Get to know the Pacific Northwest with KUOW’s new book club

We’ve tapped into the well-read minds of our KUOW editors, the Seattle Public Library staff, and other friends of KUOW to bring you our new book club.

(If you're reading this after May 2024, you can find what we're currently reading at kuow.org/books.)

We’re going to explore the wealth of material from Seattle, Washington, and the Pacific Northwest through familiar titles and, hopefully, some that are new even to our most literary members. We’ll alternate between fiction and nonfiction, reading everything from historical fiction to memoir. We’ll pull from the work of writers like Timothy Egan, Sonora Jha, and our own editor Carol Smith. Ultimately, we hope to present books that will make you feel more connected to the people, places, and stories around you.

Here’s the plan:

• We’ll provide a reading schedule for each book.
• We’ll check in here on the KUOW blog along the way, sharing readers’ thoughts and questions for you to ponder as you read. Plus, you can subscribe to the book club newsletter.
• We’ll conclude the book with a longer discussion, with the author, another reader, or a literary expert who can discuss our most pressing questions.
• You, the reader, will be integral to this process. Just like a book club with friends, our club will only be successful if people contribute to the conversation. So, let us know what you think! Send thoughts, questions, and suggestions to kcampbell@kuow.org.

Our first book will be – drum roll, please – Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.

Here’s the reading schedule:

• Read through the chapter titled “I Am Japanese” by April 8.
• Read through “Better Them Than Us” by April 22.
• Read through “Thirteen” by May 6.
• Finish the book by May 20. We’ve already confirmed Jamie Ford for an author interview that you won’t want to miss.

Sign up for our book club newsletter and check kuow.org on the dates above to be a part of the conversation.

And most importantly, enjoy this literary journey through the Pacific Northwest.