Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin For fans of her earlier novel, “The Music of Bees,” Spokane native Eileen Garvin’s latest book, “Crow Talk,” is another uplifting story featuring wounded characters who find consolation in nature and forge unlikely friendships that foster hope and healing. Frankie O’Neill feels like her life is coming apart at the … Read more
Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear by Erica Berry Why are wolves so feared and reviled? How do the stories we tell about them unconsciously shape our relationship to our environment? When is fear healthy and realistic? Portland author Erica Berry’s debut book, “Wolfish,” wrestles with these questions, blending memoir, science … Read more
Group Living and Other Recipes: A Memoir by Lola Milholland In a time when it is rare to tune into the news without hearing a story about high housing costs or housing shortages, Lola Milholland’s debut memoir, “Group Living and Other Recipes,” is a timely examination of taking a different approach to the way we define … Read more
If you are a reader who likes books with thought-provoking situations, characters with depth, and topics that you can discuss endlessly, check out what local book clubs are reading as a clever way to find your next great read. To get you started, below are four brief reviews of books that are the August selections … Read more
Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard Warning: reading Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard may cause you to fall in love with Alaska’s Brooks Range – and also to dream about being pursued by grizzly bears. Engelhard is an evocative writer, and Arctic Traverse is very … Read more
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger Against the backdrop of a dystopian landscape in a climate-changed near future, “I Cheerfully Refuse” by Leif Enger tells the story of Rainy, a gentle bear of a man, house painter and aspiring bass player, as he seeks redemption after the loss of his beloved wife, Lark. Setting sail on … Read more
Here With You: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction by Kathy Wagner The opioid crisis has reached epidemic proportions with virtually no place escaping its devastation. Here in Whatcom County, according to data provided by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office, there were 136 overdose-related deaths in 2023, up from 91 in 2022. Libraries and other agencies now offer free naloxone, a … Read more
Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life by Emily Grosvenor Emily Grosvenor is a feng shui consultant, editor of Oregon Home magazine and author of “Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life.” (Photo courtesy of Beth Olson Creative) How would your life change if your concept of home was not as sanctuary, a … Read more
The Ways of Water by Teresa H. Janssen “Life, like a river, can take some sharp twists and turns. People can shift as much as a water’s course. There are reasons I broke my promises. I want them to be known.” Thus begins the coming-of-age story of Josie Belle Gore, daughter of a Louisiana train engineer … Read more
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan Seattle author Timothy Egan is adept at bringing history to life for readers, often identifying little-known people whose lives played a pivotal role in “how it all turned out.” His recently published book, “A Fever … Read more