Island Books of Mercer Island, WA, did a list of staff favorites during the holidays for Advent. We got a chortle out of this recommendation: Brad says, “Wait!?!? This is on Brad’s list? Yes, yes, it is. You see, I love ponies, and I especially love cranky ponies. And when cranky ponies set off to …
Here is Syou Ishida’s We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat, which is a series of stories about a mysterious clinic whose primary solution to what ails you is to give you a cat. This is one of those books which either works for you as a reader or doesn’t. If you find yourself thinking “Really?”, then …
In the small island community of Ebey’s End, life is quiet and sort of “normal” – whatever that is. And then along comes July, newly orphaned and in need of a place to live and grow. That’s where Anita the grocer, July’s sort-of-cousin, comes in. The social worker wants to park 14-year-old July at her …
Yours Cheerfully: the best possible antidote for the blahs, the doldrums, all slumps, but also effective against letdowns and general malaise. Loved. Every. Word. —Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry This book, the sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird, can be read as a stand-alone or in sequence. It is also a staff pick of Karen …
This book is a joy to hold and behold. Just what the Universe has ordered up for these trying times, and Margaret Renkl has delivered. 52 transcendent meditations on the natural world. Brief yet beautiful with illustrations to accompany done by her brother. Over and over Margaret reminds us that even though “The world is …
Bob Comet is a retired librarian. One day he steps out of his mint-colored house to go for a walk. This walk becomes an adventure. Along the way, it turns out that Bob has had a few other adventures. And with spare prose–and a generous dose of humor and life wisdom–we discover, along with Bob, …
Katrina is on the run to find a better life when she is discovered by famed violin teacher Shizuka– who happens to be searching for one more soul to finish her deal with Hell. As she trains Katrina, Shizuka also meets Lan, former starship captain turned donut shop owner. I was entranced by this story …
Ellie Jacobs takes a walk near her home in the Exmoor countryside one day. While her husband, Clive, is a domineering lout, Ellie tries to create a peaceful life for herself by writing poetry and walking in the woods. On this day, however, Ellie comes across a barn that has been converted into a harpmaker’s …
Simple and inspiring. We all have those days, when we’re afraid and sad because of the news; this book shows us how to step outside the fear “to make the world a better place.” Hand in hand, kindness by kindness, we can make a difference and win “a tiny battle over fear for [ourselves] and …
The NW booklovers’ community extends beyond the Pacific Northwest… Here, we see a lovely photo of a display promoting an event at Book Passage in San Francisco. (I pulled this post’s headline from the great intro on the shelf talker pictured.) The picture was posted by former Third Place Books bookseller, Cheryl McKeon, on Facebook with …
