12 books we're reading this spring | Seattle Refined

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Spring is here and with it comes great books from local authors, local publishers and some can't be missed national bestsellers. Curl up and start reading! (Image: Getty Images)<p></p>

<p>The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. Hannah is back with another life-changing novel. The Seattle author’s latest book, The Great Alone follows the journey of damaged Vietnam vet, Ernt Albright as he moves his family to the wilds of Alaska in 1974. The unprepared family not only has to face the challenges of the wild Alaska frontier but also Ernt’s deteriorating mental state. Hannah’s storytelling takes this story and gives you compassion for all involved while showing the untamed and dangerous beauty of Alaska with the people who inhibit its lands. (Image: Amazon){ }<br></p>

An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones. Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. Roy is a young executive and Celestial, an artist on the brink of discovery. Just as they begin their new lives together, they are ripped apart when Roy is arrested and sentenced to 12 years in jail. Jones artfully captures the deep hurt of people who must settle with the past while also moving forward through hope and pain. (Image: Amazon)

<p>Homegoing: A novel by Yaa Gyasi. Every year, The Seattle Public Library selects one book for their Seattle Reads program. This year, Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing is their selection. Homegoing follows the parallel paths of two sisters, born in Ghana in the 18th century. Both are unaware of each other and each lives very different experiences - one marries into comfort while the other becomes enslaved and imprisoned. (Image: Amazon){ }</p>

<p>California Calling: A Self-Interrogation by Natalie Singer. A Seattle Journalist, Singer is out with her memoir. California Calling is a coming-of-age story, a lyrical self-interrogation of obsession, emigration, and identity. The book opens in a courtroom on a witness stand where Singer is forced to testify in a family breakup which changes the course of her life. At sixteen, she emigrates from Montreal and heads to California where she searches for an American identity through high school pep rallies and college sex in boats and the backs of pickups, to a summer tracing a serial killer through the heart of Gold Country, to an eventual journalism career in San Francisco and the deserts of Palm Springs. (Image: Amazon){ }<br></p>

By The Shore: Explore the Pacific Northwest Like a Local by Nancy Blakely. Due out on May 15th from Sasquatch Books, By The Shore comes from Bainbridge Island resident, Nancy Blakely. Organized by seasons, this book is perfect for PNW locals looking for new ways to immerse themselves in coastal life – from beach hikes and road trips to festivals and events. Blakely dives into tide pool exploration, kite festivals, meteor shower watching, tree house and yurt rentals, beach camping trips, squid jigging, full-moon kayak paddles and night bike rides. (Image: Sasquatch Books)

Circe by Madeline Miller. Set in the world of ancient Greek mythology, Circe shares the tale of a young woman - half titan, half nymph who dare to challenge the gods. In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child who can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. This supernatural tale draws up on ancient mythology for a story that includes vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense. (Image: Amazon){ }

<p>Stuff Unicorns Love by Jessie Oleson Moore. Former Seattleite and Cakespy founder, Jessie Moore is out with a whimsical, humorous imaging of what unicorns really think and love. Stuff Unicorns Love will delight even the littlest unicorn fan. The book includes recipes for unicorn food, crafts and the history of these mythical creatures. Readers will enjoy this delightful book and its colorful illustrations while learning everything there is to know about magical unicorns. (Image: Amazon)</p>

<p>New Minimalism: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable, Intentional Living by Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici. Americans like to declutter and yet we still accumulate more and more stuff. New Minimalism from Sasquatch helps get to the heart of why we accumulate so much and live in cluttered homes. Professional decluttering and design team Cary and Kyle of New Minimalism will take you through every step to a well designed space that doesn’t fill up the landfill but instead helps you donate and reuse your existing belongings. (Image: Sasquatch Books){ }</p>

Lawn Boy By Jonathan Evison. Evison’s latest book is about a young Chicano living in Washington State. For Mike Muñoz, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. After being fired from a landscaping crew as a lawn boy, Muñoz decides to shake things up. This book is ultimately about the journey of self discovery but also covers social class distinctions, cultural discrimination and how to achieve the American dream through trial and hardship. (Image: Amazon){ }

<p>Chinese Soul Food: A Friendly Guide for Homemade Dumplings, Stir-Fries, Soups, and More by Hsiao-Ching Chou. The former Seattle Post-Intelligencer food editor is out with Chinese Soul Food from Seattle's Sasquatch Books. The cookbook is all about classic comfort food and has 80 recipes for soon to be favorites you can easily make any night of the week. You’ll find streamlines recipes for sizzling potstickers, stir-fries that are unbelievably easy to make, saucy braises, and soups that bring comfort with a sip.{ } (Image: Sasquatch Books){ }<br></p>

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao. Debut author Rao is out with a book that captures what feminism looks like in much of the world outside America. Poornima and Savitha are the daughters of poor weavers from the Karnataka, India, village of Indravalli, they meet when Poornima is brought in to work at Savitha’s father’s loom. The two are quickly drawn together and Poornima is intrigued by Savitha’s joyful and independent attitude. Rao carefully shows the hardship of being born female in a section of Indian society, poor and industrial, that gives everything to men and how that affects everyone. (Image: Amazon){ }

<p>How To Taste: The Curious Cook’s Handbook to Seasoning and Balance, from Umami to Acid and Beyond — with Recipes by Becky Selengut: Food lovers will eat this book up! Private chef and Seattle cookbook author,{ } Selengut’s newest offering outlines the underlying principles of taste, from salt, acid, bitter, sweet, fat, umami, bite (heat), to aromatics and texture. How to Taste will delight all the senses with its unique, graphic pages, recipes and fun kitchen experiments. (Image: Sasquatch Books){ }</p>

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