Nonfiction
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Dreaming of Wild Places
Cold weather and snow (snow!) make me want to curl up under my bubble lights and dream about outside adventures in the natural world. I like a touch of nostalgia too, so here are a few memoirs that are intricately connected to the time and place they were written in, with a great mindfulness for… Continue reading
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Happy (vegan) Holidays!
Happy (vegan) Holidays! Are you a vegan living in self-imposed food exile, avoiding holiday parties? Are you afraid to bring dessert to a potluck, lest it taste like dense cardboard? Are you tired of answering the question, “but what… Continue reading
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Movie Mondays: The ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Primer
It has been three long years since a Coen brothers film graced the silver screen. Thankfully, the drought ends this month with the release of their sixteenth feature, Inside Llewyn Davis. The film follows a struggling singer-songwriter in the burgeoning New York folk scene of the early 1960s. Want to get the most out of… Continue reading
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Movie Mondays: Kings of Comedy
This fall we saw the publication of books about two comedy giants – the biography Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him by Henry David and the autobiography Still Foolin’ Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys? by Billy Crystal. The following films, some of their finest and funniest, are… Continue reading
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Books on Near-Death Experiences
Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer to Near Death, to True Healing by Anita Moorjani A fascinating account of a woman’s remarkable near-death experience in which she finds her path in life. Born to Indian parents in Singapore, growing up in Hong Kong, and educated by British education, Moorjani was an outsider from… Continue reading
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Learning on the right side of the brain
Autumn’s overstuffed backpacks and pencil cases always trigger feelings of expectation and excitement. And although school bells and hall passes may be a distant memory, it’s never too late to learn something new. I’ve always wanted to be able to draw but any attempts inevitably led to frustration and doodles that a second grader would… Continue reading
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What to read while you wait for Morrissey’s Autobiography
I want the one I can’t have, and it’s driving me mad. . . No doubt countless American fans of Morrissey are singing those lyrics to Penguin Books right now. The publisher released the singer’s autobiography last Thursday under its Classics imprint. . . in the UK only. It went straight to number 1 on… Continue reading
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What I Made: Cute & cuddly children’s toys
Although I have no children of my own (and don’t plan to), I really enjoy knitting for babies and toddlers. The projects are quick and totally adorable, and parents really appreciate these one-of-a-kind handmade gifts. Recently, I’ve gotten into knitting and sewing toys for my friend’s… Continue reading
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Catch a Tiger by its Tale
An absolutely gripping true story that reads like a mystery is John Vaillant’s award-winning science book called The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival. The story is set in the frigid Maritime Territory of Russia, where an Amur (Siberian) Tiger killed three hunters in 1997. The reader is transported to the tiger’s natural… Continue reading
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What do GMO labels, petition signatures and excise taxes have in common?
They are all initiative measures on the 2013 ballot. If you are a registered Washington State voter, you will be asked to weigh in on each of these soon. The election is only three weeks away, do you feel informed and ready? The Washington Secretary of State’s Online Voters’ Guide is a great official source… Continue reading
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Do It Yourself Harmonica
All my life I wanted to play harmonica. So many songs come to mind that grab me. There’s On the Road Again by Canned Heat or maybe Boom Boom by John Lee Hooker and Rollin’ and Tumblin’ by Cream too. I could try to pay for lessons, but could I also learn harmonica by myself? When… Continue reading
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Fall Book Group Reads: Jen’s Nonfiction picks
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo Based on relentless fact-finding and reporting, this harrowing story of hope and devastation in a poverty-strewn makeshift Indian town is told from the perspectives of those who live and die in Annawadi. Groups will discuss worldwide economic inequality and solutions… Continue reading
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Savory goodness in a dish
Comforting. Yummy. Satisfying. Those words are from the back cover of Potpies: Yumminess in a Dish and they perfectly describe this type of savory mini-pie. After trying several commercial varieties, I thought to myself, wouldn’t a salmon potpie be delicious—and oh-so-Northwest? I wasn’t able to find one (either store-bought or from the many excellent pie… Continue reading
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Fall Book Group Reads: Misha’s picks
Here are some of my favorite reads from 2013 that I think would be fantastic for book group discussion. Continue reading
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Are you registered to vote?
The Seattle Public Library is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County on National Voter Registration Day, a nation-wide, nonpartisan effort to register thousands of voters on one single day. On September 24th, volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County will be joining a host of others across the… Continue reading
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Struck By Lightning!
Were you mesmerized by the recent news story about the motorcyclist who survived a lightning strike on I-5 during our severe weather last week? His hair was singed and an ear blackened, but other than being a little dazed, he lived to tell the tale. Although the odds of being struck by lightning in the… Continue reading
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Comics That Educate
I like to read comics and I also like to learn. I also like to read comics to learn. If you’re not one of the many people who already read non-fiction comic books, then you might find these reviews and recommendations helpful on where to start. The 14th Dalai Lama is a manga biography of Tenzin Gyatso… Continue reading
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Columbia Branch Staff’s Favorites
The Columbia Branch staff put up a popular Staff Picks display throughout July to celebrate this year’s Summer Reading Program. Here are some of the books the Columbia Branch staff loved: Blankets by Craig Thompson This graphic novel tells a story of coming of age, first love and early adulthood. Thompson captures those timeless themes perfectly… Continue reading