Trees are fascinating subjects. I am obsessed with tree books and try to read all that I can find. But most of these focus on a tree’s root systems or how they influence the forest floor to support life. Not many of these books delve into the canopy of these trees, until now. This is …
Each year since 1965, the Pacific Northwest Book Awards have celebrated exceptional books written by Northwest authors. PNBA is proud to announce the 2022 Book Awards Shortlist, selected by a committee of independent booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. This year’s committee chose the following 12 finalists, crafted by Northwest authors, from a list …
I couldn’t put this down! With clear prose and accessible explanations, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid delves into the fascinating science of climate change biology. While Hanson doesn’t shy away from the very real dangers of the climate crisis, he’s never bleak. Rather, he stresses that the myriad responses of different plants and animals (including …
It’s time for a Thursday Theme, when we shine a spotlight on some of the titles featured in this week’s Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association regional bestseller list. Mushroom season is upon us, and that’s quite evident from our bestseller list. It’s pretty interesting that four of the five highlighted here are regional bestsellers but not national bestsellers. …
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 …
Explore the eastern most reaches of the Russian wilderness and join in the hunt for the world’s largest (and possibly rarest) owl species, the Blakiston’s fish owl. These massive birds inhabit only the wildest places, feasting on salmon and trading eerie calls across the snow-covered landscape. Slaght makes you feel like you’re part of the …
From the Bookmarks e-newsletter from The Oregonian/ OregonLive April 17, 2021: Earth Day is Thursday, providing an ideal opportunity to read Plastic: An Autobiography by Allison Cobb. The Portland-based author grew up in Los Alamos. She works for an environmental advocacy organization. And she’s a poet — her collection After We All Died was a 2018 Oregon Book …
From a recent newsletter from Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island, WA: What experienced bookseller hasn’t heard this one: “I can’t remember the author or the title, but the cover is blue!” We rarely astonish our customers (or ourselves) by solving a mystery this difficult, but this week was our moment in the sun. The customer …
In the Don’t Eat the Dirt In Your Backyard Department, we have Steve Olson’s The Apocalypse Factory, which is about plutonium and Hanford and what’s still out there in Eastern Washington. Of course, this may be old news to long-time residents of this state, but if you’ve read Adam Higgingbotham’s Midnight in Chernobyl and Kate …
Arguably one of the most outstanding Americans of the 20th century, yet seemingly almost forgotten today, George Washington Carver gets an enlightening biographical treatment in this beautifully illustrated picture book. The book focuses on George’s childhood, as he tends a hidden garden and teaches himself botany through observation and experimentation, but his social and scientific …
