The Bookery So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger Leif Enger's new novel, So Brave, Young, and Handsome, is set in the West in 1915 and is rife with Pinkerton detectives, train robbers, cowboys, and sharpshooters, it's a story about finding purpose and redemption in a land of shifting borders, where geography and the new frontier of the West are finding form. In 1915 Minnesota, Monte Becket – “a man fading, a disappointer of persons” – has lost his sense of purpose. His only success long behind him, Monte lives a simple life with his loving wife and whipsmart son. But when he befriends outlaw Glendon Hale, a new world of opportunity and experience presents itself. Glendon has spent years in obscurity, but the guilt he harbors for abandoning his wife, Blue, over two decades ago, has finally lured him from hiding. --from the inside jacket

Adventures Underground Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz: The Complete Comic Strip Saga, 1904-1905 by The Complete Comic Book Saga 1904-1905. This presents a long-hidden treasure from the Land of Oz. In 1904 Baum, wrote a story specifically for the Sunday color comic sections. These pages, illustrated by comic pioneer McDougall, ran for 36 weeks and feature some of the most innovative comic strip layouts of the era. In addition, the book features all 13 episodes of a second 1904-05 Oz Sunday feature, Scarecrow and Tinman, by famed Oz illustrator Denslow. This sumptuous volume also includes never reprinted Denslow comics from 1901-03, such as Billy Bounce (the first superhero of the comics) as well as beautiful comic features from McDougall and Oz illustrator John R. Neill. A high-quality production, full of rarely seen comic gems in their original size and colors.

Riverwalk Books Boneshaker by Cherie Priest In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska's ice. Thus was Dr. Blue's Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born. But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead. Cherie Priest made her debut with the Eden Moore series of Southern Gothic ghost stories that began with Four and Twenty Blackbirds. She lives in Seattle, WA.

A Book for All Seasons Fat of the Land by Langdon Cook Stinging nettle soup??? Oh, yes, author Langdon Cook insists, you haven't had great foraged cuisine until you've tried his stinging nettle soup. With an eye for adventure and a droll sense of humor, Cook's newly-released FAT OF THE LAND shares his experiences as he ambles about Northwest coastlines and forests picking up things to eat - and finding them surprisingly tasty! Cook recounts his journey from wrangler of pre-packaged calories to connoisseur of coveted wild edibles, and also shares favorite recipes he has concocted for his delectable treasures. Whether free-diving in Puget Sound with hopes of spearing a snaggletooth lingcod, digging razor clams on a coastal beach, or coming face to face with Papa Bear in a mountain huckleberry patch, Cook frames his adventures in the fascinating world of wild foods and foraging. Let Langdon Cook show you how to safely navigate the Northwest's bounty of natural, edible delights, and reconnect with the landscape. Langdon Cook will be in Leavenworth Friday, February 26, 7:00 - 9:00 PM at Barn Beach Reserve to share tales of foraging adventures. You'll have a second chance to trade recipes with Cook at his book-signing Saturday February 27, 1:00 - 3:00 PM at A Book For All Seasons.

Port Book and News Dog On It by Spencer Quinn Set in the Valley of an unnamed Western state, Quinn's winning debut introduces one smart canine detective and his partner, PI Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency, who's pretty quick on the uptake himself. Chet, a lively mongrel with one white ear and one black ear, serves as the book's narrator, communicating with Bert via doggy methods that verge on the telepathic (I wagged my tail, that quick one-two wag meaning yes, not the over-the-top one that wags itself and can mean lots of things). Wealthy divorcée Cynthia Chambliss hires Bernie, a former cop, to find her missing 15-year-old daughter, Madison, whose father is a real estate developer who smells suspiciously of cat. (Chet's keen sense of smell comes in handy.) When Madison reappears and disappears again, her dad says she's just a runaway, though Bernie thinks otherwise. Chet must use all his superdog tricks to extricate Bernie from a mighty tight fix in a climax that fans of classic mysteries are sure to appreciate.

Brick Road Books The Collector by Jack Nisbet The Collector tracks Douglas' fascinating history, from his humble birth in Scotland in 1799 to his botanical training under the famed William Jackson Hooker to his adventures in North America discovering "exotic" new plants for the English and European market. The book takes readers along on Douglas' journeys into a literal "brave new world" of then-obscure realms from Puget Sound to the Sandwich Islands. In telling Douglas' story, Nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances. www.brickroadbooks.com

Read it Again Books Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford Set in the ethnic neighborhoods of Seattle during World War II and Japanese American internment camps of the era, the times and places are brought [stirringly] to life (Jim Tomlinson, author of "Things Kept, Things Left Behind"). Review Quotes Advance praise for Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet "Jamie Ford's novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is deeply informed by an intimate knowledge of Seattle during World War II, of the tribulations of Asian peoples during the time of Japanese internment, and even of the Seattle jazz scene of that time. His story of an innocent passion that crosses racial barriers-and then, of the whole life of a man who forsook the girl he loved-is told with an artistic technique that makes emotion inevitable." -Louis B. Jones, author of Particles and Luck "I loved it! Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a beautiful and tender masterpiece. A book everyone will be talking about, and the best book you'll read this year." -Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Garden of Darkness "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells a heartwarming story of fathers and sons, first loves, fate, and the resilient human heart. Set in the ethnic neighborhoods of Seattle during World War II and Japanese American internment camps of the era, the times and places are brought to life by the marvelous, evocative details." -Jim Tomlinson, winner of the 2006 Iowa Short Fiction Award and author of Things Kept, Things Left Behind

Inklings Bookshop The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver Kingsolver's newest novel--her first in several years--is worth the wait. Spanning three decades in the life of Harrison Shepard, the fictional son of a U.S. diplomat and a Mexican mother, Kingsolver weaves history and fiction to relate historical events beginning in the 1930's. From the attacks by the U.S. military against veterans protesting in the "Hooverville" encampment in the nation's capitol, to his life in Mexico in the home of Frida Kaholo and Diego Rivera, to the hearings of the House UnAmerican Activities, the story informs as well as entertains. Through it all the reader feels the love of art, culture, history, and people. Kingsolver is a masterful writer.

BookPeople Speaking History by Sue Armitage and Laurie Mercier Sue Armitage and Laurie Mercier new book "Speaking History", the oral histories of the american history 1865-present, features the voices of americans who have lived throught the critical events of our times. It is a thrill to see how this book brings the past to life in linking individual experinces to the larger historical story of our time.

Jerrol's Book and Supply Ashes of Ascension by Tyler Tullis Written by a local author and friend Tyler Tullis, “Ashes of Ascension” completes the saga of Tavin Tieloc as he and his crew attempt to survive as an elemental disorder spreads throughout the land of Iaria. I recommend this book to anyone (especially those who find adventure and suspense irresistible)!

A Book for All Seasons The Fires of Edgarville by Craig Joseph Danner Craig Joseph Danner has done it again. The Fires of Edgarville is a can't-stop-reading book. Tracing the evolution of a small Oregon lumber town and its connection to WWII Japanese internment, The Fires of Edgarville is a spellbinding story told with authentic detail and unexpected humor. Fast-paced and unflinching in its honesty, Danner's second novel is filled with compassion for its original and endearing characters. Michael Gurian, author of A Fine Young Man, calls The Fires of Edgarville: "fast-paced, often thrilling, and entirely enjoyable … From adoption to dementia, internment camps to blazing house fires, his themes are timely, his insights eloquent, and his characters vibrant and alive."