The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw It’s not surprising that Deesha Philyaw’s story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was a National Book Award finalist. Her writing is confident, moving, insightful and real. Each of the nine stories is deliberately and finely crafted. Philyaw (pictured) begins with an epigraph by southern poet Ansel … Read more
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet by John Green What do Canada Geese, Diet Dr. Pepper, and the song “Auld Lang Syne” have in common? In the mind of author John Green, these disparate topics become pitch-perfect prompts for essays exploring life in the Anthropocene, the current geologic age defined by human activity’s … Read more
Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat by Jonathan Kauffman There is no shortage of “hippie food” in Bellingham. Between the Wednesday and Saturday Farmers Markets, the Community Food Co-op, CSA Farm Boxes, meat shares, Whole Foods, and community gardens—we’re up to our ears in whole grains, organic produce, kombucha, … Read more
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead Author Maggie Shipstead was not on my radar until picking up her latest novel, Great Circle, and now I’m wondering how I missed her previous novels. An epic, swashbuckling novel that spans a century, described by The Telegraph as “a masterclass in historical fiction,” Great Circle’s two engaging heroines are daring and adventurous women, determined … Read more
Under the Wave at Waimea by Paul Theroux Known primarily as a travel writer, Paul Theroux’s latest novel definitely incorporates his skill for deeply observing and writing about different locales. Reading Under the Wave at Waimea felt, at times, as if I’d been transported to Hawaii, complete with the sound of the surf and warm sand beaches, … Read more
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline Scorching summer days call for some escape reading—engrossing books that transport you to another time and place so you can ignore the heat at home. Christina Baker Kline’s latest novel, The Exiles, does just that, sailing from 1840s London to Van Diemen’s Land, a penal colony in what is now … Read more
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel Sometimes a novel comes along that is atmospheric and beautiful and so enigmatic it begs discussion. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel is that book: frustrating, elusive, open to interpretation. What does it all mean? Readers who enjoy literary analysis will turn the last pages and immediately … Read more
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner Michelle Zauner, the indie rock sensation who records as Japanese Breakfast, was only 25 years old when she lost her mother to cancer. Her mother, Chongmi, was 56 when she died. “It was the year her life ended and mine fell apart,” Zauner states. In the … Read more
Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s by Tiffany Midge Tiffany Midge may be the snarkiest, funniest writer to pass through Whatcom County in recent memory. Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s is a collection of satirical essays, observations and poems that look at the absurdity of contemporary culture, particularly as it pertains to Native Americans. … Read more
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee As the former president of the progressive think tank, Demos, Heather McGhee spent 20 years looking for solutions to economic inequality and other big social problems before realizing she was hitting the same wall. That wall came to … Read more