6 Books to Ignite Your Curiosity
BY KERRY SPAULDING FOR SNO-ISLE LIBRARIES
Explore the unknown, one page at a time
Discovery begins with curiosity — about ourselves, each other, and how we’re all connected.
Ready to discover more? Check out these books featuring protagonists, real and imagined, who ask big questions and are forever changed by the answers. Take a bike ride around Seattle, journey to fantastical realms, or track the world’s largest trees.
Each story is a portal to new adventures while inviting you to look inward.
COCOON
by Sarri Gilman
As a counselor at an alternative high school in Everett, Washington, Sarri Gilman realized that the first step toward stability for at-risk teens was to provide a roof over their heads. Gilman founded Cocoon House by asking questions, receiving help in unexpected ways, and putting her own experiences to use in her community. The result is an inspiring blueprint for connection, advocacy, and growth.
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JEWEL BOX: STORIES
by E. Lily Yu
Washington State Book Award winner E. Lily Yu’s intriguing collection of short stories asks questions about power and courage, magic and reality, justice and infallibility. We learn from looking outside of ourselves, but also by looking inward. Yu’s warm and dynamic storytelling leads us beyond the familiar, testing our boundaries and arriving at fresh perspectives.
TRACKING GIANTS
by Amanda Lewis
When she made plans to visit the Champion trees listed on the Big Tree Registry of British Columbia, Amanda Lewis hoped to feel a sense of accomplishment. What started as an impulsive blog idea quickly deepened into a far-reaching (and hilarious) exploration of the creative process, relationships, and the natural world. Told with warmth, humor, and passion, this book is a delightful voyage of self-discovery and renewal.
BIKING UPHILL IN THE RAIN: THE STORY OF SEATTLE FROM BEHIND THE HANDLEBARS
by Tom Fucoloro
It may surprise you to learn that the story of bicycles in Seattle is as old as the city itself. Tom Fucoloro’s engaging and thorough reporting reveals fascinating connections between bicycles and city planning, infrastructure, community action, entrepreneurship, and more. Find out how a cyclist’s perspective can redefine what it means to build a thriving community for all.
THE LIBRARIANIST
by Patrick deWitt
Librarian Bob Comet found fulfillment in a life of books and reading. In retirement, though, he strolls the neighborhoods of Portland, looking for other paths that seem promising. Fate catches up with Bob one day when a chance encounter offers him new experiences and surprising new friends. Patrick deWitt’s funny, bittersweet, and eccentric novel considers how much our histories can drive us, and how our present is shaped by the past.
CASCADIA FIELD GUIDE: ART, ECOLOGY, POETRY
edited by Elizabeth Bradfield, CMarie Fuhrman, and Derek Sheffield
This collection of wonders gathers traditional ecological knowledge, visual renderings, and poetic impressions of 128 types of flora and fauna in the Cascadia bioregion. Dig into cryptobiotic soil, marvel at the giant Pacific octopus, and discover lifeforms that we’ve lived alongside for time immemorial.
