Port Book and Newsletter

Did summer arrive a month ahead of schedule? Because it feels like we are right in the thick of it already. Maybe it is all the hustling to keep the doors open during our store improvements. Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we had the new carpet installed, and thanks especially to Leo and Tyler, whose hard work made it possible. Their skill and adaptability allowed us to get new carpet throughout the whole store while only closing the doors for one day.

Meanwhile, we have been doing a full inventory of every book in the store. We have had events with Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson, and will have one coming up with John Vaillant (more on both of those below). Of course, we continue to put out a ton of new and interesting gifts and have some great new books to share with you.

Whether you are enjoying yourself at the Juan De Fuca Festival this weekend or just enjoying the weather, we hope you will come by and say hello soon. We think you will like the new look as much as we do. Flooring is like the footwear of interior decorating: when it looks nice, it really levels up your game. All of which makes us think of a Billy Collins joke: "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares? He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!"

The single best-selling book in the history of our bookstore is The Golden Spruce, by John Vaillant.

Vaillant's blend of nature writing and investigative social history captured us right away and then carried us happily through two excellent follow up works: The Tiger, about the man-eating tiger stalking a Russian village in 1997 and The Jaguar's Children, about a group of immigrants' harrowing four days trapped inside an empty water truck while illegally crossing the border to the U.S.

Along the way, Vaillant has won much acclaim and not a few literary prizes and we were especially happy to see the Vancouver, B.C. resident honored with the Governor General's Literary Award, which is the Canadian equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. Yet right now it is Port Book and News who is honored, as we host the first reading in the United States by John Vaillant for his new book, Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World"

Fire Weather by John Vaillant

Preorder Now

Fire Weather is published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House. You can pre-order your copy now for a 20% discount.

Fire Weather tells the story how Fort McMurray, the the hub of Canada's Oil Industry and the beating heart of the Alberta Tar Sands, was overrun by wildfire as serial firestorms raged through the city for days in May 2016. Entire neighborhoods burned to their foundations in minutes “beneath a towering pyrocumulus cloud typically found over erupting volcanoes." Vaillant recounts:

So huge and energetic was this fire-driven weather system that it generated hurricane force winds and lightning that ignited still more fires many miles away. Nearly 100,000 people were forced to flee in what remains the largest, most rapid single-day evacuation in the history of modern fire.

With masterly prose and a cinematic eye, Vaillant takes us on a riveting journey through the intertwined histories of North America's oil industry and the birth of climate science, to the unprecedented devastation wrought by modern forest fires, and into lives forever changed by these disasters. John Vaillant's urgent work is a book for -and from- our new century of fire, which has only just begun.

IN-PERSON EVENT
John Vaillant
MONDAY, JUNE 5
7:00pm

Carver Room, Port Angles Public Library
2210 S Peabody St
Port Angeles, WA 98362

There are fewer than 15 seats remaining. Admission is free but you have to reserve a space through the store, so stop in or contact us. This will be an incredible evening.

Read more and sign up

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.

I am so excited for this book. Dragons, dragons, dragons! A dangerous world, a military college training dragons riders, and an absolutely amazing cover: this new adult fantasy epic staged a successful campaign on my wallet and landed on my bookshelf. Sign me up for a new adventure! (Helena)

I Swear by Katie Porter

Have you ever heard of Katie Porter before? If not, please open a new browser and watch a video of Katie doing her thing in Congess. Once you too have become a Katie fan please wander back over here and buy her book. We'll wait.

Katie is clever and funny. Her white board breakdowns on the congessional floor are easy to understand and incredibly informative. She brings that same energy and clarity to us in her new book "I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan". If you ever wondered what it would be like to serve in Congess, especially as a single parent, this is the book you need. (Helena)

Tiger by John Vaillant

A Hair-raising, edge-of-your-seat, gripper of a story. Did you know that Siberian tigers have a long memory? This is the true story of one such tiger that begins to hunt the hunters that are hunting it. Just know that if a tiger does not wish to be seen it will not be seen until it pounces onto the back of your neck. Another nonfiction classic by John Vaillant. (Alan)

Cover image for The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A novel by Tom Hanks

The World: A Family History of Humanity by Simon Sebag Montefiore

Browse New Arrivals

We have a lot of maps at Port Book and News because... let's be honest, when you live where we live, it is fun to look at the map. Showing people where to go, planning our own next adventure, or just admiring the view of this beautiful spot. We are especially excited because we have just received some new maps in the store that nobody else has, and they are unlike any we have ever seen.

These extraordinary, custom wall hangings are laser-cut pieces of natural, untreated pine-wood engraved with a special burnt wood process. Milled, ripped, sanded and joined in the USA by the artisans at Fire and Pine, with surprisingly detailed maps featuring noted features that were selected by us.

We have beautiful maps of the Olympic Peninsula, of the Port Angeles township, a rendering of the Pacific Crest Trail, and a lovely "Port Angeles" sign. These will make great souvenirs for visitors and excellent decorations for your home. Right now, you can only get them at Port Book and News.

We will be selling these online, but if you can, you are going to want to come in to see them in person before we run out.

Browse Bestsellers

We had a blast with naturalist and prolific author Sy Montgomery, this spring's Writer in Residence at Peninsula College, as she celebrated the publication of her new book, The Book of Turtles, along with wildlife artist Matt Patterson. Everyone learned a lot while engaging with this entertaining duo, and we sold out of copies of the new book during the event. Luckily, we now have special book plates signed not only by Sy, but also a special turtle named Eddie to include with the new copies we have in stock.

The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery, Matt Patterson

From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Sy Montgomery comes an ode to one of the most diverse, fascinating, and beloved species on the planet: turtles. With dazzling illustrations and emotionally engaging, fact-filled text, this picture book will speak to the wisdom these long-lived animals can lend.

Preorders are always 20% off

A priest, a rabbit and a minister walk into a bar..

The bartender asks the rabbit, "What'll you have?"

The Rabbit says "I dunno. I'm only in here because of autocorrect."

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