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We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

Nisha is a burnt-out abortion clinic worker who accidentally inherits an ancient Hindu power, after which chaos of the finest order ensues (think literal demons coming for her). Patel’s research into Indian history and mythology gives the story added weight (not to mention how sharply she captures the current state of reproductive rights in our country) and delivers some good twists and turns. It’s a touch angry, quite relatable, and overall hard to put down. –Meghan, Madison Books, Seattle, WA …

Jul 16, 2026

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Jul

17

2026

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Legs Hearts Minds: Loss and Its Remedies by Chris Jones

Legs Hearts Minds by Chris Jones is a powerful pick for readers who love sports, underdogs, or deeply moving memoirs, offering a honest account of heartbreak and how the author’s devotion to his sons and an English soccer team (Burnley F.C.) becomes a path toward rebuilding his life and rediscovering the redemptive power of sports …

Jul

15

2026

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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Something is slowly creeping towards giant walls from the sea? All tech and buildings are made out of mushrooms and plants? Murder?! This book really has everything and more. If you’re looking for a refreshing and strange read, The Tainted Cup checks all the boxes, from murder-mystery to fantasy to sci-fi. –Kelly S., Village Books, …

Jul

14

2026

Borrowed Copy

Meet Nathaniel of Saltwater Books

Meet Nathaniel of Saltwater Bookshop in Kingston, WA! In a sentence or two, tell us who you are. It is said, that on Saturdays in the afternoon, you might find a bookseller waving their hands about and exclaiming things about some nonsense book or another. This is only 80% true, even on other days he …

Jul

13

2026

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The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence—Before It’s Too Late by Cory Doctorow

A “centaur,” in modern tech speak, is an individual who uses technology to be a more productive version of themselves. A “reverse centaur” is a person who is forced by technology to work at a pace that is thoroughly inhuman. Doctorow isn’t anti-AI, rather, he—like Pope Leo XIV—is all too aware of the cost hidden …

Jul

10

2026

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Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay 

This is the new standard for AI horror. Tremblay blends satire, paranoia, and genuine emotional depth into a story that is as heartbreaking as it is terrifying. Julia and Bernie quickly become characters you care about, and their cross-country journey transforms from a technological experiment into a meditation on identity, humanity, and love. Unsettling, clever, …

Jul

9

2026

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Sun and Stars

Every Wednesday, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association publishes the regional bestseller list. On Thursdays, we celebrate Thursday Themes to shine a spotlight on some of the books from the list and give our brains a different way of thinking about books. From the latest list, enjoy these titles featuring the sun or stars. Daughters of the Sun and …

Jul

8

2026

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The Hairdresser’s Son by Gerbrand Bakker, translated by David Colmer

The Hairdresser’s Son is an exquisite literary achievement about mystery, discovery, the search for understanding, and the potential for change. Cornelis left the day he learned his wife was pregnant, leaving home only to meet death a day later. Now, his son, Simon, is running the inherited barber shop left to him by the man …

Jul

7

2026

Borrowed Copy

Third Place Books’ Spencer on KUOW’s Soundside

Spencer Ruchti of Third Place Books and Misha Stone of the Seattle Public Library spoke to Libby Denkmann on KUOW’s Soundside about the past year in books. The episode is overflowing with good recommendations and good feelings, if you’re in need of either right now. The interview can be found on your preferred podcast app, or at …

Jul

6

2026

Face Out

The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria’s Romance Scammers by Carlos Barragán

Can you recommend a book that makes you deeply sad about humanity, circa 2026? After Barragán, a young journalist in Madrid, learned his dentist mom had been scammed by a Nigerian romance con artist, he traveled to Lagos to see if he could track the scammer down. Instead, he was drawn, by equal parts empathy …

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