Winter evenings by the wood stove present just the right opportunity for revisiting a classic book. And for anyone who studies and writes about natural history, as I do, few titles are more foundational than Walden by Henry David Thoreau. It’s the sort of text that gets quoted more than read, however, and I couldn’t recall …
Lars Mytting brought us to a deeper understanding of wood heating culture in Norway with Norwegian Wood. This work also got me thinking about vital importance of wood heating in the Pacific Northwest and the similarities and differences in approach. This book also makes a compelling case for wood heat as a green, carbon neutral …
Tonight’s the night! Griffin Bay Bookstore in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is throwing a party to present Thor Hanson with his second Pacific Northwest Book Award plaque, this time for his nonfiction book, The Triumph of Seeds. They are also celebrating the release of Thor’s first children’s picture book, Bartholomew Quill: A Crow’s …
As a reader, I find recommendations difficult to ignore. Even when the pile beside my evening chair is in danger of toppling, something new, received at the insistence of a friend, simply must be cracked open. The same goes for gifts. While I have no trouble composting an unwanted fruitcake, or exchanging a shirt with …
Politicians assemble in a congress, athletes join teams, coin collectors meet in clubs, gangsters form syndicates, longshoremen have a union, witches gather in covens, and lawyers unite in partnership. When booksellers get together, they form an “association.” From the Pacific Northwest to New England to the overarching national group, the sellers of books consistently forego …
