Join me in playing Cascadia summer book bingo!

Good morning! Summer is just around the corner, and that means it's time to grab some books to read on the beach, out on the porch, or in a campsite. Shamelessly stealing an idea from Seattle Public Library, Cascadia Journal and Cascadia Democratic Action are hosting a summer book bingo challenge with a Pacific Northwest twist.

Between May 18 and September 18, try to fill in as many of the 24 squares as you can. There are a variety of categories – pick a book from each that's either set in Cascadia, about Cascadia, or written by a Cascadian author. Print out a Cascadia Summer Book Bingo sheet and keep score! If you fill in the complete card, email it to cascadiademocratic@protonmail.com or mail to CDA, PO Box 20022, Seattle, WA 98122 to be entered in drawing for some cool Cascadia merch!

I'll be writing about each book as I go. The first is Rough Trade by Katrina Carrasco, a historical novel with a queer twist set among rough-and-tumble opium dealers in the late 19th century Pacific Northwest. I'm excited for this one.

Looking for some book suggestions in each category? I'm glad you asked! Download this list of three suggestions in each category But don't limit yourselves to these. Cascadia is known for its writers, readers and book lovers, so it's not hard to find something to read connected to the Pacific Northwest.

In this era of social media and binge-watching TV shows, the act of reading can feel like a subversive act.

But as poet Paul Nelson said during his reading at the Cascadia Day Poetry Explosion this week, and in remarks he wrote afterward, poet Charles Olson observed

“It comes to this: culture displacing the state.”

Thanks for reading books! Have a great holiday weekend, I'll see you on Tuesday.

Keep fighting and keep loving. --Andy