Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WALLA WALLA—Susan D. Matley will celebrate the publication of her latest book, “Crisis In Big-G City” with a book-signing at Book & Game Company in Walla Walla on September 23. It is the fourth book in a series that began four years ago with a modest novella entitled, “Small-g City.” That first book introduces us to a cast of lower-rank immortals (small gods) whose job it is to keep the world’s precarious mortal infrastructure intact. This includes Ralph, a small-g who is responsible...
Adult Fiction: "A Summer to Remember" by Erika Montgomery. Experience the salty breeze of a Cape Cod summer as it sweeps through this romantic and timeless debut novel tinged with a love of old Hollywood. "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry A sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. "The Night She Disappeared" by Lisa Jewell. A thriller about a young couple's disappearance on a gorgeous summer night, and the mother who...
WAITSBURG-Here are the recommended books for January from the Weller Public Library Adult Fiction "Dreamland" by Nicholas Sparks. Love story about risking everything for a dream- and whether it's possible to leave the past behind. "The It Girl" by Ruth Ware. Mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend's murder. "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus. A 2022 New York Times best book of the year, this novel follows its vibrant protoganist as she dares to...
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is the story of Lina, a 15-year old girl living in Lithuania during World War II. One night the Soviet secret police enter Lina’s home and send their family to forced labor camps in Siberia, with her father going to one camp and the rest of the family going to another. Lina, her younger brother, and her mother must labor in inhuman conditions to survive. Lina takes solace in art, embedding clues in her artwork that she hopes will one day help her father r...
One of the first couples I met in Waitsburg was Sandra and Lupe Torres. They owned the building next door to the commercial property I bought in 2015. They owned Nothing New Antiques, one of only a few businesses open on Main when I arrived. After moving to town in 2004 and looking for a new adventure, the Torres bought and restored their building, including lodging upstairs. They embraced the history of their building and incorporated many of the original features into their remodel. Sandra...
The Wrestler's Daughter by Markeeta Little Wolf The locally anticipated and internationally renowned memoir by Markeeta Little Wolf is now available on Amazon. Years ago, decades ago, I found a postcard of a wrestler with clenched fists and a beautiful headdress. The attitude of confidence, with eyes full of humor, made him the perfect talisman for my studio. The card has lived on my easel ever since. After moving to Waitsburg, I met Markeeta Little Wolf, who has confidence and humor, a...
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez Dive into the complex family dynamics of siblings Olga and Prieto Acevedo, who are taking New York City by storm. Prieto is quickly climbing to stardom in the local politics scene, while Olga is a wedding planner, serving the city's elite. Their lives are turned upside down when their radical activist mother, Blanca, returns to the rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood where the kids grew up. With their mother back in town, the siblings must revisit...
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby Perfect for fans of John Wick, Razorblade Tears is a fast-paced, can't-put-it-down tale of revenge. After their sons are gunned down in broad daylight, two ex-convicts must put aside their vast differences and work together to bring justice. This book reads like a big-budget action thriller, and if it doesn't become a movie, I for one will be very disappointed. Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori A manga, or Japanese comic, Bride's Story is a lushly beautiful tale set in...
The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel By Richard Osman Meeting in the Jigsaw Room at a retirement village, four friends take up the tradition of amateur sleuths in murder mysteries. It does become apparent that each brings their own strengths and experience to their work. Elizabeth is the founder of the group and digs through cold cases from the files of her friend, Penny Gray, a former police officer who is in a coma at the village’s nursing home. Joyce is a retired nurse who serves as the principa...
The Return by Nicholas Sparks Published September 2020 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with a book in the tradition of his best-selling books Dear John and The Lucky One. The story follows an injured Navy doctor, Trevor, to his family home. He returns to a dilapidated cabin he inherited from his grandfather to regroup from devastating injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Of course, there is a complicated love interest, Natalie, who keeps him at a distance even though...
In The Last Best Hope, published by Farrar, Straus, Giroux in June 2021, Atlantic writer George Packer cuts to the chase about America’s current social, political, and economic divide. Parker states the Democratic Party is being driven by “Smart America” with its philosophy of economic meritocracy based on a deep cynicism due to the Iraq War debacle, the financial crash of 2008, lousy schools, overflowing prisons, dying neighborhoods, unending debt, and lack of opportunities, along with “Just...
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward Marketed as a horror novel, Last House isn’t quite what you’d expect. There are no ghosts or slashers, just a single man living with his cat…who may or may not be behind a string of disappearances in the area. This book will keep you guessing until the very end, with a twist so interesting I won’t dare hint at it here! Interestingly, we get narration from multiple points of view: the possible kidnapper, a woman who is convinced of his guilt,...
The Things They Cannot Say, by Kevin Sites In The Things They Cannot Say: Stories Soldiers Won’t Tell You About What They’ve Seen, Done, or Failed to Do in War, award-winning journalist and author Kevin Sites asks eleven soldiers and marines some of the most difficult questions: What is it like to be under fire? How do you know what is right? What can you never forget? For each of Sites’ interviewees, the truth means something different. One man struggles to recover from a traumatic head injur...
The Litte Paris Bookshop by Nina George, translated by Simon Pare Reviewed by Todd Vandenbark, MLS. Library Director, Columbia County Rural Library District, Dayton, WA Floating on the banks of the Seine River in France is a barge where Monsieur Perdue has a bookshop. He considers himself as a "literary apothecary" and uses his intuitive sense of what a person needs to "prescribe" novels about the hardships of life. Perdue's gift has helped to mend broken hearts and wounded souls for his custome...
In recent years the term farm-to-table has been overused and even parodied. As a server at some high-end farm-to-table restaurants in Seattle, there were some moments I felt as though I was living in an episode of Portlandia. However, at its core, the movement to encourage the consumption of local seasonal foods is one dear to my heart. My culinary journey has led me to seek out relationships with the makers, farmers, and producers of the ingredients I use. The more I have honored the regional...
Not Your Typical Dragon, by Dan Bar-el Crispin is not your typical dragon. On his seventh birthday, Crispin tries to breathe fire for the first time. His family is surprised when, instead of fire, Crispin breathes out whipped cream! Throughout the story, Crispin’s inability to breathe fire is treated as a problem by all of the adults in his life. His idea of a “real dragon” is deeply ingrained in his mind, and Crispin begins to believe that he will never be a real dragon himself. He leave...
The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada, by Daniel J. Bussey, is available at Jak Kaw Press. The seven volume set is currently on sale, priced at $150.00, originally $320. The series covers more than 16,000 varieties of apples found in the United States and Canada, and features nearly 10,000 synonyms and 1,400 life sized watercolor paintings, a few of which can be seen above. The author, Daniel J. Bussey, spent the last 30 years searching through countless libraries,...
I ran across Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh, shortly after it was published in 2013. At the time, it seemed like graphic novels were replacing the written word. I have to say I was not a big fan of the genre. The books either had great drawings and boring text or vice versa. Hyperbole and a Half has brilliantly funny drawings and a clever, intelligent narrative. They work perfectly together, and the book is full of pleasant surprises. Brosh presents the autobiographical stories grouped by...
Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman, is a poignant story about an inept, wannabe bank robber who disappears into thin air, a father and son cop team, and a handful of folks who showed up to an apartment as prospective buyers and left as rescued hostages. The night before New Year’s Eve in a small Swedish town, a struggling parent attempts to rob a cashless bank for 6,500 kronor. After a solid ridiculing by the young bank teller, the would-be robber flees and das...
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford Though this best-selling book was published in 2005, I didn't read it until 2009. Before then, my reading material rarely included invading empire-building conquerors. This was before Game of Thrones (GOT), both the books and HBO series, became an addiction in my household. What little I had learned about Genghis Khan was that he was a violent and ruthless invader, on horseback, wearing fabulous fur fashion. I especially loved...
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood, by Gregg Olsen. A horrifying, true story, If You Tell is the story of the sadistic killer Shelly Knotek living in Raymond, Wash., and the sisters who ultimately stopped her. In 2003, Knotek and her husband, Dave, were arrested and sent to prison for the murder of Kathy Loreno, Ronald Woodworth, and Shane Watson. People Magazine called this book a "stunner about sibling love, courage, and resilience,"...
Spilled Milk by K.L Randis Young Brooke Nolan navigates the dangerous waters of a broken social service agency who is working to keep her abusive father in the house, rather than keep her safe. A glass of spilled milk at the dinner time forces Brooke to speak out about her abuse, and in doing so, she risks losing family support, and comes to realize that not everyone wants to be saved. Spilled Milk is based on a true story. This book was a very emotional experience. It was told through the eyes...
Having a dog who requires long and frequent walks, I have begun listening to audiobooks. Often, if the book is a good one, I continue listening after our walks. I tend to rotate the selections between historical non-fiction and Scandinavian murder mysteries. The last book falls into the former category. The Space Race is a documentary-drama series released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing. The ten episodes cover the space program focusing on the relationship...
Pumpkin Patch - Bad Seeds By Brouhaha Games This is a great game for 9 and up. It’s a quick 15 to 20-minute strategy game. The object of the game is to plant and gather the most seedling pumpkins. You are laying out seedling cards and coming up with a strategy to place the Cinderella pumpkin, but beware of the crows, and other players trying to lay their cards down first! Lots of fun spookiness! Review by Julie Original Wisdom By Robert Wolff Sometimes a book comes along that really lets you s...
For over a quarter of a century, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Ann Lamont has inspired new writers with honest and down to earth advice, written with humor and experience. The title refers to advice Lamott’s father gave her brother, who was struggling with a school paper on birds. Just write one bird at a time, and don’t get overwhelmed. “Thirty years ago, my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We...
