Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss; colorful striped, whimsical illustration with a figure on a tall land feature

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Graduation gift ideas?

Every Wednesday, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association publishes the regional bestseller list. On Thursdays, we celebrate Thursday Themes to shine a spotlight on some of the books from the list and give our brains a different way of thinking about books. We’re in graduation season, also known as “grads and dads” season. We think some of these bestsellers might have been purchased as graduation gifts: The Serviceberry Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Illus.) (#10 Hardcover nonfiction) Always Remember Charlie Mackesy (#14 Hardcover nonfiction) …

May 28, 2026

what's new

May

27

2026

Face Out

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

I was introduced to Abby Jimenez through the audiobook of her second novel, The Happy Ever After Playlist, and I’ve never looked back. It’s still up there with my favorite audiobooks of all time, and since then I’ve immediately read everything she’s published. With each book, Abby gets better and better at putting her main characters …

May

26

2026

Borrowed Copy

Reading with… Laurie Frankel

From Shelf Awareness May 8, 2026   Reading with… Laurie Frankel Laurie Frankel is the author of six novels, including Enormous Wings (Holt, May 5, 2026), a fresh, funny, timely story of bodily autonomy, women’s rights, elder rights, reproductive rights, family, love, grandmas, paparazzi, sex, profane priests, and hamsters. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington …

May

25

2026

Face Out

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin 

Shelly, recently single and unemployed, has moved home with her parents and started a new job at a plant nursery with the mysterious (and hot) Neve. What she doesn’t know is that a sentient, and perhaps violent, orchid named Baby is watching. A little queer, a little spooky, and a great horror read for spring. …

May

22

2026

Face Out

Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester

Don’t let the bland cover fool you. This book was a page turner! It is full of plot twists and intrigue and tackles profound subject matter. Every successful marriage has its own private language. Does it? – Julie, Browsers Bookshop, Olympia, WA Grab a page turner from Browsers Bookshop and other independent bookstores. If you have …

May

21

2026

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Only in the PNW

On Wednesdays, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Bestseller List is published. Every week, we love to see what books have been most popular in independent bookstores around our region. As we peruse the list, we look for something special to showcase. Then we present this weekly feature: Thursday Themes. Did you know that books on our bestseller list …

May

20

2026

Face Out

Eager: The Surprising Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb

Once you read Ben Goldfarb’s Eager you will forever look at landscapes differently. Goldfarb explains the history and impact of beavers, from their role in indigenous cultures to their near-extinction from excess trapping for the fur trade to their remarkable recovery across much of North America. Eager shows us the beaver as not only “Nature’s …

May

19

2026

Face Out

Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel

Laurie Frankel has a way of treating serious issues in a warm and loving way, and of bringing understanding to contentious topics. Maybe this book can open a few yes to the horrors of the Texas (and unfortunately other states’) laws. –Karen Emmerling, Beach Books, Seaside, OR I was instantly drawn to 77-year-old Pepper Mills; …

May

18

2026

Cover of Search for a Mysterious Mushroom, green background with a flowchart diagram illustrated cover

Face Out

Search for a Mysterious Mushroom! written by Amy Seto Forrester, illustrated Andy Chou Musser

Choose-your-own-adventures are back! And cooler than ever. Search for a Mysterious Mushroom is the perfect adventure for young readers. This book is packed full of fun facts and amazing art. The ideal book for science lovers or the perfect book to inspire! –Sophie, Hodgepodge Books & Taps, Eugene, OR Learn about the world in very …

May

15

2026

cover of the novel The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Olivia; night sky, dark house with lights lit; dark trees.

Face Out

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva

A gripping multi-generational story that delves into messy relationships, motherhood struggles, inherited trauma, dreams for the future, AND the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. –Rachel, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, WA Explore fiction from Pacific Northwest authors (and novels that expand your horizons in many ways) at Brick & Mortar Books and other independent bookstores.  

Older posts »