June 2019

  • Bus Reads for June

    Commuting to Seattle by bus five days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Here’s what I read on the bus in June: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This felt like a book that will stick with me for quite a while. This book has so many layers and brought me… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2019: Set in Summer

    A particular satisfaction can be found in reading that mirrors the season outside, a satisfaction you can revel in while filling the BookBingoNW category Set in Summer. From coming-of-age, to mystery, to general fiction and nonfiction, we have ideas to get you started. Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman Over the course of… Continue reading

  • Library Reads for July

    Ten books coming in July that librarians across the US are loving. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman Nina likes her bookish life just fine. She works in a bookstore and is on a highly competitive trivia team. She is funny and snarky and great company (says this reader). Suddenly, a father… Continue reading

  • Bee Smart! Books about Pollinators for Kids

    As National Pollinator Week comes to a close, discover books about bees and other pollinators to enjoy with your children and to help kids understand the roles pollinators play in our environment. And then on Monday, June 24, sign them up for Summer of Learning so they can continue to Explore Your World!   The… Continue reading

  • Graphic Medicine

    Ever read a comic story with a character that has arthritis? How about someone who lives with anxiety and depression? PTSD? Food poisoning? If so, then you’re already familiar with Graphic Medicine! Graphic Medicine is a genre of comics (with a website!) that examines the intersection of the comics medium with the discourses of healthcare,… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2019: Science

    Looking for something to fill in your Book Bingo “Science” square?  Something that will stretch your brain? How about a fascinating page-turner that somehow makes complex topics easy to grasp? Here are some titles that bear no resemblance to a dusty chemistry textbook: A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold… Continue reading

  • Celebrate pollinators in June!

    Learn more about pollinators, how to attract them into your garden, and reflect on what can be done to protect them and the work they do in our ecosystems. Of course it’s a subject always of interest, but June 17-23, 2019 is National Pollinator Week, designated by the U.S. Senate as a celebration of pollinators… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2019: Set in the Northwest

    Welcome to another year of Summer Book Bingo and suggestions for the category “set in the NW!” This category is one of my favorites because it gives me a chance to explore my home region in fiction. Find these titles and other suggestions here. While I’m native to Portland, OR, there’s one book that made… Continue reading

  • BookBingoNW2019: DIY (Do-It-Yourself)

    You may not have heard the term DIY before but you’re likely familiar with the concept. Do you grow your own herbs? Cook? Make small home repairs? Knit? Sew? Change a flat tire on your bicycle? Well that means that you do it yourself (DIY). And any book that teaches you how to make something… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2019: Comics

    Comics is a magical and mysterious medium that can fill one or all of your Book Bingo card squares this summer! It’s up to you! Take a look at this recent staff booklist of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Comics and Graphic Novels and maybe try out In Between, a collection of poetry comics by… Continue reading

  • Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

    The first Spring in our new house was spent figuring out where we wanted things and tackling the things we didn’t – I battled sticker bushes and morning glory, we moved garden beds, and got a patio poured. This year all that hard work started coming together. I planted vegetables, we got patio furniture, and… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, June 2019

    No matter what kind of summer reader you are – romance, mystery, fantasy, historical fiction, general fiction – something is coming out in June for you to savor. 6/4: Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin – In this contemporary take on Pride and Prejudice set in Toronto’s Muslim community, poet and teacher Ayesha is holding… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – June 2019

    100 Side Hustles. Chris Guillebeau features 100 stories of regular people launching successful side businesses. Broken Places & Outer Spaces. Nnedi Okorafor examines how limitation and hardship in the lives of artists fuel their work. Cult of the Dead Cow. Explores how one of the first group of hackers came to lead the charge for cyber security… Continue reading