The Chuckanut Reader – Spring 2025 by Village Books and Paper Dreams

Dear Reader,

A small peek behind the curtain—Paul, Kelly, and myself (Sarah) take turns writing this introduction each issue. When it’s my turn, as I sit down to write, I find sometimes there’s a certain theme to the Chuckanut Reader that seems to run through which makes this piece a bit of a bow on top of a gift. Our holiday issue often has me thinking about gratitude (not like we’re not grateful all year for you, Dear Reader!). This time, it’s a bit trickier. While the larger landscape of the world outside of our stores cannot be ignored, we want our stores to be places of both education, refuge, and connection. If you need answers and context, we’ll help you find them. If you want to wander the stacks and let yourself relax, we’re happy to recommend some fun books and gifts. If you want a safe and supportive place to connect, we hope you’ll find that, and each other, here. As we enter our 45th year in business, it’s our sincere hope that within these pages, in our stores, and out in the community, wherever you are in your journey, we can be there for you as you’ve always been there for us. With gratitude,

– Sarah, Paul, Kelly

and the Entire Village Books and Paper Dreams Family Building Community One Book at a Time

In This Issue...

The Chuckanut Reader • Spring 2025

Publisher: Village Books and Paper Dreams

Production & Design: Kelly Carbert

Contributors: Kiana Allen, Bee Cabezas, Kendra Calitri, Kelly Carbert, Caitriona Cassel, Erin Chervenock, Adelaide Conover, Stephanie Dethlefs, Sydney Durst, Kelly Evert, Paul Hanson, Chloe Hovind, Sarah Hutton, Will Abraham Jenkins, Kat Kayser, Sean Kearney, Troy Luginbill, Maddie Musquiz, Alex Nyberg, Laura Picco, Sophie Richmond, Lillian Roberts, Courtney Velthuizen, Heather Williams

Cover: Drink in the wonders of spring! Stop by for supplies: recipe books, drink mixes, gorgeous glasses, unique cutting boards, and more!

Content except art & book covers ©Village Books 2025

browse & shop anytime at villagebooks.com

The Chuckanut Writers Conference June 26-28, 2025, Bellingham WA Registration is now open - go to chuckanutwriters.com

Village Books Owners Sarah Hutton, Paul Hanson, and Kelly Evert

Dragons and Mythical Beasts LIVE

Sunday, March 16, 3pm

Calling all brave heroes! Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. Take your place among legendary heroes — just don’t wake the Dragon! Enter into a magical world of myths and legends—direct from London’s West End. From the creators of the international smash hit Dinosaur World Live, who bring spectacular puppets to life, this award-winning show is back in the U.S. by popular demand. Don’t miss this spell-binding adventure live on the historic MBT Main Stage! There will be a 20-minute meet & greet after the event.

Village Books is a proud sponsor of this Booked at the Baker show and will be there with magical wares!

Tickets available at mountbakertheatre.com

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Literacy Trivia Bee – Virtual –

Join the Whatcom Literacy Council for their annual TRIVIA BEE on Wednesday, April 30 from 6:30pm to 8pm.

Ryan Budds of Trivia With Budds will provide the fast paced and interactive platform for an online trivia night akin to Jeopardy ! Register your team (3 people) for $75, or just watch for free. Teams compete in four rounds in a range of topics—including an all Local/Whatcom County round—with the winners going home with the traveling “Totten Trophy.” Because it is a virtual ZOOM event participants can play from anywhere, with answers submitted via cell phone.

If you want a place to meet with your teammates please join us at Aslan Depot (1322 N State, Bellingham, WA) where they will will be showing the event on a big screen and supporting the cause by donating $1 for every pint purchased. Arrive early to find a table and order drinks and food before the game begins. All proceeds support the free adult literacy programs of the Whatcom Literacy Council, helping our neighbors become more self sufficient and employable.

Find registration information and look for volunteer opportunites at

Village Books 2024 Top 10 Stories

#8

History Mystery Puzzle Hunts

We partnered with Cryptid Escapes last year to produce challenging (but not impossible) puzzles in both our Fairhaven and Lynden stores for folks to explore and enjoy. Upon completion, the phrase we most often hear is, “That was so much fun!” These are Parts 1 and 2… are you ready for Part 3?

Who Dunnit? Apparently Paul Did

Last spring’s Dirty Dan Murder Mystery took place with seasonally appropriate April showers. But the precipitation didn’t dampen the participation in the Fairhaven-wide hunt for which 1970’s era character committed the crime. Well, it turns out that Rye Ton, the gregarious bartender played by our own Paul Hanson, was the guilty party! Look for us again this year as a new mystery unfolds! (page 9)

Our Work With Local Writers Expands

We’ve been busy supporting and cultivating Whatcom’s already strong writing community with more writing groups, more writing classes, our new Teen Author Cohort program, a monthly Writing Salon, and the expansion of our publishing team.

# 9

Literary Citizens Recognized

David Beaumier, Seán Dwyer, and Linda Lambert were awarded the Literary Citizenship Awards last year, recognizing their generosity and commitment to supporting, men toring, and giving to other readers and writers. Thank you for all you do and continue to!

Owners in Service

Our commitment to community doesn’t stop at our four walls. Board service is one of the many ways all three Village Books owners help serve, support, and build community. Last year Kelly Evert began her service on the Historic Fairhaven Board of Directors, Paul Hanson continued his time on the Skagit Symphony Board, and Sarah Hutton serves as Board President for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.

I NDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day North American celebration that takes place at indie bookstores across the U.S. and Canada on the last Saturday in April. This day serves as a reminder that independent bookstores are not just stores, they’re community centers and local anchors run by and enjoyed by passionate readers. Join us in celebrating . . . US!

Stop by both our Fairhaven and Lynden stores for exclusive 2025 limited-edition Independent Bookstore Day merchandise.

Dirty Dan Murder MYSTERY Weekend

Calling all Gumshoes!

Collect clues, interview suspects and solve the crime during the 5th annual Dirty Dan Murder Mystery Weekend — “The Big Sleep of the Bootleg Big Shot.” It’s 1928 in Fairhaven and there’s been talk of a speakeasy in the basement of Thessaly Grocery called The Dirty Dan. Through various raids and rumors, The Dirty Dan has held strong, supplying “tasty tinctures” to those lucky enough to get in. It seemed the joint was invincible—nothing ever stuck. That was until the boss's right hand man was found dead. Now, too many eyes are on the place—and there's one question on everyone's mind...

Who Killed Vincent "Viper" Melito?

Help solve the crime! Collect clue cards from 20+ locations, interact with suspects, and enjoy a weekend in Fairhaven!

Dirty

Village Books and Paper Dreams is proud to be the title sponsor of this fun event!

Special thanks to the 2025 Murder Mystery authors at Cryptid Escapes! enjoyfairhaven.com

• Before April 18: $20/person or $30/family-group

• After April 18 – $30/person or $40/family-group • VIP Gumshoe Add On -$20 before April 18/$25 after (lots of fun perks, single ticket add-on only, limited quantity)

• Online registration ends April 24, 5pm

• In-person registration available at the HUB: 1106 Harris Ave. (Inside Finnegan’s Alley) during the event weekend

Dan Harris is the founder of Fairhaven Village. A character himself, he died a natural death in 1890.

& Fairhaven Festival Ski to Sea

Taking place Memorial Day weekend, Ski to Sea is the original multisport relay race, from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. The Historic Fairhaven Festival celebrates the event with the biggest street party in Bellingham! Don't miss out! This all-day party includes live music, a beer garden, local juried arts and craft vendors, and loads of food stands with local eats. It's an all ages extravaganza.

ROUND IT UP

Join us in Supporting This Season’s Round It Up Partner

Immigrant Resources & Immediate Support

Supporting Basic Human Needs for Immigrant Families

Immigrant Resources & Immediate Support (IRIS) has a twofold mission: to connect immigrants with existing resources in the community, and to provide immediate assistance to those experiencing a temporary period of crisis.

IRIS primarily serves immigrant women and children who are survivors of violence. Despite their immense resilience and hardworking character, they are in need of temporary bridge assistance to help them achieve stability and self-sustainability. IRIS responds to the urgent and the unmet needs of immigrants in our communities in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish counties in an inclusive and comprehensive manner. They act as liaisons and provide funding for items and services that are not accessible to this marginalized population.

With the help of community support, IRIS continues to advocate for the well-being of immigrants, asylees and refugee families, and the local farmworker population–serving them with dignity and respect.

Your Donations Make a Difference

IRIS sponsors one or two families at a time by providing them with basic needs and, where appropriate, connecting them with additional services. Examples include:

• IRIS provided clothing, blankets, and kitchen items to a single mother and her three young children as they transitioned from living in a church, into a small shared apartment.

• IRIS provided space heaters, blankets and jackets to a single mother and her children living in an unheated dwelling. IRIS then connected the family with housing resources and provided short-term financial assistance to facilitate their transition into a heated dwelling.

• IRIS provided immediate housing, groceries, clothing, and resources for healthcare to a mother and her six year old son who were separated at the border and held in different parts of the country for almost two months.

• IRIS facilitated a medical evaluation for a woman, and also raised money to pay for an ultrasound to address her medical issues resulting from years of rape and abuse.

Round It Up, our amazingly simple giving program, was designed to support local non-profits.

Join Village Books and Paper Dreams customers who are supporting our community by rounding up your next purchase to the nearest dollar.

WHAT WHATCOM

WAS READING -2024-

Village Books in Fairhaven Top Sellers

1. Taylor Swift Style by Sarah Chapelle

2. By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

3. No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

Our top selling titles of 2024 are a reflection of both local interests and national bestsellers. An incredibly successful pre-order campaign topped the list at #1. You showed up in droves as we welcomed author Jodi Picoult to Bellingham—taking her new novel to our #2 spot. Numbers 3 & 4 are the 2024 and 2025 WhatcomREADS selection— another expression of your amazing support of visiting authors and local programming.

Whether you're looking for your next read or just interested in seeing what's keeping your neighbors up at night, this is the list for you! Thanks for buying local!

4. Red Paint by Sasha taq w š blu LaPointe

5. The Women by Kristin Hannah

6. Never Whistle at Night edited by Shane Hawk

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

8. James by Percival Everett

9. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

10. Better Days by Neal Allen

21. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

22. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

23. Hiking Mt. Baker and the North Cascades by John D’Onofrio

24. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

25. Dog Man #12 The Scarlet Shredder by Dav Pilkey

26. Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

27. The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson e

11. Our Hearts Beat as One by Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley and Julie Trimingham

12. Hiking Whatcom County by Ken Wilcox

13. Urban Trails Bellingham by Craig Romano

14. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

15. Devotions by Mary Oliver

16. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

17. The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

18. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

19. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

20. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

28. Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

29. Of Orcas and Men by David Neiwert

30. Alice in a Winter Wonderland by Jan Brett

Fiction

The Manor of Dreams

by Christina Li

available in May, hardcover, Avid Reader Press

Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it. “A true modern classic. The Manor of Dreams is beautiful, eerie, and woven with enough intrigue to hold all who enter captive.” —Chloe Gong, author of Immortal Longings

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits

by Jennifer Weiner

available in April, hardcover, William Morrow & Co.

What started as a story of fame cut short reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six quickly became an exploration of how women are treated by the music industry, and how they treat one another. This book is a wild ride with a lot of heart! –Stephanie

The Other March Sisters

by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, Liz Parker available now, hardcover, Kensington

How To Sleep At Night

by Elizabeth Harris

available now, hardcover, William Morrow & Co

I didn't think I would enjoy a story about loved ones grappling with political differences, especially now, but I was pleasantly surprised by this engaging read. Alternating between tenderness and laughout-loud humor, this story is at its core about how we communicate respectfully with those we love while staying true to ourselves, and I really enjoyed it! –Stephanie

The Dream Hotel

by Laila Lalami

available in March, hardcover, Pantheon

Eerie, urgent, and ceaselessly clear-eyed, The Dream Hotel artfully explores the seductive nature of technology, which puts us in shackles even as it makes our lives easier. Lalami asks how much of ourselves must remain private if we are to remain free, and whether even the most invasive forms of surveillance can ever capture who we really are.

Giving all the “Little Women” the stories they deserve at last, this imaginative historical novel and companion to the much-loved classic draws Meg, Beth, and Amy March from behind the shadow of Jo– Louisa May Alcott’s alter-ego and the “author” of Little Women —as vibrant and unforgettable characters grappling with societal strictures, queer love, motherhood, chronic illness, artistic ambition, and more.

A Sea of Unspoken Things

by Adrienne Young

available now, hardcover,

Delacorte Press

From the author of The Unmaking of June Farrow, this is a thrilling mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. James' fraught relationship with her deceased twin is complicated in the way so many family ties are, but the touch of supernatural connection between them elevates the story to the next level. A perfect book to read while curled up inside during a rainy spring day. –Caitriona

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

by Bob the Drag Queen available in March, hardcover, Gallery Books

When I heard Bob the Drag Queen was writing a book I knew I had to read it no matter what it was. This story was incredible from start to finish. Harriet Tubman returns from the past and recruits a down-and-out hip hop producer to help her create an album so she can continue telling her stories of bringing people freedom to current generations. Full of history nuggets they don't teach you in history class. –Kiana

Deep Cuts

by Holly Brickley

available now, hardcover, Crown

It’s a Friday night in a campus bar in Berkeley, fall of 2000, and Percy Marks is pontificating about music again. Hall and Oates is playing and Percy—who has no talent for music, just lots of opinions—can’t stop herself from overanalyzing the song, indulging what she knows to be her most annoying habit. But something is different tonight. The guy beside her at the bar, fellow student Joe Morrow, is a songwriter. And he could listen to Percy talk all night.

New Fiction

The Original Daughter

by Jemimah Wei

available in May, hardcover, Doubleday

The Strange Case of Jane O.

by Karen Thompson Walker

available now, hardcover, Random House

When a stinging betrayal violently estranges Genevieve and Arin, Genevieve must weigh the value of ambition versus familial love, home versus the outside world, and allegiance to herself versus allegiance to the people who made her who she is. In the story of a family and its contention with the roiling changes of our rapidly modernizing, winner-take-all world, The Original Daughter is a major literary debut, rife with emotional clarity and searing social insight.

Soft Core

by Brittany Newell

available now, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

This juicy, delicious novel is both a pageturning manhunt and a tender exploration of personhood and sex work, and it's wholly contemporary. Brittany Newell's lovable and unhinged cast of characters draws you in and does not let go. I read my copy front to back in an afternoon, and although I'm not often one to mark up my books, I found myself highlighting sections of prose and descriptions, and dog-earing pages to return to later on. –Sophie

Dream Count

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

available in March, hardcover, Knopf

Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state? And how honest must we be with ourselves in order to love, and to be loved? A trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations of the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power.

The Capital of Dreams

by Heather O'Neill

available now, paperback, Harper

Perennial

A strange case indeed! Told in the alternating voices of a young woman experiencing extended blackouts and the psychiatrist who is trying to get to the bottom of them, this beautifully weird story explores the uncharted territory of the mind and what it means to love. Thompson Walker's writing is exquisite and the characters are unforgettable. –Stephanie

Back After This

by Linda Holmes

available now, hardcover, Ballantine Books

Cecily Foster loves to make podcasts. But after a disastrous relationship with a colleague who stole her heart and her ideas, she's put romantic love on hold. When the boss finally offers her a chance to host her own show, she’s thrilled. But there's two catches. First, the show will be about Cecily's dating life. And second, she has to follow the guidance of influencer Eliza Cassidy, whose relentlessly upbeat attitude seems ready-made for social media, not real life.

Live Fast

Brigitte Giraud

available now, hardcover, Ecco

Immediately we learn about Claude's death, it was years ago. We hear from our narrator a series of 'what ifs' that could have kept his death from happening. The subsequent chapters explore each 'what if,' and we learn more about their life and their family. This story feels intimate, personal, like reading someone's diary. A book best read on a rainy day with a warm drink. –Erin

Blob: A Love Story

by Maggie Su

available now, hardcover, Harper

A dark fairy tale with touches of Kafkaesque absurdism. A girl alone in the countryside during a time of war encounters a variety of colorful characters—including a Goose that possibly speaks—as she seeks the Black Market to retrieve a manuscript she was sworn to keep safe. An imaginative land that nonetheless reminded me of Nazi occupied Europe during WWII. I flew through this one and hope you enjoy it, too. –Erin

Despite the odd title, this is a terrific book! It is uniquely strange yet a mostly grounding story with a messy protagonist and a healthy dose of humor that made me laugh out loud. During multiple moments in the book, I often found myself seen and uncomfortable by the relatabilities with the main character’s struggles of identity, race, love, family, and adulthood. An absolutely amazing debut novel! –Bee

New Fiction

Tilt

Life Hacks for Little Aliens

by Alice Franklin

available now, hardcover, Little,Brown and Co.

Our unnamed protagonist calls herself Little Alien because she is convinced she is not of this planet—everyone says and does things they don’t mean and school is just a confounding place of mysterious expectations. And then, during a bout of insomnia, she learns about the Voynich Manuscript and becomes convinced this book will explain everything mysterious about this world. This book is a breath of fresh air. –Sarah

Heartwood

by Amity Gaige

available in April, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing—Valerie Gillis vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping. At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a 76-yearold birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.

Sky Daddy

by Kate Folk

available in April, hardcover, Random House

Outcast heroine Linda is a woman erotically obsessed with airliners whose goal in life is to be gruesomely obliterated in a plane crash, thus tying their fates together forever in 'marriage.' Her singleminded pursuit of this is hilarious to watch; even with the bizarre premise you find yourself rooting for her. In a way, Linda lives far more genuinely than any of us do. Strangely compelling, this is truly a read-it-to-believe-it. And you should! –Adelaide

Three Days in June

by Anne Tyler

available now, hardcover, Knopf

by Emma Pattee

available in March, hardcover, Marysue

Ricci Books

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk. Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.

We Could Be Rats

by Emily Austin

available now, hardcover, Atria Books

Emily Austin captures something that many other authors try and fail to illustrate— sometimes depression and despair are so stupid, it’s funny. Her books always shine a high-powered flashlight in the horrific nooks and crannies of our brains and yet hold our hearts so kindly. If you need to both cry and laugh, Austin is a great choice. –Sarah

Saving Vincent:

A Novel of Jo van Gogh

by Joan Fernandez

available in April, paperback, She Writes Press In 1891, timid Jo van Gogh Bonger lives safely in the background of her art dealer husband Theo’s passionate work to sell unknown artists, especially his ill-fated dead brother Vincent. When Theo dies unexpectedly, Jo’s brief happiness is shattered. Her inheritance— hundreds of unsold paintings by Vincent—is worthless. Pressured to move to her parents’ home, Jo defies tradition, opening a boarding house, and choosing to promote Vincent’s art herself. But her ingenuity and persistence draw the powerful opposition of a Parisian art dealer who vows to stop her once and for all, and so sink Vincent into obscurity.

This is Anne Tyler doing what she does best: a seemingly simple story about family dynamics which, upon closer look, is a complex web of deep emotional ties and how they shape us. (For fans of Olive Kitteridge: Gail is your next beloved protagonist!) I loved this equal parts funny and tender story, and I am still carrying Gail and Max in my heart weeks after reading it. –Stephanie

New Fiction

The Cat Who Saved the Library

Sosuke Natsukawa

translated by Louise Heal Kawai, available in April, hardcover, Harpervia

The long-awaited sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books . A delightful and heartwarming celebration of books, libraries, cats, and the people who love them. At a time of increased book banning worldwide, Natsukawa urges us not to underestimate the power of great literature, and to be prepared to defend our freedom to choose.

Killer Potential

by Hannah Deitch

available in March, hardcover, William Morrow

If you enjoy books that revolve around a manic getaway scene that I promise will have you on the edge of your seat then this book is sure to do it for you. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl or the League of Lesbians Series. I read this book in TWO sittings! –Maddie

Kate & Frida : A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books

by Kim Fay

Black Woods, Blue Sky

by Eowyn Ivey

available now, hardcover, Random House

available in March, hardcover, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Frida Rodriguez arrives in Paris in 1991, seeking her future as a war correspondent. But then she writes to a bookshop in Seattle and receives more than just the book she requests. Seattle bookseller Kate Fair is transformed by Frida’s free spirit, spurred to believe in herself as a writer. Through the most tumultuous years of their young lives—Kate and Frida sustain and nourish each other as they learn the necessity of embracing joy, especially through our darkest hours.

33 Place Brugmann

by Alice Austen

available in March, hardcover, Grove Press

A debut novel of love, art, and mystery, with complex and charismatic characters. It is set just before the Nazi occupation in Brussels and tells the story of the lives of the residents of 33 Place Brugmann. Each character is dealing with life and the new reality of war in a very different way. The author has done a remarkable job of giving different voices to each tenant in the building. Bravo! –Kelly E.

I'm so excited that the bestselling author of The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey, has written a new novel. This is part fairy-tale, in a Beauty and the Beast in Alaska sort of way. Birdie is a single mom working hard while trying to keep herself and her daughter safe near the woods. She meets Arthur who is quiet, yet protective of the young mother and child and the relationship grows and they decide to move to the deep forest. But something is a bit different about Arthur. You have to read this book to find out more. Beautifully written and such fun to read! –Kelly E.

This one starts as a modern-day girl meets boy: complicated girl falls for complicated boy, and together they defy family and friends to begin their ideal life together in the Alaskan wilderness. Told from various perspectives, my favorite being Birdie's small daughter Emaleen, we watch Birdie and Arthur begin to make something together. But, this story turns allegory on us, and their happily ever after isn't that easy, maybe not possible. Sometimes our very nature is the problem. Just like Ivey's The Snow Child, this one keeps sticking with me. I think about this family and story often. –Erin

Good Dirt

by Charmaine Wilkerson

available now, hardcover, Ballantine Books

"A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism, Good Dirt seamlessly links the tragedies and resilience of our past in a way that is both brilliantly resonant and heartbreakingly beautiful. Wilkerson's prose is succinct yet richly evocative, masterfully delving into the minds and motivations of her characters and delivering a narrative that lingers long after the final page." –Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice.

The Antidote

by Karen Russell

available in March, hardcover, Knopf "The Antidote is an achingly gorgeous book about dust, memory, basketball, murder, yearning, photography, and the way the land holds both the memory of what went before and the dreams of what may come. Karen Russell is one of our most humane and generous writers; this book is as profound as it is wonderfully strange." –Lauren Groff, author of The Vaster Wilds.

Fiction

Tartufo

by Kira Jane Buxton

available now, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing

You don't have to look far to find a fan of Buxton in our store. My personal draw to this one is its location: I love all things Italy. Written in Buxton's characteristic comedic wink, this is the tale of a Tuscan truffle farmer and his two dogs, who find the largest truffle known in their parts. More than that, it is the sweet, silly, sentimental story of a small village lost to the ages, suddenly thrust into fame and all its complications, all thanks to the majestic truffle. –Erin

And she is back! Kira Jane Buxton gave us the most memorable characters in Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures . Now she gives us Italy. Set in a Tuscan town with not much going on, a truffle to rival any truffle has been found. How do the inhabitants of this village deal with the notoriety? Of course there is a list of animal characters that steal the scene. Always fun, always memorable. –Kelly E.

& Shop 24/7 at villagebooks.com

Speak to Me of Home

by Jeanine Cummins

available in May, paperback, Henry Holt and Co.

A striking, resonant examination of marriage, family, and identity, Speak to Me of Home is ultimately a story of mothers and daughters that asks: How can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where they come from? And, more important, can they discover a common language to find their way back home? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story—a tale of love and loss as well as all the stories that can shape a sense of home and each person's sense of belonging.

Short Stories

The Sea Gives Up the Dead : Stories

by Molly Olguín

available in April, paperback, Red Hen Press

A lovesick nanny slays a dragon. The devil tries to save her mother. A girl drowns and becomes a saint. Three kids plot to blow up their dad, a grieving mother sails the sea to find her son’s grave, a scientist brings a voice to life, and a mermaid falls into the power of a witch. Here, historical fiction, horror, and fantasy tangle together in a queer garden of love, grief, and longing. Olguín brings us a collection of stories sprinkled into the soil of fairy tales, left to take root and grow wild there. .

Fifteen Wild Decembers

by Karen Powell

available in April, paperback, Europa Editions

Isolated from society, Emily Brontë and her siblings spend their days inventing elaborate fictional realms or roaming the wild moors above their family home in Yorkshire. When the time comes for them to venture out into the world to earn a living, each of them struggles to adapt, but for Emily the change is catastrophic. Torn from the landscape to which she has become so passionately bound, she is simply unable to function. To the outside world, she appears taciturn and unexceptional, but beneath the surface her mind is in a creative ferment that will change the literary world forever.

Good Girl

by Aria Aber available now, hardcover, Hogarth

At once an unflinching look at growing up as an Afghan immigrant and a beautiful coming of age story. Aber's poetry shines through in her prose and permeates the whole book with staggering emotional depth as she explores Berlin techno clubs, a complicated relationship with an older man, and prejudice against her ethnicity that is both internal and external. –Caitriona

Invisible Cities

50th

Anniversary Edition

by Italo Calvino

illustrated by Maria Puente Frantzen available in March, hardcover, Mariner Books Classics

With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable can be dreamed…With an introduction by Anthony Doerr, a beautiful new illustrated 50th anniversary edition hardcover in the Mariner Classics line: Italo Calvino's beloved, intricately crafted novel about an Emperor's travels—a brilliant journey across far-off places and distant memory.

Bad Nature

by Ariel Courage

available in April, hardcover, Henry Holt and Co.

Road trip for revenge anyone? When Hester gets a terminal cancer diagnosis she does the only thing that makes sense to her: abandon her old life and set off to fulfill her lifelong dream of killing her father. Her story ends up intertwined with that of an environmental activist she picks up on her journey west who forces her to grapple with questions she hadn't planned on facing. –Caitriona

March 12 - March 15, 2025 Join

No Two Persons

by Erica Bauermeister

Whatcom READS is a countywide program that encourages everyone to read and discuss the same book. The 2025 selection is No Two Persons by New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister. Read the book then join us for a series of related events including these events with the author!

See

Thursday, March 13, 11am-12pm Book Discussion with Erica Bauermeister at the Lummi Island Grange Hall

Thursday, March 13, 7-8pm Sip and Savor with Erica Bauermeister at Bellewood Farms

Friday, March 14, 11am-12:30pm The Art and Craft of Writing with Erica Bauermeister at Village Books in Fairhaven

Friday, March 14, 7-8pm An Evening with Erica Bauermeister at the Mount Baker Theatre

Saturday, March 15, 11am-12pm A Conversation with Erica Bauermeister interviewed by Katie Bray - A Virtual Event

Registration is required to attend these FREE EVENTS.

Village Books donates a portion of proceeds from sales of No Two Persons to Whatcom READS through March, 2025.

Whatcom READS is organized by all the public and academic libraries in Whatcom County and Village Books, with significant funding from Friends of the Bellingham Public Library and Whatcom County Library Foundation and support from other local businesses and organizations.

The Book That Changed My Life

Local writers explored the theme The Book That Changed My Life, as inspired by No Two Persons. Read selected sumbissions in the annual anthology—now available at Village Books!

ART CHALLENGE

Locally created artwork inspired by No Two Persons will be on display March 7-29 at the NEW Allied Arts Gallery in Downtown Bellingham. 1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA

Romance

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things

(Sisters of Light and Shadow

#1)

Breanne

Randall available in March, paperback, Dell

A cozy little witchy romance! Perfect for a quick, lighthearted but immersive read. The town is quaint, the magic is intriguing, the sisters have a complicated but touching relationship, and the romance has sizzling tension. And it has recipes that are used in the book at the end! –Caitriona

Wooing the Witch Queen

by Stephanie Burgis

available now, paperback, Macmillan

If you are a fan of hidden identities, slowburn romances, animal companions, and gentle heroes—then this is the book for you! It’s a perfect mix of a regency era with a fantasy setting and a strong female lead with a quiet love interest. Stephanie Burgis turns so many stereotypes on their heads in this story and beautifully displays that often what makes us strong can be seen as weakness from others. –Bee

Deep End

by Ali Hazelwood

available now, paperback, Berkley

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis. “Ali Hazelwood deserves a gold medal for writing the hottest book of the year” exclaimed author Lauren Asher. This special first edition will have striking cover effects, beautiful interior cover art, and stenciled edges!

Great Big Beautiful Life

by Emily Henry

available in April, hardcover, Berkley

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—octogenarian Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

Ruthless Creatures : A Queens and Monsters Novel

by J.T. Geissinger

available now, paperback, Bramble Geissinger asks the timeless question of what happens when the mysterious man across the bar falls in obsession with you. Did I forget to mention that he’s a hitman that was hired with you as his target? Follow Kage and Natalie’s story in Ruthless Creatures as they free fall into a romance that will unveil secrets, enemies, and lies. –Sydney

Exquisite Ruin

by Adrianne May

available in March. paperback, Simon & Schuster

This is a retelling of the Greek mythology of the Minotaur with an atmospheric setting similar to Jim Henson’s film Labyrinth. It was unpredictable, very spicy, and had quite the twist at the end that had me reeling. The characters were fun and had me giggling to myself more times than I can count. Plus included with this start of a new series is a sprayed edge pattern in yellow and black that is quite fun! –Bee

What's Up With All That COLOR?

You have likely noticed that an increasing number of books now have colorful sprayed edges, or as some book lovers call them, "spredges." This is a design feature where the edges of book pages are adorned through techniques such as painting, spraying, or stenciling. These striking embellishments span from solid color blocks to intricate designs that add a touch of artistry to the book's presentation. A modern revival of a practice that's been around since the 10th century, these colorful edges often indicate a limited, special, or first edition of a title. Whatever the reason, they're an attractive and whimsical addition to any bookself. Enjoy!

Paperback Fiction

Remarkably Bright Creatures

by Shelby Van Pelt

available in April, paperback, Ecco Press

A charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. Now in paperback!

Tom

Lake by Ann Patchett

available in April, paperback, Harper Perennial

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. Now in paperback!

A Fool's Kabbalah by Steve Stern

available now, paperback, Melville House

How can words describe the indescribable?

How do you tell stories about an unspeakable history? In this bleak and bleakly comic novel, Stern answers that question through two stories unfold in parallel: the true story of real life scholar of Jewish mysticism Gershom Scholem as he returns to a devastated postHolocaust Europe in search of Judaica, and the fictional story of Menke, a shtetl fool from Yiddish folklore, who tries to survive in Nazi-occupied Poland by making light of the brutal reality around him. This book will make you laugh for fear of weeping, or maybe vice versa. –Will

Finding Flora

by Elinor Florence

available in April, paperback, Simon & Schuster

Allegro

by Ariel Dorfman

available in March, paperback, Other Press

In 1789 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart visits the grave of Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, looking for a sign, a signal, an answer to an enigma that has haunted him since childhood: Was Bach murdered by a famous oculist? And years later, was Handel a victim of the same doctor?A llegro follows his investigation, from the salons of London to the streets of Paris, recreating an enthralling and turbulent time, full of rogues and brilliant composers, charlatans and presumptuous nobles.

Piglet

by Lottie Hazell available in March, paperback, Holt Paperbacks

I DEVOURED this book. Hazell's delectable prose tells a realistic and relatable tale of feminine rage and healing as the protagonist faces her upcoming wedding day under the shadow of betrayal by her fiance. I loved the format, I loved the writing, I truly find this book to be a masterpiece.

–Caitriona

Graphic Novel Love Languages

by James Albon

available in May, paperback, Top Shelf Productions "James Albon's decadent cartooning and delicate watercolors perfectly capture the beauty and loneliness of wandering through new places that are supposed to be your home, and the specific halting beauty of intense connections forged across language barriers. I'm especially charmed by Sarah and Ping's emoji-strewn text conversations and their sinuous overlapping word bubbles as they gain fluency with each other. I loved this book!" –Shing Yin Khor, author of The Legend of Auntie Po.

Short Stories No One Knows: Stories

Scottish newcomer Flora Craigie jumps from a moving train in 1905 to escape her abusive husband. Desperate to disappear, she claims a homestead on the beautiful but wild Alberta prairie. She is astonished to find that her nearest neighbors are also female: a Welsh widow with three children; two American women raising chickens; and a Métis woman who supports herself by training wild horses. While battling both the brutal environment and the local cynicism toward female farmers, the five women join forces to “fire the heather,” a Scottish term meaning to raise a ruckus.

by Osamu Dazai, translated by Ralph McCarthy available now, paperback, New Directions Publishing

A newly translated collection of short stories by the legendary Japanese classical author Osamu Dazai finally arrives in North America! These stories span his entire career, and many have never been translated to English until now! Dazai’s humor, wit, and portrayal of the human condition will leave you in awe! –Sean

Horror

The Butcher's Daughter:

The Hithero Untold Story of

Mrs. Lovett

by David Demchuk & Corinne Leigh Clark available in May, hardcover, Hell's Hundred I would read anything David Demchuk writes, but even I was a little skeptical about a retelling of Sweeney Todd in which Mrs. Lovett recounts her life from her "retirement" in a convent while unraveling a violent mystery to a journalist. Luckily, this fast-paced, readable epistolary novel is a close-to-perfect literary thriller, filled with twists and turns. It kept me up way past my bedtime and MAY have had me humming "A Little Priest" for weeks. –Will

The Lamb by Lucy Rose

available now, hardcover, Harper

A grotesque and haunting story about the consequences of both repressing and giving into desire. The unsettling atmosphere and unique characters were so gripping that I was cooking and cleaning with the book still in hand. If you like dark horror that explores the complexity of human relationships, you have to pick this one up. –Lillian

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel available now, paperback, St. Martin’s Griffin Calla is struggling since becoming guardian to her brother, Jamie. When his actions at a protest spiral out of control, the siblings must go on the run. Taking refuge in a remote cabin that looks like it belongs on a slasher movie poster, the siblings now face a new threat where their lives–and reality–hang in the balance. Their sister always warned him about her nightmares. He should have listened. For fans of Jordan Peele’s movies and Stranger Thing s, this is a laugh-out-loud, deeply terrifying, big-hearted horror novel from a debut talent.

Old Soul

by Susan Barker

available now, hardcover, G.P. Putnam's Sons

This book felt like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: Nightmare Edition, and I loved it. The way Barker tells the story of a mysterious woman through the testimonies of people whose lives she has altered for the worse, and the present moment of the woman herself, kept me engrossed in the mystery of it all from start to finish. This truly is a remarkable piece of literary horror. –Caitriona

by Stephen Graham Jones

available in March, hardcover, Saga Press

Part historical narrative surrounding native and white relations dating 1870 to present, part examination of religion and belief, and part vampire story—only Stephen Graham Jones can deliver a tale like this so well. Of all his works to date, this one is my favorite. –Erin

Their

Monstrous

Hearts

: A Gothic Horror Novel by Yigit Turhan available in March, hardcover, Mira Books Turhan tells the story of a struggling writer who thinks his troubles are over when he inherits his estranged grandmother's villa and her famed butterfly collection, only to realize the crumbling estate is hiding darker secrets than he ever could have imagined. For fans of Mexican Gothic and Hereditary.

The Unworthy

by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses

available in March, hardcover, Scribner

In a ruined world, a lower initiate of a violent religious order whose true purpose is hidden begins to remember who she was before she came to the convent, writing her own story in secret. A tense, terrifying coming of age within a too-plausible ecological disaster, this book reminded me of a contemporary, more horrific Canticle for Leibowitz. I read it in one sitting, and then had nightmares for days. –Will

Mystery and Suspense

Shadow of the Solstice : A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel

by Anne Hillerman

available in March, hardcover, Harper

In this gripping chapter in New York Times

bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, the detectives must sort out a save-the-planet meditation group connected to a mysterious death and a nefarious scheme targeting vulnerable indigenous people living with addiction.

Midnight In Soap Lake

by Matthew Sullivan

available in April, hardcover, Hanover Square Press

Twin Peaks meets Tana French in this quirky, emotional mystery with serious stakes set in a fictional version of Soap Lake, WA. Told across two timelines, there's murder, science experiments, eccentric librarians, a townwide conspiracy, and a maybe-real boogeyman called Treetop. You won't forget a visit to this version of Soap Lake —assuming you make it out alive. –Will

Join Us!

THE CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR

featuring author MATTHEW SULLIVAN

Wednesday, April 23, 7pm at Lairmont Manor, Bellingham, WA

With musical guest Simon Llewelyn Evans and interviewer Ted O’Connell — an evening you don't want to miss! Tickets $5 at villagebooks.com.

All the Other Mothers Hate Me

by Sarah Harman

available in March, hardcover, G.P. Putnam’s Sons

The Maid’s Secret : A Maid Novel

by Nita Prose

available in April, hardcover, Ballantine Books

When a daring art heist takes place at the Regency Grand, Molly’s life is threatened. The question is who’s out to get her, and why?

Long-buried secrets will be revealed in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

The Museum Detective

by Maha Khan Phillips

available in April, hardcover, Soho Crime

Inspired by a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan, this gripping series debut introduces archaeologist Dr. Gul Delani, whose investigation into the discovery of a mummy gets complicated—and personal— when it collides with her years-long search for a missing family member. Perfect for fans of Sue Grafton and Elsa Hart.

Murder by Memory

by Olivia Waite

available in March, hardcover, Tordotcom

A mind is a terrible thing to erase... Welcome to the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty's most luxurious interstellar passenger liner! Room and board are included, new bodies are graciously provided upon request, and should you desire a rest between lifetimes, your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the Library, shielded from every danger. Becky Chambers meets Miss Marple in this sci-fi ode to the cozy mystery, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.

Florence Grimes is a 31-year-old party girl who always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son's bully and the heir to a vast frozen food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect. Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can't quit: She's got to find Alfie and clear her son's name, or risk losing Dylan forever. The only problem? Florence has no useful skills, let alone investigative ones, and all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and Florence has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she'd like to believe....

Never Miss Out

Go to facebook.com/VillageBooks & facebook.com/VillageBooksLynden

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Staff book & gift favorites, new arrivals, author events, specials, and more.

A Fate Inked In Blood

by Danielle L. Jensen

available now, paperback, Random House

Are you a fan of Norse mythology and great world-building? If the answer is yes, this is the book for you! This book has Vikings, prophecies, gods, romance, and found family that leave you craving more. It dives into toxic family relationships and their dynamics in a fantasy setting. The action scenes and writing just pull you in from the beginning! Lucky for you, it is the first book in a

Upon a Starlit Tide

by Kell Woods

available now, hardcover, Tor Books

You’ll be swept away by this dark, enchanting historical fantasy set in Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic

by J. Penner

available in April, hardcover, Poisoned Pen Press

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human confectioner Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs. So when an orc neighbor secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, this human will need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

The Book of Doors

by Gareth Brown

available in April, paperback, William Morrow

A debut novel full of magic, adventure, romance, and a bookselling protagonist. For readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness. Paperback release!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye

by John Scalzi

available in March, hardcover, Tor Books

What would happen if the moon turned to cheese? No, really, what would happen!? Scalzi brings his trademark wit and wonder as he leads up through the unexpected phenomenon via multiple perspectives, including scientists, billionaires, pastors, students, and political leaders. The situation quickly goes from doubtful to dire and humanity must grasp with their understanding of the world (before it ends) and of each other in the face of the bizarre. –Chloe

Luminous

by Silvia Park

available in March, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

Siblings Jun and Morgan haven’t spoken for years. When they were children, their brother Yoyo disappeared suddenly, leaving behind only distant memories of his laughter and near-human warmth. Yoyo—an early prototype of a humanoid robot designed by their father—was always bound for something darker and more complex. Now Morgan makes robots for a living and is on the verge of losing control of her most important creation. Jun is a detective with the Robot Crimes Unit whose investigation is digging up truths that want to stay buried. And whether they like it or not, Ruijie’s discovery will thrust their family back together in ways they could have never imagined.

Gate to Kagoshima

by Poppy Kuroki

available now, paperback, Harper Perennial Transport yourself back in time to the Samurai Rebellion in Japan! Kuroki elegantly blends time travel, history, family, romance, and suspense in this gripping novel of adventure and growth. This story grapples with themes of destiny and ancestry, and Kuroki begs the famous question: “If you could change your fate, would you?” –Sean

Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted

by Ben Okri

available in March, hardcover, Other Press

This story feels like a breeze that carries you gently into the forest in which it takes place, drifting just out of view as the characters act in what feels like a whimsical play. In costume, our most real selves are exposed. This is a literary fairy tale perfect for a rainy or wintery day. –Erin

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits

by E.M. Anderson

available now, hardcover, Mira Books

For fans of Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune. The sweet comfort of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is combined with the endearing grump of A Man Called Ove in this cozy fantasy about an immortal ghost hunter who must forgive himself for his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.

Notes from a Regicide

by Isaac Fellman

available in April, hardcover, Tor Books

What if your family's history was the artifact of a now-gone society? In a distant (but not-that-distant) future, a transgender man raised by two revolutionaries explores his own past alongside his parents' through his commentary on his father's prison journal. This powerful story said as much about art, desire, and power as nonfictional memoirs might. I've never read anything else like it. Perfect for readers of Emily St. John Mandel and Octavia Butler. –Will

Where the Axe is Buried

by Ray Nayler

available in April, hardcover, MCD

From the author of The Mountain in the Sea! In the authoritarian Federation, there is a plot to assassinate and replace the President, a man who has downloaded his mind to a succession of new bodies to maintain his grip on power. Meanwhile, on the fringes of a Western Europe that has renounced human governance in favor of ostensibly more efficient, objective, and peaceful AI Prime Ministers, an experimental artificial mind is malfunctioning, threatening to set off a chain of events that may spell the end of the Western world.

VB WRITES... WRITING GROUPS

Open To Newcomers!

Are you a writer in search of a writing group?

Come meet other writers who can help you get organized, give feedback, and help you with your writing goals. These groups are free and open to newcomers and drop-ins. With the exception of the Lynden group, these groups meet at Village Books in Fairhaven in either the Writers Corner or Readings Gallery.

NOTE: Individual group schedules may change — check villagebooks.com for updates.

ECOLOGICAL WRITING GROUP

Meets 2nd Wednesdays from 10:30am-12pm in the Fairhaven Readings Gallery

Note: Formerly called Environmentalists Anonymous, this group meets once a month

FICTION I

Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

FICTION II

Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

WRITING FROM PROMPTS

Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 10:30am-noon in the Readings Gallery

SPECULATIVE FICTION I

Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6pm-8pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

SPECULATIVE FICTION II

LYNDEN WRITING GROUP

Meets 2nd Wednesdays, 7-9pm in the Waples Room of the Inn at Lynden - adjacent to Village Books & Paper Dreams, Downtown Lynden

Read full descriptions and expectations for each group at villagebooks.com. Please note that scheduling changes do occur. Watch the events calendar at villagebooks.com for updates.

MORNING POETRY GROUP

Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 10:30am-noon in the Readings Gallery

EVENING POETRY GROUP

Meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 5:30pm-7pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

NONFICTION & MEMOIR

2nd & 4th Tuesdays from 9:30am-11am in the Readings Gallery

Meets 2nd & 4th Sundays, 3:30pm-5:30pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

QUEER POETS SOCIETY

Meets 3rd Sundays from 10:30am-Noon at Village Books in Fairhaven - in the Readings Gallery

SIT DOWN AND WRITE

Every Friday 9:15am-11:00am

Meets in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

A place to work in quiet, but in tacit silent support, with other writers.

CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK CRITIQUE GROUP

Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 6pm-8pm in the Writers Corner on the mezzanine

Kids & Teens! See page 68 for writing opportunities.

Sign up for our Just Write! eNewsletter, a monthly publication highlighting current classes, tips and tricks, writing book reviews and the like! Questions? Contact writing@villagebooks.com

2025 Chuckanut WRITERS CONFERENCE

Bellingham, WA • June 27-28, 2025

The Chuckanut Writers Conference is back! Co-hosted by Village Books, The Narrative Project, and Sidekick Press in Bellingham, Washington, get ready to immerse yourself in a world of words and inspiration.

This annual conference features breakout sessions in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and the business of writing, as well as keynote addresses, author panels, an open mic and a faculty reading. The cost of the conference is $395 (see discount codes below) and includes admission to the opening and closing keynote addresses, plenary sessions, multiple breakout sessions, the open mic and the faculty reading. Masterclasses and pitch sessions are available as space allows at additional cost.

Public transportation is available close to the venue and partner hotels. The venue contains elevators and all rooms and restrooms are accessible for all. Accessible parking spots are located close the the front door of the venue.

Once registered, you will be added to our mailing list and will receive regular updates about the conference including the presenters and master class opportunities, hotel partners, and all conference-related news.

The Conference will take place at Sehome

Join us for

THE WRITERS' SALON

at Village Books in FAIRHAVEN

You are invited to this informal, open chat about all things writing. This drop-in conversation is intended for writers of all experience levels and any genre. The Salon is a conversation space, where all of us share our experiences and our questions. Each month will have a topic and one or two "featured guests." Join us for this lovely community discussion and grow your writing support system!

Upcoming topics: March 2: Building Craft Skills

April 5: Asking For/Receiving Feedback

May 3: Engaging Our Readers (in the story... and beyond!)

We meet the 1st Sunday of every month from 3-4pm in the Readings Gallery of Village Books and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven

Hey Writers—Check out Chanticleer Book Reviews! They offer editorial book reviews, manuscript overviews, editorial services, writing contests, book awards, an author conference, workshops, and book marketing opportunities to help authors achieve their publishing goals.

Chuckanut Writers

Classes

Writing Life

Village Books and WCC Community & Continuing Education offer a writing instruction collaboration called Chuckanut Writers. These programs are designed to inspire and encourage writers at all stages of their writing journey. Check out these upcoming classes:

Fast Flash Fiction–Learn It, Live It, Publish It with Alle Hall

Saturday, April 5, 11am-2pm Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)

How to Pitch Your Book with Melissa Johnson

Monday, April 7, 6pm-8:30pm WCC Cascade Hall (1 session)

Wild Mind Writing with Nancy Canyon

Tuesdays, April 8-29, 6pm-8pm Virtual Classroom (4 sessions)

The Way of the Resilient Writer with Susan Browne

Sunday, April 13, 11am-2pm Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)

Marketing Your Book with Melissa Johnson

Mondays, April 14-28, 6pm-8pm WCC Cascade Hall (3 sessions)

Writing Vivid Poems with Shoshana Kerewsky

Fridays, April 18 & April 25, 1pm-3pm WCC Foundation Building (2 sessions)

A Guide to Self-Publishing with Gail Noble-Sanderson

Saturday, April 19, 10am-12pm Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)

Voice & Narrative Authority with Molly Dwyer

Fridays, April 18- June 6, 9am-noon Virtual Classroom (8 sessions)

The Wisdom of the Garden: A Poetry Workshop with Barbara Bloom

Sundays, April 27 - May 18, 10am-noon (4 sessions) Village Books in Fairhaven

Nature-Based Journaling for Wellbeing with Jennifer Wilhoit

Thursdays, May 1-15, 10am-12pm Virtual Classroom (3 sessions)

Writing & Pitching Personal Essays with Anne Putnam

Saturday, May 3, 12pm-3pm Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)

Nature Writing Using Formal Poetry with Jessica Gigot

Tuesdays, May 13-27, 6pm-7:30pm WCC Foundation Building (3 sessions)

Pre-registration Required

Get it WRITE

The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond

by Marissa Meyer

available now, paperback, Feiwel & Friends

Part craft guide, part writing coach, and part cheerleader, this book offers useful advice on a slew of common writing and publishing ailments, such as how to end procrastination, how to build a social media platform that reflects your personality, how to get your imagination to overflow with new ideas, how to listen to your intuition when receiving a critique on your work, how to overcome impostor syndrome, what to do when you’re stuck in the query trenches, and so much more. Known in writers’ circles as a generous mentor, Meyer shares stories from her own writing path to help every writer discover the ultimate joys of living their best writing life.

Dust and Light : On the Art of Fact in Fiction

by Andrea Barrett

available now, hardcover, W.W. Norton

Inspiration found in the past, Barrett argues, can illuminate fiction, just as dust scatters light and makes the unseen visible. She writes of lessons gleaned from the classic work of some of her guiding lights (Cather, Tolstoy, Woolf), as well as the work of such contemporary masters as Hilary Mantel, Toni Morrison, Colm Tóibín, and Jesmyn Ward. She reveals how she created some of her own beloved works, taking readers on a fascinating journey into some of the largest questions in the genre: How does a writer find meaningful subject matter beyond the confines of their life? How are scraps of history found, used, misused, manipulated, and transformed into a fully formed narrative? And what are the perils as well as the potential of this process?

Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life

by Maggie Smith available in April, hardcover, Washington Square Press

Submissions accepted though March 31, 2025.

Poems must not exceed 27 lines, including the title and blank lines, with 55 or fewer characters per line. thepoetrydepartment.wordpress.com/contest

For complete guidelines and submission details, scan the QR code or visit the website.

Maggie Smith is one of my favorite writers, and in this beautiful and generous book she shares her decades of experience with us. Although full of practical advice and examples, it's also a love letter both to the practice of writing and those who do it. Pick this one up for yourself or for a writer in your life...you won't be disappointed. –Stephanie

To Save and To Destroy: Writing as an Other

by Viet Thanh Nguyen

available in April, hardcover, Belknap Press

The essays here deliver a new answer to a classic literary question: What does the outsider mean to literary writing? Over the course of six captivating and moving chapters, Nguyen explores the idea of being an outsider through lenses that are, by turns, literary, historical, political, and familial. Each piece moves between writers who influenced Nguyen’s craft and weaves in the haunting story of his late mother’s mental illness until aesthetic theories give way to pressing concerns raised by war and politics. What is a writer’s responsibility in a time of violence? Should we celebrate fiction that gives voice to the voiceless—or do we confront the forces that render millions voiceless in the first place?

In the KITCHEN

Coastal : 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip by Scott Clark with Betsy Andrews, photographs by Cheyenne Ellis available in March, hardcover, Chronicle Books

Coastal is a visual feast of cooking and living, set against the surf, peaks, curving roads, and sunsets of the westernmost United States. This inspired collection of crave-worthy recipes, gorgeous photographs, and vivid stories takes us on a road trip and along the way, it visits the fishermen, crabbers, farmers, winemakers, and foragers who stretch along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Seriously

Good Pasta :

Over 70 Recipes for Seriously Good Pasta by Phillippa Spence available now, hardcover, Quadrille Everybody loves pasta: no other food is so versatile, so comforting and so delicious. Seriously Good Pasta features every pasta recipe you could ever need, whether you’re making your own or taking store-bought shortcuts. Yum!

Umma : A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family

Recipes

by Sarah Ahn, Nam Soon Ahn available in April, hardcover, America’s Test Kitchen

Sarah Ahn’s food videos of her and her mom have captivated millions of viewers with their behind-the-scenes look at Korean cooking and multigenerational home life. This collaboration is now a must-have cookbook blending the emotional intimacy of Crying in H Mart with practical culinary advice from Nam Soon’s lifetime of kitchen experience. The recipes are framed by mother-daughter conversations—plus all the food is backed by the recipe-testing power of America’s Test Kitchen.

Family Style : Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage by Peter Som available in March, hardcover, Harvest Publications

From culinary creator Peter Som, a stunning cookbook of 100 recipes with unique and creative flavor combinations, paying homage to his identity, heritage, and family. At the heart of each of the 100 recipes in Family Style are imaginative and personally unique flavor combinations. There are nods to his grandma’s Cantonese flavor profiles, his mom’s deep love of French food, and to his Bay Area upbringing.

You

Got

This!:

Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love by Diane Morrisey available in March, hardcover, Simon Element

A self-taught home-cook with six mostly grown kids, Morrisey redefines easy cooking: In her hands, it’s quick cheesy numbers such as Sheet Pan Lasagna and soul-satisfying lighter fare like Seared Salmon with Orange Avocado Salad. Sometimes dinner isn’t about a whole shebang, but rather something that’s dinner-ish. That’s when Diane makes Butter Chicken Calzones that lean into store-bought pizza dough or White Bean and Garlic Dip to serve alongside fresh veggies and leftovers. As a former caterer, she knows what people want to eat and what they can cook in the short window most of us have to get dinner on the table.

Check out our fun & unique assortment of cooking, dining, and entertaining supplies and gifts.

Magnolia Bakery Handbook of Icebox Desserts Volume 2

by Bobbie Lloyd

available in April, hardcover, Harvest Publications

An icebox dessert is a no-bake or low-bake dessert that comes together with time to set in the refrigerator, meaning these recipes are simple, classic, easy to make, and of course, completely delicious. The book features 100 recipes— each with a gorgeous photo—of icebox cakes, icebox pies, cheesecakes, icebox bars, and puddings. Advice on kitchen staples and supplies, with tips and tricks to become the ultimate baker are also included, so you're ready to go before you start.

Sunday, March 30, 12-2pm at Village Books in Fairhaven

We are thrilled to welcome Alton Brown to Village Books for a book signing before he heads over to his event at Mount Baker Theatre. Mr. Brown will sign his books from noon to 2pm—for up to 225 people. First come, first served!

ALTON BROWN Entertaining BOOK SIGNING

Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations

by Alton Brown

available now, hardcover, Gallery Books

From cameraman to chef, musician to food scientist, Alton Brown has had a diverse and remarkable career. His work on the Food Network, including creating Good Eats and hosting Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, has resonated with countless viewers and home cooks. Now, he shares exactly what's on his mind, mixing compelling anecdotes from his personal and professional life with in-depth observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime, and much more. Deliciously candid and full of behind-the-scenes stories fans will love, Food for Thought is the ultimate reading experience for anyone who appreciates food and the people that prepare it. He is the winner of a Peabody Award and two James Beard Awards.

Drink Your Garden : Recipes, Stories, and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm

by Venise Cunningham & Belinda Kelly

available in March, hardcover, Countryman Press

Perfect for a green thumb or great farmers’ market shopper alike, the book shares how to capture the intense, pure flavors of a season and naturally preserve them, with instructions for gardening and crafting everything drink-worthy. Drink Your Garden embraces nostalgia, back to basics living and environmental consciousness as it guides you how to create DIY syrups, tinctures, juices, spirits, shrubs, cocktails, and mocktails. Based in Buckley, Washington, sisters Venise Cunningham and Belinda Kelly run the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm and Simple Goodness Soda Shop, a café, tasting room, and event space. They host classes, live music, and regular happy hours, and their unique syrups can be found in stores across the country.

Join Us!

Venise Cunningham & Belinda Kelly

Sunday, April 27, 5 pm at Village Books in Fairhaven

Save your seat at villagebooks.com

The

Gamer’s Bar: Cocktails and Mocktails for an Epic Game Night by Cassandra Reeder and Nadia Oxford available in March, hardcover, Insight Editions

Pour a fine glass and grab your controller— gamers can now toast to their favorite games! Enjoy a rapturous drink from Bioshock, mix up a Cherry-Eating Ghostbuster inspired by PAC-MAN, and level up your mixology with a Gold Chocobo inspired by the Final Fantasy series. Each drink comes with step-by-step instructions to craft these delicious and nostalgic mixed drinks.

Mood Drinks : Alcohol-Free Cocktails to Create the Perfect

Mood

by Gabriel Cabrera available in April, hardcover, Appetite Cabrera has crafted 60 stylish recipes to help reflect, enhance or shift your mood. Each chapter groups recipes by shared flavor profile, carefully curated for that particular mood. The result is an array of delicious drinks made with intentional and accessible ingredients like fresh citrus, seasonal fruits, super-steeped teas, homemade bitters, and salty brines. Not only do these cocktails taste delightful, but they also look sensational.

Explore the World of VILLAGE BOOKS PAPER DREAMS and with our PASSPORT!

Created to reward customers as they make new discoveries at the store, our 32-page, whimsical passport includes a range of experiences that passport holders will complete to earn prizes, including T-shirts, special discounts, journals, candy, treats, books, games, and more.

Upon completion of the passport, you’ll be inducted into the exclusive League of Extraordinary Readers—see below for a testimonial! Honors can include a year supply of fudge, a behind-the scenes party at the bookstore, a chance to win a variety of other prizes, and a guest appearance on The Chuckanut Radio Hour.

Congratulations to

ARTEMIS O'CONNOR

the newest inductee into the League of Extraordinary Readers

"I highly recommend that any adventurous customers of Village Books participate in the Passport program. As a newcomer to Bellingham I was intrigued when the passport was reinstated in June of 2023.

Attending events to get my passport stamped brought me to many venues and enabled me to meet many people I might not have experienced. Attending the Chuckanut Radio Hour tapings alone was worth doing the passport program. The humor, poetry, and interesting book discussions must not be missed. The passport pulled me out of my comfort zone into a trivia quiz, literacy council breakfast, and many events I might not have attended otherwise. I am not a baseball fan, but the Bells game was great fun. Admittedly, I would buy books anyway, but the satisfaction of receiving a stamp on some of my purchases added another element of fun. My favorite event of all was the poetry reading from I Sing the Salmon Home [edited by Rena Priest] —a book I highly recommend.

Village Books really is a community. If you want to feel as if you are part of a like-minded, fun, literate, locally active group of kind people, try getting a passport and completing the activities! Now that I am in the habit, I will continue to attend events and enjoy being a part of this amazing community." -

Artemis O'Connor

Thanks for supporting local

Book Group Lynden FRONT STREETERS

March 19, 7pm

"Variety is the spice of life!"

Join Gaye from Village Books Lynden and the Front Streeters book group as they discuss titles from a variety of genres. They meet in person in the Waples Room of the Inn at Lynden (adjacent to Village Books) at 7pm the third Wednesday of each month.

–Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

April 16, 7pm

–The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

May 21, 7pm

–The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Attendees are eligible for a 15% discount on group selections

March 18, 6:30pm

SUSAN MEISSNER

with Cheryl Grey Bostrom at the Lynden Library 216 4th St, Lynden, WA

Village Books is excited to join the Whatcom Library System for the launch of bestselling author Susan Meissner’s latest novel, A Map to Paradise.

With more than a million books in print in 18 languages, this is a wonderful addition to Susan Meissner's critically acclaimed collection of historical fiction titles. “A tale both tender and touching, about three complex and damaged women who despite their outward differences are all searching for that elusive thing called a home.” – Kate Quinn, author of The Briar Club

Cheryl Grey Bostrom is an award-winning novelist whose books Sugar Birds and Leaning on Air have won the enthusiasm and hearts of mainstream and Christian market readers alike.

Book purchases will be available through Village Books at the event! Get your copies signed by the authors!

The Great History Mystery

PUZZLE HUNTS

Village Books & Paper Dreams teamed up with Cryptid Escapes to create a fun in-store puzzle hunt.

Ask a staff member for a clue sheet. Solve and be entered to win prizes! In both Lynden AND Fairhaven

-2024-

WHAT LYNDEN WAS READING

Check out the Bestsellers at our Lynden Store!

WOW!

HALF of these top selling books were written by Whatcom County authors! Thanks for supporing local, Lynden!

Lynden

Writing Group

1. The Women by Kristin Hannah

2. Lines by Donna Vander Griend

3. Leaning on Air by Cheryl Grey Bostrom

4. The Blue Pickup by Natasha Tripplett

5. Old Barns of Whatcom County Volume One by Jeff Barclay

6. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

8. On Island Time by Chandler O’Leary

9. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

10. Black Dahlia Avenger by Steve Hodel

11. Bellingham Adventure Dates by Violet Kelly

14. Red Paint by Sasha taq w š blu LaPointe

13. Hiking Whatcom County by Ken Wilcox

14. Old Barns of Whatcom County, Vol. Two by Jeff Barclay

15. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

16. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

17. Footsteps on Front Street by Troy Luginbill

18. The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

19. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

20. Colophon Café Cookbook Collection by Dave Killian

Lynden Loves Local

2nd Wednesdays at 7pm

What we are: A safe space to read your work out loud for feedback and an opportunity to gain insight and ideas for furthering your writing project. This group is about nurturing the writer, reflecting on their work and offering ideas or suggestions, or simply listening and encouraging.

What we are not: A class or critic's circle.

Facilitated by Mary Roy, Village Books Bookseller, we meet every 2nd Wednesday from 7pm-9pm.

Location: adjacent to Village Books in the Inn at Lynden Waples Room. Enter through the Inn side entrance.

March 12 • April 9 • May 14 • June 11 e

Lots To Do in Lynden

June 7, 10:30am

Lynden Farmers Day Parade

The Lynden Farmers Day Parade has been an annual celebration since the early 1900s! It takes place on Front St. in Lynden starting at 10th St. and ending at 3rd St.

Watch as an eclectic menagerie of cars, bands, tractors, trucks, horses and more salute the Agriculture Industry of Whatcom County!

Northwest Washington Fair & Event Center April 4-April 6, 2025 Free Entry!

Step into the world of inspiration and innovation at the 44th Annual Whatcom County Home & Lifestyle Show brought to you by the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County. With over 250 exhibitors, the Weekend Seminar Series, BBQ Competition, Lego Masters Building Class, cooking demo, reptile show, live music, interactive kids area, and food truck round-up event make this a fun event for all ages. HGTV's Unsellable Houses

twins Lindsay Lamb and Leslie Davis and King 5's favorite Garden Expert Ciscoe Morris will be there—don't miss out!

Ribs & Roofs BBQ Competition

Twenty-five teams from around the Pacific Northwest will be at the Home & Lifestyle Show to compete for the Grand Champion Pitmaster! Sampling to the public Saturday, April 5 from 12pm-5pm and Sunday, April 6 from 2pm-5pm while supplies last! Sampling token sales proceeds ($2 ea.) benefit the Pathways to the Trades Scholarship fund and Woodworking for Kids afterschool woodshop classes for kids. Come enjoy the best BBQ in the Northwest and support a good cause! www.biawc.com/home-show-2025/

Saturdays at 11am

st rytimes Lynden KIDS

First Saturdays of Each Month

VB's own Troy Luginbill and his puppet pal Jagger will entertain the little ones with a half hour of dinosaur-themed stories and fun! Bring your own stuffed dino to snuggle! Village

Dino Stories with Jagger

March 1 • April 5 • May 3 • June 7

Princess Poppie Story Time

Join Princess Poppie as she shares her favorite fantastic fairy tales!

Third Saturday Story Times

Read to a Dog

Village Books in Lynden is excited to offer this fuzzy friendly story time where THE KIDS do all the reading... TO DOGS!

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Story Time with a FIRE FIGHTER

Second Saturday Story Times

March 8 • April 12 May 10 • June 14

March 15 • April 19 May 17 • June 21

Fourth Saturday Story Times

March 22 • April 26 May 24 • June 28

Join members of the Lynden Fire Department as they sit down with the kiddos for a very special story time. Don’t miss out!

Works in Translation

There is a need—and a hunger—to hear from other cultures and widen perspectives. Reading translated books can act as a window into another society, allowing access to a wider range of ideas and viewpoints— expanding your universe and promoting cultural understanding.

Fiction

Vanishing World

by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori available in April, hardcover, Grove Press

Sayaka Murata has proven herself to be one of the most exciting chroniclers of the strangeness of society, x-raying our contemporary world to bizarre and troubling effect. Her depictions of a happily unmarried retail worker in Convenience Store Woman and a young woman convinced she is an alien in Earthlings have endeared her to millions of readers worldwide. Vanishing World takes Murata’s universe to a bold new level, imagining an alternative Japan where attitudes to sex and procreation are wildly different to our own.

Fiction

The Café with No Name

by Robert Seethaler, translated by Katy Derbyshire available now, hardcover, Europa Editions

A #1 international bestseller! A vibrant tale of love, companionship, and renewal set against the transformations of 1960s Vienna. Summer 1966. Robert Simon is in his early thirties and has a dream. Raised in a home for war orphans, Robert has nonetheless grown into a warm-hearted, hard-working, and determined man. When the former owners of the corner café in the Carmelite market square shutter the business, Robert sees that the chance to realize his dream has arrived.

Mythology

Biography

Mornings Without Mii

by Mayumi Inaba, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori available now, paperback, FSG Originals

On a cool summer evening, Mayumi Inaba hears a forlorn cry carried by the breeze off Tokyo’s Tamagawa River. She follows the sound to the riverbank and finds a newborn kitten dangling from a fence, abandoned. Overcome by tender affection, she takes the cat back to the small apartment she shares with her husband and christens her Mii: so begins an ineffable bond. This beloved Japanese modern classic is a meditation on solitude, independence, writing, and life alongside a cat.

Poetry

There Lives a Young Girl in Me Who Will Not Die :

Selected Poems by Tove Ditlevsen, translated by Sophia Hersi Smith, Jennifer Russell, Olga Ravn available in March, hardcover, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

From one of Denmark’s most celebrated 20thcentury writers, the author of the acclaimed Copenhagen Trilogy, comes a major volume of selected poetry written throughout her life. Infused with the same wry nihilism, dark humor, and crystalline genius that readers savor in her prose, these are heartbreak poems, childhood poems, self-portraits, death poems, and love poems—poems that stare into the surfaces that seduce and deceive us.

Enchanted Creatures : Our Monsters and Their Meanings by Natalie Lawrence

available in April, hardcover, Pegasus Books

From ancient mythology to modern science fiction, we have had to confront the monsters that lurk in the depths of our collective imagination. They embody our anxieties and our irrational terrors, giving form to what we don't wish to know or understand. Monsters have helped us to manage the extraordinary complexity of our minds and to deal with the challenges of being human. In Enchanted Creatures, Lawrence delves into 15,000 years of imaginary beasts and uncovers the other-worldly natural history that has evolved with our deepest fears and fascinations.

Poetry Month Poetry Month

Love and Need : The Life of Robert Frost’s Poetry by Adam Plunkett

available now, hardcover, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

By the middle of the 20th century, Robert Frost was the best-loved poet in America. He was our nation’s bard, simple and sincere, accompanying us on wooded roads and articulating our hopes and fears. After his death, these cliches gave way to equally broad (though opposed) portraits sketched by his biographers.Plunkett blends biography and criticism to find the truth of Frost’s life—one that lies between the two poles of perception. Plunkett reveals a new Frost through a careful look at the poems and people he knew best.

Washing My Mother’s Body: A Ceremony for Grief

by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Dana Tiger

available in April, hardcover, Ten Speed Press

Super Gay Poems : LGBTQIA+ Poetry After Stonewall

edited by Stephanie Burt available in April, hardcover, Belknap Press

This anthology is a great starting point if you want to get into poetry but are a little intimidated by poetry as an idea. Stephanie Burt has chosen recent, queer poems and paired each poem with a short essay on why the piece is important, some of the poetics at work, and a bit of the history around it for context. –Sarah You've probably heard of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, but when did you last read a poem by Frank O'Hara? Or Chen Chen? Or Judy Grahn? I discovered so many new poets from this collection! The author's essays about each poem feel like having a conversation with your friendliest college professor. –Will

Through lyrical prose and evocative watercolor illustrations by award-winning Muscogee artist Dana Tiger, Washing My Mother’s Body explores the complexity of a daughter’s grief as she reflects on the joys and sorrows of her mother’s life. She lays her mother to rest in the landscape of her memory, honoring the hands that raised her, the body that protected her, and the legs that carried her mother through adversity.

Enjoy 20% OFF Poetry Books ALL MONTH

Join us as we celebrate with Poetry Month – check out a variety poetry readings, writing groups and classes throughout the month and beyond!

at ViIllage Books in Fairhaven

Sunday, April 13, 3pm

RICHARD WIDERKEHR & BARBARA BLOOM

Celebrate Poetry Month with local poets Richard Widerkehr and Barbara Bloom. In addition to Richard introdycing his new collection, Missing the Owl, this special afternoon gathering will include poetry readings, craft discussions, cookies, and guitar music— don't miss out!

Friday, April 25, 6pm

ALEXANDRA TEAGUE & RACHEL RICHARDSON with ELAINA ELLIS

Join us in celebrating poetry month with this dynamic trio!

• Alexandra Teague's fourth collection of poems deepens her ongoing inquiry into American optimism, disillusionment, and violence.

• Poet Rachel Richardson takes up the existential losses of climate change and insists on the work of survival in her searching, defiant collection.

• Elaina Ellis is a poet, editor, curator, and performing artist. Join us! Celebrate!

Adventures in the Louvre : How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum by Elaine Sciolino

available in April, hardcover, W.W. Norton

Exploring galleries, basements, rooftops, and gardens, Sciolino demystifies the Louvre, introducing us to her favorite artworks, and to the people who are the museum’s lifeblood: the curators, the artisans producing frames and engravings, the builders overseeing restorations, the firefighters protecting the aging structure. Blending investigative journalism, travelogue, history, and memoir, Sciolino walks her readers through the museum’s front gates and immerses them in its irresistible, engrossing world of beauty and culture.

Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life

by Dan Nadel

available in April, hardcover, Scribner

Robert Crumb is often credited with singlehandedly transforming the comics medium into a place for adult expression, in the process pioneering the underground comic book industry, and transforming the vernacular language of 20th-century America into an instantly recognizable and popular aesthetic, as iconic as Walt Disney or Charles Schulz. Now, for the first time, Dan Nadel, a curator and writer specializing in comics and art, shares how this complicated artist survived childhood abuse, fame in his twenties, more fame, and came out the other side intact.

VB Draws

A

Fire in His Soul : Van Gogh, Paris, and the Making of an Artist by Miles J. Unger

available in March, hardcover, Pegasus Books

Van Gogh arrived in Paris in February 1886, a month short of his 33rd birthday. He was a man beaten down by life, nearly broken psychologically. Thus far, his crude art rendered in murky shades of brown and gray were both hackneyed and amateurish. By the time Van Gogh left Paris almost exactly two years later, he’d transformed himself into one of the most original artists of the age, turning out works of hallucinatory intensity and distinctive personality. It was in the cafes and studios of Montmartre and in the grand galleries of the Louvre and Luxembourg, that Van Gogh received his artistic education. Working alongside such legendary figures as Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, and Signac, Vincent perfected his technique and launched an artistic revolution.

From Ted to Tom : The Illustrated Envelopes of Edward Gorey

by Edward Gory, edited by Tom Fitzharris available now, hardcover, New York Review Books

On the envelopes of letters sent to a dear friend, the famed artist and writer Edward Gorey drew dozens of original illustrations—illustrations now collected in this volume along with marvelously playful selections from the correspondence, all never before seen by the public until now. These envelopes and their contents deliver all the humor, imagination, gossip, and wonder that came with being Edward Gorey's pen pal.

April 6 • May 4 • June 1

3pm-5pm

Bring your favorite sketchbook and get ready for a fun, relaxed drawing session! Once a month, we’ll explore a mix of prompts designed to spark creativity. No strict time limits or rules—just a casual space to doodle, sketch, and share your ideas with others.

All skill levels welcome!

No registration required, drop-in welcome! Facilitated by Peter Olmsted.

Please note: this meet-up is intended for DRAWING ONLY. Please do not bring paints or other potentially messy supplies. Thank you!

Meets the first Sunday of every month, 3pm-5pm in the Writer’s Corner New!

Village Books in Fairhaven

Yoko : The Biography by David Sheff

Behind the Music

available in March, hadcover, Simon & Schuster

John Lennon once described Yoko Ono as the world’s most famous unknown artist. “Everybody knows her name, but no one knows what she does.” She has only been important to history insofar as she impacted Lennon. Throughout her life, Ono has been a caricature, curiosity, and, often, a villain—an inscrutable seductress, manipulating con artist, and caterwauling fraud. The Lennon/Beatles saga is one of the greatest stories ever told, but her part has been missing—hidden in the Beatles’ shadow, further obscured by flagrant misogyny and racism. This definitive biography of Yoko Ono’s life will change that.

I Dream of Joni : A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots

by Henry Alford

available now, hardcover, Gallery Books

Joni Mitchell’s life and legacy are explored-from her childhood in Canada, to her arrival in Laurel Canyon that turned her into, as Alford puts it, “the bard of heartbreak and longing.” Each period of her life is observed via the artists, friends, family, and lovers she encountered along the way, including James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Georgia O’Keeffe, Prince, and, most significantly, Kilauren, the daughter Mitchell gave up for adoption at birth but then reconnected with decades later. Presented in the impressionistic vein of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, I Dream of Joni explores in 53 essays, with the author’s trademark wit and verve, the life of the legendary singer-songwriter.

Celebrate Women in History

The Riddles of the Sphinx : Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle by Anna Shechtman available in March, paperback, HarperOne

In this fascinating work, Anna Schechtman excavates the hidden history of the crossword and the overlooked women who have been central to its creation and evolution, from the “Crossword Craze” of the 1920s to the role of digital technology today. As she tells the story of her own experience in the CrossWorld, she analyzes the roles assigned to women in American culture, the boxes they’ve been allowed to fill, and the ways that they’ve used puzzles to negotiate the constraints and play of desire under patriarchy.

Pretend We’re Dead : The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the 90s

by Tanya Pearson available now, hardcover, Da Capo Pretend We’re Dead seeks to answer two big questions: first, where did all the wildly different, politically conscious, and supremely talented women in rock come from in the 1990s? And second, after their unprecedented breakout, why did they vanish from the mainstream by the early aughts? Along with analysis and narrative, this book is built on exclusive interviews with the unfiltered voices of legends. While sonically diverse, these musicians all wrote fierce, socially conscious, feminist lyrics, and Pretend We’re Dead commemorates and celebrates the overlooked contributions of true trailblazers.

Fleetwood Mac

All The Songs : The Story Behind Every Track

compiled by Olivier Roubin and Roumald Ollivier

available in April, hardcover, Black Dog & Leventhal

This thorough dissection of every album and every song ever released by the beloved rock group follows the band's many iterations from their self-titled debut in 1968 (when they were known as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) to the classic Rumours era featuring the core line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Stevie Nicks, all the way up to the passing of Christine McVie in November 2022.

Puzzles, Games and

the people who make them

Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games

by Mike Drucker

available in April, hardcover, Hanover Square Press

A hilarious, heartfelt and nostalgic memoir about the classic video games that entertain and inspire us, and even hold the power to transform our lives, from an Emmy-nominated comedian and former video game writer for Nintendo, the perfect nonfiction read for fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

History

The Crazies

The Cattleman, The Wind Prospector, and a War Out West by Amy Gamerman available now, hardcover, Simon and Schuster Most locals in Montana learn to live with the wind. Rick Jarrett sought his fortune in it. Trouble was, Jarrett’s neighbors were some of the wealthiest and most influential men in America. And so began an epic showdown that would pull in an ever-widening cast of larger-than-life characters, including a Texas tycoon, a roguish wind prospector, a Crow activist fighting for his tribe’s rights, and an Olympic athlete-turned-attorney whose path to redemption would lead to Jarrett. A wildly entertaining yarn, the brawl over Crazy Mountain Wind would become a fight over the values that define us as Americans—and a window into how this country actually works.

The Mesopotamian Riddle :

An Archeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World’s Oldest Writing by Joshua Hammer available in March, hardcover, Simon & Schuster London, 1857. In an era obsessed with human progress, mysterious palaces emerging from the desert sands had captured the Victorian public’s imagination. Yet Europe’s best philologists struggled to decipher cuneiform, the bizarre inscriptions excavators were digging up. Enter a swashbuckling archaeologist, a suave British military officer turned diplomat, and a cloistered Irish rector, all vying for glory in a race to decipher this script that would enable them to peek farther back into human history than ever before.

The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 by Rick Atkinson available in April, hardcover, Crown Atkinson provides a riveting narrative covering the middle years of the Revolution. Stationed in Paris, Benjamin Franklin woos the French; in Pennsylvania, George Washington pleads with Congress to deliver the money, men, and material he needs to continue the fight. In New York, General William Howe, the commander of the greatest army the British have ever sent overseas, plans a new campaign against the Americans—even as he is no longer certain that he can win this searing, bloody war.

Spell Freedom : The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement

Elaine Weiss

available in March, hardcover, Atria In the summer of 1954, educator Septima Clark and small businessman Esau Jenkins travelled to rural Tennessee’s Highlander Folk School, an interracial training center for social change founded by Myles Horton, a white southerner with roots in the labor movement. There, the trio united behind a shared mission: preparing Black southerners to pass the daunting Jim Crow era voter registration literacy tests that were designed to disenfranchise them. By the time the Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965, the secretive undertaking had established more than nine hundred citizenship schools across the South, preparing tens of thousands of Black citizens to read and write, demand their rights—and vote.

Send Books • Send Gifts • Send Smiles

These thoughtful packages are the perfect surprise for any occasion—Mother's Day, Easter, birthdays, or just an I'm thinking about you to anyone who may need a little lift. Go to villagebooks.com and choose a theme then answer a few questions about the recipients preferences and reading habits. All Ages! Our personal shoppers will take care of all the rest.

March is WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Rebel Queen : The Cold War, Misogyny, and the Making of a Grandmaster by Susan Polgar

available in March, hardcover, Grand Central Publishing

Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Susan Polgar would become the highest rated female chess player on the planet and the first woman to earn the men's Grandmaster title. She made history by becoming the first chess player, male or female, to achieve the game's "triple crown," holding World Championship titles in all three major chess time formats, and still the only one to earn all six of the world's greatest chess crowns. Yet, at every turn, she was pitted against a sexist culture, a hostile government, and vicious anti-Semitism. She endured sabotage and betrayal, statesponsored intimidation, and violent assault. Read how she overcame all of it to break the game's long-standing gender barrier and claim her place at the pinnacle of professional chess.

Dirtbag

Queen: A Memoir of My Mother by Andy Corren

available now, hardcover, Hachette World got you down? Read this book. A rollicking, hilarious, and yes, dirtbaggy memoir of Andy Corren's beloved mother, Renay, the self-described "redneck Jewish queen" of his chaotic, dysfunctional Southern childhood. Perfect for fans of John Waters, David Sedaris, and Augusten Burroughs. I highly recommend it on audiobook, read to perfection by the author. –Will

The

Secret History

of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story

by Pagan Kennedy

available now, paperback, Vintage Marty Goddard dreamed up a new crimesolving tool—a kit that could help rape survivors fight for justice. This thrilling investigation tells the story of the troubled, heroic woman who kicked off a feminist revolution in forensics and then vanished into obscurity. "Astonishing . . . Marty Goddard takes her rightful place as a visionary thanks to Kennedy’s relentless investigation.”—Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises.

Fearless and Free : A Memoir by Josephine Baker available now, hardcover, Tiny Reparations Books First published in France in 1949, Baker’s memoir will now finally be published in English. At last we can hear Josephine in her own voice: charming, passionate, and brave. Her words are thrilling and intimate, like she’s talking with her friends over after-show drinks in her dressing room. Through her own telling, we come to know a woman who danced to the top of the world and left her unforgettable mark on it.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney

available now, hardcover, Marysue Ricci Books

Everyone knows that Jane Austen is canon, but what about all the women authors Austen was inspired by and references in her own works? The ones that slipped through the cracks of history at a time when women novelists were pushing boundaries, defining the genre, and becoming household names? This book dives into all of this and more, and left me with a new list of incredible regency-era books to read! –Chloe

Harriet

Tubman : Military

Scout and Tenacious Visionary

by Jean Marie Wiesen and Rita Daniels available now, hardcover, Pegasus

We might know the outlines of her story, but the deep research of Jean Marie Wiesen and rich family memory of Rita Daniels combine to form a nuanced and vibrant portrait of a historic figure we all thought we knew. Uncovering Tubman's ancestral roots in Ghana and exploring her time on the underground railroad, as a military scout, suffragette, and more, Harriet Tubman is an inspiring and illuminating narrative about a key figure in our history.

Code Name: Pale Horse : How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis by Scott Payne, with Michelle Stewart available in March, hardcover, Atria Books

If the subtitle alone doesn't grab you, I don't know what will! This book was very fascinating and disconcerting. Payne infiltrates one of the most dangerous groups in America, neo-Nazis, while being a husband and raising two children. I was racing through this fast-paced memoir. –Kiana

Memorial

Days : A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks

available now, hardcover, Viking

Many cultural traditions expect those who are grieving to step away from the world. In contemporary life, we are more often met with red tape and to-do lists. This is exactly what happened to Geraldine Brooks when her husband Tony Horwitz— just 60 years old and, to her knowledge, vigorous and healthy —collapsed and died on a Washington, D.C. sidewalk. Memorial Days is a portrait of a larger-than-life man and a timeless love between souls that exquisitely captures the joy, agony, and mystery of life.

Accidental Shepherd :

Biographies & Memoirs

Graphic

Novel Ginseng Roots : A Memoir by Craig Thompson

available in April, hardcover, Pantheon

Ginseng Roots follows Craig Thompson and his siblings, who spent the summers of their youth weeding and harvesting rows of coveted American ginseng on rural Wisconsin farms for one dollar an hour. In his trademark breathtaking pen-and-ink work, Craig interweaves this lost youth with the 300-year-old history of the global ginseng trade and the many lives it has tied together—from ginseng hunters in ancient China, to industrial farmers and migrant harvesters in the American Midwest.

Raising Hare : A Memoir by Chloe Dalton

available in March, hardcover, Pantheon

"Raising Hare is more than just a charming wildlife-rescue story. It's more even than a lively cultural and natural history of a gentle creature that is too often regarded as a nuisance. Perhaps most of all Raising Hare is a perfect testimony to the transformative power of love. In learning to love an orphaned hare, Chloe Dalton learned to love the whole wild world. The great gift of this remarkable book is the way it teaches us to do the same." –Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows.

How a California Girl Rescued an Ancient Mountain Farm in Norway by Liese Greensfelder available now, hardcover, University of Minnesota Press

In 1972, Liese Greensfelder arrived in a small Norwegian town to startling news: the farmer who hired her for the summer had just been hospitalized after a stroke. Could she please watch over his place for a month or so? Twenty years old with no farming experience, Liese began learning from neighbors—who spoke an ancient Norwegian dialect—how to feed the animals, milk by hand, and supervise her first lambing. As “a month or so” stretched to a year, Liese joined this tightknit enclave of farmers, adopting their dialect, and growing intimately familiar with the grass-based farming practices that had sustained them for generations.

You Don't Have to Say

You Love Me : A Memoir

by Sherman Alexie

available now, paperback, University of Minnesota Press

When his mother passed away at the age of 78, Sherman Alexie responded the only way he knew how: he wrote. The result is this stunning memoir. Featuring 78 poems, 78 essays and intimate family photographs, Alexie shares raw, angry, funny, profane, tender memories of a childhood few can imagine—growing up dirt-poor on an Indian reservation, one of four children raised by alcoholic parents. Throughout, a portrait emerges of his mother as a beautiful, mercurial, abusive, intelligent, complicated woman. YOU Don't Have To Say You Love Me is a powerful account of a complicated relationship, an unflinching and unforgettable remembrance.

SHERMAN ALEXIE

Wednesday, April 30, 6pm Village Books in Fairhaven

This Native American poet, novelist, short story writer, performer, and filmmaker will discuss this searing, deeply moving memoir about family, love, loss, and forgiveness. Register to reserve your seat and watch villagebooks.com for updates.

Co-sponsored by Children of the Setting Sun Productions.

Homes

for

Living:

The

Fight

for

Social

Housing and a New American Commons by Jonathan Tarleton available now, hardcover, Penguin Random House

Cultural Criticism

An exploration of social housing and how some communities are at risk of losing their housing to the never-ending threat of privatization, perfect for anyone asking "why don't they just build more affordable housing." After reading, I think anyone could gain valuable perspectives from this wonderful analysis. –Maddie

Seeking Shelter:

A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America by Jeff Hobbs available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

This moving story follows Evelyn, a mother of six in Los Angeles and her fight to keep her family together through the tumultuous journey that is homelessness. It is a very personal approach showcasing the accounts of their journey though her eyes. I walked away from this book with a new found level of empathy and disgust with our bureaucratic systems. Give it a read! –Maddie

Dismantling

the

Master's Clock

: On Race, Space, and Time by Rasheedah Phillips available now, paperback, AK Press Is time political? Does it benefit some of us more than others? This "nonlinear" history of colonial time says yes and challenges the idea of time as objective. It weaves together the scientific, the cultural, and the political to argue that time can be used as a weapon to oppress, or as a means to liberate. This book challenged me to think differently about the world and what's possible in it. –Will

Disposable : America’s Contempt for the Underclass by Sarah Jones

available now, hardcover, Avid Reader Press

The pandemic served as a stark revelation of the true state of America, a country where the dream of prosperity is a distant mirage for millions. Jones argues that the pandemic didn’t create these dynamics, but rather revealed the existing social mobility issues and wealth gap that have long plagued the nation. Behind the staggering death toll are stories of lives lost, injustices suffered, and institutions that failed to protect their people. Jones brings these stories to the forefront, transforming the abstract concept of the pandemic into a deeply personal and political phenomenon.

Y2K : How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the future that never was) by Colette Shade available now, hardcover, HarperCollins

A very REAL journey through the 00s involving every drop of nostalgia you have been craving—this book will have you humming Smash Mouth before you know it. Shade's writing almost felt like fiction and I liked that I could pick it back up at any chapter! –Maddie

Libro.fm makes it possible for you to buy audiobooks through your local bookstore (Village Books!) giving you the power to keep money within your local economy.

https://libro.fm

Performing Arts

On Air: The Triumph and Tumult of NPR

by Steve Oney

available in March, hardcover, Avid Reader Press

In On Air, a book 14 years in the making, journalist Steve Oney tells the dramatic history of this institution, tracing the comings and goings of legendary on-air talents and the rise and fall and occasional rise again of brilliant and sometimes venal executives. It depicts how NPR created a medium for extraordinary journalism—in which reporters and producers use microphones as paintbrushes and the voices of people around the world as the soundtrack of stories both global and local.

Science & Nature

Daydreaming in the Solar System : Surfing Saturn’s Rings, Golfing on the Moon, and Other Adventures

in Space

Exploration

by John

E. Moores & Jesse Rogerson

available now, hardcover, The MIT Press

Imagine traveling to the far reaches of the solar system, pausing for close-up encounters with distant planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, accompanied by a congenial guide to the science behind what you see. In Daydreaming in the Solar System, John Moores and Jesse Rogerson bring that dream to virtual life. Through a combination of story and science they let readers know what such an otherworldly experience would actually look, feel, and even taste like—a thrilling journey through the solar system that merges imagination with hard science.

Associate Professor in the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science at York University

JOHN MOORES

Thursday, April 3, 6pm at Village Books in Fairhaven

Insider the Stargazer’s Palace : The Transformation of Science in 16th Century Europe

by Violet Moller

available in March, hardcover, Pegasus Books

In 1543, Copernicus declared the earth revolved around the Sun, overturning centuries of scholastic presumption. A new age was dawning, guided by observation, technology and logic. But omens and elixirs did not disappear from the 16th-century laboratory. Charms and potions could still be found nestled between glistening brass instruments and leatherbound tomes. The line between the natural and supernatural remained porous, yet to be defined. From the icy Danish observatory of Tycho Brahe, to the smoky, sulphur-stained workshop of John Dee, Moller tours the intellectual heart of early European science.

Rachel

Carson

and the Power of Queer Love

by Lida Maxwell

available now, hardcover, Stanford University Press

Most have heard of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring but this book explores a deeper side of her personal life and the letters she shared with the one whom she loved. An insightful look into a new perspective of nature writing, I can already tell this is gonna be in my top five for the year! –Maddie

Carbon : The Book of Life

by Paul Hawken

available in March, hardcover, Viking

Embracing a panoramic view of carbon’s omnipresence, Hawken explores how this ubiquitous and essential element extends into every aperture of existence and shapes the entire fabric of life. Hawken charts a course across our planetary history, guiding us into the realms of plants, animals, insects, fungi, food, and farms to offer a new narrative for embracing carbon’s life-giving power and its possibilities for the future of human endeavor.

Hope Dies Last: Visionary People Across the World, Fighting to Find Us a Future

by Alan Weisman available in April, hardcover, Dutton

In this profoundly human and moving narrative, the bestselling author of The World Without Us returns with a book ten years in the making: a study of the precarious state of our planet and what it means to be a human on the front lines of this existential crisis. His new book, Hope Dies Last, is a literary evocation of our current predicament and the core optimism of the human species against the worst odds we have ever faced.

The Ocean’s Menagerie : How Earth’s Strangest Creatures Reshape the Rules of Life

by Drew Harvell

available in April, hardcover, Viking

In The Ocean’s Menagerie, world-renowned marine ecologist Dr. Drew Harvell takes us diving from Hawaii to the Salish Sea, from St. Croix to Indonesia, to uncover the incredible underwater “superpowers” of spineless creatures: we meet corals many times stronger than steel or concrete, sponges who create potent chemical compounds to fight off disease, and sea stars who garden the coastlines, keeping all the other nearby species in perfect balance.

Humor in Nature

A Dumb Birds Field Guide to the Worst Birds Ever

by Matt Kracht

available in March, paperback, Chronicle Books

We can all agree—birds are terrible*. Featuring 50 of the absolute worst birds to fly the earth, Kracht identifies each of their most terrible qualities, details exactly why they suck, and shows you why with furious (but actually quite lovely) full-color drawings. *Birds are actually wonderful!

SPEAKER SERIES SPRING 2025

Authors, poets, and artists share their new works celebrating

These events take place at Village Books in Fairhaven unless otherwise noted.

Co-sponsored by North Cascades Institute. Pre-registration is requested.

twined illnesses, and the enduring love that persists even after death.

traditional ecological knowledge, Mapes invites readers to understand

Art by Claire Girodana

Paddling the Salish Sea : 80 Trips in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Olympic Peninsula & Southern British Columbia

by Rob Casey

available now, paperback, Mountaineers Books

This comprehensive guide covers everything from the quiet inlets of the South Sound to an entirely new section featuring the fjords, waterfalls, and local waterways around Vancouver, B.C. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced paddlers all can find beautiful, rewarding routes for their skill levels.

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Saturday, March 22, 5pm Rob Casey at Village Books in Fairhaven

The Darkest White : A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him by Eric Blehm

available now, paperback, Harper Perennial From Eric Blehm comes an extraordinary saga in the vein of Into the Wild, the inspiring true story of legendary snowboarding pioneer Craig Kelly and his death in the 2003 Durrand Glacier avalanche—a devastating and controversial tragedy that claimed the lives of seven people. It is also a mesmerizing, cautionary portrait of the mountains, of the allure and the glory they offer, and of the avalanches they unleash with unforgiving fury. Paperback release!

Pacific Harvest: A Northwest Coast Foraging Guide by Jennifer Hahn

available in April, paperback, Mountaineers Books

Pacific Harvest, written by expert forager, scientist, and wilderness guide Jennifer Hahn, introduces both novice and more experienced foragers to the Pacific Coast’s ample and diverse edible species. Immersive descriptions with f ull-color photos help make identifying your local edible berries, flowers, greens, roots, tree parts, mushrooms, seaweeds, beach vegetables, and shellfish easy and enjoyable. Hahn includes more than 60 recipes featuring foraged foods with sustainable harvesting practices and their conservation status, allowing us to enjoy this natural abundance responsibly.

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Friday, May 2, 6pm

Local Author!

Jennifer Hahn at Village Books in Fairhaven Register to attend at villagebooks.com

Adventure

Perseverance

: Life and Death in the

Subarctic

by Stephan Kesting

available in March, hardcover, Pegasus Books

Perseverance is the nail-biting account of Kesting's journey from near-death to a raw embrace of adventure and life in the remote Canadian Arctic. Inspirational, vulnerable and honest, Kesting shares the lessons he learned in the wilderness about holding onto hope in the darkest moments and finding the strength to overcome any obstacle. Stephan has criss-crossed the North for 40 years, often doing solo trips into the Arctic. He has also worked as a canoe and raft guide, leading groups through the remote wilderness. As a firefighter he has received the National Medal of Bravery for rushing into a burning warehouse to save two trapped colleagues.

Thursday, March 20, 6pm

Stephan Kesting

at Village Books in Fairhaven

Meet the Author

Shopping with Kelly

Share the Beauty

Tore Ofteness

Photography

InWhatcom County we are lucky to be rich in art and artists. From public art at Western Washington University to Big Rock Garden, to practically every corner with statues and murals, even our public library card has local art on it.

When I started purchasing cards for the store, the first artist I talked to about an order was Tore Ofteness. At first I was slightly intimidated by this handsome tall Norwegian gentleman. But it was such a joy to talk to him and to hear of his adventures in photography. He started taking photos when he was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, working as an aircraft mechanic in the army, and has been taking photographs ever since. For many years, Tore has boarded small airplanes to document the Pacific Northwest from the air, from mountains to tulips, commercial vessels to buildings new and old. In the mid-1980s, Ofteness was asked to provide an image to the county library system for the library card. Taken around 1985, the image of majestic Mount Baker with Bellingham in the forefront was chosen.

A few years back Village Books published his book A Higher Perspective: Aerial Photography of the Pacific Northwest under our Chuckanut Editions imprint. Watching him go through his stunning photographs and hearing him share about the adventurous days when he took each photo was so much fun. The moon cooperated—the weather did not; the pilot was ready but the clouds got in the way.

In 2014, Ofteness was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Aerial Photographers Association, International. That same year, he received a Mayor’s Arts Award from the city of Bellingham.

In addition to his book, we have a striking collection of his photographs in notecard and postcard form available for purchase—the perfect way to share the beauty of Whatcom County! Stop in and take a look at the work of the talented, and technically keen eye of Tore Ofteness.

Kelly Evert, Owner of an Independent Business Building Community Since 1980

Body & Soul

Health

Are You There, God? It’s Me, in Menopause

by Carol King, Ashley Alexis, ND available now, paperback, Castle Point Books

A relatable, no-BS guide to let women know they’re not going crazy and not alone as they approach menopause. Whether in the throes of middle school or perimenopause, navigating new phases of life can bring up lots of questions. Welcome to a place where you can take your midlife WTFs for honest answers and real-life solutions. Covering the most commonly asked (and silently wondered) questions about the midlife change, this book delivers validation, practical information, and humor for the hormonal journey.

Spirituality

Reading

the Waves : A Memoir

by Lidia Yuknavitch available now, hardcover, Riverhead Books

By turns candid and lyrical, stoic and forgiving, this is a frank and revealing memoir of a writer who draws from her own creativity to heal. "I believe our bodies are carriers of experience," Lidia Yuknavitch writes in her provocative memoir Reading the Waves . "I mean to ask if there is a way to read my own past differently, using what I have learned from literature: how stories repeat and reverberate and release us from the tyranny of our mistakes, our traumas, and our confusions."

Humor

How Not to Be a Basic Peasant: A Medieval Bard’s Guide to Living Your Best Life by Kristen Mulrooney available in March, hardcover, Running Press

Imagine if the Middle Ages had its own set of influencers and life coaches. Their collected wisdom would produce this very guide. Here, the ultimate Bard takes readers on a self-improvement journey—with lessons that any peasant can pick up and instantly start implementing into their lives. Examples include how not to make a fool of thyself at the local tavern, how to make a scene at a jousting tournament to stay relevant, what not to wear (is chainmail in or out?), and what to do in case of a bear chase.

Psychology Secrets of Adulthood : Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives

by Gretchen Rubin

available in April, hardcover, Crown

The right idea, invoked at the right time, can change our lives. Drawing from her long studies of happiness, and also from the challenges she’s faced herself, writer Gretchen Rubin has discovered the “Secrets of Adulthood” that can help us manage the complexities of life. To convey her conclusions, she turned to the aphorism—the ancient literary discipline that demands that a writer convey a large truth in a few words.

Biography

Ordinary Time : Lessons Learned While Staying Put by Annie B. Jones available in April, hardcover, Harper One

As someone who fell in love with their college town and decided to stay, a lot of these essays felt very relatable to me. This is a great book for anyone who likes a quieter life but still craves small adventures and a multitude of relationships. –Kiana

Science

The Ideological Brain : The Radical Science of Flexible Thinking

by Leor Zmigrod available in March, hardcover, Henry Holt and Co.

Guiding readers through her experiments, Zmigrod discovers that people across the ideological spectrum, whether on the Far Right or Far Left, struggle to change their thought patterns when faced with new information. She then investigates whether their brains have functioned this way since birth, or have come to embody this behavior over time in what she calls “the epigenetics of extremism.” Finally, she reflects on the social and political implications of this research, providing insight into how we can, individually and collectively, all remain open-minded ourselves.

$5 Entrance Fee can be used towards the purchase of the featured book or other merchandise offered at that show!

Join us for the taping of this unique local radio show—an evening of LIVE ENTERTAINMENT including amazing literature, live music, fun skits, poetry, humor, and more!

Award-Winning Natural History Writer

Tuesday, March 18, 7pm

at Lairmont Manor, Bellingham, WA

with Musical Guest Andre Carrao and Interviewer Michael Feerer

Matthew Sullivan

Wednesday, April 23, 7pm

The Hotel Leo Crystal Ballroom, Downtown Bellingham, WA with Musical Guest Phil Paige and Interviewer Rich Donnelly Midnight in Soap Lake Cabin:

Thursday, May 15, 7pm

Performed live and recorded for radio, each Radio Hour includes a guest author, live local music, performance poetry by Kevin Murphy, and an episode of "As the Ham Turns" serial radio comedy perfomed by the Chuckanut Radio Players. Hosts Paul Hanson and Kelly Evert are joined by announcer Rich Donnelly for an evening of entertainment. Seating is limited so don't delay—we'll see you there!

with Musical Guest Simon Llewelyn Evans and Interviewer Ted O'Connell at Lairmont Manor, Bellingham, WA Tickets $5 - available now through

PNBA BOOK AWARDS

2025 PACIFIC NORTHWEST BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION AWARD WINNERS

Each year, the PNBA Book Awards celebrate exceptional books written by Northwest authors. The books on this page were selected by a dedicated volunteer committee of independent booksellers out of hundreds of nominated titles all published in 2024.

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution

Cat Bohannon (Seattle, WA)

Bohannon surveys more than 200 million years of evolutionary history and asks: where are the female bodies? The result is a deeply rigorous and witty corrective to the way we view the role they have played in the development of tools, body parts, and brains. Eve delivers something genuinely, brilliantly new and sets the standard for how we talk and think about our species. Knopf

Coexistence: Stories

by Billy-Ray Belcourt (Vancouver,

BC)

Characters who embody Native perspectives drive this compelling collection. Through nuanced narrative, Belcourt portrays the ways theory, ideas, and values—passively or with purpose—influence daily decisions, directing life trajectories. These stories amplify unheard voices. Be prepared to listen.

W.W. Norton

Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian's Journey Home

by Chris

La Tray (Missoula, MT)

La Tray invites us to walk with him as he navigates the complexities of identity, ancestry, and the enduring legacy of Montana's Little Shell Tribe. This is a journey that spans generations, weaving personal memoir with the rich and often painful history of a people fighting to maintain their heritage in the face of adversity. We witness not only the struggles and injustices, but also the unwavering strength of the Little Shell spirit, their deep connection to the land, and enduring power of family bonds.

Milkweed Editions

It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over

by Anne de Marcken (Olympia,

WA)

In haunting prose, de Marcken guides us through the world of her unnamed, undead narrator with a deft hand and an unparalleled tenderness. As she travels westward, reaching for the details of a life that she has forgotten, she meets humanity in all its disparate forms, encountering violence, devotion, and grief—the breadth of the human experience. A fascinating, groundbreaking entry into modern speculative fiction, sure to leave the reader changed. New Directions Publishing

Wild and Distant Seas: A Novel

by Tara Karr Roberts

(Moscow, ID)

Magical realism meets historical fiction in this literary reimagining in the voice of a minor character from Melville's Moby Dick. An expansive debut novel spanning not only continents but generations, with exacting and whimsical imagery that harkens back to the classic that inspired its creation. You won't forget the women in these pages and perhaps you'll even long for your own bowl of chowder from the Try Pots Inn.

W.W. Norton

Log Life:

by Amy Hevron (Seattle,

WA)

Hevron’s playful text and lively art celebrate the essential role of nurse logs in a healthy forest. The informational picture book gives a fun and accessible overview of the centuries-long progression of fungi, insects, seeds and spore, small mammals, birds, and eventual larger beings that benefit from a fallen fir tree. Delightfully rewarding for older readers as well. Simon and Schuster

YOUNG READERS

Their Families & Educators

Picture Books

The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers : And Other Mysterious Creatures

by Jami Gigot

available in May, hardcover, Kids Can Press

In this fresh, flipped take on Bigfoot, readers discover how reconsidering what we think we know about others can be a great way to make a friend. Jami Gigot’s hilarious storytelling features text describing what not to do playfully juxtaposed with art that completely contradicts it!

The True Adventures of Milton Ginsberg

by Carolyn Russo Kinne illustrated by Libi Holder available now, paperback, Milton Ginsberg was the most adventurous cat in his neighborhood. When he overheard talk of a visit to the Canadian bush, he was beyond excited. “All those woods to explore and new creatures to meet. "That’s the life for me,” he thought. But was it? Stay tuned as Ginsberg himself chronicles his greatest adventure!

Interested in learning how this picture book was created?

Join author CAROLYNE RUSSO KINNE and illustrator LIBI HOLDER as they discuss their process. FREE TO ATTEND! Friday, April 11, 6pm at Village Books in Fairhaven Register at villagebooks.com to save your seat.

And Then Came You : When

Families Grow, Love Grows Too by Christina Shawn, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani available in April, hardcover, Chronicle Books

Families grow and change, but what if you like things just the way they are? What if you aren’t ready to welcome in a new parent, a messy pet, or a baby sister who cries a lot and is leaking goo?! Change can be scary, but even a full heart has room to grow. Both hilarious and heartwarming, this endearing children’s book is a powerful tool for helping little ones understand that there are often silver linings to the changes life brings. Even when things are initially uncomfortable, an open heart paves the way and teaches us that a family can be full of love at any size.

Bunny Made Tea

by Amanda Baehr Fuller available now, hardcover, Owlkids

With charming illustrations, simple text, and hilariously expressive characters, this cozy tale invites readers to practice generosity and meet acts of kindness with gratitude.

Odder: An Otter's Story

by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso available in April, hardcover, Feiwel & Friends

Adapted from Newbery Medal-winner Katherine Applegate’s bestselling novel of the same name and inspired by the true story of a program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers. This poignant and humorous tale examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved and charming animals.

Pencil

by Hye-Eun Kim available in March, hardcover, Toon Books

Even the simplest tool contains multitudes. Once a living tree, then a manufactured commodity, a pencil in the hands of a young artist becomes the key to a rich imaginative world. In this expansive, gorgeously illustrated story, creator Hye-Eun Kim asks us to see and appreciate the full value—and infinite possibilities—of the pencil, as well as other seemingly mundane objects around us. This powerful aid for teaches readers essential visual literacy skills and celebrates the creative process.

My Mama Bear and Me

by Sophie Beer

available in March, board book, Dial Books

A bear hug from my mama is the warmest place to be. . . . This rhyming board book follows a day in the life of a child and their loving mama bear. With bear-y funny metaphors and tender moments sprinkled throughout, My Mama Bear and Me i s an empowering ode to anyone who is or has a protective mama bear figure in their life.

Celebrate Spring!

The ABCs of Spring illustrated by Jill Howarth available now, board book, Grosset & Dunlap Featuring plenty to discover on each charmingly illustrated page, this board book perfectly pairs seasonal art with the letters of the alphabet for the youngest of readers.

Activity Book

Eid Magic Painting Book

Series: Magic Painting Books illustrated by Najwa Awatiff available now, paperback, Usborne Filled with images showing different aspects of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, from families buying new clothes and decorating their homes and to scenes of fireworks, looking for the new moon and delicious festive food. Just brush water over the black and white designs to reveal an uplifting array of vivid colors. A mess-free way to keep children busy. Simply tuck the waterproof flap under each page as it's painted, to stop water from seeping through to the rest of the book.

Shabbat Shalom :

Let's Rest and Reset illustrated by Suzy Ultman available now, board book, Penguin Workshop

Shabbat Shalom: Let's Rest and Reset introduces the Jewish day of rest, validating the varied experiences of Jewish readers, and informing and entertaining Jews and non-Jews alike! Author and artist Suzy Ultman melds her own Jewish upbringing with her current trendsetting aesthetic to create a muchneeded series of gorgeous, appealing, and perfectly simple books that will stand out on any table or shelf.

Easter Is Egg-cellent!

(A Hello!Lucky Book) by Sabrina Moyle, illustrated by Eunice Moyle available now, board book, Harry Abrams Hop into the festive fun with Easter Is Eggcellent! This humor-filled board book is perfect for Easter celebrations and will delight young readers with its bouncy charm.

The Easter Bunny Hunt : With Lots of Flaps

to Look Under by Beatrix Potter available now, novelty book, Warne Peter Rabbit is hunting for Easter eggs in this lift-the-flap picture book! Peter and his friends are celebrating Easter by hunting for Easter eggs. Lift the flaps to help him find all the eggs! This picture book is a fantastic addition to your Easter basket, perfect for fans of Peter Rabbit.

Cultural Traditions

Oh My Nosh!

What Shape Is Your Bagel?:

A First

Book

of Jewish

Food

by The Macaroons, illustrated by Shahar Kober available now, board book, Doubleday Books

Bright illustrations on each page celebrate favorite cultural traditions, in warm family scenes full of food and fun. It’s the yummiest way to introduce Jewish culture to babies and toddlers. And it's a great gift for Jewish holidays!

Poetry for Kids

Poetry Books All Month!

Outside In: Nature Poems by Daniel Thompson, illustrated by Julia Murray available now, hardcover, Collins

This collection of 50 poems will spark a love of nature, bring calm and happiness and let the outside in. Beautifully illustrated, it is filled with poems for young people to read alone or enjoy with the whole family.

This Is a Tiny Fragile Snake by Nicholas Ruddock illustrated by Ashley Barron available now, hardcover, Groundwood Books

Fifteen poems explore close encounters with animals ... and choosing to respond tenderly.

The Smell of Wet Dog: And Other Dog Poems and Drawings by Barney Saltzberg

available now, hardcover, Neal Porter Books

Equal parts heart-melting and stinky, The Smell of Wet Dog is a must-have illustrated poetry book for every young canine fan.

Saturday, March 8, 3pm at Village Books in Fairhaven

BEN CLANTON & ANDY CHOU MUSSER

FREE TO ATTEND!

Penguin Young Readers is proud to present PAPILIO, a delightful and imaginative picture book crafted by the dynamic trio of Eisner Award winner Ben Clanton, Caldecott Honor winner Corey R. Tabor, and creator of A Home Under the Stars Andy Chou Musser. This unique collaboration brings to life the charming tale of Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, in a story told in three captivating parts.

Perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Papilio introduces young readers to an adorable and hilarious caterpillar who is ready to embark on her journey to become a butterfly. As she navigates the complexities of growing up, Papilio learns to fly, fall, and feed, all while avoiding foes and making friends. Through her transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, she discovers the importance of believing in herself.

With its blend of humor, heart, and educational value, Papilio offers a fresh and modern take on the life cycle of a butterfly. WEEKLY

THE CAMACHO FAMILY

Saturday, April 26, 1pm

at Village Books in Fairhaven

Peace. Love. TACOS! This book welcomes all ages to join

Taco Dude and his friends as they enjoy all life has to offer. Inspired by fostering to adopt two wonderful children, they want to spread their love for tacos, reading, and adoption. Joining us from their home in Santa Cruz, CA,, the family will join us in sharing this hilarious and heartwarming tale!

BONUS - The Camacho Family will provide TACOS TO SNACK ON!

In Fairhaven: Tuesdays at 11am

Join us in the kids' section of our Fairhaven location every Tuesday at 11am for a half hour of stories, songs, and movement!

In Lynden: Saturdays at 11am

Lynden Fire Fighters! Friendly Dogs! Dinosaurs and a Princess! See page 39 for a line-up of the fun and varied story times taking place at our Lynden store.

Let's Get Real

NONFICTION for Young Kids

Performing Arts

This Is Ballet : And Other Classical Dances by Rekha S. Rajan, illustrated by Chris Park available in March, board book, Penguin Workshop

This first introduction to classical dance begins with a simple explanation of what defines a classical dancer. Young readers are then invited on a global exploration of different classical dances, from ballet to synchronized swimming to Kabuki; the ways dancers move; and who they move with. This encouraging dance series will inspire young children to dance in their home or in their community, in socks or ballet shoes, and alone or with others.

Science & Nature

Family

Families of a Feather: A Celebration of Family Diversity

by Fern Wexler, illustrated by Kelsey Buzzell available in March, hardcover, Little Bigfoot

Sports A Little Slugger's Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Baseball and Life

by Patrick Renna, illustrated by Tommy Parker available now, hardcover, Penguin Workshop

With over a dozen "unwritten" rules about baseball and the game of life, this is a musthave for any baseball fan. Featuring anecdotes from Patrick Renna's experience playing The Sandlot character Hamilton Porter, this little slugger’s guide encourages readers young and old to "keep swinging" and "find a glove that fits" so that they can hit home runs on and off the field. Full of witty quips, wisdom, and stories about unforgettable moments throughout baseball history, this gift book is sure to be a favorite for all fans of America’s greatest pastime!

Get MOVING Know NATURE

Families of a Feather illustrates the diverse nature of family structures with a message of love and acceptance that no matter what a family looks like they express their love for each other, and everyone deserves to be loved. The book includes a short field guide with more information about the bird species included in the book.

Meet the Mini-Mammals :

A Night at the Natural History Museum by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Brian Lies available in March, hardcover, Beach Lane Books

Meet some of the world’s very smallest mini-mammals in this adorable and informative picture book with actual-size illustrations from Sibert Honoree Melissa Stewart and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies.

The Monarch

by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault available in May, hardcover, Atheneum Books

A gorgeous, lively picture book companion to Kirsten Hall and Isabelle Arsenault’s beloved and acclaimed The Honeybee that celebrates the inspiring journey of the monarch butterfly. With sweetly fluttering verse and lush, gorgeous illustrations, this brightly beautiful picture book celebrates the wonders of monarch butterflies—a treasured species in need of care and preservation!

New

Nature

Series Barnacle Bay

by Jana Curll available in April, paperback, Greystone Kids

For fans of Narwhal and Jelly, this hilarious new graphic novel from the Little Habitats series explores the ecosystem of a bay and the marine creatures and plant life that call it home.

What Makes a Bird?

by Megan Pomper, illustrated by Maia Hoekstra available now, hardcover, Owlkids

A whimsical, inquiry-based meditation on why a bird is a bird. In this evocative picture book, a child wanders through nature with one question: what makes a bird a bird? Is it feathers? What about a beak? Could it be wings? With each possible answer, more questions arise. If laying eggs makes a bird a bird, what about turtles, snakes, or fish? If flying is the thing, are penguins still birds? Ultimately, the narrator concludes that a bird is a bird, with or without feathers, beaks, or the ability to fly! Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations and subtle STEM content, this thoughtful picture book invites readers to think about what makes us human and how we categorize and identify the world around us.

ExtraordinaryAwardsEducator

Village Books and Paper Dreams is proud to announce the first annual Extraordinary Educator Awards! Nominated by their students, three kindergarten –grade 12 Whatcom County educators will be randomly selected to win the award along with a variety of gifts for themselves and their classrooms.

Be sure to stop by the store to nominate your teacher, or visit the Kids' Corner at villagebooks.com to nominate online by May 1.

The winners will be announced prior to Teacher Appreciation Week and celebrated during an event on May 8 in the Fairhaven Readings Gallery.

Teacher Appreciation Week • May 5-9, 2025

Children's Book Week

Children’s Book Week, established in 1919, is a celebration of books and the connection they bring. The 2025 slogan is An Ocean of Stories. Join us in celebrating the vast, collective ocean populated by the stories we read, share, and tell. May 5-11, 2025 An Ocean of Stories Keep an eye on the Kids' Corner

and

Village Books offers a variety of resources for Pre-K through grade 12 educators including author visits, wish lists, discounts, fundraising opportunities, field trips, and more! Read all about our school partnership opportunities and sign up for our quarterly newsletter for educators!

Visit https://villagebooks.com/schools for details!

Biography

Whale Eyes : A Memoir

About

Seeing and Being Seen

by James Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea available in March, hardcover, Penguin Workshop

Middle Readers

The Unlikely Hero: The Story of Wolf 8 (A Young Readers' Edition)

by Rick McIntyre, David A. Poulsen available in April, paperback, Greystone Kids

Told through an experimental mix of intimate anecdotes and interactive visuals, this book immerses readers in James Robinson’s point of view, allowing them to see the world through his disabling eye conditions. Readers will get lost as they chase words. They’ll stare into this book while taking a vision test. They’ll hold it upside down as they practice “pretend-reading”… and they’ll follow an unlikely trail toward discovering the power of words. With poignant illustrations by Eisner Award–nominated artist Brian Rea, James’s story equips readers of all ages with the tools to confront their discomfort with disability and turn confused, blank stares into powerful connections.

Biography

Young Palestinians Speak : Living Under Occupation

by Anthony Robinson & Annemarie Young available now, paperback, Interlink Publishing Group

In Palestine today, a fourth generation of children and young people are growing up experiencing life under occupation. These are children who know only fear when they see an Israeli soldier or come across a roadblock. This book provides a platform for children and young people, from all over this occupied land, to speak in their own voices about the day-today experience of living under occupation. As you read their words, you will see that what these young people want is a stable family life, security where they live, the freedom to move around their country, safety and space in which to grow up and dream of a future. They are just like young people everywhere; it is only the circumstances of their lives that are so different. The young people in this book share with you their hopes and fears for themselves and their country and in so doing lay open their humanity.

Sports

The Big Book of Climbing: An Illustrated History of Mountaineering, Bouldering, and Beyond

by Ximo Abadía

available in April, hardcover, Tra Publishing

"The Unlikely Hero: The Story of Wolf 8 is the gripping and true story of a small and scrappy young wolf who became the patriarch of the most powerful pack in Yellowstone National Park. ... An inspiring read for any child who loves the natural world." –Rosanne Parry, author of A Wolf Called Wander. The Unlikely Hero tells the true action and adventure story of one of Yellowstone’s most famous animals, Wolf 8: a runt of the litter who surprised scientists by becoming a powerful leader. Based on McIntyre’s own sightings of Wolf 8 and told in a thrilling style, The Unlikely Hero is an unforgettable adventure—and a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of wolves and a coming-ofage story for underdogs everywhere.

Nonfiction for Kids

LGBTQ+

Are You a Friend of Dorothy?:

The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings available in April, hardcover, Simon & Schuster

In a time when the LGBTQ+ community was forced to hide in the shadows, a woman named Dorothy helped her people find each other in the dark and celebrate themselves in the light. But who was Dorothy? Was she from the neighborhood, someone’s wife, mother, or sister? Was she that clever writer, who threw parties where there were no rules about who you could and couldn’t dance with? Or was she a girl from Kansas, who dreamed of leaving her black-and-white, small-town life and finding a vibrant, colorful world that loved her? Dorothy might have been all these things—because Dorothy, as known by the post-WWII queer community, wasn’t real. Still, she helped a community find connection and care amidst adversity.

Rich in historical, practical, and naturalistic information, The Big Book of Climbing is brimming with incredible feats, stories of overcoming obstacles, and a wealth of information—including information on how to ascend a peak in different seasons and with various types of climbs and covers important milestones and fundamental figures in the history of mountaineering. "An epic introduction to the wide world of mountaineering and climbing." —Pete McBride, National Geographic Explorer and Adventurer of the Year

Middle Readers

The Lost Library

Rebecca Stead and

Wendy

Mass

available now, paperback, Feiwel & Friends

A library cat with his own little neighborhood library, some kind ghosts, and a boy with a mystery to solve--all these ingredients combine to make a touching story about the power of libraries that is sure to delight readers of all ages. Also a great book for reading aloud with middle-grade readers! –Caitriona

Graphic

Novel Cassi and the

House of

Memories : A Graphic Novel by Dean Stuart

available now, paperback, Viking Books Cassi loves spending time with her grandfather. His games, songs, and stories have always brought her endless joy. This visit with him, though, is different: Grandpa seems to be losing track of things, including everything from the stories they’re sharing to who Cassi herself is. So when he goes missing after wandering off from his own backyard, Cassi knows she has to figure out where he’s gone. What she discovers is a world filled with memories, none of them her own. As she leaps from one memory to the next, she knows she’s getting closer and closer to finding her grandfather—but only if she can make sure he doesn’t slip away forever.

Candle

Island by Lauren Wolk available in April, hardcover, Dutton Books for Young Readers

Quiet and serene, Candle Island, Maine is the new home of Lucretia and her mother. It is the perfect place to start anew. But when secrets start circulating in a small community, it takes friendship to the rescue. From Newbery Honor author of Beyond the Bright Sea and Wolf Hollow, Candle Island is a powerful story about loss and love that readers of all ages will enjoy. –Kelly E.

John Newbery Medal

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

Michael L. Printz Award Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia

The Village Beyond the Mist

Sachiko Kashiwaba,

translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa, illustrated by Miho Satake available in May, hardcover, Yonder

A mountain town that's not on any map, a messy bookstore with infinite doors, and a spoiled prince under a forgetful wizard's curse . . . this school break might hold more than Lina bargained for. Fifty years after its debut and decades of blockbuster success in Japan, Sachiko Kashiwaba’s acclaimed novel is available in English and certain to delight readers of all ages. Beautiful and whimsical, this is the fantastic adventure that first inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film Spirited Away.

Telephone of the Tree

by Alison

McGhee

available in May, paperback, Penguin

This book has stayed with me since the first time I finished it. This is an unforgettable story of grief and the support of a community coming together to help a young girl process her emotions. The writing is incredibly raw and impactful yet still understandable for young readers. I think this is a good book to read in a classroom setting or for a child dealing with loss. –Bee

Bad Badger: A Love Story

by Maryrose Wood, illustrated by Giulia Ghigini available now, paperback, Union Square Kids Septimus is not like other badgers. Good badgers. He likes to collect seashells, cook omelettes in his special pan, listen to the Italian opera, and generally keeps to himself. This is a clever and heartwarming story (with lovely illustrations) of friendship and identity. Who, exactly, says that a seagull and a badger can't be friends? Fans of Tove Jansson's Moomins will love Bad Badger. –Sophie

Coretta Scott King Book Award

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now... by Jason Reynolds

Randolph Caldecott Medal

Chooch Helped illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz, written by Andrea L. Rogers

Finding Normal

by Jennifer Salvoto Doktorski

available now, paperback,

Fitzroy Books

Young Adult Reads

There are five towns in the U.S. named “Normal” and 17-year-old Gemma Leonardo plans on visiting every one of them. Right after she escapes Children’s Hospital in Harrisburg, where she’ s being treated for anorexia. Enter Lucas Polizzi, a high school wrestler with bulimia and, more importantly to Gemma, a getaway car. Sick of being told they’re sick, Gemma and Lucas team up for a themed road trip to “the Normals” on one condition—they can’t mention food, ever. But as each passing mile puts their lives at greater risk, they soon realize it is their growing love and friendship, not a place on a map, that will put them on the path to recovery.

Hyo the Hellmaker

by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh

available in hardcover and paperback in April, Scholastic

Enter a richly orchestrated world where humans, yokai, and demons coexist! Deception, conspiracy, and secrets lurk in the shadows of every page in this thrilling novel! Beautifully drawn manga art accompanies this riveting tale, making this a perfect read for both fans of manga and fantasy like Leigh Bardugo and R.F. Kuang alike! –Sean

Run Away With Me

by Brian Selznick

available in April, hardcover, Scholastic Danny is spending his 16th summer in Rome. As his mother spends the day working, he wanders the ancient sites and streets. Soon after his arrival, he encounters a shadow... who becomes a voice... who becomes a boy his age. Angelo. Soon Danny and Angelo are spending as much time as they can together. Attraction leads to affection, and affection leads to both an intimate closeness and a profound fear of what happens next. Danny has never really had a home, or known the love of another boy. Angelo seems to have more experience... but he also has secrets just out of Danny’s reach. Run Away With Me is a stunning creation, weaving words and illustration to tell the story of a transformative love over the course of one Roman summer.

All Better Now

by Neal Shusterman

available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster for Young Readers Neal Shusterman never disappoints! A creative take on a pandemic dystopian writing—in a post-COVID world a new virus spreads that causes all those who recover to experience true happiness and selflessness. Shusterman weaves together the stories of three teenagers living through this polarizing pandemic, each with disparate views on what should be done and the role they will play as this new disease spreads around the world. –Caitriona

The Lost Saint by Rachael Craw available in April, paperback, Zando Ana should be enjoying her last summer before college; instead, she’s stuck with her ex on a pre-paid trip in Germany. She’s determined to make the best of it, visiting castles and drinking in the local myths of medieval saints and miracles. On the night of the summer solstice, Ana and her friends decide to attend a party in the sacred caves of Eadin forest. Suddenly, an earthquake strikes and Ana stumbles outside, straight into a snowy landscape where a furious battle rages. She soon realizes she’s been transported to the 14th century. With home looking ever more unreachable, Ana must determine who she is, whom she loves, and what she’s willing to sacrifice to return to the present. An action-packed time travel romance perfect for young fans of Outlander a nd historical romantasy like Powerless.

The Notorious Virtues

by Alwyn Hamilton

available in April, hardcover, Viking Publishing Told from the perspective of four noteworthy characters, each has its share of magical family secrets that will keep you guessing every chapter. The drama and world-building are written exquisitely and had my eyes glued to the pages. I'm amazed at how uniquely written the mystery blends smoothly between so many characters. I guarantee this book will help anyone out of a reading slump! –Courtney

Young Adult Reads

The Shadows Between Us

by Tricia

Levenseller

available now, paperback, Macmillan

Tricia Levenseller is an auto-buy author for me, and this was the book that started my love for her writing. All her books are very original and unique, and this one is no different. This book has morally grey characters that you are rooting for until the end even though you shouldn’t, a cunningly, strong female lead that carries the story and a budding romance that will have you have you kicking your feet! –Bee

His Face Is the Sun

by Michelle Jabès

Corpora Series: Throne of Khetara available in May, hardcover, Sourcebooks

Four strangers—a princess, a young priestess, a rebel, and a tomb robber—are ripped from their lives and thrown into a conflict. Amid murder and betrayal, magic and monsters, gods and visions, love and war, these four unlikely heroes find themselves connected by a forgotten oracle that whispers insistently across the land. Only together can they save the kingdom from destruction, but when the bloodshed is done, who of Khetara’s children will sit on the throne?

The Singular Life of Aria Patel

by Samira Ahmed

available in May, hardcover, Little Brown Books Aria Patel likes stability, certainty, predictability. It’s why she’s so into science. But when Aria finds herself suddenly falling through parallel universes, there’s no formula that can save her. She can’t explain why she’s been waking up in a new reality almost every day, or why her ex-boyfriend Rohan, and a poem from her English class, seem to be following her through every new life. As Aria desperately attempts to find a way home, she eventually ends up stuck in a parallel world very similar to her own. She cherishes this new version of her family, and she finds herself unable to deny the yearning she has for Rohan…but it’s not her life or her Rohan. It belongs to another Aria, another girl, and unless Aria can get back home, she’ll have taken this happiness away from someone else forever. And she may never find her own. Receive a free print of the poem from the book with purchasez—while supplies last

Bingsu for Two

by Sujin

Witherspoon available now, paperback, Union Square & Co.

This YA enemies-to-lovers romance is not only set in a cafe in Seattle (love), but is told from the perspective of one of the most relatable, chaotic, and lovable teens I've ever met in a book. Beyond that, however, the whole cast of characters will have you reveling in their found-family antics through both laughter and tears, with the rainy Seattle backdrop leaving you feeling right at home. –Chloe

Bestselling author James Patterson has awarded $500 each to independent bookstore employees around the country every year since 2015. Recipients are selected through a nomination process. "Booksellers save lives. Period," said Patterson through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company. "I'm happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season."

A transplant from New England, Kendra joined Village Books in 2019 and immediately became an integral part of the team, taking on the roles of Kids Book Buyer and Used Book Buyer. A well-respected leader on the sales floor, she's planning on using the bonus to travel. Well deserved, Kendra!

Reading Recommendations For Teens By Teens

Y.A.R.C. (yark), n.

1. Young Adult Review Committee.

2. A select group of local teens and young adults reading and writing reviews of brand-spanking-new books.

3. Awesome.

Our YARC members have been busy reading are excited to share the titles they've recently enjoyed. All of these titles are available now or for pre-order from Village Books and Paper Dreams!

A Queen's Game

by Katharine McGee

available now, hardcover, Random House for Young Readers

A Queen's Game is the perfect book if you're looking for some royal drama. The characters played out well, and I found it very enticing they all had different views on what they wanted. I definitely recommend it as an entertainment read. –Rose, age 15

Everything is Poison

by Joy McCullough

available now, hardcover, Dutton Books for Young Readers

This book was SO GOOD!! I absolutely loved it; the beginning, the middle especially, and the end. I'm really into true crime and I loved that this story was based off of a true crime that moved history. I cannot tell you how much I recommend this book!! I think it's so well built and distributes the story line perfectly. I think you'll really love this book, just like me! –Kat, age 13

The Otherwhere Post

by Emily J. Taylor

available now, hardcover, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Reminiscent of Divine Rivals , this book is everything! The vivid descriptions of the atmosphere, with brilliant inks and extravagant clothing, is to die for. I enjoyed watching Maeve interact with slightly gruesome magic and grow to trust people. –Aubrielle, age 16

Y A RC

Enjoy additional reviews on our Y.A.R.C. web page at villagebooks.com and on display at Village Books in Fairhaven!

Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños

by Alex Segura available now, hardcover, Disney Bruno Madrigal is not like his siblings—he can't heal people with food or change the weather. His gift is seen as a bad thing—and the town of Encanto fears what he has to say about their future. But why should he have to conceal his gift? Why does Alma not want Bruno to help the people of Encanto? What do Bruno's visions mean—and can they be changed? Fall back into the enchanting story of Encanto and learn about the misunderstood lovable character of Bruno. But remember, we don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no. If you are a lover of all things Disney, this book is for you! –Will, age 14

Under the Same Stars

by Libba Bray

available now, hardcover, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

German best friends join the Nazi resistance. An American girl finds herself enamored with Punk culture in 1980 Berlin. A boy struggles to find purpose during the pandemic. The magic, mystery, and tragedy of these three stories are woven together to create Under the Same Stars , a thrilling and powerful book that will inspire young activists. –Coco, age 17

Bird of a Thousand Stories

(Once There Was) by Kiyash Monsef

available now, hardcover, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers I, quite simply, loved this book. Girl traveling the world looking for magical bird while hiding from nefarious organization.... It’s captivating and immersive and I was drawn right into its world. If you're looking for a rich fantasy brimming with magic and mythical creatures, this is your next read. –Eleanor, age 15

Bingsu For Two

by Sujin Witherspoon

available in March, paperback, Labyrinth Road

After a spectacularly bad day, River quits his job at his parents' café and goes to work for their rival. Maybe posting a viral video of his coworkers isn't the best way to keep his workplace a secret, but, hey, what can you do? This is the first romance book I've read written entirely from the male main character's perspective, and the author is local to the Pacific Northwest. I'd recommend it to anyone who spends too much time on Ao3, or who is just as interested in familial relationships as romantic ones. –Autumn age 16

A Catalog of Burnt Objects

by Shana Youngdahl available in March, hardcover, Dial Books Youngdahl tells a lyrical, fast paced, and authentic story of a girl who must discover what remains from a devastating tragedy that leaves her town, family, friends, and herself altered for good. Exploring addiction, grief, and traumatized family relationships, A Catalog of Burnt Objects is a bundle of love stories which attests to our incredible ability to be nearly destroyed over and over again and yet, find the resilience to continue surviving.–Kaatri, age 18

Y A RC

Young Readers Recommend

Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga available now, hardcover, and paperback, Christy Ottaviano Books I absolutely devoured Royal Heirs Academy ! It's perfect for anyone who loves enemies to lovers romance, boarding school drama, royalty and surprising betrayals. This book kept me guessing till the end, and had a surprise ending that left me in shock. I highly recommend this book to those who love Princess Diaries , or want to read a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! –Kiona age 14

KIDS OPEN M IC

Last Mondays from 5-6pm

Ages 18 and Under

Village Books in Fairhaven invites kids 18 and under to share their own stories, poems and essays. Pre-registration to read is required and spaces are limited so please email host Seán Dwyer at sean@seandwyerauthor.com to secure a spot!

March 31 • April 28 • May 26

Public speaking can be scary but it is an important skill to develop. It helps build confidence, increases communication skills, and enhances leadership qualities. Learning to effectively convey ideas helps to connect and influence others—a valuable personal and professional asset. Open mic at Village Books offers an opportunity to speak in front of a small, nurturing community of other writers—see you there!

Hey, Teen Authors!

Ages 13-18

The Village Books Teen Author Cohort (T.A.C.) is a supportive and inclusive community of young writers who meet weekly to support each other, learn from professionals, grow their writing skills, and put their writing into the world. We’d love you to join us!

Scan the code to apply!

Details and Application to Join atat

Young Adults Recommend

Say a Little Prayer

by Jenna Voris

available in March, paperback, Viking Books for Young Readers

Riley is a bi atheist whose sister got kicked out of the church for having an abortion. So, when her principal makes her go to church camp for slapping another student, she decides she's had enough. I enjoyed this book because even though the abortion shatters a lot of Riley and her sister's friendships, she finds a unique way to fix them. I also loved how even though Riley has a crush on the pastor's daughter, they still find a way to make it work. –Gwen, age 14

The Notorious Virtues

by Alwyn Hamilton

available now, hardcover, Viking Books for Young Readers

I don’t quite know how to describe The Notorious Virtues . All I know is how it made me feel. This book made me mad. It made me cry. It made me stay up way too late on a school night. It even made me almost shout a cuss word in the middle of science class, just because the plot twists were crazy. I could not stop reading. The Notorious Virtues is a terrific book. An amazing book! I hate how great it is. I hate this book. You absolutely positively must read it. Absolutely just read it! –Evy, age 14

True Life in Uncanny Valley

by Deb Caletti

available in March, hardcover, Labyrinth Road

I don’t quite know how to describe The Life in Uncanny Valley. A curious and captivating read, Deb Caletti creates the perfect combination of confusing and forbidden family dynamics with a heartwarming journey of self discovery. Caletti flawlessly uses creative wit, and loveable characters to create a storyline in a universe that is absolutely overflowing with fun jokes, engaging plot lines and an amazing story of self finding. All of these things mixed together adds up to a book I couldn't put down! –Keladry, age 14

Recommendations of Books FOR TEENS BY TEENS

Y

A .R.C.

Night Swimming

by Aaron Starmer

available in April, hardcover, Penguin Workshop What starts as a cute 90's summer romance novel takes a dark twist when they discover a secret natural pool deep in the woods, and things start to become unexplainable. Night Swimming brings new meaning to the coming-of-age genre, with vivid imagery and an enrapturing storyline that will keep you up late into the night. –Kat, age 17

Pride or Die

by C.L. Montblanc

available in April, hardcover, Wednesday Books

When Eleanora Finkel, leader of the LGBTQ+ club and her fellow clubmates are accused of an attempted murder, it's up to them to figure out who did it. Pride or Die by CL Montblanc is a captivating story of acceptance, showing the real struggles of figuring out who you are. The twists and turns throughout the story interlocking with each character's personality drags you into the story, making you feel part of it. –Milo, age 13

I Am Made of Death

by Kelly Andrew

available in March, hardcover, Scholastic Press Horror and romance intertwine in this unique and engaging story. As I devoured the pages, I could visualize the demonic possession and surgical exorcism. However much the writing kept me reading, it was the plot that really had my eyes glued. I highly recommend this book to people who relish romance and horror in the same novel. –Marley, age 14

While We're Young

by K.L. Walther

available in March, paperback, Delacorte Romance

If you like John Hughes' classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, you will absolutely love this book. While We're Young is a light hearted rom-com. Three old friends who all have secrets come together for one last adventure before the end of high school. This book includes nosy principals, stealing parents' fancy old cars, and even singing in public places. I have read some of K.L. Walther's other books and I was super excited to read this book. I enjoyed the fast paced dialogue and the switch of perspectives throughout the book. –Phoebe, age 14

The Village Books Literary Events Program Literature LIVE! EVENTS

Additions and changes to this schedule will occur so check out VillageBooks.com to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you! Register for the Village Books eNewsletter!

March 2025

Saturday, March 8, 11am

WhatcomREADS - Life Cycle of a Book

Join us in the Readings Gallery to hear from industry professionals on the life cycle of a book, from conception to writing, editing and formatting, publishing, selling, and into your hands! You'll meet Chris Satterlund, District sales manager for Scholastic; Jill Flores, freelance editor and designer; Melissa Vail Coffman, co-publisher/manager, Book House Publishing. Part of WhatcomREADS 2025, this event is free to attend but registration is required. See whatcomreads.org for more!

Kids Event FREE TO ATTEND!

Saturday, March 8, 3pm

BEN CLANTON & ANDY CHOU MUSSER

-Papilio

Unless otherwise noted, events take place at Village Books in Fairhaven and include a book presentation/reading, plus a Q&A. Registration to save your seat is required for most events. When a $5 fee applies, you will receive a voucher for that amount to use for purchases at the event! Tickets may be available at the door. Details & registration at VILLAGEBOOKS.COM

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Monday, March 10, 6pm

HAROLD RHENISCH

-The Salmon Shanties: A Cascadian Song Cycle

Harold Rhenisch’s poems balance the settler and Indigenous experiences of land and water in the Pacific Northwest. In poems that move between English and Chinook Wawa, The Salmon Shanties explores memories of people, place, and of returning home, speaking the land’s names as a music of its own. Explore them alongside Rhenisch in this event, part of Village Books and North Cascades Institute’s Nature of Writing series.

WhatcomREADS 2025

Events with the Author ERICA BAUERMEISTER

Free to Attend •Registration Required whatcomreads.org

Thursday, March 13, 11am

LUMMI ISLAND GRANGE HALL

Book Discussion with Erica Bauermeister

This unique collaboration brings to life the charming tale of Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, in a story told in three captivating parts. Bring the whole family to meet Ben and Andy, and learn all about Papilio! Perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Papilio is a heartfelt exploration of the emotions that accompany life's big firsts. With its blend of humor, heart, and educational value, Papilio offers a fresh and modern take on the life cycle of a butterfly. Ben Clanton is best known for his Narwhal and Jelly books. You'll recognize Andy Chou Musser for the books Ploof and A Home Under the Stars.

Saturday, March 8, 5pm

DR. LAURIE TRAUTMAN & EDWARD ALDEN

-When the World Closed Its Doors: The Covid-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders

Western Washington University professors Dr. Laurie Trautman and Edward Alden will join us to discuss their book When the World Closed Its Doors. This book explores the re-bordering of the world during and after 2020, which created ongoing shocks to the international system of travel and migration. It details the consequences of the pandemic border restrictions through personal stories—including many from our region, arguing that citizens need better protections and governments more robust guardrails.

Thursday, March 13, 7pm

BELLEWOOD FARMS

Sip & Savor with Erica Bauermeister

Friday, March 14, 11am

The Art and Craft of Writing with Erica Bauermeister

Friday, March 14, 7pm

MOUNT BAKER THEATRE

Erica Bauermeister

-No Two Persons

VIRTUAL EVENT

Saturday, March 15, 11am

A Virtual Conversation with Erica Bauermeister

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Book Groups

Village Books hosts multiple book groups who read and discuss a variety of genres. Flip to page 78 to find a group that works for you! Watch villagebooks.com for meeting times and reading selections. All are welcome!

VB WRITES

Writing Groups

Village Books is excited to host a variety of writing groups —each with a unique focus. Turn to page 26 for a full list and meeting times then see villagebooks.com for descriptions. Be sure to sign up for our Just Write! eNewsletter, a monthly publication highlighting current classes, tips and tricks, writing book reviews and the like!

VB DRAWS

Doodle Society

Meets the first Sunday of every month, 3-5pm in the Writer's Corner at Village Books in Fairhaven. Read all about it on page 42.

Writing Workshops & Classes

Village Books and WCC Community & Continuing Education program have created a writing instruction collaboration called Chuckanut Writers to support writers at all stages of their writing journey throughout the year. Turn to page 29 for upcoming classes and go to whatcom.edu for more information, prices, and to register.

Open Mic with Seán Dwyer

Last Mondays from 6-7pm

Chuckanut Writers Monthly OPEN MICS

Village Books invites everyone to enjoy local talents as they share their own stories, poems and essays. Published and unpublished writers are encouraged to attend and enjoy a welcoming audience. Our regular emcee and celebrated local author, Seán Dwyer, will host as he does every month. Pre-registration to read is required and spaces are limited so whether you plan to read in person or on Zoom, please email Seán at sean@seandwyerauthor.com to secure your spot!

March 31• April 28 • May 26

KIDS!

KIDS OPEN MIC with Seán Dwyer

Last Mondays from 5-6pm

Village Books in Fairhaven invites kids 18 and under to share their own stories, poems and essays. Our regular emcee and celebrated local author Seán Dwyer will host. Pre-registration to read is required and spaces are limited so please email Seán at sean@seandwyerauthor. com to secure a spot!

March 31• April 28 • May 26

Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater

Open Mic

Second Tuesdays from 6-8pm

Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater (CSWT) Open Mic is held at Village Books in Fairhaven on the second Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm. Our CSWT emcee is Carla Shafer, who founded Bellingham’s first continuous Open Mic in Bellingham in 1991. Pre-registration to read is encouraged a so whether you plan to read, please email Carla Shafer at chuckanutsandstone@gmail.com to secure your spot!

March 11 • April 8 • May 13

Saturday, March 15, 3pm

KIM HOOD

-The Accidental Sadhu

Join us in welcoming local author Kim Hood to the Readings Gallery! After climbing peaks on all seven continents, Hood was looking for a new adventure. He was drawn to the idea of pilgrimage. In The Accidental Sadhu he shares stories and insights of the Char Dham in India, Mt. Kailash in Tibet, and the Camino de Santiago in France and Spain. These experiences changed his life and opened his heart. Kim Hood is an unusual combination of fine art photographer, mountain climber, outdoor guide, and writer.

Sunday, March 16, 3pm

BOOKED AT THE BAKER

Dragons & Mythical Beasts

Calling all brave heroes! Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. From the creators of the international smash hit Dinosaur World Live, who bring spectacular puppets to life, this award-winning show is back in the U.S. by popular demand, direct from London’s West End. Don’t miss this spell-binding adventure live on the historic MBT Main Stage! Tickets available now at mountbakertheatre.com. ALL AGES!

Book Launch! IN LYNDEN

Tuesday, March 18, 6:30pm at the Lynden Library SUSAN MEISSNER with Cheryl Grey Bostrom -A Map to Paradise

Join Whatcom County Libraries for the launch of bestselling author Susan Meissner's latest novel, A Map to Paradise. Susan will be in conversation with fellow author Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Village Books will be on hand with copies of their books for purchase. Don't miss this fun FREE event in Lynden! Read more on page 36.

Tuesday, March 18, 7pm

Lairmont Manor, Bellingham, WA

The Chuckanut Radio Hour featuring THOR HANSON -Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door

Literature LIVE!

Thursday, March 20, 6pm

STEPHAN KESTING

-Perseverance :

Life and Death in the Subarctic

We’re thrilled to celebrate the launch of author Stephan Kesting’s debut book Perseverance in the Readings Gallery! Perseverance is the nail-biting account of Kesting's journey from near-death to a raw embrace of adventure and life in the remote Canadian Arctic. Inspirational, vulnerable and honest, Kesting shares the lessons he learned in the wilderness about holding onto hope in the darkest moments and finding the strength to overcome any obstacle. Stephan has criss-crossed the North for 40 years, often doing solo trips into the Arctic. He has also worked as a canoe and raft guide, leading groups through the remote wilderness. As a firefighter he has received the National Medal of Bravery for rushing into a burning warehouse to save two trapped colleagues.

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Saturday, March 22, 5pm

ROB CASEY

-Paddling the Salish Sea

Village Books and North Cascades Institute are excited to welcome professional kayaker, standup paddler, photographer, and author Rob Casey to Bellingham. He will present his updated guidebook Paddling the Salish Sea. This comprehensive guide covers everything from the quiet inlets of the South Sound to an entirely new section featuring the fjords, waterfalls, and local waterways around Vancouver, B.C. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced paddlers all can find beautiful, rewarding routes for their skill levels. Rob will discuss updates for this edition and will present a few new and older trips. He will also discuss beach cleanups and a few environmental changes since the last book edition in 2012.

Sunday, March 23, 3pm

BEN HERTEL

–Meadowdrama :

The Feisty Flower

A Graphic Novel!

Join Village Books for an evening of music, stories, and fun with conservation biologist and award-winning author Thor Hanson at the taping of our live radio show—at the beautiful Lairmont Manor! In Close to Home, Hanson shows how retraining our eyes reveals hidden wonders just waiting to be discovered. Thor Hanson's other books include Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, Buzz, Feathers, and The Triumph of Seeds. He will be interviewed by Michael Feerer. The founder of Whatcom Million Trees Project, Feerer has a long history of creating innovative ventures for social good. Andre Carrao is the leader of the Bellingham-local based band "Advice From Friends." He'll perform solo renditions of his favorite original songs, highlighting the intricacies of life—from heartbreak to happiness. Tickets selling fast!

Meadowdrama is a simple comic with two diverse characters; their story is told with pathos spiced with wry humor. The focus of this book is on their words as the rock and flower struggle to understand each other, while trying to explain their own strongly held beliefs and personal philosophies. After a long and rewarding career at Olympic National Park, Ben Hertel is now living the dream—writing, drawing, practicing yoga, playing pickleball and ping pong, and hosting a local rock ‘n roll radio show.

Additions and changes to this schedule will occur so check out VillageBooks.com to stay updated–or even better, let us come to you! Register for a Village Books eNewsletter!

Keep turning for more events

Monday, March 24, 6pm

THOMAS KOHNSTAMM in conversation with Dane Bahr

-Supersonic

April

Thursday, April 3, 6pm

JOHN MOORES

Author Dane Bahr (Stag; The Houseboat) will interview author Thomas Kohnstamm for his new book Supersonic. When PTA president Sami Hasegawa-Stalworth petitions to rename a Seattle elementary school after her late grandmother, she ignites a battle over the school’s future and the history of its surrounding neighborhood. Supersonic launches readers into a kaleidoscopic tale of the generations of interrelated families who breathed life into that small, hilltop community. By exploring the converging and often clashing personalities that make up the dynamic soul of a place, Supersonic illuminates themes of identity, displacement, destruction, and reinvention that give rise to all great American cities.

Friday, March 28, 6pm

CAROL MAKELA

-The Spyglass:

A Childhood in Sweden and Finland

Carol Makela, secretary for Bellingham’s local Finlandia Foundation chapter, will be joining us in the Readings Gallery to share The Spyglass, her father’s memoir of his Nordic childhood. She is honored to present her father’s memoir in its finished form. An uncertain future awaits a young Finnish boy as he crosses the Gulf of Bothnia to Sweden while the 1939-40 Winter War rages between Finland and Russia. This is a memoir of wartime, curiosity, coming of age, and a passage to post-WWII America. These tales form a mosaic of memory.

BOOK SIGNING!

Sunday, March 30, 12-2pm ALTON BROWN

-Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations

We are thrilled to welcome Alton Brown to Village Books for a book signing on the Main floor before his event at Mount Baker Theatre! Tickets to his MBT event may still be available from their box office and mountbakertheatre.com. Note: This is not an author talk. Mr. Brown will sign books until 2pm with a cap at 225 people so arrive early. With his whip-smart and engaging voice, Brown explores everything from wrestling a dumpster full of dough to culinary cultural appropriation to his ultimate quest for the perfect roast chicken. Deliciously candid and full of behind-the-scenes stories fans will love, Food for Thought is the ultimate reading experience for anyone who appreciates food and the people that prepare it. The winner of a Peabody Award and two James Beard Awards, Alton Brown is a food show presenter, food scientist, author, voice actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show Good Eats that ran for 16 seasons, host of the miniseries Feasting on Asphalt and Feasting on Waves, and host and main commentator on Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen.

Unless otherwise noted, events take place at Village Books in Fairhaven and include a book presentation/reading, plus a Q&A.

Registration to save your seat is required for most events. When a $5 fee applies, you will receive a voucher for that amount to use for purchases at the event! Tickets may be available at the door. Details , updates, and registration information can be found at VILLAGEBOOKS.COM

-Daydreaming in the Solar System : Surfing Saturn’s Rings, Golfing on the Moon, and Other Adventures in Space Exploration Welcome Associate Professor in the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science at York University John Edward Moores to the Readings Gallery for his debut book, Daydreaming in the Solar System! Daydreaming presents an optimistic view of the future of planetary exploration in science and story. In these pages, you will experience what it would feel like to immerse yourself in the environments of our planetary neighbors, informed by the science returned by our robotic probes over the past 62 years.

Friday, April 4, 6pm

ALICE ROTHCHILD

-Inspired and Outraged: The Making of a Feminist Physician Inspired and Outraged is an intimate memoir from Alice Rothchild's childhood to mid-40s and the experiences that contributed to her passion and power as a doctor, activist, and woman. The book offers her insights into the sexist and contradictory world of medicine and her discovery of feminism as a guiding force. Alice Rothchild is a physician, author, and filmmaker who loves storytelling that pushes boundaries and engages in unexpected conversations. She practiced obstetrics and gynecology for almost 40 years and served as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harvard Medical School. She received Boston Magazine's Best of Boston's Women Doctors Award, was named in Feminists Who Changed America 1963–1975, and was named a Peace Pioneer by the American Jewish Peace Archive.

Saturday, April 5, 11am

VIRTUAL EVENT - FREE!

SUSIE WHITE

–Second Nature : The Story of a Naturalist's Garden with Paige Lanham, Owner of Garden Spot Nursery

Discover the transformative power—for you and for wildlife – of building an outdoor sanctuary for all species to thrive in and enjoy. In a hidden valley tucked into an unspoiled corner of Northumberland lies a naturalist’s garden, developed from scratch by award-winning gardener and author Susie White, her husband, and friends. This is the story of how they created a remarkable oasis, a place as alive as it is beautiful. Susie White is a gardening and travel writer, broadcaster, wildlife photographer and lecturer. Register at villagebooks.com.

Friday, April 11, 6pm

CAROLYN RUSSO KINNE & LIBI HOLDER

-The True Adventures of Milton Ginsberg

All Ages

Join us in welcoming both the author AND the illustrator of this adorbale new kids book! They will discuss the process involved in creating the book, sharing their experience and their story. Milton Ginsberg was the most adventurous cat in his neighborhood. When he overheard talk of visiting the Canadian bush, he was beyond excited. “All those woods to explore and new creatures to meet. "That’s the life for me,” he thought. But was it? Stay tuned as Ginsberg himself chronicles his greatest adventure! FREE TO ATTEND.

Sunday, April 13, 3pm Poetry!

RICHARD WIDERKEHR

–Missing the Owl & BARBARA BLOOM

Celebrate Poetry Month with local poets

Richard Widerkehr and Barbara Bloom. This afternoon will include poetry readings, craft discussions, cookies, and guitar music!

Richard Widerkehr is an award-winning poet and novelist whose poems and stories have appeared in over 100 magazines, including Rattle, Midwest Review, and Atlanta Review; one of his poems was broadcast by Garrison Keillor on Writer's Almanac. His fifth poetry collection, Missing The Owl, is a spiritual journey reckoning with uncertainty, pain, loss, and death.“Take your time with these engaging poems, you’ll want to savor them mouthful by delicious mouthful.” - Jenifer Browne Lawrence.

Barbara Bloom's poems have appeared in Catamaran Review, Shark Reef Review, a nd Raven Chronicles. She has published two books of poetry, On the Water Meridian and Pulling Down the Heavens with a third book due out this year. (Missing Orion, Shanti Arts)

Friday, April 18, 6pm

DOUG LEVY

-Hero Redefined: Profiles of Olympic Athletes Under the Radar

If you’re anxiously awaiting the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, or the 2028 Summer Olympics in LA, don’t miss out on this author event in the meantime! Hero Redefined delves into the lesser-known stories of Olympic athletes—and a couple of unique Olympic venues—that challenge the conventional narrative of glory and gold. Doug Levy is a lifelong sports buff and a huge fan of the Olympic Games. He owned and operated a lobbying and government affairs consulting business for 25 years, and worked as a sports reporter, sports columnist, and news reporter for the Tri-City Herald newspaper in southeast Washington and as a news and politics reporter for The Columbian in Vancouver, Washington through much of the 1980s.

Wednesday, April 23, 7pm

CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR at Lairmont Manor featuring MATTHEW SULLIVAN

-Midnight in Soap Lake

Join Village Books for a mysterious evening of music, stories, and fun with Anacortes author Matthew Sullivan! Sullivan's new book Midnight in Soap Lake is a rich, expansive universe that readers will enter and never forget. A sweeping, decade-spanning mystery, it is brimming with quirky characters and puzzle-hunt scenarios. With musical guest Simon Llewelyn Evans and interviewer Ted O’Connell — an evening you don't want to miss! Read a reveiw on page 23.

Celebrating National Poetry Month with 20% OFF Poetry IN APRIL!

We Appreciate Your Continued Support of Village Books and our Literature Live Programming

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Thursday, April 24, 6pm

BROOKE WILLIAMS with LYANDA LYNN HAUPT

-Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment

Join us for an evening featuring Brooke Williams in conversation with award-winning nature writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt about the nature (how), meaning (what), and importance (why) of an ensouled, enchanted relationship with the natural world. Years ago, naturalist and environmental writer Brooke Williams had a powerful dream about a dragonfly, a dream that cracked open his world by giving rise to a steady stream of dragonfly encounters in his waking life. Encountering Dragonfly chronicles his "re-enchantment" as he follows these winged messengers into a new relationship with the natural world.

Friday, April 25, 6pm POETRY!

ALEXANDRA TEAGUE

-[ominous music intensifying]

RACHEL RICHARDSON -Smother with ELAINA ELLIS

Saturday, April 26, 1pm CAMACHO FAMILY

-Taco Dude

The whole family will love this hilarious and heartwarming tale! Taco Dude is an awesome dude who loves sharing his radness and awesomeness with the world! Inspired by fostering to adopt two wonderful children, this book welcomes all ages to join Taco Dude and his friends as they enjoy all life has to offer. Enjoy the book, dude! The Camacho family will visit us from their home in Santa Cruz, CA. As a foster-to-adopt family they wanted to spread their love for tacos, reading, and adoption.

Join us in celebrating poetry month wit this dynamic trio of poets! • Alexandra Teague's fourth collection of poems deepens her ongoing inquiry into American optimism, disillusionment, and violence. • Award-winning poet Rachel Richardson takes up the existential losses of climate change and insists on the work of survival in her searching, defiant collection. • Local favorite Elaina Ellis will interview them!

BONUS - The Camacho Family will provide TACOS TO SNACK ON - Yum! This event is FREE TO ATTEND, but please do register to save your seats—we also need to know how many tacos to get!

An Event for the WHOLE FAMILY!

Sunday, April 27, 5pm

VENISE CUNNINGHAM & BELINDA KELLY

–Drink Your Garden : Recipes, Stories, and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm

Wednesday, April 30, 6pm

SHERMAN ALEXIE

-You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me : A Memoir

Join us in welcoming Sherman Alexie to the Readings Gallery in Fairhaven. A Native American poet, novelist, short story writer, performer, and filmmaker, Alexie will discuss his searing, deeply moving memoir about family, love, loss, and forgiveness. He is the critically acclaimed, National Book Award-winning author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This event will likely sell out so register to reserve your seat and watch villagebooks.com for possible changes. Co-sponsored by Children of the Setting Sun Productions.

May

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Friday, May 2, 6pm

JENNIFER HAHN

-Pacific Harvest : A Northwest Coast Foraging Guide

Literature LIVE!

Note: Additions and changes to this schedule WILL OCCUR so watch villagebooks.com—and register for our weekly eNewsletter - FULL of store happenings!

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Saturday, May 3, 6pm

CARA STODDARD

-Spirography: A Memoir of Family, Loss, and Finding Home

Join Village Books and North Cascades Institute in hearing this story of kinship, queerness, and the secrets of the body in the wake of illness and loss. Spirography is about the bond between a father and daughter, their intertwined illnesses, and the enduring love that persists even after death. Set in the author's childhood home on a lake, this memoir traces the author’s experiences of cancer, grief, and coming out as queer in the culturally conservative Midwest. Co-sponsored by North Cascades Institute.

Tuesday, May 6, 6pm

An Evening of Poetry

DION O’REILLY -Limerence & KAMI WESTHOFF -Sacral

Join us in the Readings Gallery for an evening of poetry with local poets Kami Westhoff and Dion O'Reilly.

Dion O'Reilly is the author of three poetry collections: Limerence, Sadness of the Apex Predator, and Ghost Dogs. She is a podcaster at The Hive Poetry Collective. She splits her time between a ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains and a residence in Bellingham, Washington. Kami Westhoff is the author of the story collection The Criteria and four poetry chapbooks including Sacral, winner of the 2023 Floating Bridge Chapbook Contest. She teaches creative writing at WWU.

Friday, May 9, 6pm

MAUREEN KANE

-A Guide Back to You

Join Village Books and North Cascades Institute in welcoming Jennifer Hahn. Learn about PNW foraging and gain a new appreciation of the nature that surrounds and nourishes you while enjoying popcorn "SEA-soned" with local kelp! Foraging for wild food, eating between tide and forest, makes life a delicious journey. It is a passport to place for northwest naturalist and author Jennifer Hahn, teacher of a popular science course called “Wild Food” at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College. Enjoy a lively slideshow talk on the cultural, culinary and ecological uses of sea veggies, land plants and marine shellfish. Jennifer will share stories of her 40 years foraging afoot and afloat from Alaska to California, animals who shelter and eat the foods we also love, sustainable foraging tips, nutrition, recipe ideas, and perspectives from Indigenous traditional food experts. Co-sponsored by North Cascades Institute.

Unless otherwise noted, events take place in the Readings Gallery at VIllage Books in Fairhaven 1200 11th St., Bellingham, WA

To celebrate and observe Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re very excited to welcome back local author and mental-health therapist Maureen Kane to the Readings Gallery for a workshop on learning about yourself and your needs. Do you struggle with knowing who you are? Is it hard to make decisions or even know what you want? If you do know what you want, is it hard to ask for it? Sometimes we used to know who we were, and then a life change happened, such as divorce, illness, retirement, or graduation, and we feel lost. This workbook is designed to help you become strong in your identity and stay true to yourself. Bring paper and pen or pre-purchase the book as some of the exercises will be done together at this event.

Thursday, May 15, 7pm

Hotel Leo, Downtown Bellingham

CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR

featuring PATRICK HUTCHISON

-Cabin: Off the Grid

Adventures from a Clueless Craftsman

With Musical guest Phil Paige and interviewer Rich Donnelly.

Tuesday, May 27, 6pm

EILEEN GARVIN

-Crow Talk

Eileen Garvin, nationally bestselling author of The Music of Bees, will be joining us once more in the Readings Gallery to celebrate her newest novel Crow Talk, a moving story of hope, healing, and unexpected friendship set amidst the wild natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Crow Talk is an achingly beautiful story of love, grief, and the healing power of nature in dark times.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER!

Join us for the live taping of our unique local radio show, featuring bestselling author Patrick Hutchison! He will share his journey from an office job to restoring a cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Wit’s End isn’t just a state of mind. It’s the name of a gravel road, the address of a run-down off-the-grid cabin, 120 shabby square feet of fixer-upper Patrick Hutchison purchased on a whim in the mossy woods of the Cascade Mountains. To say Hutchison didn’t know what he was getting into is no more an exaggeration than to say he’s a man with nearly zero carpentry skills. Well, used to be. You can learn a lot over six years of renovations.

A Nature of Writing Series Event!

Friday, May 16, 6pm

LYNDA V. MAPES

–The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests

Thursday, June 5, 6pm SARAH ELLEN ZARROW –Displays of Belonging

Displays of Belonging illuminates the work of Polish Jewish museologists, who sought to preserve the treasures of the Jewish past while demonstrating Jewish belonging on Polish soil. Local Author!

With vibrant storytelling supported by science and traditional ecological knowledge, Mapes invites readers to understand the world where trees are kin, not commodities. "A profound and enlightening exploration of the critical connection between old growth forests and salmon habitat, offering a hopeful vision for their recovery and permanency." –Thomas DeLuca, Dean of the College of Forestry at the Oregon State University

Thursday, June 12, 6pm COLL THRUSH –Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Grave of the Pacific A provocative retelling of shipwreck tales from the Northwest Coast.

Are You Receiving the

Village Books e-Newsletters?

Let us come to you with the scoop! Every week, Village Books sends out an email newsletter packed full of store and book information including upcoming Literature Live events, sale dates, new releases, and special promotions. Twice each week, we also provide Shelf Awareness for Readers book reviews.

In addition, we also offer monthly newsletters for specific interests including one geared towards book groups, another full of information for educators & librarians, and another that shares the latest opportunities for writers. Register to receive the newsletters of your choice at villagebooks.com!

Purchase the Village Books and Paper Dreams Passport at the Fairhaven or Lynden store.

Want a signed edition of the book but can’t make it to the event? Order through our website or over the phone and write your request for a signature or personalization in the comments field at checkout. Please call if you’re placing your order within 24 hours of the event.

FH: 360.671.2626 • LY: 360.526.2133 • villagebooks.com

BOOK GROUPS

VB Reads...

Motherhood by the Book

Join Claire for an hour of spirited discussion of books that celebrate the trials, tribulations, and rewards of motherhood—both fiction and non-fiction. By no means exclusive to moms with kids still at home, this group meets on the Second Sunday of most months at 2pm in the writer's corner on the mezzanine level of Village Books in Fairhaven.

March 9 –Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation by Maud Newton

Village Books both hosts and co-sponsors a variety of lively book groups and YOU are invited to join in! All are welcome.

Find additional information under the Readers' Corner tab at villagebooks.com. Book groups are free to attendno registration required.

Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Book Group

April 13 –The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

May 18 –Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City by Jane Wong

Participants receive 15% off all book group reading selections. Just mention the group when paying!

VB Reads...

Armchair Historians

Let's chat, discuss, and dissect the most current and interesting history being written. We meet in the Readings Gallery at Village Books in Fairhaven the third Monday of the month at 6pm.

March 17 –Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America by Pekka Hämäläinen

April 21 – Prague Winter : A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 by Madeleine Albright

May 19 –A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin

Book Discussion at Village Books

Saturday, March 29, 10am

–Something About the Sky by Rachel L. Carson & Nikki McClure

Pair the book with the Concert: Making Waves

March 23, 3pm at Mount Baker Theatre

Saturday, May 17, 10am

Book Discussion at Village Books –The Green Mile by Stephen King

Pair the book with the Concert: Singing Out April 27, 3pm at Mount Baker Theatre

Afternoon Book Chat

Join Sittrea in the Readings Gallery on the second Wednesday of the month at 1pm for a lively early afternoon book chat. Everyone welcome.

March 12 – No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister see page 19 for event information

April 9 – Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

May 14 –The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

VB Reads...

Lynden Front Streeters

Unless otherwise noted, authors do not attend our book groups.

March 19, 7pm at Village Books in Lynden – Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

See page 36 for more additional meeting information.

Know the Neighbors - Our Fairhaven Friends Good Earth Pottery

by Will Abraham Jenkins, Clay Artist, Book Lover

Ann Marie Cooper, the owner of Good Earth Pottery and clay artist, got a taste of working with clay in high school, but didn't get the chance to develop her distinctive artistic style inspired by the natural world until 2009, shortly after she began working at Good Earth. Since then, she's become a mainstay of the local clay community and a notable artist specializing in wood-fired pottery in her own right.

Good Earth Pottery has a long history in Fairhaven. Founded in 1969 in the historic Morgan Block Building (which itself dates all the way back to 1890), it began as a cooperative studio before evolving into a privately-owned gallery space. It now boasts over 40 artists, the overwhelming majority of which are local to Whatcom County. Monthly feature shows balance local, national, and international artists.

In addition to its historical roots in Fairhaven, there is a deep connection between Good Earth as a gallery, the artists represented within, and the greater community's engagement with local art. Its shows and exhibits build a greater audience between Bellingham artists and the national and international pottery scene. Many ceramic artists got their start there, whether as potters or through showing their work in the space. As a gallerist, Ann Marie prioritizes giving new artists a chance and nurturing their professional careers, whether through the annual Whatcom student show or juried shows where newer artists might be exhibited alongside bigger names in the ceramic art world. Good Earth promotes education around the ceramic arts through occasional artist demos and regular gallery openings, allowing artists to connect on an individual level through their handmade work. In addition, they give back to the community through donating a portion of proceeds from shows in annual events such as the beloved Winter Warmers cup show every January, in which 5% of the proceeds are donated to Bellingham Food Bank.

Beginning soon, Ann Marie, assistant manager Jillian Cooper, staff members Kaylee Lyons and Will Abraham Jenkins, and a handful of other artists who exhibit their work in the gallery, will be joining together to open Starflower Studios, a private studio space in downtown Bellingham.

As Good Earth moves into its 56th year, they will have several features promoting local talent this Spring. Ann Marie herself will be the featured artist in March, with freshly wood-fired new work from a firing at Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana. In addition, she will be teaching a workshop at local studio Baker Creek Ceramics. The annual Student Show, featuring students from all over Whatcom county, will be the feature show in April. goodearthpots.com

Clay: A Human History

by Jennifer Lucy Allan available in March, hardcover, Pegasus Books

This is a book that understands why it is so easy to fall in love (or become completely obsessed) with pottery. Potter Jennifer Lucy Allan takes us on a delightful journey through the long history of humans getting their hands dirty in clay. Every page shines through with respect and affection for the art and science of ceramics that keep us clay nerds coming back to the wheel or the worktable again and again. –Will

The Chuckanut Reader – Spring 2025

Dear Reader,

– Sarah, Paul, Kelly

In This Issue...

Dragons and Mythical Beasts LIVE

Literacy Trivia Bee – Virtual –

TOP 10 STORIES 2024

A Year in Review

Employees Celebrate 20 Years

The Chuckanut Writers Conference Returns

Our Chuckanut Editions Publishes Our Hearts Beat as One

Round It Up Successes

4. Round It Up successes

Village Books 2024 Top 10 Stories

#8

History Mystery Puzzle Hunts

Who Dunnit? Apparently Paul Did

Our Work With Local Writers Expands

# 9

Literary Citizens Recognized

Owners in Service

I NDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY

Dirty Dan Murder MYSTERY Weekend

Calling all Gumshoes!

Who Killed Vincent "Viper" Melito?

& Fairhaven Festival Ski to Sea

ROUND IT UP

Join us in Supporting This Season’s Round It Up Partner

Immigrant Resources & Immediate Support

Supporting Basic Human Needs for Immigrant Families

Your Donations Make a Difference

WHAT WHATCOM

WAS READING -2024-

Village Books in Fairhaven Top Sellers

Fiction

The Manor of Dreams

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits

The Other March Sisters

How To Sleep At Night

The Dream Hotel

A Sea of Unspoken Things

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

Deep Cuts

New Fiction

The Original Daughter

The Strange Case of Jane O.

Soft Core

Dream Count

The Capital of Dreams

Back After This

Live Fast

Blob: A Love Story

New Fiction

Tilt

Life Hacks for Little Aliens

Heartwood

Sky Daddy

Three Days in June

We Could Be Rats

Saving Vincent:

A Novel of Jo van Gogh

New Fiction

The Cat Who Saved the Library

Killer Potential

Kate & Frida : A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books

Black Woods, Blue Sky

33 Place Brugmann

Good Dirt

The Antidote

Fiction

Tartufo

Speak to Me of Home

Short Stories

Fifteen Wild Decembers

Good Girl

Invisible Cities

Anniversary Edition

Bad Nature

No Two Persons

by Erica Bauermeister