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Join us the 2nd Wednesday of the month to share favorite books, authors, or series. Literary Salon is a no-rules book club where you bring whatever you're reading to a round of interested listeners. You are welcome to come and be a listener, too. Ten people shared the following 13 titles in March. Please join us at the next Lit Salon on Wednesday, April 8 at 4:30pm. Check lopezlibrary.org or email Beth for current information. |
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The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works
by Helen Czerski
A Financial Times Best Science Book of 2023 [A] profound, sparkling global ocean voyage. --Andrew Robinson, Nature A scientist's exploration of the ocean engine--the physics behind the ocean's systems--and why it matters.
READABLE, ENGAGING SCIENCE, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean's Biggest Secret
by Jess Keating
Meet Marie Tharp (1920-2006), the first person to map the Earth's underwater mountain ridge, in this inspiring picture book biography from the author of Shark Lady. From a young age, Marie Tharp loved watching the world. She loved solving problems. And she loved pushing the limits of what girls and women were expected to do and be. In the mid-twentieth century, women were not welcome in the sciences, but Marie was tenacious. She got a job at a laboratory in New York. But then she faced another barrier: women were not allowed on the research ships (they were considered bad luck on boats). So instead, Marie stayed back and dove deep into the data her colleagues recorded. She mapped point after point and slowly revealed a deep rift valley in the ocean floor. At first the scientific community refused to believe her, but her evidence was irrefutable. She proved to the world that her research was correct. The mid-ocean ridge that Marie discovered is the single largest geographic feature on the planet, and she mapped it all from her small, cramped office.
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Tortilla Flat
by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck is an artists; and he tells the stories of these lovable thieves and adulterers with a gentle and poetic purity of heart and of prose. --New York Herald TribuneA Penguin Classic Adopting the structure and themes of the Arthurian legend, John Steinbeck created a Camelot on a shabby hillside above the town of Monterey, California, and peopled it with a colorful band of knights. At the center of the tale is Danny, whose house, like Arthur's castle, becomes a gathering place for men looking for adventure, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging--men who fiercely resist the corrupting tide of honest toil and civil rectitude. As Nobel Prize winner Steinbeck chronicles their deeds--their multiple lovers, their wonderful brawls, their Rabelaisian wine-drinking--he spins a tale as compelling and ultimately as touched by sorrow as the famous legends of the Round Table, which inspired him. This edition features an introduction by Thomas Fensch. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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While justice sleeps : a novel
by Stacey Abrams
Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery Keene, now the legal guardian of power of attorney for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, must unravel the clues he left behind in regards to a dangerous conspiracy that has infiltrated the highest power corridors of Washington.
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Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time
by Michael Palin
Beyond terrific. I didn't want it to end. --Bill Bryson Driven by a passion for travel and history and a love of ships and the sea, former Monty Python stalwart and beloved television globe-trotter Michael Palin explores the world of HMS Erebus, last seen on an ill-fated voyage to chart the Northwest Passage. Michael Palin brings the fascinating story of the Erebus and its occupants to life, from its construction as a bomb vessel in 1826 through the flagship years of James Clark Ross's Antarctic expedition and finally to Sir John Franklin's quest for the holy grail of navigation--a route through the Northwest Passage, where the ship disappeared into the depths of the sea for more than 150 years. It was rediscovered under the arctic waters in 2014. Palin travels across the world--from Tasmania to the Falkland Islands and the Canadian Arctic--to offer a firsthand account of the terrain and conditions that would have confronted the Erebus and her doomed final crew. Delving into the research, he describes the intertwined careers of the two men who shared the ship's journeys: Ross, the organizational genius who mapped much of the Antarctic coastline and oversaw some of the earliest scientific experiments to be conducted there; and Franklin, who, at the age of sixty and after a checkered career, commanded the ship on its last disastrous venture. Expertly researched and illustrated with maps, photographs, paintings, and engravings, Erebus is an evocative account of two journeys: one successful and forgotten, the other tragic yet unforgettable.
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Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story
by Leonie Swann
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING HUGH JACKMAN AND EMMA THOMPSON, THIS FUNNY AND SURPRISING MYSTERY FEATURES A NEW BREED OF DETECTIVES YOU'VE GOT TO READ TO BAAAAA-LIEVE. Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George's killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world). Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe--just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There's Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God. With wit and heart, this clever international bestseller is a mystery to chew on--and savor. This sheepy society--sometimes touchingly naïve, sometimes surprisingly astute--has an inexhaustible, quirky charm.--Salon
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Dr. No: A James Bond Novel
by Ian Fleming
Dispatched by M to investigate the mysterious disappearance of MI6's Jamaica station chief, Bond was expecting a holiday in the sun. But when he discovers a deadly centipede placed in his hotel room, the vacation is over. On this island, all suspicious activity leads inexorably to Dr. Julius No, a reclusive megalomaniac with steel pincers for hands. To find out what the good doctor is hiding, 007 must enlist the aid of local fisherman Quarrel and alluring beachcomber Honeychile Rider. Together they will combat a local legend the natives call 'the Dragon, ' before Bond alone must face the most punishing test of all: an obstacle course designed by the sadistic Dr. No himself that measures the limits of the human body's capacity for agony--
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The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition
by Reyna Grande
Award-winning author Reyna Grande shares her personal experience of crossing borders and cultures in this middle grade adaptation of her memoir, The Distance Between Us--an important account of the many ways immigration impacts children (Booklist, starred review).When her parents make the dangerous and illegal trek across the Mexican border in pursuit of the American dream, Reyna and her siblings are forced to live with their stern grandmother, as they wait for their parents to build the foundation of a new life. But when things don't go quite as planned, Reyna finds herself preparing for her own journey to El Otro Lado to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for years: her long-absent father. Both funny and heartbreaking, The Distance Between Us sheds light on the immigrant experience beautifully capturing the struggle that Reyna and her siblings endured while trying to assimilate to a different culture, language, and family life in El Otro Lado (The Other Side).
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Julie and Romeo
by Jeanne Ray
Julie and Romeo had been born to rival florist families in Boston, but it is love at first sight when they spot each other across a crowded lobby.
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Of Human Bondage
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham is a powerful work of autobiographical fiction and a celebrated example of the bildungsroman. This enduring classic follows a young artist's journey of self-discovery as he navigates the complexities of life. Maugham's masterful storytelling explores themes of identity, societal expectations, and the human condition. The novel delves into the challenges and triumphs of a life marked by disability, offering a profound reflection on resilience and personal growth. A cornerstone of British literature, Of Human Bondage remains a deeply moving and insightful exploration of the artistic spirit and the universal quest for meaning and belonging. This carefully prepared edition preserves the integrity of the original text, allowing readers to experience Maugham's timeless narrative.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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Evensong
by Stewart O'Nan
Longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize 2026Stewart O'Nan has been one of the best chroniclers of the lives of American women.--Susan StraightAn intimate, moving novel that follows The Humpty Dumpty Club, a group of women of a certain age who band together to help one another and their circle of friends in Pittsburgh as they face the challenges of their golden yearsThe Humpty Dumpty Club is distraught when their powerhouse leader, Joan Hargrove, takes a bad fall down her stairs, knocking her out of commission. Now, as well as running errands and shepherding those less able to their doctors' appointments, they have to pick up the slack.Between navigating their own relationships and aging bodies and attending choir practice, these invisible yet indomitable women help where they can. They bake cookies, they care for pets, they pick up prescriptions, they sit vigil by the sick, and most of all, they show up for the people they've pledged to help. In the face of death, divorce, and the myriad directions our lives can take, the Humpty Dumpty club represents the power of community and chosen family.Weaving together the perspectives of the four cardinal members as they tend to those in need, Stewart O'Nan revisits beloved characters from his past work--most notably Emily Maxwell--to fashion a rich and moving novel that celebrates our capacity for patience and care. Vivid, warm, and often wryly funny, Evensong reminds us that life is made up of moments both climactic and quotidian, and we weather those moments with the people we choose to keep close.
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Liberation Day: Stories
by George Saunders
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - One of our most inventive purveyors of the form returns with pitch-perfect, genre-bending stories that stare into the abyss of our national character. . . . An exquisite work from a writer whose reach is galactic.--Oprah Daily Booker Prize winner George Saunders returns with his first collection of short stories since the New York Times bestseller Tenth of December.ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR - ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, NPR, Time, USA Today, The Guardian, Esquire, Newsweek, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal The best short-story writer in English (Time) is back with a masterful collection that explores ideas of power, ethics, and justice and cuts to the very heart of what it means to live in community with our fellow humans. With his trademark prose--wickedly funny, unsentimental, and exquisitely tuned--Saunders continues to challenge and surprise: Here is a collection of prismatic, resonant stories that encompass joy and despair, oppression and revolution, bizarre fantasy and brutal reality. Love Letter is a tender missive from grandfather to grandson, in the midst of a dystopian political situation in the (not too distant, all too believable) future, that reminds us of our obligations to our ideals, ourselves, and one another. Ghoul is set in a Hell-themed section of an underground amusement park in Colorado and follows the exploits of a lonely, morally complex character named Brian, who comes to question everything he takes for granted about his reality. In Mother's Day, two women who loved the same man come to an existential reckoning in the middle of a hailstorm. In Elliott Spencer, our eighty-nine-year-old protagonist finds himself brainwashed, his memory scraped--a victim of a scheme in which poor, vulnerable people are reprogrammed and deployed as political protesters. And My House--in a mere seven pages--comes to terms with the haunting nature of unfulfilled dreams and the inevitability of decay. Together, these nine subversive, profound, and essential stories coalesce into a case for viewing the world with the same generosity and clear-eyed attention Saunders does, even in the most absurd of circumstances.
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Manet and Morisot
by Emily A. Beeny
An intimate exploration of an artistic friendship at the heart of the Impressionist movement Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was a pioneer of modern painting, and Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) was the sole female founding member of the Impressionist group. To each other, they were colleagues, friends, and--following Morisot's marriage to Manet's brother--family. Unfolding over a period of fifteen years, theirs was arguably the closest relationship between any two members of the Impressionist circle. Through collaboration, competition, and mutual collecting, each influenced the other's work and, in the process, changed the course of modern art. The story of this relationship has most often been told through Manet's magnificent portraits of Morisot, but the two artists' connection was more than one between painter and muse. Exploring pairs and groups of related works, Manet and Morisot reveals that, while Morisot looked to Manet for inspiration during her early career, as Morisot's work became more daring and garnered widespread acclaim, Manet began to follow her example, emulating her choice of subjects, her high-keyed colors, even her rapid, fluttering brushstrokes. Illustrated essays and entries challenge gendered perspectives in the Manet literature, while correspondence and a technical study invite readers into the two artists' shared social circle and contrasting studio practices. Published in association with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Exhibition Schedule: Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (October 11, 2025-March 1, 2026) Cleveland Museum of Art (March 29-July 5, 2026)
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Lopez Island Library
2225 Fisherman Bay Rd
Lopez Island, Washington 98261
360-468-2265www.lopezlibrary.org |
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