The Washington Center for the Book (an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book administered by Washington State Library) has selected 30 finalists in seven categories for the 2023 Washington State Book Awards (WSBA) for outstanding books published by Washington authors in 2022. This is the 57th year of the program, formerly called the …
A short but lingering novel… Elisa Shua Dusapin’s debut novel is ripe with atmosphere and a haunting sense of liminality. A young woman living in the tourist town of Sokcho befriends the enigmatic French graphic novelist who visits unconventionally in the dead of winter. She hopes to show him Sokcho’s barren truth, but finds herself …
From the Seattle Public Library’s Shelf Talk blog August 23, 2022. Title links go to SPL page; book cover links go to Bookshop.org. Your local independent bookstore is happy to help you find these books! Congratulations to 39 finalists in eight categories for the 2022 Washington State Book Awards (WSBA) for outstanding books published by …
I am obsessed with Zevin’s writing style. She eloquently tells the story, through dual perspectives, of Sam and Sadie, estranged childhood friends who come back together to create a video game in the 90s. With flashbacks, flashforwards (in the form of magazine interviews) and references to discrimination, racism, and physical disability, I was immediately hooked. …
Of course I was captured right away by the wonderful world building in “The Book Making Habits of Select Species,” and while this book of short stories is perfect for any “Black Mirror” fan, fascinated by technology’s impact on humanity, it is also so much more. This book is a fantastic blend of sci-fi, speculative, …
Grace Campbell of Olympia and Laura Stanfill of Portland met at Mineral School in Mineral, Washington, during a 2018 parent residency week. Grace Campbell is the Fiction Editor at 5×5 Literary Magazine. Her roots are in flash/microfiction, where she has been published in journals like Brevity, Hobart, Joyland, and Midway. Her work has been featured …
This is probably one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever encountered. I can’t stop peeking at it…beautiful water color images; mythical, mystical, magical. To be picked up, flipped through, and held close when you need some true comfort. – Berkeley, Browsers Bookshop, Olympia, WA Hold close some comfort from Browsers and other independent bookstores.
An astronaut wakes up with amnesia, and discovers he is on a mission to save the world. This book is a return to what made The Martian such a great read. There’s a sarcastic but earnest narrator, many a life-threatening disaster, and so very much clearly and cleverly explained science. Once I started reading it, I could …
Prior to last night’s virtual event hosted by Third Place Books (Seattle), Village Books (Bellingham), Browsers Bookshop (Olympia), and Auntie’s Books (Spokane), Rebekah Denn wrote a piece about Spokane author Kate Lebo. Read it to get some new book recommendations and a fresh look at a favorite author. Lebo’s newest work is The Book of …
Hands down one of the most lyrical novels I’ve read this year. What grows out of Antonia’s grief after a series of sudden familial losses is: resiliency, tenacity, and a deep, inhabitable wisdom. I can’t recommend this one enough. -Elise, Browsers Bookshop, Olympia, WA Read books you’ll want to tell your friends about. Find great …
