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 …
Last night I read this wonderful book. The story of a little boy in CT who grows up to be a restaurant critic in Paris, then at Gourmet magazine (oh how I miss that publication). If you love food & dining like I do, you will devour this in one sitting. James Beard, Julia Child, …
If you’ve ever struggled to lead a creatively satisfying professional life, there’s a good chance Cass’s story will resonate. Cass’s chosen career path? Theater. After an entire decade of working on “weird downtown plays” as a no-name playwright in NYC, she wins an award along with $50,000 and lands herself an off-Broadway debut. She’s 33 …
From the author of The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s newest novel, Good Company, opens with main character, Flora, finding the wedding ring her husband Julian told her he’d lost years ago. Dropped into the middle, a moment in time that will affect the future and shade the past, Sweeney immediately pulled me into the narrative. I …
Watch Rachel Griffin talk about her book, The Nature of Witches A magical YA debut about accepting and even embracing changes in yourself. The Nature of Witches is also a love letter to our planet, showing readers how to appreciate what each season has to offer us, to see the beauty in the world we …
Important traveller tip: Dinner at the Bozeman airport after 5pm is either food at one or two unremarkable (and overly crowded) eateries or a microwaved Hot Pocket. We got the last two pockets. This is the sort of thing that Bourdain does not cover in his recent book. –Mark Teppo, A Good Book, Sumner, WA …
At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England’s history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England–until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight. Soon, another practicing magician …
It might be nigh on impossible to stay cool in this kind of heat wave, but some bookstores in the Pacific Northwest DO have air conditioning. If you have a safe way to get to them, it would be worth planning a visit. Secret Garden Books in Ballard, Seattle, WA 2214 NW Market St …
This was one of my favorite reads of last year. There’s southern housewife hospitality, a true crime book club, and a handsome new neighbor who appears overnight. Filled with some suspense/horror this book is a great read to get yourself out of your reading rut or to switch it up to something out of those …
I first read Brian Doyle’s The Grail (Oregon State University Press, $18.95) while serving on the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Awards Committee years ago. I fell in love with his abundant affection for people and place and his exquisite prose. Over the years, I had the pleasure of meeting him several times. I was just discovering his poetry/poetic essays and …
