I don’t think there is a square mile of ground on this planet where Robert Macfarlane couldn’t dig up a new, wondrous story. Underland continues the tradition of profound storytelling, reflection, and, quite simply, gorgeous writing we have come to expect from him. Macfarlane’s ventures into the underworlds of our planet, both mythical and literal, …
This curated photography collection spanning the ’60s and ’70s captures stunning revolutionary moments of candid intimacy and public protest in LGBTQ+ history. Images of the Stonewall Riots are captioned with illuminating context and an introduction by Roxane Gay. Looking back on this groundbreaking movement, you’ll gain newfound insight into its foundations and its continued importance, …
My favorite picture books teach me something new, this one about the first woman filmmaker. I didn’t know the story of Alice Guy-Blaché, but I’m glad this book shared it with me. Women make history! –Karen, King’s Books, Tacoma, WA Even adults can learn something new in the kids’ section of King’s Books and other …
Little else can match the fusion of beauty and usefulness found in a good map. Yet what if the cartographer relied upon shoddy or fabricated information? What if they had no qualms about simply making things up themselves? This handsome little volume presents a collection of maps which are lovely, historically significant, and just plain …
This is fascinating historical true crime, in which Weinman shares the real story behind controversial fictional novel Lolita. Weinman tells of Sally Horner’s kidnapping and 21 months of mistreatment at the the hands of a Frank La Salle. Through extensive archival research, Weinman is able to make a persuasive claim that Vladmir Nabakov’s Lolita was inspired …
It’s a fact that I hear about once a year, promptly forget, and am then shocked all over again every time I hear it: the deepest tunnel humans have ever drilled only goes one half of one percent (0.5%) to the Earth’s core. That’s a whole lotta mystery down there. Just as mysterious, in my …
Phinney Books in Seattle shared excitement about some spring titles in a recent newsletter. February 26 The Border by Don Winslow The arrival of this final volume is making it clear that Winslow’s epic trilogy about the drug wars on the US-Mexico border is one of the central fictional dramas of our time, closing in a storm …
This remarkable book shows us female friendships that changed history, from the Trưng sisters defending first century Vietnam, to pirates Anne Bonny & Mary Read, to the Zohra Orchestra of Afghan girls. Find yourself some new historical heroes! — sweet pea, King’s Books, Tacoma, WA Find perfect gifts and inspiration for yourself at King’s Books …
We’ve got copies of the University of California’s biography of Carleton Watkins. Watkins, as you may know, was kind of the Edward Curtis of landscape pictures during the 19th century. Much of Watkins’ own documentation was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco fire, and so Tyler Green, the author of this splendid biography, had to …
In a year full of weighty political tomes, each grimmer than the last, I find myself in need of inspiration more than information. The Faithful Spy is both a salve for the weary soul and a much needed encouragement to brave action in dark times. In this slim volume, John Hendrix chronicles Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life, …
