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Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About: A Memoir by Isabel Klee
Well, let’s start with Isabel Klee’s Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About: A Memoir. Klee is @SimonSits on the socials, where she regularly tells stories about rescuing dogs. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About takes us through the last decade or so of her life in New York City, dealing with—wait for it—rescue dogs, heartbreaking …
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The Dilemmas of Working Women: Stories by Fumio Yamamoto, translated by Brian Bergstrom
Yamamoto has deftly created short stories where the title characters are difficult women. Women who have complicated relationships with their families and significant others. They work hard for independence, like the woman who has breast cancer or the middle aged woman working the night shift, and end up taking the blame when things fall apart. …
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The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
The atmosphere of the Bog Wife is damp, oppressive, and ever present in the drama surrounding family history, tradition, and obligation with a specter of the supernatural haunting the periphery. The layers of metaphor stack upon each other like the sphagnum moss that layers the bog to become a rich peat. —Obadiah, Sherwood Bookstore, Sherwood, …
Thursday Themes
Bestseller Spotlight: This list is FIRE
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. Let’s fan the flames of excitement for these bestselling …
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The Lamb by Lucy Rose
A coming-of-age story meets the cabin-in-the-woods cannibalism trope. The senses are engaged for a moody, atmospheric ride spattered in blood and rot as Margot makes sense in a world of neglectful trauma and relative isolation. —Danielle Smith, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA Talk about a shocking Mother’s Day read! When you want to read daringly, ask …
Booklovers' Field Trips
First Annual Ballard Book Crawl in Seattle May 23-24, 2026
Did you miss the Seattle Independent Bookstore Passport Challenge that started on Independent Bookstore Day and wrapped up May 4th? There’s another sequential bookstore event coming right up in the Ballard neighborhood to encourage you to visit five local bookish haunts over a weekend. Here’s some information courtesy of Secret Garden Books: Join us for …
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Where the Wildflowers Grow by by Terah Shelton Harris
You will be wholly moved as you journey along with Leigh, gaining an intimate understanding of her soul and appreciation for those around her who help her see the truth and beauty in herself. The focus isn’t her trauma; yes, her trauma informs her life in indelible ways, and still, she grows greatly just like …
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The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookstore by Takuya Asakura, translated by Yuka Maeno
A cafe-bookshop, complete with its young owner and her cat, magically encounters those in need of finding memories that were once lost. Four stories written across the seasons, this beautifully written book is a warm hug for anyone that’s lost someone dear, that will leave you feeling hopeful and a little more healed than before …
Thursday Themes
Bestseller Spotlight: Rising and Falling
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. This week, did you expect so many titles that have a variation on “rise” or “fall” (or …
