July so soon!

Summer Reading Book Bingo presented by Seattle Arts + Lectures. Download your copy of the Adult Bingo Card, The Kids Bingo Card and/or Lotería de Lectura [Para mayores de 18 años.] All Here.

Just to get you started… here are a few ideas for some of the categories on the Book Bingo cards this summer, starting with the Adult Card:

JOYFUL: “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” by The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu; “The Book of Delights” by Ross Gay. Really any book by Ross Gay. He also has a lovely book of poetry that we are partial to: “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.”

SEATTLE READS: Some of the recent ones here.

• 2023 “The Swimmers” by Julie Otsuka.
• 2022 “The House of Broken Angels” by Luis Alberto Urrea
• 2021 “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
• 2020 “There There” by Tommy Orange [this title/author also works for the INDIGENOUS AUTHOR]
• 2019 “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui [this title also works for the MANGA OR GRAPHIC NOVELsquare!]
• 2018 “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi

More of the Seattle Reads list is here.

LOCAL AUTHOR: [so many to choose from… so here are just a very few of the most recent we have been delighted to host!] Marie Bostwick; Tara Conklin; Andrea Dunlop; Paddy Eger; Jessica Gigot; Elise Hooper; Liz Kellebrew; Stephanie Kerschbaum; Rachel Linden; Noelle Salazar.

INCLUDES A RECIPE:

• “Love & Saffron” by Kim Fay
• “Art of the Chicken” by Jacques Pépin
• “The Kitchen Front” by Jennifer Ryan
• “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson

INDIGENOUS AUTHOR: Angeline Boulley; Jessica Johns; Robin Wall Kimmerer; Sasha LaPage; Tommy Orange; Rebecca Roanhorse.

SEA CREATURES: “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt; “Soul of an Octopus” by Sy Montgomery; “How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures” by Sabrina Imbler.

SAL SPEAKER: Link to the upcoming SAL season here. So many great authors, and any number of books to choose from!

RECOMMENDED BY AN INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER: Come on in! We have “RECOMMENDED” tags all over the shop! And/or check out our list of favorite reads from 2022 – many of which are now conveniently in paperback. Excellent! Here.

Now for a few suggestions for the Kids Card:

STORY WITH MAGIC: Harry Potter [of course! Ooh – do you have the fun of introducing a kid to Harry? What a great summer that will be!]; Upside Down Magic series by Sarah Mlynowski for ages 9+; Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend [staff recommended!] for ages 8+

MORE IMAGES THAN WORDS: We have graphic novels for all ages, from “Narwhal and Jelly” [ages 5+] to “Phoebe and Her Unicorn” [ages 7+] to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” [ages 8+] to “Amulet” [ages 8+] to “Lore Olympus” [For Young Adults] and “Heartstopper” [For Young Adults], and so many more in between.

LOCAL AUTHOR: Paddy Eger; Donna Barba Higuera; Kelly Jones; Nova McBee; Laura Moe; Ellie Peterson[we have a kids’ story time event with her July 28! All the information is here.]; Aron Nels Steinke; Liz Wong; Kobi Yamada.

STRONG FEMALE HEROINE: “Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley [For Young Adult Readers]; “The Last Cuentista” by Donna Barba Higuera [For Ages 10+]; “The Beatryce Prophecy” by Kate DiCamillo [for Ages 8+] [all 3 of these are staff recommended!]

MAIN CHARACTER WITH FUR: “Wolf Called Wander” by Rosanne Parry; “Bowser and Birdie” series by Spencer Quinn; Erin Hunter: “Warriors” multiple series [cats!]; “Survivors” series [dogs!]; “Seekers” series [bears!] [so much fur!]

SET IN THE FUTURE: “The Last Cuentista” by Donna Barba Higuera [For Ages 10+]; “City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau [For Ages 10+]; Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins [Young Adult readers]; “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline [For Ages 14+]; “The Selection” by Kiera Cass [Young Adult readers]; “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer[Young Adult readers]

MADE INTO A MOVIE: so many to choose from! This is a very small sample… [alphabetical by author]

• “Watership Down” by Richard Adams
• “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
• “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume
• “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• “Beezus and Ramona” by Beverly Cleary
• “How to Train Your Dragon” by Cressida Cowell
• “Matilda” by Roald Dahl
• “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo
• “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by S. Lewis
• “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London
• “The Giver” by Lois Lowry
• “Anne of Green Gables” by M. Montgomery
• “Wonder” by J. Palacio
• “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson
• “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
• “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell
• “Charlotte’s Web” by B. White

Edmonds Bookshop Events.

July 1 – 30, 2023. It’s Waldo! Waldo is hiding in 51 different establishments all over town. Pick up a passport at any of the locations and let the search begin! All of the instructions are on the passports. Find at least him in at least 25 spots and you may claim a free temporary Waldo Tattoo, while supplies last! If/when you find him in all 51 spots [you have until July 30!] turn in your passport for a chance to win the grand prize – a fabulous fancy box set of Waldo books! And even if you don’t complete the challenge – join us on …

Monday, July 31 is the Waldo Birthday Party! Everyone that attends will receive a raffle ticket and will be eligible to win one of the many fantastic prizes donated by so many Edmonds merchants. Truly an Edmonds kind of a party! So much more information here.

Edmonds Bookshop Book Club:
July 13: Thursday evening 6:30-7:30 p.m.
July 19: Wednesday morning 9:10 a.m..

“The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel” by Laura Imai Messina.
The international bestselling novel, sold in 21 countries, about grief, mourning, and the joy of survival, inspired by a real phone booth in Japan with its disconnected “wind” phone, a place of pilgrimage and solace since the 2011 tsunami.

Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, it is the signpost pointing to the healing that can come after.
More information on our Event page, here.

Book Club news! We are bringing the evening book club meetings back beginning in July 2023! You may choose morning or evening gatherings. Thursday evening meetings will be the 2^nd Thursday at 6:30pm. Wednesday morning meetings will remain the 3^rd Wednesday at 9am. Questions about anything? Ask here.

More information about the book club is here.

Friday, July 28: 9:30-10:30 a.m. Join us for Children’s Story Time with Ellie Peterson!
We will open the shop a bit early [at 9:30am] for this special event!
Join in the fun with local author Ellie Peterson, children’s author and illustrator of “How to Hug a Pufferfish.” She aims to create books that “amuse, intrigue, and inspire children of all ages,” according to her website, so come anticipating a morning of inspiration! Parents are expected accompany their children for the duration of the 30 minute presentation, which will include some fun hands-on activities.

Recent book releases of note:

“Tress of the Emerald Sea” by Brandon Sanderson. On our PNBA Bestseller list!

“Small Mercies” by Dennis Lehane. An all-consuming tale during one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.

“Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America” by Matika Wilbur.  Review here in The Seattle Times. On our PNBA Bestseller list!

“The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese. A stunning and magisterial epic following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret. Recommended by The New York Times.

“No Two Persons” by Erica Bauermeister. Want to read an excerpt and some amazing early praise? Click here. Staff recommended.

“Trust” by Hernan Diaz. Now in paperback. May 8, 2023: 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction!

“King: A Life” by Jonathan Eig. The first new biography to include recently declassified FBI files. Recommended by The New York Times.

“Good Night, Irene” by Luis Alberto Urrea. NPR review here.  Staff recommended. Chosen for June Indie Next.

“Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly” by Marie Bostwick. Staff favorite author. In paperback.

“The Celebrants” by Steven Rowley. LGBTQ+  Recommended by The Washington Post.

“The Wind Knows My Name” by Isabel Allende. “Both stories are rich enough to carry the weight of one novel, but Allende expertly intertwines them.”–The Washington Post. Review on NPR here.

“Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” by Lisa See. Inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China. A June Indie Next Pick!

“All the Sinners Bleed” by S. A. Cosby. The first Black sheriff in a small Southern town faces a questionable shooting, a Confederate pride march, and a serial killer. A June Indie Next Pick!  Recommended for June by The New York Times, here. Glowing review on NPR here.

“Pageboy: A Memoir” by Elliot Page.  Page recounts the cognitive dissonance of feeling his dreams come true while being asked to suppress his emergent transness, and his subsequent path out of the closet.  On our PNBA Bestseller list!

“My Murder” by Katie Williams. Darkly comic and lightly speculative, a thrilling, surprising, and entertaining mystery. Recommended on NPR. A June Indie Next Pick!

“Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X Kendi. A striking graphic novel edition of the National Book Award-winning history of.

“The Five-Star Weekend” by Elin Hilderbrand.

“Love, Theoretically” by Ali Hazelwood. A June Indie Next Pick! In paperback.

“Holding Pattern” by Jenny Xie.  Recommended for June by The Washington Post, here. And by The New York Times, here.

“Zero Days” by Ruth Ware. After a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. And she is the main suspect…. Staff recommended author!

“The Only One Left” by Riley Sager. “…a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.”

Books of note being released in July:
“Wolfsong : Green Creek #1” by TJ Klune. The Bennett family has a secret: They’re not just a family, they’re a pack. This is Ox Matheson’s story. A fantasy romance sensation by staff favorite author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family. The Green Creek Series is for adult readers. LGBTQIA+ July 4, 2023.

“The Librarianist: A Novel” by Patrick deWitt. When a retired librarian volunteers at a senior center, he starts to build a community, and an unexpected brush with the past reveals more about our buttoned-up protagonist. The perfect blend of wry humor and melancholy, DeWitt has penned a bittersweet tale about this retired librarian. July 4, 2023.

For kids  “Let the Games Begin! The Bad Guys #17” by Aaron Blabey. OK. It’s time to stop messin’ around . . . In this book, the One IS going to be reunited with the Others. You ARE going to actually meet the REAL DREAD OVERLORD SPLAARGHÖN. And ONE CHARACTER is going to change EVERYTHING you thought you knew. This is the one you’ve been waiting for! July 4, 2023.

“The Housekeepers” by Alex Hay. When a housekeeper raised by con artists and thieves is unexpectedly dismissed from her position, she recruits a group of women to help her exact revenge, using a costume ball as cover. July 4, 2023.

For Ages 6 – 9 “The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale” by Jon Klassen. The Caldecott Medalist and best-selling author-illustrator delivers a deliciously macabre treat for folktale fans. His signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. July 11, 2023.

“The Paris Agent: A Gripping Tale of Family Secrets” by Kelly Rimmer. Her latest book blends historical fiction and mystery in a web of courageous women. When her father’s memory issues about his time as a British operative lead Charlotte to search for answers, she meets two fearless spies with a connection to her dad. As she seeks answers, she stumbles upon a double agent and uncovers a revelation from the final days of the war that will leave you stunned. Paperback original. July 11, 2023.

“Silver Nitrate” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The genre-shifting author of “Mexican Gothic,” and “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau,” melds together threads of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism in her latest tale. July 18, 2023.

“Immortal Longings: Flesh & False Gods #1” by Chloe Gong. The bestselling YA author’s adult debut puts a high-octane fantasy twist on Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. July 18, 2023.

“Crook Manifesto: A Novel” by Colson Whitehead. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner continues his Harlem saga in a powerful and hugely-entertaining novel that summons 1970s New York in all its seedy glory. July 18, 2023.

“Strange Sally Diamond” by Liz Nugent. Staff recommended author. “Nugent fashions an unforgettable protagonist in Sally, and never loses sight of her characters’ fundamental humanity, even as she piles on twists and steers the narrative into exceptional darkness. Inventive, addictive, and bold, this deserves a wide audience.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) July 18, 2023.

“The Collector” by Daniel Silva. Legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world’s most valuable missing painting but soon finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an unthinkable conflict between Russia and the West. Highly recommended series! July 18, 2023.

“Everyone Here Is Lying” by Shari Lapena. “The most addictive book I’ve read in ages–so slick and disquieting and clever. Just brilliant.” –Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of “The Family Remains.” July 25, 2023.

“Kala: A Novel” by Colin Walsh. A gripping literary page-turner from a rising Irish talent in which former friends, estranged for twenty years, reckon with the terrifying events of the summer that changed their lives. Perfect for fans of Tana French. July 25, 2023.

“Prom Mom” by Laura Lippman. Amber Glass has spent her entire adult life putting as much distance as possible between her and her hometown. But when circumstances bring Amber back to the city, she realizes she can have a second chance–as long as she stays away from Joe. The problem is, Amber can’t stay away from Joe… July 25, 2023.

“Somebody’s Fool” by Richard Russo.  The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Empire Falls” returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and to the characters that captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers in his beloved best sellers “Nobody’s Fool” and “Everybody’s Fool.” Staff recommended. July 25, 2023.

For Young Adult Readers   “One of Us Is Back: One of Us Is Lying #3” by Karen M. McManus. Someone from the Bayview Crew’s past has resurfaced to finish what they started in the third installment of this electrifying mystery series. History seems destined to repeat itself in this highly anticipated, harrowing thrill ride for fans and newcomers alike. July 25, 2023.

“Light Bringer: A Red Rising Novel” by Pierce Brown. “Brown’s plots are like a depth charge of nitromethane dropped in a bucket of gasoline. His pacing is 100% him standing over it all with a lit match and a smile, waiting for us to dare him to drop it.”—NPR. July 25, 2023.

Some great blog posts/lists:

Summer escapist reads for the cabana or the beach! From WaPo and NYT. Here on our blog.

The New York Times recommends books coming in July.   On our blog here.

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association [PNBA] bestseller list. Updated weekly. We do our best to have all of these books in stock.  [There is a link on the home page – under the picture – directly to the weekly bestseller list. Usually updated on Wednesdays!]

Author, journalist, whiskey-sipper, and friend of the Bookshop, Neal Thompson, has a fantastic blog/newsletter called Blood and Whiskey! It’s all about crime fiction and true crime: roundups, reviews, author interviews. Plus cocktails and playlists. Check it out here.

National bestselling authors Marie Bostwick, Rachel Linden, and Katherine Reay host “The 10 Minute Book Talk” and gather with friends weekly to chat all things bookish for 10 short and sweet minutes. In this episode, they talk about Marie’s new book! While you are there – check out more of their book talks – so much fun!

We will keep posting our favorite reads, along with links to all kinds of book-related interesting things! In all the places: on our website, Facebook, and Instagram.

You may pre-order any forthcoming title by visiting our website.

Stay safe. Enjoy the little things. And as always: Happy reading!

— By Elaine Mattson

Edmonds native Elaine Mattson has worked at The Edmonds Bookshop off and on since she was 12 years old, and has also worked at a book wholesaler, a book publisher, and for the book publishing division of a large local software company (yes, that one). “I was raised a book lover [thanks, Mom!],” Mattson says. “We got book lights by our beds as soon as we were old enough to read. And then I probably got in trouble for reading too late the very next night. And I still read too late!”