what's new

Jul

13

2026

Face Out

The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence—Before It’s Too Late by Cory Doctorow

A “centaur,” in modern tech speak, is an individual who uses technology to be a more productive version of themselves. A “reverse centaur” is a person who is forced by technology to work at a pace that is thoroughly inhuman. Doctorow isn’t anti-AI, rather, he—like Pope Leo XIV—is all too aware of the cost hidden within this unprecedented dash towards a shiny AI-future. The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI is a call to detach all these Borg-ian umbilicuses and …

Jul

10

2026

Face Out

Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay 

This is the new standard for AI horror. Tremblay blends satire, paranoia, and genuine emotional depth into a story that is as heartbreaking as it is terrifying. Julia and Bernie quickly become characters you care about, and their cross-country journey transforms from a technological experiment into a meditation on identity, humanity, and love. Unsettling, clever, …

Jul

9

2026

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Sun and Stars

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. From the latest list, enjoy these titles featuring the sun or stars. Daughters of the Sun and …

Jul

8

2026

Face Out

The Hairdresser’s Son by Gerbrand Bakker, translated by David Colmer

The Hairdresser’s Son is an exquisite literary achievement about mystery, discovery, the search for understanding, and the potential for change. Cornelis left the day he learned his wife was pregnant, leaving home only to meet death a day later. Now, his son, Simon, is running the inherited barber shop left to him by the man …

Jul

7

2026

Borrowed Copy

Third Place Books’ Spencer on KUOW’s Soundside

Spencer Ruchti of Third Place Books and Misha Stone of the Seattle Public Library spoke to Libby Denkmann on KUOW’s Soundside about the past year in books. The episode is overflowing with good recommendations and good feelings, if you’re in need of either right now. The interview can be found on your preferred podcast app, or at …

Jul

6

2026

Face Out

The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria’s Romance Scammers by Carlos Barragán

Can you recommend a book that makes you deeply sad about humanity, circa 2026? After Barragán, a young journalist in Madrid, learned his dentist mom had been scammed by a Nigerian romance con artist, he traveled to Lagos to see if he could track the scammer down. Instead, he was drawn, by equal parts empathy …

Jul

3

2026

Face Out

Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson

It actually had me laughing out loud. The voice is refreshing; at a time when it seems AI is seeping into everything, you can almost feel the warmth of the human touch here. –Laura, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR Treat yourself to a road trip of a book from Paulina Springs and other independent bookstores.

Jul

2

2026

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Good night!

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. This week, we have a short list– of bedtime …

Jul

1

2026

Booklovers' Field Trips

Chefs and Chamber Music at Tasting
Notes Event, July 6, in Seattle

Tasting Notes with Kenji López-Alt & Seattle Chamber Music Society Monday, July 6th | The Triple Door Multiple seatings from 5:00PM | $245+ Tasting Notes returns to Seattle on July 6th at The Triple Door! Join SCMS Artistic Director James Ehnes and cookbook author Kenji López-Alt for this one-of-a-kind evening bringing SCMS musicians together with …

Jun

30

2026

Borrowed Copy

Reading with Dane Bahr

From Shelf Awareness: Dane Bahr was born in Minnesota and now lives in Washington State with his wife and sons. He is the author of the novels The Houseboat and Stag. The Dead Ringer (Counterpoint, April 21, 2026) is a haunting western that features a man brought back from the dead to exact revenge. Handsell readers your book in 25 words …

« Newer postsOlder posts »