The Seasons are Changing and New Books are on the Way!

What begins as a compelling family drama featuring an only daughter leaving for college and the void she leaves behind, morphs into something altogether different. So, fasten your seatbelts! Set in the grandeur of the California wine country amid a fierce fire season and unexplained and disturbing reports of missing persons, this is a taut story with intriguing characters. But nothing will prepare you for the surreal and unexpected turn the novel takes towards the end. It leaves you with the feeling of having entered a delicious Twilight Zone episode. Cai Emmons, who demonstrates sheer brilliance in her newest novel, gives book groups much to discuss. Magical realism at its finest. ~Jane

Fantasy and science fiction combine in this charming, unexpected novel with  quite a case of characters; a violin teacher who convinces her students to barter their souls to the devil, an extremely talented but abused trans runaway, and a starship captain – a refugee who has rescued her family from an intergalactic war and now runs a donut shop in the greater Los Angeles area. Scenes made us laugh and cry and laugh again. Insightful and unsparing, yet preposterous, hilarious, and deeply, inspiringly compassionate, Aoki’s book encompasses seemingly impossible dichotomies while enfolding you in its world. ~McNevin & Sara

Imagine you were pulled into a classroom and taught about witchcraft in the same style as sex ed… In The Women Could Fly speculative fiction is met with humor, spookiness, and excellent commentary on race, gender, and politics. For fans of Margaret Atwood and Octavia Butler, this subtle dystopian fantasy is the new book about witches you need in your life. ~Cappy

This might be my favorite WWII novel – partly because it takes its time getting to the war and is about so many other things (not least the whalebone theatre itself, in all its unlikely wonders), but also because of Quinn's nuanced exploration of her characters' particular war experiences. Cristabel Seagrave is a heroine for the ages, but most of the people in this wonderful novel are deeply engaging and heart-breakingly memorable. Quinn also has a remarkable talent for Place as Character – the drafty manor, the theatre, occupied France, the copses of the Dorset shore. I am hard pressed to believe this is a debut – Joanna Quinn's writing is incredibly assured and I loved how adroitly she shifts narrative forms and points of view while both thwarting and filling the reader's expectations. ~Rafe

Full disclosure: I love to cook and have collected cookbooks for decades. I am also a huge fan of Melissa Clark’s contributions to the food section of the New York Times. Her recipes are fun, tasty, and most importantly reliable. This collection of one-pan recipes is a treat for any cook who relishes the simplicity of minimal cleanup while providing an attractive and palate-pleasing meal. The book is full of gorgeous photographs and includes a wide range of dishes from soups to pastas to meat and meatless dishes with a variety of international selections. The Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta is delicious! It is not only a practical addition to any cookbook collection but a lovely gift book. ~Susan

The scope of this book is vast, its rewards rich. Our sense of history has been framed by prejudices and presumptions. Anthropological and sociological studies, however, have amassed endless new evidence over the last hundred years or more that has not been incorporated into our assumptions about human society. This is the very task that Graeber and Wengrow have taken on in this deeply researched and thoroughly documented tome. In doing so they have breathed new life into the story of society and of human potential. Fascinating and inspiring. ~McNevin

In graduate school I studied the rise of the modern right wing, and so I was intrigued by how many of our customers requested this book on the topic. In Jesus and John Wayne Du Mez provides an excellent overview of capitalism, fear, and toxic masculinity, and how they converged with American Evangelicalism to result in the election of Donald Trump – plus plenty of other disturbing things along the way. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to better understand our current political landscape. ~Cappy

Julian Lawndsley left his high-powered finance job in London and bought a bookshop in a small seaside village. One of his first customers is Edward, the husband of a high-ranking intelligence officer and resident of the Silverview manse on the edge of the village. Strangely, he seems to know a lot about Julian’s family and early life and is eager to engage Julian in a new business enterprise. Shortly thereafter, a letter turns up at the door of the spy chief in London warning him of an intelligence breach in a small seaside village, and the le Carré roller coaster begins! This, the 26^th and final of le Carré’s work, is full of love and betrayal, loyalty and morality, and dedication to public duty. Elegantly written, silkily plotted and ending with a satisfying punch this is a bittersweet finish to a stunning writing career. ~Susan

Paula Becker knows grief. In this short, spare, kind book, admired Seattle writer and historian Becker generously pours wisdom from her own experience into our empty cup. It is gentle, focused, and accepting of the wide and varied needs and emotions of anyone going through loss. Don’t be put off that it looks like a small “gift book.” There are few sentences on most pages, but a person experiencing grief can often only take small sips at a time. Take this offered hand. Breathe. ~Victoria