Posted in Explore and Discover on October 6, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Bruce Holbert Not long ago, I was asked in an interview, “What took so long?” I was then 52 and publishing my first novel. I don’t have the data at hand, but my guess is I am beyond the mean. The question struck me as impolite. I wasn’t sleeping in doorways or staggering through […]
Tags: author, book publishing, books, conference, NaNoWriMo, publishing, writing, writing life
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 29, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Stefani Miller Readers tend to have favorites: a specific author, series, or genre that they come back to over and over. For me, it’s romance. When I have time to read, I like to snuggle up with a steamy novel. And when I’m not reading them, I’m usually feeding my addiction by hunting them […]
Tags: adults, booklist, books, caterer, contractor, delicious, dive bar, Families, Gospel, hockey, idaho, Lucky Harbor, pacific northwest, Portland Storm, rock star, romance, small towns, Thunder Point, With Me in Seattle
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 27, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Rachel Edmondson In recent years, Young Adult (YA) literature has become increasingly popular, and studies have shown that a surprising number of YA readers are adults. According to a 2012 study, 55% of buyers purchasing YA literature are 18 or older. Also, 78% of these buyers indicate that they are purchasing the books for […]
Tags: adults, booklists, books, teens, tweens, YA, young adult
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 22, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Sheri Boggs Local author Mary Cronk Farrell writes about the kinds of people whose stories aren’t widely told, but ought to be. In Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific, she tells the story of nearly 100 army and navy nurses who struggled to not […]
Tags: authors, battle zones, books, family, history, illustrated books, nonfiction, parents, POW, prison camp, prisoner of war, Warsaw, WWII, YA, young learners
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 20, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Debbie Rhodes I can’t be the only person who shudders when thinking about their project closet—the one filled with those unfinished projects and new hobbies. (Let’s not even talk about my “healthy this and healthy that” closet with the newest and “best” diet items.) My closet dilemma happens because my body tingles with gle […]
Tags: art, books, crafts, DIY, do-it-yourself, hobbies, home repair, how-to, kiln, kit car, magazines, model ship, oil painting, painting, projects, Raku pottery, subterranean house, wood lathe
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 13, 2016 at 6:00 am
By David Wyatt Earlier this summer when it was still scorching, I fenced off a portion of our yard to keep our new raised-bed garden out of reach of our two mutts. The dogs were not pleased to have lost some of their lawn. Too exhausted from the heat to do any more, I took […]
Tags: booklist, books, DIY, fruit, garden, gardening, hobbies, produce, raised-bed gardening, seed exchange, seed lending, seed library, vegetables
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 8, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Jane Baker The cardiologist gave me a choice: lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and get more cardio exercise or begin taking a prescription. After we talked it through, I made the decision to forgo the medication, and return in six months for a follow-up on how things were going. “Stay away from carbohydrates, […]
Tags: books, clean eating, cooking, diet, food, heart health, low-carb, paleo, recipes, science, Tiger Blood, whole 30, whole food, whole30
Posted in Explore and Discover, kids, Teens on September 1, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Gwendolyn Haley Both my husband and I grew up living hours away from our grandparents, and consequently only saw them once or twice a year at most. When we started our family, we lived five hours away from our own parents, so our children were also on track to only see their grandparents a […]
Tags: books, community, crafts, family history, generational, generations, grandchildren, grandkids, grandparenting, grandparents, Grandparents Day, hobbies, home, Lego club, Legos, reading, stories, storytime
Posted in Explore and Discover on August 25, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Melanie Boerner I understand that, as a librarian, I am expected to have piles upon piles of books throughout my house and be well versed in all types of literature. With that said, I have a confession to make: I have piles of half-read books around my house. As a full-time working mom of […]
Tags: audiobooks, booklists, books, digital library, hoopla, overdrive, performers, reading
Posted in Explore and Discover, kids, Parents and Teachers on August 16, 2016 at 6:00 am
By Gwendolyn Haley Something magical happens when families read books together and then talk about the big ideas they encounter. Reading is always fun, but talking about books and ideas helps us learn about the world and one another in a whole new way. Prime Time Family Reading from Humanities Washington taps into that magic […]
Tags: book discussion, booklists, books, cleverness, courage, developing readers, dreams, fairness, family, greed, kids, reading, reading comprehension, reading together, themes, young learners