Musician Laura Veirs turns the spotlight on folk singer Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten for her debut picture book. Veirs traces the story of a girl who was meant to play music despite all the things going against her. Even the guitars weren’t made for a left-hander like Libba. But plucky Libba just “turned the guitar upside …
Valerie Trueblood’s precision in dissecting the complexities of human nature is perhaps her greatest strength. With stories that teeter on the brink of catastrophe, Trueblood doesn’t shy away from the grim and bleak, but her empathy and compassion are what stop you in your tracks. Terrarium is one of 12 finalists chosen for the 2019 Pacific Northwest …
Eli Saslow pens a riveting tale of the White Nationalist, Derek Black, who was tapped as the “heir apparent” to the leadership of the KKK, but eventually rejected that role. Growing up, Derek’s father was a grand wizard for the KKK, and his mother was once married to David Duke. Accepting this political stance was …
An adventure story for the ages. It’s 1961, Charlie Fisher, the son of a foreign diplomat, finds himself adrift in the city of Marseilles. After witnessing a pickpocket in the busy city center, his intrigue draws him into an underground world of adolescent pickpockets, filled with a spirited, colorful cast of characters–ranging from identical Senegalese …
Adrian Simcox does not have a horse! Especially not a beautiful horse with a white coat and golden mane and beautiful brown eyes like he likes to tell anyone who would listen. And Chloe will be the first person to tell you that Adrian Simcox absolutely does not have a horse. How could he possibly …
In Buzz, Thor Hanson takes us through the fascinating lives and history of bees, from when the first bees split from the wasps to offering them protection now. Hanson’s narrative style makes the information flow in an easily digestible way, and readers will come away knowing and appreciating more about bees than they ever thought …
Based on the true story of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi, this beautiful novel is vivid, heartwrenching, and undeniably gorgeous. Alternating between Artemisia’s time told in stunning verse and the tales of ancient heroines Judith and Susanna, Blood Water Paint is the truly magnificent tale of a young woman battling to be heard in a …
Leah Dieterich lays all of her insecurities and uncertainties excruciatingly bare in the excavation of her marriage. Using compelling prose, she peels back the surface of everything, and it is mesmerizing; she digs until she understands what she feels, what she wants, and why she wants it. Exploring open marriage, bisexuality, honesty, and fear, this …
Griffith, the author of bestselling fantasy novel Hild, gives us a compulsive psychological thriller and an important contribution to disability literature in her new novel. In the course of a week, Mara’s wife leaves her and she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. To keep herself from spiraling, Mara launches herself to the front lines of …
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, Victoria, BC This stunning book kept me guessing at every turn. It begins on a sugar plantation in Barbados, when an 11-year old slave, Wash, is plucked from his unrelenting work by his master’s brother to be his own assistant. Titch is a scientist, and Wash’s life is about to …
