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 …
Three interconnected short stories, all centered around the Torunka Cafe by the author of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. While this book fits into the “healing Japanese fiction” genre, this particular book doesn’t rely on magical realism. The stray cats don’t talk. There is no time travel. It’s just a book about lonely people finding …
It isn’t easy being the youngest of three sisters! Never having worn anything but hand-me-downs, Sunny longs to find a way to express herself through fashion, and honor her family’s Lunar New Year traditions. Leaning into her creativity, Sunny finds a way for her individuality to shine through. —Shay Shortt, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, …
Susan Orlean has a lifetime of stories to tell. Her writing credentials include The New Yorker (22 years as staff writer), Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire and numerous nonfiction books. Shaped by a relentless curiosity and uncanny ability to dive deeply into any topic, Orlean now brings her immense writing talents to her own memoir, Joyride: …
Gift idea: Buy a cookbook for a place someone wants to visit or has recently been to. You can learn a great deal about a place through its food. After going to Edinburgh this summer, I’m slowly working my way through this lovely new cookbook, Winter in the Highlands, and also dreaming of going to …
Travis Baldree is back with Brigands & Breadknives, which is the story of Fern, once a bookseller and now a lost wanderer in the company of a legendary warrior, a chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely monstrous hangover. Fern, you see, has been suffering from a bit of ennui these past months, …
Hot Desk has everything–fun, competitive interests, stalled romance, great characters, a bit of historical revisiting, and it’s behind the scenes in the publishing industry–oh, and did I mention romance? You’ll love it! –Linda, Auntie’s Books, Spokane, WA Grab something fun at Auntie’s and other independent bookstores.
A fast read that’s a unique take on the magical girl genre using its tropes for some insightful social commentary on topics like debt and depression, climate change, not living up to your perceived potential, and the darker realities women often face. “The first battle a magical girl must fight is the fight to save …
First, this is exhaustively researched, brilliant, and eloquent, both (in the author’s words) as “a brief history” and “a civics primer.” Second, it will pair nicely with the 2026 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, helping to inform our interpretations of that document, its historical context, and its continuing relevance. And …
