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

Third Place Books free, virtual author events this week

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Third Place Books presents virtual meetings with authors of new books.

Books are available for purchase on each event page. Third Place Books ship around the country and offer in-store pickup at their store in Lake Forest Park.

Register for author events on Events Calendar here or at the link embedded in the event date below.



On Tuesday, June 1 at 7pm, Third Place Books welcomes Rachel Griffin for a presentation of her highly-anticipated debut YA novel, The Nature of Witches, in conversation with Adrienne Young.


On Wednesday, June 2 at 6pm, Third Place Books welcomes acclaimed writer Benjamin Percy for a presentation of his latest novel, The Ninth Metal. He will be joined in conversation by award-winning actor, writer, and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan.

Third Place Books is located on the upper level of Lake Forest Park Town Center at the intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way.



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Book review by Aarene Storms: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason

Sleeping Beauty's great-great-great-great-great granddaughter... in space.

Rory Thorne, princess of the Thorne Consortium, is the 6-time-great-granddaughter of the original sleeping princess in the tower. 

She is also the first girl-child born to the family since the time of the sleeping beauty and the 13 fairy godmothers. 

Young Rory is also "blessed/cursed" with thirteen magical gifts, and she will need all of them in this quick-paced fairy tale on a space station.

Fun, snide narration (reminiscent of The Princess Bride) and fairy tale elements smoothly integrated with minimal romance and detailed interstellar world building will appeal to fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik, plus a few literary Easter Eggs just for nerdish readers like me. 

Cover art indicates that this is first in a duology, but the book stands sturdily alone.

Recommended for fans of fractured fairy tales, ages 13 to adult.

Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages.  She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net  



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Book review by Aarene Storms: The Blackthorn Key

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

The year is 1665, the controversial Charles II is King of England, and Christopher Rowe is happy in his life as an apprentice apothecary. 

The work is hard and the hours are long, but Master Blackthorne is a good boss, who treats Christopher well, especially considering the boy's propensity for poor choices involving saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal.

Then, things go terribly wrong, and Christopher is accused of murder. There's a tremendous tangle of allies and enemies before the story comes to the final page... which is only the beginning of the series!

Fun read for history buffs, mystery fans, and those who love science. The characters are delightful and the setting unusual. I'm eager to read book #2 in the series. Ray Panthaki's audiobook narration is fun and engaging.

No sex, minimal cussing, some violence and betrayals, and many bad choices which often (but not always) lead to explosions.

Recommended for readers and listeners ages 10 to adult.

Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages. She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net  



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Virtual author events for this week from Third Place Books

Friday, May 14, 2021

Tuesday May 18, 2021 at 5pm

Click the Events Calendar link to register for these upcoming livestream author events, presented by Third Place Books! Books are available for purchase on the event page - they ship around the country, and offer in-store pickup in the Lake Forest Park store in Town Center, intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way.


Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 7pm

Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 7:00pm
Partner Event
This is a virtual event, taking place via King County Library System’s Crowdcast Channel! 

Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 7:00pm
This is a virtual event taking place via Zoom Webinar. 

Third Place Books welcomes FRANK MORTIMER—adjunct instructor at the Cornell University Master Beekeeping Program, Vice President of the New Jersey State Beekeepers Association, and a certified master beekeepers—for a presentation of his first book, Bee People and the Bugs They Love.

Friday, May 21, 2021 at 7:00pm
This is a virtual event, taking place via Zoom Webinar!

A spare and gripping novel about the next pandemic— completed by the award-winning Jim Shepard before COVID-19 even emerged— that reads like a fictional sequel to our current crisis.



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Newly published book documents changes in Lake Washington with then and now photos

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Around Lake Washington, by Eleanor Boba, has been published and is available for purchase at the usual outlets.

It is a gallery of photos in the Past and Present format and features a number of images of the Lake Forest Park / Kenmore areas. 

Several images were provided by the Shoreline Historical Museum. The publisher is Arcadia Publishing.

The author says,

My goal was to document the changes in the topography of Lake Washington by pairing historic images with present day photos taken at roughly the same spots.

Images of Kenmore’s Log Boom Park are on the cover.



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Book review by Aarene Storms: The Enigma Game

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

Louisa is a 15-year-old mixed-race girl living in WWII London ... and, thanks to German bombs, she is suddenly an orphan who needs to make a living.

Jobs for "colored" girls are scarce, so Louisa ends up in Scotland as the companion to an elderly woman who is hiding a secret: she was born in Germany.

The potential outcasts keep adding to their ranks: first with Ellen, a Traveller ("tinker / Gypsy") girl and later a German defector who leaves them with a tool that can save England: an Enigma code-breaking device.

Readers of this author's previous books will recognize many returning characters, including Ellen (Pearl Thief) and Julie Beaufort-Stewart (Code Name Verity), as well as Julie's charming older brother Jamie.

This book, while not as edge-of-chair suspenseful as Code Name Verity, stands alone well as a tale of powerful friendships and strength against adversity.

Some cussing, no sex, minimal blood and violence (especially considering this book is about the RAF fliers during WWII), plenty of bullying, prejudice, and a bit of sexual harassment, especially from the obnoxious American.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages.  She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net 



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Virtual author events presented by Third Place Books this week

Sunday, May 9, 2021

Monday, May 10, 2021 7pm

Register for these upcoming livestream author events, presented by Third Place Books! Books are available for purchase on the event page - we ship around the country, and offer in-store pickup at the LFP Town Center store at Bothell and Ballinger Way.


Tuesday, May 11 7pm

Wednesday, May 12 6pm

Friday, May 14 7pm

Saturday, May 15, 1pm

Theanne Griffin
Saturday, May 15, 1:30pm

This is a virtual event, taking place via King County Library System’s Zoom Channel! Register for this event here!



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Virtual author events this week from Third Place Books

Monday, May 3, 2021

 


Click the Events Calendar to register for these upcoming livestream author events, presented by Third Place Books! Books are available for purchase on the event page - they ship around the country, and offer in-store pickup in the Seattle area!



Wednesday May 5 at 7pm

Thursday May 6 at 6pm


Thursday, May 6 at 7:30pm

The Secrets Between Us is a virtual event, taking place via King County Library System’s Crowdcast Channel! Register for this event here!



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Book review by Aarene Storms:

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

Louisa is a 15-year-old mixed-race girl living in WWII London... and, thanks to German bombs, she is suddenly an orphan who needs to make a living. Jobs for "colored" girls are scarce, so Louisa ends up in Scotland as the companion to an elderly woman who is hiding a secret: she was born in Germany.

The potential outcasts keep adding to their ranks: first with Ellen, a Traveller ("tinker/Gypsy") girl and later a German defector who leaves them with a tool that can save England: an Enigma code-breaking device.

Readers of this author's previous books will recognize many returning characters, including Ellen (Pearl Thief) and Julie Beaufort-Stewart (Code Name Verity), as well as Julie's charming older brother Jamie. This book, while not as edge-of-chair suspenseful as Code Name Verity, stands alone well as a tale of powerful friendships and strength against adversity.

Some cussing, no sex, minimal blood and violence (especially considering this book is about the RAF fliers during WWII), plenty of bullying, prejudice, and a bit of sexual harassment, especially from the obnoxious American.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages. She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net



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Third Place Books has a full week of virtual author events - one a day and two each on Thursday and Saturday

Sunday, April 25, 2021

MONDAY

Click any day on the Events Calendar to register for the upcoming livestream author events, presented by Third Place Books.


Books are available for purchase on the event page - they ship around the country, and offer in-store pickup in Lake Forest Park.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY AT 4PM

THURSDAY AT 7PM

FRIDAY

SATURDAY AT 1 PM

SATURDAY AT 7PM


Third Place Books is physically located in Lake Forest Park Town Center, upper level. Intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way.


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Book review by Aarene Storms: A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Mona isn't a powerful wizard who can set cities on fire or use puddles of water as a walkie-talkie. Mona's little magic is all about baking. 

Her familiar is a gingerbread cookie, and she maintains a magically carnivorous, semi-sentient sourdough starter called "Bob."

When the city is threatened by invaders, and wizards of all levels are targeted by assassins, Mona draws on her friendship with a street urchin and her affinity with baked goods to survive.

Ridiculous? Yes: delightfully ridiculous, as befits a work by T. Kingfisher. Magical tropes are turned upside down, inside out, and then kneaded well before being shoved into the oven to bake until golden brown.

If you like fractured fairy tales and light, funny stories, make this your next read. It's fluffy, it's fun, and it's even gluten-free. But if there is malice in your heart, be sure to watch out for Bob the Sourdough.

No sex, no cussing. Some blood, a few (non-gory) dead bodies, plus an army of re-animated dead horses that arrives in the nick of time.

Highly recommended for readers 12 to adult.

Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages. She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net  



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Book review by Aarene Storms: Deep River

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Deep River by Karl Marlantes
 
I grew up in a place that Annie Dillard described thusly:
God might have created such a plunging shore as this before He thought of making people, and then when He thought of making people, He mercifully softened up the land in the palms of his hands, wherever He expected them to live, which did not include here.  (Annie Dillard, The Living)
 
Now, Karl Marlantes takes a swing at a story of life in the rough-and-tumble of early Washington State.  His story centers on three immigrant siblings from Finland: Ilmari, Aino and Matti.  
 
Ilmari comes to America before the others, builds a home and works to survive and make a living. He, alone of the family, befriends Vasutäti, a Chinook tribal woman (who seems to be all alone in the world, her children having died of measles and the rest of the tribe... just gone... for some reason... also, she can maybe do magic or something?) and he stays as separate as possible from the rapidly-changing modern world.
 
Ilmari is eventually joined by younger brother Matti who seeks financial stability with Scarlet O'Hara-esque fervor, and sister Aino, an ardent Marxist, whose political beliefs and actions led to imprisonment and torture in Finland. Aino soon becomes the focus of the story as she waves her socialist ideals in the faces of logger barons, rum-runners, and fish-cannery owners, with varying degrees of success.  
 
As anyone who knows local history could have predicted, things go terribly wrong for our Finnish friends. There are logging accidents, fishing accidents, and several "massacres" between local capitalists and the union organizers. Medical science is primitive at best, and death is always nearby.  
 
I grew up hearing stories such as these from the fishing families of my classmates, seeing pictures of tiny loggers cutting down gargantuan trees, learning about the early days of white settlement in my home state. This book tells some stories I already knew, and some that I didn't. 

To this day, when I ride my horse through the forest near my home, I see stumps bearing springboard cuts: remnants of the days when trees were cut by hand by a couple of guys with a cross-cut saw, hauled out of the woods on skid roads by oxen or horses instead of trucks.
 
It's not a perfect book, but book groups will enjoy discussing and arguing over many of the points.  
 
Cussing, bleeding, death, sexual situations, torture, happiness, sadness, and fishing.
---
Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages. She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net 


 

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Third Place Books raises funds to support AAPI community

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

One of the books on the list
Third Place Books announced Friday that they will donate a portion of the sales from a list of books by Asian American authors to API Chaya, an organization dedicated to ending systemic violence in local communities.

From March 26-April 4, 2021 Third Place Books will donate 20% of the sales from all titles on the list - all by AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) authors - to API Chaya. Both in-store and online purchases will qualify.

The featured books, curated by booksellers at Third Place Books’ three locations, include recent bestsellers like Minor Feelings by Cathy Hong Park and National Book Award Winner Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, alongside titles by local Seattle-area authors, like Heiress Apparently by Diana Ma and My Unforgotten Seattle by Ron Chew.

Diana Ma is a local author
A full list can be found at https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/aapi-fundraiser

API Chaya, a Seattle-based non-profit, seeks to “[empower] survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connection, and wellness... by educating and mobilizing South Asian, Asian, Pacific Islander, and all immigrant communities to end exploitation, creating a world where all people can heal and thrive.”

The reporting agency Stop AAPI Hate reported more than 3800 anti-Asian hate incidents in the past year.

For more information about API Chaya, visit: https://www.apichaya.org/



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Third Place Commons is calling all book and movie lovers

Monday, March 29, 2021

Are you an avid reader or a movie superfan? Do you love delving into great stories, then discussing them with friends? Third Place Commons has the group for you!

Book lovers will discover kindred spirits and a warm welcome in the Commons Community Book Club, which meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 5pm. The group reads recent and critically acclaimed fiction bestsellers that have made it to paperback.



For April, the group is reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, one of TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2019, and named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by NPR, the Washington Post, O Magazine, Buzzfeed, and more!

This Pulitzer Prize finalist is a richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are.

The group meets next on April 21st, so start reading and join the conversation!

Register here for the Commons Community Book Club. (Register just once to get the link to use for all future meetings.)


Meanwhile, movie lovers will find themselves right at home in the TPC Movie Club. The club meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm to discuss that month’s selection, plus other favorites old and new.

For the moment, the group focuses on critically acclaimed films from recent years that are widely available to stream so that everyone can easily watch them from home prior to the meeting. In the future, the club may switch to new releases in the theatres, but not until the current public health crisis passes.

At the next meeting on April 13th, the group will discuss 1917, which was nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Motion Picture and Best Director, and won three! It’s the story of two British soldiers during World War I who receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades -- including the brother of one of the soldiers.

This gripping, nail-biter of a film is both powerful and visually dazzling and will keep you breathless till the end. So stream it now and join the club to discuss!

Register here for the TPC Movie Club. (Register just once to get the link to use for all future meetings.)

Currently, both groups meet via Zoom and are expected to continue online for the foreseeable future.

Third Place Commons, a community supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has been building real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park for over 20 years. In addition to presenting its largest program, the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market, Third Place Commons now also fosters real community in digital space with TPC At Home programs. Learn more at ThirdPlaceCommons.org.



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Third Place Books: Read Asian-American writers, support our Asian-American community

Friday, March 26, 2021

From March 26 - April 4 Third Place Books will donate 20% of the sales from these books to API Chaya (a local non-profit organization that seeks to end systemic violence in our communities). Learn more about them here.


Below are some of our favorite recent books by Asian-American writers - many of whom are local.
 
My Unforgotten Seattle Cover Image
My Unforgotten Seattle (Hardcover)
By Ron Chew, Carey Quan Gelernter (Foreword by)
$39.95
ISBN: 9780295748412
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: International Examiner - October 1st, 2020


From one of the great cultural historians of the Pacific Northwest, both a personal memoir and historic chronicle of the struggles, the influence of Asian-Americans on the establishment, growth and development of Seattle.

Staff Pick Badge
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning Cover Image
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (Paperback)
By Cathy Park Hong
$18.00
ISBN: 9781984820389
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: One World - March 2nd, 2021


A ruthlessly honest, emotionally charged exploration of the psychological condition of being Asian American, by an award-winning poet and essayist.

Staff Pick Badge
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir Cover Image
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir (Paperback)
By Nicole Chung
$16.95
ISBN: 9781948226370
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Catapult - October 15th, 2019


This bestselling memoir that investigates the mysteries and complexities of her own transracial adoption “should be required reading for anyone who has ever had, wanted, or found a family” (Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere).

Staff Pick Badge
The Making of Asian America: A History Cover Image
The Making of Asian America: A History (Paperback)
By Erika Lee
$22.00
ISBN: 9781476739410
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Simon / Schuster - August 16th, 2016 
A “comprehensive…fascinating” (The New York Times Book Review) history of Asian Americans and their role in American life, by one of the nation’s preeminent scholars on the subject.

Staff Pick Badge
Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In Cover Image
Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In (Hardcover)
By Phuc Tran
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250194718
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Flatiron Books - April 21st, 2020

For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone is an irreverent, funny, and moving memoir of assimilation woven together with poignant themes from works of classic literature.

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations Cover Image
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations (Paperback)
By Mira Jacob
$20.00
ISBN: 9780399589065
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: One World - March 24th, 2020


A bold, wry, and intimate graphic memoir about American identity, interracial family, and the realities that divide us, from the acclaimed author of The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing.

Interior Chinatown: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries) Cover Image
Interior Chinatown: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries) (Paperback)
By Charles Yu
$16.00
ISBN: 9780307948472
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Vintage - November 17th, 2020


Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction 2020, this is a deeply personal novel about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the roles we are forced to play.

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners Cover Image
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners (Hardcover)
By Joanna Ho, Dung Ho (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9780062915627
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: HarperCollins - January 5th, 2021

Joanna Ho’s tender yet powerful words and Dung Ho’s vibrant illustrations inspire readers to recognize their own beauty and strength, igniting a revolution of self-discovery and confidence in this New York Times bestseller.

When You Trap a Tiger: (Winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal) Cover Image
When You Trap a Tiger: (Winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal) (Hardcover)
By Tae Keller
$16.99
ISBN: 9781524715700
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Random House Books for Young Readers - January 28th, 2020

Local author and winner of the Newberry Medal, this uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.

Staff Pick Badge
The Magic Fish Cover Image
The Magic Fish (Paperback)
By Trung Le Nguyen
$16.99
ISBN: 9781984851598
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Random House Graphic - October 13th, 2020

This is an amazing Young Adult graphic novel that deals with the complexity of family and how stories can bring us together.

Displacement Cover Image
Displacement (Hardcover)
By Kiku Hughes
$24.99
ISBN: 9781250193544
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: First Second - August 18th, 2020

In this amazing Young Adult graphic novel, from local author and illustrator Kiku Hughes, a teenager is pulled back in time to witness her grandmother's experiences in WWII-era Japanese internment camps.

Hello, Universe Cover Image
Hello, Universe (Paperback)
By Erin Entrada Kelly, Isabel Roxas (Illustrator)
$8.99
ISBN: 9780062414168
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Greenwillow Books - April 7th, 2020

Winner of the Newbery Medal! Acclaimed author Erin Entrada Kelly’s award-winning and bestselling novel for middle grade readers is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships.

Heiress Apparently (Daughters of the Dynasty) Cover Image
Heiress Apparently (Daughters of the Dynasty) (Hardcover)
By Diana Ma
$17.99
ISBN: 9781419749964
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Amulet Books - December 1st, 2020

From local author Diana Ma, this is first book in an epic and romantic young adult series following the fictionalized descendants of the only officially recognized empress regent of China.


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