Bremerton Staff Picks 2018

The Oracle Year

“One hundred and eight: That's how many seemingly random predictions come to Will Dando one night in a dream. When they actually begin to occur, he starts selling his critical economic predictions to international interests and makes mountains of money. In the process, though, he also makes powerful enemies- not least of which is the U.S. government. When Will realizes that the dream wasn't as random as it seemed and is forced into hiding, what was almost a lark becomes deadly as he tries to survive long enough to counter the global chaos he's caused. With enough humor to lighten the seriousness of Will's predicament, this debut novel keeps readers guessing right to the surprising end.”

Cindy Pauldine, The River's End Bookstore

Pride

“Elizabeth Acevedo was the perfect choice for the reader of this sensational retelling of Pride & Prejudice. Zuri Benitez absolutely comes to life through her performance. Zoboi's Pride is a fresh yet faithful adaptation of the timeless classic, sure to speak to fans of Austen's original book and introduce a whole new generation to the wit and wisdom of her works. ”

Michael Leali, Anderson's Bookshop

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

“Mackenzi Lee has done it again! The Montagues are back and ready for business. This time we follow Felicity Montague and her dream of working in medicine. Felicity knows what she wants to do with her life, but because it’s a “man’s world” she isn’t allowed to follow her dream. But she doesn’t let this stop her, or discourage her. In fact it only fuels her fire. She is determined to show all of those who say she cant, or that this is a “flighting fancy,” that she is just as skilled as a man. To do this she has to get to an old friend’s wedding across Europe and convince the groom-to-be that she is as amazing as she knows she is. But the adventure doesn’t stop there. Like Monty’s book, Lady’s Guide, shows that it’s okay to be different and that being a strong female isn’t something to be ashamed of, nor is it something to fear. This book has everything; girl-gangs, pirates, sea monsters.”

Victoria, Mysterious Galaxy Books

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

“I devoured The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a powerful book based on a true story, in two sittings. Lale, a Slovakian Jew at Auschwitz-Birkenau, becomes the Tatowierer—the man responsible for tattooing every prisoner who arrives at the concentration camp. Seen by some as a collaborator, Lale must make impossible choices to keep himself and his friends alive. Incredibly, Lale tattoos the woman who will become the love of his life. The power of their love in the face of unmitigated horror makes for one of the most compelling WWII books I have ever read.”

Carrie Deming, Dog Ear Books

Bridge of Clay

“I'm in awe of this audiobook. The author reads it, and his Aussie accent creates a sense of place and person immediately and powerfully. I loved knowing as I listened that he was pronouncing and stressing his words and phrases exactly as he meant them to sound. At times his voice vibrates with deep connection with the characters he's created. The writing is rich and beautiful. I usually read mostly for plot and story, but this book had me slow down and re-listen to bits of it to savor the language and the images. AND the story, the "what happens" is completely engaging. In basic terms, it's about five brothers and their dad and their mom, and it viscerally portrays that world of boys/men so that as I listened, I fully inhabited that world. And, because it draws such a full and compelling portrait of these boys and their experience [especially Clay, the fourth brother], it is also celebrates the girls and women in their universe. It left me with an appreciation of gender differences and of the gloriousness of being human.”

Cathy, Tattered Cover

Killers of the Flower Moon

“In "Killers of the Flower Moon", David Grann recounts the tragic tale of the Osage Indian Nations decimation and deceit at the hands of their government appointed guardians. Motivated by money, morally corrupt and masterfully manipulative, the true role of these benevolent benefactors, perpetrators of mass murder, is still a mystery today. Granns detailed, yet deeply disturbing detective work, back to the birth of the FBI and the rise of J. Edgar Hoover, unveils an unimaginable injustice overlooked for 85 years. Let’s not allow this atrocious act against the Osage to slip back into obscurity ever again.”

Kristin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale.

Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian... Read more »

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

“"Well, this is the story all about how, Elizabeth's life got twisted, upside down..." All jokes aside, this is the creepiest book I've read this year. It is the tale of how Elizabeth became a Frankenstein, how her upbringing made her crave companionship and stability, and how in that quest, she accidentally encouraged Victor Frankenstein to become the monster we all know. Kiersten White provides readers with an amazing retelling, while also inserting recognizable tidbits, that fans of the classic will devour.”

Jen, Vroman's Bookstore

"An extraordinarily powerful journey that is both political and personal...An important book for everyone in America to read." --Walter Isaacson,#1 New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo Da Vinci and Steve Jobs

The New Orleans mayor who removed the Confederate statues confronts the racism that shapes us and argues for white America to... Read more »

Where the Crawdads Sing

“Everyone that Kya has ever known has abandoned her. From the time that she was a young child she is left behind. After the student truancy officers track her down and get her to school the children laugh at her so she retreats to the only place that she feels normal - the marshland of North Carolina. She perseveres when she has every strike against her. She fends for herself and studies the natural surroundings of the marsh carefully. She paints and catalogs her collections, studies animal biology carefully, and becomes more in tune with nature than with the townspeople who call her "The Marsh Girl." Then one day the town's "golden boy" Chase Andrews ends up dead and Kya is the one that is suspected of killing him. The story that unfolds will draw you in - I was consumed with the story to the point where I could think about little else during the day because I had to know what happened next in the book. I laughed, I cried, I did fist pumps when things go well for Kya... this book infected me and I'm still having a tough time with the idea that the book is over. I'll carry these characters and this story with me for a long time.”

Jennifer, The Bookstore at Fitger's

Dracul

“Imagine if Bram Stoker was forced to cut the first 101 pages of his novel, “Dracula” due to an overly sensitive editor worried about creating a mass panic throughout the streets of London, already overwhelmed with fear over Jack the ripper and the Whitechapel murders? Wouldn’t you wonder what Stoker wasn’t allowed to write? In “Dracul” by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker, a prequel to the 1897 classic, you meet a young and sickly Bram, his inquisitive sister Matilda and their mysterious nanna Ellen in this devilishly dark drama destined to creep out the hardiest of horror fans. Spanning the years of 1854 through 1890, follow the Stoker siblings’ quest to seek answers for the unimaginable horror unearthed one dark and stormy night beginning with Ellen’s disappearance and ending with Bram stake in hand. It’s Gothic lore at its most gruesome and it’s great!”

Kristin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Jeremy Irons's perceptive reading illuminates the poetry of T. S. Eliot in all its complexity. Major poems range from 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock', through the post-war desolation of 'The Waste Land' and the spiritual struggle of 'Ash-Wednesday', to the enduring charm of 'Old Possum's Book of... Read more »

In honor of Madeleine L'Engle's 100th Birthday, fans are invited to enjoy this archival audiobook, originally recorded in 1993 and newly restored! Listen to the voice of the author, as Madeleine L'Engle reads her Newbery Medal-winning novel, A Wrinkle in Time.

Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight... Read more »

The Ravenmaster

“Yeoman warder Christopher Skaife describes himself as being ornithivorous in relation to his job, inhaling all that there is about ravens, no matter the area of study (science, mythology, art, etc.). And while he covers some of those topics in this book, it’s his personal stories that kept me reading late into the night. Skaife’s voice will rumble in your head and you’ll feel like you’re just swapping stories over a pint with a friend.”

Rachel, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Sadie

“Engrossing, thrilling and original. The story alternates between a podcast format and Sadie’s voice. Sadie is a compelling protagonist - strong, determined and on a mission. Fantastic listen!”

Jennifer, East City Bookshop

Children of Blood and Bone

“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character's perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be.”

Kelly, Mysterious Galaxy Books

Get a look into the mind of Cheech Marin–one half of the renowned Cheech and Chong comedic duo–and follow through the highs and lows of his personal and professional lives. 

An unborn baby with a fatal heart defect . . . a skier submerged for an hour in a frozen Norwegian lake . . . a comatose brain surgery patient whom doctors have declared a... Read more »

Red Clocks

“Red Clocks by Leni Zumas is a dystopian novel that hits close to home. What if Roe v Wade was overturned and only married couples were allowed to adopt? This is the state of affairs when we are introduced to a cast of characters known only by their primary roles: The Biographer, The Mender, The Wife and The Daughter. Each of these women is affected by the new rules and are interconnected in close and remote ways. Bone chilling and very clever!”

Phyllis, Wellesley Books

The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist

“What does a small-town dentist, an unqualified medical examiner and the Mississippi criminal justice system have in common? They’re a part of a good ole boy network obsessed with mass incarceration and the death penalty, rampant racism and corrupt court judges consumed with closing cases at any cost. Not to mention the wrongly convicted men paying the price for other perpetrators crimes, many of them still sitting on death row today. “The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist,” by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington is a horrifying haunt through a legal system run by unqualified, unconscionable men intent to impart their will on an unwitting society too overwhelmed by titles, accreditations and pseudo-scientific facts to question their motives. Thank goodness Balko and Carrington had the courage to expose these corrupt individuals and hopefully, this book will open a door to investigations in other criminal justice courts across the country.”

Kristin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

Calypso

“We, your concerned booksellers, want to make sure you are in tip-top reading shape before David Sedaris visits Main Street Books. Much like a runner must train for a marathon, you must exercise your sense of humor, so as not to pull something in David's presence. Tune up your funny bone with Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, or any of the other great Sedaris collections on Libro.fm. ”

Eleanor, Main Street Books Davidson