I have been a fan for a long time of Dorothy Parker, and this biography gives us a sympathetic yet very real depiction of who she was, with her flaws and her strengths. As much as I admired Parker as a poet, little did I know of her role in Hollywood, such as her writing …
I picked up this book (at New York’s McNally Jackson bookstore) because it didn’t look like anything else on the shelf, and inside it doesn’t read like anything else either. Mostly, it’s a biography of the Seattle-born architect Minoru Yamasaki, known to us as the designer of what is now the Pacific Science Center but …
A world record holder and gold medalist at the 1963 Olympics, Smith and a teammate took to the awards podium and made history with their protest. Her is a long-overdue look at this moment. –Holly, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA Take long-overdue looks with books from Elliott Bay Book Company and other independent bookstores. …
Ibi Zoboi (The People Remember; American Street) pays radiant homage in Star Child to the woman who inspired her, taught her and shared her birthday. She deftly combines poetry, prose, quotes and photos to create what she calls the “constellation” of science fiction writer Octavia Estelle Butler: “I decided to call this biography a constellation because Octavia’s …
From the archives: The March Trilogy is one of the most important graphic novels created. A superbly told history of the civil rights movement, John Lewis’s personal account of the actions of individuals and organizations throughout the South (but focused largely in Alabama) is a gripping, passionate, and richly detailed narrative of the events that would eventually …
Arguably one of the most outstanding Americans of the 20th century, yet seemingly almost forgotten today, George Washington Carver gets an enlightening biographical treatment in this beautifully illustrated picture book. The book focuses on George’s childhood, as he tends a hidden garden and teaches himself botany through observation and experimentation, but his social and scientific …
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 …
The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, a trade association of independent booksellers, publishers, authors, and librarians, announced the winners of the 2019 Northwest Book Awards. The awards are selected by a committee of independent booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. From more than 400 nominations written or illustrated by creators from the Pacific Northwest …
Biography at its finest. I couldn’t put it down. As a Jackson fan, I was delighted to learn more about the author of my favorites: The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and “The Lottery.“ As a woman, I was heartbroken to learn how sexism and misogyny affected Jackson. As a …
This book may be more for ex-kids like me, for whom the mysterious M. Sasek created a fascinating world of cities and landmarks in the ’50s and ’60s in his This Is… picture books. This Is Paris, This Is San Francisco, This Is Hong Kong, This Is Cape Canaveral: all told, he made eighteen locations his own, …
