The
Summer 2014 Summer 2014
r e d a e R t u n a k c u Ch
oks A Village Bo Publication e2 Vol. 21 Issu
Anniversary Members Only
SALE June 21st-22nd
Summer Reading Recommendations
The Chuckanut Writers Conference Author Events and much more!
A Magazine for the Northwest’s Most Avid Readers
2
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
Dear Reader,
It's hard for us to believe that we're about to launch into our 35th year. More than half of our terrific staff wasn't born when we first opened the doors—not that it makes us feel old or anything. As you likely know, there have been some challenging times for independent bookstores over the past three decades—the rollout of big box stores, the advent of internet book sales, eBooks, not to mention the predatory practices of some competitors. We have, however, survived. In fact, 2013 was a pretty good year for Village Books and Paper Dreams, and for independent bookstores in general. Also, in each of the last three years there has been a net gain of indie stores. Huzzah, huzzah! Before we launch into that 35th year we'll be celebrating the past 34 in a big way. First, check out the special fundraising event for Whatcom Literacy Council on Wednesday, June 18. We'll be at Boundary Bay with our friends The Atlantics, who are also celebrating their 34th anniversary. Tickets are limited. See page 4 for details. We'll also hold our annual Members Only Anniversary Sale on Saturday, June 21st, and Sunday, June 22nd. You can read more about the sale on page 5. As always, this Reader is full of staff reviews and previews of books that are being published over the next few months. There's a lot of information about author events and other happenings in Fairhaven and around the community. And don't miss the very special offer on our Signed First Editions Club with the latest Tom Robbins book. We've said it before but it bears repeating: without you, dear reader, we would not have been here these past 34 years. Thank you for helping us build community, one book at a time. Have a great summer!
–Chuck, Dee,
and Everyone at Village Books & Paper Dreams
In This Issue... Dear Reader Summer Activities in Fairhaven & Beyond The Chuckanut Radio Hour Summer Line-up Good Reads, Girls Night Out, Mark Twain Visits Fiction and Mystery (highlights & reviews) Everything Spec Fi—Fairhaven Steampunk Festival Border Songs hits the Stage Poetry, Yoga, Religion (book highlights) VB & WCC—Chuckanut Writers and Conference Cooking & Food (book reviews and events) Go Home with Art! Take the One Book Pledge with The Arkleys Science, Nature, and Field Guides (book reviews) Get Out There (books, talks, & more) Current Events (highlights & reviews) History, Adventure, Memoirs, and Biographies When Cheryl Strayed Came to Town Join the SIgned First Editions Club at VB Biblio.com & Village Books Join Forces Indies Choice Book Awards 2014 New Programming for Kids with Claire Great Books and Awesome Activities for Kids Literature Live! Author Events at VB
3 4-8 9 10 & 12 13-19 21-23 24 25 26-27 28-33 35 37 38-39 40-41 42-43 44-49 51 52 53 54 55 56-64 65-70
VILLAGE BOOKS
The Chuckanut Reader Summer 2014
Publishers: Chuck and Dee Robinson Production Design: Kelly Carbert
Contributors: Cait Auer, Jenny Blenk, Hana Boxberger, Kelly Carbert, Charles Claassen, Christina Claassen, Brendan Clark, Kelly Evert, Robert Gruen, Anna Halleen, Rachel Hanley, Paul Hanson, Sarah Hutton, Sam Kaas, Linda Lambert, Rachel McCausland, Claire McElroy-Chesson, Lindsey McGuirk, Laura Picco, Robin Robertson, Chuck Robinson, Dee Robinson, Rem Ryals, Chris Sanders, Joan Terselich, Caprice Teske, Jonica Todd, Terri Weiner, Cindi Williamson, Anna Wolff Cover: Kick back with a good book this summer! Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2014 Printed by the Lynden Tribune on paper made from 50% post-consumer waste
360.671.2626 800.392.BOOK (US & Canada) fax: 360.734.2573
Extended Hours! Monday - Saturday: 10am - 10pm and Sundays: 10am - 8pm
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
browse & shop anytime!
VillageBooks.com
Village Books in Historic Fairhaven 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225
Summer 2014 3
Anniversary Celebration to Raise Funds for Literacy
June 18th — Boundary Bay Beer Garden 1980 was an auspicious year. Not only was Village Books founded that summer, but the ever popular boogie, pop-rock and blues-playing Atlantics launched their long strange trip. Now, as these two Bellingham institutions celebrate their 34th anniversaries and launch into their 35th year, they're joining forces to party AND raise funds for Whatcom Literacy Council! The celebration will be at the Boundary Bay Beer Garden. Tickets are $35 and include appetizers, the first beer (or other beverage) and an evening of music by the Atlantics. Tickets (if they are still available) are at Village Books and on brownpapertickets.com. Act now, as there are a very limited number of spots. Doors open at 6pm, music starts at 7pm. All ages until 10pm, 21 and over after 10pm.
Summer Fun!
The Literacy Breakfast featuring NANCY PEARL is scheduled for October 17th, 7–9am Save at Settlemyer Hall t h on the BTC campus. e Da
te!
Village Books is happy to announce our new partnership with the Bellingham Bells! Look for our Book Relay-Races between innings all summer at Joe Martin Field. Stop by for a guest appearance by DINGER at Village Books on July 5th, 1:30-3:30pm.
GO BELLS!
4 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Reader Rewards & Devoted Dreamers Exclusive
MEMBERS ONLY
Anniversary
SALE
20% OFF STOREW
*
IDE
at both Village Books AND Paper Dreams!
June 21st & 22nd Saturday & Sunday 10am-10pm
10am-8pm
Not a Member? No Problem! You can join this weekend and receive all of our great member benefits, plus the 20% discount. It's FREE & EASY!
Are you a member and can't make it in? Call in your book order and receive the sale price when you pre-pay! * Sale does not includ e on eBooks, magazines, tic line purchases, eReaders, kets and a few other items.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 5
Produced by Epic Events in conjunction with the Historic Fairhaven Association
2014
BEN KINNEY & KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
Jun 21 The Goonies
Jul 26 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Jun 28 Frozen
Aug 2 The Sandlot
8:15 - music by Odd Ones Out
8:15 - music by Amber Darland
8:00 - music by Bham Youth Jazz Band
Jul 5 Gravity
Aug 9 The Lego Movie
8:15 - music by Quickdraw Stringband
7:30 - marimbas by Kuungana
Jul 12 Finding Nemo
Aug 16 Star Trek Into Darkness
Jul 19 Footloose (1984)
Aug 23 The Princess Bride
8:15 - Bham Dance Company
8:15 - music by Lost at Last
$5
8:00 - amazing acts by One Fine Fool
7:30 - sci-fi trivia
7:00 - music by Jaspar Lepak
FairhavenOutdoorCinema.com - Facebook.com/FairhavenOutdoorCinema
$5
Enjoy the wonders of movie-watching under the stars on the Village Green. Each evening starts with live entertainment and giveaways which are followed by a full-length feature film. Admission is $5 per person (5 & under free). Bring a blanket for the grass or a lawn chair for the brick side areas. Vendors will have food available for purchase at the events or you're welcome to bring your own picnic. Sit back and enjoy! Author Barbara Hicks Village Books & Paper Dreams are proud to sponsor Frozen, Gravity, will be signing copies of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Lego Movie, and The Princess Bride.
S a t u r d a y s o n t he Fairhaven Village Green 6
Summer 2014
her FROZEN books before the June 28 movie!
Shop 24 hours a day at www.villagebooks.com
Don't Miss the Annual
Summer Solstice
ART WALK in Fairhaven
Friday, June 20th, 5–8pm What a fantastic night for a stroll through Fairhaven! You’ll find dozens of shops and galleries displaying unique local art for the home and garden. Many artists will be in attendance. Get out and enjoy yourself! Village Books will feature Yaqui Native Flutist, Peter Ali, who will be performing his native flute under the glass sculpture on the main floor from 5:30-6:30pm.
Paper Dreams will feature local artist Stephanie Burgess from 5-8pm for a mini woodburning presentation and artistic display of her widely-popular painted peace poles. Her garden peace poles feature poetic phrases and colorful painted images, supporting a message of peace. Stephanie will also bring some of her original wood wall planks mounted on black canvas, as well as some of her smaller wooden artwork. You can learn more about Stephanie's work at paintedpeace.com.
Stop by to check them out!
So Much to Do! Saturday & Sunday
June 21st–22nd, 10am-4pm 12th Annual Imagine This! Home & Landscape Tour This year’s tour includes 10 amazing locations featuring the best in eco-friendly homes and landscapes and a chance to win a home energy audit with the Community Energy Challenge! Prices are $10 for individuals age 16 and up. Supervised children are welcome. Includes access to all tour stops. Tickets on sale at Village Books, both Community Food Co-op locations, and online at brownpapertickets.com. Each site will have tickets available for purchase via cash or check only on the day of the event.
Do-it-yourselfers and those looking for great contractors for an upcoming project will delight in a weekend of exploring beautiful, innovative and eco-friendly homes and landscapes. The tour is self-guided, so you can go at your own pace. Pick and choose the locations you would like to visit or make an effort to stop at them all. An interactive Google Map makes it easy to view photos of each stop and travel between destinations. New this year: Local craftspeople will showcase ARchiTectural elements for home design at Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden. See sustainableconnections.org for more!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014
7
Mount Baker Theatre TICKETS ON SALE
NOW!
EVENTS
Season Sponsor
MBT REP SERIES :: 2014-2015 ::
SUNDAY 7/20
Buy the Series for $120*
IT M EMIT ADAN OD E ON
(reg. $145) You get 4 shows + 1 FREE!
Art by Conner Peirson
MONDAY 8/4
8PM
$49-$79*
8PM
Hits include “I Swear,” “Letters From Home,” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident).” IT M EMIT ADAN OD E ON
$20-$42*
Mount Baker Theatre | 360-734-6080 |www.MountBakerTheatre.com
*Plus applicable fees
The premier guide to arts & entertainment happenings in the region! Click on the cover of the magazine at ennw.info to download or read online.
Pick up a copy at one of nearly 200 locations in Whatcom & Skagit Counties.
Visit ennw.info for reviews, updates and advertising info.
8
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
Chuckanut Radio Hour
The
The Chuckanut Radio Hour, a recipient of Bellingham’s prestigious Mayor’s Arts Award, is a radio variety show recorded live and played on KMRE 102.3FM. Each Radio Hour features guest authors and musicians, performance poet Kevin Murphy, Cascadia Weekly columnist Alan Rhodes, an episode of "The Bellingham Bean" serial radio comedy, and some groaner jokes by hosts Chuck & Dee Robinson and announcer Rich Donnelly. It's a lot of fun so check out our summer line-up and join us! The following shows take place in the
Heiner Theater at Whatcom Community College
Thursday, June 26th, 6:30pm
Brian Doyle –The Plover Author of Mink River, Brian Doyle, will kick off the Chuckanut Writers Conference as a guest on the Radio Hour. He’ll be interviewed about his latest novel, The Plover, a story of a sea voyage that becomes a rapturous, heartfelt celebration of life's surprising paths. In The Plover, Declan O'Donnell has sailed out of Oregon and deep into the vast, wild ocean, having had "enough" of other people and their problems. He will go it alone, he will be his own country, he will be beholden to and beloved of no one. But the galaxy soon presents him with a string of odd, entertaining, and dangerous passengers, who become companions of every sort and stripe. —Enjoy LIVE MUSIC by Sarah Goodin. Receive one FREE ticket w/ each pre-event purchase of The Plover
Thursday, July 24, 6:30pm
Tickets $5.00 Tickets for all shows are available at Village Books &
J.A. Jance
BrownPaperTickets.com
–Remains of Innocence: A Brady Novel of Suspence J. A. Jance, the New York Times bestselling author of the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, and four interrelated thrillers about the Walker Family, joins us for her latest book in the Joanna Brady series, Remains of Innocence. Sheriff Joanna Brady must solve two perplexing cases that hit close to home in a thrilling tale of suspense that brings to life Arizona’s Cochise County and the desert Southwest in all its beauty, mystery, and danger. —Enjoy LIVE MUSIC by Geof Morgan
Receive one FREE TICKET with each pre-event purchase of Remains of Innocence.
KMRE FM 102.3
A HUGE thanks to our amazing sponsors!
The Chuckanut Radio Hour airs every Saturday evening at 6pm, and Sunday at 9pm on KMRE 102.3FM. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014
9
E I N V I TE D R A U O Y to VB’s Summer Open Book Talk
Open Book Talk with VB Owners, Chuck & Dee
Tuesday, June 24th, 11am & 5:15pm in the VB Readings Gallery
You're invited to Village Books' Summer Open Book Talk on Tuesday, June 24th at either 11am or 5:15pm. VB co-owners Chuck and Dee Robinson will talk about a variety of books for you to consider adopting for your book groups or adding to your summer reading list. If you're in a book group, bring the whole gang. If you're not and want to be, maybe you'll meet someone to join you in starting a new group! Don't miss this celebration of books and reading!
Girls Night Out in Fairhaven Friday, June 27th Shop 12-7pm • Party 7-10pm
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! 2014 brings the 9th annual Fairhaven Girls Night Out event to the district Friday, June 27! This year's theme is "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...," so get your appropriate 80's attire and attitude planned, and then get ready for an afternoon and evening of... that's right... fun, with all proceeds going to St. Joseph's Cancer Center Clinical Research Trials Program. In past years the event has raised as much as $12,000. This year the event organizers are determined to raise even more!
What's in store for the day?
• Passport Shopping (12-7pm): Participating Fairhaven businesses will feature discounts, host giveaways, have demonstrations, showcase artists, or offer a treat or taste to sample. By having your passport stamped by at least 10 of the many participating businesses, you can enter to win a fantastic passport prize once you reach the gala event at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. • 80's Flashback Party (7-10pm): Plan to enjoy themed beverages and snacks (available for purchase), and to play and bid the night away with a “Fun and Fashion” show, silent and live auctions, a "Wine Wall" and more! There will also be music from Sunset Music DJ and the Oh Snap! photo booth. • GIRLS NIGHT OUT VIP TABLES! For just $300, you receive TEN passports to shop then have your own VIP Table for your group. The VIP Tables include treats at your table, as well as Swag Bags which include gifts and goodies from many local businesses. Learn more at fairhaven.com Ladies, come get your passport stamped at Village Books and have your lips read by Seattle author and lip-reader, Jilly Eddy, who will have copies of her book Lipsology available.
10
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
FICTION brand new
FICTION
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian
available in July, hardcover, Doubleday
This is the story of Emily Shepard, a homeless teen living in an igloo made of ice and trash bags filled with frozen leaves. Half a year earlier, a nuclear plant in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom had experienced a cataclysmic meltdown, and both of Emily's parents were killed. Devastatingly, her father was in charge of the plant, and the meltdown may have been his fault.
The Arsonist by Sue Miller
available in June, hardcover, Knopf
Troubled by feelings of isolation after working in Africa for many years, Frankie has returned to her family's summer farmhouse. On her first night back, a house up the road burns to the ground. Is it an accident, or arson? Over the following weeks, as Frankie comes to recognize her father's slow failing and her mother's desperation, another house burns, and then another, always the homes of summer people.
The Corsican Caper: A Year in Provence
by Peter Mayle available now, hardcover, Knopf There’s trouble brewing in Marseille. A new villain, Mr. Vronsky, is looking for a new home and he’s set his sights on Le Pharo. But when Sam’s friend Reboul shows no intention of selling, will Sam once again have to get his friend out of a sticky situation? Peter Mayle creates a great old-fashioned mystery that doesn’t need big explosions to be captivating. His characters are vibrant and easily remind you of your best friend and most annoyingly persistent enemy. —Anna
hardcover FICTION
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Doerr's newest novel succeeds on so many levels, it's difficult for me tell others about it. Do I describe the characters that come off the page and feel like not just friends, but family? Or how the beautiful and detailed writing brings WWII’s Germany and Paris to vibrant life? Or that this elevating story is full of themes and ideas that beg to be mulled upon and reread? I still can't decide. Suffice to say, when I reluctantly read the last page and closed the book, I hugged it. —Paul This book is beloved by many VB staffers!
The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh
availalbe in June, hardcover, Doubleday
Jenn and Greg are enjoying the last week of their holiday in Majorca. Their days are languorous, the time passing by in a haze of rioja-soaked lunches and hours at the beach; it's the perfect summer idyll…until Greg's teenage daughter, Emma, arrives with her new boyfriend, Nathan. What follows, over the course of seven days, is a brilliantly paced fever dream of attraction between Jenn and the reckless yet mesmerizing Nathan.
The Quick
by Lauren Owen available in June, hardcover, Random House
James Norbury is a shy would-be poet, newly down from Oxford and confounded by the sinister city at his doorstep. Taking up lodging with a dissolute young aristocrat, he soon vanishes without a trace. In Yorkshire, his sister Charlotte sets out to find her brother. Her search for answers leads her to one of the country's most mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the richest, most ambitious men in England.
The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even by Chris F. Westbury
available in June, hardcover, Counterpoint
“The adjectives kooky, quirky, and unusual can do nothing but enhance any description of this wonderful, original novel about two outpatients of a mental facility who decide they must travel to Philadelphia on a Marcel Duchamp-based mission to retrieve a chocolate grinder. Loaded with art history, biblical knowledge, OCD habits, and laugh-out-loud hijinks (are any of those things redundant?), The Bride Stripped Bare is a delight.” —Liberty Hardy, RiverRun Bookstore
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 11
Mark Twain RETURNS
TO
Fairhaven by Chuck Robinson
T
he fanciful musical based on Mark Twain's 1895 visit to Claire McElroy-Chesson Fairhaven will launch its third season at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center on July 31st and run Thursday through Sunday for three consecutive weekends. The play, written by former Bellingham resident Joseph Lenz, was first performed at the Bellingham Theatre Guild, and then in Lynden before reaching its rightful home in Fairhaven in 2012. Twain, while on a 12-month, worldwide, money-raising lecture tour, made a stop in Fairhaven, staying at the Fairhaven Hotel and speaking at the Lighthouse Theatre in New Whatcom. He is also said to have played billiards at the Cascade Club in the Mason Block (now Sycamore Square) and ordered out for a couple of whiskeys, which he had heated to ease his sore throat. Exercising artistic liberties, Lenz portrays locals, during an economic downturn, plotting to engage Twain in promoting their fair city. That's not much of a stretch since Fairhaven had fallen on hard times and The Blade, the city's most popular newspaper at the time, ran this before Twain's arrival: "as a man with so great a reputation, and one who has the power to easily benefit or injure a city like ours, according to the impression he receives, Mark Twain should be treated as a distinguished guest." However, in the play, when Mr. Clemens arrives—sans white suit, the townsfolk fail to recognize him and hilarity ensues.
PERFORMANCES Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. & Sundays at 2:00 p.m. on July 31st–3rd, August 7th–10th & August 14th–17th. TICKETS are $12 for adults and $8 for students & seniors (62 and older) and are available at Village Books and online at brownpapertickets.com. The Firehouse Performing Arts Center is located at 1314 Harris Avenue.
Angela Mills Watson, who was the Assistant Director last year, has taken on the role of Director. Leon Charbonneau, who first played the role of Twain in Lynden in 2009, will reprise that role for a second year in Fairhaven. Other cast members include Brian Watson as the Captain, Megann Schmidt as Daisy, Alycia Hendrickson as Rosa, Von Emeth Ochoa as Tommy, and Dana Reed Crediford as Boomer. Performing double-duty, Choreographer Genevieve Dunn is Mill and Music Director John French plays Elf. Other behind-the-scenes roles are filled by Cary Thomas who is the Assistant Director, Brittany Sterling is the Stage Manager, and Ryan Goelzenleuchter is on lights.
If you missed Mark's visit to Fairhaven in 1895, come see him this summer! Presented by the Historic Fairhaven Association
12 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
NEW FICTION
The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit by Graham Joyce
available in August, hardcover, Doubleday
All David has left of his father is a stolen picture of the man standing on a wind-swept beach. David decides to spend the summer working at a resort near that same beach; he feels drawn by some force to go there. While he entertains vacationers, cavorts with dancers, and involves himself in some dodgy political movements, he also encounters a strange apparition: a man in a bright blue suit and a little boy who tags alongside him; a little boy that reminds David of himself. —Laura P.
Joseph Boyden's highly celebrated new book is artfully balanced—surprising for such an ambitious triple perspective novel. It also conveys a staggering degree of humanity—surprising among characters who so deeply misunderstand and distrust each other. Between blood feuds and the epidemics brought by European encroachment on Native American lands (an intentionally and tragically ignored part of our collective history), The Orenda is not for the faint of heart. But for his vigorous storytelling craft, Boyden deserves every bit of praise he's gotten. —Brendan
The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman
available in June, hardcover, The Dial Press
Tooly Zylberberg, the American owner of an isolated bookstore in the Welsh countryside, fills her life with much reading material but few human beings. After all, books are safer than people, who might ask awkward questions about her life. She prefers never to mention the strange events of her childhood, which mystify and worry her still.
The Orenda
by Joseph Boyden available now, hardcover, Knopf
A Wendat warrior looks for solace in acts of revenge and recompense. A young Iroquois girl seeks retribution for her family's death and a purpose amongst a people who are not her own. A Jesuit missionary goes into the territory of the Huron driven by faith and optimism. Each member of this odd, desperate trinity brims with triumph and ultimately with tragedy, and in this wrenching novel, their stories converge with an emotional punch that transcends time and place. This is a tale of first contact and colliding cultures unlike any other. —Sam
We Are Called to Rise by Laura McBride
available in June, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
"Here is the powerful story of the way in which war detonates far from battlefields, exploding lives in a single irrevocable moment. Here are unforgettable voices that need to be heard as urgently as this richly imagined story needs to be told. Like a solitary bell [it] reverberated long after I'd put it down." –Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress
The Fracking King by James Browning
available in July, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
A novel about boarding school, hardcore Scrabble fanatics, and fracking—a new kind of environmental novel by a spokesman and chief strategist for Common Cause. For all its thoughtful environmental concerns, The Fracking King is also a hopeful book about the power of believing in yourself and pursuing your own particular genius. This is the rare, satisfying debut that's as playful as it is profound.
Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932
Gay Fiction
by Francine Prose available now, hardcover, Harper Set in Paris during the years leading up to WWII, this is the story of Lou Villars, French athlete, race car driver, and spy. Shunned and betrayed by her country due to her lifestyle as a cross-dressing woman, Villars embarks on a career as a spy and torturer for the Germans. I was fascinated by this true story, based on the life and career of Violet Morris, which paints a truly vivid picture of pre-war Paris. —Claire
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 13
ALL-AMERICAN 100% RECYCLED A BENEFIT FOR RE SOURCES
Yes, We CAN! THE NORTHWEST’S
1ST CANNED CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
brand new hardcover FICTION Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
available in June, hardcover, Harper
July 4th
"This book left me awestruck; a stunning debut which reads like the work of a writer at the height of his power. Begins with the story of one struggling man and his family and soon seems to encompass and address all of modern America's problems. Fourth of July Creek is a masterful achievement and Smith Henderson is certain to end up a household name." –Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
The Book of You by Claire Kendal
available now, hardcover, Harper
30+ Brewers
Hot food. Live music. Family fun.
5pm to Fireworks Block Party • Holly & J St. at Elizabeth Station • Great viewing
20 adv. $25 door • VIP $35 adv. only Ticket info: re-sources.org • 733.8307 $
Thank you to our sponsors
Making Your First Impression Last
Johnson Team REAL ESTATE
The Adam Vwich Agency • Northwest Recycling • Superfeet MicroGREEN • The Cascadia Weekly • Elizabeth Station
14
Summer 2014
This is a riveting portrait of a woman terrorized by a man bent on possessing her. Realizing that she bears the burden of proof, she uncovers the twisted, macabre fairytale he has spun around them both, discovering that the ending he envisions for them is more awful than she could have ever imagined.
At Village Books
CHELSEA CAIN
A Free Event!
Wednesday, August 20th, 7pm
One Kick
by Chelsea Cain available in August, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
From the author of the criticallyacclaimed, New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers is the first in a nail-biting new series featuring Kick Lannigan, a young woman whose complicated past has given her a very special skill set. Famously kidnapped at age six, Kick captured America's hearts when she was rescued five years later. Now twenty-one, she finds herself unexpectedly entangled in a missing child case that will put her talents to the test. A heart-stopping, entertaining thrill ride from one of Bellingham's favorite mystery writers.
Shop 24 hours a day at www.villagebooks.com
Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady by Sally O'Reilly
available now, hardcover, Picador
O'Reilly breathes life into England's first female poet. "Dark Aemelia makes one gasp with pleasure and nostalgia for a world one never knew. It is profoundly romantic and erotic yet intelligent, glittery in its descriptions yet wholly believable and very stirring. How glad one is to live now, but how one envies the past!" –Fay Weldon
Lost for Words
by Edward St. Aubyn available now, hardcover, Macmillan
Lost for Words is a hilariously smart send-up of the Booker Awards—witty, fabulously entertaining satire that cuts to the quick of some of the deepest questions about the place of art in our celebrityobsessed culture, and asks how we can ever hope to recognize real talent when everyone has an agenda.
Landline
by Rainbow Rowell available in July, hardcover, St. Martin’s Press
From bestselling YA author Rainbow Rowell comes a new novel for adults that combines the complexities of a marriage with the fantasy of going back in time to change it. In Landlines, Georgie McCool is a TV writer whose marriage is hitting some bumps. Although the story only spans nine days, Rowell pulls you into the drama of Georgie’s marriage, using a magic rotary telephone connecting Georgie to her past. Maybe the phone will give her the chance to make things right. Or maybe not. This heartfelt book is perfect for lazy summer days, and for anyone who loves a twist to a relationship story. —Christina
Spartans at the Gates by Noble Smith
available in June, hardcover, Macmillan
Bellingham's own Noble Smith's imagined ancient world (in this case, Sparta and Athens during the Peloponnesian War) has proved to be so convincing that this, and all his previous works, are going to be published in Greece by Greece's largest publisher. "Terrific action, with a wickedly brilliant plot, visceral combat, and nailbiting treachery... ." –W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
brand new hardcover FICTION The Painter by Peter Heller
available now, hardcover, Knopf
Jim Stegner's life has always been punctuated by violence: he's lived through petty fights, personal loss, and a prison stint he earned after shooting a man in a bar. He's been on the straight and narrow for a couple years, now—sober, living in a small Colorado town where he can paint and fish, and making more than enough money thanks to his dedicated (albeit unctuous) art dealer. But all this changes when, in a rage, he kills a man he has seen beating a horse. What follows is a meditation on revenge, justification and the strange kinds of love which bind us and separate us. At once dark and overwhelmingly hopeful, The Painter recalls Dostoevsky and David James Duncan in equal measure. This is a masterpiece. —Sam
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas
available in August, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
"The mind is a mystery no less than the heart....Thomas has written a masterwork on both, as well as an anatomy of the American middle class in the 20th Century....Thomas does it with the epic sweep and small pleasures of the very best fiction. It's humbling and heartening to read a book this good." –Joshua Ferris
Red Or Dead by David Peace
available now, hardcover, Melville House
Yes, this is a seven-hundred-page novel about British football, but kind of in the same way that The River Why is a book about fishing. As Peace points out in the opening pages, even The Beatles had left the working-class city of Liverpool behind in the early 60s. Liverpool was a gritty, dejected town with a losing team, but a man named Bill Shankly was about to change all that. Peace's repetitive prose style suggests that of an epic poem, and given the scope of his narrative and the larger-than-life quality of his characters, the comparison is appropriate. You don't have to be a soccer fan to enjoy Red or Dead. —Sam
Summer 2014
15
Fiction
Echo's Bones
by Samuel Beckett, introduction by Mark Nixon available in July, hardcover, Grove Press
Summer House with Swimming Pool When a medical mistake goes wrong and a famous actor winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser is forced to conceal the error from his patients and family. After all, his reputation is everything. But the weight of carrying such a secret lies heavily on his mind, and he can't keep hiding from the truth…or the Board of Medical Examiners.
In 1933, Chatto & Windus agreed to publish Samuel Beckett's More Pricks Than Kicks, a collection of ten interrelated stories. At his editor's request, Beckett penned an additional story, "Echo's Bones", to serve as the final piece. However, he'd already killed off several of the characters and had to resurrect them from the dead. The story was politely rejected by his editor, as it was considered too imaginatively playful, too allusive, and too undisciplined. As a result, Echo's Bones remained unpublished until now, nearly eight decades later.
A Man Called Ove
I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You
by Herman Koch
available in June, hardcover, Hogarth
by Fredrik Backman
available in July, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
A charming novel from Sweden about Ove who, as the cranky old man next door, is at once an instantly recognizable figure, one we all feel we must have met before, and at the same time an entirely distinct character, with a hilariously one-of-a-kind perspective on life, and a story all his own.
by Courtney Maum
available in June, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Despite the success of his first solo show in Paris and the support of his brilliant French wife and young daughter, artist Richard Haddon is too busy mourning the loss of his American mistress to appreciate his good fortune. Skillfully balancing biting wit with a deep emotional undercurrent, Maum has created the perfect portrait of an imperfect family.
16
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
Mystery
Laidlaw:
A Laidlaw Investigation
by William McIlvanney
available in June, paperback, Europa Editions
The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
available now, paperback, Quirk Publishing
Detective Henry Palace is convinced that his first big case, an apparent suicide, is really murder. But no one cares, because an asteroid named Maia is due to hit the earth in six months, and suicides have become as common as Happy Meals. Winters's smart, stalwart detective is a great counterpoint to the developing chaos. The first in a trilogy, this combination of murder, betrayal, and dystopia is the perfect vacation read. –Rem
In this first book of a series, we are introduced to Jack Laidlaw, a harddrinking philosopher-detective whose tough exterior only partly hides a rich humanity and keen intelligence. Laidlaw's investigation into the murder of a young woman brings him into conflict with Glasgow's hard men, gangland villains, and the moneyed thugs who control the city.
Paw and Order: Chet and Bernie Mystery #7 by Spencer Quinn
available in August, hardcover, Atria Books
An Event in Autumn: A Kurt Wallander Mystery
by Henning Mankell
available in August, paperback, Vintage
Soon after Inspector Kurt Wallander moves into a new house with a charming garden, he makes an upsetting discovery: there is a corpse buried in a shallow grave in the garden. It's the responsibility of the local police to handle the investigation… but Wallander, even though busy with another case, is soon drawn into the search for the truth about his new home and its previous owner.
You can follow Village Books on Twitter. Each day we tweet about book events, new books, and book-related topics. We are @VillageBksBham.
Here comes another installment in Quinn’s charming and engaging mystery series told through the perspective of a dog. Our dog narrator Chet helps his owner Bernie, a private investigator, with his various cases. Chet tweaks the usual mystery formula with his unique perspective and priorities, and each book has delighted me with laughs while still providing a gripping mystery. Paw and Order finds Chet and Bernie in Washington D.C. —Rachel H.
Visit us on Facebook! You’ll find our events listed there, and there are discussions of books and other book-related topics as well. Go to Facebook.com/VillageBooks.
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Undead The Troop
available in June, hardcover, Hachette
by Nick Cutter
"The story of Melanie and the people around her is so thoughtfully crafted, so heartfelt, remorseless and painfully human, that it takes the potentially tired trope of the zombie apocalypse and makes it as fresh as it is terrifying. The conclusion [is] so surprising, so warm and yet so chilling, that it takes a moment to realize it's been earned since the first page... ." –Joss Whedon
available in July, paperback, Simon & Schuster
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
A group of scouts and their scoutmaster plan a camping trip on an island and a starving man shows up in a boat. Not normal starving. Eating bugs, rocks, algae, the couch starving. Come to find out he is a test subject for a new diet aid—a Super Tapeworm. Trouble ensues. "This is oldschool horror at its best." –Stephen King
Summer 2014
17
FICTION paperback
FICTION
Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood
available in June, paperback, Viking Press
This novel doesn’t focus on any one wife, but delves into each of their experiences with Ernest Hemingway and each other. Naomi Wood did a wonderful job in pulling the reader into the lives of each woman because at once you want to root for both the wife and the mistress. While the story sends you on an emotional roller coaster, the characters are engaging and full of vigor. —Anna
paperback
FICTION
Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto
available in June, paperback, Penguin
A loving and intimate look at living with a parent afflicted with bipolar disorder. "It plunged me into a world so vivid and capricious, that when I finished, I found something had shifted and changed within myself. This is a world of magnified and dark emotion. The anger is a primal force, the sadness wild and raw. Against this, the jokes are hilarious, reckless, free falling." –Kiran Desai
Sweet as Cane, Salty as Tears by Ken Wheaton
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker
available now, paperback, Penguin
"A crime novel with not one plot line but many, full of shifting rhythms, changes of course and multiple layers that slot together beautifully . . . Dicker alternates periods and genres and explores America in all its excesses—media, literary, religious—all the while questioning the role of the literary writer." –Lí Express
available in July, paperback, Premier Digital Publishing
Fifty-year-old Katherine Lafleur is woken from sleep one morning in Brooklyn, New York, by a phone call telling her that her younger sister has died after being trampled by a run-away rhinoceros. So after years of avoiding her home state of Louisiana, Katherine finds herself journeying back to a place where she's only known as Katie-Lee and she's constantly at odds with her older sister Kendra-Sue. This is a coming-home story of epic (and hilarious) proportions.
The Antiquarian
My Education by Susan Choi
available now, paperback, Penguin
"When I finished Susan Choi's My Education, I nearly gasped. She had... produced a cogent, passionate, and surprising story, while acknowledging the ordinary, eroding aspects of lives lived daily. She had populated it with remarkable but utterly believable characters. She had written lines that could be framed, and displayed at a sentence festival." –Michael Cunningham
by Gustavo Faverón Patriau translated by Joseph Mulligan available in June, paperback, Grove Press
An unexpected phone call throws a psycholinguist back into the fractured, labyrinth-like mind of his childhood friend in this brilliant debut novel, which blends gritty, hard-boiled mystery with erudite magical realism. A masterfully constructed study of madness and metaphor, The Antiquarian is sure to please fans of Roberto Bolaño and Rafael Bernal. —Sam
9
Snow Hunters by Paul Yoon
RISK FREE READS
GU
ck
y Money B Da a 0-
A R A N TEE
available in August, paperback, Simon & Schuster
In this elegant, haunting novel, a North Korean war refugee confronts the wreckage of his past. With spare, evocative prose, it traces the extraordinary journey of Yohan, who defects from his country at the end of the war, leaving his friends and family behind, to seek a new life in a port town on the coast of Brazil.
18 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
FICTION paperback
FICTION
paperback
FICTION
The Glass Ocean
Revolution Baby
by Lori Baker
by Joanna Gruda
available now, paperback, Europa Editions
Europa Books has done it again! A delightful debut about Julek, a charming little boy who has to continue to move, change his name and adapt to new foster families as he survives World War Two. As smart and sensible as he is there is no problem with him making friends both young and old, and learning new languages and games. Best of all he believes he has a unique gift of talking to animals. If you liked City of Thieves by David Benioff I do believe you will enjoy this book as well. –Kelly E.
available in August, paperback, Penguin
Thomas Pynchon calls Lori Baker "a storyteller with uncanny access to the Victorians, not only to the closely woven texture of their days but also to the dangerous nocturnal fires being attended to in their hearts." The Glass Ocean transforms a story of family into something otherworldly and mesmerizing as life beneath the sea itself.
The Circle
by Dave Eggers avialable now, paperback, Vintage
Rage Against the Dying: A Thriller
by Becky Masterman available in June, paperback, Macmillan
Brigid Quinn's experiences in hunting sexual predators for the FBI have left her with memories she wishes she didn't have and lethal skills she hopes never to need again. She's been pushed into early retirement by events she thinks she's put firmly behind her, but the past intervenes. "Think Clarice Starling in her 60's." –Reed Oros, Macmillan Sales Rep
Imagine if Google, Facebook, and Amazon were merged into a single massive corporation. Now imagine that this colossus held an uncontested monopoly over all information, commerce, and social media. This is the vision of our near future drawn in Dave Eggers' latest novel. What begins as an amusing corporate satire soon progresses into a propulsive dystopian tale. Eggers' characteristic wit adds much needed humor, as civil liberties are willingly sacrificed in favor of a technocratic, hyperconnected monoculture. A timely, persuasive reminder to tear our faces away from the computer screen and go outside. —Brendan
The Avenue of the Giants by Marc Dugain
available now, paperback, Europa Editions
Inspired by a true story, the novel follows Al Kenner from antisocial adolescent to full-blown serial killer. More than 7 feet tall and with an IQ higher than Einstein's, carrying with him a past filled with abuse, he convinces the staff of a psychiatric hospital, after a stay of five years, that he is fit for release. Events prove otherwise.
Amy Falls Down by Jincy Willett
available in July, paperback, Macmillan
"I loved this novel—it's totally brilliant— witty and mordant and filled with these wonderful insights into the state of publishing and writing and the way we are now. I thought Willett couldn't top Winner of the National Book Award, but I was wrong—this one definitely does." –Nancy Pearl
Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel: A Graphic Novel
by Anya Ulinich
Graphic Novel
available in August, paperback, Penguin
Ulinich turns her sharp eye toward the strange, sometimes unmooring world of "grown-up" dating. After fifteen years of marriage, thirty-seven-year-old Lena embarks on a string of online dates and receives a brutally eye-opening education in love, sex, and loss while raising her two teenage daughters. This is a smart, funny story told beautifully through Ulinich's text and drawings.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 19
KMRE 102.3 FM A non-commercial, community-based radio station licensed to and operated by the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention since 2005. KMRE is a powerful and entertaining extension of the Spark Museum’s world-class media collection. Underwriting a show here at KMRE supports independent local radio and connects your business, group or event to one of Bellingham’s best independent media outlets.
thousands of local listeners. Listen and learn more online at:
KMRE.ORG 20 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
FAIRHAVEN
STEAMPUNK FESTIVAL
Mr. Flip's Carnival of Wonders and Curiosities
Saturday, July 19th, 2014 At Village Books & on the Fairhaven Village Green
Step into "Almost Yesteryear" and make it a day of Steampunk Victoriana in Historic Fairhaven at the third annual Fairhaven Steampunk Festival, presented by Village Books and the Bellingham Steampunk Society. This family-friendly event will feature a wide variety of activities, entertainment, food and vendors. Listen to music by Jody Ellen, formerly of Abney Park; shop from a variety of regional vendors including Tin Plate Studios; participate in presentations and author readings, or just stroll around in your Steampunk finery. Join us indoors as Village Books and the Fairhaven Village Inn host a variety of author discussions and workshops. • We'll kick off the presentations at 11am in the Village Books Readings Gallery with a reading from the writers of the Bellingham Herald's serial novel, Memories of Light, set in Bellingham 100 years in the future. • We will also host a reading by Karina Cooper, author of the St. Croix Chronicles, and a presentation about the "Ghosts of Fairhaven" as seen by Taimi Gorman. • Visit with the Ladies of the Evening. Learn about Victorian clothing, or attend a "Bringing History to Life" presentation. More speakers to come, so check VillageBooks.com for updates. The festival will also feature family friendly activities: • Come see Trevor 'the Sword Guy' AKA, Epic Myth Adventures, perform his tricks on the Green. • Watch a Fencing demo, presented by the Bellingham Bay Fencing Association on the stage. • Participate in kids' crafts all day long with the Bellingham Steampunk Society. • History will also come alive with representation by the Whatcom Museum, SPARK Museum of Radio & Electricity, and The Bureau of Historical Investigation. • Dean Christensen & Donkelope will amaze you with their Steampunk bicycles from an era that never was. • Participate in a costume contest, and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a variety of prizes including goggles, coffee, chocolate, and books. Proceeds will benefit the Bellingham Steampunk Society. • Food vendors include Street Dogz, Mallards, and Skylark's chowder—yum!
Visit villagebooks.com/steampunk-festival for more information. A complete schedule of events and offerings will be coming soon! 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 21
VB Reads...
Speculative Fiction Book Group
NEW! Book Group Starting in July!
Come discuss thought-provoking speculative fiction in a group that welcomes diversity.
Science fiction and fantasy can be a great escape, but it can also be a great way to examine social issues and alternative viewpoints or identities. Historically, science fiction has often been used as a way of commenting on the biases of the age in which it is written, using metaphors such as the creation of robots, alternative relationships between alien species, and the colonization of other worlds to show contemporary problems or questions in a new light. The aim of this group is to enjoy reading provocative science fiction (and occasional fantasy) stories and discussing the themes they might present, in both the original context and for us as individuals today. This group meets the third Monday of every month at 7pm in the writing corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books. Authors DO NOT attend.
July 21, 7pm Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
August 18, 7pm The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin
September 15, 7pm The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
“Such an amazing experience— I need to come back to get more!” Nicole Cohn Bellingham, WA 2013 Conference Attendee
Inspiration into Action Friday and Saturday June 27 and 28, 2014 Whatcom Community College Bellingham, Washington
Faculty: Alice Acheson Bruce Barcott Claire Dederer Brian Doyle Elaina Ellis Felicia Eth Karen Finneyfrock Thor Hanson Kristiana Kahakauwila William Kenower Joanna Kenyon David Laskin Gary Luke Jim Lynch Rose McAleese Peter Mountford Anastacia Tolbert Elizabeth Wales Lidia Yuknavitch
www.chuckanutwritersconference.com presented by
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Left: Original serigraph titled “Along Chuckanut Drive” by Nancy McDonnell Spaulding, commissioned by Chuckanut Bay Gallery, www.chuckanutbaygallery.com
22
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
Speculative Fiction The Fall of Arthur
by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien available now, paperback, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The Fall of Arthur, the only venture by J.R.R. Tolkien into the legends of Arthur King of Britain, may well be regarded as his finest and most skillful achievement in the use of the Old English alliterative meter, but it depicts drama and adventure in language only Tolkien could have written.
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
available in July, hardcover, HarperCollins
The idea of struggling monarchs and kingdoms in danger isn't new to literature, but this first book of a new series knocked me off my feet! The characters especially, from the Queen's Guard to the mysterious Fetch, had me hooked right away and their personalities heavily influence what plans are made to save the kingdom from their powerful neighbors. If you like writing by Tamora Pierce or Kristen Britain, read Erika Johansen next! —Jenny
Blood of Tyrants
by Naomi Novik available in July, paperback, Del Ray The most recent Temeraire book is finally out in paperback. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, these historical fantasy novels imagine how the war might have gone if another branch of the military existed: one devoted to dragons and their handlers. The series follows the courteous and principled human Lawrence and his endearing dragon companion Temeraire. —Rachel H.
The Crystal Eaters by Shane Jones
available in June, paperback, Two Dollar Radio
Remy is a young girl who lives in a town that believes in crystal count: that you are born with one-hundred crystals inside and throughout your life they are depleted. As the Earth grows warmer, Remy sets out to accomplish something no one ever has: to increase her sick mother's crystal count. An allegory and poetic sci-fi adventure, Shane Jones underlines his reputation as a new writer to watch.
Archetype The Shadow Master
by M.D. Waters
available in June, paperback, Angry Robot
"Archetype is the literary equivalent of a big-screen blockbuster with its beautiful but deadly heroine, tragic love triangle and grim futuristic setting. The closest thing in print may be Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, but Emma, given a chance to flee the male-dominated, babyobsessed culture in which she has been ensnared, picks up a gun and goes down fighting." –Associated Press
by Craig Cormick
In a land riven with plague, inside the infamous Walled City, two families vie for control: the Medicis with their genius inventor Leonardo; the Lorraines with Galileo, the most brilliant alchemist of his generation. And when two star-crossed lovers, one from either house, threaten the status quo, a third, shadowy power—one that forever seems a step ahead of all of the familial warring— bides its time, ready for the moment to attack…
available in July, paperback, Penguin
Join us Saturday, June 14th, 7pm
MULTI-AUTHOR SPECULATIVE FICTION PANEL Join us for a multi-author panel, readings and Q&A with four local authors! Joannah Miley, –The Immortal Game Robert L. Slater, –All Is Silence Jesikah Sundin, –Biodome Chronicles Book One: Legacy and Selah J. Tay-Song, –Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 23
BORDER SONGS comes to the Firehouse Performing Arts Center
The newly christened Bellingham TheatreWorks will present, in association with Village Books, its first production, Border Songs, the stage adaptation of Jim Lynch’s beloved book. The play, adapted for the stage by Bryan Willis, premiered in 2011 at Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre in what the Seattle Times described as “a soulful, fully engaging new adaptation of Lynch's most recent bestseller.”
Performances at The Firehouse, Bellingham: Thursday June 19, 7:30pm Friday June 20, 7:30pm Saturday June 21, 7:30pm Sunday June 22, 2pm* (post-play discussion with Bryan Willis) Thursday July 3, 7:30pm Saturday July 5, 7:30pm
Additional performances at the Claire Thomas Theatre, Lynden: Thursday June 26, 7:30pm Saturday June 28, 7:30pm** (post-play discussion with Jim Lynch) Sunday June 29, 2pm
Re a
Thursday July 10, 7:30pm Friday July 11, 7:30pm Saturday July 12, 7:30pm
de
r
ards Rew
& Devoted Dream ers
Members Only
SALE
24 Summer 2014
Border Songs explores the tensions, struggles, law and lawlessness at the Peace-Arch border through the eyes of Brandon, a quirky, dyslexic, socially-awkward border patrolman. A cast of ten portrays more than twenty different characters, including drug smugglers, massage therapists, illegal immigrants, EPA agents, farmers, and surly border dwellers. Bellingham TheatreWorks is a collaboration between director Mark Kuntz and Bellingham playwright Steve Lyons. The creation of the new company, according to Mark Kuntz, its artistic director, "provides the opportunity to explore stories and issues of local significance.” Kuntz, a longtime WWU professor has directed more than 125 plays at Western and the Mount Baker Theatre. Lyons calls upon a diverse background in engineering, writing and producing. The production will run two weekends at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center in Fairhaven followed by two weekends at the Claire Thomas Theatre in Lynden. All tickets cost $15 and are available at Village Books and and online at bellinghamtheatreworks.org. *Playwright Bryan Willis will be on hand for a post-play discussion at the Sunday, June 22nd performance. **Author Jim Lynch will attend the Saturday, June 28 performance in Lynden and participate in a post-production discussion. Call 360.296.1753 for further information.
Sat. & Sun. June 21st & 22nd
20% OFF
at Village Books AND Paper Dreams!
Free & Easy to Join!
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
POETRY
& Literature
Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself
by Walt Whitman, illustrated by Allen Crawford available now, hardcover, Tin House Books
By using a medieval illumination style for text and illustration, Allen Crawford has thoroughly modernized Walt Whitman's masterpiece in a way that's both surprising and wholly in tune with the spirit of the poem. Exuberant, rough, and wild, Song of Myself is a sensational visual experience, and a wonderful addition to any collector's library.
The Griffin Poetry Prize 2014 Anthology
available in June, paperback, House of Anansi Press
Each year, the best books of poetry published internationally in English are honored with the Griffin Poetry Prize, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards. Every year, an anthology is published featuring the work of the extraordinary poets shortlisted for the awards. Royalties generated from The Griffin Poetry Prize 2014 Anthology are donated to UNESCO's World Poetry Day, which was created to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression.
A Staff Favorite!
Distant Neighbors: The Selected Letters of Wendell Berry & Gary Snyder by Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder, Chad Wriglesworth available in June, hardcover, Counterpoint
In 1969, Gary Snyder returned from a long residence in Japan to the Sierra foothills. A few years before, Wendell Berry left New York City for farmland in Port Royal, Kentucky. These two founding members of modern literature and culture had yet to meet, but they knew each other's work and soon began a correspondence, exchanging more than 240 letters from 1973 to 2013.
Yoga The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography by David Gordon White
available now, hardcover, Princeton
Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status—and translated into more than forty languages—only in the course of the past forty years. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White's exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India's past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today.
& Religion Convictions
: How I Learned What Matters Most by Marcus J. Borg
available now, hardcover, HarperCollins
Meditating on what makes us feel at home, Borg calls all American Christians to reject divisiveness and exclusivity and create communities that celebrate joy, possibility, and renewal. Throughout, he reflects on what matters most, bringing to earth the kingdom of God Jesus talked about and transforming our relationships with one another.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 25
VB and WCC Announce New Partnership Chuckanut Writers is Born by Chuck Robinson
A
fter working closely together on the Chuckanut Writers Conference for the past three years, Village Books and Whatcom Community College Community Continuing Education have formed a partnership to offer writing instruction to the community. The new collaboration, called the Chuckanut Writers, will bring together the strengths of the two organizations—VB's close connection to authors and local writers, WCC's gifted writing faculty, their facilities, and marketing and registration infrastructure, and both organizations' strong connections to the community. The partnership has consciously chosen to be inclusive, presenting writing classes, seminars, and conferences for writers at all stages of their writing journey, and providing a safe and supportive atmosphere where everyone can explore his or her writing interests. The Chuckanut Writers Conference has quickly gained a reputation as one of the premier writing conferences in the country. We expect that Chuckanut Writers will soon be known as one of the best community writing programs as well.
VB Writes... Village Books hosts multiple writing groups. Choose which group most reflects your writing genre then come and share your work in a supportive environment. Groups are free and open to everyone. They meet on the mezzanine level of Village Books in our Writers' Corner.
SpecFic/SciFi Writing Group
This group meets 2nd & 4th Tuesdays from 6-8pm.
Poetry Writing Group
Friday Night Writes for Teens
This group is taking the summer off and will be back in the fall.
This group meets the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of each month from 5:30 to 7pm.
Read more about each group at villagebooks.com.
Subscribe to the VB
Our monthly newsletter gives tips for every stage of writing—from craft to publication to presentation. Hear from local and national writing gurus and keep abreast of VB events, workshops, classes & conferences for writers.
Just Write! eNewsletter 26
Whatcom Young Writers
Summer 2014
Fiction Writing Group
This group meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays from 6-8pm.
NonFiction/Memoir Writing Group
This group meets the 1st & 3rd Sundays of each month NE W from 3:15-5:15pm. TIME !
How? Go to Villagebooks.com and click on the "Sign Up for our Weekly eNewsletter" icon. When you receive the confirmation email, follow the link to update your profile and check the box next to "Just Write!" Building Community One Book at a Time
Register Today for the
CHUCKANUT
WRITERS CONFERENCE
Friday & Saturday, June 27th-28th by Cait Auer, Whatcom Community College Early summer is the perfect season to find inspiration in our corner of the Pacific Northwest! Just as the sun intensifies our rich scenery of forests, mountains, islands, and waters, experience a weekend to also spark your writing interests alongside fellow writers, published authors, agents and publishers at the fourth annual Chuckanut Writers Conference on Friday and Saturday, June 27th and 28th. Perfect your craft by participating in writers’ workshops, listening to faculty readings, and talking with motivational industry experts. This is also a one-of-a-kind event to pitch your written work to publishers and agents, as well as marketing consultants. Surround yourself with an encouraging and vibrant community of readers and writers! Earn sixteen clock hours if you’re a WA state K-12 teacher! Delve deep into useful tools with quality workshops ranging in topics from the craft of nonfiction dialogue, to creating the young adult protagonist, to finding, researching, and writing significant personal narratives. Socialize with our talented faculty, read their biographies by visiting www. chuckanutwritersconference.com For an additional fee, learn how to focus on your personal and public written work in this year’s author’s master class for intermediate writers taught by William Kenower on Thursday, June 26th. You can take an intensive look on how to focus on your private written work while pursuing a public writing profession.
Teaching Faculty Alice Acheson Bruce Barcott Claire Dederer Brian Doyle Elaina Ellis Felicia Eth Karen Finneyfrock Thor Hanson Kristiana Kahakauwila William Kenower Joanna Kenyon David Laskin Gary Luke Jim Lynch Rose McAleese Peter Mountford Anastacia Tolbert Elizabeth Wales Lidia Yuknavitch
Each day at the conference is jam-packed with events open to the public, offering entertaining opportunities to socialize with fellow attendees and authors. The community is invited to kick off the weekend at the Chuckanut Radio Hour’s PreConference Event on Thursday, June 26th for $5 admission (free to Conference attendees), with featured presenter and author of Mink River, Brian Doyle, as well as the musical talent of Bellingham’s own Sarah Goodin. And on Saturday, attend free, lively open mic nights throughout the historic Fairhaven District, arguably one of the most popular events at the conference! For a full conference program, visit www.chuckanutwritersconference.com. Co-presenters Village Books and Whatcom Community College are very excited for this year’s conference, and proud to promote literacy and a love of reading and writing within our community. This year, proceeds of the conference support Whatcom Young Writers, a program that seeks to develop the writing abilities of adolescents and teens, to create opportunities to share their writing talents.
For more information about this year’s Chuckanut Writers Conference, including registration, conference scheduling, literary agents, featured authors, and sponsorship opportunities, visit the conference website at www.chuckanutwritersconference.com, "like" the conference page on Facebook (Chuckanut Writers Conference), call us at 360-383-3200, or send an e-mail to comed@whatcom.ctc.edu.
Register Now!
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014
27
BE A
LOCAL LOVER! Are you a local lover? Do you love Thinking Local First and supporting the local, independently owned businesses that make our community one-of-a-kind? Check out these upcoming events and publications to enjoy the BEST of what our unique community has to offer! MONTH OF JULY
Support our Independents Exercise your freedom to choose and make an extra effort to shop at local, independently owned businesses. Watch for fun events for the whole family in celebration or our locals!
JUNE 21st & 22nd
Imagine This! Home & Landscape Tour This year’s tour features the best in green building and smart growth practices with examples of green roofs, reclaimed materials, urban farming, net-zero energy homes, earthen plasters, creative infill and more. New this year - Arts and Craftsmen Exhibit including examples of beautiful locally made elements for the home and the artisans who craft them.
YEAR ROUND...
Where the Locals Go! Coupon Book SAVE MONEY NOW! Save on the items you need and want from Locals. The 2013/14 book is packed full of savings with over 250 coupons for food, services, home improvement, entertainment and retail items. Sales from the book support the Think Local First! campaign.
MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
YEAR ROUND...
Eat Local Month & Whatcom Co. Farm Tour
Whatcom Food & Farm Finder
September is officially Eat Local Month in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Look for local food themed events, dining specials at your favorite local restaurants and the amazing harvest of local food available directly from farmers. And don’t forget about the Farm Tour always the Second Saturday in September.
TREAT Your Tastebuds - Go where the locals go, pick up your free Food & Farm Finder and plan your next foodie getaway right here in Whatcom County!
Tour Tickets, Coupon Books and Food & Farm Finders all available at Village Books. For more details visit www.sustainableconnections.org
Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community.
28 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
MARKET DAYS in FAIRHAVEN The Perfect Mid-Week Pick-Me-Up
It’s hard to believe that after all these years, there are still locals who don’t know about the Bellingham Farmers Market’s Wednesday Market in Fairhaven. This little market has been going strong for over ten years and it continues to evolve and grow as more and more folks discover this gem! Bellingham Farmers Market is celebrating its 22nd season this year! Back in 1992, the Bellingham Farmers Market was just a dream for a few farmers and community members. With help from the city of Bellingham, the first Market was successfully launched with a couple dozen vendors. Through the years, the Market has evolved and grown as the community has embraced it. While the Wednesday Market is a quarter of the size of the iconic Saturday Market, it delivers the same assortment of local food, gifts and fun in a more intimate experience on the Fairhaven Village Green, right behind Village Books. This beloved gathering place offers families and visitors the perfect location to spend an afternoon (noon to 5 pm), relaxing, putting together a picnic or enjoying lunch from the market's food and produce vendors, and soaking up the festive atmosphere. More than 25 vendors gather on the Fairhaven Village Green to offer market-goers a diverse range of products, from fresh produce to fine jewelry, vibrant flowers to tasty treats, and much more. Many customers find this Market to be more convenient for their weekly shopping as it offers a wide array of fresh, local produce in an easy-to-access location and perfectly timed for their much-earned breaks from work. And families love the kid-friendly atmosphere that the Village Green offers them. With support from Village Books, the Market will continue to offer up the Fresh Local Music series started in 2011. A new performer will be featured every Wednesday afternoon from 2:30-4:30pm! Among the performers slated for the 2014 season are Amber Darland, Lucas Hicks, Shawnee Kilgore, Misty Flowers, Chuck Dingee, Jean Mann, Sarah Goodin, and Chad Peterson to name a few. Also, one of the most popular features from the Saturday Market has been added to our Summer Wednesday programming, Kids Vending Day! It's always exciting to see what the creative young entrepreneurs have made or grown themselves! In recent seasons, their products have ranged from duct tape wallets, paperweights, fabric bags, and toys for pets to original cards, jewelry, bath products, plants, and baked goods. Kids are invited to try their hand at running a business every Wednesday when school is out, July-August. "The Fairhaven Village Green offers a relaxed setting, perfect for perusing booths at a slower pace," said Caprice Teske, Market Director. "It's an ideal place to meet a friend for lunch, or have a picnic on the grass with your kids. And the fact that you can pick up fresh fixings for dinner is an added bonus!"
See you at the Market!
Wednesdays Now - September 24 Our flagship Saturday Market continues to operate at Depot Market Square in downtown Bellingham from 10am to 3pm every Saturday from April through December and also the third Saturdays of January, February and March. It is a perennial favorite with locals and tourists alike. This vibrant Market is known for attracting large crowds to shop the 100 vendors that sell local produce and goods. This Market also offers special events such as our Chef in the Market series which showcases local chefs demonstrating their favorite recipes using market-fresh products. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 29
Enjoy Great Meals at These FAIRHAVEN Restaurants!
EVERYDAY 8 AM – 2 PM 1101 HARRIS AVENUE IN FAIRHAVEN
CLASSIC FAVORITES
Breakfast and Lunch Served Daily Homemade Soups and Pastries Wheat Free Pastries Available BEST MIMOSAS IN TOWN
book fare café
PLAN, HOST, AND CATER YOUR PRIVATE PARTIES OR COMPANY GATHERINGS AT HARRIS AVENUE CAFÉ!
now catering
E-MAIL KELLY FOR MORE INFORMATION KB.PALADINRESTINC@GMAIL.COM
WWW.HARRISAVECAFE.COM
seasonal local organic allergy-friendly
AW Asian Bistro A.W. Asian Bistro
SUSHI BAR ASIAN GRILL
Fairhaven Garden 1138 Finnegan Way Bellingham, WA 360.715.3028 Fax 360.715.1803
come see what’s new on the mezzanine level upstairs in village books
HAPPY HOUR
Now Delivering!
in village books
DAILY from 3-5pm
Awasianbistro.com
www.bookfarecafe.com 360.734.3434
open daily for Lunch & Dinner 12th & Mill in Historic Fairhaven • 715.3028 Summer2014 Summer 2014
The
Chuckanut Reader
A Village Books Publication
Go to VillageBooks.com to see this issue—as well as past issues—of The Chuckanut Reader online!
Anniversary
2 Vol. 21 Issue
Members Only
SALE June 21st-22nd Summer Reading Recommendations
The Chuckanut Writers Conference Author Events and much more!
Please Support all of our Wonderful Advertisers!
A Magazine for the Northwest’s Most Avid Readers
30
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches by Andrea Nguyen
available in July, hardcover, Ten Speed Press
Who could resist a crispy baguette filled with delicious fillings, such as peppery grilled chicken or coconut curry tofu, and toppings like tangy daikon and carrot pickles? Banh mi are the epitome of street food, and their popularity has skyrocketed in the US in recent years. Acclaimed food writer Andrea Nguyen's simple recipes for proteins, condiments, and pickles are a great introduction for those looking to venture into Vietnamese cuisine.
Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks:
Create Extraordinary Dishes from the Ordinary Ingredients in Your College Meal Plan by Priya Krishna
available in June, paperback, Storey Publishing
Transform your dining hall meals into gourmet feasts! Here you'll find 75 amazing and creative recipe ideas that use items readily available in your college dining hall. Any night of the week, you can dine on tzatziki chicken salad, quesadillas, sloppy joes, lemon-pepper pasta, fried rice, scalloped tomatoes, chicken and waffles, or bruschetta. Make the most of your college meal plan with Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks!
Food Literature The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan Barber
available now, hardcover, Penguin
Drawing on the wisdom and experience of chefs and farmers from around the world, Barber proposes a new definition for ethical and delicious eating destined to refashion Americans' deepest beliefs about food. He calls for a new pattern of eating rooted in cooking with and celebrating the whole farm—an integrated system of vegetable, grain, and livestock production.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
k
Find the Cookbooks along with fun food items in Paper Dreams!
FOOD & Drinks k
Man Made Meals: The Essential Cookbook for Guys by Steven Raichlen
available now, paperback, Workman Publishing
Steven Raichlen really knows the pleasure men get from cooking, the joy they take in having the skills, the need to show off a little bit. His Barbecue! Bible books have over 4.7 million copies in print—and now he leads his readers from the grill into the kitchen. Like a Joy of Cooking for guys, Man Made Meals is everything a man needs to achieve confidence and competence in the kitchen.
Summer Fun! The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles. Hundreds of Cocktails by David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
available in July, paperback, Workman Publishing
An ingenious new approach to making cocktails, The 12 Bottle Bar begins with one irresistible idea—you need only these twelve bottles-and shows how, with this versatile but select liquor pantry, anyone can make over 200 delicious, classic, budget-friendly mixed drinks, including sours, slings, toddies, and highballs, plus the perfect Martini, the perfect Manhattan, the perfect Mint Julep, and more.
Caesars: The Essential Guide to Your Favorite Cocktail
by Clint Pattemore, Connie DeSousa and John Jackson available in June, paperback, Appetite by Random House
Mounties, maple syrup, hockey…few things are as distinctly and proudly Canadian as the Caesar cocktail. First mixed nearly fifty years ago in Calgary, Alberta, the Caesar has grown to become one of the most popular cocktails. With Canada Day just around the corner, what better way to enjoy the day than mixing Canada's top drink in celebration with your family and friends?
Summer 2014
31
A Special Event with Ciao Thyme &
PAULA MARCOUX
Cooking with Fire: From Roasting on a Spit to Baking in a Tannur, Rediscovered Techniques and Recipes That Capture the Flavors of Wood-Fired Cooking
Monday, June 23rd, 5pm A Backyard Cooking Class The price for the class and dinner is $75. Space is limited, so register quickly at ciaothyme.com/events/cooking-with-fire.
Join author Paula Marcoux for a dinner and demonstration of her recipes at Ciao Thyme's backyard event space on 207 Unity Street. She will talk about how to be an adventurous cook by stepping away from the stove and cooking with a variety of less-conventional techniques inspired by a range of cultural and historical traditions, all of which involve wood and fire. Participants will savor recipes based from the book, prepared by Ciao Thyme's staff. Space is limited, so register quickly!
Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family by Kathleen Flinn
k
available in August, hardcover, Penguin
A Free Event!
At Village Books
KATHLEEN FLINN Wednesday, August 27th, 7pm
Flinn tells the story of her midwestern childhood, its memorable home cooks, and the delicious recipes she grew up with. Through these dishes, Flinn came to understand how meals can be memories, and how cooking can be a form of communication. By the author of The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry and Kitchen Counter Cooking School.
JOIN US TWICE A WEEK
DOWNTOWN
SATURDAY, 10AM TO 3PM, APRIL - DECEMBER DEPOT MARKET SQUARE, 1100 RAILROAD AVE, BELLINGHAM, WA
FAIRHAVEN
WEDNESDAY, 12 TO 5PM, JUNE - SEPTEMBER FAIRHAVEN VILLAGE GREEN, 1207 10TH STREET, FAIRHAVEN
2014 32 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
n e h c t i K E H T IN
k
Book recommendations from one of our favorite chefs. Bon Appétit!
W
hen the harvest is on and the light is golden, I always say fall is my favorite season. As the first green things sprout and the earth warms up with the promise of spring, I always say that's my favorite. But honestly, summer in the Northwest is like nowhere else. Bluebird mornings looking at Mt. Baker, sun so bright at the bustling farmer's market it makes you squint. And you can swim! And watch the sunset at 10:30 PM! And cook and eat outdoors! Summer is my favorite.
Taming the Feast: Ben Ford's Field Guide to Adventurous Cooking by Ben Ford & Carolynn Carreno
available now, hardcover, Atria Books
This July my wife and I are celebrating our anniversary by throwing a "Sweet 16" party for all our friends and family. I am going to use this book to build one of Ben's awesome cinder block fire pits for plank roasting whole salmon, and I'm still debating the roasting box for doing a whole weaner pig. Not only is this book full of cool, DIY cooking and building projects, but it's organized by complete menus (which I love) and the recipes are well planned, easy to follow and delicious! Plan a feast this summer for 10 people or for 100, and let Ben's book take you there.
Greg Atkinson's In Season: Culinary Adventures of a Pacific Northwest Chef by Greg Atkinson
available now, paperback, Sasquatch Books
The greatest pleasure of a Greg Atkinson "cookbook" is that I get drawn in by the earnest, heartfelt essays that accompany the recipes. I am transported to memories of food and family and places that seem so familiar that it feels like they are my own memories. And of course, the recipes are thoughtful, delicious windows into seasonal Northwest fare.
Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food by Jody Williams
available now, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing
The storefront window of Buvette has enchanted me every time I go to New York City. This book entertained and informed me from the delightful foreword by Mario Batali to the staple pantry recipes in the appendix. Simple but delicious recipes for French and Italian-inspired bistro dishes are arranged as the reader passes through the day, from breakfast treats to late night cocktails. If you visit the Big Apple, stop in Buvette!
Contact the Book Fare Café for your catering needs! Charles Claassen is the chef/owner of the Book Fare Café on the mezzanine of Village Books. Through the seasonal menus at the café, teaching cooking and food classes in the community, and continuing to develop relationships with farmers and food artisans, he provides thoughtful, conscientious food that's quite tasty, too.
book fare café
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 33
:)
FAMILY ACTIVITY DAY . JUNE 28 . magic, crafts, fun +
SCHOOL’S OUT AND MUSEUMS ARE IN RADICAL REPETITION: ALBERS TO WARHOL
From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation
Through August 17
PAINT: THE PAINTED WORKS OF LYLE WILSON Through July 6
THE ART OF GENRE: POSTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD’S GOLDEN AGE with the Pickford Film Center Opens July 19
www.whatcommuseum.org
MICHAEL PALMER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
& THE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
2014 SEASON • JULY 5 TH – 20 TH
JULY 5
Stefan Jackiw violin
JULY 8 & 10 Calidore String Quartet
JULY 12
Lisette Oropesa soprano
JULY 16
Richard Goode piano
JULY 18 & 20 Pablo Villegas guitar
Includes Major Works by Brahms, Elgar, Mozart, Prokofiev, and Schumann For tickets call (360) 650-6146 or go to bellinghamfestival.org/tickets bellinghamfestival.org • facebook.com/bellingham.festival
34 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
GO HOME with ART!
The ART section has a New Look! Come check us out…we’ve picked up a new publisher of design books, added some splendid books from the Victoria & Albert museum (from Abrams), and enthusiastically expanded our selection to include some far-out art books. We challenge you to explore what Beauty means to you! Cover
by Peter Mendelsund available in August, hardcover, powerHouse Books
They say you can't judge a book by its cover—but that hasn't stopped anyone from trying. An original and visually engaging cover can help make the difference between a flop and a smash, and over the years more than a few designers have taken the creative and mysterious process to levels of supreme beauty and imagination.
Punk Orientalism: Central Asia's Contemporary Art Revolution
edited by Sara Raza
available in August, paperback, Black Dog Publishing
In 1991, Central Asia was granted independence from the Soviet Union following almost 75 years under the Soviet's restrictive cultural rules. This is a fascinating look at the emergence of political, religious, and ethnic groups vying for power, told through a new generation of contemporary artists.
Edward Bawden's Kew Gardens
by Peyton Skipwith and Brian Webb available now, hardcover, V&A Publishing
Offering a lighthearted social history of Kew Gardens (including 300 acres of world-renowned botanical gardens), this is a colorful portrait of a time gone by as evoked by Edward Bawden's illustrations, posters, and linocuts. Also embellished with contemporary caricatures by famed artists Rowlandson and Gillray, as well as early botanical illustrations by Franz Bauer, this book includes previously unseen material from Bawden's personal scrapbooks.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Sage Vaughn: Ice Age by Sage Vaughn
available now, hardcover, Ginko Press
Contrasting themes of riotous life with decay and vibrant color against muted grey provides a tension in Sage Vaughn's work between the natural world and the artificial. Sage's first monograph in years, this presents an up-to-date glimpse into his work.
Selling Silks: A Merchant's Sample Book
by Lesley Ellis Miller
available now, hardcover, V&A Publishing
In 1764, British customs confiscated a book containing hundreds of samples of silks from French agents who were attempting to sell them illegally in London, hoping to undercut the English market. Today, this merchant's sample book provides a fascinating record of the 18th-century French and English silk industries, including every style of fabrication, embellishment, patterns, and dye colors available in the Europe at the time.
Beneath the Streets: The Hidden Relics of New York City
by Jurne and Matt Litwack available in June, hardcover, Ginko Press
Although it provides service to over five million riders every day, very few of its patrons are aware of the extent of this vast underground infrastructure. Beneath The Streets reveals the world of the tunnels and byways of the subway with fantastic photographs of this subterranean maze, 600 miles of active track, and abandoned sections and disused stations.
Summer 2014 35
You'll find it in Fairhaven
Before
After
Now in Fairhaven! 1050 Larrabee Ave, Suite 102 360-752-2956
“When’s the last time you had a great massage?” Relief • Recovery • Relaxation Appointments 7 days a week including evenings Gift Certificates Available • Most Insurance Accepted
Weekdays by appointment: 8am - 5pm Weekend walk in clinic: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Call to Schedule! 1112 Finnegan Way in Fairhaven
Mitchell Kahn, MD
Julie Kahnamou, ARNP
Comprehensive Primary Care - Adolescents to Seniors
36
Summer 2014
360.527.9566 mmWellness.com Building Community One Book at a Time
One Book Pledgers H
arriet and Alfred Arkley moved to Bellingham from Illinois in 2004, but they're no strangers here. Both grew up in Bellevue, where they knew each other in high school, but were not yet sweethearts. Alfred went off to Harvard, Harriet to UW. After Alfred taught African History in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Harriet began teaching, they got together at Alfred's mother's suggestion. "It's the only thing I ever did that my mother suggested," says Alfred with a smile. The two were married in 1965. 2004 wasn't the first time the Arkleys moved to Bellingham. Alfred began his first university teaching of Political Science/ Public Administration at WWU in 1970, and stayed five years. The Arkleys' three sons were born here and Harriet earned her Masters in Education at Western. After two years on a fellowship in Washington, D.C., Alfred took a position at Sangamon State University (now the University of Illinois at Springfield), where he remained for twenty-four years until retiring as a Professor of Management Emeritus. While in Springfield Harriet continued teaching, completed her EdD at Illinois State University, and became a school principal. Books have always been part of the Arkleys' lives. "Mom would stop anything to read to me," says Harriet. "I don't remember learning to read, but neither can I remember ever not reading," remarks Alfred, who's father was a Doubleday book salesman. Both are eclectic readers. Alfred leans more heavily to nonfiction—political science and history—but also loves historical fiction. Among his recent reads is Capital in the 21st Century by Thomas Piketty. Harriet loves books set in the Northwest, including Brian Doyle's novel Mink River. She's also a big fan of Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, back-to-back selections of Whatcom Reads. Both of the Arkleys are members of the Ivan Doig fan club.
"Village Books is so much more than a business... and the store is such an advocate for authors."
Alfred admits occasionally buying a book somewhere besides Village Books, but not often. He, and Harriet, who calls VB "the heart and pulse of the community," are true One Book Pledgers. "Village Books is so much more than a business," says Harriet, who continues "and the store is such an advocate for authors." On that subject Harriet knows of what she speaks. She recently published The Good News Chair, a book about a chair in her office where kids sat to talk about good news in their lives. The book shares the power of positive encouragement for children.
Harriet engaged local writer Cami Ostman as a writing coach and published her book with the help of Brendan Clark and the Village Books self-publishing program. Harriet sings the praises of both Cami and Brendan and enthuses over the fact that she was able to avoid the corporate self-publishing mill. When not reading or writing, the Arkleys find plenty else to do. Alfred is an avid bicyclist, riding up to 4000 miles per year. He's also a docent at the Whatcom Museum. Harriet is a Master Gardener and has worked on the development of the Story Garden at Hovander Park. She's also a member of a women's hiking group. You can learn more about the One Book Pledge at VillageBooks.com/one-book-pledge.
Add yourself to the growing list of people who recognize the importance of independent bookstores to the health and culture of communities by buying one more book from us, and one less from chain stores, other online sellers or other retailer s. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014
37
Science The Organized Mind:
Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
by Daniel J. Levitin
available in August, hardcover, Penguin
With lively, entertaining chapters on everything from the kitchen junk drawer to health care to executive office workflow, Levitin reveals how new research into the cognitive neuroscience of attention and memory can be applied to the challenges of our daily lives and shows how to navigate the churning flood of information in the twenty-first century.
Deep: Freediving, Renegade
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery
by Sam Kean
available now, hardcover, Little, Brown
"This is Kean's finest work yet, an entertaining and offbeat history of the brain populated with mad scientists, deranged criminals, geniuses, and wretched souls. It will have you following your friends around, reading passages out loud, until they snatch the book away from you and read it for themselves. Good luck getting it back." –Amy Stewart
Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves
Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do
by James Nestor
available in June, hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Our species is more profoundly connected to the sea than we ever realized, as an intrepid cadre of scientists, athletes, and explorers are now discovering. Nestor finds "telepathic" corals that synchronize their blooming even though they're hundreds of miles apart, octopus species that thrive in 300-degree water, sharks that swim in unerringly straight lines through pitch blackness, and, most illuminating of all, the human pioneers whose discoveries are expanding our definition of what is possible in the natural world, and in ourselves.
by Wallace J. Nichols
available in July, hardcover, Little, Brown
Nichols reveals the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water. Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, he shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.
Numbers
War of the Whales:
A True Story
The Grapes of Math:
by Joshua Horwitz available in July, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
"A stunning true story that delivers us into beautiful and mysterious depths—of great oceans, top-secret military operations, and the hearts of underdogs who risk it all to save the most extraordinary creatures in the world....Horwitz has written a tale of passion and courage with all the intrigue of the best mystery novels." –Robert Kurson
How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life
by Alex Bellos
available in June, hardcover, Simon & Schuster
"Think of the best storyteller you know and the coolest teacher you ever had, and now you've got some idea of what Alex Bellos is like. His Grapes of Math taught me something new on every page. Better yet, it made me laugh and want to tell someone what I'd just read." –Steven Strogatz, American Mathematician
Thank you for your continued support. We wouldn't be here without you! 38 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
The Norm Chronicles:
Stories and Numbers About Danger and Death
by Michael Blastland and David Spiegelhalter
available in June, paperback, Basic Books
Is it safer to fly or take the train? We've all heard the statistics for risky activities, but what do they mean in the real world? Journalist Michael Blastland and Risk Expert David Spiegelhalter explore these questions through the stories of average Norm and an ingenious measurement called the MicroMort. An entertaining guide to the statistics of personal risk, this will enlighten anyone who has ever worried about the dangers we encounter in our daily lives.
A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History by Nicholas Wade
available now, hardcover, Penguin
Wade believes deeply in the fundamental equality of all human peoples. He also believes that science is best served by pursuing the truth without fear, and if his mission to arrive at a coherent summa of what the new genetic science does and does not tell us about race and human history leads straight into a minefield, then so be it.
Nature The Galápagos: A Natural History by Henry Nicholls
available now, hardcover, Basic Books
Beautifully weaving together natural history, evolutionary theory, and his own experience on the islands, author Henry Nicholls offers a lively history of the archipelago, and shows that the story of the Galápagos is not merely an isolated concern, but reflects the future of our species' relationship with nature and the fate of our planet. Thoroughly researched, highly informative, lively, and enjoyable, each page is a real pleasure to read.
Bärle's Story: One Polar Bear's Amazing Recovery from Life as a Circus Act by Else Poulsen, forward by Gay Bradshaw
available in June, paperback, Greystone Books
When a 19-year old female polar bear named Bärle is rescued from the inhumane conditions of a circus in the Caribbean and flown to safety in Detroit, zookeeper Else Poulsen is on hand to meet her. Thus begins Bärle's gradual introduction into the world of polar bears. By living in a caring environment, Bärle is able to recover from the trauma she had suffered at the circus. As Poulsen documents, however, not all captive bears are so fortunate.
Field Guides Trees of Western North America
by Richard Spellenberg, Christopher J. Earle, Gil Nelson, illustrated by David More, edited by Amy K. Hughes available in July, paperback, Princeton University Press
Covering 630 species, more than any comparable field guide, Trees of Western North America is the most comprehensive, best illustrated, and easiest-to-use book of its kind. Presenting all the native and naturalized trees of the western United States and Canada as far east as the Great Plains, the book features superior descriptions and thousands of meticulous color paintings by David More. This is an essential guide for every tree lover.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Trees and Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest: Timber Press Field Guide
by Mark Turner, Ellen Kuhlmann available in June, paperback, Timber Press
This field guide is for hikers, nature lovers, plant geeks, and anyone who wants to know more about, and be able to identify, the many plants of the Pacific Northwest. Bellingham photographer Mark Turner and botanist Ellen Kuhlman cover 568 species of woody plants that can be found in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and northern California. The field guide features the family, scientific and common names, flowering seasons, and size of each plant. Each entry includes color photographs of the plant's habitat, distinguishing characteristics, and a range map.
Summer 2014 39
How to Eliminate the Excuses Fitness Inspiration for Summer!
with ROBIN ROBERTSON Thursday, July 10, 5:30pm One of the biggest excuses EVER is “I don’t have time to exercise.” The truth is that you don’t have time to NOT exercise! I’ll help show the reasons why, motivation to get you started, how to find the time, some simple exercises to try without any equipment at all, and the shocking reasons why you’ll want to have exercise as part of your life. You can apply the “excuse elimination system” to other parts of your life as well. The IMPACT! Body Plan:
Recommended Reading
Build New Muscle, Flatten Your Belly, & Get Your Mind Right! by Todd Durkin
“Nothing happens until something starts moving.” –Albert Einstein
Todd Durkin is the most sought-after personal trainer in sports, and if you don't know his name, you've definitely seen his work in numerous professional and olympic athletes. He is known throughout sports as the one trainer who can use any person’s unique raw materials to transform them into—quite literally—the best they can be. Now Durkin has tailored his elite training program for anyone looking to transform their bodies and enhance athletic performance.
Advertise in
ADVENTURES NW >>>
· 60,000 Readers · Affordable Rates that Deliver ROI · Beautiful, World-Class Content · A Perfect Fit for Our Community
Try us this summer! Tennis Trial 1 mo $99 • 2 mo $199 • 3 mo $299 Memberships Fitness Ultimate 6 Weeks for $67 – includes small Memberships group training!
Call us today!
800 McKenzie Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225 360.733.5050
www.bellinghamtennis.com
Contact Sue @ 360.303.3777 or sue@adventuresnw.com 40 Summer 2014
Shop at Villagebooks.com 24/7 Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Get Out There Northwest Hiking Day Hiking the San Juans and Gulf Islands: National Parks, Anacortes, Victoria by Craig Romano
available in June, paperback, Mountaineers Books
For Bellinghamsters this is another musthave book from Craig Romano's popular series. It covers all the San Juan and Gulf Island parks, and trails of all skill levels. In addition to the Victoria and Anacortes regions, Romano explores larger islands not accessible by ferry, so the book will appeal to paddlers and boaters as well.
Hiking Hot Springs in the Pacific Northwest, 5th Edition: A Guide to the Area's Greatest Hiking Adventures
by Evie Litton and Sally Jackson
available in August, paperback, FalconGuides
From sylvan streamside pools to handcrafted bathhouses, this updated edition takes you to 140 of the finest natural hot soaking pools in the Northwest. Each description includes hiking directions, the quality and temperature of each pool, and seasonal restrictions. All but a few are located on beautiful, scenic land within national forests and parks.
World Travel
CITIx60:
60 Creatives Show You the Best of the City: Art & Design, Architecture, Food, Entertainment, Shopping
by Victionary
available in June, paperback, Ginko Press
Chosen because they are major design hubs, the guides to these cities expand a traveler’s view from mere tourist to their creative heart. Curated by a select group of local artists, designers, chefs, architects, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers, this is an insider's view of what makes a trip to his or her town memorable. Don’t leave home without one!
Tiny Homes on the Move: Wheels and Water by Lloyd Kahn
available in July, hardcover, Shelter Publications
On the Move
A great new book by Lloyd Kahn, this one chronicles 21st-century nomads—people who inhabit homes that are compact and mobile, on wheels or in the water. This is a fascinating look at modern travelers who live in vans, pickup trucks, buses, trailers, sailboats, and houseboats, combining the comforts of home with the convenience of being able to pick up and go at any time.
Hellstrip Gardening: Create a Paradise between the Sidewalk and the Curb by Evelyn Hadden and Joshua McCullough available now, paperback, Timber Press
In the Garden
The hellstrip is that oft-ignored space between a street and a public sidewalk. Learn to take advantage of the space in an environmentally friendly way, add curb appeal to your home, and expand the size of your garden. This the first book to show you exactly how to reclaim this space and create the paradise you want in the most unexpected of places.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 41
Current Events 24/7: Late Capitialism and the Ends of Sleep
Cataloging the World: Paul
available in June, paperback, Verso
Otlet and the Birth of the Information Age
by Jonathan Crary
This exposé explores the consequences of the expanding non-stop processes of 21st century capitalism. The marketplace now operates around the clock, pushing us into constant activity and eroding forms of community and political expression; damaging the fabric of everyday life. Simultaneously, Crary shows that human sleep, as a restorative withdrawal that is incompatible with 24/7 capitalism, points to other more formidable and collective refusals of world-destroying patterns of growth.
Gnarr! How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World
by Jón Gnarr
by Alex Wright
available in June, hardcover, Oxford University Press
The dream of capturing and organizing knowledge is as old as history. From the archives of ancient Sumeria and the Library of Alexandria to the Library of Congress and Wikipedia, humanity has wrestled with the problem of harnessing its intellectual output. The timeless quest for wisdom has been as much about information storage and retrieval as creative genius. This is the story of the man who sought to create a global network for the instantaneous exchange of knowledge—more than seventy-five years ago.
Virtual Unreality: Just Because the Internet Told You, How Do You Know It's True?
available in June, hardcover, Melville House
by Charles Seife
"Definitely my favorite mayor. There's actually no competition."-Noam Chomsky. "More mayors in the world should be like Jón Gnarr."-Lady Gaga. "Jón Gnarr has lent real humanity to the mayor's office with his wonderfully radical comedy, and dispelled all stagnancy through incendiary humor. His Best Party tackled the finance kings with prudent budgets and freed politics from corrupt power games. All in all: The Best Party has changed Iceland!" –Björk
available in July, hardcover, Penguin
Comradely Greetings: The Prison Letters of Nadya and Slavoj
by Slavoj Zizek, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova available in July, paperback, Verso
In an extraordinary exchange of letters, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek and imprisoned Pussy Riot member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, discuss artistic subversion, political activism, and the future of democracy via the ideas of Hegel, Deleuze, Nietzsche, and even Laurie Anderson. Touching, erudite, sharp, and worldly, their correspondence unfolds with poetic urgency. A fascinating exchange between the punk-philosopher and the philosopher-punk.
42
Summer 2014
Digital information is a powerful tool that spreads unbelievably rapidly, infects all corners of society, and is all but impossible to control. Seife uses skepticism, wit, and a sharp facility for analysis to take us deep into the Internet information jungle and cut a path through the trickery, fakery, and cyber skullduggery that the online world enables.
Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay
available in August, paperback, Harper
In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown).
Village Books & Paper Dreams
Gift Cards
For All Ages & Any Occasion Building Community One Book at a Time
CULTURAL CRITICISM
935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity
by Charles Lewis
available in June, hardcover, PublicAffairs
For those wielding power, whether in the private or the public sector, the increasingly sophisticated control of information is essential to achieving success. Yet facts must remain the bedrock of a democracy, and an informed citizenry is essential to its continuation. Unfortunately, distinguishing between fact and fiction has always been a formidable challenge, and with the Internet Age, comment is often indistinguishable from fact.
Uncertain Justice: The Roberts Court and the Constitution by Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz available in June, hardcover, Macmillan
We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World by Ellen Gustafson
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
Over one billion people in the world are hungry and over one billion are overweight. By examining the global industrial food system, using the deceptively simple template of a classic American dinner, We the Eaters not only outlines the root causes of this bizarre and troubling dichotomy but also provides a blueprint of actionable solutions.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain
by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner available now, hardcover, Harper Collins
In this dynamic, essential book, Levitt and Dubner turn your brain inside out, teaching you how to think like a freak. They analyze the decisions we make, the plans we create, and the morals we choose and show how their insights can be applied to daily life to make smarter, harder, and better decisions.
I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) by Chuck Klosterman
available in July, paperback, Scribner
Let's just admit it: we love reading about villains. But this begs the question: why does our morbid fascination with fictional villains fly so far astray from our perception of real-life villains? In his sardonic yet even-handed style, social critic Chuck Klosterman delves into our fickle, nuanced relationship with the publicly despised. Each chapter draws examples from pop culture, literature, celebrities, and history, to elaborate on the wacky subconscious rules we use to judge those who transgress social norms and otherwise get on our nerves. Required reading for anyone interested in moral psychology and "bad" people. —Brendan
y Money B Da a 0-
RISK FREE READS
GU
ck
Political gridlock, cultural change, and technological progress mean that the court's decisions on key topics— including free speech, privacy, voting rights, and presidential power—could be uniquely durable. Acutely aware of their opportunity, the justices are rewriting critical aspects of constitutional law and redrawing the ground rules of American government.
Think Like a Freak:
9
CONTEMPORARY
A R A N TEE
Teach a Woman to Fish: Overcoming Poverty Around the Globe
by Ritu Sharma
available in June, hardcover, Macmillan
"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime." But teach a woman to fish, and everyone eats for a lifetime. Sharma provides a look at women in poverty, how Washington works, and how change really happens—from the United States to the rest of the world.
Summer 2014
43
History 1940: FDR, Willkie, Lindbergh, Hitler— the Election amid the Storm
By Susan Dunn
available in June, paperback, Yale
This is the spellbinding story of the Roosevelt-Willkie election season, when bitterly divided Americans debated the fate of the nation and the world. 1940 not only explores the contest between FDR and Willkie but also examines the key preparations for war that went forward. Susan Dunn offers a compelling alternative scenario to today's hyperpartisan political arena, where common ground seems unattainable.
Lincoln’s Hundred Days: The Emancipation Proclamation and the War for the Union
by Louis P. Masur
available now, paperback, Harvard
This is the full story of the critical period between September 22, 1862, when Lincoln issued his preliminary Proclamation, and January 1, 1863, when he signed the final, significantly altered, decree. As Lincoln hesitated and calculated, Masur shows us the anxieties and expectations of poets, cabinet members and foreign officials, enlisted men on the front and free blacks as well as slaves.
The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century by William Rosen
available now, hardcover, Penguin
In May 1315, it started to rain, and didn't stop anywhere in northern Europe until August. Next came the four coldest winters in a millennium. Throw in some war and, after seven years, the combination of lost harvests, warfare, and pestilence would claim six million lives—one eighth of Europe's total population.
The Rush: America's Fevered Quest for Fortune, 1848-1853
by Edward Dolnick
available in August, hardcover, Little, Brown
Dolnick brilliantly recounts the treacherous west ward journey of hundreds of thousands of men and women, by wagon and on foot, and takes us to the frenzied gold fields and the rowdy cities that sprang from nothing to jam-packed chaos. The Rush is a fascinating—and rollicking— account of the greatest treasure hunt the world has ever seen.
Worlds of Arthur: Facts and Fictions of the Dark Ages by Guy Halsall
available in July, paperback,Oxford University Press
King Arthur is probably the most famous and certainly the most legendary medieval king. From the early ninth century through the Middle Ages, to the Arthurian romances of Victorian times, the tales of this legendary figure have blossomed and multiplied. And in more recent times, there has been a continuous stream of books claiming to unlock the secret or the truth behind the "once and future king.”
Brothers: What the van Goghs, Booths, Marxes, Kelloggs—& Colts—Tell Us About How Siblings Shape Our Lives and History by George Howe Colt
available now, paperback, Scribner
Colt parallels his quest to understand how his own brothers shaped his life with an examination of the complex relationships between famous brothers in history. Illuminating and affecting, Colt’s magnificent book is a history told through the lens of fraternal rivalry—and love.
The Crossword Century: 100 Years of Witty Wordplay, Ingenious Puzzles, and Linguistic Mischief
by Alan Connor
available in July, hardcover, Penguin
Connor covers every crossword twist and turn: from the 1920s, when crosswords were considered a menace to productive society; to World War II, when they were used to recruit code breakers; to their starring role in a 2008 episode of The Simpsons; and to the continuing influence of people like Will Shortz, the iconic New York Times crossword editor.
44 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Biographies & Memoirs A Fighting Chance
Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty
by Daniel Schulman
available now, hardcover, Hachett
Influenced by the conservative sentiments of their father, a founding member of the John Birch Society, Charles and David devised an ambitious strategy to foist their ideological agenda upon the nation—quietly channeling millions of dollars of their fortune into a web of freemarket think tanks, academic programs, advocacy groups, and more, while also building what amounts to a shadow Republican Party.
by Elizabeth Warren
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
Warren is one of the country's brightest political stars, a plain-spoken but fiery advocate for all those who believe that government too often fails to serve its people. She is also a terrific writer and storyteller, and her book is filled with eye-opening, moving, and hilarious stories about how Washington and the political world really work.
Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State
Political
by Ralph Nader
available now, hardcover, Perseus
Ralph Nader has fought for justice in America for over half a century. He strongly believes that significant change can be accomplished by focusing on issues that most Americans, regardless of political labels, agree are important and need to be addressed. This book is about the need to combine the Progressives and Conservatives against corporate tyranny and the domination of corporate control over American economy and political process.
Off the Leash:
Dog People!
A Year at the Dog Park
by Matthew Gilbert
available in July, hardcover, Macmillan
Off The Leash is about the strange, wonderful, neurotic, and eccentric dog people who gather daily at the dog park. And it's about Matthew Gilbert's transformation from dedicated homebody to joyful member of the dog park club: an oddball group of dog people with fur on their jackets and biscuits in their pockets.
Entertaining Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s by Tom Doyle
available in June, hardcover, Ballantine Books
Desperately trying to escape the shadow of the Beatles, hiding out at his remote Scottish farmhouse before traveling the world with makeshift bands and barefoot children. It was a time of drug busts and brilliant, banned and occasionally baffling records. For McCartney, it was an edgy, liberating, and sometimes frightening period of his life that has largely been forgotten.
99¢ Shipping Yes, you read that right!
USPS Media Mail
–books & dvds– available online AND in-store domestic shipping only
Independent Stores for Independent Minds. Be Indie, Buy Indie. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 45
FASCINATING WOMEN AT THE BUREAU OF Sar HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION Visit the Bureau of Historical Investigation in downtown Bellingham for a truly unique Bellingham experience. While you're there, check out a variety of hand-selected books for sale through a partnership with Village Books. Being the fascinating and eclectic ladies they are, it's no surprise that founders Marissa and Sara have great recommended reads about fascinating historical female figures. Below are just a few of their favorite finds!
Eighty Days Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
available now, paperback, Ballantine Books
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History- Making Race Around the World, is creative non-fiction at its best. Matthew Goodman tells the story of two simultaneous trips from New York to circumnavigate the globe; each heading in opposite directions. This page-turner seems meticulously researched to capture a picture of Pultizer's New York through the lens of young female journalists Bly and Bisland. The subsequent race to beat the fictional Phileas Fogg's trip around the world is full of frenzy and intrigue. Further sensationalized in the press, their concurrent odysseys are often overshadowed by their femininity with some newspapers more concerned with who was prettier, than who was the better journalist. The amazing attempt is made only more impressive by the fact that the two travelers were women in a time when western nations found it unseemly for a woman to travel unchaperoned and when female journalists were still a novelty. With such an inspirational story and a fascinating setting, this book has so much to offer almost any reader. –Marissa Mcgrath, co-founder and proprietor of The Bureau of Historical Investigation
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
by Therese Anne Fowler available now, paperback, St. Martin's Press
Set amidst the glamour of the Jazz Age, Z vividly brings the irresistibly rich, romantic, and tumultuous story of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald to life. "Sometimes," said Scott, "I don't know whether Zelda and I are real or whether we are characters from one of my own novels."
The Many Lives of Miss K. Toto Koopman -Model, Muse, Spy by Jean-Noel Liaut, translated by Denise Raab Jacobs
available now, hardcover, Rizzoli
Sphinxlike and tantalizing, Toto conducted her life as a game, driven by audacity and style. Hers was a life of glamour and tragedy, set against the watershed cultural and political movements of twentieth-century Europe.
The Bureau is a gift and souvenir shop, as well as a home-base for Good Time Tours and special events. They take pride in offering handpicked, handcrafted goods from all over the country—with special emphasis on local finds. 217 W. Holly, Downtown Bellingham • Thurs. - Sun. 11am - 6pm 360.305-3172 • thebureaubellingham.com
46 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Adventure The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
available in July, paperback, Scribner
Kenton Grua intended to use the legendary flood of 1983 as a kind of hydraulic slingshot to nail the record for the fastest boat ever propelled down the entire length of the Colorado River. "Your favorite reading chair becomes a spray-soaked perch on a bucking boat hit hard by a river running high and fast." -Dallas Morning News
Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed by John F. Ross
available now, hardcover, St. Martin's Press
The sensational true story of Eddie Rickenbacker, America's greatest flying ace who shot down more enemy planes in WWII than anyone and received the Medal of Honor. And he survived a plane crash on a secret mission in the Pacific that left him lost and adrift for 24 days leading the survivors in catching food and water until they were rescued.
Explore
The Last Train to Zona Verde:
The Emperor Far Away:
My Ultimate African Safari
by David Eimer
Travels at the Edge of China
by Paul Theroux
available in July, hardcover, Bloomsbury
available now, paperback, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Traveling alone, Theroux sets out from Cape Town, going north through South Africa, Namibia, and then into Angola, encountering a world increasingly removed from tourists' itineraries and the hopes of post-colonial independence movements. Africa is the continent that Theroux knows best, having lived there during his time in the Peace Corps and later traveling the length of it overland for Dark Star Safari. His insights into the continent are always enlightening and entertaining.
Climbing Flying Off Everest: A Journey From the Summit to the Sea
by Dave Costello
available now, paperback, Lyons Press
In 2011, two unsponsored Nepalis set out on an unprecedented expedition to climb Everest, paraglide from its peak, and paddle nearly 400 miles to the ocean. Little problems like lack of climbing experience or inability to swim didn’t stop them. But after summiting, surviving their flight off the world's tallest mountain, and being robbed and nearly drowned—repeatedly—the two friends discovered their adventure had only begun.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
This book gives us unique insight into what it takes to manage (or not) an enormously diverse population. It's serious, but still anecdote-filled, and the variegation of border societies is what holds the reader. The old Chinese adage still holds true: "the mountains are high and the emperor is far away."
Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak
by Andy Hall
available in June, hardcover, Penguin
In 1967, twelve young men attempted to climb Alaska's Mount McKinley—known to the locals as Denali. Five survived. At an elevation of nearly 20,000 feet, these young men endured an 'arctic super blizzard,' with howling winds of up to 300 miles an hour and wind chill that freezes flesh solid in minutes. All this without the high-tech gear and equipment climbers use today.
Extended Hours! Monday - Saturday: 10am - 10pm and Sundays: 10am - 8pm Summer 2014 47
TOM ROBBINS to serve up
TIBETAN PEACH PIE at Village Books
A Free Event in the Readings Gallery • Sunday, June 29th, 4pm Tom Robbins's warm, wise, and wonderfully weird novels, including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Another Roadside Attraction, and Jitterbug Perfume, provide an entryway into the frontier of his singular imagination. Madcap but sincere, pulsating with strong social and philosophical undercurrents, his irreverent classics have introduced countless readers to hitchhiking cowgirls, born-again monkeys, a philosophizing can of beans, exiled royalty, and problematic redheads. In Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life, Robbins turns that unparalleled literary sensibility inward, weaving together stories of his unconventional life, from his Appalachian childhood to his globe-trotting adventures, told in his unique voice, which combines the sweet and sly, the spiritual and earthy. (available now, hardcover, Ecco) Join the Village Books' Signed First Editions Club (SFEC) now and recieve a special signed slip-cased edition of Tibetan Peach Pie while supplies last. See page 52 for more information.
R
de r ea
rds & Devoted Drea me Rewa rs
Members Only
SALE
Sat. & Sun. June 21st & 22nd
20% OFF
at Village Books AND Paper Dreams!
Free & Easy to Join!
Village Books, in partnership with the Pickford Film Center, presents
WRITERS IN THE
On-screen Author Talks & Interviews
MEMOIRS that MATTER SERIES
Don't miss our "Writers in the Limelight" MEMOIRS THAT MATTER SERIES! Village Books will host a discussion after each film for those interested in staying. Tickets for each show are $6—available through the Pickford Film Center. Check out Pickfordcinema.org for more information! Please note: authors do NOT attend. Saturdays at noon, June 21: Leslie Caron –Thank Heaven: A Memoir July 19: Julie Powell –Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession August 16: Ayaan Hirsi Ali –Nomad: From Islam to America:
A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations
September 20: Jonathan Safran Foer –Eating Animals
48
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman
available in June, hardcover, Algonquin
This is a lovely and humorous memoir written by Ari Goldman, a journalist in New York City who decides to take up his cello again after 25 years. After succeeding in his eleven-year-old son’s youth orchestra, Ari decided it was time to join The Late Starters Orchestra, a “mature” group of adults who gather once a week to work on orchestral music. The story was poignant for me as I started playing my cello with some of the wonderful groups around Bellingham who continue to derive incredible joy from playing music together. As adults it can be overwhelming to push ourselves to try something new, from joining a local soccer league, or training for a marathon, to writing a book, or taking a computer course. But it is truly never too late. —Kelly E.
REAL PEOPLE TRUE TALES A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley
available in June, hardcover, Putnam
Imagine being lost in Calcutta—pretty scary! Now imagine being a five-yearold boy, illiterate, lost in Calcutta, living on the streets. This is the true story of Saroo Brierley, how he survived, and eventually found two families. It follows the amazing process he used to solve the mystery of his birth family and find the village where he was born. It is a story of struggle and hope, searching for identity, and the importance of family. —Chris
Labor Day: True Birth Stories by Today's Best Women Writers edited by Eleanor Henderson and Anna Solomon
Unfriending My Ex: And Other Things I’ll Never Do
by Kim Stolz available in June, hardcover, Scribner A thoughtful memoir about the effects of technology on the different generations. Kim Stoltz begins the book with her week long cleanse, and she writes about the process honestly. There’s no sugar-coating in this memoir, living without technology sucks, but she raises the question, are we letting it overtake our lives? —Anna
available now, hardcover, Macmillan
Here is a book that transcends the limits of how-to guides and honors the act of childbirth in the twenty-first century. Eleanor Henderson and Anna Solomon have gathered true birth stories by women who have made self-expression their business, including Cheryl Strayed, Julia Glass, Lauren Groff, Dani Shapiro, and many other luminaries.
A Female Perspective The Madwoman in the Volvo:
Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows
Best, What's a Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) by Elaine Lui
available now, hardcover, Penguin
"Elaine Lui has written one remarkable and dangerous book. It had me laughing 'til I rolled off the bed, rearranging my living room furniture in a panic at three a.m. to achieve proper feng shui, and calling my mother out of pure guilt. The Squawking Chicken could eat any Tiger Mom for lunch." –Kevin Kwan
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
My Year of Raging Hormones by Sandra Tsing Loh
available now, hardcover, Norton
This is a hilarious and riotous journey through the land known as MENOPAUSE. Did you know that by the year 2015 half of the women in America will be inhabiting this land? Sandra Tsing Loh recounts her journey through a tumultuous time of life, trying to maintain appearances during an epic hormonal—and that means physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—change. The upbeat conclusion: it does get better.
villagebooks.com 24/7 Summer 2014
49
Cool Down with this Summer Subscription Special from
and
Buy a NEW* one-year in-county subscription to the Lynden Tribune for only $20 (reg. $35) and receive
1 FREE ADMISSION to
($20 value)
Includes access to our online edition! 52 weeks of award-winning community news!
113 Sixth Street • Lynden, WA 98264 354-4444 • Fax 354-4445
Call 354-4444 today and ask for Karina!
*A new subscriber is a person or family at the same address who has not subscribed in the last 4 months.
3.325” x 4.5”
Since 1993, stimulating presentations about topics of importance to our community.
Real people.
Real issues.
Meetings are from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Northwood Hall 3240 Northwest Avenue, Bellingham
For more information, information, visit visit
www.bellinghamcityclub.org
We Look Forward to Seeing You 50
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
When Cheryl Strayed Came to Town Whatcom READS! 2014
I
n December of 2012, WhatcomREADS committee members gathered over Paul Piper's homemade salmon chowder and limitless libations to choose the 2014 book and author for WhatcomREADS, the community book club initiated in 2009 and supported by the six public and academic libraries and Village Books. When sated but still intelligent, we reviewed contenders from last year, new titles submitted by committee members, and a few submitted to our website by individuals from across the county. Cheryl Strayed's book Wild was at the top of the list. Cheryl would be a draw: it was Wild that caused Oprah to restart her book club. Several of the group had heard Strayed speak and validated her ability. There were ideas aplenty for auxiliary programs, support from the vibrant hiking community in the area, and great circulation stats at local libraries. The paperback would be coming out shortly and a movie about Cheryl's Pacific Coast Trail trek starring Reese Witherspoon was about to go into production. The conversation also included reluctance to Wild as a choice, focusing on the offhanded, almost cavalier, way the author referred to her abortion and her tell-all experiences with heroin. And what about all those F-bombs? Never mind Peoria, how would that play in Lynden, the most conservative sector of the county? However, we found the writing compelling, the story relevant and we trusted in the decent job we squad of literature lovers had done in choosing books and authors for past programs. Mindful of the criteria posted on our website (WhatcomReads.org) we decided on Wild. The selection of Wild spawned some of the most enthusiastic programing in our six-year history. In addition to the usual book club meetings and assortment of panels,
by Linda Lambert, WCC Library Director
programming included the creation of a special Wild-themed ice cream by Mallards, a local ice creamery, and a quilt contest, sponsored by Fourth Corner Quilts, fabricated around themes in the book. The Pickford Theater showed the Martin Sheen movie The Way and Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago. The WhatcomWRITES subcommittee published Journeys, 25 short pieces of fiction and nonfiction (some by first time writers), and held a reading at Village Books. Local hiker Heather Anderson talked about her own record-setting, 44 miles a day, PCT hike. When the day for the two major events arrived, so did eight inches of snow. We worried. We worried that Cheryl's plane wouldn't be able to land in Bellingham. We worried that she would be speaking only to committee members sitting in the front rows of that beloved and cavernous center of culture, the Mt. Baker Theater. Wild readers—920 of them—showed up, many arriving early, wandering through the 34-quilt-bedecked Encore Room. They applauded wildly when Cheryl was through speaking and stood in a long book signing line for 45 minutes. Several hundred more showed up at the ferry terminal the next day to hear WWU’s Suzanne Paola converse with Cheryl. I think I liked what most readers liked about Wild: the author did something hard (hiking the PCT) that most of us will never do. She was hair-brained in her approach to doing it, and nothing brings author and reader closer together than common error or errors in common. She told the tale well, weaving in the difficulties of journey and producing riveting detail about her personal life: her mother's death, her splintered family of origin, and her disintegrated marriage.
Daniel J. BROWN will be the 2014/2015 Whatcom Reads! Author. 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 51
A Great Gift for Dads & Grads!
VILLAGE BOOKS’
Signed FIRST EDITIONS CLUB
D
o you love to read? Do you collect books? Both? Maybe you simply enjoy the idea of receiving a thoughtfully chosen book. Join Village Books' Signed First Editions Club and every other month you will get a signed first printing of a newly published book. We have a well-qualified team of readers who select books based on literary quality and potential collectibility. Each selection will be signed and sent to you with a protective dust jacket cover. As a member, you will ALSO enjoy perks, such as... • the opportunity to purchase signed special offer titles—-such as Barry Lopez's Outside. • exclusive invitations to special events and author receptions—such as wine with author Anthony Doerr at the home of VB owners Chuck & Dee Robinson, and much more! The books we've selected so far: Under The Wide & Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
A Free Event
At Village Books
TOM ROBBINS
The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
Sunday, June 29th, 4pm
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
C) is
Our June/July pick for the Signed First Editions Club (SFE
TIBETAN PEACH PIE by Tom Robbins
SFEC members will receive this special signed slip-cased edition. There are only 50 of these available and, while supplies last, those who sign up now for the SFEC will receive this as their first book—a $40 value for only $25 cost! For more information about the club, please see Villa
geBooks.com/signed-first-editions-club.
at Village Books
New, Used, and Bargain Books are
INTEGRATED
Find our in-stock editions side-by-side within sections
WE BUY USED BOOKS daily noon-7pm READcycle 52 Summer 2014
NEW BOOKS have
WHITE LABELS
White labels on the backs of these pristine, brand-new gems represent our NEW editions.
USED BOOKS have
GREEN LABELS
Green labels grace the front of our USED books. Bring us your used books and get store credit or cash—jump on the Read-cycle train!
BARGAIN BOOKS YELLOW LABELS
A Yellow label on the front signifies a BARGAIN book, also known as a publisher Remainder —a new book but at a sale price!
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
BIBLIO.COM Teams up with Village Books! by Rem Ryals, Lead Used Book Buyer Biblio.com, an independent used book marketplace out of North Carolina, has teamed up with the American Booksellers Association to sell books through our website. When you buy a book from Biblio through the Village Books site, we get a percentage of the sale; and Biblio can continue its work of building libraries in Bolivia, among other worthy projects. Founded in 2000 by former bookstore owners Brendan Sherar and his wife, Tracy, it was one of the first used book search "marketplaces." They've maintained an inspiring business that emphasizes local economy, environmental sustainability, and charitable contribution. Since 2004 they've helped build 11 public libraries in Bolivia and purchased carbon offsets for all the books they've sold. This is an especially important niche because Amazon has gobbled up many of the other used book search engines (AbeBooks, Bookfinder) and then applied their sterile, algorithmic charm. Biblio maintains the feel and personal attention of an actual bookstore, giving better details about their books and the whole wonderful world of rare books in general. So, after you've searched for that elusive book in all our great local bookstores, go to villagebooks.com and click on the "Biblio/Used Search" icon. That will take you to Biblio, where you can create an account. You'll see our logo at the top.
WE BUY USED BOOKS Daily 12-7pm
From that moment every book you order will support us, and Biblio, and another small book dealer living somewhere. We're happy to place the order for you, if you prefer. It's very exciting for us to be part of fostering this "local" internet connection.
har mo ny (här’m -ne) n., e
A pleasing combination of parts and labor.
REPAIR OF EUROPEAN & JAPANESE VEHICLES
360 671.2420 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 53
Indies Choice BOOK AWARDS 2014
Reflecting the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide, the 2014 Indies Choice Book Award winners, chosen by the owners and staff at American Booksellers Association member stores are: • Adult Fiction Life After Lifeby Jef by
• Young Adult Eleanor & Park
by Kate Atkinson
by Rainbow Rowell
(Reagan Arthur Books)
(St. Martin’s Griffin)
• Adult Debut A Constellation of Vital Phenoma
• Adult Nonfiction The Boys in the Boat Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Viking)
by Anthony Marra (Hogarth)
2014-2015
E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards
Reflecting the playful, well-paced language, the engaging themes, and the universal appeal to a wide range of ages embodied by E.B. White’s collection of beloved books.
• Middle Reader Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, illustrator K.G. Campbell (Candlewick)
• Picture Book The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel)
2014 Indie Champion Award James Patterson Presented to the author or illustrator that has both the best sense of the importance of independent bookstores to their communities at large and the strongest personal commitment to foster and support the mission and passion of independent booksellers.
54
Summer 2014
Shop 24 hours a day at www.villagebooks.com
Claire McElroy-Chesson Claire McElroy-Chesson named
Named
Kids' Kids'Programming Programming Director Director James Patterson Offers Start-up Grant
F
SUMMER EVENTS for KIDS
with Claire!
Sat., June 14, 11am-12pm Father's Day Fun! Bring your dad and join Village Books bookseller Claire for some fun Father's Day stories, activities and games. We will be reading stories that celebrate dad. Ages 5-9 years old. (Dads can be any age!)
Sat., June 28, 11am-12pm Junie B. Jones in June Are you a fan, or do you know a fan of the notorious Junie B. Jones? We will be celebrating her stories with games, a craft, and some reading of her books. It's going to be a beach theme so feel free to wear your best beach gear. If weather permits, we will likely move the party outside! For ages 5-8
or several years Events Coordinator Christina Claassen, Children's Book Buyer Sarah Hutton, and others at the store have engaged in producing a number of events for kids and young adults. But we've had no one dedicated to that task and have felt like many opportunities have passed us by. Claire McElroy-Chesson, who has been with the store for several years and coordinated last year's summer camp for kids, will now be our dedicated Kids Programming Director. In that role she has begun to work with Sarah and Christina in planning a variety of activities for kids of all ages, a number of which are listed here. She'll also work closely with schools in planning book fairs, author visits, and other activities. What has been a really good program of activities for kids is just about to get great! Bestselling author James Patterson thought this so important that he's given Village Books a grant of $7500 as part of his Million Dollars to Indie Bookstores program, to support this effort.
Thurs., July 10, 10:30-11:30am Imaginary Friend Party Featuring The Adventures of Beekle the Unimaginary Friend and other stories, anyone with or without an imaginary friend is invited for a morning of fun activities. We will read stories about, draw pictures, and name our imaginary friends. This is an event to celebrate those invisible pals that stick by us through thick and thin! Ages Pre-K-6
Thurs., July 24, 10:30-11:30am Camp Rex Camp-Out! Join Claire for some dinosaur camp-out fun as we read stories, play games, and do a small craft. This event features the new book, Camp Rex, by Molly Idle, author of Tea with Rex. Ages Pre-K-6
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Thurs., Aug 14, 1-2pm Fun with The Never Girls of Pixie Hollow This event is for fans of the popular Disney series by Kiki Thorpe. Join Claire for a lively discussion of the books, some games, and a small craft in our readings gallery. If the weather is nice, we will likely move the festivities outside! Ages 7-12
Sat., Aug 16, 10:30-11:30am Duck And Goose Beach Party Join Claire as we celebrate the latest Duck and Goose story, Duck and Goose Go to the Beach. We will read our favorite Duck and Goose stories, play some games and do a small craft. Ages Pre-K-6
Summer 2014
55
Summer Reading Challenge TAKE THE
Ages 14 & Under
KIDS + SUMMER + READING = FUN! Hey Kids! Join us in celebrating summer with one of our favorite activities— READING! Select and read a variety of books from different genres including poetry, history and non-fiction. Once you've completed reading ten books, select your favorite—and, on the card we provide you, tell us what you liked about it. We'll hang your review up in the store! Pick up your form and review card at the main counter and return them to us by August 31st to receive a $5 gift certificate to Village Books AND a cookie from our good friends next door at the Colophon Cafe! Stumped about what to read? Check out the great reviews and previews in this Reader or ask any of us at the store for help!
He's BACK! FIND WALDO LOCAL!
Don’t forget the new YRCA & Sasquatch lists! Find them here at VB.
FAIRHAVEN In July 2014
July 1st-31st Kids, parents, and Waldo-lovers of all ages are invited to join us again this year for the month-long scavenger hunt to find the elusive Waldo hidden in local businesses around Fairhaven. Look for the Waldo decal on the windows of 25 participating businesses around Fairhaven. You can pick up a "Find Waldo in Fairhaven" passport at any of those locations to start your search. Once you've found the six-inch cardboard Waldo hidden within each shop, ask a shop employee to stamp your passport. Bring your stamped passport to Village Books. Passports with at least 10 store stamps will receive a Waldo button, while supplies last. Passports with at least 20 store stamps are eligible to be entered in a drawing for various Waldo books and products. The first 100 passports with 10 stamps or more will receive a $1 off coupon for Waldo merchandise. New this year: a bonus search for Waldo's (cardboard) dog "Woof " hidden inside Village Books!
56
Summer 2014
All Ages!
Grand Celebration at Village Books July 31st at 6pm We’ll play games, give out prizes to those who participated in the 25-store search, eat treats, and find a real live Waldo hiding in our store. Come in your red stripes and glasses.
Building Community One Book at a Time
YOUNG READERS Their Families & Educators
PICTURE BOOKS Pete the Cat and the New Guy
by Kimberly and James Dean, illustrated by James Dean available in August, hardcover, HarperCollins
There’s a new guy in town, and Pete can’t wait to meet him. After all, more friends means more fun. But who can he be? When Pete finally meets Gus, he realizes they’re very different from each other. But that’s what makes him cool. Gus is special in his own way, just like Pete and just like you, and there is something everyone can do!
Gaston
by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson available in June, hardcover, Atheneum
Every once in awhile there is a book that just makes me smile and feel a little happy inside—this is that book. Gaston is an adorable bulldog. However, he doesn’t quite fit in with his family of poodles. When the family meets another family at the park (a family of bulldogs with one poodle), everyone puts two and two together. But it’s not that easy for anyone to change what they are inside. —Sarah
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House
by Eric Litwin illustrated by Scott Magoon
Uni the Unicorn
by Amy Krause Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager available in August, hardcover, Random House
Uni has an extra-beautiful mane and extra-shiny hooves but her parents shake their heads at her because Uni believes in little girls. She dreams of going on fabulous girl and unicorn adventures with a little girl of her very own. But are little girls real? An inventive twist on the typical unicorn tale. —Sarah
The Numberlys
by William Joyce, illustrated by William Joyce and Christina Ellis available now, hardcover, Atheneum
Once upon a time there was no alphabet, only numbers, and life was fine. Orderly. But five heroes weren’t willing to accept that this was all there could be. So they broke out hard hats and welders, hammers and glue guns, and they started knocking some numbers together. Removing a piece here. Adding a piece there. At first, it was awful. But the five kept at it, and soon it was…artful! One letter after another emerged, until there were twenty-six. Twenty-six letters—and they were beautiful.
Breaking News: Bear Alert by David Biedrzycki
available in July, hardcover, Little. Brown
available in August, hardcover, Charlesbridge
It's bedtime at the Nut House, but little Wally and Hazel Nut aren't ready to go to sleep. "We're Nuts! We're Nuts! We're Nuts!" Why go to bed when you could be singing and howling at the moon? But Mama Nut insists... "All little Nuts need to go up to bed!" Who will win this bedtime tug-of-war? Chime in and join the nutty fun in this unforgettably catchy bedtime adventure.
Such a clever book—the story is good but the illustrations are hilarious! In every spread there are “bear” puns to find including a department store named Paddington’s and a character in a Chicago Bears jersey. Have fun reading the story and then have fun finding all the jokes! A “beary” good time will be had by all! (Sorry.) —Sarah
Storytime for Preschoolers 360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
First Saturdays of the month from 10:30-11am in the Kids’ Section Summer 2014
57
DECORATING
Village Books is hosting a week-long, half-day summer camp, Monday, August 4th through Friday, August 8th, from 1-5pm each day. Join VB Kids' Programming Director Claire as she leads each day of themed activities with hands-on projects, book-related topics, and field trips around Fairhaven. Snack included.
Check out our Themes! Monday - Science Fun Tuesday - Marine Life Day with a visit to the Marine Life Center Wednesday - Food & Farm Day with a visit to Common Threads Farm Thursday - Art Day with a visit to Ben Mann's studio Friday - Fun in the Sun Day with a walk to Fairhaven Park's splash area
Camp VB is $129 per child. Registration is for the entire week and is limited to 10 campers. Download a registration form from villagebooks.com or pick one up at our main counter. Completed forms and a check to Village Books can be mailed to: Village Books, Camp VB, 1200 11th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Registration also accepted at our main counter. No phone registrations accepted. Registrations must be received by Thurs., July 31. If you have questions you can email Claire McElroy-Chesson, Claire@villagebooks.com or you can call our store at 360-671-2626.
Village Books is proud to be a partner and supporter of Common Threads Farm and School Garden Collective, a Bellingham-based nonprofit on a mission to connect young people with healthy food through hands-on, seed-to-table educational experiences.
son
photos by Claire McElroy-Ches
58 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Learning Made Fun!
Star Wars Educational Workbooks from Workman Publishing available in June, paperback
Keep them entertained AND on top of their skills with this fun set of new workbooks! The Force is strong with this series! Introducing a line of workbooks that marries the iconic popularity of Star Wars with the unique mix of editorial quality, fun presentation, and rigorous educational standards that Workman applied to the BRAIN QUEST Workbooks. Twelve titles launch the series—three each for Pre-K through 2nd Grade—and dig deep into core subjects, including numbers, ABCs, phonics, and reading readiness for younger grades, and math, reading, and writing for the older ones.
May the Force be with you.
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm
available in August, hardcover, Random House
Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He's bossy. He's cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
Ice Whale
by Jean Craighead George, Illustrated by John Hendrix available now, hardcover, Dial
In Ice Whale, the author of Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain tells the story of a special bowhead whale called Siku, the family that spends generations protecting him, and the rise and fall of the whaling industry. In the last novel written before her death in 2012, Jean Craighead George once again expertly explores the unstable, constantly changing relationship between man and nature. —Hana
VB’s BOOK GROUP for Middle Readers is taking the summer off. We'll be back in September. See you then!
Cover to Cover
ADVENTURE Youth Book Group
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Middle Readers Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington
available in August, hardcover, Little, Brown
Life in middle school is rough enough. But for Mysti Murphy life gets a little harder when her father ends up in a coma after a fall and her best friend decides to perform an experiment in which they are no longer friends, at least in public. On top of that, her mother has not left the house in years and Mysti must learn what it means to have courage, and become comfortable in her own skin. —Anna
Magic Delivery
by Clete Barrett Smith available in August, hardcover, Disney
A new book from Bellingham's own author of the Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast series. Nick and Burger are heading home when they see a delivery van careen off the side of the road. The boys could have sworn that the driver was a bear . . . but that couldn't be right. Or could it? Turns out the van is carrying a load of costumes. With the driver nowhere in sight, Nick's first thought is about how much money he could get by selling the merchandise. Burger just wants to try them out, for fun. In the gorilla costume he chooses, Burger is very convincing. Is that just Burger fooling around, as usual, or is there something strange about these outfits?
Summer 2014 59
CAMP HALF-BLOOD
CAMP FANDOM
Vancouver, BC/Point Roberts, WA July 6-July 13 & August 3-10
Innovation through World Building, Roleplaying & Sci-Fi/Fantasy
CAMP DEMIGOD July 1-4 August 10-22
DIGIVATIONS
CAMP FANDOM
CAMP HALF-BLOOD
Innovation through World Building Roleplaying & Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Vancouver, BC/Point Roberts, WA July 6-13 & August 3-10
July 1-4 & August 10-22
Camp Half-Blood's location and environment bring Percy Jackson and The Olympian Series to life
Features a mash-
through quests which play out through the week
up of Percy Jackson, Dr. Who,
Camp Half-Blood's location and environment
starting in the rustic demigod cabins, and traversing brings Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series to life through thethrough beaches, trails, andplay clay quests which outcliffs. through the week
Steampunk, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Hobbit, The Hunger
starting in the rustic demigod cabins, and traversing through the beaches, trails, and clay cliffs.
FAMILY FANTASY CAMPS All-Inclusive Camp Demigod Experience July 4-6 & August 8-10
Games, Divergent, and more!
Registrants from the U.S. All-inclusive Camp a $15 Features a Mash-Up of receive Percy Jackson, Dr. Demigod Experience Who, Steampunk, Avatar: The Village Last Airbender, Books Gift The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Divergent, July 4-6 & August 8-10 and more!Certificate!
FAMILY FANTASY CAMP
Camp offerings are also available in combinations of one, two and three week sessions. For details and registration information, go to
www.digivations.com/campdemigod
Pure Grit:
ALL AGES!
How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific by Mary Cronk Farrell
A Free Event At Village Books
Mary Cronk Farrell Tuesday, July1st, 7pm
available now, hardcover, Abrams Books for Young Readers
Join award-winning children's author and former journalist, Mary Cronk Farrell, as she discusses the research and women featured in her children's history book, Pure Grit. Her book, geared for all ages, tells the story of American nurses serving in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked the islands on December 8, 1941. This is a story of sisterhood and suffering, of tragedy and betrayal, of death and life.
60 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Middle Readers
The Thickety: A Path Begins
by J.A. White
available now, hardcover, HarperCollins
Forced to see her mother executed for witchcraft when she was just five years old, Kara has unjustly endured the fear and hate of her entire village since. Unjustly, that is, until she herself begins to discover the pull of magic. This is the spine-tingling tale of a young witch, living in a place where its inhabitants believe there is no greater evil than magic. —Hana Couldn't put this book down! I loved it so much, I wish I'd written it. —Paul
Village Books is a Dog-Friendly Store!
Comics Squad: Recess!
by multiple authors/illustrators available in July, paperback, Random House
This short collection of comic strip stories includes Babymouse, Lunch Lady and Jiminy Sprinkles. Featuring everything from ninja secret clubs to freeze-tag food fights, this book will make your elementary-aged kids laugh. Not only is each story funny, but they also teach hidden lessons (shh, don’t tell your kiddos). In between the various comic strips are little mash-ups and tips from individual comic characters. This is a fun book to throw in your kids’ suitcases or camp bags for seriously silly summer reading. —Christina
The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell
available now, hardcover, HarperCollins
A long-abandoned castle sits on the outskirts of Sand's village, destroyed by a massive earthquake years before. Or so the story goes. When Sand mysteriously wakes up inside that very castle, he quickly realizes the stories are very, very wrong. The strange mystery only deepens when the princess of the castle comes back from the dead, not a day older than when she died over twenty years previously. This charming story, focused on lessons of love, friendship, and the difficult task of how to forgive, is so very engrossing, I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. Also, how cool is this cover? —Hana
WCC Offers
Ages 9-12
Kid's Summer Writing Camp July 7th – 10th, 9:30am-noon
Kids, have you ever wanted to write stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or poems like Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends?" Join writer, Whatcom Community College English instructor, and Chair of the Chuckanut Writers Conference Anna Wolff for writing games and exercises guaranteed to get you started on your literary masterpiece. If you love writing or just want to give it a try, this class is for you! Bring a pen, a notebook, and come ready to write! Anna Wolff started writing at age two and has been teaching Creative Writing for 10 years. Designed for ages 9 - 12, the cost of the four-day camp is $79. To register a child for the camp call (360) 383-3200.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014 61
Teen Writers, Sign up for the 2014 Friday, June 20, 9:30am - 5:30pm Teens, are you looking for some advice and ideas to hone your writing skills? Need some inspiration? Want to learn from the pros? Join us for the second annual Write On! Teen Writing Conference at Village Books on Fri., June 20th from 9:30am-5:30pm for teens, ages 13-18 years old. The Write On! conference is a full day event offering a variety of writing-related hands-on experiences, as well as keynote addresses and individual critique sessions. Topics and presenters include: "Creating Fantastic Worlds and Heroes to Save Them!" presented by Seattle YA author Kevin Emerson; "Showing vs. Telling" led by YA author Jennifer Bradbury; "Writing Memorable Images" presented by poet Jeremy Voigt; "Writing Every Day: Creating and Sustaining a Writing Practice" presented by Fairhaven Middle School teacher Joel Gillman; "The Mad Science of Plot Building" taught by returning faculty member Cory Skerry, and much more. The closing keynote address, "Being Yourself (and also a Rockstar)" will be presented by Kevin Emerson and will be followed by an open mic event at 4:30pm, open to all participants and presenters. Families and the general public are invited to attend the open mic. The conference will take place in Village Books, with breakout sessions held in the Readings Gallery of the store, the conference room at the Fairhaven Village Inn, and the Fairhaven Public Library. Registration is $49. For more information and to register, visit www.writeonconference.com. This event is presented by Whatcom Young Writers and Village Books, and co-sponsored by the Fairhaven Village Inn, Whatcom Educational Credit Union, poetrynight, Peoples Bank, and Lithtex NW Printing Solutions.
For Students Ages 13-18
Young Adult The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
available in June, hardcover, Roaring Brook Press
Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones available in July, hardcover, Little, Brown
Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne available in July, hardcover, Disney-Hyperion
62
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
Young Adult Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lisa Franks
available in August, hardcover, Schwartz & Wade
This beautiful novel, written in verse, follows the story of two completely different teenage girls who are united by the same struggle against a chronic health condition. It's a book that will open up discussion about one of the toughest issues a teen can face, with a story that will draw you in and colorful writing that will make you feel every victory and setback right alongside the main characters. —Jenny
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
available now, hardcover, Farrar Straus and Giroux
It starts out as an English assignment for which Laurel has to write a letter to a dead person. Instead of handing hers in, though, she continues writing letter after letter to dead people she admires as a kind of therapeutic journaling for a teenager unable or unwilling to communicate her emotions with the people who care about her. The premise might sound gimmicky, but the execution wowed me. —Rachel H.
The Inventor’s Secret The Glass Sentence
by S.E. Grove available in June, available in June, Viking Juvenile
It was called the Great Disruption, the disaster that occurred generations before and which gave the land new borders. Each area within these borders was thrown into a different time period, making explorations and cartology (the art of mapmaking) more important than ever. This is the world Grove has built in The Glass Sentence, the first in the new Mapmakers Trilogy, and it is awesomely original and so, so, SO compelling. I was sucked into it immediately and it has not left my mind since. Bring on the sequel! —Hana
by Andrea Cremer
available now, hardcover, Philomel
Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain's industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled to live free of the bonds of the empire's Machineworks.
Plus One
by Elizabeth Fama
Noggin
by John Corey Whaley available now, hardcover, Atheneum Books for Young Readers
I initially passed over this book for an unbelievable science fiction premise until someone insisted I had to read it. Then I realized the premise isn’t supposed to be believable so much as an intense catalyst. In short, dying teenager Travis is brought back to life five years later only to discover the world carried on without him. He might get to live, but he doesn’t get to continue the life he once had. —Rachel H.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
available now, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
This imaginative alternate history involves governmental conspiracies, kidnapping, technology hacks, and romance. When her simple plan to reunite her family across the Night/ Day divide goes awry, Sol is soon in over her head with an unlikely ally. It's a great read, and even the chapter headings in the book are well thought-out to represent their themes: chapters that take place in the present are labeled with the date and time, reflecting its importance in the shifting of the Night/ Day divide, and chapters that involve Sol's memories have more descriptive titles. —Jenny
Summer 2014
63
G
d! e k oo H et
BELLINGHAM kids traverse Chinook (solo)
1 mi
Coho (tandem)
1.5 mi
.5 mi
Chum (relay teams)
.25 mi
Sunday, June 29th Thank You To Our Spawnsors, Media & Partners
klicks
RUNNING & WALKING
Northwest Traverse Series Winthrop June 14th
Bellingham Kids June 29th
Olympia
July 26th
North Bend Sept. 6th
Bellingham Sept. 20th
Bellingham Kids Traverse.com
64
Summer 2014
Building Community One Book at a Time
Sat., June 14, 7pm MULTI-AUTHOR SPECULATIVE FICTION PANEL
Literature LIVE!
EVENTS
VB’s Literary Events Program
Additions & changes to this schedule will occur so check out
www.VillageBooks.com
to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you! Register online for the Village Books eNewsletter!
JUNE
Gay Tues., June 17, 7pm Fiction! KAY RAE CHOMIC –A Tight Grip: A Novel about Golf, Love Affairs, and Women of a Certain Age
Seattle author Kay Rae Chomic's new novel celebrates the bonds of female friendships as the protagonist, a maniacally driven competitive golfer, processes her life with her three closest friends. She discovers the transformative power of adversity, and seizes options to evolve as a person, an athlete, and a best friend.
Wed., June 18, 6pm Village Books Anniversary Benefit for the Whatcom Literacy Council featuring THE ATLANTICS
Fri., June 13, 7pm JULIA ASSANTE –The Last Frontier: Exploring the Afterlife and Transforming Our Fear of Death
Drawing from the literature on near-death and out-of-body experiences, after-death communication, reincarnation and her own professional background, Julia Assante presents cutting-edge research about what happens after we die. She will also explain how terms such as "heaven" and "the afterlife" mislead us rather than help us and why death is not about the body but about consciousness and consciousness alone.
Sat., June 14, 11am-noon Father's Day Fun Kids' Event for ages 5-9 (Dads can be any age!)
Join us for a multi-author panel with four local authors about writing speculative fiction. The authors will also read passages from their books and answer questions. Participating authors include: JOANNAH MILEY, The Immortal Game, ROB SLATER, All Is Silence, SELAH TAY-SONG, Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern, and JESIKAH SUNDIN, Biodome Chronicles Book One: Legacy.
KIDS!
Bring your dad and join Village Books bookseller Claire for some fun Father's Day stories, activities and games. We will be reading stories that celebrate dads like Bad Dad and Enemy Pie by Derek Munson, among others. We will meet in the Readings Gallery but if the weather is nice, we'll likely move the fun outside! Featured books will be 20% off for participants, today only.
Sat., June 14, 4pm JACK HART –Skookum Summer: A Novel of the Pacific Northwest
Jack Hart, a former managing editor and writing coach at the Oregonian and the author of Storycraft, weaves together a gripping and suspenseful plot with richly observed Pacific Northwest history and a vivid picture of a community on the brink of change. His book tells the story of a newspaper man trying to investigate a powerful logger's murder, exploring everything from pollution, to development, to the global impacts of change on Northwest livelihoods.
Events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and are FREE unless otherwise noted.
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Join Village Books and The Atlantics for a celebration at the Boundary Bay Beer Garden, benefitting the Whatcom Literacy Council. Tickets are $35 and include appetizers, the first beer (or other beverage) and an evening of music by the boogie, pop-rock and blues-playing Atlantics. Tickets are available at Village Books and on BrownPaperTickets. com. Act now, as there are a limited number of spots. Doors open at 6pm, music starts at 7pm. All ages until 10pm, 21 and over after 10pm.
Thurs., June 19, 7pm TINA GILBERTSON –Constructive Wallowing: How to Beat Bad Feelings by Letting Yourself Have Them
Feeling bad can actually lead to feeling better, faster! Learn how an "emotional detox" can kick start your life into high gear with Constructive Wallowing, a book that cuts right to the chase, teaching you exactly how to accept and feel your feelings with self-compassion and humor. Tina Gilbertson is a successful therapist, workshop leader and blogger living in Portland, OR.
Fri., June 20, 9:30am-5:30pm Write On! 2014: TEEN WRITING CONFERENCE Join us for the second annual Write On! 2014: Teen Writing Conference co-hosted by Whatcom Young Writers. Registration is $49 and can be done online at www.writeonconference.com. See page 62 for more info.
Fri., June 20, 5-8pm Fairhaven Summer Solstice Art Walk Village Books will feature Yaqui Native Flutist, Peter Ali, who will be performing his native flute under the glass sculpture on the main level of our store from 5:30-6:30pm. Paper Dreams will feature local artist Stephanie Burgess from 5-8pm for a mini wood burning presentation and artistic display of her widely-popular painted peace poles. See page. 7 for more information.
More events on the next five pages!
Summer 2014
65
VB Reads...
Join a VB Book Group!
Groups meet in the VB Readings Gallery (unless otherwise noted)
Speculative Fiction Book Group
New in July
Meet with Rachel M. the 3rd Monday of every month at 7pm to discuss thought-provoking speculative fiction in a group that welcomes diversity. Meetings take place in the Writer's Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.
Afternoon Book Chat Come discuss contemporary literature with Sittrea the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 1pm AND/OR the Sunday following that meeting at 1:30pm. Yep, we now meet twice a month! Join us for one or both chats —open to all!
Motherhood by the Book Meet with Claire the 2nd Sunday of every month at 2pm for an hour of spirited discussion of books that celebrate the trials, tribulations, and rewards of motherhood. Meetings take place in the Writer's Corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books.
Engaged Citizens Book Group 3rd Wednesdays of the month at noon. Join Mary Dumas for a thought-provoking lunch hour discussing books that ask us to consider how we, as community members, can more skillfully contribute to the creation of a civilly engaged community.
General Lit Discuss books from a variety of genres with Cindi at 7pm the 1st Monday of each month. This group is open to anyone and everyone who enjoys reading and discussing books.
Natural Concerns Book Group
We're taking the summer off—see you in October when we'll continue discussing contemporary and classic writings that explore the issues, insights and inspirations of our relationship with the natural world.
Cover to Cover Adventure For ages 8-12. We're taking a break during the summer but will start meeting again in September.
Go to villagebooks.com to see the monthly book selections for these groups! 66 Summer 2014
Extended Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm • Sun 10am–8pm
Thurs., June 26, doors 6:30pm, show 7pm
Sat., June 21, 10am-10pm & Sun., June 22, 10am-8pm
Paper Dreams and Village Books’ Anniversary Members Only
STOREWIDE SALE
Join us for an exclusive members’ only anniversary sale in celebration of 34 years of bookselling. Reader Reward and Devoted Dreamer members will receive 20% off almost everything storewide at both Village Books and Paper Dreams. Not a member? Sign up on-the-spot—it's free and easy!
Sat., June 21, noon-1pm Movie showing & discussion at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema On-screen author talk & interview with
LESLIE CARON, –Thank Heaven: A Memoir Pickford Film Center & Village Books present "Writers in the Limelight." Leslie Caron discusses her book, Thank Heaven, in this special movie showing at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema. (Author is not attending this event). Tickets are $6 and are available through the Pickford Film Center.
Mon., June 23, 5pm PAULA MARCOUX –Cooking with Fire Class in Ciao Thyme's Backyard! Join author Paula Marcoux for a dinner and demonstration of her recipes at Ciao Thyme's backyard event space on 207 Unity Street. She will talk about how to be an adventurous cook by stepping away from the stove and cooking with a variety of less-conventional techniques inspired by a range of cultural and historical traditions, all of which involve wood and fire. Participants will savor recipes based from the book, prepared by Ciao Thyme's staff. The price for the class and dinner is $75. Space is limited, so register quickly at ciaothyme.com/events/cooking-with-fire.
in the Heiner Theater at Whatcom Community College
THE CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR with special guest BRIAN DOYLE, –The Plover and musical guest Sarah Goodin Author of Mink River, Brian Doyle, will kick off the Chuckanut Writers Conference as a guest on the Chuckanut Radio Hour. He'll be interviewed about his latest novel, The Plover, a story of a sea voyage that becomes a rapturous, heartfelt celebration of life's surprising paths. Details on page 9.
Fri., June 27, noon-10pm FAIRHAVEN GIRLS NIGHT OUT Come be a part of the 9th annual Fairhaven Girls Night Out event in the district. Village Books and Paper Dreams will be part of the passport event, and will also model some new apparel at the fashion show. For more info see page 10 or visit girlsnightoutfairhaven.com.
Fri., June 27, 7pm J. MIKE HOLLOWAY –Dreaming Bears: A Gwich'in Indian Storyteller, a Southern Doctor, a Wild Corner of Alaska
Dreaming Bears is the true story of the rare friendship that develops between a young medical student with deep roots in the South and an elderly Indian couple in the wilds of northeast Alaska. Holloway's rich encounters in Gwich'in country alter his life forever, and he becomes an advocate for the land and its people.
Fri., June 27 & Sat., June 28 CHUCKANUT WRITERS CONFERENCE The Chuckanut Writers Conference is a craft-centered, cross-genre celebration inspiring writers of all experience levels to bring forth their unique voices. Located on the campus of Whatcom Community College, you can register at ChuckanutWritersConference.com. Read more on page 27.
Sat., June 28, 11am-noon JUNIE B. JONES IN JUNE —Ages 5-8
KIDS!
Tues., June 24, 11am & 5:15pm SUMMER OPEN BOOK TALKS with Chuck & Dee Robinson
Are you a fan, or do you know a fan of the notorious Junie B. Jones? We will be celebrating her stories with games, a craft, and some reading of her books. It's going to be a beach theme so feel free to wear your best beach gear—if weather permits, we will likely move the party outside!
Join VB co-owners Chuck & Dee Robinson as they talk about a variety of books for you to consider adopting for your book groups or adding to your summer reading list.
Sat., June 28, 7pm BARBARA JEAN HICKS
Wed., June 25, 7pm ROBERT WRIGHT –Valhalla Revealed: A Novel
Frozen: A Sister More Like Me, & Frozen: An Amazing Snowman on the Village Green
Valhalla Revealed, the riveting sequel to Bellingham author Robert A. Wright's debut thriller Beyond Ultra, is a mesmerizing family saga that navigates conflicted loyalties, a languishing colonial era, and the shadow of the Cold War. Can one fixated man finally cast light on the irrepressible curse of Valhalla?
Read more about these and other LitLive events at VillageBooks.com!
Signing copies of
Children’s picture book author Barbara Jean Hicks, also known as “Barbara Jean the Story Queen,” will be signing copies of her books outside, on the Village Green prior to the Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema's screening of Disney’s 2013 animated film, Frozen. See page 6 for the full summer movie schedule.
Sat., June 28, 7pm CONCURRENT OPEN MICS for the Chuckanut Writers Conference Come listen to a variety of authors and writers share their work throughout Fairhaven. Readings will take place in Village Books, Book Fare Café, the Fairhaven Village Inn and Magdalena's Creperie.
If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!
Summer 2014
67
Sat., July 5, 1:30-3:30pm A VISIT FROM DINGER, the Bellingham Bells mascot
Literature
The Bellingham Bells’ mascot, Dinger, loves to read almost as much as he loves to play baseball. Dinger is planning a trip to Village Books during Fourth of July weekend to pick up some new books and make some new friends, and he’s hoping to see you there! The 2014 Bells season kicks off June 9 and runs through July 30, with all home games being played at Joe Martin Field, conveniently located off of Lakeway Drive. For more info, visit bellinghambells.com.
LIVE!
EVENTS
Tues., July 8, 7pm Mystery Mini writing workshop PATRICIA SKALKA –Death Stalks Door County
Sun., June 29, 4pm TOM ROBBINS –Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life
Tom Robbins's warm, wise, and wonderfully weird novels provide an entryway into the frontier of his singular imagination. Madcap but sincere, pulsating with strong social and philosophical undercurrents, his irreverent classics have introduced countless readers to hitchhiking cowgirls, born-again monkeys, a philosophizing can of beans, exiled royalty, and problematic redheads. In Tibetan Peach Pie, Robbins turns that unparalleled literary sensibility inward, weaving together stories of his unconventional life, from his Appalachian childhood to his globe-trotting adventures, told in his unique voice, which combines the sweet and sly, the spiritual and earthy.
Mon., June 30, 7pm Open Mic with Laurel Leigh Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talents as they share their own stories, poems and essays. Sign up at our main counter on the first floor or call (360) 671-2626.
so far in
Thurs., July 10, 10:30-11:30am IMAGINARY FRIEND PARTY for young kids ages Pre-K-6 years old
Tues., July 1, 10am Find Waldo Local Begins Kids, parents and Waldo-lovers of all ages are invited to join us again this year for the month-long scavenger hunt to find the elusive Waldo hidden in 25 local businesses around Fairhaven. See page 56 for details!
Tues., July 1, 7pm All Ages MARY CRONK FARRELL –Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific
Join award-winning children's author and former journalist, Mary Cronk Farrell, as she discusses the research and women featured in her children's history book, Pure Grit. Her book, geared for all ages, tells the story of American nurses serving in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked the islands on December 8, 1941.
KIDS!
Join Village Books bookseller Claire for our preschool storytime for ages 3-5 years old. Our preschool storytime takes place the first Saturday of each month from 10:30-11am on the bench in the Kids’ Section.
Anyone with or without an imaginary friend is invited for a morning of fun activities with Claire in the Readings Gallery. We will read The Adventures of Beekle the Unimaginary Friend and other stories, draw pictures, and name our imaginary friends. Featured books will be 20% off for participants, today only!
Thurs., July 10, 5:30-6:30pm ROBIN ROBERTSON "How to Eliminate the Excuses" Presentation
Fri., July 11, 7pm Mystery DAVID PERRY SNELLING –Without a Clue Snelling’s new mystery is based on events ten years after the German occupation of Norway during World War II. A former Norwegian policeman and his wife move to Puget Sound near Seattle. The story opens when she reports him missing in 1955. He has vanished without the slightest trace. The investigation reveals some surprising twists and turns both in Norway and America.
Mon., July 14, 7pm IAN DOESCHER –William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestsellers William Shakespeare’s Star Wars® and William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back comes the third installment of the original trilogy. Return to the star-crossed galaxy far, far away as the brooding young hero, a power-mad emperor, and their jesting droids match wits, struggle for power, and soliloquize in elegant and impeccable iambic pentameter. Illustrated with beautiful black-andwhite Elizabethan-style artwork, this play offers essential reading for all ages.
Events take place in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and are FREE unless otherwise noted.
68
Summer 2014
KIDS!
Albert Einstein said, “Nothing Happens until something starts moving.” One of the biggest excuses EVER is “I don’t have time to exercise.” The truth is that you don’t have time to NOT exercise. Robin will help show the reasons why, give motivation to get you started and find the time, and offer some simple exercises. Her presentation is based on Todd Durkin’s book, The Impact Body Plan.
JULY
Sat., July 5, 10:30-11am Preschool Storytime with Claire
Join former writing instructor and Reader's Digest staff writer Patricia Skalka for a free mini writing workshop in the Readings Gallery. An established freelancer, Skalka made the jump to fiction with the release of her first novel Death Stalks Door County.
Tues., July 15, 7pm WILLIAM WYCKOFF –How to Read the American West:
Sat., July 26, 4pm Fiction ARLEEN WILLIAMS –Biking Uphill: The Alki Trilogy
A Field Guide
From deserts to ghost towns, from national forests to California bungalows, many of the features of the western American landscape are well known to residents and travelers alike. A geographer and an accomplished photographer, Wyckoff offers a fresh perspective on the natural and human history of the American West and encourages readers to discover that history has shaped the places where people live, work, and visit.
The second book in the Alki Trilogy, Biking Uphill tells the story of a young Seattle college student, Carolyn Bauer, and how she befriends a young Mexican immigrant woman. As the story unfolds, readers get a glimpse of a world of undocumented immigration, where parents are deported, and a young girl is abandoned to face life on her own.
Mon., July 28, 7pm OPEN MIC with Laurel Leigh
Fri., July 18, 7pm Fiction GAIL NOBLE-SANDERSON –My House in Meuse Local author Gail Noble-Sanderson's new novel tells the story of a young French woman who volunteers for the French Red Cross in 1915 and struggles with depression. It tells of her arduous journey towards reclaiming her life and forging new relationships, and the tenuous prospect of finding solace and purpose in a world attempting to right itself.
Sat., July 19, 11am-5pm Author readings and presentations for the 3rd Annual STEAMPUNK FESTIVAL IN FAIRHAVEN Join us in the Readings Gallery and at the Fairhaven Village Inn as we host a variety of Steampunk-inspired authors and speakers in conjunction with this year’s festival, co-sponsored by the Bellingham Steampunk Society. Check VillageBooks.com/steampunk-festival for updates on the author and presenter line-up, and see page 21 for more about the festival.
Sat., July 19, noon-1pm Movie showing & discussion at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema
Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talents as they share their own stories, poems and essays. Sign up at our main counter on the first floor or call (360) 671-2626.
Wed., July 30, 7pm ROBERT DUKE –Waking Up Dying: Caregiving When There Is No Tomorrow
In this memoir, a loving and desperate husband struggles to get his beloved wife, Shearlean, the increasingly urgent treatment an indifferent healthcare system seemed incapable of providing. Not a generic cancer or caregiving book, it covers the day-to-day successes and failures of navigating American healthcare. Emphasis is on reform, end-of-life preparation, and managing care.
Thurs., July 31, 6pm Find Waldo in Fairhaven Celebration Join us this evening at Village Books for a celebration to wrap up our Fairhaven “Find Waldo Local” program. We’ll play games, give out prizes to those who participated in the 25-store search, eat treats, and find a real live Waldo hiding in our store. Come in your red stripes and glasses, and ready to have a good time.
On-screen author talk & interview with
Read more about these and other LitLive events at VillageBooks.com!
JULIE POWELL, –Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession Pickford Film Center & Village Books present "Writers in the Limelight." Julie Powell discusses her book, Cleaving, in this special movie showing at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema. (Author is not attending this event). Tickets are $6 and are available through the Pickford Film Center.
Thursday, July 24, 10:30-11:30am CAMP REX CAMP-OUT for ages Pre-K-6 years old
KIDS!
Join Claire in the Readings Gallery for some dinosaur camp-out fun as we read stories, play games, and do a small craft. This event features the new book, Camp Rex, by Molly Idle, author of Tea with Rex. Featured books will be 20% off for participants, today only!
Are YOU Receiving VB's E-Newsletter?
Thurs., July 24, doors 6:30pm, show 7pm Heiner Theater at Whatcom Community College
THE CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR with special guest J.A. JANCE, –Remains of Innocence
Join us as we bring back New York Times bestselling mystery author J.A. Jance as a guest on the Chuckanut Radio Hour. She'll be interviewed about her sixteenth book in the Joanna Brady series, Remains of Innocence. Enjoy live music by Geof Morgan. Read more on page 9.
Once a week, Village Books sends out an email newsletter packed full of store and book information including our latest LitLive! events, sale dates, and on occasion, store coupons! Twice each week, we provide Shelf Awareness for Readers book reviews. If you’re not currently receiving these updates and would like to, you may sign up in the store or, even easier, do it at VillageBooks.com today!
Thank you for supporting Literature Live Events! If you can’t make it to an event, just call us to arrange for autographed copies!
Summer 2014
69
Literature
Mon., Aug. 25, 7pm Open Mic with Laurel Leigh
AUGUST
Wed., Aug. 27, 7pm KATHLEEN FLINN –Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good:
LIVE!
so far in
Sat., Aug. 2, 10:30-11am Preschool Storytime with Claire
Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talents as they share their own stories, poems and essays. Sign up at our main counter on the first floor or call (360) 671-2626.
KIDS!
Join Village Books bookseller Claire for our preschool storytime for ages 3-5 years old. Our preschool storytime takes place the first Saturday of each month from 10:30-11am on the bench in the Kids’ Section.
KIDS! Thurs., Aug. 14, 1-2pm Fun with The Never Girls of Pixie Hollow Ages 7-12 This event is for fans of the popular Disney series by Kiki Thorpe. Join Claire for a lively discussion of the books, some games, and a small craft in our Readings Gallery. If the weather is nice, we will likely move the festivities outside. Featured books will be 15% off for participants, today only!
KIDS!
Sat., Aug. 16, 10:30-11:30am Duck and Goose Beach Party Pre-K - 6 years old
Join Claire as we celebrate the latest Duck and Goose story, Duck and Goose Go to the Beach. We will read our favorite Duck and Goose stories, play some games and do a small craft. Featured books will be 20% off for participants, today only!
Sat., Aug. 16, noon-1pm Movie showing & discussion at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema
A Memoir of Food & Love from an American Midwest Family
Kathleen Flinn has found her way into the hearts of readers, cooks, and food lovers everywhere with her New York Times bestselling memoir The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry and her inspiring second book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. This summer, old and new fans alike will devour her new book, which delves into the origins of Flinn’s love of all things culinary, with touching and hilarious family adventures and misadventures.
TUNE IN to hear selected
Literature Live! events
on your RADIO or computer! KAVZ 102.5 FM , the Voice of the South Fork Valley, proudly broadcasts Lit Live programs four times a week Monday - Thursday at noon!
Hear more at KMRE 102.3 FM Mondays at noon!
On-screen author talk & interview with
AYAAN HIRSI ALI, –Nomad: From Islam to America Pickford Film Center & Village Books present "Writers in the Limelight." Ayaan Hirsi Ali discusses her book, Nomad, in this special movie showing at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema. (Author is not attending this event). Tickets are $6 and are available through the Pickford Film Center.
Sat., Aug. 16, 4pm MALCOLM BROOKS –Painted Horses Malcolm Brooks’s novel brings to life the American West on the cusp of change during the 1950s. It is the story of a young woman on a journey to tame a wild landscape, the tide of progress in the middle of the “American century,” and a beautiful passionate love story. The story sings a love song to the horseman’s vanishing way of life, and reminds us that love and ambition, tradition and the future, often make strange bedfellows.
Wed., Aug. 20, 7pm CHELSEA CAIN –One Kick: A Novel From the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers is the first in a nail-biting new series featuring Kick Lannigan, a young woman whose complicated past has given her a very special skill set. Famously kidnapped at age six, Kick captured America's hearts when she was rescued five years later. Now, twenty-one, she finds herself unexpectedly entangled in a missing child case that will put her talents to the test. A heart-stopping, entertaining thrill ride from one of Bellingham's favorite mystery writers.
70
Summer 2014
— You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
September 26 – October 12, 2014
Miracle on 34th Street, The Musical November 28 – December 14, 2014
Leading Ladies
February 13 – March 1, 2015
The Foreigner April 17 – May 3, 2015
The Drowsy Chaperone June 12 – 28, 2015
Building Community One Book at a Time
360-671-2626 • 800-392-BOOK • www.villagebooks.com
Summer 2014
71
th th 1200 St. 12001111 St. Bellingham, WA Bellingham, WA98225 98225 360.671.2626 360.671.2626 www.VillageBooks.com www.VillageBooks.com
Whatcom County’s Favorite Bookstore since 1980 Whatcom County’s Favorite Bookstore since 1980 Building Community at a Time Building Community OneOne BookBook at a Time
PRSRT STD PRSRT STD USUS POSTAGE PAIDPAID POSTAGE PERMIT NO.NO. 200 20 PERMIT BELLINGHAM LYNDEN,WA WA
FAT PIE