The Storefront

Banned Books Week Continues

Bookstores and libraries are raising awareness about book bans and the importance of the freedom to read with Banned Books Week (September 18-24, 2022). From Brick and Mortar Books in Redmond, WA: WARNING: THESE BOOKS MAY CHALLENGE YOUR WORLDVIEW ⚠ Banned Books Week starts today (9/18) and runs through 9/24, celebrating the freedom to read and spotlighting attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. In 2021, more than 1,597 books were banned or challenged in the US, most of …

Sep 21, 2022

what's new

Sep

26

2022

Face Out

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Emily Henry book hangover? Look no further for the balm to soothe you. Meet Chani, a young journalist getting the chance to interview Hollywood heartthrob, Gabe Parker. Flashing back 10 years to the steamy night of the “interview,” to the now, a trip to his apartment in Montana. This one is full of witty banter, …

Sep

23

2022

Face Out

Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro

Come with me to Victorian London, where we’ll enjoy the sights and then take a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland; maybe even visit a dark estate nearby, where numerous children await their fates. They’ve been gathered together, you see, because they are unusual. Some can heal, others, well…. best not discuss it. They’re called the Talents, …

Sep

22

2022

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Lessons

It’s time for a Thursday Theme, where we shine a spotlight on some of the titles featured in this week’s Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association regional bestseller list. Maybe it’s that everyone is back to school now: we found more “lessons” and teachable moments in the bestseller titles than we remember noticing before. Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie …

Sep

20

2022

Face Out

The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Like her mother many years before her, Ingrid suffered a serious head injury that left her with a temporary amnesia. The result for both women was to gain powers that had been within their lineage for generations – clairvoyancy, healing and the ability to communicate with spirits. At the center of the story is Ingrid’s …

Sep

19

2022

Face Out

Recent Favorite: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

I have a handful of authors who belong to a select category labeled “I will read anything you write.” I find their prose irresistibly compelling, no matter the subject, no matter if the characters are likable, no matter if (gasp!) the ending is hopeful. Ann Patchett. Emily St. John Mandel. And Maggie O’Farrell. When I read the description …

Sep

16

2022

Face Out

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Alice Feeney returns with Daisy Darker, a locked-room mystery about a family reunion that gets all atmospheric and twisty. Daisy’s family has gathered for Nana’s 80th birthday. Where? Oh, just Nana’s old gothic place out on the island. You know, the island that routinely gets cut off from the mainland when a storm rolls in. The …

Sep

15

2022

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Hidden Depths

Every Thursday, we shine a spotlight on some of the titles featured in this week’s Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association regional bestseller list. It’s a bit like a game of Scattergories mixed with a title-driven Rorshach test, with a dash of market research. This week, inspired by the stellar debut of Stephen King’s Fairy Tale at the #1 …

Sep

14

2022

Face Out

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

A “Gatsby Remix” for Young Adult readers. You might think you know this story already, but I can assure you that this retelling is an enticing, intersectional crown jewel that just might, for me, surpass the original. McLemore has long been a master of writing atmosphere and longing, and this quality really shines in Self-Made …

Sep

13

2022

Borrowed Copy

Author Lauren Kessler on Blackberries and Craft

From Neiman Storyboard by author Lauren Kessler Hacking and whacking the way to writing clarity — and pie An author and freelancer contemplates story craft as she tames and harvests the blackberry brambles on her land They are sweet, tart, succulent and tangy. Summer on the tongue. The mighty blackberry: as big as your thumb; …

Older posts »