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Christina

Christina always has too many books to read scattered around the house: in the kitchen (cookbooks), dining room (more food books), living room (travel books), studio (knitting, sewing, paper crafts & art), bathroom (magazines), kids' bedrooms, and night table (inspiration/self-improvement). She loves to bake and create, and keeps a blog called Musings of a Crafter, http://craftmusings.blogspot.com.

Hector and the Secrets of Love (Paperback)

By Francois Lelord
$14.00
ISBN-13: 9780143119470
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Penguin (Non-Classics), 5/2011
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"Seedling # 15: In Love, if we really knew what the other person was saying, maybe we wouldn't understand them at all." This follow up to "Hector and the Search for Happiness" follows Hector to Asia as he learns what he, and others, think are the meanings of love.

Hector and the Search for Happiness (Paperback)

By Francois Lelord
$14.00
ISBN-13: 9780143118398
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Penguin (Non-Classics), 8/2010
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"Lesson # 15: Happiness comes when you feel truly alive." This is just one of the many lessons you will take from this fun little book.

Black Milk: On Writing, Motherhood, and the Harem Within (Hardcover)

By Elif Shafak
$25.95
ISBN-13: 9780670022649
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Published: Viking Adult, 4/2011
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Turkish novelist Elif Shafak shares her story about writing, womanhood, marriage, and parenting. She writes about the inner conflict between living her true love of writing, and making room for everything else.

The Illumination (Paperback)

By Kevin Brockmeier
$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780307387776
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage, 2/2012
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This thought-provoking story is about how other people can see each others' wounds & pain as varying degrees of illuminating light. The lives and stories of six characters in particular are further connected by one story/book of love. It's my favorite balance between the joy and the pain that exist in love. Darkness and light at it's best.

420 Characters (Hardcover)

By Lou Beach
$22.00
ISBN-13: 9780547617930
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 12/2011
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Yes, it is possible to tell a story in 420 characters or fewer. And yes, Lou Beach tells his stories very, very well.

Book of Haikus (Paperback)

By Jack Kerouac
$14.00
ISBN-13: 9780142002643
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin (Non-Classics), 4/2003
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The shorter side of Kerouac's work is not to be ignored.

The Lover's Dictionary (Hardcover)

By David Levithan
$18.00
ISBN-13: 9780374193683
Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1/2011
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"novel, n. a relatively long fictional prose narrative with a more or less complex plot or pattern of events, about actions, feelings, motives, etc. of a group of characters," Websters New World Dictionary. I'm not sure if The Lover's Dictionary counts as a novel, even though it says it's one. But, it has a beginning and an end; a narrator; the narrator's love interest(s); and lots of actions, feelings, and motives. Each "chapter" of this book is written like an entry in a dictionary, with one word setting the stage for each scene. Levithan's format is a "novelty," and is definitely worth reading.

My American Unhappiness (Hardcover)

By Dean Bakopoulos
$24.00
ISBN-13: 9780151013449
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 6/2011
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I'm drawn to any story that looks at our personal, and collective unhappiness. I have a thing for odd, cynical, and sarcastic down-and-out characters too. Zeke Pappas fits all the characteristics of an unhappy guy looking for that American happiness we all run after. Sometimes I really liked Zeke, and sometimes he deserved his misery. Don't we all though.

The Lonely Polygamist (Paperback)

By Brady Udall
$15.95
ISBN-13: 9780393339710
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: W. W. Norton & Company, 4/2011
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No matter how deep of a hole Golden Richards digs for himself, somehow you still manage to want to be on his side. All the characters in this twisted book are striving for something that we all strive for: meaning, simplicity, and validation that it's all worthwhile.

The Borrower (Hardcover)

By Rebecca Makkai
$25.95
ISBN-13: 9780670022816
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Viking Adult, 6/2011
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In the children's book section of the public library in Hannibal, Missouri, Lucy Hull helps bring exciting books into the life of her favorite patron, ten-year-old Ian Drake. Soon, Lucy's interest in Ian and his well-being may be crossing a line, and before she knows it, she "kidnaps" the boy who is running away from home. Throughout their road-trip journey around the Midwest and East Coast, you often wonder who really is the kidnapper, and who is the kidnapped. This is a quirky, but heart-felt story that is perfect for a summer roadtrip.

Conquistadora (Hardcover)

By Esmeralda Santiago
$27.50
ISBN-13: 9780307268327
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Knopf, 7/2011
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Inspired by texts and stories of her ancestors who explored the tropics with Ponce de Leon, 18-year-old Ana Larragoity Cubillas has convinced the Argoso twin brothers to move from their upper-crust life in Spain to run a sugar plantation in Puerto Rico. Ana wants to feel the earth between her fingers and get away from the stuffy, tedious life of Spain. Through grit, hardship, and a hardened emotional armor, Ana becomes the true "haciendera" of the plantation. I'll admit that I first picked up this book because of the alluring cover painting, but I was not disappointed with the story. I quickly became enraptured by Esmeralda Santiago's vivid and shockingly honest characters, as well as her thorough historical representation.

Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis (Paperback)

By Kim Todd
$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780156032995
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Mariner Books, 12/2007
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The tradition of biology and natural art in the 1600-1700s existed mostly in the realm of men. But Maria Sibylla Merian broke the boundaries and traveled to faraway places like Suriname to observe and illustrate insects. "Chrysalis" is the story of her life, which includes some of her amazingly detailed illustrations. Her perseverance and sense of adventure inspire me.

Frida Kahlo: Her Photos (Hardcover)

By Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, Frida Kahlo, James Oles
$45.00
ISBN-13: 9788492480753
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Editorial RM, 8/2010
This collection of photos, taken by Frida and her friends and family, tell a different story about this famous artist. More than 400 pages are filled with images that reflect all the different times and stages of Frida's life. It's intriguing to imagine the feelings and sentiments behind each person or image, and what meaning they may have had, if any. Frida's life continues to entertain and inspire us.

Photobooth: The Art of the Automatic Portrait (Hardcover)

By Raynal Pellicer
$35.00
ISBN-13: 9780810996113
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Harry N. Abrams, 10/2010
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This is a fun book. Plain and simple.

At Home with Handmade Books: 28 Extraordinary Bookbinding Projects Made from Ordinary and Repurposed Materials (Paperback)

By Erin Zamrzla
$21.95
ISBN-13: 9781590308226
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Roost Books, 4/2011
The series of craft books "Make Good: Crafts + Life" always capture my attention, with their simple photos and stylish projects. I was not disappointed by At Home with Handmade Books. The projects in this book are fun and simple, and the instructions are clean and well-explained. I love the postcard journal, and can't wait to make some of my own books.

Atlas of Remote Islands (Hardcover)

By Judith Schalansky, Christine Lo
$30.00
ISBN-13: 9780143118206
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Penguin (Non-Classics), 9/2010
I daydream often about running away to some remote, desolate island where everything is lush, rare, and quiet. Of course, then I wake up and realize I'm still here in Bellingham, with my work, my messes, and my never-ending to-do lists. But, alas, I can daydream even further, with the help of the maps and descriptions in Atlas of Remote Islands. And guess what? Author Judith Schalansky, just like me, will likely never set foot on any of these islands, but it's worth daydreaming about life on Annobon Island.

The Heart and the Bottle (Hardcover)

By Oliver Jeffers, Oliver Jeffers
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780399254529
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Philomel, 2/2010
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This is my all-time favorite children's picture book. Beautiful illustrations and touching story. I will cherish it forever.

Up and Down (Hardcover)

By Oliver Jeffers, Oliver Jeffers
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780399255458
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Philomel, 12/2010
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This is the story of a penguin and a boy. These two are good friends, and they have gone through some tough times before in the book, Lost and Found. Now, the penguin wants to learn to fly, and the boy stands by, waiting for the penguin to figure it all out. Like all of Oliver Jeffers' books, this is a touching story, and Jeffers' watercolor illustrations are vibrant and sweet. A picture book that even grown ups will want to own.

Olivia (Hardcover)

By Ian Falconer, Ian Falconer
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780689829536
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 10/2000
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Besides this being my daughter's name, Olivia the pig is the funniest, sassiest, little pig around. The entire series of Olivia books are fun to read. Falconer's color scheme and inclusion of other pieces of modern and classic art within his pictures is brilliant. I especially love Olivia's fashion shows, and my younger daughter loves to belt out all of the exclamatory dialogue in the books.

Farmer Boy (Paperback)

By Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams
$8.99
ISBN-13: 9780060581824
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins, 5/2004
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For the past six years I've been reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books with my now 11-year-old daughter. Of all the books Wilder writes, I think Farmer Boy has been my favorite. This is the story of her husband Almanzo's childhood. The story is sweet and moving, and you can't help but love Almanzo, his voracious appetite, and the "sparkle" in his eyes. This is a classic story that families should share together.

Pippi Longstocking (Hardcover)

By Astrid Lindgren, Lauren Child, Tina Nunally
$26.99
ISBN-13: 9780670062768
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Viking Juvenile, 10/2007
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Who doesn't love this quirky little girl who can carry a horse and lives with a monkey all by herself? Pippi is fun, silly, strange, adventurous and bold. We should all have a colorful friend like Pippi.

Cakespy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life (Paperback)

By Jessie Oleson
$22.95
ISBN-13: 9781570617560
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Sasquatch Books, 8/2011

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home (Hardcover)

By Jeni Britton Bauer
$23.95
ISBN-13: 9781579654368
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Artisan Publishers, 6/2011
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Sugar Baby: Confections, Candies, Cakes & Other Delicious Recipes for Cooking with Sugar (Hardcover)

By Gesine Bullock-Prado, Tina Rupp
$29.95
ISBN-13: 9781584798972
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 4/2011

Dulce: Desserts in the Latin-American Tradition (Hardcover)

By Joseluis Flores, Laura Zimmerman Maye, Ben Fink
$29.95
ISBN-13: 9780847833214
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Rizzoli, 4/2010

Mourad: New Moroccan (Hardcover)

By Mourad Lahlou, Deborah Jones, Susie Heller
$40.00
ISBN-13: 9781579654290
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Artisan Publishers, 10/2011
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2012 Chuckanut Writers Conference

2012 Chuckanut Writers Conference