We Are Not a powerful graphic novel. Written and illustrated by Josh Tuininga, We Are Not Strangers explores the relationship between Marco, a Jewish immigrant, and his friend, Sam Akiyama, a first generation Japanese American. Marco and Sam navigate the discrimination and displacement of their communities in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and during World War II while trying to look out for their families and for each other.

On my way to the station, several people complimented my shirt or my hair, others smiled as I walked past, and even more strutted by in intricate outfits, displaying various Pride flags in all manners of ways. In a sea of rainbows and smiles, I made my way home, thinking about those who had come before me, the Queer and Trans* elders I would never get to meet. What would they think of the current state of the movement? Would they think we were “loud” enough?

It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anne De Marcken is an ephemeral collection that feels more like a dream than a story. This novel is simply unforgettable, and it had me in its clutches from the moment I flipped open the first page.

On June 15, millions of Americans took part in the No Kings protest. In Seattle, around 70,000 protestors marched from Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill to Seattle Center. Whether you were among them or not, the ripples of the protest could be felt all over the city. For weeks, I have seen people with signs and heard chanting from around my block in the University District, and on my usual weekend commute, I have watched protestors stand together around Seattle Center. This is the first truly hopeful week I have had in a long time, and in the middle of Pride Month, knowing there are so many people willing to fight against this administration has been inspiring.

Have you noticed that Vampires are making a comeback? With two new iconic vampire movies to swoon over, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake (2024) and—a new personal favorite—Ryan Coogler’s Sinners (2025), there’s a growing trend towards blood sucking fiends in media (again!). And these aren’t the tame, glittery vampires from Twilight—these are the gritty, murderous creatures from our nightmares, and I love it! After watching Sinners during its box office run, I have been on a major vampire kick. So, naturally, I had to deliver a vampire novel for Parker’s Pages this month, and I found the perfect speculative fiction story for you all.

When I brought the idea of beginning a new series to my managing editor, I had the intention to create an informative column. I would look at the news and digest it as best I could, making a one-stop place for Trans News. But, as I’ve said, the news is changing rapidly, court decisions are made every day, and new propositions and bills are entering the floors of city, state, and federal chambers at breakneck speeds. There’s too much to break down and others work tirelessly to update the community on a national scale, so I’ve shifted the focus of our column to advice, local news, and uplifting stories for Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming people in the Puget Sound region.

If you’re anything like me, then you’re approaching Emerald Street knowing next to nothing about Hip Hop, but Abe has you covered. His approachable and straightforward explanations are easy to follow and even easier to enjoy. Starting us in Seattle’s Century District, we move through time and space, beginning at Seattle’s early Hip Hop days and arriving in the present where the community thrives.

Windfall takes us on an incredible journey, from Oregon to the North Dakota prairie, and from the present all the way back to the early 1900s. But even with these leaps through place and time, Bolstad keeps us rooted. She delivers both fact and imagination in her distinct journalistic style, helping us follow her line of inquiry into her family’s past.

I’m returning to my usual Parker’s Pages standard today and have an intense and thrilling novel to offer. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka had me up all day and night, gobbling pages like a Thanksgiving feast. This novel is, quite simply, brilliant, and a great weaving of mystery, crime, horror, and intense character study. There simply isn’t anything else like it.

This week we’re taking a look at a book that’s a bit out of my normal reviews here in Parker’s Pages. This one is an interactive Tarot card guide called Every Little Thing You Do is Magic by two Seattle artists, Callie Little and Moorea Seal. While doing my usual rounds of the local bookstore, I came across this guide while digging through the store’s collection of Tarot decks and just knew I had to have it.

When life gives you a book about frogs, by golly, you’ve got to jump on it.

This week I discovered Frog Day, a stupendously cute and informative book all about frogs and toads and the wonderful world they live in. From the Earth Day series of the University of Chicago Press comes a 24-hour story about 24 different frog and toad species, written by herpetologist (a biologist who studies amphibians and reptiles) Marty Crump and illustrated by local Seattle artist Tony Angell.

I desperately needed an escape this month and happily uncovered one of the most delightful fantasy novels I’ve ever read while scouring the local bookstore. The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister creates a cozy atmosphere right off the cuff, weaving lyrical writing with gloriously sensual descriptions of scents to create a reading experience that feels like no other. I have never had a novel tug at my sense of smell quite like this one; it brings to mind memories old and new, just as it does for the main character of the novel, Emmeline.

Jim Lynch is a Washington native and you can tell. This book practically reeks of the Puget Sound, of Olympia, and the clear water of the bay; you can hear, taste, and feel it on each page. This novel was written by someone who knows the Sound like an old friend, and although I’m not a natural born Seattleite, I could picture each place described in this novel with sharp clarity. Be they skittling crabs, spitting geoducks, or a squirming sea slug, this book brings the animals of the bay to life.

Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden made for a perfect evening, and I can’t recommend it enough. If you are looking for something fun and easy to get in to, this is the book for you! Whether describing a perfect Parisian dish or the green-blue water of the Sound, Linden has descriptions to die for, and a perfect grasp of pacing. And as if that wasn’t amazing enough, her characters are likable, with strong convictions that propel them forward in satisfying (and sometimes tense) ways.

This week, I wanted to focus on honoring the Native American Tribes who originally lived on and took care of the land I occupy. After spending my Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day weekend visiting the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, I knew I wanted to review a book that furthered my goal to honor and educate myself about Indigenous peoples.

Armored with little more than a trusty tote bag and too much caffeine, I entered Third Place Books on Ravenna, searching for a local author to write my first book review about. I found an armful of wonderful tomes and settled on beginning with a novel called Lake City (2019), a fascinating fiction by Thomas Kohnstamm, a born-and-raised Seattleite. 

At the checkout stand, a bookseller promised me that Lake City was a fantastic read, that Kohnstamm’s next novel would be out soon, and that Thomas was a terrific guy and regular at Third Place Books. I was so excited by the enthusiasm from the bookseller that I rushed home to read it that night.