The most recommended books about Oregon

Who picked these books? Meet our 58 experts.

58 authors created a book list connected to Oregon, and here are their favorite Oregon books.
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Bed, Breakfast & Bones

By Carolyn L Dean,

Book cover of Bed, Breakfast & Bones: A Ravenwood Cove Mystery

K.E. O'Connor Author Of Cream Caramel and Murder

From the list on involving muffins and murder.

Who am I?

My degree in archaeology taught me life is a giant puzzle. People leave behind fragments, giving hints but never definitive answers. My deductive skills when piecing together broken pottery or looking at renderings of hominid skulls to determine how they lived, evolved my desire to write mysteries. One of the many things I love about cozy mysteries is that everything looks peaceful on the outside, but like real life, you barely need to scratch the surface before you discover dark deeds and secrets. And who doesn’t enjoy that?

K.E.'s book list on involving muffins and murder

Why did K.E. love this book?

This is a delightfully fun twisty mystery that fulfilled my fantasy of inheriting an amazing property in a beautiful small town and being involved in a wonderful community (with a few murderous intentions lurking beneath the surface!)

Ravenwood Cove is a fabulous town and the author does an amazing job of making you feel like you’re there, with vivid descriptions of the setting and lively, realistic characters with fascinating pasts.

A delightful giant of a series that’ll keep you entertained for weeks. And there are bonus recipes if you love to bake along as you discover whodunit!

By Carolyn L Dean,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bed, Breakfast & Bones as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amanda Graham inherited a rundown bed and breakfast, a starving cat, and some dead guy who’s buried in her garden!What should’ve been a simple remodeling project and a new business in a small Oregon beach town winds up with her uncle named as the number one murder suspect, a slew of odd neighbors and problematic townspeople, and Amanda wanting to just sit down and eat her weight in chocolate pie. Sure, she could pack her bags and travel back to LA…or should she dig in, heal from her failed romance, and find a whole new set of friends and adventures…


If I Stay

By Gayle Forman,

Book cover of If I Stay

Kimberly Sabatini Author Of Touching the Surface

From the list on where life is complicated—but so is the afterlife.

Who am I?

My father passed away in early 2005, but it wasn’t until after I finished drafting Touching the Surface, that I became consciously aware of how my writing was deeply connected to the thoughts I had about losing my Dad. The realization only added to my fascination with stories about the afterlife. Simultaneously it also expanded my intrigue with the themes of bad things happening to good people and life-altering mistakes being meant to alter lives. The more I explored the stories I loved and dug deeper into my own writing, the more I realized these themes overlapped like carefully folded origami. Complicated choices are intriguing.

Kimberly's book list on where life is complicated—but so is the afterlife

Why did Kimberly love this book?

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, observing her broken body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces—to figure out what she’s lost and what she has left. If I Stay carefully walks the line on being an afterlife story because Mia is suspended--caught between life and death. But we’re suspended too, waiting for her to decide. I love books with tough choices, stories where there are no right or wrong answers, just decisions. This one is perfectly imperfect.

“Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you.”

By Gayle Forman,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked If I Stay as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The critically acclaimed, bestselling novel from Gayle Forman, author of Where She Went, Just One Day, Just One Year, and I Was Here.

Now a major motion picture, starring Chloe Grace Moretz! Includes exclusive interviews with Chloe Grace Moretz and her co-star Jamie Blackley.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and…


Book cover of Sometimes a Great Notion

Mark Jabbour Author Of Election 2016: The Great Divide, the Great Debate

From the list on understand personality and who you are.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a talker. In the fourth grade my teacher, L. Wood, wrote on my report card, “Mark is a good worker. He is well adjusted and is well-liked in the classroom and on the playground. Mark needs to control himself when he likes to speak out too frequently.” Some things (personality) never change. Now, sixty years later with the help of my doctor, I’m working on it. I've been trying to understand myself, and others for most of my life. Using Nettle's descriptors I could be called a confident, callous, Poet Wanderer. Now, in my seventies, and having written three books about it - I'm beginning to get it.

Mark's book list on understand personality and who you are

Why did Mark love this book?

This is a novel published by Ken Kesey in 1964. Not only is it one of the best books to understand personality, but it is one of the best novels ever. It tells the story of an American family whose patriarch, Henry Stamper, is a classic narcissist. Stamper could be described as a confident, callous, Controlling Wanderer. He is an independent logger and owns his home and business on a river on the central coast of Oregon. He defies the small town, his neighbors, and the national union. His behavior ultimately leads to much pain and suffering. However, Henry has a good time.

The writing is poetic and insightful. All the characters' personalities are well fleshed out. It is the story of America coming of age in the '50s and '60s. Today, sixty years later, America's culture is changing; but personalities remain as they've always been. Personality is the bedrock…

By Ken Kesey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sometimes a Great Notion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The magnificent second novel from the legendary author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Sailor Song is a wild-spirited and hugely powerful tale of an Oregon logging clan.

A bitter strike is raging in a small lumber town along the Oregon coast. Bucking that strike out of sheer cussedness are the Stampers: Henry, the fiercely vital and overpowering patriarch; Hank, the son who has spent his life trying to live up to his father; and Viv, who fell in love with Hank's exuberant machismo but now finds it wearing thin. And then there is Leland, Henry's bookish younger…


Deadline

By Randy Alcorn,

Book cover of Deadline

Randy C. Dockens Author Of Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

From the list on stories about angels and heaven.

Who am I?

I’ve always been fascinated by science fiction and by Biblical Scripture. That may seem dichotomous to some, but not to me. I have a passion for science and for Scripture because both bring understanding about our world from the microcosm to the macrocosm. My writings are a mixture of science and mystery with a science fiction feel and a Christian perspective. I like stories that show how truth arises even from the dark, confusing, and ambiguity of life to help one discover something about God they may not have considered before, and at the same time enjoy a fun, fast-paced, and exciting journey as they read.

Randy's book list on stories about angels and heaven

Why did Randy love this book?

This was quite an interesting take to see the relationship between those who have gone to heaven and those who are left behind. A tragic accident separates those who lived from those who died, but those in heaven are still able to look over the lives of their loved ones. This novel provides a lot for the reader to process and ponder as well as provide hope to those left behind suffering.

By Randy Alcorn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Deadline as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first book in the Ollie Chandler series, this rerelease of the Randy Alcorn bestseller is a heart-pounding murder mystery

When tragedy strikes those closest to him, Jake Woods must draw upon all his resources to uncover the truth about the suspicious accident. Soon he finds himself swept up in a murder investigation that is both complex and dangerous. Unaware of the threat to his own life, Jake is drawn in deeper and deeper as he desperately searches for the answers to the immediate mystery at hand and—ultimately—the deeper meaning of his own existence.

Deadline is a dramatic and vivid…


Book cover of Christians on the Oregon Trail: Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon, 1842-1882

Tom Fuller Author Of Oregon at Work: 1859-2009

From the list on Oregon pioneer history.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a history lover. Since my 7th-grade teacher brought history to life I have been interested in a wide variety of topics and times. After living in Oregon for twenty-five years I found myself wanting to contribute to the cataloging of this great state’s history. The niche I discovered was to explore the world of work over Oregon’s history. Researching Oregon at Work: 1859-2009 I spent many hours across kitchen tables with the descendants of Oregon pioneers. They had boxes of ancient documents and photographs on their side, I came equipped with my laptop and scanner. Through this process, I researched thousands of documents, books, maps, diaries, photos, and more. I became an expert on the subject and my interest only grew.

Tom's book list on Oregon pioneer history

Why did Tom love this book?

You may not realize that the reason many came across the Oregon Trail was because of their religious and moral beliefs. Christians on the Oregon Trail highlights many well-known Oregon pioneers and details how their Christian beliefs inspired them both on the trail and once they arrived in Oregon. Some of those detailed are: Jason Lee, the Whitmans, Reuben Lewis, and many others. The book gives you also some of the theological underpinnings of the pioneers. 

The Girl I Used to Be

By April Henry,

Book cover of The Girl I Used to Be

Taylor Hale Author Of The Summer I Drowned

From the list on small town YA mysteries to keep you up all night.

Who am I?

I'm a full-time author and freelance editor from a small Canadian city, and I’ve always been fascinated by a good mystery—flipping through the pages, trying to guess who did or didn’t do it. Dark and gritty are my favorites, and the titles on this list do a good job of staying in that realm while still being very much YA. I hope you love them as much as I did!

Taylor's book list on small town YA mysteries to keep you up all night

Why did Taylor love this book?

In this book Ariel—AKA Olivia—is the daughter of a couple who was killed when she was a child. Olivia got away and was raised in foster care, but she’s always been haunted by what happened to her parents. The fact that his story was true crime fodder for the public doesn’t help, with many online speculations as to what really happened.

When new details arise in the case that make it seem as though the events of her parents’ deaths might not be what the public previously thought, Olivia is compelled to return home to her small Oregon hometown to uncover the truth. Equipped with enough red herrings to make your head spin, The Girl I Used to Be is a book that will keep you guessing until the end.

By April Henry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Girl I Used to Be as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Young Adult Mystery Novel

The Girl I Used to Be is another thrilling murder-mystery that'll have you on the edge of your seat from the New York Times-bestselling author April Henry, the author of the Point Last Seen series, Girl, Stolen, and The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die.

Olivia was only three years old when her mother was killed and everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother…


Book cover of Inside the Klavern, the Secret History of a Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s

Jeff Stookey Author Of Dangerous Medicine

From the list on the 1920s Ku Klux Klan in Oregon and the USA.

Who am I?

When I first moved to Portland, Oregon, I heard about the 1988 murder of an Ethiopian student by skinheads of the White Aryan Resistance. A famous trial subsequently bankrupted that white supremacist organization. When I began writing my trilogy, set in 1923, I learned about the strength of the Oregon KKK during the 1920s. I could see a direct line between the bigotry of that era and contemporary Portland. The more I studied the Klan of the 20s, the more I knew this information had to be part of my novels. Besides these book recommendations, I read numerous articles about Klan history. Everyone should learn this history.

Jeff's book list on the 1920s Ku Klux Klan in Oregon and the USA

Why did Jeff love this book?

As a writer, this book enabled me to get inside the mindset of Eastern Oregon Klan members in the 1920s. The heart of the book is the weekly meeting minutes of a local KKK chapter, which allowed me to see through the eyes of the men who made up this organization from May 1922 through April 1924. Their concerns included recruiting new members, supporting Klan-friendly political leaders at all levels of government, preventing Catholics from employment in teaching and other positions, and supporting a state bill that would ban Catholic schools. All this helped me create realistic characters with social and political views that are very different from my own.

By David A. Horowitz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Inside the Klavern, the Secret History of a Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is an annotated collection of the minutes of a thriving Ku Klux Klan in La Grande, Oregon, between 1922 and 1924. The most complete set of Klan minutes ever uncovered, these documents illustrate the inner workings of a Klan chapter of more than 300 members at the time when the national membership reached into the millions and the Invisible Empire was at the peak of its power. Through an extensive introduction and conclusion as well as brief notes previewing each installment of the minutes, the author seeks to place these documents in historical perspective. The La Grande minutes demonstrate…


Savor It

By Tarah DeWitt,

Book cover of Savor It

Jody Holford Author Of A Convenient Christmas

From Jody's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Who am I?

Author Reader Obsessive Worrier Diet Pepsi Connoisseur Lucky mom and wife

Jody's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Why did Jody love this book?

With an undercurrent of heartache, Savor It left readers reaching for hope and believing in love.

The menagerie of pets and cast of fun characters was relatable and enjoyable. The steam and sweetness between the leads leapt off the page and made you root for a happy ending. 

By Tarah DeWitt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Savor It as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Summer won't last forever.

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs…


A Death-Struck Year

By Makiia Lucier,

Book cover of A Death-Struck Year

Yvonne Ventresca Author Of Pandemic

From the list on on pandemics published pre-COVID.

Who am I?

I'm the author of short stories and novels including my young adult debut, Pandemic, which continues to be a timely read about surviving a widespread deadly virus. After the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 (commonly called Swine Flu), I was fascinated with the idea of a global illness that could be much, much worse. I researched historical diseases, interviewed public health officials, and the idea for my novel was born. Written and published before COVID-19, some of the details are eerily predictive of coronavirus. Pandemic won SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award the year after its publication, and a June 2022 reissue of the original novel includes updated resources and backmatter.

Yvonne's book list on on pandemics published pre-COVID

Why did Yvonne love this book?

Set in Oregon during the 1918 influenza pandemic, this historical young adult novel features a teen girl separated from her family as the illness spreads from the east coast of the US to the west. Like Lil, the main character from my book, Cleo in A Death-Struck Year grapples with moral dilemmas. I was drawn to Cleo’s struggle of wanting to help others, which will put her life at risk, and of desperately wanting to survive.

By Makiia Lucier,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Death-Struck Year as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Schools, churches, and theaters shut down. The entire city is thrust into survival mode-and into a panic. Headstrong and foolish, seventeen-year-old Cleo is determined to ride out the pandemic in the comfort of her own home, rather than in her quarantined boarding school dorms. But when the Red Cross pleads for volunteers, she can't ignore the call. As Cleo struggles to navigate the world around her, she is surprised by how much she finds herself caring about near-strangers. Strangers like Edmund, a handsome medical student and war vet. Strangers who could be gone tomorrow. And as the bodies begin to…


Book cover of The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition

Jeff Stookey Author Of Dangerous Medicine

From the list on the 1920s Ku Klux Klan in Oregon and the USA.

Who am I?

When I first moved to Portland, Oregon, I heard about the 1988 murder of an Ethiopian student by skinheads of the White Aryan Resistance. A famous trial subsequently bankrupted that white supremacist organization. When I began writing my trilogy, set in 1923, I learned about the strength of the Oregon KKK during the 1920s. I could see a direct line between the bigotry of that era and contemporary Portland. The more I studied the Klan of the 20s, the more I knew this information had to be part of my novels. Besides these book recommendations, I read numerous articles about Klan history. Everyone should learn this history.

Jeff's book list on the 1920s Ku Klux Klan in Oregon and the USA

Why did Jeff love this book?

I value this book for its thorough description of the many elements that made the Klan of the 1920s so ascendant: its hostility toward immigrants, big city liberal elites, intellectuals, Jews, Catholics, and fear of the many changes in society. The author says she began writing an article about 20th-century American social movements, but because of the 2016 election, expanded it into this book. Similarly, I felt the same urgency to complete my trilogy and get it out to the public at that time. Just as I tried to portray 1920 parallels with our contentious politics today, Gordon concludes by illuminating correlations between the 1920s KKK and contemporary right-wing beliefs, and their similarities and differences regarding European fascism. Bigotry-fueled fear waxes and wanes in America.

By Linda Gordon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Second Coming of the KKK as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Extraordinary national acclaim accompanied the publication of award-winning historian Linda Gordon's disturbing and markedly timely history of the reassembled Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s. Dramatically challenging our preconceptions of the hooded Klansmen responsible for establishing a Jim Crow racial hierarchy in the 1870s South, this "second Klan" spread in states principally above the Mason-Dixon line by courting xenophobic fears surrounding the flood of immigrant "hordes" landing on American shores. "Part cautionary tale, part expose" (Washington Post), The Second Coming of the KKK "illuminates the surprising scope of the movement" (The New Yorker); the Klan attracted four-to-six-million members through secret…


Book cover of Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World: Essays

Anthony D. Fredericks Author Of In Search of the Old Ones: An Odyssey among Ancient Trees

From Anthony's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Who am I?

Author Tree lover Environmentalist Wanderer/hiker Grandfather

Anthony's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Why did Anthony love this book?

Hands down, Barry Lopez is the best nature writer ever!

Lopez displays his considerable authorial skills in this distinctive collection of essays published posthumously. Older pieces, in concert with new themes, move readers to discover more about the natural world and all its wondrous connections.

Lopez has a distinctive way with words – creating visions, experiences, and insights available in no other book. This is writing as it should be: a tour de force of precise words and compelling language that draws you in and doesn’t let go until long after the final page is turned.

You will be stimulated and awed, excited and moved. He is a distinctive steward of environmentalism and a consummate wordsmith of observation and emotion. This book should be in everyone’s library!

By Barry Lopez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An ardent steward of the land, fearless traveller and unrivalled observer of nature and culture, Barry Lopez died after a long illness on Christmas Day in 2020. The previous summer, a wildfire had consumed much of what was dear to him in his home and the community around it - a tragic reminder of the climate change of which he'd long warned.

At once a cri de Coeur and a memoir of both pain and wonder, this remarkable collection of essays adds indelibly to Lopez's legacy, and includes previously unpublished works, some written in the months before his death. They…


A Girl from Yamhill

By Beverly Cleary,

Book cover of A Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir

Frieda Wishinsky Author Of Avis Dolphin

From the list on bringing real events and real kids alive.

Who am I?

From the time I was a kid, I loved books about real people who lived through difficult and colorful times.  As a writer, I’ve written about people whose lives fascinated and inspired me like Franklin Law Olmsted (The Man Who Made Parks) I believe that a riveting story or memoir gives the reader a strong sense of a person and the times in which they lived. And after reading one of these books, I wanted to know more about the person and the period in which they lived.

Frieda's book list on bringing real events and real kids alive

Why did Frieda love this book?

Beverly Cleary's kid's books have been enjoyed by many generations of readers. I loved her true to life, tinged with humor books as a reader, teacher, and writer.

Like me, many readers wonder about the lives of people we admire and luckily Cleary has written a riveting, direct, and insightful memoir that helps us connect her fiction with her real-life experiences. Throughout Cleary comes across as someone we wish we knew.

By Beverly Cleary,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Girl from Yamhill as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Told in her own words, A Girl from Yamhill is Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary's heartfelt and relatable memoir-now with a beautifully redesigned cover! Generations of children have read Beverly Cleary's books. From Ramona Quimby to Henry Huggins, Ralph S. Mouse to Ellen Tebbits, she has created an evergreen body of work based on the humorous tales and heartfelt anxieties of middle graders. But in A Girl from Yamhill, Beverly Cleary tells a more personal story-her story-of what adolescence was like. In warm but honest detail, Beverly describes life in Oregon during the Great Depression, including her difficulties in learning…


A Sweetness to the Soul

By Jane Kirkpatrick,

Book cover of A Sweetness to the Soul

Bruce A. Borders Author Of Over My Dead Body

From the list on entertaining a restless mind.

Who am I?

While the subject matter of the books on my list may vary, the thing that ties them together is the suspenseful tension that builds and keeps the reader on edge. The unexpected twists and turns are the "secret sauce"  that adds flavor and fervor. I like the way each of these books keeps your mind from wandering by combining vivid imagery with a compelling storyline. As an author myself, I am always fascinated by those who make it look so easy and effortless. And as an avid reader, I constantly search for these kind of books; the kind that make you feel as if you just have to keep reading.

Bruce's book list on entertaining a restless mind

Why did Bruce love this book?

This story takes place in the 1800's in the area where I live, so it holds a special connection for me. But beyond that it is an interesting tale of real-life struggles and overcoming those obstacles. The book describes frontier life in an authentic and stirring way. The local author knows the history and facts of the area and weaves them well into the story.

By Jane Kirkpatrick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Sweetness to the Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Based on historical characters and events, A Sweetness to the Soul recounts the captivating story of young, spirited Oregon pioneer Jane Herbert who at the age of twelve faces a tragedy that begins a life-long search for forgiveness and love. In the years that follow, young Jane finds herself involved in an unusual and touching romance with a dreamer sixteen years her senior, struggles to make peace with an emotionally distant mother, and fights to build a family of her own. Filled with heart-warming insight and glimpses of real-life pain, A Sweetness to the Soul paints a brilliant picture of…


Book cover of Small Animals Caught in Traps

Diane Josefowicz Author Of Ready, Set, Oh

From Diane's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Who am I?

Author Historian Francophile Literary truffle hunter

Diane's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Why did Diane love this book?

This book is a big-hearted meditation on family, on the ties that bind—and sometimes constrict.

Bernard masterfully evokes the ambiguities of life in the small Oregon town of Disappointment, where Lewis Yaw is contending with some fierce private demons while raising an equally fierce daughter, Gray. When their family’s happiness is shattered by tragedy, both Lewis and Gray must reconceive their ideas of who they are and what, beyond generational pain, actually makes up a family.

Bernard’s lushly evocative prose brings their world into such sharp, sensual focus—I could practically taste the whisky in the coffee and smell the sap running in the piney woods.

By C.B. Bernard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Small Animals Caught in Traps as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For readers of Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone and David Vann’s Legend of a Suicide, C. B. Bernard’s debut novel shows a father and a daughter fighting toward hope through a traumatic past.

In the town of Disappointment, Oregon, washed-up boxer Lewis Yaw makes ends meet as a fishing guide. He’s lived a life of violence, but doesn’t understand real strength until he meets Janey, who can see good in even the most damaged things—including him. When she gives birth to their daughter, Grayling, Lewis worries that he’ll mess her up as badly as his father did him. But he…


His Prairie Princess

By Kit Morgan,

Book cover of His Prairie Princess

Regina Scott Author Of Never Doubt a Duke

From the list on historical romances sure to make your smile.

Who am I?

As the author of more than 50 works of warm, witty historical romance, I love seeking out stories that will make me smile. I’m a firm believer in happy endings, in the books I write, and the books I read. I’m also a bit obsessed with history, having driven a carriage four-in-hand, learned to fence, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research.

Regina's book list on historical romances sure to make your smile

Why did Regina love this book?

Kit Morgan describes the town of Clear Creek, the setting for her Prairie Brides series, as the wackiest town in the West. But it’s her inspired pairing of hunky, honorable British cowboys (yes, you read that right) and the independent, clever women who humble them that makes this book and its sequels so worth the read.

By Kit Morgan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked His Prairie Princess as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Sweet, Western Romance Novella.His Prairie Princess (Prairie Brides, Book One) is the first in a new series about the town of Clear Creek, Oregon. One of the wackiest little towns in the old west! Enjoy this introduction to the townspeople of Clear Creek and come sit a spell!Also Available! Her Prairie Knight (Prairie Brides, Book Two) His Prairie Duchess (Prairie Brides, Book Three)When Sadie Jones, the daughter of cattle baron Horatio Jones, set out on her own in search of her dying birth mother, she got more than she bargained for. She never dreamed the stage would be robbed…


The Starfish Sisters

By Barbara O'Neal,

Book cover of The Starfish Sisters

Lori Handeland Author Of Suddenly that Summer

From Lori's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Who am I?

Author Nana Reader

Lori's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Why did Lori love this book?

I have been a Barbara O’Neal fan through her Barbara Samuel and Ruth Wind years. Barbara can turn a phrase like no one else. She creates exquisite pictures with words, which you see through her character’s eyes. Her female characters speak to me. They are me.

I both savor her books and speed through them because I can’t stop reading. This book, in particular, drew me with the beautifully drawn relationship between on-again, off-again lifelong friends, as well as the one between a grandmother and granddaughter.

I have to admit I love books about actors/actresses (also writers, rock stars, and road trips).  

By Barbara O'Neal,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Starfish Sisters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids comes an emotional novel about two women facing the betrayals, heartbreaks, and refuge of true friendship.

Phoebe and Suze used to be closer than sisters. Growing up in a quiet and wildly beautiful coastal town in Oregon, they shared everything. Until the secrets they couldn't share threatened their bond and complicated their lives.

Now, decades later, Suze, a famous actress desperate for safe haven following a brutal attack, is back in town. Phoebe, a successful illustrator and fabric designer, has discovered keeping a secret means she can't let…


Schoolmarms

By Helen Rees Guyton,

Book cover of Schoolmarms

Tom Fuller Author Of Oregon at Work: 1859-2009

From the list on Oregon pioneer history.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a history lover. Since my 7th-grade teacher brought history to life I have been interested in a wide variety of topics and times. After living in Oregon for twenty-five years I found myself wanting to contribute to the cataloging of this great state’s history. The niche I discovered was to explore the world of work over Oregon’s history. Researching Oregon at Work: 1859-2009 I spent many hours across kitchen tables with the descendants of Oregon pioneers. They had boxes of ancient documents and photographs on their side, I came equipped with my laptop and scanner. Through this process, I researched thousands of documents, books, maps, diaries, photos, and more. I became an expert on the subject and my interest only grew.

Tom's book list on Oregon pioneer history

Why did Tom love this book?

This book details the life of Ada Bell, a young woman who traveled all by herself to the tiny community of Bakeoven, Oregon to teach school. The “town” consisted of a hotel, a blacksmith’s shop, a store, a post office, a stage stop - and not much more. Ada got off the stage with no idea where to go or how to start her life as a teacher. Ada encapsulates the pioneer spirit as she forges a life and impacts the lives of her students over the years.

By Helen Rees Guyton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Schoolmarms as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Clever sketches by Elizabeth Rocchia enliven the pages of first-hand experiences Ada Bell recorded in diaries, themes, and poems.


All You Can Ever Know

By Nicole Chung,

Book cover of All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir

Matthew Pratt Guterl Author Of Skinfolk: A Memoir

From the list on heartbreaking memoirs of race and adoption.

Who am I?

I was raised as one of two white kids in a large, multiracial adoptive family by loving parents who wanted to change the world. Our parents were thoughtful about adoption, ambitious about the symbolism of our family, and raised us all to be conscious about race, to see it, and to guard against it. But the world is a lot bigger than our house and racism is insidious and so, in a way, we all eventually got swallowed up. So I started thinking hard about the dynamic relationship between race and adoption and family when I was just a kid, and I’ve never really stopped. 

Matthew's book list on heartbreaking memoirs of race and adoption

Why did Matthew love this book?

I enjoy reading stories that are complicated, with protagonists who are introspective and human. I like a memoir that raises questions, and a plot sequence that doesn’t always answer them fully. I like reading material that sits, or lingers, with you for days.

All You Can Ever Know is that kind of book. I bought it at an airport right before I got on a plane and didn’t close the cover until the last word had been read. Even then, though, I had to think about it all for a long, long while. Nicole’s story – an astonishingly honest account of her quest, as a transracial Korean adoptee, to discover her birth parents – has since become precious to me.

Beautifully written, the book is also careful, deliberate, and precise about adoption as an institution that makes and remakes families, with powerful consequences. 

By Nicole Chung,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked All You Can Ever Know as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

This beloved memoir "is an extraordinary, honest, nuanced and compassionate look at adoption, race in America and families in general" (Jasmine Guillory, Code Switch, NPR)

What does it means to lose your roots—within your culture, within your family—and what happens when you find them?

Nicole Chung was born severely premature, placed for adoption by her Korean parents, and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. From childhood, she heard the story of her adoption as a comforting, prepackaged myth. She believed that her biological parents had made the ultimate sacrifice in the hope of…


Black Valley

By Jim Brown,

Book cover of Black Valley

Paul Stuart Kemp Author Of Pharaoh

From the list on horror that doesn’t have obvious plots and endings.

Who am I?

I have always been interested in and captivated by horror and the darker genres, drawing and painting initially and later on as a writer. I am a full-time tattooist now but I still enjoy writing, and I produced several short stories as well as finished my vampire/Egyptian mythology novel Pharaoh during the coronavirus lockdown when I was unable to work in the tattoo studio. I still draw and paint, and it can be fun illustrating and producing artwork for my fiction, where sometimes one feeds off another.

Paul's book list on horror that doesn’t have obvious plots and endings

Why did Paul love this book?

An amazing and surprising read. When a madman is buried alive by five teenagers who take the law into their own hands, it is hardly a new idea for him to come back for revenge upon them. But Jim Brown takes it several stages further with more dark twists than you could possibly think of.

By Jim Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Black Valley as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On the night of a raging electrical storm, a group of teenage boys gather on a secluded hill in Oregon to bury one of their own...alive. It isn't murder, because the "victim" is a willing participant. For sneering, knife-wielding punk Whitey Dobbs it's just a gang-initiation stunt. For the others, however, it's a carefully planned act of revenge – designed to give Whitey Dobbs the fright of his life. But even the best-laid plans can go wrong. And when this joke is over, nobody will be laughing...except maybe Whitey Dobbs.

Twenty-two years later, the events of that stormy night are…


Silver Thaw

By Catherine Anderson,

Book cover of Silver Thaw

R.E.S. Tidmore Author Of Midnight's Dream

From the list on romance that stays with you long after.

Who am I?

Like many, I am a sucker for a Happy Ever After. I want to drift upon the clouds of peaceful surrender. But let's face it, we hurdle back to reality and face plant. And because of that, I write romance with the heartache of truth. I gravitate toward contemporary romance because of the tough topics characters face as they find love. I’ve written seven romance novels and one YA. I run three writing groups and work for Munchkin Lane developing/designing Early Childhood Readers. I have a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis in Young Adult and a bachelor's in creative writing. 

R.E.S.'s book list on romance that stays with you long after

Why did R.E.S. love this book?

This story stayed with me for some time after I read it. The main character's situation was so palpable my heart ached for her. Any book that touches my heart is a must-read for all my friends. The setting is winter; to really understand it, read it then. It will add to its power. The courage both characters show when facing the odds is heartwarming.

By Catherine Anderson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Silver Thaw as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Coulter and Harrigan Family novels comes a brand-new contemporary romance series about first love, second chances, and hope reborn.…
 
After years of living in fear of her husband, Amanda Banning has left him and moved to Mystic Creek, Oregon, for a fresh start. But she’s having a tough time providing for herself and her six-year-old daughter. Writing her secret yearnings on slips of paper and sending them into the wind helps her cling to the hope that things will get better…and that she can find happiness again.
 
Jeb Sterling has no…