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. Maybe it’s that I just read an early copy of an upcoming “Dirty Dancing”-inspired YA novel by …
Visit and revisit illustrations that shift before your eyes as you gain contextual understanding of the interlocked stories in this book. This mystery-horror novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Truly chilling! -Lucy, Secret Garden Books, Seattle, WA On Seattle Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 25th, 2026, Secret Garden Books is hosting a …
by Amanda Ramierez for Publishers Weekly Newbery Medalist Donna Barba Higuera retells the Aztec myth of creation, casting Xolotl, the dog-headed god of lighting, death, and misfortune, as the hero in her middle grade work Xolo, illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson. When all life on Earth perishes and the immortal gods must throw themselves into a …
Maybe I was meant to live and write in Portland, Oregon. But first I had to get London out of my system. In 2014, I retired from the University of Hawaii and moved to London. I’ve lived in the city before, short-term, but this time, I settle in for two years. My agenda: to reinvent …
I loved this book! The author says it best in her acknowledgement. “I wanted to write a book that felt like a warm hug. The Spellshop is special to me because it’s filled with things that bring me joy…. This book is my gift to anyone who wants to escape and sink into a world …
This summer, the staff at Beach Books in Seaside, OR put together a selection of their most-anticipated summer pre-orders. You can see the full list on their Instagram, but here’s a teaser from Alexa’s list. The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown, publishing August 12, 2025. (This not a sequel to beloved The Book …
Seattle’s Secret Garden Books in Ballard interviewed author Kathy Wang about her upcoming novel, The Satisfaction Cafe, publishing July 1, 2025. Describe your book in 3 words. Vivid, unexpected and moving. If I can get a bonus verb, I’d add comic! What came hardest to you when writing this novel? The point of view. It’s …
From The Seattle Times May 20, 2025 Bethany Jean Clement, Seattle Times food writer Partway through the first page of Moira Macdonald’s debut novel “Storybook Ending,” I started crying. Not with sorrow — the novel starts with the most intriguing two sentences, then takes us directly into the luminous, cinematic mind of one of the …
In the early 2000s, Laura Stanfill (Forest Avenue Press) and Nancy Townsley (author of the new debut novel Sunshine Girl) were colleagues at a community newspaper chain in Portland, Oregon. Nancy’s new novel follows Eliza Donovan, the daughter of a journalist, as she pursues her own reporting career amid turbulent industry changes and, in the …
Xavier Rush is a swoon-worthy veterinarian with ACOTAR vibes and a soft side. After the perfect date with Samantha, she begs him to forget her due to family drama. But the connection between them is undeniable. Full of humor, heart, and chemistry, this is a great romance. (Possibly Jimenez’s best to date) Another great pick …
