'Tis the season...

This first pick is especially important to me as we consider "shopping local" during the holidays and throughout the year. Independent bookstores appreciate your business, and so do small presses. Bender is out from Washington's own Copper Canyon Press, a nonprofit publisher with offices in Port Townsend and Seattle. Small presses work hard to put out quality literature, so keep an eye out for their books!

 

Bender: New and Selected Poems by Dean Young

“...Toothpicked samples

at the farmer's market, every melon,

plum, I come undone, undone.”

Unusual, dense, funny and brilliant—these poems are full of surprises. Try one. There is beauty on every page.---Sarina

 

Lost at Sea by Jon Ronson

 

Fascinating essays by a quirky Brit on subjects ranging from the oddball guy next door to Stanley Kubrick, from credit card debt to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Offbeat and entertaining.---Judith

 Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina is about a young woman caught between two worlds, hiding her true identity and suppressing her amazing talent for music. Delve into this world of court intrigue, family secrets and civil unrest. Seraphina shines!---Morgaine

Our Staff Picks for the Holidays

At a recent staff meeting, Terri brought two wonderful, locally-inspired cookbooks to share with us (as well as a delicious squash bundt cake to taste!). Here are her holiday recommendations for the foodie, chef and gardener in your life:

Dishing Up: Washington by Jess Thomson

There are many good reasons why Seattle and Washington State have countless cookbooks paying homage to the local foods—we have such an abundance of seafood, fruits and vegetables. Jess Thomson is also the author of Pike Place Market Recipes. Dishing Up Washington includes the histories of local farmers, cheesemakers, fishermen...and recipes from our local chefs who benefit from these producers. The recipes (with enticing photos) are creatively unusual, while using familiar and exceptional ingredients. 

Grow Cook Eat by Willi Galloway

It would be great to have Willi Galloway as a next-door neighbor. A Master Gardener and former editor for Organic Gardening, Galloway writes in a friendly and encouraging way. She finds joy in the amazing tastes of thinned sprouts and offers all the information one needs to grow and sustain herbs, veggies, greens and anything that can grow in the Pacific Northwest. Exceptional recipes follow in each chapter to complete one's thrill in growing their own food. If I had to choose only one book for the kitchen and garden, Grow Cook Eat would be my first choice.