Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Alchemy

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. Whether a main plot point is spinning straw into gold, a character lives in a town called or sings about the condition of being Golden, the goal is making something out of nothing, or “alchemy” is pretty much right in the title, …

Feb 19, 2026

what's new

Feb

18

2026

Face Out

RIP Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights leader, presidential candidate, and human rights advocate Jesse Jackson died yesterday. He was part of so much modern Black History.  

Feb

17

2026

The Storefront

New Ownership at Grass Roots Books & Music in Corvallis, OR

Jack and Sandy, the founders of Grass Roots, are retiring. As of Monday, February 2nd, the ownership has changed to employees of the store: Jay and Brandon Enghauser. We are so honored to take on the legacy of Grass Roots, and hope to earn the love and support that you all have shown Jack and Sandy over the …

Feb

16

2026

Face Out

Happy Presidents’ Day!

Have you read anything uplifting about the presidency lately? The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President by Doris Kearns Goodwin is written for children (ages 9-13), but readers of all ages can enjoy this look at the early lives of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ by an acclaimed presidential historian who writes primarily …

Feb

13

2026

Face Out

Language as Liberation: Reflections on the American Canon by Toni Morrison

Language as Liberation: Reflections on the American Canon by Toni Morrison is a masterclass lecture collection from her tenure as a professor at Princeton University. She interrogates America’s most famous works and authors, and the way their black characters shaped the nation’s collective unconscious, and helped manufacturer American racial identity. A timely read for Black History …

Feb

12

2026

Thursday Themes

Bestseller Spotlight: Be Our Book Valentine!

On Wednesdays, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Bestseller List is published. Every week, we love to see what books have been most popular in independent bookstores around our region. As we peruse the list, we look for something special to showcase. Then we present this weekly feature: Thursday Themes. We can tell people have been shopping for loved …

Feb

11

2026

Awards and Honors

PNW Authors receive 2026 Walter Dean Myers Honors

Congratulations to PNW authors Renée Watson and Idris Goodwin on their Walter Dean Meyers Honors from We Need Diverse Books! Announcing the​ ​2026 ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​Awards​ ​and​ ​Honor​ ​Books The​ ​We​ ​Need​ ​Diverse​ ​Books​ ​Walter​ ​Awards​ ​Judging​ ​Committee​ ​has​ ​selected​ ​the​ ​Winners​ ​and Honorees​ ​for​ ​the​ eleventh ​annual​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​Awards​ ​for​ ​Outstanding​ …

Feb

10

2026

NW Voices

“Become Arndtuos:” A Remembrance of Steve Arndt

Beloved literary community member Steve Arndt died on February 6, 2026. Fond memories and deep appreciations abound. This piece is from a social media post by Nikki Darling of Eugene, OR.  Steve Arndt coined the term “Spanbauerian” to describe all that he’d learned and loved at the hands of his friend and mentor Tom Spanbauer. …

Feb

9

2026

The Storefront

Congratulations to the LX Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks!

The Seattle Seahawks won the LX Super Bowl, so the region is celebrating! Some stores, like Queen Anne Book Company in Seattle, had some fun getting ready for the big game. The sign says: “SUPER BOWL or SUPERB OWL… we have books for both!” The display features books with football themes, Llama Llama Red Pajama …

Feb

6

2026

Borrowed Copy

WA Bookstores featured on PBS’s “American stories: A Reading Road Trip”

Washington | American Stories: A Reading Road Trip Episode 108 Congratulations to Auntie’s Bookstore of Spokane and Elliott Bay Book Company of Seattle for being part of PBS’s Reading Road Trip! Big thanks to Sara Peté of the Washington State Library for sending us the news.

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