Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Book review by Aarene Storms: Grand Theft Horse

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Grand Theft Horse by G. Neri, illustrated by Corban Wilkin

Gail Ruffu's life had always centered on horses: riding them, caring for them, training for them. She was a respected racehorse trainer when she became part-owner of Urgent Envoy, a promising young Thoroughbred horse. 

The horse's co-owners pushed Gail--and Urgent Envoy--to race early and fast. He sustained a minor injury, one that would heal completely given time. But the other owners wanted to win.

That's why, on Christmas Eve 2004, Gail stole her own horse.

Her memoir, as told in comic book format by her cousin G. Neri, is the story of how Gail Ruffu became the first person in a hundred and fifty years to be charged with "Grand Theft Horse," a legal case that went all the way to the California Supreme Court.

The dramatic story will ring absolutely true to horse lovers of all ages. I'll be putting my Advance Reader's Copy in the mail to somebody tonight. It goes on sale next week; buy it for the horse lover in your life. Or for yourself. Either way, it's a winner.

No sex, no cussing, some violence (towards people and animals), some (horse) drugging situations. Strong female protagonist, and great artwork.


Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS astorms@kcls.org



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Join the Club! November book and movie picks for Third Place Commons

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Third Place Commons has launched two new clubs as part of their TPC At Home programming, giving you the perfect chance to have fun and connect with your Commons Community in these most stressful of times. Whether you’re a movie lover, a book lover, or both, your Commons community awaits.

Join the TPC Movie Club for a fun monthly conversation about a pre-selected film and just talk movies as well. Talk about what you love, what disappointed you, what’s coming soon, and what you’re watching now.

If books are more your thing, talk books with the Commons Community Book Club. Read recent paperback bestsellers, bring your thoughts on the pick of the month, and share what else you’re reading.

On Tuesday, November 10, 2020 the TPC Movie Club will discuss “Parasite,” the Academy Award winning 2020 Best Picture. A dazzling, funny, and always surprising film, this great movie is part satire, part thriller, and part social commentary that will keep you guessing from start to finish.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 99% and declares, “An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, 'Parasite' finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft." (Rated R for sexual content, language, and some violence.)

​Where to find it: You can find “Parasite” free on Hulu with subscription, or rent/buy from Xfinity, Amazon, Apple TV, Vudu, and Fandango Now.

REGISTER HERE for the TPC Movie Club, which meets at 7:30pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Next up, the Commons Community Book Club meets on Wednesday, November 18th to discuss “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, they wrote, “This stylish and propulsive novel, presented in the form of an oral history, explores the ascent of a (fictional) hard-partying, iconic 1970s rock band. It reads like the transcript of a particularly juicy episode of VH1’s ‘Behind the Music.’"

A NYT Bestseller and Reese’s Book Club selection, Daisy Jones and the Six was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by NPR, The Washington Post, Esquire, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Shelf Awareness, BookRiot, and more!​

Where to find it: You'll tear through this quick, fun read, so get your copy today and join the conversation on November 18th at 5pm! You can get it from the library, in person at Third Place Books, or order it online (including the audiobook) here.

REGISTER HERE for the Commons Community Book Club, which meets at 5pm on the third Wednesday of each month.

Also on November 18th, tune in for Pandemic Picks: TV! to get all the binge-worthy fuel you need to get through the long, cold months to come. Register here.

After you register the first time for each club, you’ll receive the link to join the club every month. (No need to register more than once!) So whether you’re quarantining with a houseful and need a break from your 24/7 companions, or staying solo and need a break from yourself, join the book club or movie club (or both) to make new friends and have some fun!

Third Place Commons, a community supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is celebrating its 20th anniversary of building real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park. 

In addition to presenting its largest program, the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market, Third Place Commons now also fosters real community in digital space. To learn more, or to make a gift to support the market and the Commons, visit ThirdPlaceCommons.org.



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Book review by Aarene Storms: Estranged

Saturday, October 31, 2020

Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge

The Human Childe was changed with the son of the King and Queen of the Fae when both were very young. In the World Above, the elvish heir to the throne lives with parents and an older sister in modern Brooklyn. 

In the World Below, the boy doesn't even have a name. Then things go terribly wrong, and the Human Childe goes up into our world to seek the aid of the changeling who was swapped.

A modern changeling story? In graphic novel format? And there's a high-speed chase through the subway with a DRAGON?

Where do I sign up?

Really nice character-based story that touches base with traditional folklore before spinning off in new directions. The relationships remind me of the friends and family in the Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl books by Ben Hatke, written for a slightly older audience. This book is cataloged for the juvenile collection at my library, but I would comfortably hand it to readers ages ten to adult.

Sword fighting, political betrayals, dysfunctional families as well as functional and "found" family, magic, epic gayness and non-binary characters, fun artwork and a DRAGON. No cussing. Kissing, but no nekkidness or sex.


Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS astorms@kcls.org



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Third Place Books presents Brittany Powell, with Alissa Quart and Bayete´ Ross Smith

Thursday, October 29, 2020


Third Place Books presents Brittany Powell, with Alissa Quart and Bayete´ Ross Smith - The Debt Project

Thursday, October 29, 2020 - 4:00pm

This is a virtual event, taking place via Zoom Webinar! Register for this livestream event here!

Finalist for the 2015 and 2016 Dorothea Lange / Paul Taylor Prize in Documentary
Featured on Politico, The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, and The Huffington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, Refinery29, and Fast Company

Join us for a thought-provoking panel featuring author Brittany M. Powell, photographer Bayete´ Ross Smith, and Alissa Quart, Executive Director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project!

Based on the popular online photo series and now published in print for the first time, The Debt Project collects 99 portraits of debt across the US, featuring people of all different backgrounds and stories, to recontextualize an often stigmatized experience.

In 2013, Brittany Powell made the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy for her photography business. In the years following the 2008 economic collapse, she found herself in a significant amount of debt, a position many Americans across the country still share, a common yet isolating and private experience often steeped in shame.

Her personal experience, bolstered by the We Are the 99% slogan that came out of the Occupy movement, brought her to start The Debt Project, an exploration of the role debt and finance plays in our personal identity and social structure. This book presents an intimate look into 99 different lives: each shares an arrestingly honest portrait in the person's home, surrounded by all their belongings, accompanied by a handwritten note of the amount of debt that person is in and the story behind the numbers.

The Debt Project, with a foreword by writer and filmmaker Astra Taylor plus resources at the back of the book to support people in debt, examines the social and personal hold financial debt has on us and invites others into a private world, while at the same empowering people to share their stories and overcome the shame they may feel.

Brittany M. Powell is a photographer, multimedia artist, and educator working in central Vermont. She spent more than a decade as a freelance documentary and editorial photographer in San Francisco, CA before moving to New England. Her work focuses on income inequality, identity, and class divides across America. She has a BFA in photography from California College of the Arts and an MFA from San Francisco State University. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Art at Norwich University and an arts administrator at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

The Debt Project: 99 Portraits Across America (Hardcover)
By Brittany M. Powell, Astra Taylor (Foreword by)
$34.99
ISBN: 9781513264332
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Graphic Arts Books - October 27, 2020


 

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Pandemic Picks: Free Book Talk from Third Place Commons this Wednesday

Tuesday, October 27, 2020


Join Third Place Commons on Wednesday night at 7pm for Pandemic Picks: Books, a fun virtual book talk with three terrific panelists. Register here.

Three local luminaries will talk books and share their top reading picks to get you through the long winter months to come. Panelists include:

  • Robert Sindelar, Managing Partner, Third Place Books
  • Anina Coder Sill, Managing Librarian, King County Library System, Lake Forest Park Library
  • Jared Leising, Founding Faculty in English, Cascadia College

This short program is your chance to find your next great read (or the perfect gift for the reader in your life) and share your suggestions with others as well. Register here for this free program.

This panel is part of Third Place Commons’ new TPC At Home programming, which also includes weekly foreign language conversation groups, monthly Computer Q/As and book and movie clubs, and other stand-alone events. 

Check the Third Place Commons online calendar to find events and join in to these always fun, always free online events, which will continue online until the Commons space can once again reopen for in-person programming.

Also, stay tuned for Pandemic Picks: TV, coming on Wednesday, November 18th. More details coming soon!

Third Place Commons, a community supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is celebrating its 20th anniversary of building real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park. In addition to presenting its largest program, the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market, Third Place Commons now also fosters real community in digital space. 

To learn more, or to make a gift to support the market and the Commons, visit ThirdPlaceCommons.org



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NaNoWriMo - November is National Novel Writing Month

Monday, October 26, 2020


Write a novel in a month!

NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month, a nationwide initiative aimed at providing structure, community, and encouragement to would-be writers as they attempt to complete a 50,000-word novel in the month of November.

Shoreline Community College regularly hosts the Seattle-area’s official NaNoWriMo Kick-Off Party as well as weekly Wednesday Write-Ins that provide community and inspiration throughout November.

This year, of course, is different.

But the college is still hosting events, with writers holding online writing workshops to inspire participants who are writing at home this year.

Mark your calendars!

Chamroeun Pen
Thursday November 5 at 5:00pm.
"Hope in the Darkness" a free NaNoWriMo fiction writing workshop for everyone. Click https://bit.do/libraryonline to join the livestream.

Chamroeun Pen wrote “Fulfilling A Promise” which captures Chamroeun's journey coming to America, what he has experienced, and what he has learned. He was blessed to gain knowledge, but it came with a cost. His message is to encourage children and young adults to stay in school. He believes that education is one of the answers to making the world a better place. His session will encourage writers who feel hopeless while engaging them with a hopeful outcome.

As an international student who attended both high school and college in the Seattle area, this author has a passion for what international students can do to change their communities. He plans to speak not only about his journey as a young author, but about his experience discovering a passion to help others in Cambodia where he grew up. International students may find this session particularly interesting!

Jennifer Caloyeras
Thursday November 12 at 5:00pm
"Story Beginnings" a free NaNoWriMo fiction writing workshop for everyone. Click https://bit.do/libraryonline to join the livestream

Jennifer Caloyeras will share a few short excerpts from the start of some of her stories and talk about the idea of “beginnings” to help new writers get started with their NaNoWriMo journeys. This will be an exciting session where writers will get a glimpse at the writing process and even get a chance to ask some questions!

Jennifer Caloyeras is a novelist and short fiction writer living in Los Angeles. Her debut short fiction collection, "Unruly Creatures" (October 2017), was published by West Virginia University Press and she is the author of two young adult novels, "Strays" and "Urban Falcon." In addition to running a podcast for booklovers (Books are My People), Caloyeras also teaches short fiction and young adult writing classes at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. 

Michael Overa
Thursday November 19 at 5:00pm.
"Inspiration During Traumatic Times" a free NaNoWriMo fiction writing workshop for everyone. Click https://bit.do/libraryonline to join the livestream

Finding the courage to write after a traumatic event is challenging in itself, but the world is experiencing ongoing trauma and we don’t yet have the option of feeling the relief of surviving the trauma. Writing can help people cope with their feelings during trauma. Sometimes interpreting trauma as fantasy, speculative fiction, or magical realism can help deal with trauma that feels too scary to face right now. Attend this livestream session to explore topics, try some exercises, and learn more about writing.

With a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a MFA in Creative Writing, Michael Overa has a solid academic background in fiction writing. His award winning work can be found in over 30 publications including two short story collections, "This Endless Road" and "The Filled In Spaces."




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Book review by Aarene Storms: Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut by Kelly Jones

Author Kelly Jones often makes me laugh -- in person (full disclosure, we worked together at the Richmond Beach Library some years ago) and most especially with her books.

Her new children's book Sauerkraut not only made me laugh, it also made me smile, nod, and read little bits of it out loud to other people. It even made me hungry (although we don't have any sauerkraut in the house, so I had pickled asparagus instead)!

This is the story of HD, his friend Eli, and the rest of his family and friends -- and most especially his great-great-grandmother, who is a ghost. Oma loves sauerkraut -- she loves to make it, to eat it, to share it, and to talk about it. If you read this book, maybe you'll love sauerkraut too!

The book features a diverse cast of delightful characters, including adults who act like real adults, friends who act like real friends, and a pesty little brother and a pair of goats who are just as annoying and delightful as you hope they might be. The illustrations by Paul Davey are lighthearted and perfectly suit the story.

Three cheers and an extra serving of pickled cabbage for this book -- highly recommended for kids and other people who like to laugh (and eat).


Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS astorms@kcls.org



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Third Place Books presents: Sandy Sabersky and Ruth Neuwald Falcon with Elisabeth Mitchell

Monday, October 19, 2020


Sandy Sabersky and Ruth Neuwald Falcon with Elisabeth Mitchell - The Elderwise Way

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 - 4:00pm

This is a livestream event, taking place via Zoom Webinar! Register for this event here!

Based on a program now more than two decades old, The Elderwise Way: A Different Approach to Life With Dementia summarizes the principles and practices of a unique adult day enrichment program that has a spirit-centered approach to working with people with dementia. Based in Seattle, Elderwise is at the forefront of the expansion of our understanding of how to be with those with cognitive loss.

Reading about dementia can be hard and frightening. While there is more understanding and information available than ever before, it is easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged. One of the core takeaways from many of the books is the belief that when someone is diagnosed with dementia, they are no longer there -- instead, they are lost to those who know and love them, no longer accessible or knowable. One reads and grieves.

Reading The Elderwise Way: A Different Approach to Life With Dementia has a different effect. It opens the heart and mind to the awareness that cognitive losses do not eradicate the essence of a person. It opens the reader to the possibility that someone with memory loss can still expand in ways of the heart. Though relationships will change, they can still be meaningful and loving. Through stories and concepts, it illuminates approaches that can provide opportunities for persons with memory loss to become more joyful, more tolerant and more loving.

This book does not minimize the loss and necessary adjustment required by all involved. It does, however, offer concrete examples of how to adapt and enjoy the relationship in its present form. It provides opportunities for growth, for both the person with memory loss and the care partner.

The Elderwise Way: A Different Approach to Life With Dementia is filled with compassion and connection, humor and honesty. It reminds us of our own humanity and deep capacity for love.

Sandy Sabersky has, for all of her adult life, focused her professional and personal attention on the fields of aging and spiritual growth. After more than two decades as a Physical Therapist, these two threads were brought together when she co-founded Elderwise in 1997. She is grateful for all the opportunities Elderwise has given her: for learning, growth and expansion. She appreciates the opportunities it brings to express herself--artistically, verbally and through movement--and for the community of fellow travelers.

Ruth Neuwald Falcon is an Emmy Award-winning editor, writer, producer, web content creator and blogger. She has also run a small business and been executive director of two non-profit organizations. She enjoys working collaboratively with other authors and filmmakers. At the beginning of the pandemic, as a way of building virtual community, she started the Corona Support Blog. You can learn more about her work as a Creative Content Collaborator atwww.ruthneuwaldfalcon.com.

The Elderwise Way: A Different Approach to Life with Dementia (Paperback)
By Sandy Sabersky, Ruth Neuwald Falcon
$12.95
ISBN: 9781098308858
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: BookBaby - September 22nd, 2020




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Book review by Aarene Storms - Crows: genius birds

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Crows: genius birds 
(Science Comics series) 
by Kyla Vanderklugt

Buddy the dog doesn't know much about crows, but that doesn't mean a crow can't teach him tricks -- like tipping over the green garbage cans to get food, while leaving blue recycling bins upright (dogs are colorblind, but crows aren't, which is something new I learned from reading this book).

Crows are amazing -- and smart. Crows can make and use tools, they remember human faces (and teach their young to remember also). Crows can imitate the sounds of other animals, like dogs or even the speech of people. Scientists study crows to figure out why they are so smart although their brains aren't very big.

Just in case you think that a crow teaching a dog skills is a little outlandish, read the introduction to this book: the author relates the story of a friend's dog who was coaxed away by a crow calling "Here boy, here boy!" 

Library crow Photo by Aarene Storms

This is a fun, quick-and-fun-to-read introduction to crow science, written by a scientist and illustrated in comic form. If you like science, you'll like this book. If you like comic books and science, you'll like this book even more. If you like science and comics a lot, I recommend this whole series!

And if you like crows, come to the Richmond Beach Library and look for the two crows we call "Patience" and "Fortitude": they live in the park near the library and frequently beg for snacks from the library staff.

Aarene Storms 
Teen Services Librarian
King County Library System




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Third Place Books presents Deborah Reed, in conversation with Jennie Shortridge

Thursday, October 15, 2020


Deborah Reed, in conversation with Jennie Shortridge - Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan Friday, October 16, 2020 - 7:00pm

This is a virtual event, taking place via Zoom Webinar! Register for this livestream event here!

The story of a famous abstract painter at the end of her life— her family, her art, and the long-buried secrets that won't stay hidden for much longer.

Ninety-three-year-old Violet Swan has spent a lifetime translating tragedy and hardship into art, becoming famous for her abstract paintings, which evoke tranquility, innocence, and joy. For nearly a century Violet has lived a peaceful, private life of painting on the coast of Oregon.
The "business of Violet" is run by her only child, Francisco, and his wife, Penny. But shortly before Violet's death, an earthquake sets a series of events in motion, and her deeply hidden past begins to resurface. When her beloved grandson returns home with a family secret in tow, Violet is forced to come to terms with the life she left behind so long ago-- a life her family knows nothing about.


A generational saga set against the backdrop of twentieth-century America and into the present day, Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan is the story of a girl who escaped rural Georgia at fourteen during World War II, crossing the country alone and broke. It is the story of how that girl met the man who would become her devoted husband, how she became a celebrated artist, and above all, how her life, inspired by nothing more than the way she imagined it to be, would turn out to be her greatest masterpiece.

Deborah Reed is the author of the novels Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan, The Days When Birds Come Back, Olivay, Things We Set on Fire, and Carry Yourself Back to Me. She has written two thrillers under the pen name Audrey Braun. She lives on the coast of Oregon and is the owner of Cloud and Leaf, an independent bookstore in Manzanita, Oregon.

Jennie Shortridge is the author of five novels, including Love Water Memory and When She Flew, and is currently working on a memoir. Her books have been translated into several languages, optioned for film and TV, and selected as American Booksellers Association’s Indie Next picks and Library Journal’s Editors’ Picks. A lifelong volunteer, she was the co-founder and executive director of Seattle7Writers, a nonprofit collective of over one hundred Northwest authors who raised money and awareness for literature and literacy from 2009 to 2019. 

Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan: A Novel of a Life in Art (Paperback)
By Deborah Reed
$15.99
ISBN: 9780544817364
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Mariner Books - October 6th, 2020



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Ron Chew discusses his memoir "My Unforgotten Seattle"

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

My Unforgotten Seattle
7-8:30pm, Tuesday, October 13, 2020


Folio Seattle and University of Washington Press are delighted to host award winning reporter, editor and feature writer Carey Gelentner in an interview with Third-generation Seattleite, historian, journalist, and museum visionary Ron Chew about his book My Unforgotten Seattle.

Ron Chew spent more than five decades fighting for Asian American and social justice causes in Seattle. In this deeply personal memoir, he documents the tight-knit community he remembers, describing small family shops, chop suey restaurants, and sewing factories now vanished.

In the International District, he was Executive Director of the Wing Luke Museum, and the creative vision for the museum. He led a $23 million capital campaign to build a new Wing Luke Museum in a much larger space.

Ron is currently the Director of the International Community Health Services Foundation which has a large, full-service clinic on Aurora. He was the keynote speaker for the 2018 Third Place Commons annual breakfast.

There is an excellent article about him and his book in The Seattle Times HERE



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Third Place Books presents Jeffrey D. Briggs and James W. Ziskin

Monday, October 12, 2020


Third Place Books presents Jeffrey D. Briggs and James W. Ziskin
Within a Shadowed Forest and Turn to Stone

Wednesday, October 14, 2020 - 6:00pm

This is a virtual event, taking place via Zoom Webinar! Register for this livestream event here

Recovering from the physical and emotional wounds she suffered in Out of the Cold Dark Sea, Martha Whitaker travels to Duluth, Minn., to help her friend James MacAuliffe. 

Someone blew up his truck and a charred body is discovered in the wreckage. Together, they pursue a trail of clues that leads them up the North Shore to the scenic village of Grand Marais, into the vast northern forest, and onto the frigid waters of Lake Superior in search of a shadowed killer. 

Before they become the next victims. 

Within a Shadowed Forest is the thrilling sequel in the Waterfront Mystery series that began with Out of the Cold Dark Sea.


Florence, Italy, August 1963. In Italy to accept a posthumous award for her late father's academic work, "girl reporter" Ellie Stone is invited to spend a weekend outside Florence with some of the scholars attending the symposium. 

A suspected rubella outbreak leaves the ten friends quarantined in the bucolic setting with little to do but tell stories to entertain themselves. Deciding to make the best of their confinement, the men and women spin tales, gorge themselves on fine Tuscan food and wine, and enjoy the delicious fruit of transient love. 

But the summer bacchanalia takes a menacing turn when the man who organized the symposium is fished out of the Arno. "Morto." As long-buried secrets rise to the surface, Ellie must figure out if one or more of her newfound friends is capable of murder.

Jeffrey D. Briggs, a writer and journalist, has been writing about the waterfront since he moved onto his over sailboat thirty years ago. He now lives on land in Shoreline with his wife and dog and can often be found on the shores of Puget Sound, wondering what secrets lie hidden beneath those cold waters.

Jeffrey has published over 350 articles in regional and national magazines. A long-time resident of Seattle, he took a detour in life and moved to Rochester, Minn., where he became a biomedical science writer for Mayo Clinic, and got to preview all his future diseases. He also got to spend many happy times exploring the North Shore of Lake Superior. When he could no longer see out his office window because of snow drifts, he returned home to the Pacific Northwest, dropping anchor in Richmond Beach, on the shores of Puget Sound.

James W. Ziskin, Jim to his friends, is the Anthony and Macavity award-winning author fo the Ellie Stone mysteries. His books have also been finalists for the Edgar, Barry, and Lefty awards. He worked in New York as a photo-news producer and writer, and then as director of NYU’s Casa Italiana. 

He spent fifteen years in the Hollywood post-production industry, running large international operations in the subtitling/localization and visual effects fields. His international experience includes two years working and studying in France, extensive time in Italy, and more than three years in India. He speaks Italian and French.



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Book review by Aarene Storms: The Seventh Bride; The Raven and the Reindeer

Sunday, October 11, 2020

The Seventh Bride
The Raven and the Reindeer
by T. Kingfisher


Retelling folktales is a time-honored tradition, but not everyone does a good job of it (looking at you, Walt Disney corporation). A proper retelling retains the base story line and a few key details, but takes the narrative into new and enlightening territory. I have strong opinions about stories, and I like my folktales and my re-told tales the way I like my coffee: strong, dark, with just a hint of sweetness. Here are two that suit me perfectly.

The Seventh Bride is a re-casting of the English folktale "Mr. Fox", in which a beautiful young woman is courted by a mysterious and wealthy stranger who invites her to visit his beautiful mansion. As she nears the grounds, she sees a sign posted, which reads "Be bold, be bold." O---kay? However, the next sign reads "Be bold, be bold--but not too bold." Can you hear the ominous music? When she reads the final sign, which says (sometimes in words as red as blood) "Be bold, be bold, but not too bold, lest your heart's blood run cold" she continues forward, always forward, until she discovers her suitor's grisly secret: the bodies of his former wives.

This story has several traditional endings, but the Disney corporation would not be able to find even one to suit their audience demographic.

T. Kingfisher's Seventh Bride re-imagines "Mr. Fox" with most of the wives still alive, but cursed in a variety of ways. Only the newest, youngest bride has a hope of finding a happy ending--and she must manage it in a very unusual manner.

Likewise, this author's Raven and the Reindeer changes just a few significant details from Hans Christian Andersen's literary fairy tale "The Snow Queen" transforming the story from one of stark good/evil contrasts to a more nuanced and relatable journey for young Gerta, who has always loved Kay more than he loved her. 

As in the Andersen story, Kay goes off with the Snow Queen to have his heart frozen forever and Gerta journeys to retrieve him... but in Kingfisher's version she discovers much more about herself along the way. The rescue of Kay becomes almost an afterthought for Kingfisher's Gerta, who learns a lot about love and life that shallow Kay may never know. The happy ending is very different from Andersen's version... and this interpretation suits me (and Gerta) much better than the original.

Both books contain dark elements, some blood and death, quite a lot of magic and a few references to sexual situations, with kissing on the page.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

--Aarene Storms



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Third Place Books presents Sy Montgomery, in conversation with Thor Hanson

Thursday, October 8, 2020



Sy Montgomery, in conversation with Thor Hanson - Becoming a Good Creature

Thursday, October 8, 2020 - 5:00pm

This is a virtual event, taking place via Zoom Webinar! Register for this livestream event here!


School is not the only place to find a teacher. In this picture book adaptation of Sy Montgomery and Rebecca Green's New York Times best-selling How to Be a Good Creature, learn the many surprising lessons animals have to teach us about friendship, compassion, and how to be a better creature in the world.

Sy Montgomery has had many teachers in her life: some with two legs, others with four, or even eight! Some have had fur, feathers, or hooves. But they've all had one thing in common: a lesson to share.

The animals Sy has met on her many world travels have taught her how to seek understanding in the most surprising ways, from being patient to finding forgiveness and respecting others. Gorillas, dogs, octopuses, tigers, and more all have shown Sy that there are no limits to the empathy and joy we can find in each other if only we take the time to connect.

Based on the New York Times best-selling adult memoir , Sy Montgomery and Rebecca Green's beautiful, friendly guide is for readers young and old who wish to be better creatures in the world. Go ahead, pass it on.

In addition to researching films, articles, and over twenty books, National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery has been honored with a Sibert Medal, two Science Book and Film Prizes from the National Association for the Advancement of Science, three honorary degrees, and many other awards. She lives in Hancock, New Hampshire, with her husband, Howard Mansfield, and their border collie, Thurber.

Thor Hanson is a conservation biologist, Guggenheim Fellow, and author of award-winning books including Buzz, Feathers, The Impenetrable Forest, and The Triumph of Seeds. He lives with his wife and son on an island in Washington State.

Becoming a Good Creature (Hardcover)
By Sy Montgomery, Rebecca Green (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9780358252108
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: HMH Books for Young Readers - September 29, 2020



How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals (Hardcover)
By Sy Montgomery, Rebecca Green (Illustrator)
$20.00
ISBN: 9780544938328
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - September 25, 2018


The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness (Paperback)
By Sy Montgomery
$16.99
ISBN: 9781451697728
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Atria Books - April 5, 2016


Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees (Paperback)
By Thor Hanson
$16.99
ISBN: 9781541699533
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Basic Books - September 3, 2019 



The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History (Paperback)
By Thor Hanson
$16.99
ISBN: 9780465097401
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Basic Books - March 8, 2016


Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle (Paperback)
By Thor Hanson
$17.99
ISBN: 9780465028788
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Basic Books - July 31, 201

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Book review by Aarene Storms: How to

Friday, October 2, 2020

How To: absurd scientific advice for common real-world problems by Randall Munroe


Land an airplane on an Olympic ski jump... or a submarine (one that isn't submerged).

Charge your phone using water... or an escalator.

Catch a drone... with a boomerang.

Open a beer bottle... with a sword (or a nuclear bomb).


Yes, all these things can be done, but only if you know how. 

This book gives you step-by-snarky-step instructions for these tasks and many others (if you want a bigger challenge, you can always try tampering with an atomic clock).

Fun, funny, fast reading, with all the scientific citations you could possibly want, plus the stick-figure illustration style that author/artist Randall Munroe made famous in Thing Explainer and the xkcd webcomic.

Recommended for anyone who has ever wondered...anything.




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New clubs just for you! Talk movies and books with Third Place Commons

Wednesday, September 30, 2020


Third Place Commons is excited to announce the start of two new monthly clubs, the TPC Movie Club and the Commons Community Book Club. And you’re invited to join in the fun!

Both clubs will meet in virtual space until it’s once again safe to meet in person, with the TPC Movie Club meeting on the second Tuesday of each month from 7:30-9pm while the Commons Community Book Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 5-6:30pm. Get the links to join in on the Third Place Commons online calendar.

The first movie club meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 13 when the group will discuss “If Beale Street Could Talk,” a gorgeous film filled with powerful performances including an Oscar winning turn from Regina King. Beale Street is a heartfelt love story, based on the James Baldwin novel, that movingly explores themes of racial injustice and the power of family devotion.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 95% and says, “’If Beale Street Could Talk’ honors its source material with a beautifully filmed adaptation that finds director Barry Jenkins further strengthening his visual and narrative craft.”

Where to find it: You can find it free on Hulu with subscription, or rent/buy from Amazon, Apple TV, Vudu, Fandango Now, and YouTube.

The first Commons Community Book Club will meet on Wednesday, October 21 with a discussion of the first selection, “The Scent Keeper” by Erica Bauermeister.

A New York Times Bestseller and Reese’s Book Club selection, Kirkus Reviews describes the novel this way: “Told in a lyrical, haunting prose, the story provides fascinating information about the ways in which different fragrances can impact human behavior and the struggles of finding one's own identity. An artfully crafted coming-of-age story that will take the reader on an exquisite olfactory adventure."

This first selection is a quick read, so you’ve got plenty of time to read it and be ready to chat on 10/21. Learn more and order your copy here.

These selections and the future direction of each club have been directly informed by community input. In late August, Third Place Commons launched a survey to gauge the interests of potential participants and find out what kinds of club content would best meet the needs of the community. The survey received strong response and provided great insights into what folks most wanted from their book and movie clubs.


Here’s a quick look at some of what respondents said they wanted.

Commons Community Book Club

For those interested in a book club, current and recent bestsellers were by far the most popular category of books, with mysteries and award-winning literature also popular selections. So that’s what the club will focus on – critically acclaimed bestsellers from the past few years, with occasional mysteries and older gems mixed in.

While respondents said they like reading paperbacks and hardcovers equally, more than half would prefer to buy paperbacks. Therefore, most of the club’s selections will be books that are already out in paperback, though many folks also said they’d be getting their selections from the library or in audio or digital format.

TPC Movie Club

Movie club responses were equally enlightening. Nearly half of respondents said that “all movies” were their preferred category, with “award winners and critically acclaimed films” coming in a close second and strong interest as well in “oldies, but goodies” from the 80s, 90s, and 00s.

Four out of five people indicated they watch movies on Netflix and Amazon, but even more said they were happy to pay to rent movies (or go to the movies when the time comes) if it’s not available for free on their streaming service of choice. So selections will be made that are widely available to everyone, either free or to rent, rather than films only available to subscribers of a single service.

Folks were not overly concerned with seeing only new movies (especially since there aren’t many of those right now). As a result, selections will run the gamut, focusing mainly on critically acclaimed films of the past 5 years, with occasional widely available new releases and dips back further in time for well-loved favorites.

There was also a fair amount of interest in clubs focused on specific topics like classics, black voices and stories, LGBTQ+ cinema, and independent art house movies. So additional special focus clubs may roll out in the future. (Interested in leading a group in one of these areas? Email programs@thirdplacecommons.org)

Third Place Commons, a community supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is celebrating its 20th anniversary of building real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park. In addition to presenting its largest program, the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market, Third Place Commons now also fosters real community in digital space. To learn more, or to make a gift to support the market and the Commons, visit ThirdPlaceCommons.org




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Third Place Books presents Reid Forgrave, in conversation with Michael Sokolove

Monday, September 28, 2020



Monday, September 28, 2020 - 6:00pm



Zac Easter could be your neighbor, your classmate, your son.

In December 2015, Zac Easter, a twenty-four-year-old from small-town Iowa, decided to take his own life rather than continue his losing battle against the traumatic brain injuries he had sustained as a no-holds-barred high school football player.

For this deeply reported and powerfully moving true story, award-winning writer Reid Forgrave was given access to Zac's own diaries and was able to speak with Zac's family, friends, and coaches. He explores Zac's tight-knit, football-obsessed Midwestern community; he interviews leading brain scientists, psychologists, and sports historians; and he takes a deep dive into the triumphs and sins of the sports entertainment industry.

Forgrave shows us how football mirrors America, from the fighting spirit the game has helped inscribe in our national character to the side effects of the traditional notions of manhood that it affirms. But above all, 

Love, Zac is a warning to parents and those entrusted with the care of our kids not to ignore concussions and warning signs of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). F 
or parents struggling to decide whether to allow their kids to play football, this eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and ultimately inspiring story may be one of the most important books they will read.


Reid Forgrave writes about sports and other topics for GQ, the New York Times Magazine, and Mother Jones, among other publications. He has covered the NFL and college football for FoxSports.com and CBS Sports, and he currently writes for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. The article in which he first wrote about Zac Easter is included in Best American Sports Writing 2018 . A past life found him working at the Des Moines Register in Iowa, where he wrote long-form narrative journalism and covered the state's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. Forgrave lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two sons. Love, Zac is his first book.

Michael Sokolove is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the author of three previous books: The Ticket Out, Hustle, and Warrior Girls. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.


Love, Zac: Small-Town Football and the Life and Death of an American Boy (Hardcover)
By Reid Forgrave
$27.95
ISBN: 9781616209087
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Algonquin Books - September 8th, 2020



The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino: A Story of Corruption, Scandal, and the Big Business of College Basketball (Paperback)
By Michael Sokolove
$17.00
ISBN: 9780399563294
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Penguin Books - September 24th, 2019 



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Third Place Books presents Christopher Paolini - To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (Tickets Required!)

Sunday, September 27, 2020


Sunday, September 27, 2020 - 7:00pm

This is a Virtual Event and Tickets are required Purchase Tickets Here!


Each ticket purchase includes access to the event, and a copy of Christopher Paolini's new novel TO SLEEP IN A SEA OF STARS.

The first 100 ticket buyers will receive SIGNED bookplates. All ticket holders will receive a special complimentary swag item! Books will be available for pickup or shipping (within the United States) after the event date.


A brand new epic novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Paolini.

Exploring new worlds is all Kira Navarez ever dreamed of doing. But now she has found her nightmare. 
On a distant planet ripe for a colony, she has discovered a relic previously unseen by human eyes. It will transform her entirely and forever. Humanity will face annihilation.

She is alone. We are not.
There is no going back.


Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is his first adult novel.

James Rollins is the author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the "top crowd pleasers" (New York Times) and one of the hottest summer reads (People magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets--and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight. He lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains.




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Book review by Aarene Storms: Under the Broken Sky

Friday, September 25, 2020

Under the Broken Sky by Mariko Nagai (novel in verse)

Natsu is only twelve years old and her sister Asa is even younger when the Japanese army comes to her village and conscripts all the men and boys to fight in the war. 

But when the Japanese lose the war, the whole village flees the incoming Soviets, walking across Manchuria in hopes of finding a new home. 

Their story is bleak, and seems hopeless most of the time, but Natsu is stubborn.

Here's one short poem from the middle of the book:

Water is as precious
as food here. The well
is iced over this morning.

We throw the portrait
of the emperor into the fire
to melt the ice so we can drink

the water, so we can warm
ourselves. At least he's good
for something, finally.

The publisher's blurb on the book cover makes it seem like selling Asa to a Russian family so that she will be fed and survive is the center of the narrative, but really, it's a small scene towards the end, and quickly resolved. The rest of the story is not so easily resolved, especially in light of refugees facing similar perils in the modern world.

For best results (unless you know a lot more about the history of Manchuria in WWII than I did), read the author's Afterword before the rest of the book to gain some historical perspective on the story.

Death, fear, bullying, blood, starvation. Implications of sexual situations but nothing on the page. For readers ages 14 to adult.


Aarene Storms 
Teen Services Librarian
King County Library System 
astorms@kcls.org  



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Third Place Books presents Cecilia Aragon, in conversation with Theo Pauline Nestor

Monday, September 21, 2020


Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - 7:00pm

This is a virtual event! Register for this livestream event here!

Join us to celebrate the launch of Flying Free, the new memoir from University of Washington Professor Cecilia Aragon!

The daughter of a Chilean father and a Filipina mother, Cecilia Rodriguez Aragon grew up as a shy, timid child in a small midwestern town during the 1960s, targeted by school bullies and dismissed by many of her teachers.

Yet in the span of just six years, Cecilia became the first Latina pilot to secure a place on the United States Unlimited Aerobatic Team and earn the right to represent her country at the Olympics of aviation, the World Aerobatic Championships. How did she do it?

Flying Free is the story of how Cecilia Aragon broke free from prejudices of race and gender to rise above her own limits by combining math and logic with her passion for flying in unexpected ways. You don't have to be a math whiz or a science geek to learn from her story. You just have to want to soar.

Cecilia Aragon is an author, air-show pilot, and the first Latina full professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. She coauthored Writers in the Secret Garden, has worked with Nobel Prize winners, taught astronauts to fly, and created musical simulations of the universe with rock stars. Her major awards for research, and a stint at NASA designing software for Mars missions, led President Obama to call her “one of the top scientists and engineers in the country." She lives in Seattle.

Theo Pauline Nestor teaches writing at the University of Washington. Her essay “The Chicken’s in the Oven, My Husband’s out the Door” was published in the New York Times “Modern Love” column and was the genesis of her first book, How To Sleep Alone in a King-Sized Bed. She is also the author of Writing Is My Drink: A Writer's Story of Finding Her Voice (and a Guide to How You Can Too) and lives in Seattle, Washington, with her two daughters.


Flying Free: My Victory Over Fear to Become the First Latina Pilot on the Us Aerobatic Team (Hardcover)
By Cecilia Aragon
$26.99
ISBN: 9781982642464
Availability: Coming soon - available for pre-order now
Published: Blackstone Publishing - September 22, 2020


How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed: A Memoir of Starting Over (Paperback)
By Theo Pauline Nestor
$16.00
ISBN: 9780307346773
Availability: Unavailable - due in 2-4 weeks
Published: Broadway Books - February 3, 2009



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