Whether you’ve put off starting your gift buying or are just looking for the final stocking stuffers, books are always a good choice.
A survey of Kitsap bookstores from Port Orchard to Bainbridge Island found a plethora of offerings from authors who are also our neighbors. They suggested a wide range of books to fit any member of the family, from children’s books and adventure stories to cookbooks and romance novels.
Suzanne Droppert at Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo likes “Awakening Curry Buckle,†by Michael Donnelly; “Stummick, Hardbody and Me†by Seabury Blair, Jr.; “There’s Something About Christmas,†by Debbie Macomber; “Comfort and Joy,†by Kristin Hannah and “Christmas Blessings,†by June Cotner.
“Awakening Curry Buckle†is Donnelly’s first novel, set on an island in the Northwest and suitable for young teens to adults who like fantasy adventure stories with a supernatural twist.
“Stummick. . .†is a collection of Blair’s humorous outdoor stories, for the outdoorsy type on the list.
Macomber and Hannah are the local queens of the romance novel, and these heartwarmers will thaw the biggest Christmas Grinch, with their themes of love, companionship and overcoming personal fears.
“Christmas Blessings†is a sweet book and holiday favorite, with prayers and poems for the whole family to enjoy.
Liberty Bay Books is located at 18881 D Front St., Poulsbo.
DeDe Teeters at Armchair Books in Port Orchard chose Macomber, a Port Orchard resident, as well, but also recommended “Flight of the Osprey: Journey of Renewal,†by Kurt Mondloch; “Lakeside Cottage,†by Susan Wiggs; Puget Sound Ferries: From Canoe to Catamaran,†by Tom Janus and Carolyn Neal; and “Imaginary Men,†by Anjali Banerjee.
“Flight of the Osprey†is the intense true life story of Mondloch and his wife’s seven-year around-the-world sailing journey, which they undertook in an effort to ease the pain of their son’s death in India. Not light reading, but meaningful.
“Lakeside Cottage†is a good way to hold the dreary winter at bay and enjoy a summer romance full of great characters.
“Puget Sound Ferries†should be of interest to anyone who has ever set foot on a Washington State Ferry, or watched helplessly as one pulled away from the dock. It traces the evolution of the nation’s largest ferry system, from Native American canoes ferrying pioneers to today’s jumbo class behemoths.
“Imaginary Men†mixes East Indian and American cultures in the story of Lin, an Indian-American matchmaker in San Francisco who has to find her own fiance before her traditional parents find one for her.
Armchair Books now has two locations, at Towne Square Port Orchard and Bethel Centre Shopping Center in Port Orchard.
The folks at Eagle Harbor Books came up with a list of six books, all by Bainbridge Island authors and varying widely in content. They suggest “The Secret Chicken Club,†by George Shannon; “The Bob Dylan Scrapbook 1956-1966,†text by Bob Santelli; “Innocents in the Arctic: The 1951 Spitsbergen Expedition,†by Colin Bull; “Palms Up! A Handy Guide to 21st Century Palmistry,†by Sheila Lyon and Mark Sherman; “Entertaining in the Northwest Style: A Menu Cookbook,†by Greg Atkinson; and “We Are All Fine Here,†by Mary Guterson.
“The Secret Chicken Club†is a children’s picture book for ages 3 and up, and is “a gentle tale of friendship and inclusion for everyone who has ever belonged to a secret club or wanted to.â€
Santelli wrote the text for “The Bob Dylan Scrapbook,†which contains handwritten lyrics, rare photos and an audio CD. It is a companion to Martin Scorsese’s Dylan documentary, “No Direction Home.†This is a must for any folkie or Dylan-head on your list.
Throw another log on the fire, then cuddle up with “Innocents in the Artic,†the true story of the “calamitous†1951 expedition, back in the days before polar fleece and global positioning systems.
Instead of putting together yet another jig saw puzzle this holiday season, try your hand at palmistry with “Palms Up!,†which gives a straightforward lesson in the ancient art of palm reading.
Ever found a great main dish recipe but didn’t know what to pair it with? “Entertaining in the Northwest Style†solves that problem with 14 menu-based recipes guaranteed to make your guests think you know what you’re doing in the kitchen.
And finally, if you think your family is messed up, check out the misfits in “We Are All Fine Here,†truly putting the “fun†in dysfunctional. It’s wicked, it’s funny, it’s wickedly funny.
Eagle Harbor Book Company is located at 157 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Island. wu
