Lately I have been reading short books and short stories in an effort to sustain my own daily reading habit in a way that feels compatible with the current demands on my time. In her new book, Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books, Hwang Bo-Reum asks the question that plagues all readers (and writers) …
Katie Clapham is an author and bookstore owner in the small English seaside town of Lytham St Annes. I’ve been enjoying her weekly Substack newsletter, where she recounts the highs, the lows, the quirky conversations, and the entertaining incidents that take place in the bookshop. Clapham has now developed these weekly diary entries into a …
Here is Sam Roberts’s Are They Dead Yet? The Art of the Obit. Roberts, a 50-year veteran of newspaper journalism, is an obituary writer. The Art of the Obit does a deep dive into his working process. Look, the fact that you are dead is the least interesting thing about your obituary—at the very least, …
Since the 50th anniversary of hip-hop was widely celebrated a couple of years ago, so many hip-hop retrospectives have aimed at telling the story of the rise of the landmark cultural movement. Grandmaster Flash has successfully shared an even deeper look at the origins of Hip Hop, shining a light on the DJs, the graffiti …
Actor Lili Taylor writes and reads these thoughtful, beautifully crafted essays about her relationship with birds and the natural world, connecting birdwatching to the work of noticing and paying attention. I can’t wait to go on several longer walks this weekend and finish this collection. –Andrea, Browsers Bookshop, Olympia, WA Whether you listen to a …
Wilson spent the summer in the headlines for her takedown of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey script — a film whose director had cited her translation as an influence. This is the better use of her attention: an orientation for anyone who finishes the Epic and wonders where to go next, a case for returning to the …
Like the authors of some of my favorite recent memoirs—Hilary Peach’s Thick Skin, Finn Murphy’s The Long Haul, Charlotte Gill’s Eating Dirt—Paré-Poupart had access to the class-elevating levers of education but found himself in a blue-collar trade and chose to stay for decades. In his case, that’s hauling garbage in Montreal, hurling bags of trash into the …
On Wednesdays, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Bestseller List is published. Every week, we love to see what books have been most popular in independent bookstores around our region. As we peruse the list, we look for something special to showcase. Then we present this weekly feature: Thursday Themes. This week features many stories that highlight the strength …
Every Wednesday, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association publishes the regional bestseller list. On Thursdays, we celebrate Thursday Themes to shine a spotlight on some of the books from the list and give our brains a different way of thinking about books. Titles on this week’s list had us humming “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton. “Oceans rise, empires fall…” …
Cabin by Patrick Hutchison is a funny, heartfelt memoir about trading office life for a crumbling, off-the-grid cabin in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Armed with little more than determination and a complete lack of carpentry skills, Hutchison chronicles six years of renovations, mishaps, and unexpected lessons, creating a charming story about slowing down, learning …
