Paging through the Pacific Northwest

Paging through the Pacific Northwest

Amy Jones, Ensemble Contributor 

 

Whether you turn to books for design inspiration, places to visit, local (or weird) history, or just a good yarn, here’s a PNW reading list of under-the-radar books sure to enhance your love of where you live.

 

For Architecture and Design Lovers

John Yeon Architecture: Building in the Pacific Northwest edited by Randy Gragg

Pioneering architect John Yeon paved the way for the Northwest Regional style of modernism and is known for the Watzek House and other remarkably beautiful homes.

 

Architects of the Pacific Northwest edited by Francesc Zamora Mola

Building or remodeling? Drool over hundreds of photographs featuring aesthetically creative and environmentally conscious residential design and construction from top architectural firms.

 

For History Buffs

Building the Columbia River Highway by Peg Willis

A fascinating look at the creation of the country’s oldest scenic highway and Samuel Lancaster – the polio survivor and genius who turned modern engineering on its ear to create a "poem in stone."

 

Cohassett Beach Chronicles: World War II in the Pacific Northwest by Kathy Hogan

What started as The Grays Harbor Post of Aberdeen’s "Kitchen Critic," column about daily life in Cohassett Beach is now a surprising social history of the war at home in the Pacific Northwest.

 

For Urban Explorers – and Lovers of the Quirky

Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City by David B. Williams

One of the best guides you’ll find for exploring the city on foot and seeing it in a new light from its sidewalks, panoramic views, trails, secret hideaways, architectural gems, and lush greenways.

 

Weird Washington by Jefferson Davis and Al Eufrasio

No matter how long you’ve lived here, you’ll be shocked by the amount of weird going on in Washington. Delve into unexplained events, mysterious phenomena (we’re ranked second in the country for it), America’s only unsolved hijacking… and corpses that turn into soap?

 

For Music Lovers

Music in Washington: Seattle and Beyond by Peter Belcha

Rare photos highlight this extraordinary retrospective ranging from early 19th-century brass bands to Roaring Twenties jazz combos, 1940s hillbilly twangers, 1950s R&B singers, and generations of rock 'n' rollers: the rockabillies, garage bands, psychedelics, and punks.

 

Everybody Loves our Town: An Oral History of Grunge by Mark Yarm

In 1986, fledgling Seattle label C/Z Records released a compilation featuring six local bands including Soundgarden, Green River and Melvins. It tanked – and also heralded the regional sound that put Seattle on the musical map. It’s grunge history in the words of the musicians, labels, managers, photographers, journalists, club owners, publicists, and scensters who lived it.

 

And a Few Classics for PNW Fiction Fans

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Disclosure by Michael Crichton

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff

 

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