“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” ~ Calvin Trillan
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Spring is in the air and we're celebrating! May Day, Mother's Day, Graduation, and of course gardening and baseball! These are the things that have captured our attention this month. From the trendiest bestsellers to under-the-radar gems, we are ready to help you find the best gifts for moms and grads. Journals, puzzles, games, and other gifts make these celebrations even more special. The Farmer's Market is buzzing in Winslow, and we are all set with the latest garden-to-table cookbooks. So get outside and wander over to your hometown bookstore where you will find all you need to celebrate Spring! |
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Coming Soon: Pre-order Now! |
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This Week - Virtual Author Event! |
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Join us on May 6, 2021 from 7:00 - 7:45 pm for the exciting reissue of Kathleen Alcalá's classic novel Spirits of the Ordinary. Kathleen will be joined by none other than our very own former Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna. A writer whose work embraces both traditional and innovative storytelling techniques, Kathleen Alcalá is the author of six award-winning books that include a collection of short stories, three novels, an essay collection, and a blueprint for sustainability, The Deepest Roots: Finding Food and Community on a Pacific Northwest Island. Alcalá was born and raised in California, and now lives here on Bainbridge Island. We are so excited for the lively discussion these two are prepared to have about the novel as well as other topics dear to both their hearts.
Set in northern Mexico in the 1870s, Spirits of the Ordinary tells interweaving stories centered on Zacarías Carabajal, who leaves his comfortable city home to prospect for gold in the wilderness while his abandoned wife, Estela, struggles to build a new life. Visions, dreams, and portents are part of the everyday world in this extraordinary novel. Presenting a tapestry of fascinating lives as well as the story of a reluctant mystic in a spectacular desert landscape, Spirits of the Ordinary demonstrates that, as Alcalá writes in her introduction, "magic and holiness are all around us."
Links to the event and the author's books can be found here.
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A Game of Birds and Wolves, by Simon Parkin
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Thanks to the dominance of Hitler’s U-boats over the Atlantic shipping lanes, Great Britain was starving – for food to feed its citizens and goods to fight the war. This is the story of the design, by a medically unfit former British naval officer, of a board game demonstrating how to sink Hitler’s U-boats. In highly skilled hands, these war games illustrated that the British naval officers were doing it all wrong. The problem was that Britain’s men were at war, and the only available work force to teach these ol’ sea dogs that they didn’t know how to hunt U-Boats were uneducated young women! Simon Parkin’s never before told story of how that happened is a marvelous read, by measure both riveting and surreal. ~ Dave
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Not for Luck, by Derek Sheffield |
I feel so at home in this book! In the natural world, Sheffield finds touchstones for lovely and masterful poems having far-ranging concerns. He crafts tough and tender pieces regarding family and the complexities of parenting: see “Monsters,” p. 33, “Abortion Wish,” p. 47, and “Her Present,” p. 83. Check out the eloquent collision of history and nature in “The Wren and the Jet ...,” p. 6, with its gut-punch closing meditation. And don’t miss “The Empty Road Full of People,” p. 65, a nuanced and cathartic merging of Native American history and Sheffield’s career as a teacher. It gave me goose bumps! A beautiful book inside and out, this is a collection to cherish. ~ John, Bookseller Emeritus
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This intense 2017 Booker Prize finalist, Mozley’s debut, enthralled me with its lyrical portrayal of characters and setting. The novel revolves around a close family of three—the narrator, who is a young man of fifteen, his fierce older sister, and a larger-than-life father—who live in a Yorkshire forest, in harmony with the natural world yet in proximity to a cruel and unscrupulous landowner. Mozley’s language possesses the heft and feel of myth, and the inevitable, terrifying climax broke my heart. This is an amazing, exceptional read. ~ John, Bookseller Emeritus
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Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke |
Funny, magical, and absolutely strange, this book defies explanation. Clark’s excellent writing is on full display, leading the reader through a labyrinth of stone walls and rushing tides, unfolding an utterly creative plot. The main character (his name is a topic of debate) lives in an endless house of stone and statues, where he is completely content. When “the Other” (the only other known in existence) begins acting strangely our main character is concerned. But when a new person shows up in the House our main character is faced with a reality he once knew and has long forgotten. Speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and crime cult/murder mystery converge in this fabulous and satisfying tale. ~ Cappy
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The Long Call, by Ann Cleeves
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This latest by Cleeves sets up a new series featuring Matthew Venn, a detective with the Devon and Cornwall Police, and follows his investigation of a man found dead on the beach. We meet Jen Rafferty, a young, strong character with a clearly solid career ahead of her. The plot unfolds around a local art center and the potential suspects who inhabit its studios. Meanwhile Matthew is confronted with a conflict of interest; should he withdraw from the case to pursue the killer full on? And a primary witness and central character is a young woman with Down's syndrome, which brings inclusion front and center. This new series, locale and central character show real promise and Cleeves’ masterful storytelling leaves the reader hooked on Matthew Venn, eager for book two. ~ Susan
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A Little Devil in America, by Hanif Abdurraqib |
This book is a celebration. Abdurraqib writes as if he’s dancing his own line on Soul Train. He writes artfully, and clearly revels in the sheer freedom of his artistry and skill. He turns a critical eye on white America for trying to pimp out the genius of Black performers such as Aretha Franklin, Don Shirley, Mike Tyson, Whitney Houston, and others. Abdurraqib joins in the dance, focuses on the movements of his Black partners in art, dances through both anguish and delight, and ultimately “shows out” the power and autonomous glory of Black performance. Stay for the ending! ~ Carrie
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab
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This book kept me up all night because I just had to know what happened to Addie LaRue. Set across centuries and countries, Schwab’s writing is spellbinding as she recounts the tale of Addie, a woman who trades her life in 17th century France for eternal life—with the catch that no one will ever remember her. I fell in love with Addie and her determination to leave a mark on this world. As a lover of fantasy and speculative fiction I was drawn to those elements of the book, but with half of the plot taking place in 2014 in New York City, this book will also appeal to mainstream fiction readers. An examination of loneliness, the power dynamics of love, and humanity’s deep fear of running out of time, this book will stay with me for a long time. Also, no spoilers but the ending might be my favorite ending to a book I have ever read. ~ Cappy
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Writers & Lovers, by Lily King |
Lily King masterfully blends romantic interests, adult friendships, family relationships, and the ever-present question, “Am I a failure?” into an authentic depiction of life. Casey Peabody is in her early 30s, working in an upscale restaurant, living in a glorified potting shed, and equal parts determined and loathed to finish writing her novel. With engaging and witty writing King explores the tribulations of working as a woman, the horrors of gynecologist visits and student debt, the comfort of eating cinnamon toast with your best friend, budding relationships, and the profound anguish of losing a parent. Reading Writers & Lovers feels like having a long conversation with your favorite friend and is a book I will probably re-read and re-read. ~ Cappy
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The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami |
In a Tokyo suburb, a young man searches for his wife’s missing cat—and soon, for her as well, through a mysterious netherworld of shifting realities. He encounters a psychic prostitute; his brother-in-law, who is a malevolent but mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid sixteen-year-old-girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by Japan's forgotten campaign in Manchuria. Mesmerizing, surreal, strangely touching and darkly funny, with a distinct touch of David Lynch at his best. ~ McNevin
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The Secret History, by Donna Tartt |
Ever feel like your friends are up to something without you? In this beautifully written tale of the academic world, Tartt introduces us to the elite study of Classics, and five students who are willing to go a little too far in their search for something special. I was drawn in immediately by the feeling of being back at school, with a charismatic professor and friends who might just do anything for you… or to you. This story will have you thinking back to all your adventures at college, and any secrets that might be hiding there. ~ Sarah
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Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition, by Patricia S. Churchland
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Churchland is an exceptional scholar in that she has expertise in both neuroscience and moral philosophy. In this book she deftly combines the insights from those fields and others to produce a fascinating account of how we make decisions that have moral significance. Some of her descriptions of how our brains work are rather technical, but overall her writing style is very engaging and accessible. ~ David
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No one is Talking About This, by Patricia Lockwood |
Told hilariously in breathless, dizzying, fragmented stream of consciousness, this novel depicts a young woman whose job is to lecture about the internet (or ‘portal’) to which she is addicted. She is incredibly smart, self-aware, feminist--and perhaps on the verge of losing herself. Then reality strikes in the form of a family tragedy. This is a wholly unique voice, filled with poetry, insight, absurdity, humor, the profane, and deep heartfelt empathy. I read this one straight through twice and am sure I will again. ~ McNevin
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New In Paperback Nonfiction |
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Fred Gets Dressed
by Peter Brown
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The Crayons' Book of Feelings
by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
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Have You Ever Seen a Flower?
by Shawn Harris
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Ways to Make Sunshine
by Renee Watson
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Willa of Dark Hollow
by Robert Beatty
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Dog Diaries: Ruffing It
by James Patterson,
with Steven Butler
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Flight of the Puffin
by Ann Braden
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The Adventure is Now
by Jess Redman
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Truly Tyler
by Terri Libenson
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New Books For Young Adults |
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Hurricane Summer
by Asha Bromfield
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Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry
by Joya Goffney
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10 Truths and a Dare
by Ashley Elston
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Take Me Home Tonight
by Morgan Matson
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The Ones We're Meant to Find
by Joan He
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Drop in - You are Welcome! |
All Store Book Group titles are discounted 15% up until the date of discussion
Reader's Circle Book Group
May 4, 7:00 pm
by John Boyne
Speculative Fiction Book Group
May 4, 7:00 pm
by Hao Jingfang, Ken Liu (Translated by)
Mystery Book Group
April 27, 7:00 pm
Our popular in-store book groups are now meeting virtually by G Suite!
Contact us for the meeting links.
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Thank You For Supporting The Island's Independent Bookstore |
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157 Winslow Way E
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206.842.533
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