Ekahni Books

I just have to share with you all our good fortune in being the bookseller chosen to sell Brian Doyle’s new book, “Mink River” at the Manzanita Writer’s Series in January.  He will be coming to the Hoffman Center on January 15th at 7:00 p.m. And I am thrilled!  First of all, “Mink River” is a truly great book.  I loved it, and I am often leery of first novels by an author, no matter how established they are in other areas.  Brian has written at least ten other non-fiction books that I know of, though… so I shouldn’t have had any doubts.  Nonetheless, I will say that I was still pleasantly surprised by “Mink River”.  But, even more importantly than that, Brian is a sweetheart of a guy and is also a wonderfully entertaining speaker.  I think that everyone who attends is going to have a fantastic evening.

I thought that you all might like to know more about Brian, so I am posting a link to a podcast from OPB here on our website so you all can listen to his recent “Think Out Loud” radio interview.  It is a great interview that touches on everything from parenthood to his reaction to 9/11 (three of his friends were murdered on that fateful day), not to mention his life and his writing.  Feel free to click over and give it a listen:  http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/northwest-passages-brian-doyle/

I suspect that everyone who lives on the Oregon Coast will recognize the town of Neawanaka.  I imagine we will all think it’s based directly on wherever we live.  It captures the feel of life here so well.  It feels so realistic.  It’s hard to believe that it isn’t your hometown he is talking about.  Brian does a fantastic job of weaving character pieces together to create a rich tapestry of the hilarious, sad, jealous and crazy ways that life really is sometimes.  But don’t just take my word for it.  Some other wonderful people have had some great things to say about Brian’s book.  Take David James Duncan, the author of “The River Why” and “The Brothers K”.  He wrote about Brian’s book: “In its sights, setting, insinuations, flora and fauna, his tale is quintessential North Coast, but in its sensibility and lilt this story is as Irish as tin whistles — and the pairing is an unprecedented delight….I’ve read no Northwest novel remotely like it and enjoyed few novels more.”  That’s fairly high praise from Mr. Duncan, given that he is somewhat of a Pacific Northwest legend in his own right.  But, I find that I can’t disagree.  The book is all that and more.  I love everything about this book… even the cover image, which will make a lot more sense once you have read it, too.

I hope that you all get to join us for the Manzanita Writers Series… it’s going to be a really wonderful evening.  So come on out and listen to a reading by a great guy with your friends and neighbors.  And don’t forget the Open Mic night afterwards where you can listen to local folks trying out their writing before a live audience.  After all, it’s winter… what else do you have to do?

We will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, September 7th- to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary together! We will re-open on Wednesday with our regular hours. Thanks for your support!

I am a “house mouse”.  I know this about myself.  I like being inside when it is really cold, terribly rainy or ridiculously windy.  Hiking sounds like a really good idea to me.  I can’t say I’ve ever actually done it, though.  I prepare for severe weather alerts with blankets, hot chocolate, a good book and firewood (well, propane now, anyway).

Matt Love, on the other hand, walks in worlds that people like me don’t see. He goes out on the beach every day with his beloved dogs, whatever the weather, and he revels in it.  He witnesses incredible instances of “nature happening” all around the Coast, that in an average person’s rush and haste they might miss.  He hangs out in bars and overhears the most, shall we say, interesting conversations from characters that some of us might think twice about hanging out with.  And luckily for all of the “house mouses” of the world, he writes about them for the rest of us to read!

His prose is straightforward and to the point, much like I imagine Matt himself might be in his own life.  The book is made up of 46 brief stories written for an Open Mic Night in Newport at a place called Cafe’ Mundo.  They highlight Matt’s experiences during his first year living in Newport, culminating with the events that occurred when he pledged to go to every bar in town on Super Bowl Sunday.  His first year in Newport was a transitional one, having just left his decade-long position as the caretaker for the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  You can tell over the course of these writings how he comes to terms with what, for him, was a very great loss.  For the people who get to read this book it was, I believe, a very great gain.

If you have ever wondered how another person deals with grief, read this book.  If you are curious about just what goes on in Oregon bars, read this book. If you wonder just how there came to be so many homeless folks and transvestites in Newport, read this book.  (It won’t give you the answer, but it will help that curiosity along tremendously!)  If you want to know what it feels like when a coyote runs out in front of you on the beach on a still morning, read this book.  (Hint- it can heal a broken heart.)  If you want to know what Oregon Tavern Age (OTA) is… well, you get the idea.

In short, I liked this book a great deal.  My favorite parts were, of course, the bits about his dogs.  (If this in any way surprises you- well, then, you must never have met me.  My dog is just about all I talk about on any given day if given half a chance.) Reading this book makes you feel like you’ve met Matt, you know Matt and you like him.  That he’s a heckuva great guy.  It’s personal, meaningful and has something throughout it that almost anyone, excepting politicians and the media, can appreciate- truth.

I like to think that when this house mouse is old and gray, I will be sitting in my cozy cottage and reading good books while a storm blows in from the Pacific.  Even more than that, though, I like to think that Matt will be out walking on the beach with his dogs, raging against the dying of the light, noticing the things that I would never think to see and then sitting in some bar and writing all about it.  For people like me to read and enjoy.

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So, in the tradition of my previous book reviews that I did for another site, this is where I assign a rating and sum up.  As the primary reviewer for Ekahni Books, I give “Super Sunday in Newport: Notes From My First Year In Town”…

4.5 out of 5 stars

This was a great book, and I would highly recommend it to almost anyone.  The only reason it’s missing that last half of a star is that I wished it had been longer and more fleshed out in places.  I know that it was for an Open Mic Night, and there was probably a time limit to write for, but still… some of the stories leave you wanting.