LibraryThing Local

Most known for his two memoirs, The Boy He Left Behind and Sex Death Enlightenment, Mark Matousek, who's here with his new book, When You're Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living (Bloomsbury), looks at people who have endured some of life's hardest tests—and explores what they have drawn upon ... (more)in order to survive, and even derive meaning and insight.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris was my favorite book of 2007, so I'm very excited to discuss it with the group on the last Saturday of July! Everyone is welcome to our no-guilt, drop-in alternative book club. We meet every other month, usually on the last Saturday night of the given month. ... (more) The store closes at 6 on Saturdays, so we have the place all to ourselves for an hour of in-depth discussion about the book (usually something a little edgier than the regular book club fare). After an hour of literary-mindness, we keep the fun going by heading out to a local bar or restaurant together. Pop in and join us; it's a great way to think about what you've read and meet some fantastic people.

WHY I CAME WEST: A MEMOIR Award-winning author of many acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction, Rick Bass visits to introduce his new book, which eloquently explores how he fell in love with the West—in particular his beloved Yaak Valley in Northwestern Montana— and describes his role as a reluctant ... (more)environmental activist, unwilling to stand by and watch this treasured place disappear. Bass offers a clear-eyed view of the challenges facing environmentalists and of how our relation to the wilderness is essential to our being human.

This is the fifth book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, in which the author re-imagines the Napoleonic Wars in a fantasy setting where dragons serve as the mounted air force. The dragon Temeraire, believing his captain is dead, trains a squadron of scaly, leathery-winged, and unmanned comrades to fight ... (more)against the French.

We are most delighted to have back over this way, from the beautiful, rugged corner of Montana that holds the Yaak Valley, one of this country's most acclaimed writers, Rick Bass. He makes this welcome return, as he has for the better part of two decades now, for an extraordinary series of works of both ... (more)fiction and nonfiction. Tonight is occasioned by his newest book, one of the latter, Why I Came West (Houghton Mifflin).

Chuck Palahniuk is one of a kind. No one else writes like he doesand really, there aren't that many who would even try. He's been mining difficult territory in his novels, stories, and essays for years. His ninth novel concerns the porn industry, and an aging star who decides to end her career by breaking ... (more)a record on camera—that of most partners in a single session.

Who destroyed the Phoenix Space Elevator, the 22nd century's grandest, global achievement? Could it be the South American insurgent group, Autumn Rain, who are claiming responsibility? U.S. counterintelligence agents Claire Haskell and Jason Marlowe set out to find the group and discover the truth.

Some good literate fun—very literate fun—is in store this evening as Jess Winfield, co-founder of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and the central figure in his own full-length show, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), reads from his rollicking debut novel, My Name is Will (12). ... (more)Any wondering as to who might be the Will in question?

A party for all avid enthusiasts of STEPHENIE MEYER'S NOVELS. Releasing at midnight her new book, BREAKING DAWN. Get your vampire, werewolf,native american clothes ready for this celebration. Presales 25% off. See you here in downtown Poulsbo.

BREAKING DAWN We'll be opening our doors at 11pm to celebrate the riveting fourth and final Stephenie Meyer Twilight series book, in which many questions are answered and Bella's and Edward's fate is revealed. Our release party will include movies, food, trivia, door prizes, costumes, and much more. ... (more)We are currently taking pre-orders for Breaking Dawn, and when you prepay, you receive double Eagle Dozen Book Club card stamps. Reserve your copy today!

Doug Dorst's northern California-set debut novel, Alive in Necropolis (Riverhead) offers some imaginative re-presentation of what could be a formula story, taking as it does the perspective of a young police officer. But what an officer, what a town, what a story.

Today's tale is "Ransom," by Pearl S. Buck. “We have your son.” It may not be every parent’s nightmare, but it is every rich parent’s nightmare. Love a good story? Sit back, relax, and escape from the everyday as we bring you gripping short stories expertly read, and well-calculated to keep ... (more)you in suspense! Admission is free, and brown bag lunches are welcome.

Private Investigator Harper Blaine is a Greywalker—an individual who moves easily between the worlds of the living and the dead. With this paranormal power comes paranormal responsibilities, as Blaine's caseload has become increasingly odd and zombie-filled. Seattle's underground is filling up with ... (more)the living dead, and Blaine must hunt down the culprit in this new book. Seattle's Richelle Mead reads from her new book, Storm Born, about a mercenary shaman who discovers a prophecy that says her first-born child will threaten the future.

Queen Anne Books welcomes all interested readers to its drop-in, no-guilt book club. We get together the first Wednesday and second Monday of every month, so pick the day that works best for you and join us at 7:00. No reservation or sign-up is needed-- just drop by. Sign up for Patti's email list ... (more)if you would like to receive reminders, discussion links and summaries.

RICK STEVES' PARIS 2009Continuing one of our favorite traditions here at the store, co-author and renowned travel researcher for Europe Through the Back Door series Gene Openshaw gives a talk and slide show about enjoying Paris on a moderate budget, previewing the 2009 edition of his Paris guidebook. ... (more)Gene talks about Paris -- the City of Light -- which has been a beacon of civilization for 2,000 years, the city's many cultural sights, its neighborhoods, and how to see it on a moderate budget. Gene has co-authored eight Rick Steves books, including Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler. His passion for Europe is well known by those who have used his books or attended his lectures. Openshaw is a writer, composer, tour guide, and lecturer on art and history. His infamous travels through Europe with Rick Steves are documented in Rick's memoir Postcards from Europe. Gene went on to write several books with Rick, and contributes to the PBS television series "Rick Steves' Europe." Specializing in writing walking tours of Europe's cultural sights, he has co-authored guidebooks on Paris, London, Amsterdam, Venice, Florence, and Rome.

J. Edward Chamberlin, a breeder of horses and professor of English at the University of Toronto, draws from archeology, biology, art, literature, and ethnography in his continuing examination of the equine/human relationship. His book, Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations, now out in a paperback ... (more)edition from BlueBridge Press, tells of horses both wild and domesticated, working in rodeos and expanding empires, inspiring art and providing sustenance.

A VISITOR FOR BEAR Seattle children's author Bonnie Becker (The Christmas Crocodile) comes to talk about her fun new book, in which the cheery persistence of a mouse wins over a curmudgeonly bear and begins an unlikely friendship. George Shannon, our own kids' author, gives the book a hearty endorsement: ... (more)"Becker's pitch-perfect text blends slapstick comedy with subtle shifts in character. Who among us hasn't fought change, only to discover we love what we'd once resisted? One of my favorite books of the year, it's great for sharing one-to-one as well as reading aloud to groups." ~ Ages 4-8

San Francisco-based New York Times correspondent Matt Richtel's debut thriller, Hooked (Twelve), was first published to praise and a strong reader response a year ago. He makes this welcome visit with its paperback edition in hand, a great one for summer.

Queen Anne Books welcomes all interested readers to its drop-in, no-guilt book club. We get together the first Wednesday and second Monday of every month, so pick the day that works best for you and join us at 7:00. No reservation or sign-up is needed-- just drop by. Sign up for Patti's email list ... (more)if you would like to receive reminders, discussion links and summaries.

Three young people dream of a city at the edge of time—the Kalpa—and find themselves hurtled into it. There, they inhabit the bodies of two inhabitants who have been retro-engineered to possess the qualities of ancient humanity. They hold objects, stony artifacts that move forward and backward through ... (more)time with them, always unchanging—and it is these that a powerful entity, the chalk princess, wants to possess. Check out cityattheendoftime.com. For a signed copy of City at the End of Time, email our resident scifi/fantasy expert Duane no later than August 12 @ noon.

On Their Own: Women Journalists and the American Experience in VietnamIn a series of overlapping biographies about a central group of women who invented themselves as war correspondents, this book tells a gripping yet largely unknown story of perseverance and triumph. With its portraits of Gloria Emerson, ... (more)Frances FitzGerald, Kate Webb, and Beverly Deepe, among others, women who covered the war are, at last, woven in the tapestry of Vietnam-era history. On Their Own fuses cultural history, journalism history, and women's history into a compelling narrative. Joyce Hoffmann, an award-winning author and journalist, is on the faculty at Old Dominion University and is public editor of the Virginian Pilot. She lives in Norfolk.Discussion and Book Signing, Wednesday, August 13 at 6 p.m.

Today's tale is "Jugged," by Elmore Leonard. A drunken brawl and a night in jail aren’t so bad for young Pete, until he learns his cell mate is the wildest man in the West. Love a good story? Sit back, relax, and escape from the everyday as we bring you gripping short stories expertly read, and ... (more)well-calculated to keep you in suspense! Admission is free, and brown bag lunches are welcome.

The subtitle is: How to Handle the Most Exasperating Behavior of Your 2 to 5 Year OldBring your thorniest questions to ask these experts, and some lifesaving, no-nonsense advice will ensue!About the authors: Michelle Nicholasen, an award-winning filmmaker for Frontline and Nova, gave up her career in ... (more)2004 to raise five children under the age of five. After a two-year battle with infertility, she “hit the IVF jackpot.” Michelle gave birth to her first daughter in 2001, and when she and her husband tried for a second child, she became pregnant with triplets. And when her triplet daughters were ten months old, Michelle became spontaneously (and impossibly!) pregnant with her fifth child, a boy. Michelle survived an intense learning curve in child-raising and decided to put all her little-kid behavior strategies into a book to give a leg-up to other moms and dads. Barbara O’Neal has worked with preschool-aged children, teachers and families for more than forty years in the capacity of Educational Director, parent consultant and teacher trainer. She has co-directed the Arlington Children’s Center of Arlington, Massachusetts, for thirty years. Barbara is the mother of three children, and also has three grandchildren.Michelle Nicholasen's blog can be found here.

The Queen Anne Art Walk is the third Thursday of every summer month from 6:00- 8:00. Businesses all along upper Queen Anne host receptions and show the work of local artists. For August-September, Queen Anne Books will be featuring the incredible photography of Roseanne Olson. During our reception ... (more)with the artist, Olson will be signing her new book, This is Who I Am. We are proud to show gorgeous photography and sell her compassionate, thought-provoking book. For a sample of Roseanne Olson's work, please see her website, www.roseanneolson.com.

This third book in the Genesis of Shannara series deepens an already deeply realized fantasy setting. The mortal world and the magical collide as Logan Tom must protect the world's only hope for salvation—and settle a score with the demon who killed his family.

The Central Library will be closed for Labor Day today, so there will be no Thrilling Tales program.

All the Whitney women can read the future in a piece of lace. But Towner Whitney has vowed never to use her gift––and never to return to Salem––after a terrible tragedy involving her twin sister, Lyndley, nearly left her mad. But her resolve is tested when her beloved Great Aunt Eva, Salem’s ... (more)original Lace Reader, disappears and Towner must return to the place that has been her family’s home for generations, the only place where she can find the truth about her aunt’s disappearance and her own disquieting past. But as one mystery is solved, another begins as a troubled and abused young woman named Angela disappears from Salem, a disappearance that could possibly be linked to a born-again preacher with deep ties to the Whitney clan and a cult-like following frighteningly reminiscent of a far earlier time. With the infamous and history-laden town of Salem, Massachusetts as a backdrop, this remarkable first-time author has created a modern community of fascinating characters whose ties to each other and the past are also inextricably bound to what a time and place have come to represent culturally as part of our national identity. The Lace Reader is a mesmerizing tale which spirals into a world of secrets as difficult to read as the lace itself. It is also an important story about the love of family, the bond between women, the mystery of twins, and the ever-present danger of the past repeating itself. The Lace Reader has been chosen as a Dual Main Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club. The book's own website is here.

Today's tale is "Decision," by Helen Nielsen. The papers called her a “stony faced tigress” and an “iceberg killer,” but underneath it all she was just like you and me. Love a good story? Sit back, relax, and escape from the everyday as we bring you gripping short stories expertly read, and ... (more)well-calculated to keep you in suspense! Admission is free, and brown bag lunches are welcome. The Thrilling Tales for the rest of 2008 are: Oct. 6 "The Crowd," by Ray Bradbury. The car wreck was terrible, but afterwards it was the ones who came running that he couldn’t forget, and couldn’t escape. Oct. 20 "One Foot in the Grave," by Davis Grubb. When you lose a foot, you still feel the phantom limb. But what does the foot feel? Creepy fun. Also "The Damned Thing," by Ambrose Bierce. What is the color of terror? Nov. 3 "November Story," by Barbara Callahan. On the eve of the election, a presidential candidate’s wife searches for a way out of limbo. Also "Going Down?" by Jack Ritchie. A curious approach to suicide prevention. Nov. 17 "The Cost of Kent Castwell," by Avram Davidson. They say good fences make good neighbors, but sometimes a fence just isn’t high enough. Also "Crazy Old Lady," by Avram Davidson. “What is the world coming to?” she asked. Then she found the answer in her own handbag! Dec. 1 "Evening Primrose," by John Collier. At night, when the shoppers all leave, the department store takes on a bizarre life of its own, in this curiously horrifying tale. Dec. 15 "A Merry Merry Christmas," by Ed McBain. Holiday cheer meets homicidal rage. Also "The Twelve Terrors of Xmas," by John Updike, & "Nackles," by Donald Westlake. You’ve heard of Santa Claus? Now meet the anti-Claus.

Please join June Cotner with Dr. Sharon Clegg and her guide dogs explaining the roll of volunteers with guide dogs. We look forward to seeing you at this free event