The Rose Field by Philip Pullman
“Read this book! But only if you read the previous books in the series. This is book three of The Book of Dust trilogy by Philip Pullman. And it might help if you also read the first trilogy, His Dark Materials. Don’t worry, all the back reading is worth it! These books are so thought provoking, adventurous and well-written that you won’t mind the 1000’s of pages commitment. P.S. the audio version is really excellent as well.” – Eva
The Names by Florence Knapp
“Three different timelines explore the idea that a name could change your destiny—thought provoking and entertaining!” – Amanda
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
“The best description is in the blurb: the apocalypse will be televised. It’s a wild ride that’s been going viral for good reason. Matt Dinniman is local-ish too – he’s from Gig Harbor!” – Ella
Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree
“This book is perfect if you’re feeling a little stuck and need some inspiration to try something new. When Fern accidentally passes out in the back of a stranger’s cart, she wakes up a long way from home in the company of a legendary warrior and a goblin on a bounty. This is NOT Fern’s normal day-to-day of running a bookshop, but she finds that this life of adventure might just be the inspiration she needs. If you’ve read Legends & Lattes, then you know how fun these books are! This one deviates from the cozy coffee shop vibes of Legend & Lattes, but I promise it is so worth it. Also, go for the audiobook — Travis Baldree is an excellent narrator.” – Skyler
Raised by Wolves by James Patterson
“Two feral siblings with fangs appear in a small town, claiming to be raised by wolves. As they adjust to civilization, dark forces threaten their new community and loved ones.” – Karen
The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag
“This is an illustrated novel. It is a story set during the apocalypse, in which society has been zombified by VR Headsets. You follow the protagonist who is one of the few unable to use the headsets and therefore saved from that particular fate. She travels across the country with a robotic companion. You witness America in the last gasps of civilization and humanity. The story is told through both vivid writing, and gorgeous, but haunting illustrations. It is a story that sticks with you both because of its heartbreaking ending, and just how relevant it is to our current society.” – Andi
The Bakery Dragon by Elle Kurtz
“This is such a sweet story and the artwork is so incredibly beautiful!” – Christina
Wicked Women of Whitechapel (Series) by Minerva Spencer
“Stories about the ladies in the Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre. Boxing, knife throwing, and target shooting.” – Lisa
Inheritance by Ilona Andrews
“1. I read EVERYTHING written by this author.
2. This is a fantasy set on Earth in a time like ours. One day everything is normal, the next day several ‘gates’ appeared around the world. After weeks of nothing, the gates opened and monsters invaded the world intent on eradication. Inside each gate is an interdimensional breach, there are resources that can be gathered to help with the war, and there is a way to close the breach so the monsters can’t come through. The heroine is a regular woman, a mom. When her talent manifested, she signed up to do her part to save the world. After going into the breach hundreds of times, something goes wrong and she is trapped. She has to survive and escape, because she promised her kids that she would come home.” – Michele
High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
“With compelling characters and a perilous setting, I could practically feel the salt spray on my face imagining life at the edge of the world on a warming planet.” – Amanda
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
“Yes it’s a kids book and yes I enjoyed every minute of it. Delightfully heartwarming and funny.” – Ella
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
“This book kept me up well past bedtime exploring themes about AI, progress, and family loyalty.” – Amanda
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
“This is just a very good graphic novel. It is a queer romance, and it also deals with internalized and generational homophobia with a very clever metaphor. The art is beautiful and clean and tells the story in a very strong way. The story has a slice of life feel, while still having an air of mystery and suspense. Highly recommend!” – Andi
So Far Gone by Jess Walter (local author!)
“Couldn’t put this one down! So engaging.” – Andrew
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
“I never thought a post-apocolyptic book would also feel like a warm hug, but this one accomplished it! Full of heart-warming relationships, adventure, and self-acceptance, this book was an absolute pleasure to read.” – Alina
A Truce that Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews
“A memoir by one of my favorite novelists, spurred by what was for Toews the frustrating question, “Why do you write?” Toews’s humor, compassion, and pathos are in full force here as she continues to mourn her sister and father, who both took their own lives. As shown in her novels, Toews is a master of expressing suffering and survival; this book is both devastating and life-affirming.” – Sharma
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
“El Akkad wrote one of my favorite novels, ‘What Strange Paradise,’ and this latest memoir is his indictment of our national persistent allowance of othering, of war, and of genocide—this is a gripping, journalistic, truth-telling call for humanity. This just won the National Book Award!” – Sharma
Elita by Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum
“A feral non-verbal girl is found on an island in Puget Sound in 1951, and Bernadette Baston, a single-mom and a child development and language specialist, attempts to unravel the girl’s mysterious origins. Lunstrum is one of the Pacific NW’s most breathtaking writers, and it’s no surprise this novel has made NPR’s best-of-the-year list. Spokane Public Library is hosting a virtual writing workshop with Lunstrum at the end of January!” – Sharma
The Wonder of Mushrooms by Maya Jewell Zeller
“Even if you aren’t a fungi-phile yet, you will be after perusing this exquisite book from Spokane’s own Maya Jewell Zeller and watercolor artist Jenny deFouw Geuder. Gorgeous language, amazing knowledge, and colorful scenes on every page.” – Sharma
The Serious World by Laura Read
“For poetry fans, a collection where beloved Spokane poet Laura Read converses with other literary titans who wrote about womanhood and suffering, including Sylvia Plath, Marguerite Duras, and Simone de Beauvoir—an exploration of memory, motherhood, mental health, and mortality.” – Sharma
Where Blackbirds Fly by Shann Ray
“My favorite books are unflinching in how they examine some of the worst crises we face as human beings, while also somehow leading readers into a place of love, hope, and potential change. Ray is one of these writers, and this novel is sheer poetry. I love the floating paragraph form and the white space that allows us to process, breathe, between each lyrical passage. Shann is also a Spokane writer!” – Sharma
Intemperance by Sonora Jha
“Jha, who lives in Seattle, is one of my very favorite novelists, and this book is irreverent, hilarious, astute, mythological, and celebratory, a triumph of knowing and accepting yourself for who you are and all you deserve.” – Sharma
