It’s also fabulous on audio! –Lauren

available in May, paperback, Grove Press

The Street

Vera Violet

by Ann Petry

by Melissa Anne Peterson

available now, paperback, Mariner

available now, paperback, Counterpoint

A dark story of a rough group of teenagers growing up in a rural logging town. There are no jobs. There is no sense of safety.

But there is a small group of loyal friends, a truck waiting with the engine running, a pair of boots covered in blood, and a hot 1911 pistol with a pearl grip. “Reading Vera Violet is nothing less than a visceral and stirring experience." –Jonathan Evison, author of Lawn Boy

After Me Comes the Flood

The Street follows Lutie Johnson, a newly single mother whose efforts to claim a share of the American Dream for herself and her young son meet frustration at every turn in 1940s Harlem. Opening a fresh perspective on the realities and challenges of black, female, working-class life, The Street became the first novel by an African American woman to sell more than a million copies. Originally published in 1946, this edition offers a new introduction from Tayari Jones.

The Old Drift

by Sarah Perry

available in March, paperback, Custom House

by Namwali Serpell

On a road trip in the country, an aimless, ambivalent Londoner gets waylaid and finds himself at a dilapidated mansion whose occupants mistake him for someone else. Rather than set them straight, he continues the ruse to find their common bond is they were all formerly at the same mental hospital.

What happens over the course of seven days leaves me with more questions than answers. Well-written and compelling, this will be a terrific pick for book groups! –Claire

available in May, paperback, Hogarth

Westside

by W.M. Akers available now, paperback, Harper Voyager

On the mysterious Westside of Manhattan in 1921, a young detective who solves tiny mysteries is plunged into the center of a giant conspiracy unraveling around her in this sparkling historical fantasy that is steeped in the supernatural and shot through with gunfights, rotgut whiskey, and sizzling Dixieland jazz.

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Layered with fascinating historical detail, this is a novel that breathes deeply of the sun-dappled forest and bears witness to the stump-ridden fields the loggers, and the first waves of modernity, leave behind.

At its heart, Deep River is an ambitious and timely exploration of the place of the individual, and of the immigrant, in an America still in the process of defining its own identity.

Spring 2020

On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. Here begins the epic story of a small African nation, told by a mysterious swarm-like chorus that calls itself man’s greatest nemesis. The tale?

A playful panorama of history, fairytale, romance, and science fiction. The moral? To err is human.

Frying Plantain

by Zalika Reid-Benta

available in March, paperback, Astoria

Set in “Little Jamaica,” Frying Plantain follows one young girl from elementary school to high school graduation in twelve interconnected stories that expose the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation immigrants and firstgeneration cultural expectations, and Black identity and predominantly white society.

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

paperback FICTION K: A Novel

The Royal Abduls

available in May, paperback, Santa Fe Writer's Project

available in May, paperback, Forest Avenue Press

by Ramiza Shamoun Koya

by Ted O'Connell

Bellingham’s own Ted O’Connell delivers his first novel and it left me stunned. An American is incarcerated in a Chinese prison and the situation is dire. He and his cellmates are tasked with killing one of their own.

Through flashbacks to events that led to his arrest and descriptions of the conditions in the cell, O’Connell crafts a novel so vivid and grim I’m compelled to use the word ‘Kafkaesque’. –Claire

Book Launch!

Join us for a FREE Event At Village Books in Fairhaven

&

Christina Chiu

Beauty

A Double Header!

by Christina Chiu available in May, paperback, Santa Fe Writer's Project

"Beauty is beautiful in the way of a scalpel blade. It's that sharp and precise, that lacerating, that true." --Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Hours Amy Wong is an up-and-coming designer in the New York fashion industry; she is young, beautiful, and has it all. But she finds herself at odds with rival designers in a world rife with chauvinism and prejudice. In her personal life, she struggles with marriage and motherhood, finding that her choices often fall short of her traditional family's expectations. Derailed again and again, Amy must confront her own limitations to succeed as the designer and person she wants to be.

We Buy & Sell

USED BOOKS Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

That Hair

by Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida translated by Eric M.B. Becker available in March, paperback, Tin House Books

Thursday, June 4, 7pm

Ted O'Connell

Set in Washington D.C., this is a novel about anti-Muslim sentiment and misconceptions about race and identity in the years following 9/11, centering on one family with East Indian heritage. But it's not just a novel about being targeted as "other." This is the story of loner scientist Amina's emotional coming of age and accepting that family and love are a necessary and valued part of life.

“The story of my curly hair intersects with the story of at least two countries and, by extension, the indirect story of the relations among several continents: a geopolitics” says Mila, the narrator of Pereira de Almeida’s autobiographically inspired tragicomedy. Mila is the Luanda-born daughter of a black Angolan mother and a white Portuguese father. It’s the story of coming of age as a black woman in a nation at the edge of Europe that is also rapidly changing, of being considered an outsider in one’s own country, and the impossibility of “returning” to a homeland one doesn’t in fact know.

The Unseen

by Roy Jacobsen available in April, paperback, Biblioasis International

Set on an island off of Norway, we visit the hardy folk that balance a simple and fulfilling life and survival. Roy Jacobsen writes so perfectly beautiful that we can feel the cold salt air and hear the seagulls as they fly among the boat sails. Shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, this book has been translated into English masterfully. – Kelly E.

Bring your already-read books to our Fairhaven location and we'll give you up to 25% of the list price in store credit.* You can use that to buy more books or gifts in Village Books and Paper Dreams. * dependent on condition and demand of books

Spring 2020

23

Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moment of Tenderness

by Madeleine L’Engle

The Book of Koli

available in April, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing

by M.R. Carey

From the beloved author of A Wrinkle in Time comes a deeply personal, genre-bending short story collection that transcends generational divides and reminds readers that hope can transform suffering into the promise of joy. Some of these stories have never been published; others were refashioned into scenes for her novels and memoirs.

Almost all were written in the 1940s and '50s, from Madeleine's college years until just before the publication of A Wrinkle in Time.

Upright Women Wanted

by Sarah Gailey

available in April, paperback, Orbit

Mesmerizing and thought-provoking, The Book of Koli begins a powerful new trilogy from one of the most inventive voices in contemporary fiction—the unforgettable story of a young boy struggling to find his place in a world where nature itself has turned against humanity. A great read for fans of Jeff Vandermeer.

Think Local Pre-Order from Village Books

available now, hardcover, Tor

Award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity. Esther is a stowaway. “That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”

She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.

The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.

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

24

Spring 2020

Mon - Sat: 9am - 6pm, Sun: 10am - 5pm

2309 Meridian St, Bellingham, WA 98225

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Fantasy & Science Fiction The Hidden Girl and Other Stories

by Ken Liu

available now, hardcover, Gallery/Saga Press

Ken Liu is back with a new collection of short stories! A follow up to 2016’s Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories is a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories that explore themes such as artificial intelligence, family, climate change, cultural shifts over time, and what it means to be human. This collection contains 17 of Liu’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy stories from the past five years—including a novelette. –Rielley

LGBT Humor The House in the Cerulean Sea

by TJ Klune

available in March, hardcover, Tor Books

There is a danger that Linus must deal with, the danger of the children of Marsyas Island Orphanage: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist, plus their dashing caretaker Arthur. But what is really dangerous? This novel may deal with magic and the fantastic (and have some romance sprinkled in) but it is truly rooted within human failings: the dangers of bigotry and closemindedness of our own society and alongside it, the hope of future change and acceptance for those different than ourselves. –Jenni

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

by Alix E. Harrow

available in May, paperback, Redhook

So mesmerizing, I couldn’t stop reading until the very end! I loved the story within the story and Harrow’s gorgeous writing. The historical fantasy plotline is well crafted and fun, but there’s a more serious side to the novel as well, commenting on imperialism, class, and race. It really is a magical book.

–Lauren

Vagabonds

by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu available in April, hardcover, Gallery

In the vein of Never Let Me Go and The Three-Body Problem, Jingfang (first Chinese woman to win a Hugo Award for her work in science fiction) has created a literary science fiction novel of political intrigue and philosophical dissonance that metaphorically explores the difficulty young Chinese people of the present have in reconciling their country's Capitalist wealth and Communist restrictions. Set in 2196 with escalating tensions between the citizens of Earth and the colonizers of Mars, Vagabonds holds a mirror to the experiences of today's marginalized communities.

The City We Became

by N.K. Jemisin

available March, hardcover, Orbit

I have to admit, I was nervous to read Jemisin's new fantasy. I'm such a huge fan of her Broken Earth series and this one has a much different tone than her other novels. Boy was I wrong to be hesitant. This modern fantasy, an ode to New York City, is another fabulous, inventive, gripping fantasy from the master herself. –Lauren

A Year of

Reading Atwoodly Limited Run Book Group!

Join us the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 5:30pm in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books in Fairhaven.

An entire year of Margaret Atwood–fantastic!

March 10, 5:30pm –MaddAddam

April 14, 5:30pm –The Heart Goes Last

Pre-order your book and we'll call you as soon as it arrives!

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

25

This Spring Brings

TEXTURE to the Home Spring is in the air and in the home. As I was on the latest buying trip for merchandise, I was thrilled to find perfect pieces for our northwest fondness for earth-tones and pattern. This spring brings us cozy cotton blankets and pillows in a variety of fabrics–perfect for snuggling up with a new book.

We all know the calming benefits of plants both outside and inside the home (see page 53). Planters and macrame holders are huge this season, and so easy to integrate into any room.

Yellow daffodils are one of the first colors of spring and we are seeing it on dishes and textiles. Cheerful lemons and bright red strawberries always make a kitchen happy.

Finally candles; they are important year round as they provide softness to a room after a long day. New spring scents with lovely pastel glass or porcelain containers will bring serenity to every part of your home.

Happy Spring!

Unique Gifts • Home Decor • Apparel • Cards Hand Bags • Candy • Toys • Self Care 26

Spring 2020

Paper Dreams Building Community One Book at a Time

VB Writes... Village Books Groups meet in the Writers' Corner

on the mezzanine level of VB unless otherwise noted

Writing Groups

Village Books hosts multiple writing groups and you're invited to join one. Choose which group most reflects your writing genre, then come and share your work in a supportive environment. Come meet other writers who can help you get organized, give feedback, and help you with your writing goals. These groups are free and open to newcomers and drop-ins. Just show up!

Poetry I 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 5:30-7pm

Poetry II

Nontiction f & Memoir 1st & 3rd Sundays, 3-5pm

2nd & 4th Mondays, 4-6pm

Lynden Writing Group 2nd & 4th Sundays, 12-1pm 430 Front Street

4th Thursdays meet in the Colophon Cafe

Fiction II

Prompts

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

Fiction I

2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6-8pm

1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6-8pm

Check out the new writing group at our Lynden location. All genres welcome. See page 37 for more information.

Read more about each group at villagebooks.com. Please note that meeting times may vary on occasion. Check our events calendar to confirm meeting times. Contact Paul@villagebooks.com for more information.

April 18 & 19

VILLAGE BOOKS AND PAPER DREAMS

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

27

Chuckanut Writers Conferences, classes, and retreats for your writing life

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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

Poetry R.A.W. (Writing)

Clean Up Your Writing

with J. L. Wright Wednesdays, March 11–25, 6:30-8pm at WCC (3 sessions) For all levels of poets wanting to develop their writing skills.

StoryHam: A Storytelling Workshop and Event

This workshop will provide a safe space to craft your own story and a supportive audience with which to share it

You Can't Say That!

with Stephanie Dethlefs Wednesdays, May 6 & 13, 5:30pm-8:30pm and May 20, 7pm-9pm - Pulic Showcase at Evolve at Village Books in Fairhaven (3 sessions) This workshop will provide a safe space to craft your own story and a supportive audience with which to share it. Class culminates with a live showcase on Wednesday, May 20, from 7 - 9pm at Evolve Chocolate + Cafe located in Village Books in Fairhaven.

Poetry W.O.W.: Writing without Prompts

with J. L. Wright Saturday, March 21, 10:30am-noon at WCC (1 session) For writers of any genre who wish to explore the use of "colorful" language. Intended for a mature audience!

Writing to Inspire with Roby Blecker Tuesdays, April 14 – 28, 6:30pm-8:30pm at WCC (3 sessions)

with J.L. Wright Wednesday, April 15, 6:30pm-8pm at WCC (1 session)

Poetry Month!

This class is for poets who want to develop their poetry writing skills with techniques and suggestions specific to the students. This is a great follow up and builds upon work completed in Poetry R.A.W., but it is not a required prerequisite.

Don’t Wait Too Long!

Through moving examples and exercises, we'll explore and practice ways to create writing that can inspire others, raise spirits, and connect with hearts. Blecker invites all curious minds to enroll and experience this inspirational craft.

Wild Mind Writing with Nancy Lou Canyon Tuesdays, April 7 - 28, 6pm-8:30pm at WCC (4 sessions) Based on Natalie Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones, this intriguing class frees the mind through a unique practice that eliminates writer's block. For new and experienced students.

Spring 2020

This class will focus on pinpointing your writing to a fine edge.

StoryHam: A Storytelling Workshop and Event

with Stephanie Dethlefs Wednesdays, March 18 & 25, 6pm-9pm (workshops) and April 1, 7pm-9pm- Public Showcase at Evolve) at Village Books in Fairhaven (3 sessions)

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with Heather Lea Thursdays, April 23 & 30, 6:30-8:30pm at WCC (2 sessions)

Chuckanut Writers classes are selfsupporting 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.

Read complete listings and reserve your space at

whatcomcommunityed.com

You can also register by calling 360-383-3200

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Inspiration into Action

FACULTY Anastacia-Renee

Why should YOU register for the Chuckanut Writers Conference?

Omar El Akkad Sierra Golden

• Study with some of the best writing faculty anywhere.

Lyanda Lynn Haupt

• Practice your craft in a supportive, collegiate setting.

• Learn valuable writing techniques and gain new insights.

Ramon Isao

• Interact in person with dynamic authors, literary agents, marketing experts, and fellow writers.

Sonora Jha

• Enhance your knowledge of the business of writing.

Laura Kalpakian

• Return home energized, inspired, and ready to write.

Elizabeth Kracht Priscilla Long

Early Bird Registration through May 26

Casandra López Jory Mickelson Tiffany Midge Kristen Millares Young Craig Popelars Nathan Vass Kami Westhoff

Friday and Saturday June 26 & 27, 2020

Leni Zumas

chuckanutwritersconference.com

360.383.3200

Whatcom Community College Bellingham, Washington Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

29

read. eat. repeat.

With two laughing wives…

If Gandhi was a chef, he would cook the change we wished to see ... if Lewis Carroll was a chef, he would transform the menu six ways before tea time ... if Leo Tolstoy was a chef, he would cook an epic 20-course menu ... when Chef Christy Fox cooks, it’s with intuitive prowess, elevated palate + love of the Upper Left USA!

There's LOVE In EVOLVE...

"Life Between the Pages" Book Group Dinners Indulge your palate and your mind with a sensorial Five-course, Dinner Book Club at Evolve Chocolate + Cafe every fourth Thursday at 6-8:30pm! This Book Club includes food and cocktail pairings, and introduces a new bartender each month from a local bar or restaurant! Seating is limited so make your reservation today for this book club that hits ALL the senses.

Thursday, March 26 Girls Burn Brighter

by Shobha Rao

Thursday, April 23

FoodWISE: A Whole Systems Guide to Sustainable and Delicious Food Choices

by Gigi Berardi *Dine with the author as she WILL be attending!

Thursday, May 28

Thirst: Poems

by Mary Oliver

See page 57 for information about Gigi Berardi's Earth Day Soirée on April 22 in Evolve!

attendees receive 15% off selected reads at VB

Fourth Thursdays | 6-8:30pm | 21+ | $60 - register at the cafe or call 360.220.1898

Sunday Brunch • 10am-2pm

Walk-ins welcome or book a table today!

Join Chef Christy, Shannon, and team for a full service brunch every Sunday.

Fourth Friday Fairhaven Art Walks!

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View work by EC+C artist Joules Martin and monthly guest artists.

Weekend 3 Course Dinners • Fridays & Saturdays 5-8pm Reservations recommended | $30 | Regular menu also available

Indulge your palate and your mind! 9am-9pm Mon-Sat 10am-7pm Sun 360.220.1898 Deliciously perched above Village Books - 1200 11th St. in Historic Fairhaven, Bellingham, WA

evolvechocolatecafe.com

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Northwest Cooking Lummi : Island Cooking

by Blaine Wetzel

available in April, hardcover, Prestel

Lummi will inspire professional and home chefs to pay close attention to the seasons and to appreciate what is fresh and local. The recipes Wetzel showcases here are a catalogue of dishes he created at the Willows Inn restaurant on Lummi Island: green figs and leaf cream; sea urchin marinated in tomato seeds; wild beach peas and lovage stems; a stew of chanterelle mushrooms; and a dessert of beach roses.

Washington Wine and Food : The Cookbook

by Julien Perry

available in May, hardcover, Figure 1 Publishing

Washington Wine and Food is a celebration of forty winemakers who have helped to define Washington’s flourishing wine scene. Also, some of the best chefs from Seattle have created 80 easy, delicious, and complementary recipes—all designed with home cooks in mind. With a bountiful selection of the best Washington wines and ingredients at your fingertips, readers will be inspired to enjoy all the bounties of the region.

Vibrant & Pure :

Healthful Recipes for Bright, Nourishing Meals

by Adeline Waugh

COOKING Find the cookbooks along with fun food and cooking items in Paper Dreams!

100 Techniques: Master a Lifetime of Cooking Skills, from Basic to Bucket List

by America’s Test Kitchen available in April, hardcover, America’s Test Kitchen

The first book on technique from America’s Test Kitchen features 100 innovative techniques that will transform your cooking life, paired with more than 200 recipes that put the techniques into real-world, home-kitchen practice. From making the most tender burger patties to grill-roasting a leg of lamb, from making pan sauces for cutlets to simmering homemade duck confit, the test cooks of ATK show you the way.

Falastin : A Cookbook

by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley available in April, hardcover, Ten Speed Press

This cookbook is a tour of Palestinian cooking today from the Ottolenghi restaurants’ executive chef and partner.

The story of Palestine’s food is really the story of its people. When the events of 1948 forced residents from all regions of Palestine together into one compressed land, recipes that were once closely guarded family secrets were shared and passed between different groups to ensure that they were not lost forever.

available now, hardcover, Clarkson Potter

Cut back on inflammatory foods (refined sugars, gluten, and dairy) with the beautiful food in this inspiring collection of recipes from Instagram celebrity Adeline Waugh. In an effort to improve her complexion, Adeline started eating healthier. Her skin cleared, she lost weight, and felt amazing. She also developed a passion for creating gorgeous, delicious recipes. Examples include: mermaid toast, beet rosewater smoothie bowl, jalapeno grapefruit margarita, and roasted cauliflower tacos. –Diana

Follow Village Books on Twitter.

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

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Appliance Cooking Milk Street Fast and Slow : Instant Pot

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Cooking at the Speed You Need

by Christopher Kimball

available in April, hardcover, Voracious

Milk Street Fast and Slow shows you how to make the most of your multicooker's unique capabilities with a host of one-pot recipes that show how to prepare the same dish two ways: pressure cooking for quick meals, and the slow cooker setting for prepping meals ahead of time. These dishes take advantage of the Milk Street approach to cooking: fresh flavor combinations and innovative techniques from around the world.

Spring 2020

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celebrate spring!

THINK LOCAL FIRST ornamentals & fruit trees available at cloud mountain nursery

Visit us in Everson or shop online

CloudMountainFarmCenter.org cascade cuts plant sale & fundraiser

SATURDAY, MAY 16 Cascade Cuts Wholesale Nursery

SustainableConnections.org LEARN TO GROW FRUIT TREES

AND OTHER WORKSHOPS Cloud Mountain Farm Center in Everson

CloudMountainFarmCenter.org

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Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

COOKING High Tea : Cannabis

Rage Baking : The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and Women’s Voices

by Kathy Gunst and Katherine Alford available now, hardcover, Tiller Press

Rage Baking offers more than 50 cookie, cake, tart, and pie recipes as well as inspirational essays, reflections, and interviews with well known bakers and impassioned women and activists including Dorie Greenspan, Ruth Reichl, Carla Hall, Preeti Mistry, Julia Turshen, and more. Timely, fun, and creative, this cookbook speaks to both skilled and beginner bakers who are looking for new ways to use their sweetest skills to combine food and activism.

Cakes, Tarts & Bakes

by Diana Isaiou

available in April, hardcover, Smith Street Books

This beautifully photographed cookbook celebrates a British-style high tea—where all the delightful snacks are laden with cannabis.

Now that the legal and regulated consumption of cannabis is steadily increasing, more and more of us are using weed when we bake.

Eating cannabis gives you a different high than smoking it, plus it’s fun and easy to bake with, and the therapeutic benefits are much more effective.

Alternative Cooking

COOKING & Cooking Lit

BOOK GROUP Join Diana at 4pm on the 1st Wednesday of each month on the mezzanine at Village Books in Fairhaven to explore the wonders of food.

Cooking Lit! Always Home : A Daughter's Recipes & Stories

by Fanny Singer

available in March, hardcover, Knopf

Side effects of reading this memoir may include: watching a French film trilogy, candying violets, poaching quince, using rosemary branches as incense, or taking a road trip with your mother. When you're the daughter of Alice Waters, you grow up with a small bouquet in your lunchbox, a trapdoor to the wine cellar in your kitchen, and summers in Provence. Correct the seasoning to your dish, and yell "À Table!" Dinner is served. –Diana

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology : Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health

by Izabella Wentz

available in March, hardcover, HarperOne

One of the pioneers in understanding and treating Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol returns with a proven nutritional lifestyle guide for treating this autoimmune condition, featuring 125 recipes, meal plans, and 100 full-color photographs.

Dirt:

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Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking

by Bill Buford

available in May, hardcover, Knopf

Studying at L’Institut Bocuse, cooking at the Michelin-starred La Mère Brazier, enduring the endless hours and exacting rigeur of the kitchen, Buford becomes a man obsessed—with proving that he is worthy of the gastronomic secrets he’s learning, and proving that French cooking actually derives from the Italian. With his masterly ability to immerse himself—and us—in his surroundings, Bill Buford has written what is sure to be the food-lover’s book of the year.

Spring 2020

33

Chuckanut Radio HOUR

The

The Chuckanut Radio Hour is a radio variety show recorded live and played on KMRE 102.3FM and live-streamed on Facebook Live. Each Radio Hour features an interview with a guest author and live music by local musicians. Join us and enjoy performance poetry, a fun comedy skit performed by our very own Chuckanut Radio Players, and some groaner jokes by co-hosts Paul Hanson, Kelly Evert and announcer Rich Donnelly. It's a lot of fun, so check out our upcoming line-up and don't miss out!

Both shows take place in the Heiner Theatre at Whatcom Community College Doors open and music at 6:30pm • Recording starts at 7pm

Michael Christie Tuesday, March 10

–Greenwood Join us in welcoming one of Canada’s most acclaimed novelists as he presents his bestselling novel, Greenwood. This magnificent novel charts a family’s rise and fall, its secrets and inherited crimes. It is a propulsive, multigenerational saga in which the unexpected legacies of a remote island off the coast of British Columbia will link the fates of five people over a hundred years.

Read a review of Greenwood on page 19.

Tuesday, April 28

Sierra Crane Murdoch –Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country Drawing on eight years of immersive investigation, Sierra Crane Murdoch has produced a deep examination of the legacy of systematic violence inflicted on a tribal nation and its individual members, a tale of extraordinary healing, and an exceptional character study of a self-made detective whose passion and larger-than-life personality we will not soon forget.

This is the gripping true story of a murder on an Indian reservation, and the unforgettable Arikara woman who becomes obsessed with solving it–an urgent work of literary journalism.

A HUGE thanks to our amazing sponsors!

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Tickets $5.00 Tickets are now available at Village Books and

Eventbrite.com Receive one FREE TICKET to each show with the purchase of the featured books.

OR with with each paid ticket, you'll receive a $5 voucher to spend on the featured book at that show!

Community & Continuing Education

The Chuckanut Radio Hour airs every Sunday morning at 10am on KMRE 102.3FM and every Monday at 8pm & Friday at 6pm on KAVZ-LP 102.5 Spring 2020 Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Village Books & Paper Dreams

LYNDEN Find books, cards, jewelry, toys, unique gifts, and more!

Children's Book Week

Story Times

Billy Waples Day May 5

Independent Bookstore Day April 25

Visit Us Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm

Sundays

20% OFF POETRY

All April

We sell USED BOOKS! LOOK FOR THE GREEN LABELS and low, low prices!

11am-5pm The Waples Mercantile Building, 430 Front St., Lynden • villagebooks.com

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

35

Join us for

Billy Waples Day

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Waples Mercantile Building, Downtown Lynden Mark your calendars now because you do NOT want to miss Billy Waples Day! It's the annual open house and celebration in honor of the namesake of our building and local Lynden hero, Billy Waples. Head to downtown Lynden and enjoy free chowder, live music, a beer garden by Overflow Taps, Inn Tours, Passport to Prizes, promotions, specials and giveaways. Come one, come all, enjoy the party!

Sponsored by Avenue Bread, Bellingham Baby Company, Cheeks Jeans, The Inn at Lynden, Overflow Taps, and Village Books.

Join us at Village Books in Lynden

Wednesdays at 11am and

Saturdays at 10:30am

Weekly Story Times in Lynden!

for a half hour of stories, songs, and movement as we read and get silly about books!

New Time on Saturdays!

Entertainment at The Claire! the Claire vg Thomas Theatre 655 Front Street in the Dutch Village Mall. Lynden

"Hood the Musical" This classic retelling of the Robin Hood legend features a large cast, good guys and bad guys, sword fights, and phenomenal music.

This is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

April 30 - May 17, 2020

Historic Hospitality

More information available at TheClaire.org facebook.com/theclairetheatre 36

Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Open to All

! p u o r G g in it r W Ly n d e n Are you a writer in search of a writing group? Look no further!

Village Books and Paper Dreams in Lynden is hosting a writing group that meets in the Lynden store at 12pm every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

Whether you're a new writer looking to discover your voice or someone who's been writing for years, we welcome all who have the desire to write. We welcome all forms of writing: fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, and anything else you can think of.

Come meet other writers who can help you get organized, give feedback, and help you with your writing goals.

Our meetings are free and open to newcomers and drop-ins. Feel free to just show up! For more information, email rielley.rogers@villagebooks.com

Mark Your Calendars

Join us on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at noon.

March 8 & 22 I April 12 & 26 May 10 & 24 I June 14 & 28

Book Groups Join Us!

• March 18: We meet the The Dry 3rd Wednesday of

by Jane Harper the month at 2pm in the Waples Room • April 15: The Library Book at the Inn at

by Susan Orlean Lynden — • May 20: adjacent to The Book Thief Village Books.

Lynden Front Streeters

Spend the afternoon with “The Front Streeters,” led by VBPD staff members.

We explore a variety of reads from different genres and have a lot of fun.

Grab a friend and let’s chat about books — and whatever else comes up!

by Markus Zusak

Attendees are eligible for a 15% discount on both group's selections.

Meet at Overflow Taps to casually discuss the book selection and share a pint! Fourth Tuesdays at 7pm.

• March 24: Go Set a Watchman

by Harper Lee • April 28: Little Fires Everywhere

by Celeste Ng • May 26: Circe

by Madeline Miller

Get an exclusive Books and Brews growler free with the purchase of a fill.

Just let the beertender know you are part of Books and Brews!

Watch villagebooks.com for more reading selections & book descriptions.

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

37

WHAT

LY NDEN

WAS -2019-

READING V B in Lynden Top Sellers

1. Hiking Whatcom County 6th Edition

by Ken Wilcox 2. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 3. The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith 4. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey 5. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 6. Still Life by Louise Penny 7. Pacific Northwest’s Best Trips by Lonely Planet 8. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris 9. Urban Trails Bellingham by Craig Romano 10. The Overstory by Richard Powers 11. The Big Burn by Timothy Egan 12. Educated by Tara Westover 13. Reformed by Karl Petersen 14. Dad Jokes, Holiday Edition by Jimmy Niro 15. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Children's Book & Screen Free Week

May 4-10, 2020

Lynden Events!

Wednesday, May 6, 11am

Guess How Much I Love You Story Time Join Gaye in the kids’ section of our Lynden store for a special story time featuring this beloved classic by Sam McBratney. We’ll sing and read and you just might get your own pair of bunny ears! Author not attending.

Saturday, May 9, 10:30am

Click-Clack Story Time Join us at our Lynden store as we read the beloved Click, Clack books including the original, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type—a hilarious story about a group of cows who go on strike. Author not attending.

Turn to page 63 to learn about Children's Book events in Fairhaven 38

Spring 2020

Lynden StoreMonday-Saturday Hours: Mon.-Sat.9am-9pm 9am-8pm• •Sunday Sun. 11am-5pm Fairhaven Store Hours: 10am-7pm

VB’s Literary Events Program

Literature LIVE!

LYNDEN

IN

LYNDEN

Additions & changes will occur so check out

villagebooks.com

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

Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!

Saturday, March 21, 4pm In LYNDEN! 413 Front St., Lynden, WA

GWEN OVERLAND Millicent Winthrop Series Book Launch and Signing!

Join us at our Lynden store as we celebrate this delightful series. Millicent Winthrop is an amateur sleuth who happens to have multiple personality disorder and is in love with her psychiatrist. With the help of her employer, Mr. Buckminster Smythe, and her two loveable pugs Holmes and Watson, Millicent must stop a man from carrying out a sinister plot against all things soccer! Born and raised in Washington State, Gwen and her family now live in Ashland, Oregon. After years in academia, writing one research article followed by another, Gwen turned her talents toward writing fiction and found she happily could not stop. When she’s not reading, writing, or playing with her two black pugs, Buster Keaton and Emmett Kelly, Gwen works in the theatre, teaches college students how to muster the courage to follow their dreams, or assists psychotherapy clients in discovering more joy and meaning in their lives.

Whatcom READS 2020 Whatcom READS is a county-wide program that encourages everyone to read and discuss the same book.

All events are FREE and open to the public.

Thursday, March 5, 12:30pm Book Discussion with Eowyn Ivey at the Ferndale Library 2125 Main Street , Ferndale, WA

Join in a lively discussion of To the Bright Edge of the World–featuring author, Eowyn Ivey. This is one of several community events tied to this year's county-wide book club.

Thursday, March 5, 7pm An Evening with Eowyn Ivey at the Mount Baker Theatre 104 North Commercial Street , Bellingham, WA

Join us as the WhatcomREADS community gathers to hear author Eowyn Ivey speak about her novel at the historical Mount Baker Theatre.

Friday, March 6, 2pm The Art and Craft of Writing Western Washington University Wilson Library Reading Room

Saturday, April 25 Independent Bookstore Day Join the Party!

Join us on Saturday, April 25th to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day! This is a nationwide celebration that will take place at indie bookstores across the country and we want you to join in. Stay tuned to our website and social media for updates about the activities we're planning. We hope you'll join us!

Sunday, May 3, Waples Day Celebration Don't miss this family friendly block party celebration with activities, prizes, music, a beer garden, food, and much more!

Celebrate Children's Book Week - 2020

Gain insight into the writing process as author Eowyn Ivey discusses the art and craft of writing.

Kids!

Wednesday, May 6, 11am Guess How Much I Love You Story Time

Saturday, March 7, 11am Coffee with Eowyn Ivey

Join Gaye in the kids’ section of our Lynden store for a special story time featuring this beloved classic. We’ll sing and read and you just might get your own pair of bunny ears!

Whatcom Community College Heiner Theater Whatcom READS welcomes author Eowyn Ivey to the Whatcom Community College Heiner Theater for a presentation on the Main Stage about her novel, To the Bright Edge of the World.

Thursday, March 7, 12:30pm A Conversation with Eowyn Ivey at the Jansen Art Center - Lynden

Events are Free and Open to Everyone!

Paul Hanson, co-owner of Village Books and Paper Dreams, will interview author Eowyn Ivey at The Jansen Art Center.

Saturday, May 9, 10:30am Click-Clack Story Time!

Kids!

Join us as we read the beloved Click-Clack books and get crazy for children's books.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive LitLive! Event reminders and updates.

Check out our Instagram for even more!

See pages 71 - 78 for LitLive! events taking place in Bellingham.

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

39

DISCOVER YOUR ART

CERAMICS • DANCE • JEWELRY • MUSIC FINE ART & PAINTING • TEXTILES

JANSEN ART CENTER

321 Front Street, Lynden, WA 98264 • 360-354-3600 • jansenartcenter.org 40

Spring 2020

Lynden Store Hours: Mon.-Sat.9am-9pm 9am-8pm• •Sunday Sun. 11am-5pm Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm

Art

How to Be an Artist

by Jerry Saltz

available in March, hardcover, Riverhead Books

This little book took me by surprise! I didn’t expect the Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic to write such an upbeat, encouraging, and practical how-to.

It’s a gem. Filled with exercises, tips, and full-color reproductions, Saltz challenges the reader to see, really SEE art in a way that makes it practicable.

I love it and it has earned a place on my art table for those moments when I need inspiration most. –Claire

Patterns of India : A Journey through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan

by Christine Chitnis

available in March, hardcover, Clarkson Potter

Photographer and writer Christine Chitnis spent over a decade traveling through, getting to know, and falling in love with the intricate patterns of everyday Rajasthani life. With history and culturebased essays woven throughout the more than 200 stunning photographs of architecture, markets, cuisine, art, textiles, and everyday goings-on, Patterns of India captures the beauty and essence of this unique part of the world.

The Golden Flea : A Story of Obsession and Collecting

by Michael Rips

available in April, hardcover, W.W. Norton

In The Golden Flea, the acclaimed writer Michael Rips takes readers on a trip through the charmed world of the Chelsea flea market. With a beguiling style that has won praise from Joan Didion and Susan Orlean, Rips recounts his obsession with the flea and its treasures and provides a fascinating account of the business of buying and selling antiques. As Rips’ passion for collecting grows and the flea’s last days loom, he undertakes a quest to prove the provenance of a mysterious painting that just might be the one.

Popular Culture My Neighbor Hayao : Art Inspired by the Films of Miyazaki

curated by Spoke Art Gallery available in April, hardcover, Cemunnos

Curated by Spoke Art Gallery, My Neighbor Hayao features work from more than 250 artists in celebration of the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker and animator. Showcasing a diverse array of original painting, embroidery, sculpture, and limited edition prints, this beautiful book grants fans of Miyazaki another creative avenue to explore his inspired worlds through interpretations of characters and themes found in the iconic films.

Art Photography The Human Planet :

Clockwise from left: Naga helmet, India; Thunderbolt Crown, Tibet; Han Child’s Hat (Tiger Cap), China. ©2012, Courtesy of Hat Horizons. Photographs by Matthew Hillman.

The Global Language of Headwear Cultural Identity, Rites of Passage, and Spirituality Featuring 89 headdresses from around the globe!

Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher | 250 Flora St. Showing through April 26 www.whatcommuseum.org

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Earth at the Dawn of the Anthropocene

photography by George Steinmetz, text by Andrew Revkin available in April, hardcover, Abrams

A sweeping visual chronicle of the Earth today from a photographer who has circled the globe to report on such urgent issues as climate change, sustainable agriculture, and the ever-expanding human footprint. Steinmetz documents both untrammeled nature and the human project that relentlessly redesigns the planet in its quest to build shelter, grow food, generate energy, and create beauty. In his images, we are encountering the dramatic and perplexing new face of our ancient home.

Spring 2020

41

Your Community Resource for Conflict Resolution

Visit our website for

Mediation Services for families, neighbors, businesses and organizations

Upcoming Trainings and Events!

Supervised Visitation for parents and children Conflict Resolution and Restorative Practices Education for youth, schools, and community agencies

Facilitation and Coaching for groups and individuals Conflict Resolution and Communication Trainings

Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center 360.676.0122 I whatcomdrc.org I 206 Prospect St

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Crafts The Making It Guide to Crafting

Lit Stitch : 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers

by the Creators of Making It available in April, paperback, Abrams

This well-rounded crafting guide will offer in-depth looks at some of the best DIY crafts inspired by the Makers themselves. Introductions to woodworking, fiber arts, paper crafts, and more will enable readers to experiment and customize their own creations at home. The projects are accessible to all skill levels, so you can get just as crafty as the Makers did while inspiring and energizing you to DIY whatever you put your mind to.

by Book Riot

available in May, paperback, Abrams

Inside Book Riot’s Lit Stitch, you’ll find a number of badass, bookish crossstitch patterns. Some of these are for bookmarks, others are for wall decor, and still others can take on a whole host of finished outcomes. And most, if not all, are beginner friendly and can be completed in a few hours—instant stitchification!

Build a Flower : A Beginner’s

Sew a Bag :

Guide to Paper Flowers

by Lucia Balcazar

A Beginner’s Guide to Hand Sewing

available in March, paperback, Abrams

by Amy Karol

available in March, paperback, Abrams

Offering easy-to-learn instructions and techniques that will have you sewing your first bag in no time! Sew a Bag introduces readers to hand-sewing, focusing on the basics and the techniques most applicable to sewing that can be extended to a wide variety of projects in the future. Establishing the building blocks here encourages crafters to try new ideas and develop their own style as they progress, and it all starts with a simple pattern.

Build a Flower teaches the basic techniques needed for crafting paper flowers, building upon skills as it moves through a select number of flowers and focusing on key tips: what type of paper works best, petal shapes that work for multiple flowers, how to assemble, and more. With photographs and step-by-step instructions as their guide, readers will learn to build five flowers, variation ideas for their coloring, and final arrangements.

Dried Flowers : Techniques and Ideas for the Modern Home

Petal and Stem : 40 Modern Floral Quilt Blocks to Mix-and-Match

by Morgane Illes, photography by Hervé Goluza

available in March, paperback, Lucky Spool

This gorgeous book offers a new approach to flower arranging with dried botanicals, exploring ways to preserve flowers’ beauty forever through drying and pressing. 15 step-by-step projects then give you creative ideas for displaying dried flowers including bouquets, wreaths, wall hangings, wall art, flower crowns and buttonholes for weddings, terrariums, candles and more. These exquisite floral creations will give a bohemian and poetic touch to your interior décor and everlasting beauty to your home.

available in May, paperback, David & Charles

by Amy Friend

Use Amy Friend’s 40 adaptable flower, stem, and leaf blocks to piece together a garden scene in any number of combinations: from tropical greenery using minimal greens to a cottage garden packed with all of the bold hues of summer. Included are six colorful quilt patterns designed and pieced by the author to help get readers started with their planning, as well as inspirational digital layouts to showcase just how customizable these blocks can be.

Visit us 24/7 at villagebooks.com

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

43

VB Reads...

Book Groups

Village Books Groups are Open to Everyone Join us!

VB Reads book groups are open to anyone in the community. Those who attend are eligible for a 15% discount on that group's selections. With the exception of Books & Brews and Lynden Front Streeters, groups meet at Village Books in Fairhaven.

Each month, we send out a fun e-newsletter, specifically geared for book groups. Sign up for this newsletter at villagebooks. com or by emailing bookgroups@villagebooks.com.

Cookbook & Cooking Lit

Motherhood by the Book Meet with Claire the 2nd Sunday of every month at 2pm for an hour of spirited discussion of books that celebrate the trials, tribulations, and rewards of motherhood. Meetings take place in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.

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

Join Diana at 4pm on the 1st Wednesday of each month in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine at Village Books in Fairhaven to explore the wonders of food.

General Lit

Discuss books from a variety of genres at 7pm the 1st Monday of each month in the Readings Gallery. This group is open to anyone and everyone who enjoys reading and discussing books.

Living With Meaning

Bellingham Mysterians

This book group aims to learn and share perspectives on what makes a meaningful life. Join us in the Readings Gallery the 1st Wednesday of the month at 2pm.

Meets at 4pm the 3rd Tuesday of each month in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.

This is a book group for adults who are fans of mystery in all its sub-categories and micro-niches.

Chat about, discuss, and dissect the most current and interesting history being written the 2nd Monday of every month at 7pm in the Writers' Corner at Village Books.

Mystery Book Group

A Year of Reading Atwoodly

Armchair Historians

Community Conversations

We're celebrating all that is Margaret Atwood in this year-long limited run book group. We meet the 2nd Tuesdays of each month at 5:30pm.

Now through November 2020.

Engaged Citizens Book Group Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at noon in the Readings Gallery. Join Mary Dumas for a thought-provoking lunch hour discussing books that ask us to consider how we, as community members, can more skillfully contribute to the creation of a civilly engaged community.

Science Fiction & Fantasy This group meets the 3rd Monday of the month at 7pm to discuss thought-provoking science fiction in a group that welcomes diversity. Meetings take place in the Writers' Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.

Discuss books that allow us to better understand issues around homelessness. Join us at 5pm on Tuesdays, March & April 21 in the Readings Gallery for our final meetings.

See page 10 for more information.

Lynden Front Streeters In the North County? Join our Lynden book group! We meet at 2pm on the 3rd Wednesday of the month in the Waples Room in the Inn at Lynden. Good books, good people, good times! Join us.

Books & Brews

leow Taps in Lynden at Overfe Join us the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7pm for a casual book conversation and a pint of beer!

Ahhhh... the perfect pairing! See page 37 for selections.

Authors do not attend VB Reads

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

Contact bookgroups@villagebooks.com to:

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

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Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

WHAT WHATCOM WAS

-2019-

Whether you're looking for your next favorite read or just interested in seeing what's keeping your neighbors up at night, this is the list for you! A reflection of local interests, fantastic author visits, and national bestsellers.

READING V B in Fairhaven Top Sellers

1. A Better Man by Louise Penny 2. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey 3. Acid for the Children by Flea 4. The Overstory by Richard Powers 5. Urban Trails Bellingham by Craig Romano 6. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 7. The Truth Will Set You Free But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem 8. A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Timothy Egan 9. Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day 10. The Adventurous Eaters Club by Vicki and Misha Collins 11. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 12. Hiking Whatcom County 6th Edition by Ken Wilcox 13. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah 14. The Mueller Report by Robert Mueller 15. The Big Burn by Timothy Egan 16. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari 17. Educated by Tara Westover 18. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 19. Becoming by Michelle Obama 20. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris 21. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 22. The Woman’s Hour by Elaine Weiss 23. Blowout by Rachel Maddow 24. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

by Gail Honeyman 25. There There by Tommy Orange 26. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

27. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan 28. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan 29. Geology of the San Juan Islands

by Ned Brown 30. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 31. Good Omens

by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 32. No One is Too Small to Make a Difference

by Greta Thunberg 33. Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat 34. White Fragility by Robin Diangelo 35. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood 36. Think Black by Clyde Ford 37. The Body Keeps the Score

by Besser van der Kolk 38. Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver 39. Calypso by David Sedaris 40. Circe by Madeline Miller

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POLITICS &

CURRENT

Drawing the Vote : An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America

EVENTS

by Tommy Jenkins, illustrated by Kati Lacker

available in April, hardcover, Abrams ComicArts

Unrigged : How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy

by David Daley

available in March, hardcover, Liveright

Following his staff-favorite Ratf**ked, Daley emerged as one of the nation’s leading authorities on gerrymandering. In Unrigged, he charts a vibrant movement that is rising in the wake of his and other reporters’ revelations. He tells the stories of activist groups that paved the way for 2018's historic blue wave and won crucial battles for voting rights nationwide. In an age of polarization, Unrigged offers a vivid portrait of a nation transformed by a new civic awakening, and provides a blueprint for what must be done to keep American democracy afloat.

The Nation City : Why Mayors are Now Running the World

by Rahm Emanuel

available in February, hardcover, Knopf

Emanuel argues that cities are the most ancient political institutions, dating back thousands of years and have reemerged as the nation-states of our time. He makes clear how mayors are accountable to their voters to a greater degree than any other elected officials and illuminates how progressives and centrists alike can best accomplish their goals by focusing their energies on local politics. The Nation City maps out a new, energizing, and hopeful way forward.

Drawing the Vote looks at the history of voting rights in the United States and how it affects the way we vote today. At a time when many citizens are experiencing challenges, apathy about voting, and skepticism concerning our bitterly divided government, Drawing the Vote seeks to offer some explanation for how we got here and how every American can take action to make their vote count.

Engaged Citizens Book Group Join Mary Dumas for a thought-provoking lunch hour discussing books that ask us to consider how we, as community members, can more skillfully contribute to the creation of a civilly engaged community.

This group meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at noon in the Readings Gallery. All Welcome!

Bellingham

City Club

The System : Who Rigged It, How We Fix It

by Robert B. Reich

available in March, hardcover, Knopf

From the best-selling author of Saving Capitalism and The Common Good, an urgent analysis of how the “rigged” systems of American politics and power operate, how this status quo came to be, and how average citizens can enact change. Reich’s objective is not to foster cynicism, but rather to demystify the system so that we might instill fundamental change and demand that democracy works for the majority once again.

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Spring 2020

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 Doors open: 11:30 a.m. Lunch program: 12 - 1:30 p.m. the 4th Wednesday of each month at Northwood Hall FOR PROGRAM INFORMATION AND PRICING

www.bellinghamcityclub.org

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

History El Norte : The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America

by Carrie Gibson

available now, paperback, Grove Press

El Norte chronicles the sweeping and dramatic history of Hispanic North America from the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century to the present.

Interwoven in this stirring narrative of events and people are cultural issues that have been there from the start but which are unresolved to this day: language, belonging, community, race, and nationality.

Seeing them play out over centuries provides vital perspective at a time when it is urgently needed.

The Splendid and the Vile : A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

by Erik Larson

available now, hardcover, Crown

Through personal letters and journals, Erik Larson illustrates how Churchill, his family, his friends and staff survived through the almost hopeless first couple years of World War II. It’s an intimate look at the dark fears that overwhelmed during the Blitz, but also a look at resilience in the face of that fear. –Laura P.

How to Hide an Empire : A History of the Greater United States

by Daniel Immerwahr

available in March, paperback, Picador

"A provocative and absorbing history of the United States—'not as it appears in its fantasies, but as it actually is' " (Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times). Immerwahr tells the fascinating story of the United States outside the United States, revealing forgotten episodes that cast American history in a new light. After World War II, the U.S. moved away from colonialism, instead putting innovations in electronics, transportation, and culture to use as it devised a new sphere of influence that did not require the control of space. How to Hide an Empire is rich with absorbing vignettes and driven by an original conception of what empire and globalization mean today.

Indigenous History Join us for the live taping of

The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring author

Sierra Crane Murdoch Tuesday, April 28

doors & music 6:30pm, show 7pm

in the Heiner Theater at WCC TICKETS $5: available at Village Books and eventbrite.com.

Receive a free ticket with each pre-event purchase of Yellow Bird.

The gripping true story of a murder on an Indian reservation, and the unforgettable Arikara woman who becomes obsessed with solving it—an urgent work of literary journalism. Sierra Crane Murdoch has produced a profound examination of the legacy of systematic violence inflicted on a tribal nation and a tale of extraordinary healing. “I don’t know a more complicated, original protagonist in literature than Lissa Yellow Bird, or a more dogged reporter in American journalism than Sierra Crane Murdoch.” –William Finnegan

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Local History Wages of Sin : The True Story and Photos of the Great SedroWoolley Bank Robbery of 1914

by Rustan Robertson

available now, paperback, Sedro-Woolley Museum

Wages of Sin documents the complete and true story of one of the PNW’s most famed criminal events—the Great Sedro-Woolley Bank Robbery of 1914, including over 90 original photographs taken immediately after the robbery.

When suspicious characters were thought to be casing local banks, the town was ready when the hoodlums set their plans in motion on a Saturday night. After the First National Bank was robbed of over $11,000 in gold, the bandits escaped–a manhunt ensued that extended into British Columbia. In the end, four of the five robbers were killed and just over half of the money was recovered.

Join us for a FREE EVENT at Village Books in Fairhaven with author

Rustan Robertson Friday, March 27, 7pm Spring 2020

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Getting Out Rough Magic : Riding the World’s Loneliest Horse Race

by Lara Prior-Palmer

available in April, paperback, Catapult

Even though you know how it ends, Lara's story kept me tearing through the pages, eager to read every word of her extraordinary journey. She captures the magic of riding and her surroundings as well as the stark loneliness of the race in her beautiful poetic prose. Fellow riders, beware! You may be tempted to try this race yourself! Perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. –Lauren

Spirit Run : A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land

by Noé Álvarez

available in March, hardcover, Catapult

The electrifying debut memoir of a son of working-class Mexican immigrants who fled a life of labor in fruit-packing plants to run in a Native American marathon from Canada to Guatemala. Running through mountains, deserts, and cities, and through the Mexican territory his parents left behind, Álvarez forges a new relationship with the land and—against all odds in a society that exploits his body and rejects his spirit—the dream of a liberated future.

Amazon Woman : Facing Fears, Chasing Dreams, and a Quest to Kayak the World’s Largest River from Source to Sea

Sports

by Darcy Gaechter

available in March, hardcover, Pegasus Books

Gaechter is the first and only woman to kayak the entire length of the Amazon River. With blistering lips and irradiated fingernails, she and her companions would tackle raging Class Five whitewater for twenty-five days straight; barely survive a dynamite-filled canyon; encounter illegal loggers, narco-traffickers, murderous Shining Path rebels, and ruthless poachers in the black market trade in endangered species; and plead for mercy at the hands of the murderous Ashaninka people who were convinced that they had come to steal their children’s organs.

Mountaineering Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die :

Rock Climbing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations

by Chris Santella

available in April, hardcover, Abrams Image

A beautifully illustrated guide to some of the greatest rock-climbing locations around the world, as recommended by expert climbers. The book covers three types of climbing—trad, sport, and bouldering—and showcases breathtaking venues from Joshua Tree to Jeju, South Korea. Featuring insights from industry insiders, professional climbers, and filmmakers, Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die is the essential travel companion for climbers of all levels of expertise.

Visit us 24/7 at villagebooks.com

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Spring 2020

Thank you for your continued support. We wouldn't be here without you!

To Shake the Sleeping Self :

A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret

by Jedidiah Jenkins

available now, paperback, Convergent Books

This book is for anyone feeling restless for a change. Jenkins was, and found his answer in leaving his comfortable world behind and taking a bike ride from Oregon to Patagonia. His internal and external discoveries along the way gently remind you that it’s okay to not know exactly where you’re headed next. Personally raw and creatively told through well-intentioned storytelling and photography, I encourage you to step alongside Jenkins and allow yourself to make connections within your own life. I promise, you won’t be able to resist. –McKenna

Building Community One Book at a Time

Life Stories Confessions of a Bookseller

by Shaun Bythell

available in April, hardcover, David R. Godine

Here's a memoir every bit as warm and welcoming as a visit to your very favorite bookstore. Inside a stone-faced Georgian townhouse on the Wigtown highroad, jammed with more than 100,000 books and one portly shop cat, Shaun Bythell, author of Diary of a Bookseller, manages the ups and downs of Scotland's largest used bookshop with a sharp eye and even sharper wit.

Recollections of My Nonexistence : A Memoir

by Rebecca Solnit

available in March, hardcover, Viking

I love Solnit’s writing and this book recounts how she found her voice as a writer. A young woman on her own in San Francisco, we learn how this city shaped her. It’s a love letter and an accusation, exposing the injustices that women face, just getting along in the world. This book made me want to turn back the clock and RELISH the years on my own as a young woman. –Claire

Queer Studies

Spirituality

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers

The Dalai Lama : An Extraordinary Life

by Jenn Shapland

available now, hardcover, Tin House Books

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a lock in my Top five list of all-time favorite books so imagine my delight at seeing this title paying homage to its author.

What I didn’t expect was a really lovely contemplation of the writing life, queer identity, family and ancestors, and love. –Sarah

Death Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like “Journey” in the Title

by Leslie Gray Streeter

available in March, hardcover, Little, Brown and Company

Looking at widowhood through the prism of race, mixed marriage, and aging, Black Widow redefines the stages of grief. While she stumbles toward an uncertain future, Leslie looks back on her love story with Scott, recounting their journey through racism, religious differences, and persistent confusion about what kugel is. Tender, true, and endearingly hilarious, Black Widow is a story about the power of love, and how the only guide book for recovery is the one you write yourself.

by Alexander Norman

available now, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Dalai Lama recounts an astonishing odyssey from isolated Tibetan village to worldwide standing as spiritual and political leader of one of the world’s most profound and complex cultural traditions. Norman reveals that, while the Dalai Lama has never been comfortable with his political position, he has been a canny player who has maneuvered amidst pervasive violence, including placing himself at the center of a dangerous Buddhist schism. Yet even more surprising than the political is the Dalai Lama’s astonishing spiritual practice, rooted in magic, vision, and prophecy—details of which are illuminated in this book for the first time.

The Magical Language of Others : A Memoir

by E.J. Koh

available now, hardcover, Tin House Books

Fifteen-year-old Eun Ji’s parents decide to return to Korea for work leaving Eun Ji (E.J.) and her brother behind in their California house. This is the bittersweet telling of how E.J. dealt with this as a teenager and how her mother kept in contact with her through letters. E.J. is an accomplished poet and her writing fully demonstrates what words can do to the heart. –Kelly E.

Village Books also offers a wide variety of used and bargain books.

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

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Women Rowing North : Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age

Something That May Shock and Discredit You

by Daniel Mallory Ortberg

by Mary Pipher

available now, hardcover, Atria

available in March, paperback, St. Martin’s Press

From a thoughtful analysis of the beauty of William Shatner to a sinister reimagining of HGTV’s House Hunters, and featuring figures as varied as Anne of Green Gables, Columbo, Nora Ephron, Apollo, and the cast of Mean Girls, Something That May Shock and Discredit You is a hilarious and emotionally exhilarating compendium that combines personal history with cultural history to make you see yourself and those around you entirely anew. It further establishes Ortberg as one of the most engaging voices of his generation—and it may just change the way you think about Lord Byron forever.

Women growing older contend with ageism, misogyny, and loss. Yet as Mary Pipher shows, most older women are deeply happy and filled with gratitude for the gifts of life. Their struggles help them grow into the authentic, empathetic, and wise people they have always wanted to be. “If we can keep our wits about us, think clearly, and manage our emotions skillfully,” Pipher writes, “we will experience a joyous time of our lives. If we have planned carefully and packed properly, if we have good maps and guides, the journey can be transcendent.”

Advertise in

ADVENTURES NW >>>

· 60,000 Readers · Affordable Rates · Beautiful, World-Class Content · A Perfect Fit for Our Community Contact John @ 360.319.1614 or john@AdventuresNW.com

Awakening Fertility : The Essential Art of Preparing for Pregnancy

by Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, and Marisa Belger

Family

available in March, hardcover, Abrams Image

From the authors of The First Forty Days comes a gently nurturing guide for aspiring mothers. Awakening Fertility is a loving companion to accompany you along the journey—whether your desire to become a mother burns fiercely today or is a future calling just beginning to stir. Intended for women at every stage of the preconception process, this book offers wisdom and guidance to support your body, mind, and spirt—including nearly 50 delicious recipes!

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Personal Journeys The Honey Bus : A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees

by Meredith May

available in March, paperback, Park Row

Meredith May recalls the first time a honeybee crawled on her arm. She was five years old, her parents had recently split and suddenly she found herself in the care of her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in a rusty old military bus in the yard. That first close encounter was at once terrifying and exhilarating for May, and in that moment she discovered that everything she needed to know about life and family was right before her eyes, in the secret world of bees.

The Lines That Make Us : Stories from Nathan's Bus

by Nathan Vass

available now, paperback, Tome Press

Have you lived in Seattle? Or ridden the bus in the city, or any city for that matter? Vass is a bus driver, on the South Seattle no. 7. He is also a gifted writer who describes his route and the riders, often people that are sometimes dealing with a lot of what life throws at a person. A Washington State Book Award finalist, this is an amazing look at what it means to be human and humane to each other. –Kelly E.

Hell and Other Destinations : A 21st-Century Memoir

by Madeleine Albright

available in April, hardcover, Harper

Six-time New York Times bestselling author and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright—one of the world’s most admired and tireless public servants—reflects on the final stages of one’s career, and working productively into your later decades in this revealing, funny, and inspiring memoir.

For Joshua : An Ojibwe Father Teaches His Son

by Richard Wagamese

available in April, hardcover, Milkweed Editions

Ojibwe tradition calls for fathers to walk their children through the world. In this intimate series of letters to the six-yearold son from whom he was estranged, Richard Wagamese fulfills this traditional duty with grace and humility, describing his own path through life and braiding this extraordinary story with the teachings of his people. At once a deeply moving memoir and a fascinating elucidation of a rich indigenous cosmology, For Joshua is an unforgettable journey.

Pre-order your copies today!

Author Nathan Vass is a 2020 Chuckanut Writers Conference faculty member!

Join us in welcoming author

Erica Bauermeister

Northwest Writings In the Valley of the Noble Beyond : In Search of the Sasquatch

by John Zada available in May, paperback, Grove Press

Set in a wild and immaculate landscape, a compassionate and gripping exploration of one of the world’s most baffling mysteries—the existence of the Sasquatch.

Teeming with gorgeous nature writing and a driving narrative that takes us through the forests and into the valleys of a remote region, this book sheds light on what our decades-long pursuit of the Sasquatch can tell us about ourselves and invites us to welcome wonder for the unknown back into our lives.

360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

Friday, April 10, 7pm A FREE EVENT at VIllage Books in Fairhaven

House Lessons : Renovating a Life

by Erica Bauermeister

Join Us

available in March, hardcover, Sasquatch Books

In this mesmerizing memoir, Erica Bauermeister renovates a trash-filled house in Port Townsend, Washington, and in the process takes readers on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal exploration of the psychology of architecture, as well as a loving tribute to the connections we forge with the homes we care for and live in, this book is designed for anyone who’s ever fallen head over heels for a house.

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Science The Story of More :

Until the End of Time :

How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here

Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe

by Hope Jahren

available in March, paperback, Vintage

At once an explainer on the mechanisms of warming and a capsule history of human development, The Story of More illuminates the link between our consumption habits and our endangered earth, showing us how we can use less and share more. It is the essential pocket primer on climate change that will leave an indelible impact on everyone who reads it.

The 100% Solution : A Plan for Solving Climate Change

by Brian Greene

available now, hardcover, Knopf

Through a series of nested stories that explain distinct but interwoven layers of reality—from quantum mechanics to consciousness to black holes—Greene provides us with a sense of how we came to be, a picture of where we are now, and an understanding of where we are headed. With this grand tour of the universe, beginning to end, Brian Greene allows us all to appreciate our fleeting but utterly exquisite moment in the cosmos.

Visit us 24/7 at villagebooks.com

by Solomon Goldstein-Rose

available in March, paperback, Melville House

This is the guide we’ve been waiting for, and only work rooted in this level of comprehensive thinking will add up to a full solution in time. As calls for a WWII-scale mobilization intensify—especially among youth activists—this fully illustrated, action-oriented book arms that movement with specific demands; and sets the stakes for what our leaders must achieve.

Trees in Trouble : Wildfires, Committed to strong community journalism Proudly telling stories about the people, businesses and organizations doing good things around Whatcom County

Infestations, and Climate Change

by Daniel Mathews

available in April, hardcover, Counterpoint

Climate change manifests in many ways across North America, but few as dramatic as the attacks on our western pine forests.

In Trees in Trouble, Daniel Mathews tells the urgent story of this loss, accompanying burn crews and forest ecologists as they study the myriad risk factors and refine techniques for saving this important, limited resource. He explores how we might succeed in sustaining our forests through the challenging transition to a new environment. "Crucial reading for anyone who cares about the mountain west." –John Daniel, author of Rogue River Journal Join us in welcoming author

Daniel Mathews Friday, May 22, 7pm A FREE EVENT at VIllage Books in Fairhaven This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.

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Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Gardening Small Garden Style :

Green: Plants for Small

A Design Guide for Outdoor Rooms and Containers

by Jason Chongue

by Isa Hendry Eaton and Jennifer Blaise Kramer

available now, hardcover, Ten Speed Press

Petite gardens align with the movement to live smaller and create a life with less stuff and more room for living.

But a more eco-friendly and efficient space doesn’t have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space for entertaining or relaxing.

Spaces, Indoors and Out

available in April, Flexibound, Hardie Grant

In Green, Jason Chongue explains and simplifies how to curate and look after plants in small urban spaces. From balconies, porches, courtyards and small backyards to entryways, offices and living spaces, this 'how to' guide is an approachable resource for gardeners of all types.

Preserve the beauty of your garden with a FLOWER PRESS. Pick one up at Paper Dreams today!

The Language of Flowers : A Fully Illustrated Compendium of Meaning, Literature, and Lore for the Modern Romantic

by Odessa Begay

available in April, hardcover, Harper Design

Odessa Begay’s lavishly illustrated compendium is an immersive experience in color and beauty. She provides a concise history of the language of flowers, then introduces 50 of the most popular blooms worldwide. Each entry combines Begay’s extraordinary art and a mix of botanical lore, literary excerpts, mythology, folklore, contemporary anecdotes, and fun facts. Colorful, charming, and featuring 150 exquisite illustrations, The Language of Flowers is a must for gardeners, florists, romantics, and all flower lovers—and a perfect gift to express love.

Growing Weed in the Garden :

A No-Fuss, Seed-to-Stash Guide to Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation

by Johanna Silver

Planting for Butterflies : The Grower's Guide to Creating a Flutter

by Jane Moore

available in May, hardcover, Quadrille Publishing

Planting for Butterflies will show you how you can attract these beautiful insects and help them to flourish by creating a butterfly-friendly garden. No matter how small or large your space—from a window ledge in the city to a country garden—Jane Moore offers advice on the nectar-rich blooms to grow, and when and where to plant them.

Plant Tribe : Living Happily Ever After with Plants

available in March, hardcover, Abrams

by Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff

From the former garden editor of Sunset magazine, this groundbreaking, comprehensive guide to incorporating weed into your garden leads you from seed or plant selection to harvest. Filled with gorgeous photographs of beautiful gardens, as well as step-by-step photography that shows how to dry, cure, and store cannabis, make tinctures and oils, and roll the perfect joint, this book provides all the information you need to grow and enjoy cannabis. Note: it is not currently legal to grow marijuana for recreational purposes in Washington State.

available in March, hardcover, Abrams

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Aimed at a wider audience than typical houseplant books, each chapter combines easily digestible plant knowledge, style guidance via real home interiors, and inspiring advice for using plants to increase energy, creativity, and well-being. Also included is an FAQs section, a section on plants and pets, and plant care for the different stages of a houseplant’s life.

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Nature Nests, Eggs, Birds : An Illustrated Aviary

by Kelsey Oseid

available in March, hardcover, Ten Speed Press

Entangled Life : How Fungi Makes Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures

by Merlin Sheldrake

available in May, hardcover, Random House

Celebrated artist and author Kelsey Oseid explores the fascinating ins and outs of where and how dozens of avian species—robins, birds of paradise, crows, owls, penguins, and more—make their homes and lay their eggs. Full of striking naturalistic art and fun scientific facts, Nests, Eggs, Birds will delight bird lovers of all ages.

In Entangled Life, Sheldrake shows us the world from a fungal point of view, providing an exhilarating change of perspective. Sheldrake’s vivid exploration takes us from yeast to psychedelics, to the fungi that range for miles underground and are the largest organisms on the planet, to those that link plants together in complex networks known as the ’Wood Wide Web’, to those that infiltrate and manipulate insect bodies with devastating precision.

Salmon : A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate

Forest : A Journey

by Mark Kurlansky

available in March, hardcover, Patagonia

A tribute to a magnificent species whose cycles of life are entwined with every aspect of nature —freshwater, saltwater, and land—and whose survival is inextricably tied to the survival of the planet. With stunning historical and contemporary photographs and illustrations throughout, Kurlansky’s research shows that all over the world these fish, uniquely connected to both marine and terrestrial ecology, are a natural barometer for the health of the planet.

Feasting Wild : In Search of the Last Untamed Food

by Gina Rae La Cerva

Through Wild and Magnificent Landscapes

by Matt Collins, photographs by Roo Lewis

available in March, hardcover, Chronicle Books

Discover the secrets hidden within the Earth's lush woodlands and wild landscapes through photographs and stories about enchanting forests, magnificent trees, and people who live off the land.

Education How to Teach Nature Journaling : Curiosity, Wonder, Attention

available in May, hardcover, Greystone Books

by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren

In Feasting Wild, geographer and anthropologist Gina Rae La Cerva traces our relationship to wild foods and shows what we sacrifice when we domesticate them—including biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and an important connection to nature. Along the way, she samples wild foods herself, sipping elusive bird’s nest soup in Borneo and smuggling Swedish moose meat home in her suitcase. Thoughtful, ambitious, and wide-ranging, Feasting Wild challenges us to take a closer look at the way we eat today.

available in May, paperback, Heyday

Rascal

by Jean-Luc Deglin

Expanding on the philosophy and methods of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren have developed the first-ever comprehensive book devoted to helping educators use nature journaling as an inspiring teaching tool to engage young people with wild places. This book puts together curriculum plans, advice, and in-the-field experience so that educators of all stripes can leap into journaling with their students.

Pets

available in May, hardcover, Top Shelf Productions

When a mysterious mewling package arrives in the mail, one busy young woman’s life changes forever.

Rascal lives up to his name, filling every day with wild adventures and long naps: brave expeditions into closets, fierce battles with curtains, and wrestling with slumbering giants. Sometimes she’s tempted to throw him out the window. He’s lucky he’s cute.

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Spring 2020

Shop 24 hours a day at villagebooks.com

Join us in welcoming one of America’s best-known field guide authors

DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY Tuesday, May 19, 7pm What It's Like To Be a Bird From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing –What Birds Are Doing, and Why

A Free Event at Village Books in Fairhaven

This is the bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing–and why. “Can birds smell?” “Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?” “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?” In What It’s Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often.

Available in April

David Allen Sibley is the author and illustrator of the series of successful guides to nature that bear his name, including The Sibley Guide to Birds. The son of an ornithologist, he has been birding since his childhood. Sibley was only seven when he began drawing birds, filing his illustrations away along with clips about the natural history of each species. As an adult, Sibley merged that encyclopedic knowledge with his skills as a self-taught artist to become one of America’s best-known field guide authors. Don't miss this chance to meet him!

Pre-order your copy today!

This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute - see below.

Nature of Writing Spring 2020 Speaker Series connecting people, nature, and community Tuesday, March 10, 7pm

MICHAEL CHRISTIE

Tuesday, April 28, 7pm

SIERRA CRANE MURDOCH

–Greenwood

–Yellow Bird

Chuckanut Radio Hour In the Heiner Theater at WCC • $5

Chuckanut Radio Hour In the Heiner Theater at WCC • $5

Saturday, March 14, 4pm

Tuesday, May 19, 7pm

JULIE TATE-LIBBY

DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY

–The Good Way

–What It’s Like to Be a Bird

Village Books in Fairhaven • FREE

Village Books in Fairhaven • FREE

Wednesday, April 22, 4-6pm

Friday, May 22, 7pm

GIGI BERARDI

DANIEL MATHEWS

–FoodWISE

–Trees in Trouble

at Evolve Chocolate + Café • $15

Village Books in Fairhaven • FREE

360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

Head into spring with new books that explore and celebrate the natural wonders of the world!

Join Village Books and North Cascades Institute in welcoming award-winning writers to Bellingham to share their latest works.

More information at

ncascades.org/events Spring 2020

55

How to Wash the Dishes :

Be Your Best

A Manifesto

by Peter Miller available in March, hardcover, Roost Books

Some do the dishes for the clarity and privacy of it, some relish the quiet isolation of putting things in order and then there are some who feel the time and movement is a kind of digestive. How to Wash the Dishes brings art and a bit of mindfulness to the sink. It’s the perfect gift for those who love to clean and equally apt for those we wish would clean a bit more.

Joy at Work : Organizing Your Professional Life

by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein available in April, hardcover, Little, Brown and Company

In Joy at Work, Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters.

Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.

Awkword Moments : A Lively Guide to the 100 Terms Smart People Should Know

by Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras available in March, hardcover, Ten Speed Press

Sibling word nerds Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras, collaborate to bring us this collection of terms we hesitate to define. They are familiar, we might surmise their meaning through context, but if pressed to explain them, well...it could get awkward. Satisfy your inner etymologist. Read this book, and communicate with greater confidence. –Diana

Philosophy How to Teach Philosophy to Your Dog: Exploring the Big Questions in Life

by Anthony McGowan

available now, hardcover, Pegasus Books

Monty was just like any other dog. Taking his lead from Monty’s canine antics, McGowan takes us on a hilarious and enlightening jaunt through the major debates of philosophy. Will Kant convince Monty to stop stealing cheesecake? How long will they put up with Socrates poking holes in every argument? In this uniquely entertaining take on morality and ethics, the dutiful duo sets out to uncover who has the right end of the ethical stick and can tell us how best to live one’s life.

Games Thinking Inside the Box : Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can’t Live Without Them

by Adrienne Raphel

available in March, hardcover, Penguin Press

Raphel dives into the secrets of this classic pastime. At the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, she rubs shoulders with elite solvers of the world, doing her best to hold her own; aboard a crossword themed cruise, she picks the brains of the enthusiasts whose idea of a good time is a week sailing with nothing but crosswords to do; and, visits the home and office of Will Shortz, New York Times crossword puzzle editor.

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Earth Day Soiree with

Gigi Berardi at Evolve Chocolate + Café!

Wednesday, April 22, 4-6pm

Join Gigi Berardi, celebrating Huxley's 50th anniversary (she's celebrating her silver one with the College) and all of us as we mark/toast/observe Earth Day's 50th—by celebrating food!

Many of us in Whatcom county think that every day should be Earth Day, and Food Day. Why and How? Join journalist and Huxley prof Gigi Berardi as she makes weighty nutritional, farming, and environmental problems accessible, understandable, and hopeful.

Gigi strongly feels that understanding the farming origins of our food is part of eating well, and she'll be joined by a farming partner or two. But, she acknowledges, producers are only one part of the picture; communities of conscientious eaters, whether in campus dining halls or city “food deserts,” as well as the broader food system in which we live, play a vital part in creating our food system. How to do that? Join us for Earth Day Soiree to find out.

There will be live music, local farmers, and delicious treats from recipes in FoodWISE, executed by Evolve's very own Chef Christy.

Tickets $15:, include a 'plus one' option, and are available at Village Books and on eventbrite (taxes and fees apply).

How Not to Diet :

Beauty & Nutrition

The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss

Glow From Within

by Dr. Michael Greger

available now, hardcover, Harper Wave

In How Not to Diet, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, founder of Nutritionfacts.org. and author of bestselling How Not to Die, focuses on the issue of obesity. Dr. Greger travels far beyond food to name 21 weight-loss catalysts available to our bodies.

For example, chronobiology and other mechanisms that maximize our natural fat-burning capacity are presented in layman’s terms. How Not to Diet not only offers a proactive approach to managing obesity, but a life-altering strategy for health. –Sally

available now, hardcover, Flatiron Books

by Joanna Vargas

A gift for your skin, this book will teach and inspire you to care better for yours. Since reading it, I've added a topical fruit enzyme product, probiotic and chlorophyll supplements, and lymphatic massages to my routine. With glowing reviews by luminaries such as Mindy Kaling, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Elizabeth Moss, and Julianne Moore. –Diana

We're Online!

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

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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wind time

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20% OFF POETRY ALL April!

Ordinary Signs

by Linda Conroy

The Galleons : Poems

available now, paperback, Village Books

by Rick Barot

available now, paperback, Milkweed Editions

In The Galleons, Rick Barot brings forth topics of origin, history, immigration, and coming to terms with life as a whole.

Barot uses these topics to immerse the reader in a poetic exploration of the human condition. A masterful storyteller in the poetry world, The Galleons is a wonderful addition to Barot’s already strong collection of poems. Perfect for any poetry lover, or someone trying something new! –Rielley

"Ordinary Signs is an appealing collection of lyric poems rich in sense of place, imagery, and musical language. Linda's voice is distinct. She explores ordinary signs we find meaning in. Others point to mystery, pieces we have never understood, and gaze until we know what they might mean." –Richard Widerkehr Linday Conroy is a poetry group facilitator at Village Books and this is her first book.

Linda Conroy Sunday, May 3, 4pm

Sunday, April 19, 4pm

A Free Event at Village Books in Fairhaven

Group Poetry Reading!

Join us for an afternoon of poetry with this stellar line-up of local poets!

Richard Widerkehr Alice Derry Gayle Kaune & Jordan Hartt

Instruments of the True Measure

by Laura Da'

available now, paperback, University of Arizona Press

Da', a Shawnee poet, combines poems with short essays in this masterfully written book that chronicles U.S. settlers colonizing the west. Winner of the 2019 Washington State Book Awards in poetry, this is the perfect book that gives both recorded history and emotion all in one phrase. –Kelly E.

Receive a POEM-A-DAY Go to Poets.org 58

Spring 2020

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

YOUNG READERS Their Families & Educators

PICTURE BOOKS What Could That Be?

The Return of Thelma the Unicorn

available in April, hardcover, Orchard Books

available now, hardcover, Scholastic

by Aaron Blabey

by Reza Davland

On the edge of a clearing in the woods there's something mysterious lying on the ground. What on earth could it be?

The raven thinks it is a piece of star fallen from the sky. The leopard fears he has lost his own spot! The fox simply has no idea what it could be. What do you think it is?

The Three Billy Goats Buenos

Roy Digs Dirt

by David Shannon

by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez

available in April, hardcover, The Blue Sky Press

available in March, hardcover, G.P. Putnam

Holy cow, this is a great retelling of a classic fairytale. Our three goats definitely don’t want to get eaten but only one notices *why* the troll might be so cranky. With vibrant illustrations and a fun mix of English and Spanish, this is a natural read aloud choice! –Sarah

by Genevieve Godbout

by Anica Mrose Rissi

available now, hardcover, Tundra Books

No other kangaroo can hop like Maloo!

But one day his friends find him stepping instead of hopping. What’s wrong, Maloo?

His pals look for ways to help him regain the spring in his step. With patience, support and a little “hop” from his friends, Maloo just might get his bounce back.

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Although it's a smelly task for those who have to constantly bathe him, Roy's happiness centers on his very favorite thing-dirt-and from sunrise to sunset, he burrows in it, rolls in it, and digs up buried treasures. There's terror in every terrier, and when Roy runs into the house after being sprayed by a skunk, he faces… the dreaded bathtub.

Love, Sophia on the Moon

What’s Up, Maloo?

Stop in and find a great selection of...

Thelma is back!!! I love these stories of being true to who you are while still sharing your love (and sparkle!) when you can. With hilarious illustrations, Blabey creates one of my favorite picture book stars and hopefully Thelma will win you over too. –Sarah

ART SUPPLIES

available in March, hardcover, Disney-Hyperion

No time-outs on the moon! No bedtime either. Run away there, and you can spend your days riding moonicorns and eating cookies dunked in moonjuice. One could almost live there forever if it weren't for the appeal of returning to earth for spaghetti, a favorite book, soft blankets, and Mom. –Diana

GAMES

ACTIVITY BOOKS

TOYS CRAFTS PUZZLES Science Kits Spring 2020

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Introducing

KENDRA The New Village Books

Children's Book

BUYER

Although newer to Whatcom County, Kendra Calitri is no stranger to books which makes her a perfect fit to be our Children’s Book Buyer. Kendra comes from New York and has several years of bookstore experience so we were delighted to have her join us. When we heard about her passion for middle grade books and her talent with working with children, we knew it would be a great chapter. Next time you’re in the children’s section, be sure to say hello!

Hello From Kendra "When I was a child my father would shuffle me to any library or bookstore for hours. He would read any history, nature, or anthropology book he could get his hands on–mind you, this man didn't graduate high school or go to college. He worked with his hands but he taught me everything and above all he is the kindest, most compassionate, and intelligent human I know. From his love of books sprouted my love of them. Naturally, as a child who didn't initially love reading, I first gravitated towards comics from which grew my comprehension of the story. Though my love of comics never faded, when I had my fill, I navigated the mysterious halls of literature and chose my first novel, which to most people's surprise, was about a police chief and her artist wife who go on to slay a coven of vampires. I do not remember the title or author but this book was awesome! I didn't read juvenile or middle grade alone–I dabbled in anything I

Join us!

STORY TIME

for Kids 60

Spring 2020

found interesting and, because my father was supportive of that, I grew to have a pretty cultivated sense of the world.

It sparked an adventurous soul which brought me to live in New York City and now in the Pacific Northwest, opening my eyes to the endless possibilities this world is capable of giving–because with knowledge and understanding comes deeper growth.

My intention is to always listen to the readers that join us in the store and assist in a way that brings awareness and understanding of their interests. I love children's books but not just for children. These books are easy to devour and usually have lovely illustrations. There is occasionally some toilet humor every now and then but I love that too.

I want to help you and the little humans find books to love and maybe ones you never thought you would, maybe even about subjects that might not have crossed your mind before. To me, books are about choices and influence. I'd choose a warm and welcoming space everyday full of the worlds stories, subjects that open conversations and decades of research."

–Kendra, Children's Book Buyer, Village Books

IN FAIRHAVEN: Tuesdays & Saturday at 10:30am IN LYNDEN: Wednesdays at 11am & Saturdays at 10:30am Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

KIDS!

Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots

Fire Truck vs. Dragon

by Michael Rex

available now, hardcover, Nancy Paulsen Books

Some things are facts—like the number of robots in this book. Other things are opinions—like which robot would make the best friend, or which robot dances best. And sometimes to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion, you need to wait to get more information. Rex introduces young readers to the very important distinction between facts and opinions, and he reminds us that it is nice to listen to one another’s opinions, and to stand up for the facts!

by Chris Barton

available in March, hardcover, Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

Opposites attract, right? But it's not all about water vs. fire. Listen in on a hilarious conversation between these two, as they discuss all the reasons they make a great duo.

They have hidden skills that you would never anticipate. I know they're at the top of my next guest list! –Diana

Thursday, March 5, 2pm

Nikki McClure What Will These Hands Make?

Village Books is thrilled to welcome Nikki McClure back to the Readings Gallery!

We are big fans of this talented artist and invite you to join us as she presents her latest work, What Will These Hands Make?

This lyrical picture book follows a family through one day, illuminating themes of community, creativity, and collaboration. It dares the reader to dream up everything they can be and all the ways they can leave their little corner of the world better than they found it. This is Nikki’s most ambitious and detailed book to date.

Nikki McClure is a self-taught cut-paper artist and the author-illustrator of many books for children, including In; To Market, To Market; Waiting for High Tide; and Mama, Is It Summer Yet? She joins us from her home in Olympia, Washington.

Photo by Lisa Scott Owen

School's Out - Head to Fairhaven!

Ffuorn KIDS

Purple Friday

Friday, March 6, 10:30am

Story Time & Craft

Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum Join us in the Readings Gallery for stories and activities around this great book that teaches about the creative process and how to see art in new ways. Most important, this book reminds readers that there is no right or wrong way to look at our think about art. Everyone sees things in different ways! We’ll read stories, do some ‘arting’ and find inspiration together. Ages 5-11 Author does not attend.

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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Village Books Summer

LIT

CAMP

July 27-31, 1-5pm

Ages 8-11

Calling all young readers and writers from ages 8-11, this exciting camp is just for you!

Each day of the week (July 27th-31st) has a specific beloved book as its focus and each day's activities will be inspired by its respective book.

There will be a short writing exercise every day, as well as a healthy snack. We'll also explore some of Bellingham's treasures like the (haunted) Mount Baker Theatre, some sweet eateries, and well, we can't tell you EVERYTHING! We have to leave some surprises up our sleeves for you! We'll do some arting (yes, we made up that word), LOTS of playing outside, and each day, we'll take some time to write in our brand new journals that are included in the price of registration. So bring your imaginations and your sense of adventure (and sunscreen) and let's have some good, bookish fun!

2020 Newbery Winner!

Purchase of books is NOT required and kids do NOT have to have read the books in advance to participate, however it does enhance their experience if they have read some of them. Campers receive 15% off camp reading selections.

Camp will take place at our Fairhaven store. Registration opens April 1st.

See villagebooks.com or call 360.671.2626 for details. Space is limited so don't wait!

WHAT

LOCAL KIDS were

-2019-

READING

Top Sellers for the Young & Young at Heart

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Spring 2020

1. Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey 2. Keeper of the Lost Cities: Legacy

by Shannon Messenger 3. Guts by Raina Telgemeier 4. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson 5. Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid by Jeff Kinney 6. Refugee by Alan Gratz 7. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman Local 8. Shrinking the Worry Monster by Sally Baird Author!

9. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 10. Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

Building Community One Book at a Time

National

Children’s Book & Screen-Free Week

May 4 -10, 2020

Celebrate!

Read • Dream • Share

Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes—wherever young readers and books connect. National Screen Free Week coincides with CBW to create the perfect pairing. Check out the variety of free events we have planned to keep kids engaged and having fun with books:

VB donates 10% of all kids’ book purchases made during Children's Book Week to the children’s departments of the city and county libraries!

Tuesday, May 5, 10:30am

Story Time featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Classics Join Kids Book Buyer, Kendra, in the kids’ section for a themed story time celebrating the classics of Eric Carle. We’ll sing songs and read our favorite Eric Carle stories like Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Author not attending.

Author Visit!

Thursday, May 7, 2pm

AMANDA ABLER -The Spirit of Springer

Join us in the Readings Gallery to hear about the remarkable rescue of an orphaned orca calf, Springer (A73), whose story captured the hearts of whale lovers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

In 2002, an orca calf was discovered swimming alone in Puget Sound. This compelling nonfiction book follows the team of scientists who worked together against all odds to save Springer from starvation and reunite her with her family.

Check out the YARC in our Saturday, May display 9, 10:30 am Fairhven store for more Y.A. reading recommendations!

Story Time with Special Guest Author

Kjersten Anna Hayes -Elephants' Guide to Hide and Seek Elephants are great at many things...playing hide-and-seek is not one of them. But The Elephant Hobby and Sport League is here to help all those frustrated, always "found" elephants out there. A hilarious tongue-in-cheek book perfect for elephants and their best human pals.

Author Visit!

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Turn for More Cool Events Spring 2020

63

Middle Grade FIction Join us in welcoming this award-winning author of queer and progressive middle grade fiction!

Alex Gino -Rick

Monday, May 11, 6:30pm

Village Books and the Bellingham Public Library are thrilled to bring Alex Gino to Bellingham!

As they did in their groundbreaking novel George, in Rick, award-winning author Alex Gino explores what it means to search for your own place in the world … and all the steps you and the people around you need to take in order to get where you need to be.

Alex Gino is also the author of middle grade novel You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! . They love glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive.

Join Us!

Saturday, April 18, 4pm

Stephanie Dethlefs –Unspoken Join us in welcoming local author Stephanie Dethlefs as she presents her new middle-grade novel about friendship and finding one's voice.

Sam is used to being what everyone needs him to be. So when his family falls apart and he has to change middle schools, he keeps his feelings buried. Willa, an isolated 7th grader who doesn't speak, captures his attention just by being herself. The two unlikely friends challenge each other to speak up in a middle grade story about the true power of friendship and what can happen when we believe in the importance of what we have to say. Unspoken mixes traditional narrative with text messages and poems for a unique and modern look at communication in its varied forms. Stephanie Dethlefs is a writer, Chuckanut Writers class instructor, and story coach in Bellingham.

John Newbery Medal

2020 AWARD WINNERS Randolph Caldecott Medal

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

OFF 20% POETRY

The Undefeated

by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Michael L. Printz Award Dig

by A.S. King

ALL April!

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Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Middle Readers The List of Things That Will Not Change

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

by Rebecca Stead

by Jessica Kim

available in April, hardcover, Random

Bea’s parents are divorced and when her dad gets engaged to his partner, who ALSO has a 10-year-old daughter, she’s sure she’s going to finally have the sister she has wanted. But Bea worries. A LOT. And as the wedding approaches, things aren’t turning out quite how she envisioned. This book is about family, anxiety, change, and ultimately, forgiveness. It’s nothing less than we would expect from the stellar author of When You Reach Me. –Claire

available in March, hardcover, Kokila

On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her “Yu-MEAT” because she smells like her family’s Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special.

Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she’s reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage.

Echo Mountain

by Lauren Wolk

Clean Getaway

available in April, hardcover, Dutton

After the financial crash, Ellie and her family have lost nearly everything— including their home in town. They have started over, carving out a new life in the unforgiving terrain of Echo Mountain. But there is little joy, even as they all struggle with the aftermath of an accident that left her father in a coma. Following her heart, and the lead of a scruffy mutt, Ellie will make her way to the top of the mountain, in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as “the hag.”

by Nic Stone

available now, hardcover, Crown Books

A hear t warming and hilarious adventure with grandma that holds the historical realities of the 60's; brilliant writing and quality storytelling create one of my favorite titles in our juvenile fiction collection! –Kendra

Non Fiction

On the Horizon

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter

by Lois Lowry

available in April, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin

by Aaron Reynolds

available in April, hardcover, Disney-Hyperion

Rex Dexter wants a dog. What he gets though is a chicken. A soon-to-be DEAD chicken. And a curse. And a mystery to solve. Will Rex fix everything AND get his dog? He has no idea.

But if you read Dead Pets, you'll find out! –Kendra

Poetry

This small collection of illustrated verse

by Newbery Award-winner Lowry is an unexpected remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the day the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Inspired by her childhood in which she spent time in both places, Lowry reminds us of what war does to humanity and how we're really all one race. What happens to some, affects all. Beautifully illustrated and with lovely, spare verse, this little book speaks volumes. –Claire

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem : Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Five

by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen available in June, hardcover, Candlewick

Metaphor alert! An ode to a certain pig kicks off one wild school day in Kate DiCamillo’s latest stop on Deckawoo Drive.

20% OFF POETRY ALL April!

Celebrate National Poetry Month Pre-pay for your copy during April and receive 20% off!

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

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Middle Readers

City Spies

by James Ponti available in March, hardcover, Aladdin

A Bond-esque middle grade novel featuring a child hacker. Sara Martinez recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers.

Enter Mother, a British spy who offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret spy agency. Now operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies consist of five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills in allowing them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. No one said saving the world was easy. Recommended to kids who enjoyed Spy School

by Stuart Gibbs!

If We Were Giants

by Dave Matthews and Clete Barrett Smith

available now, hardcover, Disney-Hyperion

Who would have guessed that Bellingham's own celebrated author of Aliens on Vacation would team up with musician Dave Matthews to write a middle grade fantasy book? The result is an action-packed adventure about a tribe of forest people under threat from invaders called the Takers. Young Kirra knows the havoc that the Takers can wreak and it’s up to her to save her adoptive family and community from the terror. –Claire

Sara and the Search for Normal

Mañanaland

by Wesley King

by Pam Muñoz Ryan

available in May, hardcover, Paula Wiseman Books

available in March, hardcover, Scholastic

Mañanaland begins with one of the most beautiful first sentences I have ever read and never falters. Max lives with his father and grandfather.

He loves futbol and his dog, Lola.

But the mystery of his mother’s disappearance is always at the back of his mind and when he gets the chance to go on a real mission that will help get a little girl to safety and maybe give him some answers, he doesn’t hesitate. A magical, human, and lovely book. –Claire

Amal Unbound

Sara’s Rules to be Normal: 1. Stop taking your pills 19. Make a friend 137. Don’t put mayonnaise on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Sara wants one thing: to be normal.

What she has instead are multiple diagnoses from Dr. Ring.

Sara’s constant battle with panic attacks cause her to isolate herself. But when she starts group therapy she meets someone new. Talkative and outgoing Erin doesn’t believe in “normal,” and Sara finds herself in unfamiliar territory: at the movies, at a birthday party, and with a friend. This novel was written by the author of OCDaniel.

Wink

by Aisha Saeed

available now, paperback, Puffin Books

by Rob Harrell

Twelve-year-old Amal's dream of becoming a teacher one day is dashed in an instant when she accidentally insults a member of her Pakistani village's ruling family then forced into indentured servitude.

available in March, hardcover, Dial Books

"A moving story about a girls heroic struggle to overcome an injust system & achieve freedom." –Kendra

If you're a reader that really enjoyed Wonder by R.J. Palacio or Surviving Middle School by Luke Reynolds, I believe this story is for you. When blending in is off the table you realize that being normal is overrated.

–Kendra

You’ll Enjoy These Incredible Books!

Congratulations to all 2020 4th & 5th Grade YETI BOOK COMPETITION participants!

You read. You learned. You enjoyed. You rock.

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Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

Young Adult

by Sophie Gonzales

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

available in March, hardcover, Wednesday Books

by Samira Ahmed

available in April, hardcover, Soho Teen

Take Grease, remove the changing for the guy and increase the heartache and drama tenfold, plus make it queer.

That’s this book! This romance between two boys—complicated by families and friends and accepting one’s self— was heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. Every character has a well thought out background and story, all melding together wonderfully. –Jenni

This story is everything; its historical, romantic, and contemporary! Told in alternating narratives that bridge centuries, it traces the lives of two young women fighting to write their own stories and escape the pressure of cultural expectations in worlds too long defined by men. You'll want to read this title with every woman and girl you know!

Only Mostly Devastated

The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton

by Richard Fifield

available in March, hardcover, Razorbill

Tiffany Templeton is tough. She dresses exclusively in black, and a leather jacket several sizes too big, and never backs down from a fight. She’s known in her tiny Montana town as Tough Tiff. But after a shoplifting stint that gets her in some real trouble, a lot of things change. Tiffany is now navigating her new life and learning who she wants to be, she must also contend with an overbearing best friend, the quirky cast of a high-maintenance drama production, her first boyfriend, and a town full of eccentric neighbors.

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come

by Mildred D. Taylor

available now, hardcover, Viking Books

The fifth volume concludes the story of the Logan family, which began in 1975 with Song of the Trees, followed by the Newbery Award–winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Here, narrator Cassie, now a grown woman, describes an era of sweeping social change, that culminates with the civil rights movement. Cassie’s struggles and joys are decidedly adult, eventually deciding to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, a profession she employs to register black voters in her home state of Mississippi. A memorable heroine and her keen sense of injustice propel this satisfying conclusion to a landmark family saga.

These Witches Don’t Burn

by Isabel Sterling

available in April, paperback, Razorbill

A thrilling, exciting, and ultimately endearing story about a teen witch facing supernatural drama, along with the drama that comes with relationships. This book balances the start of a new relationship with the life-threatening situations within the coven flawlessly. Plus a good amount of woven-in queerness! –Jenni

The Night Country : A Hazel Wood Novel

by Melissa Albert

available now, hardcover, Flatiron Books

Follow Alice Proserpine and Ellery Finch as they learn the Hazel Wood was just the beginning, and that worlds die not with a whimper, but a bang.

"The second title in the Hazel Wood series dives back into a menacing, mesmerizing world of dark fairy tales and hidden doors." –Kendra

Find and follow Village Books and Paper Dreams on Instagram (village_books). #Tag your favorite VB/PD photos! Watch for fun contests, awesome events, and great reads!

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

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Sunday, March 15, 4pm

Laurie Halse

ANDERSON at Sehome High School

2700 Bill McDonald Pkwy, Bellingham

This powerful and thought-provoking collection of free verse will sit beside works by writers such as Roxane Gay, Amber Tamblyn, and Rebecca Traister. “I lost my voice for a very long time after I was raped,” says Anderson.

“I lost my self, too. Shout is a poetry tapestry that shares the darkness of my silent years and shows how writing helped me speak up. Shout is a declaration of war against rape culture and a celebration of survival. ” Since Speak came out in 1999, Laurie Halse Anderson has become a literary and feminist icon. An advocate for sexual assault survivors and a member of the National Leadership Council for RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization), a voice against censorship, and a supporter of diversity in publishing, she is among the most respected and beloved writers for young people of our time. The New York Times has said that her books “speak for the still-silent among us, and force all of us to acknowledge the real and painful truths that are too dangerous to ignore.”

This event is recommended for ages 13+ as very mature subject matter will be discussed.

Laurie Halse Anderson is a bestselling author whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults. Combined, her books have sold more than 8 million copies. Her new book, Shout, a memoir in verse about surviving sexual assault at the age of 13 and a manifesta for the #MeToo era, has received widespread critical acclaim. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Laurie has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English.

Admission $15: Each ticket comes with a copy of Shout to be handed out at the event.

Tickets are now available at Village Books and online at eventbrite.com.

Village Books will donate a percentage of tickets and book sales at the event to DVSAS (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services).

If you are unable to attend at the last minute, a copy of Shout will be held for you at Village Books undil March 22, after which your copy is forfeit. To claim copies after the event, proof of non-attendance will be required in the form of an unmarked ticket. Shandard fees apply to ship your copy to you.

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Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • Sunday 10am-7pm

YA RC .

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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?

The Light in Hidden Places

The Stars We Steal

available now, hardcover, Scholastic

available now, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Light in Hidden Places was incredible.

I’ve found that WWII fiction is a reliably good sub-genre, but this book surpassed that. Based on a true story, the story follows Stefania Podgorska and her life in Nazioccupied Poland. While trying to care for her six-year-old sister and hosting 13 Jews in her attic and two Nazi nurses in her room, the story follows her everyday trials and struggles. This was one of those rare books where you look for faults but just can’t find any. –Stephanie K. age 19

What Kind of Girl

Despite being considered a princess, Leonie (aka "Leo") is not living the extravagant lifestyle. Her family's spaceship is doomed, and the only chance she has to save it and subsequently her family is to marry well— and fast. Enter the Valg Season—pretty much The Bachelor in space. Leo's plans to find an eligible man are disrupted when her former fiance arrives to ruin, well, everything for her. A perfect mix of romance and politics, The Stars We Steal will leave you simultaneously swooning over the budding relationships and appreciative of Alexa Donne's excellent use of plot devices.

–Aria D. age 18

available now, hardcover, Sourcebooks

Frozen Beauty

by Sharon Cameron

by Alyssa Sheinmel

On Monday, Maya goes to the principal.

She says that Mike has been hitting her.

Mike, her boyfriend, the track star, and the teacher’s pet. The perfect boy has been abusing his girlfriend. As the week creeps by, Maya can’t seem to get away from the rumors, the stares, but worst of all, the skeptics. Because why would she stay with Mike for months after the first time he hit her? But the bruise on Maya’s face doesn’t lie. And they blame someone else.

–William V. age 15

All Your Twisted Secrets

by Diana Urban

by Alexa Donne

by Lexa Hillyer

available in March, hardcover, Harperteen

Frozen Beauty by Lexa Hillyer is an atmospheric, mysterious tale of murder and the power of sisterhood. Kit Malloy is keeping a secret from everyone, even her two sisters. That secret gets her killed. The blame immediately falls on the boy next door, Boyd, but Kit’s sister Tessa believes the truth is not so simple. Told in moments from the present and diary entries from the past, this was an incredibly well-written story full of secrets and suspense. –Sarah K. age 18

Parked

available in March, hardcover, Harper Teen

by Danielle Svetcov

When six classmates are locked in a room with a bomb and a syringe of poison, the question seems obvious: How do we escape? They are given an hour to choose one person to kill until the bomb goes off and kills all of them. Amber, local music nerd, is desperate to get out, to escape these people she knows only too well. But when they start to uncover all of the secrets buried underneath, the question turns into something horrific as the time ticks down: Who do they kill? –William V. age 15

available now, hardcover, Dial Books

Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Jeanne Anne and Cal live on opposite sides of the street, only, Cal lives in a nice house and Jeanne Anne lives in the new van on the block. JA and her mother are struggling to find a foothold in San Francisco life and, despite Jeanne Anne's resistance, Cal is determined to help. This book examines Jeanne Anne's struggle with being homeless and retaining pride, and Cal's desperate bid to be himself and make friends. –Stephanie K. age 19

Spring 2020

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YA RC

The Degenerates

by Albert J. Mann

available in March, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

The Degenerates is a well-written book that follows the stories of four girls who are admitted to the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. Set during the eugenics period in the United States, it illustrates the unfairness and mistreatment of the disabled and marginalized women who were institutionalized for life. Those in "treatment" are diagnosed as morons or idiots - fit for only simple tasks. The story–set in actual events–highlights America's history of removing those deemed "different." It is a powerful addition to YA historical fiction. –Kamden I. age 16

Girls Save the World in This One

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Book Reviews

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For Teens, By Teens

Established in 2014, this program offers teenagers 13-18 the opportunity to read yet-to-be-published books, also known as ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies). In exchange for this privilege, they write reviews for Village Books to use in print and on social media, as well as for recommendations to our customers.

The Blackbird Girls

by Anne Blankman

by Ash Parsons

available now, hardcover, Penguin

available in April, hardcover, Philomel

Girls Save the World in This One, by Ash Parsons is an action-packed love letter to fandom and friendship. June and her friends Imani and Siggy are excited when the convention for their favorite show, ZombieCon, comes to their small town.

The girls get more than they bargained for, however, when the actual zombie apocalypse starts at the convention. This book left me on the edge of my seat, wondering if the characters were going to make it out alive. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, fun read. –Sarah K. age 18

Themes of finding love and friendship in unlikely settings take center stage in this original and bittersweet novel. After the Chernobyl power plant disaster upends the lives of many in Pripyat, two young girls must rely on each other to reach safety. Valentina and Oksana have different demons, but as they learn to trust each other and see beauty in the world, they summon the courage to face these demons.

Anne Blankman’s simple, thematic writing is the perfect medium for Valentina and Oksana’s unique yet universal tale of finding light in dark places. –Isabel F. age 15

Get creative about conflict resolution with Village Books and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center

Youth Peace Poetry Contest Opens April 1, 2020 Who: Whatcom County youth ages 4-18 When: April 1, 2020 - September 30, 2020 Recognition: Poetry reading at Village Books, and the WDRC Peace Builder Awards Dinner How: Submit online or print forms at whatcomdrc.org/youth-peace-poetry-contest/

Youth Poetry Workshop in Summer!

Kids 7-13 can sign up for Whatcom Community College's "Kids College" to reflect, imagine, create, and write in this 2-hour workshop sponsored by Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center.

Look out for this opportunity in this summer's "Kids College" catalog.

Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center 206 Prospect St, Bellingham, WA 98225 360.676.0122 l whatcomdrc.org 70

Spring 2020

Building Community One Book at a Time

Tuesday, March 10, 7pm doors and music, 6:30pm

Literature LIVE!

VB’s Literary Events Program

EVENTS

Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out

VillageBooks.com

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

Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!

MARCH Thursday, March 5, 2pm Kids!

NIKKI MCCLURE –What Will These Hands Make?

We are big fans of this talented artist and invite you to join us as she presents her latest work. Illuminating themes of community, creativity, and collaboration, What Will These Hands Make? dares the reader to dream up everything they can be and all the ways they can leave their little corner of the world better than they found it. Nikki McClure is a self-taught cut-paper artist and the author-illustrator of many books for children. She lives in Olympia, Washington. Read more on page 61.

Thursday March 5-Saturday, March 7, Whatcom READS 2020 Author Visits Join the county-wide book group! Eowyn Ivey, author of the 2020 reading selection To The Bright Edge of the World, is presenting at five different venues throughout the county! See a full schedule on page 15.

All events are FREE and open to the public.

Friday, March 6, 10:30am Purple Friday Story Time featuring Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum

Kids!

Join us in the Readings Gallery for stories and activities that teach about the creative process and how to see art in new ways.

This book reminds readers that there is no right or wrong way to look at our think about art. Everyone sees things in different ways! We’ll read stories, do some ‘arting’ and find inspiration together. Ages 5-11

Sunday, March 8, 4pm CAROLYN DALE –Second Rising

PNW Fiction!

Lauren has bought a café in a Cascade Mountains town where she hopes to burnish her reputation and move on as a chef. But a struggle is building between the townspeople and a billionaire whose secret project threatens their lands and way of life. With transformations surrounding her, Lauren faces bittersweet choices among friendships, work, and the man and the place she is coming to love. Carolyn Dale lives in Bellingham where she taught in Western Washington University’s Journalism Department.

360.671.2626 • villagebooks.com

The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring MICHAEL CHRISTIE –Greenwood In the Heiner Theater at WCC

PNW Fiction!

Join us for the taping of a live radio show featuring local music, fun skits, and award-winning author of If I Fall, If I Die Michael Christie!

He will introduce his new propulsive, multigenerational family story, in which the unexpected legacies of a remote island off the coast of British Columbia will link the fates of five people over 100 years. A magnificent novel of inheritance, sacrifice, nature, and love that takes its structure from the nested growth rings of a tree, Greenwood spans generations to tell the story of a family living and dying in the shadows cast by its own secrets.

Tickets $5: Available at Village Books and eventbrite.com. Receive a free ticket with the pre-purchase of Greenwood! This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute. See page 34 for more!

Wednesday, March 11, 7pm Excellence NW Workshop with Dawn Harju Topic: Compassionate Communication Dawn has a contagious way of inviting people to be their best self, and is committed to the fabric of world-wide goodwill. She volunteers with Excellence Northwest, a non-profit organization, and is dedicated to the success of Excellence Seminars International. She has a passion for children, animals, and the environment.

Friday, March 13, 7pm KAYLA DAY –My Anxious Life My Anxious Life is an inspiring memoir about a young girl with total blindness and cerebral palsy who faces challenges and obstacles throughout the course of her life. Listen as she gives examples of regrets and advice about how to live life when you have a disabled child. If you are looking for understanding and clarity into the world of developmental disabilities, then this book will feed your mind. This story will bring love, happiness, sadness as well as tips for parents with children living with disabilities and anxiety. Kayla Day is a 28-year-old author living in Bellingham. She was born blind and diagnosed with a general anxiety disorder at the age of 15. Kayla hopes that these experiences will provide clarity as well as advice to parents who have children with anxiety disorders.

Saturday, March 14, 4pm JULIE TATE-LIBBY Slideshow!

–The Good Way: A Himalayan Journey When 19-year-old anthropologist Julie Tate abandons her missionary group near Mt. Everest in Nepal, she embarks on a solo trek in the Himalayas. Battling an eating disorder and an upbringing riddled with fundamentalism, Julie’s journey is a quest to understand the sacred mountains and people of the Himalaya, and a chance to rekindle her own faith. Julie Tate-Libby is an anthropologist and lives in a small mountain town of the Pacific Northwest. A professor of sociology and anthropology, she recently taught a course on Himalayan Culture and Ecology for Fairhaven College and Western Washington University. This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.

Keep turning for more events!

Unless otherwise noted, events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books in Fairhaven and are FREE.

See page 39 for LitLive! Events in Lynden Spring 2020

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Saturday, March 14, 7pm DOUG MARGESON –Gazing at the Distant Lights Were the sixties really a magical time? Many who came of age in the era would argue they were not–although glimpses of magic sometimes showed themselves, like flickering lights on a dark night. It is autumn, 1964 and 18-year-old Tom Brewer is starting his freshman year at Seattle Pacific College.

Brewer finds himself alone and alienated in a conservative evangelical culture he finds bizarre and repressive. A former newspaper reporter, Margeson won 184 regional and 28 national journalism awards; 212 in all. Gazing at the Distant Lights is Doug Margeson’s first novel.

Sunday, March 15, 4pm LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON at Sehome High School

2700 Bill McDonald Parkway, Bellingham

–Shout

Village Books is thrilled to welcome bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults. In Shout, Halse Anderson reveals her personal history as a survivor of sexual assault, her journey to healing, and reflects on two decades of reader reactions to her award-winning novel Speak. This powerful and thoughtprovoking collection of free verse will sit beside works by writers such as Roxane Gay, Amber Tamblyn, and Rebecca Traister. Tickets are $15 and are available at Village Books and on eventbrite. Each ticket comes with a copy of Shout. A percentage of tickets and book sales at the event will be donated to DVSAS (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services). See details on pg.68.

Thursday, March 19, 7pm PJ BEAVEN –ZooFit Safari: A 5-Week Jumpstart to Your Journey in Fitness, Health, and Saving the World

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 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.

Saturday, March 21, 4pm In LYNDEN! - 413 Front St. GWEN OVERLAND Millicent Winthrop Series Book Launch and Signing!

Join us at our Lynden store to meet one of our favorite local authors as we celebrate this delightful series. Read more on page 39.

Saturday, March 21, 7pm CHRISTINE HEMP SMITH –Wild Ride Home: Love, Loss, and a Little White Horse, a Family Memoir

Wild Ride Home is a joyous memoir of finding love and losing love, of going away and coming home, of Alzheimer's, cancer, and lost pregnancies, of fly fishing and horsemanship, of second chances, and, ultimately, the triumph of love and the strength of one resilient and hilarious family. Christine Hemp has aired her essays and poems on National Public Radio's Morning Edition. She has received a Harvard University Conway Award for teaching writing and a Washington State Artist Trust Fellowship for Literature. She lives on the Olympic Peninsula with two horses, two cats, and one husband.

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Sunday, March 22, 4pm ABBE ROLNICK –Founding Stones: A Novel of Cultural and Environmental Conflict

Part coming of age, part political intrigue, Founding Stones questions what it means to be a citizen of the world. Trouble simmers in a small Pacific Northwest town when generations of secrets collide. Hannah, the daughter of the largest berry farmer in the county, searches for her voice after her twin sister dies of cancer. She jumps into the controversy around immigrant workers at the farm, and naively causes further problems. Abbe Rolnick has been writing since she was old enough to climb a tree to get perspective. Being a graduate from Boston University, a former bookstore owner in Puerto Rico, a former employee of Village Books, a former CEO of a manufacturing firm, a recently retired restaurant owner, mother, and world traveler, gives her a deep appreciation for life.

Thursday, March 26, 12-1pm Hour of Mindfulness with Tim Burnett Join local mindfulness practitioner Tim Burnett, Executive Director of Mindfulness Northwest, for an exploration of mindfulness practices that promote awareness and well-being. We will discuss the origins of mindfulness, touch on stress physiology, and explore how mindfulness practices can help us engage in our relationship to experience, reducing stress and enhancing well-being. Simple practices of breathing and mindful movement will support our discussion as we explore mindfulness from the inside out.

Friday, March 27, 5-8pm Fourth Friday Art Walk Celebrate local creative spirit at the Fairhaven Fourth Friday Art Walk where merchants throughout Fairhaven Village open their doors to share the artwork of emerging and established artists.

Friday, March 27, 7pm Local History!

RUSTAN ROBERTSON –Wages of Sin: The True Story and Photos of the Great Sedro-Woolley Bank Robbery of 1914

Wages of Sin documents the complete story of one of the PNW’s most famed criminal events. From the week prior to the robbery on the evening of October 17, 1914, through the death of four of the five robbers during manhunts in Whatcom county and Canada. Don't miss this presentation on a fascinating and little-known piece of local history.

Rustan Robertson was born and raised in Sedro-Woolley, graduating from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1996. He was active on the original board of directors of the Sedro-Woolley Museum, and researched the 1914 Bank Robbery throughout high school.

Saturday, March 28, 7pm M.E. ROSTRON –The Kabul Conscript

Fiction!

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, lived for 25 years in Alaska, and has lived in Whatcom County for the past 20 years. During the summer of 1973, Rostron was a Peace Corps trainee in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out villagebooks.com to stay updated Building Community One Book at a Time

Literature

APRIL

LIVE!

Friday, April 3, 7pm JENNIFER GOLD –Keep Me Afloat

Sunday, March 29, 4pm DICK CATHELL –The Gift of Becoming: Fulfilling Nine Basic Needs for Enhanced Living

As a hospital chaplain, Dick Cathell’s job required him to be present in circumstances that were unbearable and unfathomable. In this, his first book, Mr. Cathell writes a moving collection of stories, poems, and vignettes resulting from nearly four decades of heartbreaking encounters that all came as “part of the job”. Through his experiences, Dr. 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.

Monday, March 30 6pm: Spanish Open Mic Night!

Village Books is pleased to host Spanish Open Mic! Come support our Spanish-language writers and poets and stay for the traditional Open Mic at 7pm! Sign up to participate at the main counter in Fairhaven.

7pm: Traditional Open Mic Night!

Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talent as they share their own stories, poems, and essays! To read, please sign up prior to the event at Village Books main counter in Fairhaven.

Five years ago, marine biologist Abby Fisher made a mistake that cost her everything. Rather than face the consequences, she fled home to start anew–and built the career she'd always dreamed of. But when her research program runs out of funding, she's adrift once again and decides to return to the safe harbor of her family and friends. Except nothing at home is how she remembered.

Poignant and heartfelt, Keep Me Afloat asks the question: How can you expect forgiveness from others if you can't even forgive yourself?

Saturday, April 4, 7pm Poetry!

EUPHRATES MOSS –Telos and Other Psychographs Join us as we kick off Poetry Month with this 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.

Wednesday, April 8, 7pm Excellence NW Workshop with Monique Stefens Topic: Inclusion and Assumptions Equity, diversity and inclusion are buzzwords. What do they mean and why does it matter? Join Monique as she shares concepts around identity, efficacy and bias.

Celebrate Poetry Month 20% OFF Poetry in April

STORY TIMES

Fiction!

KIDS!

Fairhaven: Tuesdays & Saturdays at 10:30am Lynden: Wednesdays at 11am and Saturdays at 10:30am - new time!

Book Groups, Writing Groups, and Writing Classes • VB Reads Book Groups (page 44) • VB Writes Writing Groups (page 27) Village Books hosts multiple book and writing groups. These groups are open to anyone in the community and are free to attend. Find details at villagebooks.com.

• Chuckanut Writers Classes Presented in partnership with WCC Community & Continuing Education, these programs are designed to inspire and encourage writers at all stages of their writing journey. See pages 28-29 for information on upcoming classes and the Chuckanut Writers Conference!

Thursday, April 9, 7pm AMY ROOST –Fury: Women's Lived Experiences in the Trump Era

Fury brings together a diverse community of women who reveal the impact Donald Trump’s behavior, words, and presidency have had on each one of them, how each is confronting the problem, and how she is fighting back. Most readers will identify with more than one of these powerfully authentic and revealing personal essays representing a refreshingly broad representation of viewpoints. 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.

Friday, April 10, 7pm ERICA BAUERMEISTER –House Lessons: Renovating a Life In her first book of nonfiction, bestselling author Erica Bauermeister renovates a historic house and takes readers on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal and accessible exploration of the psychology of architecture, and a loving tribute to the connections we forge with our homes. Erica Bauermeister is the bestselling author of four novels, including The School of Essential Ingredients and The Scent Keeper. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington, in the house she renovated with her family.

Keep turning for more events!

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

Spring 2020

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Saturday, April 11, 7pm Poetry!

DANIEL MOORE –Boys and –Waxing the Dents The chapbook Boys, like real boys, packs raw, powerful emotion in a deceptively small package. These are 25 poems that wrestle with sorrows and joys, strength and weakness, power and vulnerability that all boys struggle with on the journey to manhood, but few have the artistic talent to shape into words. Daniel Edward Moore takes us on a poetic journey into the souls of boys with honest grit, integrity and sensitivity. Boys is an epic journey disguised as a chapbook.

Waxing the Dents:"On this long road to somewhere, which I call 'relationships,' regardless of the vehicle given, dents will be made and received. Poetry is how I’ve learned to wax those wounded, rusty, places, to own their presence by making them shine as brightly as their crash."

Saturday, April 18, 4pm STEPHANIE DETHLEFS –Unspoken

Middle Grade Fiction!

Sunday, April 19, 4pm Group Poetry Reading!

RICHARD WIDERKEHR, ALICE DERRY, GAYLE KAUNE, & JORDAN HARTT

1312 Bay St, Bellingham, WA

–Chosen Ones

Come join us at the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention as we welcome bestselling author of the Divergent series, Veronica Roth! Chosen Ones is the long-awaited next novel and is Roth's first book for adults. For fans of her previous books, this one does NOT disappoint.

Co-sponsored by the Bellingham Public Library, this event is FREE to attend! Seating is limited so please arrive early—a space is not guaranteed. Doors open at 6:30pm.

From Bellingham to Brooklyn, booksellers and book lovers will celebrate Saturday, April 25th as Independent Bookstore Day. For the sixth year in a row, we're throwing a party to celebrate the things that make independent bookstores special—and you're invited to join us at Village Books and Paper Dreams— in both Fairhaven and Lynden!

Sunday, April 26, 10am-5pm DIRTY DAN HARRIS DAY Fairhaven Village Green & Beyond The Historic Fairhaven Association’s annual celebration of our “unscrubbed” community founder, Dirty Dan Harris is free to attend and features food and games, live music, dress-up contests, fun stuff for young ones, a beer and wine garden for the 21+ crowd, and the world’s only uphill piano race! It all takes place at or very near the Fairhaven Village Green, except for the Dan Harris Challenge, an annual rowing and paddling event which starts and finishes at nearby Boulevard Park.

Join us for an afternoon of poetry with this stellar line-up of local poets!

Wednesday, April 22, 4-6pm EARTH DAY SOIRÉE with GIGI BERARDI at Evolve Chocolate + Café!

–FoodWISE: A Whole Systems Guide to Sustainable

Monday, April 27 6pm: Spanish Open Mic Night!

and Delicious Food Choices

Join Gigi Berardi, celebrating Huxley's 50th anniversary and all of us as we mark/toast/observe Earth Day's 50th—by celebrating food! Many of us in Whatcom county think that every day should be Earth Day, and Food Day. With live music, local farmers, and delicious treats made by Chef Christy from recipies in FoodWISE. Tickets to this event are $15, include a 'plus one' option, and are available at Village Books and on eventbrite (taxes and fees apply). This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.

Friday, April 24, 5-8pm Fairhaven Fourth Friday Art Walk Celebrate local creative spirit at the Fairhaven Fourth Friday Art Walk where merchants throughout Fairhaven Village open their doors to share the artwork of emerging and established artists.

Thank you for supporting Literature Live Events!

Unless otherwise noted, events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books in Fairhaven and are FREE.

Spring 2020

Fiction!

Saturday, April 25, 9am-9pm Independent Bookstore Day!

Sam is used to being what everyone needs him to be. So when his family falls apart and he has to change middle schools, he keeps his feelings buried. Willa, an isolated 7th grader who doesn't speak, captures his attention just by being herself. The two unlikely friends challenge each other to speak up in a middle grade story about the true power of friendship and what can happen when we believe in the importance of what we have to say. Stephanie Dethlefs is a writer and story coach in Bellingham. Unspoken is her first book.

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Friday, April 24, 7pm–doors 6:30pm VERONICA ROTH at the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention

Village Books is pleased to host Spanish Open Mic! Come support our Spanish-language writers and poets and stay for the traditional Open Mic at 7pm! If you'd like to read, please sign up at the Village Books main counter in Fairhaven.

7pm: Traditional Open Mic Night!

Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talent as they share their own stories, poems, and essays! To read, please sign up prior to the event at Village Books main counter in Fairhaven.

Tuesday, April 28, 7pm doors and music at 6:30pm

The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring SIERRA CRANE MURDOCH

at WCC's Heiner Theater –Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country

Come to the Heiner for live entertainment and to hear the gripping true story of a murder on an Indian reservation, and the unforgettable Arikara woman who becomes obsessed with solving it—an urgent work of literary journalism.

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. Tickets $5: Available at Village Books and Eventbrite.com. Receive a free ticket with the prepurchase of Yellow Bird! This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute. See page 34 for more.

Fairhaven Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm • One Sunday Building Community Book10am-7pm at a Time

Literature

MAY

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Friday, May 1 Whatcom Literacy Council TRIVIA BEE Settlemyer Hall, WCC

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6pm: Silent Auction • 7pm: Competition Begins!

Village Books is a proud sponsor of the annual Whatcom Literacy Council Trivia Bee! Recently crowned The Greatest of All Time Jeopardy! champion, Ken Jennings will return to co-host with local favorite KAFE Radio host Scotty VanDryver. Come out and cheer Tickets $15 available at Village Books and at the door. See page 7 for more information.

Sunday, May 3, 4pm LINDA CONROY –Ordinary Signs

Poetry!

Linday Conroy is originally from England and lived in Canada for 30 years before moving to the US. She did not start writing until well in adult life when she discovered that in writing poetry, we say things we did not know we knew. She is a facilitator for poetry groups at Village Books and this is her first book. Read more on page 58.

LIVE!

Wednesday, May 6, 7pm KATE VREDEVOOGD –From the Same Quiver: A Confessional Tale of Wanderlust, Friendship and the Pursuit of Self-Identity

A funny and risqué travel memoir which chronicles a young woman's exodus from a small town in Washington State to Southern Spain on an intrepid cross-country drive with a friend, where adventure awaits around every corner. Kate Vredevoogd grew up under the looming conifers of the Pacific Rainforest with her loving parents and many animal friends. She started doing photography in Bellingham at 15 years old and she started writing long before that, shortly after learning the alphabet. These two things are the glue that hold the pieces of Kate together.

Thursday, May 7, 7pm MICHAEL K. HONEY –To the Promised Land: Martin Luther King and the Fight for Economic Justice

For Events in Lynden, see page 39!

May 4-10, 2020 CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK and Screen Free Week!

Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Happily, each CBW coincides with National Screen Free Week–an annual invitation to play, explore, and rediscover the joys of life beyond ad-supported screens. As we do each year, Village Books has several fun events lined up at both stores.

To the Promised Land goes beyond the iconic view of Martin Luther King, Jr., as an advocate of racial harmony, to explore his profound commitment to the poor and working class and his call for "nonviolent resistance" to all forms of oppression, including the economic injustice that "takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes." Michael Honey's six award-winning books include To the Promised Land and Going Down Jericho Road: the Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King's Last Campaign.

A Guggenheim Fellow, he teaches history at the University of Washington Tacoma, and is a former Movement organizer in the South.

Saturday, May 9, 4pm SUSAN GREISEN –In Search of Pink Flamingos

Join Kids Book Buyer, Kendra, in the kids’ section for a themed story time celebrating the classics of Eric Carle. Author not attending.

This is a story of a young woman who defies her parents’ demands to become a farmer's wife. At age 19, with a suitcase full of farm-smarts and a license to be a practical nurse, Greisen joins the Peace Corps in Africa. She meets multiple challenges in her remote Liberian village and falls short of her unrealistic goals.

Her journey is one of passion, strength and finding forgiveness and unconditional love. Susan E. Greisen is a Whatcom published poet and author and her travel photographs have been published online by the BBC News.

Thursday, May 7, 2pm AMANDA ABLER –The Spirit of Springer

Monday, May 11, 6:30pm ALEX GINO –Rick

Tuesday, May 5, 10:30am Special Story Time featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Kids!

Meet the Author!

Join us in the Readings Gallery to hear about the remarkable rescue of an orphaned orca calf, Springer (A73), whose story captured the hearts of whale lovers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Saturday, May 9, 10:30am KJERSTEN HAYES Meet the –The Elephants’ Guide Author! to Hide-and-Seek Join us for this special story time featuring author, Kjersten Hayes as she presents her hilarious tongue-in-cheek book perfect for elephants and their best human pals.

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Middle Grade Fiction!

We are thrilled to bring Alex Gino, awardwinning author of George, to Village Books in Fairhaven! As they did in their groundbreaking novel George, in Rick, awardwinning author Alex Gino explores what it means to search for your own place in the world … and all the steps you and the people around you need to take in order to get where you need to be. Alex Gino is author of middle grade novels You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! and the Stonewall Award-winning George. They love glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive. Born and raised on Staten Island, NY, they now enjoy living in Oakland, CA. This FREE event at Village Books in Fairhaven is presented in partnership with the Bellingham Public Library.

Keep turning for more events!

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Explore the World of Village Books and Paper Dreams Explore the world of Village Books and Paper Dreams while earning prizes! Our 32-page, whimsical passport includes a range of experiences that passport holders will complete to earn prizes, including T-shirts, special discounts, journals, candy, treats at Evolve Chocolate + Café, books, games, and more. Each time you complete a task, you’ll receive a stamp and come one step closer to prizes awarded along the way.

Upon completion of the passport, you’ll be inducted into the exclusive League of Extraordinary Readers. Honors include a year supply of fudge, tickets for a literary-themed dinner at Evolve, a behind-the-scenes party at the bookstore, and an overnight party at the Fairhaven store.

Purchase the Village Books and Paper Dreams Passport at the Fairhaven or Lynden store.

The $30 passport makes a great gift — for yourself or your favorite local reader!

$30

Thanks for Supporting Local!

Market List Notepads & To-Do Notepads They make great gifts for all of your spring events!

Zoey’s Paper Design Doggone cute notepads, invitations, cards & more

To order this or other designs, email Mary Jo at advertising@lyndentribune.com or call 360-354-4444 76

Spring 2020

Still locally owned and managed!

804 10th St. Bellingham, WA | 360.756.1005 www.thechrysalisinnandspabellingham.curiocollection.com

Tuesday, May 12, 7pm Poetry!

ELIZABETH VIGNALI & –Endangered (Animal) ALEXANDRA TEAGUE –Or What We'll Call Desire Join us in the Readings Gallery for this dual reading by two outstanding poets. Endangered [Animal] by Elizabeth Vignali gives us beauty and captivity, survival and extinction. Vignali leads us through relationships and the natural world. She projects our humanity against the wild and asks “why some lives are considered worth saving.”These poems are easy to love, hard to forget, and just the right amount of dangerous to make our heartbeat quicken. Described in the New York Times as “passionate, quirky, and righteously outraged,” Or What We’ll Call Desire by Alexandra Teague is a heartrending, darkly playful new collection of poems that respond to patriarchal culture and a family history of mental illness and loss. In poems that mix high art and popular culture, Teague interweaves self-reflection with mythic and historic female figures calling across time and place to explore desire, grief, and the representation and misrepresentation of the female form.

Thursday, May 14, 7pm Excellence NW Workshop with Dawn Harju Topic: Boundaries - Where I End and You Begin Join Dawn for this free workshop that explores setting boundaries in a healthy way. “I am coming to realize that accountability starts with the language I use. You don't make me anything. I feel because my needs are being met or not being met. It finally sunk in that setting boundaries on where I end and you begin creates a safe space for both of us. I don't make you feel and you don't make me feel.”

Sunday, May 17, 7pm JIM CARREY & DANA VACHON on the Main Stage at WWU's Performing Arts Center!

–Memoirs and Misinformation: A Novel Village Books is thrilled to welcome Jim Carrey and co-author Dana Vachon to Bellingham on tour for their novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, a fearless semi-autobiographical novel, a deconstruction of persona. In it, Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon have fashioned a story about acting, Hollywood, agents, celebrity, privilege, friendship, romance, addiction to relevance, fear of personal erasure, our "one big soul," Canada, and a cataclysmic ending of the world--apocalypses within and without. Jim Carrey is an award-winning actor and artist. Vachon is also the author of the novel Mergers and Acquisitions. Tickets will be available at WWU’s box office and online at WWU’s box office. Tickets: $55 and $45 and include a copy of Memoirs and Misinformation. Online purchases are subject to standard WWU box office fees. Note: All bags will be subject to search.

Literature LIVE!

EVENTS

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

Tuesday, May 19, 7pm DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY –What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing, and Why

This is the bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing–and why. “Can birds smell?”

“Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?” “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?” In What It’s Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY is the author and illustrator of the series of successful guides to nature that bear his name, including The Sibley Guide to Birds. He is the recipient of the Roger Tory Peterson Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Birding Association and the Linnaean Society of New York’s Eisenmann Medal. This event is co-sponsored by the North Cascades Audubon Society and the North Cascades Institute.

Friday, May 22, 5-8pm Fourth Friday Art Walk Celebrate local creative spirit at the Fairhaven Fourth Friday Art Walk where merchants throughout Fairhaven Village open their doors to share the artwork of emerging and established artists.

Friday, May 22, 7pm DANIEL MATHEWS –Trees in Trouble: Wildfires, Infestations, and Climate Change

Climate change manifests in many ways across North America, but few as dramatic as the attacks on our western pine forests. In Trees in Trouble, Daniel Mathews tells the urgent story of this loss, accompanying burn crews and forest ecologists as they study the myriad risk factors and refine techniques for saving this important, limited resource. He explores how we might succeed in sustaining our forests through the challenging transition to a new environment. Daniel Mathews is also the author of Natural History of the Pacific Northwest Mountains, Rocky Mountain Natural History, and Cascade-Olympic Natural History. This event is part of the Nature of Writing Series run in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.

Monday, May 18, 7pm An Evening with David Sedaris

Sunday, May 24, 10am-7pm Fairhaven Festival & Ski-to-Sea Race

There were only a handful of tickets left as we went to press but don't despair if you don't get in—we're happy to order one of his books for you!

When the Ski to Sea race finishes at Marine Park the celebration happens in the heart of Fairhaven with Bellingham's biggest and best street fair of the year for all ages and tastes!

Live music, beer and wine garden, arts and crafts booths, children’s activities, and food booths.

A Booked at the Baker Event at the Mount Baker Theatre

Unless otherwise noted, events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books in Fairhaven and are FREE.

Thank you for supporting Literature Live! Events by attending and purchasing featured authors' books at Village Books.

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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Continued from page 77

Literature

Monday, May 25 6pm: Spanish Open Mic Night!

LIVE!

Village Books is pleased to host Spanish Open Mic! Come support our Spanish-language writers and poets! If you'd like to read, please sign up at the Village Books main counter in Fairhaven.

7pm: Traditional Open Mic Night!

Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talent as they share their own stories, poems, and essays! To read, please sign up prior to the event at Village Books main counter in Fairhaven.

Wednesday, May 27, 7pm ASHLEY SWEENEY –Answer Creek

Book Launch!

community, arts & entertainment

Starvation. Desperation. Madness. Follow 19-yearold Ada Weeks as she travels west on the Oregon-California Trail in 1846 as a member of the ill-fated Donner Party. From the Nancy Pearl award-winning author of Eliza Waite, Ashley E. Sweeney offers a gripping tale of adventure and survival. 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.

Mark Your Calendars Thursday, June 4, 7pm TED O’CONNELL –K: A Novel and CHRISTINE CHIU –Beauty

JUNE

Book Launch!

Join us for a presentation of two stellar authors from the Santa Fe Writers Project! We're launching these novels together in a joint celebration that you won't want to miss. In O'Connell's debut novel, K, Professor Francis Kauffman finds himself tossed into a Chinese prison after he unwittingly ignites a political insurrection at his university in Beijing. Winner of the Tobias Wolff Award in Fiction, Ted O’Connell is a writer and musician whose creative products have been featured in literary magazines, taverns, and music halls throughout the country. See a review on page 23.

In Chiu's Beauty, Amy Wong is an up-andcoming designer in the New York fashion industry—she is young, beautiful, and has it all. But she finds herself at odds with rival designers in a world rife with chauvinism and prejudice. In her personal life, she struggles with marriage and motherhood, finding that her choices often fall short of her traditional family’s expectations. Christina Chiu is the author of Troublemaker and Other Saints.

Her stories have appeared in Tin House, The New Guard Literary Review, and many other publications. Troublemaker won the Asian American Literary Award She is also a shoe designer. "Beauty is beautiful in the way of a scalpel blade. It's that sharp and precise, that lacerating, that true." –Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Hours

Saturday, June 20, 2020 Village Books 40th Anniversary Celebration!

Mark your calendars now becuase we're getting ready to party and YOU are invited.

4

YEARS

Unless otherwise noted, events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books in Fairhaven and are FREE.

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Enjoy episodes of

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Radio Hour

Every Sunday at 10am on KMRE 102.3FM AND Mondays at 8pm and Fridays at 6pm on KAVZ-LP 102.5 We also stream episodes on Facebook Live!

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Building Community One Book at a Time

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

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1200 11th St. Bellingham, WA 98225 360.671.2626 villagebooks.com Whatcom County’s Favorite Bookstore since 1980 In Historic Fairhaven & Downtown Lynden

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