The Elliott Bay Book Company

Fans of David Mitchell's historical fiction will devour The Order of Good Cheer. Effortlessly flowing between parallel stories taking place in 1606 and 2006, this book brings to life Samuel de Champlain and Andy Winslow. Two seemingly disparate stories become one beautifully written tale about love, isolation, endurance, and the friendship that blooms from the order of good cheer. —Leighanne

Stitched up in complex issues and characters, Birdie’s story is a provocative, intense little page turner. She is a girl spinning in multiplicities in an either/or world, a painfully lucid witness, a powerful, awkward and thoughtful participant. She resists being the victim of a fractured family, seeking reclamation, self-determination and love to save herself. So well written and one of my all time favorites. —Shannon

Spoon Fed is a love story that's about food and about recovery. Yes, you'll see a different side of Kim's food writer mentors (including Edna Lewis) but the heart of this story is her own journey—becoming sober. Falling in love with her wife Katia and becoming a writer. I loved this book. —Karen

Did you know a woman's body will burn approximately 500 calories more a week before her menstrual cycle? Or that it is more likely to become pregnant during a full moon rather than on a new moon? This wonderful book is so full of fascinating information about our bodies, I found it difficult to put down. I was even moved to tears reading many of the case studies listed within, most of which dealt with coming to terms with your past and allowing your body to fully process each emotion (whether you laugh or cry), to create an even healthier and happier you. A must read for any woman young or old. —Jillian

This "true tale" is the story of Cercas investigating a fascist’s narrow escape from execution at the end of the Spanish Civil War...and the Republican soldier who may have spared his life. I was drawn to it because Roberto Bolano surfaces as an important character is Cercas' search. What I found was a unique, dynamic, and beautiful novel that brought me to tears by its end. —Casey O.

At the end of each of these brilliant short stories Mueenuddin’s meticulously sculpted characters hang loose, helpless and naked, dangling from the strands of the tightly spun story-web. The rich are spoiled, the poor struggle in life. A cultural confusion dominates modernized Pakistan, where feudal order, strict gender roles and tradition are used to govern peoples’ behavior. Expect surprises and plot twists from this "Chekhovian" young author. —Hanna

I loved this book! It’s about two young sisters in Kerala, India whose lives take very different paths when one accepts a scholarship for study in New York. Lovely writing, great character development, and a touching story. This first-time novelist will go places! —Hilary

When young David's mother dies, all he has left of her are the books that they read together. But when the books start talking to him, they lead him into a world of fantasy; a place where wolves rule ravenously, the good guys turn sinister and a young boy comes of age. A wonderful journey. —Leighanne

This book will make your heart spill over. Let it enrich your hour, day or week. Once you finish, you'll likely flip it back over and start it once again. —Jillian

Gory, depressing, touching, and darkly humorous. Bob Fingerman’s novel about a small group of survivors and a mysteriously off-putting girl shows that zombie literature still has some life in it...so to speak. —Rich

This is a book that carries serious weight with quiet confidence and a deep respect for its protagonist. Charley Thompson is an earnest and resourceful fifteen year old forced to fend for himself, constantly trying to keep ahead of the violence and pain in his life. His closest friend is an aging race horse as he goes on what turns out to be an epic quest just to have a safe and quiet teenage life. A gripping, beautiful novel. —Casey O.

One Day follows the twenty-year relationship between Emma and Dexter, beginning in 1988 and 'checking in' on them every July 15th. They have a lovably combative friendship that ebbs and flows, sometimes veering awkwardly into romance, yet rarely in sync. While this book starts out as a simple and fun summer read, it soon becomes a cynical, humorous and heart breaking story that you'll find yourself engrossed in. I highly recommend it! —Hilary

In 1927, enigmatic Swiss writer Robert Walser began writing in a baffling set of tiny dots and scratches. Thought by many to be further evidence of his insanity, these ant-like pencil markings were actually an arcane, ultra-condensed Germanic script that allowed the author to write out entire stories on torn envelopes, small scraps of paper, the back of a business card. Microscripts collects twenty five of these pieces, presenting each work alongside a glossy, high-res facsimile of the microscript from which it came. A beautiful book, a beautiful object. —Matthew

Immediately, I latched onto this book. Perhaps it's the well crafted language, the wonderfully crowded cast or the energetic historical plot. Maybe the romance, the swashbuckling heft, the windswept pirates and sly humor. Could be the deft and entertaining pulse that winds itself from page one to the very "end" that leaves you both satisfied and winded, anxious for the next installment. Yes! A proper novel. Read and share. —Shannon

Hondo the dog and Fabian the cat are friends who spend the day apart—Hondo outside and Fabian inside. They each have fun playing with friends, they each get hungry, and they each come home to a cozy house, a good meal, and each other. If you fall in love with the soft illustrations, Peter McCarty has written a sequel, as well as a charming book about a bunny. —Charlotte

Martin Espada, poet/storyteller, his poems each hid a gem, a joke, a song, a political aside, a biography. One for Dennis Brutus, another for Pinochet (and his political kin), one for you. —Karen

If romantic and culinary passion, in the city famous for love and food, sounds appealing, then you'll find this memoir by an American journalist as deliciously irresistible as I did. Ms. Bard met her husband at an academic conference and writes eloquently about her courtship with the man AND with Parisian cuisine and culture in general. Her observations yield a wonderful portrait of place and of the process of making it one's home. Recipes accompany each chapter! —Erica

"Extraordinary kids aren't born that way," writes veteran teacher and father-of-four Rafe Esquith. They become extraordinary because the adults have helped these kids realize their gifts. Not an easy task, and he learns as much from his failures as from his successes. Not preachy and not about perfection. A real gift. —Karen

This wildly imaginative first novel is the ultimate guilty pleasure for the year! Eschewing literary pretension, Bazell has created a brilliantly readable adventure with great character and non-stop action. A very highly recommended book guaranteed to launch you out of your winter reading rut. Enjoy the ride! —Jamil

Marcus is a hacker. A cyber geek that likes to undermine authority. But when Marcus is in the wrong place during a terrorist attack on San Francisco, his worst nightmares of authority come true. As San Francisco descends into a police state, Marcus is thrust into a dangerous game against the Department of Homeland Security with the direst of consequences. A chilling young adult book worthy of Orwell's darkest thoughts on the future of society. —Casey S.

With the exception of Michael Blakemore's Next Season, Martin's novel is the best novel I've read about actors and acting. This is an excellent book. —Greg

Deeply personal, like stolen glances into some one's diary. I felt as though I knew her, would like to know her better and can expect great things from her in the future. A spectacular collection of poems certain to delight anyone lucky enough to discover them. —Jillian

Every few years it seems the reading public re-discovers Jim Thompson, even though this book was originally published in 1952 and he wrote over 20 novels from 1942-72. Lou Ford is a deputy in a small West Texas town. A dull, small man in a dull, small town—or so it seems. Actually, Lou has issues, or, to put it more directly, Lou is a complete sociopath without an iota of human feeling or compassion. What makes this story so shocking is that Lou knows he is "sick," as he puts it to himself. His veneer of dull normalcy is his attempt to keep his sickness at bay. Some events are coming to Central City and the truth about Lou that he has tried so desperately to hide is about to come out in a shocking, ugly, and brutal way. —Matt

That’s right, a whole year, a New Testament and Old beginning with eighteen single spaced pages of biblical directives. What makes this book so good and so much fun is that he does take it seriously and it becomes a sort of spiritual quest. Made me long for a chat with his long suffering wife... —Karen

Karl Marlantes, a decorated Vietnam marine and a Rhodes scholar, has written the classic novel of the Vietnam war. Set in 1969, the novel covers all aspects of the war: military, social, political, and personal. This is a brilliant work of fiction. —Carl

A profound mix of love, revenge, murder, oppression and salvation occasionally punctuated with magic, this is true Jamaican Gothic. A brutal and transcendent story fleshed out with the most mercurial, confusing and awe-inspiring female archetypes living in human bondage. I tore through it... —Shannon

Why gay marriage? Read all about it in Dan Savage's memoir, The Commitment. He's not a saint—just a dad, partner to Terry and he writes a sex advice column. You'll learn more from reading this than from a sheaf of policy statements. And he's funny. TMI! I miss his mom. —Karen

This collection of paintings, text, and photography by the multi-talented Maria Kalman (author, artist, designer, NY Times contributor, children’s book illustrator) chronicles on year in her life. Along the way, Kalman traverses the quirky, the hilarious, the heart-breaking, and the life-affirming. Whether on the New York subway, wandering Paris, or contemplating her empty box collection, Kalman sees into the secret heart of things and the world some-how seems more tender and beautiful after. —Laurie

Wow! This story hooked me quickly. To scientists Henrietta Lacks is known as HeLa. Her cancerous cells were taken from her body without her consent or knowledge. Those cells became increasingly important in science research. They were used among other researchers to develop the polio vaccine, test the effects of steroids, hormones, vitamins, etc. Henrietta's family did not find out until over 25 years later. One of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. Not to be missed!! —Seth

"Crazy + Genius = Shiga" - Scott McCloud
A valuable book has been stolen from the Oakland Public Library and the "library police" are on the case! an action-adventure tale with a nerdy cast featuring a high speed chase on library carts. —Molly

The Reserve is wonderfully dark and twisty, and it's every bit the rich literature that Russell Banks is known for. It has a page-turning plot, an illicit romance, a murder mystery, and a struggle between classes. There is a great scene in the middle of the book where several characters suddenly find themselves irreversibly entrenched in a crime scene—it is very clever! I couldn't put this one down. —Hilary

I've always wanted to use the phrase "sweeping epic" in a book review, and now is my chance: The Surrendered is a sweeping epic, and it is marvelous. The story follows three characters whose lives become intertwined during the Korean War, and the action shifts between the 1950s and the 1980s. You'll find yourself totally invested in the lives of these characters, who are both self-destructive and caring, and hoping to rid themselves of the evils the war has perpetrated on their souls.—Hilary

Robert B. Parker's Spencer novels never let you down. Judas Goat features Spencer and Hawk bounty hunting in Europe. Full of action, humor, and the supreme confidence that has its own special charm, this book very well may lead to a fun and cheap little addiction. There are over 40 more! —Jake

The art is amazing, the stories are gripping and weird, the zombies are disgusting, and nightmare investigator Dylan Dog is just so sexy and nonchalant about it all. There is plenty here to sink your teeth into... Seven tales from the best selling Italian comic. The quote from Umberto Eco on the cover is not overstated... this is truly high-brow zombie literature. —Casey O.

A quirky, off-beat, innovative, thoroughly original little book. Not its strangest aspect: Borges, reincarnated, as a gecko. —Peter

Having read Fahrenheit 451 and a few other Bradbury stories in my time I was well aware of his prowess as a writer, but, to be honest, I was wholly unprepared for the wonder that is Dandelion Wine. Filled with gorgeous prose that begs to be memorized, it is a series of interconnected stories centering around the inhabitants of fictional Greentown, Illinois in the summer of 1928. I loved this book. It's the kind of book that makes you want to read everything that that author has ever written—and not just the one you were forced to read in high school. —Casey S.

I'm not a great reader of non-fiction, but this book swept me up as fully as any novel. The "characters", Joseph Banks, William Hershel, and Humphrey Davy—brilliant—and all-too-human scientists will live long in my imagination. What a rich, tumultuous—yes—wonderful time.—Peter

Reality Hunger is an audacious Molotov cocktail of a book. There are insights and provocative challenges within these pages, (particularly about the novel as a form) for writers and readers alike, as well as other Artists in general. I also love the cut-up collage style. —Greg

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most brilliant. If you've ever taken a plane flight or gone into a skyscraper, a checklist helped keep you alive. Now checklists might help you survive a surgery. Atul Gawande is a master storyteller. This book read like a thriller! —Karen

Mr. Litvinoff, a radical lawyer, militant atheist, and a defender of the defenseless lies in a coma. How his family deals with his absence creates a hilariously entertaining novel. Heller's biting satire on idealism and contemporary society is set in New York post 9/11 and pre Iraq war. With themes touching on addiction, religion, pacifism, childlessness, immigration, and promiscuity, the book is like the best people-watching on a busy street. —Hanna

Arkansas follows the lives of three men who don't amount to much until they embark on the promising path of criminality. What develops is an amazing combination of interior struggles, outward catastrophes, and reluctant but resilient kinship as these men temper their characters in drug running, theft, and murder. Brandon's prose balances this sensitive and brutal novel in such a way that the violence and potential for tragedy feels almost zen-like. A truly impressive debut from a gifted and unique writer. —Casey O.

A co-worker was stunned at my confession that I had never read any Raymond Carver. She immediately stopped whatever it was that she was doing and went on a hunt for this short story I absolutely had to read. That weekend I got all cozy in my chair and opened up this book to the story she bookmarked for me. 3/4ths of the way through the story I was so terrified I almost closed the book—a page after that I was weeping tears of joy. After I finished the story I sat there in a daze. I was clearly shaken—shaken the way Dostoevsky shakes you—to the bone. —Jake
p.s. The story was "A Small, Good Thing"

McManus has written a very entertaining and informative history of Poker. He covers the cards, rules, stories, and legends from 6th century Korea to 21st century Las Vegas. A great read for all players and fans of the game. —Carl

Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins are your guides on this opium-fueled sojourn through the back alleys and underground catacombs of Victorian London. In this haunting and beguiling story, Simmons re-imagines Dickens' true inspiration behind his final novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This is a well written, creepy and enigmatic look into the dark, obsessed and demented corners of two of the greatest literary minds of the Nineteenth Century. —Jamil

"Slick a slug with Super Glue, Stick it on your sister Sue. Place another, maybe two, In her favorite high-heel shoe."

I bet my mother regrets giving me this book when I was little... I know my brother does. There really are so many things that you can do with slugs. But beware! They might fight back in the end. This is one of the few books that I still keep on my coffee table. —Casey S.

You may have heard about this novel. It won France's prestigious Prix Goncourt as well as The Literary Review's Bad Sex in Fiction Award. It has been hotly debated by reviewers and readers with fans lauding Littell's creativity and virtuosity and proclaiming it a modern War & Peace. Detractors counter that it is obscene, crude and glorifying of violence and perversion. I, personally, thought it was excellent. The writing is inspired and it exhibited an exceptional scope of literary vision and execution. Yes, it is the story of a Nazi, there is stomach-turning violence and a few incestuous acts and fantasies, but let's remember that this is based on The Oresteia which Aeschylus wrote 2500 years ago. Have we really evolved to such a moral high ground since then? You'll never know what all of the fuss is about unless you've read it for yourself! —Jamil

Cold, tired and hungry? It's time for Japanese Hot Pots. Food from all over Japan—I like Hiroshima Oyster Hot Pot (with or without noodles), and Salmon Hot Pot from Hokkaido. Begins with an illustrated ingredients guide but nearly everything here is easy to find and easy to cook. Dig in. —Karen

Long before the space age came to lower Queen Anne Hill and we were all invited to take a peek at the 21st century (where's my jetpack?) and required to take visiting relatives up 605 feet, Seattle was host to the Alaska Yukon Exposition in 1909, on what is now the UW campus. This incredibly illustrated and well-researched book chronicles the history of Seattle's first World's Fair, an event that ran four months in 1909 and attracted 3.7 million visitors. Interesting facts: it was the first World's Fair to make a profit, it provided a national platform for women's suffrage, and was designed by the Olmstead brothers. This book is full of fun and interesting history for both locals and out of town guests. —Matt

She was 7 years old. She witnessed the brutal slaughter of her 2 sisters and mother. She accused her brother who now sits in prison and she has no contact. 25 years later Libby suffers deeply. Not until the "kill club" creeps find her does she begin to question her brother's guilt. The author flashes back between the day of the crime to the present. The truth—you won't see it coming! —Seth

Based on actual events and family lore, this novel tells the amazing story of three brothers who run moonshine in the Virginia hills during the late 20's/early 30's. Bondurant's writing is masterful, especially when the action gets intense (there were several times when I had to look away from the book and take a deep breath). This is a prime example of the remarkable things that can happen when a talented author gets hold of a powerful story. "There's only two things up in them Franklin County hills for those who are looking: stump whiskey and free ass whippin's." —Jamil

This book is awesome! While reading it a strange thing happened to me... I began to think that marathons are rather short. Born to Run is full of whacko ultra-marathon characters, one of which is the elusive Caballo Blanco (AKA Gypsy Cowboy, his ultimate fighting nickname.) Caballo Blanco, an American free spirit, bailed on everything and relocated to Mexico where he could live like a hermit and run. He befriends the Tarahumara, a gentle reclusive tribe of Indians who literally run 100 mile races through Mexico's deadly Cooper Canyons! If you love to run and you haven't read this, then you're in for a treat. —Jake

Have you ever loved a book so much you almost can't talk about it? This is mine. A sprawling family saga; moving, heartbreaking, triumphant as nothing else I've ever read. At the center of this story of a family uprooted from rural Kentucky to the inferno of Detroit during WWII towers Gertie Nevins, a character so real, so admirable you'll never forget her. I want everyone to read this book. —Peter

How Fiction Works is not a "how to", an exercise in worrying about what you haven't read, or an escape from doing the reading and writing yourself. It is gorgeous, celebratory, surprising, funny, and cheeky. And it encourages you to read and write more. —Karen

Whether you're looking for Thai, Indian, Chinese, or American food, this guide will point you to the best vegetarian restaurants in Seattle (including my all-time favorite, The Sunlight Cafe, for their nutburger). Other favorites are Araya's vegetarian place for their lunch buffet and Cedar's on Brooklyn for their palak paneer. Enjoy! —Charlotte

As a budding foodie with very little experience in the kitchen this book has been a catalyst and tutor. Full of short, bold ingredient lists and quick, uncomplicated instructions, each recipe skillfully expedites the process of preparing an exquisite meal. This is a wonderful cookbook for those just beginning to cook and those who would like to make impressive meals with less time and labor. —Dylan

Fiction and reality are almost inseparable in this award-winning novella. The author is also narrator and tells a tale of high-ended emotions, of family secrets, loss and grief, haunted pasts as he comes of age to learn of all. A beautifully translated story—highly recommended. —Seth