What better tool is thereto learn more about Hispanic American life and history than a book? Here is a list of fiction by Hispanic American authors and nonfiction on Hispanic American history to help you commemorate the contributions and experiences of Hispanic Americans through Oct. 15 and beyond.

Spokane Arts announced the recipients of its 2021 Arts Awards on Saturday during a small, private celebration for the nominees, as the full event was canceled amid increased public health issues related to the COVID-19 delta variant.

Saadia Faruqi was in college when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks happened in 2001. Faruqi experienced the aftermath of the attacks differently than many other people in the United States. She is Muslim. The hijackers who flew airplanes also were Muslim.

Jess Walter's novel "The Cold Millions," a nuanced, immersive work of historical fiction centered on two brothers and the labor movement in Spokane in the early 20th century, has won the Washington State Book Award for Fiction.

Starting a new school year can be overwhelming. So many things are new, from friends to teachers, subjects and schedules. If your child is feeling a bit stressed or unsure about the new school year, here are a few books that might help put some of their worries at ease.

Sara Pennypacker has brought readers a sequel to her New York Times bestseller, “Pax.” Published in 2016, “Pax” is about a fox and his boy separated by war and desperate to reunite. Finally at the end of the book, they do find each other.

We hadn’t yet left the house when the first harbinger hit. It was late May and almost two years since Wife No. 5’s departure (my mother was No. 1 and would have left my father like the other four if she hadn't had a stroke first).

Sara Pennypacker often kept to herself as a child in school, the kid who opted to read quietly and kept a bright blue notebook with her so she could craft written stories. Once for a class assignment, she submitted one of those stories to her teacher.

Featuring a “welcome poem” from Poet Laureate Rena Priest, the livestream will showcase “the Humanities Washington programs that bring our state together,” and Charles Johnson, Tiffany Midge and Jess Walter will read aloud original works at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8.

After three years on the island, I stepped off the ferry, back onto the mainland and was greeted by the cruel sound of children eating ice cream. There had been no such treats on the island. No children. I would see my own son tonight at 8 o’clock, but would I recognize him?

Since these unprecedented times aren’t going anywhere fast, it’s still a great time for some escapist fiction. It may be an even better time for these stories now as the Inland Northwest has seen some cooler, breezier days offering the first hints of fall.

The disclaimer comes late in “Embassy Wife,” Katie Crouch’s antic new novel: “Amanda sipped her champagne obediently and thought about how you could love a place deeply without understanding it at all.”

In January, I lost my motivation. That didn’t seem so weird. It always happens in January. First, I make the resolution, then I lose the motivation. It’s an annual thing, like those swallows at Capistrano or how everyone is suddenly Irish in March.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Spokane Is Reading has announced its “Writers Recommend Booklist” for 2021. Curated by a group of past Spokane Is Reading authors, the list features books that have brought them “hope, joy or laughter during the last year.”

Need a break from reality? You’re not alone. Here is some escapist reading full of imagination and fantasy that will easily transport you from this world to another. “Stranger In A Strange Land,” by Robert A. Heinlein (1961) – We can imagine what it would be like to travel to another planet, but ...

He’d bought the microwave two months ago, after Julie moved out. She took their microwave. And their cat. Those were the two things they’d bought together as a couple: a microwave and a cat. In retrospect an ominous pairing. She left her four yoga balls and a blanket. 

Aiming to give Washington’s humanities sector a leg up after the pandemic, Humanities Washington has begun offering grants to nonprofit cultural organizations negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

During the pandemic, I managed to make up for the loss of a fair amount of social interaction by listening to an ever-lengthening list of podcasts, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. Here are seven podcasts if you’re looking to add to your own list.

In "One Small Hop" by Madelyn Rosenberg, for ages 8 to 12, Ahab and his friends trace a mysterious sound to its source: a bullfrog. The frog is calling for a mate, and the kids are determined to help it. But that's a tough mission.