Latest Events in Bothell(July Updated)

Third Place Books welcomes Dr. Emily M. Bender and Dr. Alex Hanna for a conversation about their new book,The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want. They will be joined by fellow AI researcher Dr. Margaret Mitchell, recognized in 2023 as one of TIME's Most Influential People. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. RSVP is recommended in advance. About The AI Con. . .Is artificial intelligence going to take over the world? Have big tech scientists created an artificial lifeform that can think on its own? Is it going to put authors, artists, and others out of business? Are we about to enter an age where computers are better than humans at everything? The answer to these questions, linguist Emily M. Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna make clear, is “no,” “they wish,” “LOL,” and “definitely not.” This kind of thinking is a symptom of a phenomenon known as “AI hype.” Hype looks and smells fishy: It twists words and helps the rich get richer by justifying data theft, motivating surveillance capitalism, and devaluing human creativity in order to replace meaningful work with jobs that treat people like machines. In The AI Con, Bender and Hanna offer a sharp, witty, and wide-ranging take-down of AI hype across its many forms. Bender and Hanna show you how to spot AI hype, how to deconstruct it, and how to expose the power grabs it aims to hide. Armed with these tools, you will be prepared to push back against AI hype at work, as a consumer in the marketplace, as a skeptical newsreader, and as a citizen holding policymakers to account. Together, Bender and Hanna expose AI hype for what it is: a mask for Big Tech’s drive for profit, with little concern for who it affects. Dr. Emily M. Bender is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington where she is also the Faculty Director of the Computational Linguistics Master of Science program and affiliate faculty in the School of Computer Science and Engineering and the Information School. In 2023, she was included in the inaugural Time 100 list of the most influential people in AI. She is frequently consulted by policymakers, from municipal officials to the federal government to the United Nations, for insight into how to understand so-called AI technologies. (Photo credit: Susan Doupé) Dr. Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a Lecturer in the School of Information at the University of California Berkeley. She is an outspoken critic of the tech industry, a proponent of community-based uses of technology, and a highly sought-after speaker and expert who has been featured across the media, including articles in the Washington Post, Financial Times, The Atlantic, and Time. (Photo credit: Will Toft) Dr. Margaret Mitchell is a computer scientist and researcher focused on machine learning (ML) and ethics-informed AI development in tech. Her main areas of study include natural language processing, natural language generation, assistive technology, and AI ethics. In 2023, she was recognized as one of TIME's Most Influential People. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books and the North Cascades Institute present Alison Jean Cole as part of our Spring 2025 Nature of Writing series! Cole will be discussing her new book, A Rockhound’s Guide to Oregon & Washington. The Pacific Northwest’s complex geologic history makes it a treasure trove for rockhounds. Collected here are 60 sites where you can explore ancient sea-floors, epic lava flows, glacier-carved landscapes, and evidence of 200 million years of tectonic action. Discover agates and jaspers in the volcanic Cascade Range and marine fossils along the Oregon Coast. Search for concretions along the Olympic Peninsula, petrified wood in the Owyhee Uplands, and much more. This event is free and open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by the North Cascades Institute, a nonprofit conservation organization working to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Learn more at ncascades.org. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance. About A Rockhound's Guide to Oregon & Washington. . .An authoritative, colorful guide to the best rockhounding sites in Washington and Oregon Features 60 outstanding rockhounding sites Emphasizes rockhounding basics, sustainable collecting, and Leave No Trace principles Each location features an overview of the area’s geologic history along with what types of rocks and fossils you may find The Pacific Northwest’s complex geologic history makes it a treasure trove for rockhounds. Collected here are 60 sites where you can explore ancient sea-floors, epic lava flows, glacier-carved landscapes, and evidence of 200 million years of tectonic action. Discover agates and jaspers in the volcanic Cascade Range and marine fossils along the Oregon Coast. Search for concretions along the Olympic Peninsula, petrified wood in the Owyhee Uplands, and much more. In addition to detailed information on where exactly to begin a rock hunt, every location features an overview of the area’s geologic history and age, what types of rocks are worth finding there, needed tools, land manager, and collection limits. Clear driving directions with GPS coordinates, road quality and trip safety information, best season to go, and an informative map round out each description. Whether you are a geology enthusiast or a die-hard rockhound, a fine arts jeweler or a lifelong pebble puppy, I wrote this book with every type of rock-lover in mind. Out here, interesting rocks are everywhere. Let’s go find them. --FROM THE INTRODUCTION Alison Jean Cole is a geology enthusiast and artist. Frequently traveling all over the western states in search of material to use in her lapidary craft, she leads rockhounding expeditions, runs a geology festival in Utah, and is a proud member of the Mount Hood Rock Club. She is the author of Beautiful Rocks & How to Find Them, and publishes THUNDEREGG, a zine that focuses on the changing face of rockhounding culture. She lives in Portland, OR. Visit Alison online at alisonjeancole.com or Instagram @alisonjeancole.. About Third Place Books Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books is pleased to welcome Richard Russo forthe release of Life and Art, a collection that delves into the uses of fiction, the complexities of storytelling in contemporary America, and Russo's most private memories of childhood, alongside his experiences as a father and grandfather. Thomas Kohnstamm, the author of Supersonic, joins in conversation. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. RSVP is recommended in advance. About Life and Art. . .A marvelous new essay collection from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Somebody's Fool and The Destiny Thief Life and Art—these are the twin subjects considered in Richard Russo’s twelve masterful new essays—how they inform each other and how the stories we tell ourselves about both shape our understanding of the world around us. In “The Lives of Others,” he reflects on the implacable fact that writers use people, insisting that what matters, in the end, is how and for what purpose. How do you bridge the gap between what you know and what you don’t, and sometimes can’t, know? Why tell a story in the first place? What we don’t understand, Russo opines, is in fact the very thing that beckons to us. In “Stiff Neck,” he writes of the exasperating fault lines exposed within his own family as his wife’s sister and her husband—proudly unvaccinated—develop COVID. In “Triage,” he details with heartbreaking vividness the terror of seeing his seven-year-old grandson in critical condition. And in “Ghosts,” he revisits Gloversville, the town that gave rise to the now-legendary fictional town of North Bath, and confronts the specter of its richly populated past and its ghostly present. Sharp, tender, extraordinarily intimate reflections on work, culture, love, and family from one of the great writers of our time. Richard Russo is the author of nine novels, most recently Somebody's Fool, Chances Are . . . , Everybody’s Fool, and That Old Cape Magic; two collections of stories; and the memoir Elsewhere. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which, like Nobody’s Fool, won multiple awards for its screen adaptation, and in 2023 his novel Straight Man was adapted into the television series Lucky Hank. In 2017 he received France’s Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine. He lives in Port­land, ME. (Photo credit: Elena Seibert) Thomas Kohnstamm was born and raised in Seattle and still lives in the same house he grew up in—now with his wife and two children. He’s been a freelance writer for more than twenty years and has run his own multimedia content studio since 2011. Supersonic is his third book. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books is delighted to welcome Seattle-based travel writer Marissa Pedersen to our Lake Forest Park store! She will be discussing Moon Washington State: National Parks, Local Food & Wine, Year-Round Recreation, an updated guide introducing visitors to the best of Washington and inviting locals to embark on new adventures. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Click here for more about our COVID-19 policies for in-person events. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance. About Moon Washington State . . .Stunning coastline, seaside towns, and a breathtaking array of natural wonders: Experience the best of the Evergreen State with Moon Washington State. In these pages, you'll find: Flexible itineraries, whether you're checking out the national parks, visiting the scenic Columbia River Gorge, or road-tripping the whole state.Can't-miss experiences and unique activities: Watch the fishmongers at Pike Place Market, enjoy panoramic views from the iconic Space Needle, or visit the charming towns of the San Juan Islands. Sample world-class wines in Walla Walla, savor fresh seafood, and soak up the atmosphere in a cozy coffee shop.Outdoor adventures:Hike through wildflower meadows in Mt. Rainier National Park, stroll through the lush Hoh Rainforest, and go sea kayaking in Friday Harbor. Take a whale watching trip, marvel at the varied landscapes of the North Cascades Scenic Byway, or bike along the Spokane River.Expert insight from Washington local Marissa Pedersen on when to go, where to stay, and how to get around.Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout.Thorough background information on the culture, landscape, climate, and wildlife, plus handy recommendations for international visitors, families with kids, travelers of color, solo travelers, and more.Focused coverage of Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juan Islands, the North Cascades, Mount Rainier and the South Cascades, the Columbia River Gorge, and Eastern Washington.Marissa Pedersen is a Seattle-based travel writer who enjoys writing about local getaways, national parks, and road trips for her two travel websites, Postcards to Seattle and Road Trip Wanderers. When she's not traveling around the Pacific Northwest, you'll find her at the beer gardens at Seattle breweries, finding her new favorite hike around Washington, and planning her next adventure. About Third Place Books Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books welcomes back Patricia Grayhallfor a discussion of her novel A Place for Us: the story of two women who, meeting again after over twenty years apart, must decide whether to upend their lives to fight for a second chance at love. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Click here for more about our COVID-19 policies for in-person events. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. Registration is required in advance. About A Place for Us. .For fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Harper Bliss, a thrilling tale of two women who find each other irresistible but struggle for a second chance for love, redemption, and sanctuary when the world is against them. Jo, a driven environmental attorney based in Washington, DC, and Lauren, a spirited young woman from Britain on a journey of self-discovery, find themselves in a serendipitous encounter at a lively London pub in 1981. Their brief yet profound connection generates a whirlwind of emotions, but the vast ocean, Jo's career aspirations, and immigration hurdles thwart their burgeoning romance. Fast forward twenty-two years, and both Jo and Lauren are unhappy in their current relationships. Fate intervenes when Lauren and her partner travel from Europe to visit Jo in her San Francisco home. The reunion is electric, rekindling a storm of emotions that neither can suppress, despite their efforts to honor their existing commitments. Amid the majestic backdrops of Yosemite National Park and the Pacific Northwest, old passions can’t be denied, leading to dramatic confrontations and painful revelations. Jo and Lauren finally realize they must admit the truth: they are irresistibly drawn to each other. But there is no country in which they can legally live together. A Place for Us is a poignant narrative of profound emotional depth. Will this second chance lead to happiness, or will the same forces that once drove them apart prevail again? Patricia Grayhall is a retired medical doctor. Her debut memoir, Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine, was an instant success, winning 2 Best Indie Book Awards and earning a starred Kirkus review. She has published articles in Queer Forty, The Gay and Lesbian Review, and Seattle Magazine, among others. Her podcasts and NPR interviews, articles, and blogs appear on her website, www.patriciagrayhall.com. Patricia splits her time between Seattle and Vancouver Island, where she and her wife enjoy other people’s dogs, playful otters, and sightings of orcas and black bears. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books welcomes Ask A Swole Woman columnist Casey Johnstonfor a discussion of her memoir A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting, which follows the author as she breaks free of destructive patterns encouraged by diet and fitness culture and pursues self-discovery through weightlifting. She will be joined in conversation by Cat Bohannon, author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! When you RSVP to one of our free events during the month of June, you can add a donation to The Queer Trans Project, a Black-led, trans-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing life-changing gender-affirming resources, uplifting trans voices, and building power for our communities. Through their Build-a-Queer Kit program, QTP has distributed over $500,000 worth of free gender-affirming items to trans people in all 50 states. Their Flight Assistance Program has covered over 125,000 miles so far, ensuring that those seeking gender-affirming care can get there safely. Click here for more about our COVID-19 policies for in-person events. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. Registration is required in advance. About A Physical Education. .From the most visible woman writing about weightlifting today, a profoundly engrossing memoir and manifesto about how lifting helped dissolve her allegiance to diet culture; taught her to be at home in her body; and led her to grow every kind of strength (Elizabeth Greenwood). In A Physical Education, Casey Johnston recounts how she ventured into the brave new world of weightlifting, leaving behind years of restrictive eating and endless cardio. Woven through the trajectory of how she rebuilt her strength and confidence is a staggering exposé of the damaging doctrine spread by diet and fitness culture. Johnston's story dives deep into her own past relationships with calorie restriction, exercise, and codependency. As she progresses on her weightlifting journey, she begins to eat to fuel her growing strength—and her food cravings vanish. Her physical progress fuels a growing understanding of how mainstream messaging she received about women’s bodies was about preserving the status quo. Previously convinced that physical improvement was a matter of suffering, she now knows it requires self-regard and patience. A little pushing at a time adds up to the reawakening of parts of herself she didn’t even know were there. A Physical Education asks why so many of us spend our lives trying to get healthy” by actively making our bodies weaker. Casey Johnston is a voice for those of us who feel underdeveloped and unfulfilled in our bodies and are looking to come home to ourselves. Casey Johnston is an American writer and editor. She has written the fitness advice column “Ask a Swole Woman” for multiple outlets since 2016 and a newsletter about weight lifting, She’s a Beast, since 2021. Cat Bohannon is a researcher and author with a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative and cognition. Her essays and poems have appeared Scientific American, Mind, Science Magazine, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, The Georgia Review, The Story Collider, and Poets Against the War. She lives with her family in Seattle. (Photo credit: Stefano Giovannini) About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books welcomes Ask A Swole Woman columnist Casey Johnstonto our Lake Forest Park store for a discussion of her memoir A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting, which follows the author as she breaks free of destructive patterns encouraged by diet and fitness culture and pursues self-discovery through weightlifting. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Click here for more about our COVID-19 policies for in-person events. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. Registration is required in advance. About A Physical Education. .From the most visible woman writing about weightlifting today, a profoundly engrossing memoir and manifesto about how lifting helped dissolve her allegiance to diet culture; taught her to be at home in her body; and led her to grow every kind of strength (Elizabeth Greenwood). In A Physical Education, Casey Johnston recounts how she ventured into the brave new world of weightlifting, leaving behind years of restrictive eating and endless cardio. Woven through the trajectory of how she rebuilt her strength and confidence is a staggering exposé of the damaging doctrine spread by diet and fitness culture. Johnston's story dives deep into her own past relationships with calorie restriction, exercise, and codependency. As she progresses on her weightlifting journey, she begins to eat to fuel her growing strength—and her food cravings vanish. Her physical progress fuels a growing understanding of how mainstream messaging she received about women’s bodies was about preserving the status quo. Previously convinced that physical improvement was a matter of suffering, she now knows it requires self-regard and patience. A little pushing at a time adds up to the reawakening of parts of herself she didn’t even know were there. A Physical Education asks why so many of us spend our lives trying to get healthy” by actively making our bodies weaker. Casey Johnston is a voice for those of us who feel underdeveloped and unfulfilled in our bodies and are looking to come home to ourselves. Casey Johnston is an American writer and editor. She has written the fitness advice column “Ask a Swole Woman” for multiple outlets since 2016 and a newsletter about weight lifting, She’s a Beast, since 2021. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books is delighted to welcome outdoors accessibility advocate Ian Mackay and author Karen Polinsky to our Lake Forest Park store for a presentation of Karen's new book Ian's Ride: A Long-Distance Journey to Joy. This event is co-sponsored by the North Cascades Institute, a nonprofit conservation organization working to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Learn more at ncascades.org. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. About Ian's Ride. . .While studying as a biology undergrad at UC Santa Cruz, Ian Mackay crashed his bike into a tree on campus. Paralyzed from the shoulders down, Mackay adapted to his new life with the help of his dedicated family, particularly his mother, Teena Woodward, and a group of quirky friends. After years of despair, and against all odds, he became an inspiring leader, an innovator with Apple, and a world-record-breaking athlete. In this intimate biography based on more than one hundred hours of interviews, journal entries, and more, writer Karen Polinsky recounts Ian’s accident and determined recovery, in which he discovered the healing power of nature and community. Ian’s Ride is both a personal journey and an adventure quest for nature lovers, endurance athletes, and anyone struggling with a life-changing loss or diagnosis. This deeply moving true story examines how we exist in our bodies, adapt to and overcome adversity, and what it means to push our limits. Karen Polinsky, a former journalist and high school teacher, is a novelist and playwright. Like Ian’s Ride, her first book, Dungeness, is set on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Polinsky has written more than a dozen staged plays. Based in Portland, Oregon, she enjoys camping, biking, and hiking with her husband, Michael, and her border collie, Pearl. IanMackay, a C2/3 quadriplegic, is a nature lover, mobility technology innovator, and endurance athlete. Mackay is the executive director of the nonprofit Ian’s Ride, which aims to increase accessibility to the outdoors; an ambassador for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; and a proud board member of The Here and Now Project, a chapter of the United Spinal Association. He lives in Port Angeles, Washington. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books welcomes Washington State legend and Spokanite Jess Walterfor the release of his new novel, So Far Gone. In the propulsive spirit of Charles Portis’ True Grit comes a hilarious, empathetic, and brilliantly provocative adventure through life in modern America, about a reclusive journalist forced back into the world to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren. Tickets are required in advance. What you need to know: All tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite. Pre-order of book will not grant you access to the event.Book-bundled tickets include a copy of the featured book. General Admission includes a donation to our Books to Students Fund.If purchase a book-bundled ticket and are unable to attend the event, your book will be placed on hold at our Lake Forest Park store. You may request to have your book placed on hold at our Ravenna or Seward Park location. Please allow time for transfer.Copies of So Far Gone and other books by Jess Wlater will be available for purchase at the store. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book in advance! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:Tickets are required in advance. About So Far Gone. . . So Far Gone is a marvel.”—Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftovers Rhys Kinnick has gone off the grid. At Thanksgiving a few years back, a fed-up Rhys punched his conspiracy-theorist son-in-law in the mouth, chucked his smartphone out a car window and fled for a cabin in the woods, with no one around except a pack of hungry raccoons. Now Kinnick’s old life is about to land right back on his crumbling doorstep. Can this failed husband and father, a man with no internet and a car that barely runs, reemerge into a broken world to track down his missing daughter and save his sweet, precocious grandchildren from the members of a dangerous militia? With the help of his caustic ex-girlfriend, a bipolar retired detective, and his only friend (who happens to be furious with him), Kinnick heads off on a wild journey through cultural lunacy and the rubble of a life he thought he’d left behind. So Far Gone is a rollicking, razor-sharp, and moving road trip through a fractured nation, from a writer who has been called “a genius of the modern American moment” (Philadelphia Inquirer). Jess Walter is the author of seven previous novels, including the bestsellers The Cold Millions and Beautiful Ruins, the National Book Award Finalist The Zero, and Citizen Vince, winner of the Edgar Award for best novel. His short fiction, collected in The Angel of Rome and We Live in Water, has won the O. Henry Prize, the Pushcart Prize and appeared three times in Best American Short Stories. He lives in his hometown of Spokane, Washington.(Photo credit: Rajah Bose) About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Join us for a special evening with nature writer, mountain climber, and globe-trotter Robert Macfarlane for the release of his highly-anticipated book, Is A River Alive? Macfarlane is joined in conversation by local historian, geologist, and naturalist David B. Williams, author of Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound. Tickets are required in advance. This event is co-sponsored by the North Cascades Institute, a nonprofit conservation organization working to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Learn more at ncascades.org. Engaged deeply with the question of the title, Robert Macfarlane has set out to demonstrate not only that rivers ARE alive, but how, and why, and in what kinds of ways. He is Virgil and Gandalf, Merlin and Hermes, our guide through what a river is or could be or should be. . . It is a stunning and necessary narrative, impossible to ignore in its urgency but also beautiful, sage, and optimistic. An absolutely crucial book for anyone who cares about either nature or beautiful writing—Robert Macfarlane has once again written a book that brings both to spectacular life. —Rafe Posey, Third Place Books What you need to know: All tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite. Pre-order of book will not grant you access to the event.Book-bundled tickets include a copy of the featured book. General Admission includes a donation to the Books to Students Fund.If purchase a book-bundled ticket and are unable to attend the event, your book will be placed on hold at our Lake Forest Park store. You may request to have your book placed on hold at our Ravenna or Seward Park location. Please allow time for transfer.Is A River Alive and other books by Robert Macfarlane and David B. Williams will be available for purchase at the store. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:Tickets are required in advance. About Is A River Alive?. . .Hailed in the New York Times as “a naturalist who can unfurl a sentence with the breathless ease of a master angler,” Robert Macfarlane brings his glittering style to a profound work of travel writing, reportage, and natural history. Is a River Alive? is a joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognized as such in imagination and law. Macfarlane takes readers on three unforgettable journeys teeming with extraordinary people, stories, and places: to the miraculous cloud-forests and mountain streams of Ecuador, to the wounded creeks and lagoons of India, and to the spectacular wild rivers of Canada—imperiled respectively by mining, pollution, and dams. Braiding these journeys is the life story of the fragile chalk stream a mile from Macfarlane’s house, a stream who flows through his own years and days. Powered by dazzling prose and lit throughout by other minds and voices, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, challenge perspectives, and remind us that our fate flows with that of rivers—and always has. About the Nature of Writing Series. . .A deep appreciation for the transformative power of literature and art has been at the heart of North Cascades Institute since the very beginning. The humanities provide important lenses through which we inhabit and understand our shared landscapes. Our Nature of Writing Speaker Series celebrates the creative minds illuminating the natural world with the turn of a page. For nearly 20 years, North Cascades Institute has worked in partnership with independent booksellers and community organizations to bring leading authors on environmental issues, natural and cultural history, poetry, art, wellness and adventure together in celebration and appreciation of nature. Past speakers have included Terry Tempest Williams, Gary Snyder, David B. Williams, Richard Louv, Peter Wohlleben, Brenda Peterson, Tim McNulty, Mary Oliver, Barry Lopez and Molly Hashimoto. By bringing our community together in conversation at these events, we aim to support authors, poets and artists and amplify their voices to promote lifelong stewardship through better understanding of the world around us. Robert Macfarlane’s best-selling, prize-winning books include Underland, Mountains of the Mind, The Old Ways, Landmarks, and, with Jackie Morris, The Lost Words and The Lost Spells. He lives in Cambridge, England, where he is a fellow of the University of Cambridge. (Photo credit: Rosamund Macfarlane) About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

“All Roads Lead to Rome is a poignant, picturesque memoir of redemption and truth between father and son, past and present.”—Alicia DeFonzoThird Place Books is excited to welcome Bill Thorness to our Lake Forest Park store for a conversation about his new book, All Roads Lead to Rome: Searching for the End of My Father's War. Combining travelogue, history, and memoir, All Roads Lead to Rome begins with Thorness's research into his father's experiences as a soldier and delves into fundamental human questions surrounding war and memory. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. RSVP is recommended in advance. About All Roads Lead to Rome. . .What happens when a seasoned journalist and travel writer takes on his most challenging assignment yet—crossing not just continents but also history—by retracing his father’s steps on the battlefields of Italy in World War II? When a slim packet of his father’s letters came to light after his mother’s death, Bill Thorness began a quest to rediscover his father. Thorness traveled to the World War II battlefields where America’s first team of commandos fought. The youngest son of one of those commandos, Thorness gained a sense of the horror his father had kept from his family while standing on the mountain where the First Special Service Force fought. Then, standing on a bridge in Rome, he reflected on the loss his father must have felt in not making it to the end of the campaign to liberate the Eternal City. In All Roads Lead to Rome Thorness considers his father’s decisive moments in battle and beyond, and how he soldiered on as a disabled veteran through his life, raising a family and succumbing to an early death. Alternating between reimagined battle scenes and present-day travels, Thorness explores World War II and family history, the value and limits of memory, the attitudes of war, and our society’s inadequate understanding and support of combat veterans, who may return with physical and emotional scars that change them deeply. Thorness steps into his father’s shoes to revisit his story and finish that walk into Rome, weaving an account that is part travelogue, part history, and part memoir about the ravages of war. Bill Thorness’s varied work as a journalist has spanned more than thirty-five years, from early work as editor of a national business magazine to current work as a freelance travel writer for the Seattle Times. He is the author of five nonfiction books, including Cycling the Pacific Coast: The Complete Guide from Canada to Mexico. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books is pleased to welcome Ann Aguirre to our Lake Forest Park store for a conversation about her new book I Think I'm in Love with an Alien, a cozy sci-fi romance in which a stranded alien and a nerdy space enthusiast find love in unexpected places. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! When you RSVP to one of our free events during the month of June, you can add a donation to The Queer Trans Project, a Black-led, trans-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing life-changing gender-affirming resources, uplifting trans voices, and building power for our communities. Through their Build-a-Queer Kit program, QTP has distributed over $500,000 worth of free gender-affirming items to trans people in all 50 states. Their Flight Assistance Program has covered over 125,000 miles so far, ensuring that those seeking gender-affirming care can get there safely Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. Registration is recommended in advance. About I Think I'm in Love with an Alien. . .Galaxy QuestmeetsRoswellin this quirky sci-fi rom-com fromNew York TimesandUSA Todaybestselling author Ann Aguirre. He's stranded. He's desperate. He's not looking for love. Alien Tamzir Jaarn, a.k.a. Seeker, is paying the price for risking an illicit holiday on an interdicted planet. His ride off-world never showed, and he's been stranded on Earth for nearly a year. His gear is breaking down, food is becoming a problem, and if his camouflage unit fritzes, he'll wind up in a government lab. But he's met some cool humans online, and they've invited him to the biggest space-themed convention around. Why not make memories with them while he figures out how to get home? Space Con or bust! She's nerdy. She's flirty. She's ready for romance. Jennette Hammond is an endearing weirdo, voted most likely to bang an alien in high school. Her house is full of gray man collectibles, adorable tentacle monsters, and yes, in college, she volunteered for a SETI-type program. Not that she's ever had any close encounters of the sexy, alien kind. Heck, she's never even been able to convince anyone to attend Space Con. But that's about to change. Finally, she has online friends who have agreed to go, and it will be a romp to remember—and she'll finally put a face to the name of her longtime crush, Seeker. When alien meets adorkable, they're destined for an out-of-this-world affair… New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She loves video games, Korean dramas, music, dogs and cats, and staring at the sea. Though she writes all kinds of genre fiction, she has a major soft spot for a happily ever after. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books is pleased to welcome Rebecca Lexa to our Lake Forest Park store for a conversation about her new book, The Everyday Naturalist. This informative guide gives readers an opportunity to learn more about the plants and animals they encounter on a daily basis, encouraging observation and interconnection. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! When you RSVP to one of our free events during the month of June, you can add a donation to The Queer Trans Project, a Black-led, trans-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing life-changing gender-affirming resources, uplifting trans voices, and building power for our communities. Through their Build-a-Queer Kit program, QTP has distributed over $500,000 worth of free gender-affirming items to trans people in all 50 states. Their Flight Assistance Program has covered over 125,000 miles so far, ensuring that those seeking gender-affirming care can get there safely. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance. About The Everyday Naturalist. . .If you've ever consulted a field guide to identify a new bird at your feeder, you know the process isn't as easy as it sounds. In fact, it seems like you have to know a lot about that mystery bird to even figure out where to start. The Everyday Naturalist fills in the gaps by explaining what traits to pay attention to when encountering a new species; how and when to use field guides, apps, and other resources; what to do if you get stuck; and more. Rather than focusing on one region or continent, these skills and tools are designed to help you classify nature anywhere you are—whether on familiar territory, traveling, or in a new home. In chapters about animals, plants, fungi, and organisms like lichens and slime molds, naturalist and guide Rebecca Lexa goes into detail about what sets each of these kingdoms apart from each other—from color, shape, and texture to reproductive characteristics, behavior, and habitat—and includes more than forty full-color photos and drawings to illustrate key points. She also provides detailed case studies to demonstrate how to use all of these traits to identify specimens across multiple kingdoms. This easy-to-follow guide empowers you to learn more about the species around you, then use what you know to preserve the world you love. And at a time when biodiversity is imperiled worldwide, nature needs more advocates than ever. Rebecca Lexa is a certified Oregon Master Naturalist, registered Oregon Outfitter Guide, and a writer and educator in the Pacific Northwest. She has a master's degree in counseling psychology with a certificate in ecopsychology, the psychology of how we connect to the natural world. She specializes in helping everyday people learn skills and tools for identifying the animals, plants, and fungi around them and gaining a deeper relationship with nature. About Third Place Books Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books welcomes New York Times bestselling romance author Ashley Poston for the release of Sounds Like Love! Jo Segura, author of Raiders of the Lost Heart and Temple of Swoon, joins in conversation. Tickets are required in advance. What you need to know: All tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite. Pre-order of book will not grant you access to the event.Due to limited time with the author, no posed photos, please (though candid photos are welcome). Attendees may have up to 3 books signed and personalized by the author.If you are unable to attend the event, your book will be placed on hold at our Lake Forest Park store. You may request to have your book placed on hold at our Ravenna or Seward Park location. Please allow time for transfer.Copies of Sounds Like Love and other books by Ashley Poston will be available for purchase at the store. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book in advance! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:Tickets are required in advance. About Sounds Like Love. . .Joni Lark has a secret. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA, and yet she can’t write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it. When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark inspiration. But when Joni gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is hiding something, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing. How can Joni write when her world is leaving her behind? Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with an emptiness of his own. Surely, he’s a figment of Joni’s overworked imagination. Then a very real man shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s arrogant and guarded—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan for breaking their inconvenient telepathic connection: finish the song haunting them both and hope they don’t risk their hearts—or their secrets—in the process. Because that melody, the one drawing them together . . . what if it’s there for a reason? Ashley Poston is the New York Times bestselling author of A Novel Love Story, The Seven Year Slip, and The Dead Romantics. A native of South Carolina, she lives in a small gray house with her sassy cat and too many books. You can find her on the internet, somewhere, watching cat videos and reading fan fiction. USA Today bestselling author Jo Segura lives in the Pacific Northwest with her doggo, who vies for her attention with his sweet puppy dog eyes whenever she’s trying to write. Her stories feature strong, passionate heroines and draw upon aspects of her life, such as her Mexican heritage and her fascination with archaeology. When she’s not writing you can find her practicing law, shaking up a mean cocktail, or sitting out on the patio doing Buzzfeed quizzes (though she doesn’t care what the chicken nugget quiz said–her favorite fruit is not banana). (Photo credit: Sean Hoyt) About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Presentations on Boiler Operation, Safety, Regulation and New Technology including a Boiler License and Certification Refresher Exam on Friday afternoon. Vender Booths from local industry. Contact event planners for vender booths and sponsorship. Profits go towards related scholorships at Bates and Renton Technical Colleges. Breakfast and lunch included. Raffles and prizes. Information Source: Western Washington Stationary Engineers Training | eventbrite

Presentations on Boiler Operation, Safety, Regulation and New Technology including a Boiler License and Certification Refresher Exam on Friday afternoon. Vender Booths from local industry. Contact event planners for vender booths and sponsorship. Profits go towards related scholorships at Bates and Renton Technical Colleges. Breakfast and lunch included. Raffles and prizes. Information Source: Western Washington Stationary Engineers Training | eventbrite

Third Place Books welcomes local historian Bruce A. Ramsey for a discussion of his book Seattle in the Great Depression: A History of Business, Labor, and Politics Drawn from Local Chronicles. Containing stories many Seattleites have never heard, this book includes narrative history from the city's real estate depression, savings and loan failures, and waterfront Hooverville, to its political fights over unemployment assistance, intense business rivalries, union growth, and more. This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! When you RSVP to one of our free events during the month of June, we invite you to add a donation to The Queer Trans Project, a Black-led, trans-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing life-changing gender-affirming resources, uplifting trans voices, and building power for our communities. Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. RSVP is recommended in advance. About Seattle in the Great Depression. . .Captured from Great Depression-era Seattle newspapers, this narrative history of the city's business, labor, and political life traces a turbulent decade that scarred a generation and defined years of policy and culture. Underlying themes include the idea that the Depression was an economic consequence of World War I, intensified by reckless lending and restrictions on trade; that the New Deal helped people get through the Depression but could not end it; that the radical left made big gains in the 1930s but was ultimately rejected; and that, after the war, private economy revived but was not fundamentally altered. These are stories many Seattleites have never heard. They begin with the end of the office tower development boom, the real estate depression that followed, and the failure of two large savings and loans. Investment banker Ben Ehrlichman emerges as a fascinating figure. As the economy worsens, articles consider the growth of the waterfront Hooverville, one woman's desperate search for work, political fights over controlling help for the unemployed, the debate around whether to require work in exchange for food, and the rise of a union for the unemployed. Labor-related accounts cover the 1934 longshore strike, a 1936 newspaper strike, and the reign of pugnacious Teamster leader Dave Beck. Ramsey offers new, nuanced insights into Beck's climb and his influence over Mayor John Dore. Political pieces document the rise of the left, its domination by the Communist Party, resistance from non-Communist progressives, and its collapse following the Hitler-Stalin pact. Business coverage returns with the intense rivalry between City Light and Puget Power, Black Ball ferries' unsuccessful struggle to remain private, and Boeing's risky gamble on a four-engine aircraft. The final chapter highlights unions' and the Democratic Party's long-term rise, the scattering of the radicals, and the revival of private business. Bruce A. Ramsey grew up in the Seattle area. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration, then moved on to graduate studies in journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as the business news reporter and columnist at the Bellevue Journal-American, as the marine writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and as a reporter and writer for Marple’s Business Newsletter. He was the Seattle Post-Intelligencer 's business reporter and columnist from 1981-89. For the next five years, he served as a writer and editor for Hong Kong’s Asiaweek magazine, covering economic and political stories in Asia. He returned to Seattle to be a business writer, editorial writer and columnist at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a position he held until 2000. In 2001, he became an editorial writer, columnist, and member of the editorial board at the Seattle Times, where he remained until 2013. Throughout his career, he reviewed more than 200 books, most of them on 20th century history. He has also published two other books, both from Caxton Press: Unsanctioned Voice: Garet Garrett, Journalist of the Old Right and The Panic of 1893: The Untold Story of Washington State’s First Depression. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite

Third Place Books is pleased to welcome journalist Julia Hotzto our Lake Forest Park store to celebrate her new book, The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging. The Connection Cure explores the practice of social prescribing, where, instead of defaulting to pharmaceuticals, medical personnel connect patients with community activities and resources. Julia will be introduced by Luke Wall, director of Only7Seconds, a local nonprofit that aims to end youth loneliness. This event is free and open to the public.For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book! Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here. Tickets:This event is free to attend. RSVP is recommended in advance. About The Connection Cure. . .In this combination of diligent science reporting, moving patient success stories, and surprising self-discovery, journalist Julia Hotz helps us discover the lasting and life-changing power of social prescribing. Traditionally, when we get sick, health care professionals ask, “What’s the matter with you?” But around the world, teams of doctors, nurses, therapists, and social workers have started to flip the script, asking “What matters to you?” Instead of solely pharmaceutical prescriptions, they offer “social prescriptions”—referrals to community activities and resources, like photography classes, gardening groups, and volunteering gigs. The results speak for themselves. Science shows that social prescribing is effective for treating symptoms of the modern world’s most common ailments—depression, ADHD, addiction, trauma, anxiety, chronic pain, dementia, diabetes, and loneliness. As health care’s de facto cycle of “diagnose-treat-repeat” reaches a breaking point, social prescribing has also proven to reduce patient wait times, lower hospitalization rates, save money, and reverse health worker burnout. And as a general sense of unwellness plagues more of us, social prescriptions can help us feel healthier than we’ve felt in years. As the first book on social prescribing, The Connection Cure empowers you to find, experience, and implement this revolutionary medicine in your own community. While touring the globe to investigate the spread of social prescribing to over thirty countries, Hotz meets people personifying its revolutionary potential: an aspiring novelist whose art workshop helps her cope with trauma symptoms and rediscover her joy; a policy researcher whose swimming course helps her taper off antidepressants and feel excited to wake up in the morning; an army vet whose phone conversations help him form his only true friendship; and dozens more. The success stories she finds bring a long-known theory to life: if we can change our environment, we can change our health. By reconnecting to what matters to us, we can all start to feel better. Julia Hotz is a solutions-focused journalist and award-winning author of THE CONNECTION CURE—the first book chronicling the science, stories, and spread of social prescribing. She helps other journalists report on evidence-backed ideas at the Solutions Journalism Network, and advises health organizations like Walk with a Doc and Social Prescribing USA. For her work on social prescribing, she has spoken at TEDx, taught in medical schools, and delivered keynote speeches at international conferences. About Third Place BooksFounded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events. Information Source: Third Place Books | eventbrite