I am honored to learn that the Washington State Library’s Center for the Book has selected my book Biking Uphill in the Rain: The Story of Seattle from behind the Handlebars as a finalist for the 2024 Washington State Book Awards. It’s one of six books in consideration for the general nonfiction award.

“The Washington State Book Awards honor works of outstanding literary merit by Washington authors,” according to the library. The Washington Center for the Book is an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. “The award is given based on the strength of the publication’s literary merit, lasting importance and overall quality.” The judges evaluated 292 books in seven categories that were written by Washington writers and published in 2023. The category winners will be announced September 24.

It’s humbling to be on a list with so many talented writers. If you’re looking for fall book recommendations, this is a fantastic list. If you buy a copy of Biking Uphill in the Rain from the Seattle Bike Blog shop, I’ll sign it and throw in a free sticker.

Thanks to all the judges and everyone who has supported this book and suggested it to your friends. I’m quite proud of it, and seeing it on this list of finalists is challenging my imposter syndrome. It sometimes feels like I wrote it in another lifetime. When I re-read sections to get ready for a talk, it sometimes even feels like reading something that somebody else wrote. This happens to me sometimes when I’m researching something for a blog post only to discover my own work from a decade ago. It’s a strange feeling. Writing is an act of creating artifacts.