Tales from the Trowel

Book recommendations from the Pacific Northwest

Christy, The Gardener

Wintering by Katherine May

For the reader who: knows that the garden sleeps but is never truly gone.

Placemaker by Christie Purifoy

For the reader who: turns every threshold into a welcome.

Devotions by Mary Oliver

For the reader who: prays best with dirt beneath their nails.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

For the reader who: listens as much as they plant.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

For the reader who: refuses to grow out of wonder.

The Silent Gondoliers by William Goldman

For the reader who: loves a touch of melancholy with their whimsy.

Inward: A Guide to Self-Mastery by Yung Pueblo

For the gardener who knows that we all need a little stillness.

Rhapsody in Green by Beverly Nichols

For the reader who: loves gardens that are wild, whimsical, and full of life.

You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson

For the reader who: runs on heart, hope, and high-voltage energy.

Dave, The Builder

Dune by Frank Herbert

For consummate science fiction fan. Weird as hell, but what a read, may thy knife chip and shatter.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Wier

For hardcore science and space junkies, truly wonderful, go ahead and fist my bump

The Watchmen by Alan Moore

For non-marvel superhero fans about life in a bleak future, more naked blue dudes than you really need to see…

The Rising Tide / Steel Wave / No Less than Victory by Jeff Shaara

For history lovers who enjoy true events told with the richness and drama of a great story

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

For the reader who wants a sneak peak into the future coming soon.

How to Teach Physics to your Dog by Chad Orzel

For the reader who wants to understand how the universe works, NOTE: despite my best efforts neither of the pups have been super responsive to my lessons.

Mr. Carson, the Frog Butler

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

For the butler who: knows that brilliance often hides behind good manners.

The Complete Stories by Guy de Maupassant

For the reader who: enjoys a touch of cynicism with his aperitif.

Anna Karina: Une Vie à Part by Alain Jessua

For the reader who: is an admirer of the ineffable.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

For the reader who: enjoys an afternoon of melancholy.

Gerald, the Gnome

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

For the old soul who: appreciates proper manners, cozy burrows, and mild mischief.

The Secret Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

For the gnome who: pretends he’s unimpressed by “tree-hugging nonsense.”

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

For the reader who: believes the world has gotten far too sentimental.

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

For the gnome who: appreciates a well-crafted complaint.

Mildred, the Gnome

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

For the gnome who: knows that healing often starts with soil under your fingernails.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

For the reader who: loves letters, friendships, and slow-growing trust.

The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert

For the gnome who: appreciates talking animals, sensible shoes, and well-ordered herb beds.

Still Meadow Seasons by Gladys Taber

For the gnome who: finds comfort in small domestic miracles.

Gandalf, the dog

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

For the philosopher pup who: feels things deeply.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

For the brave adventurer who: always ends up muddy but triumphant.

How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery

For the soulful dog who: believes humans are a bit slow to learn unconditional love.

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

For the hyperactive dog with a wizard’s name and a philosopher’s heart.

The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care

For the reader who: needs gentle reminders that naps, snacks, and walks are vital to happiness.

Charlie, the Elder

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
For the reader who: loves something slow, observant, meditative

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

For the pupply who: loves his stories a little muddy and chaotic

Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

For the old boy who: loves comfort in the simplicity.