From the Island Books newsletter April 17, 2019 I’ve been writing poetry, or something resembling that, consistently since I was eleven years old. I’ve always liked words, the energy, the power, and the meanings that all vary. Unlike prose writing, poetry offers up a canvas of possibility in its negative space. I found I was …
When I heard an interview with Jonathan Auxier talking about how many years of historical research he did when writing Sweep, I couldn’t wait to dive into his authentic world of Victorian chimney sweeps. As perfectly as he has constructed this world it is, after all, the story of a girl and her monster, so there is plenty of …
Craig Childs’s Atlas of a Lost World is out in paperback this week. Childs—who, like John McPhee, makes any field trip interesting—tackles the prehistory of the western hemisphere in this book. Where did the first settlers come from? Were they all eaten by megafauna? Did ancient shamans ride giant sloths? (Sorry. Different book.) What did the kids …
From Shelf Awareness April 11, 2019 by Alex Mutter Seattle’s Madison Books Plans IBD Opening When Madison Books opens in Seattle, Wash., on April 27, Independent Bookstore Day, it will be the first new, general-interest, independent bookstore in the city’s Madison Park neighborhood since 2005. The roughly 400-square-foot bookstore is a sister store to Phinney Books, …
“I’ve always thought of them, of the poems, as being very private investigations and negotiations of a space that I can’t quite figure out—they’re where I wrestle with what I both resist and am drawn to.” I can’t stop reading and rereading Phillips’s poems. They are carefully considered but always unsettled, restlessly looking to reveal, …
Looking for some new poetry to celebrate National Poetry Month? The booksellers of King’s Books in Tacoma, WA have some recommendations for you. Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart – Alice Walker OMG, Alice Walker is prophetic and historic, full of nostalgia, passion, and hope. I couldn’t put this collection down. You will easily …
[This segment of Watermark Book Company’s newsletter] introduce[s the store’s] team members so you can get to know us all a little better! This time, we would like to share a little bit about Jaycee! Tell us a bit about yourself: “I am a student at WWU majoring in dance and minoring in music. I …
This is fascinating historical true crime, in which Weinman shares the real story behind controversial fictional novel Lolita. Weinman tells of Sally Horner’s kidnapping and 21 months of mistreatment at the the hands of a Frank La Salle. Through extensive archival research, Weinman is able to make a persuasive claim that Vladmir Nabakov’s Lolita was inspired …
The rhymes in this book are as uplifting as the story of . . . pioneering naval engineer [Raye Montague], and the illustrations are delightful. A sweet read for aspiring engineers [and anyone who wants to know more about a brilliant history-maker]. –Raissa, King’s Books, Tacoma, WA Learn more for Women’s History Month and every …
This heart-breaking novel is storytelling at its best! It follows Rachel, a young Hawaiian girl whose dreams are shattered the day she is taken from her family and sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined settlement for lepers on the island of Moloka’i. Rich in history and characters, this special story will stay with you forever. And now after …
