Julie Otsuka’s novels are literary gems, and Swimmers joins its predecessors—The Buddha in the Attic and When the Emperor was Divine—as a work of uncommonly lyrical beauty and pathos. The loss of a public swimming pool to a series of mysterious cracks developing on the bottom disperses a tight and quirky community of lap swimmers. …
Jody Hadlock had some great questions for Linda Stewart Henley about her latest novel, Waterbury Winter. JH: Tell us in one or two sentences what your book is about. LSH: It’s about a man and his attempt to overcome problems that have prevented him from following his calling as an artist. JH: How did you …
Looking for an excuse to feel good? Well, look no further. Lian Dolan has given us a fine specimen of a feel-good read, filled with the not-too-much pain of a marriage breakup, a quick trip to Paris, an unexpected loss, and a scavenger hunt with clues. Oh, right… there’s a little romance thrown in for …
By the time he was twenty-nine, Charles Darwin had puzzled his way toward two-thirds of his theory of natural selection. He understood that plants and animals passed traits (hair color, say, or beak shape, or flower scent) down to their offspring. And he understood that those traits were not passed down perfectly. We resemble our …
A beautifully-written story that explores identity, race, colonialism, and the unique perspective of the African diaspora. The Sankofa is mythical bird that flies forward while looking back, and this theme is brought out in this novel– as the protagonist must come to terms with her own messy and tumultuous past before she can find solace …
Lynette has been saving for three years for a down payment to buy the North Portland house she lives in with her mother and developmentally disabled brother. The owner is giving them a good deal, but Lynette has lousy credit, so her mother has to take out the loan. However, at the last minute they …
From OregonLive/ The Oregonian September 4, 2021: The start of the new school year makes it a fitting time to pick up Portlander Margot Wood’s debut young adult novel, Fresh, a queer retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma that spans its protagonist’s freshman year of college. Quick recap for those who haven’t encountered Emma in a while: …
I loved this! The oddball narrator might have been irritating if I didn’t find her so relatable–her musings/fixations/insights felt like gentle personal attacks, and they often left me snorting out loud. Read, cringe, and carefully consider whether you’re a moderate or radical rice cracker company worker. It’s important, probably. –Ellen, Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, …
You won’t be able to put this multiple narrative novel down once you begin. When five teens meet at the hospital after a bridge collapse, their lives are never the same. Wow. –Teasha Kirkwood, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA Find more WOW for readers of all ages at Elliott Bay Book Company and other …
This is a quirky story in which two people with no apparent connection are offered a huge sum of money by an unknown benefactor to spend two hours together each week for a year. The characters are interesting and the slow revelation of the identity of their benefactor and why they were chosen keeps the …
