This month, we’re keeping it close to home with books about Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Learning about new places is always fun; they don’t have to be far away. Maybe you just want to find some new and unique places in Vancouver. Or, you could be looking for some places you’ll recognize from films. Even if you want to kick back with some fiction, or nonfiction that reads like fiction, we’ve got you covered in this edition. Enjoy!
- A wild and heavenly place by Robin Oliveira. Samuel Fiddes, a poor young man raising his sister in Glasgow, sets out for Seattle to find a better life for himself and his sibling – and to follow a woman he loves. This is a story of gritty and dirty Seattle and its surroundings with its new shipyards, wood mills, and coal mines, and of love that survives time and distance.
- Explore Vancouver Washington by Patty Grasher. We might think we know everything there is to know about Vancouver USA, but there are probably some surprises for all of us here. Find hidden spots along the river, highways, and byways throughout Vancouver plus amazing historic information sites, markers, and monuments that will deepen your appreciation of Vancouver's vital contribution to Pacific Northwest History.
- Filmlandia! : a movie-lover's guide to the films and television of Seattle, Portland, and the Great Northwest by David Schmader. It’s fun to recognize familiar places in films. This book shares film scenes from Seattle, Portland, and the greater Pacific Northwest.
- Heaven on the half shell : the story of the oyster in the Pacific Northwest by David George Gordon and MaryAnn Barron Wagner. There's a certain romance to the oyster industry of the Pacific Northwest. To most, it conjures images of men in oilskins, working from low boats and braving the elements to bring in the harvest: fresh, succulent oysters from the pristine bays and inlets of the Pacific coast. But the wooden tongs and hand-powered dredges have been replaced by state-of-the-art shellfish hatcheries and bioengineered broodstock. Still our love affair with the oyster, and our fascination for the men and women who devotedly tend to its beds, remain strong.
- The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. No collection of books about Washington would be complete without the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans.
Library tip of the month: We have some great program series coming up beginning in September. Learn hands-only CPR and emergency preparedness from the Red Cross. Explore our series on Alzheimer’s Disease and brain health.
