Local offerings

New books with local ties

"Natural Skagit: A Journey from Mountains to Sea," edited by Patricia Chambers and Molly Doran (Skagit Land Trust, $29.95, www.skagitlandtrust.org). Photo essays about Skagit County, from its islands in the west to its mountains in the east. Writers Doran, Tom Robbins, Craig Romano, Libby Mills, Howard Armstrong, Carl Molesworth, Jan Hersey and Seattle Times writer Bill Dietrich contribute, along with almost 70 local photographers.

"Creative Capitalism: A Conversation with Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Other Economic Leaders," edited by Michael Kinsley with Conor Clarke (Simon & Schuster, $26). Seattle writer-editor Kinsley talks with Gates, Buffett, Milton Friedman, Robert Reich and 35 other economists on topics that range from taxes and profit to charity and the poor. (Most provocative essay title: Richard Posner's "Altruists Are like Sadomasochists").

"The Woman and the War Baby," by Bill Ransom (Blue Begonia, $20). Poems and stories by the academic dean of curriculum at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, drawing inspiration from family memories, local landmarks and Ransom's experiences volunteering with humanitarian groups in Central America.

"Undercover," by Lauren Dane (Berkley, $14). Futuristic erotic romance with a military angle, by a Tacoma-area author.

"Northwest Wreck Dives," by Scott Boyd and Jeff Carr (Emerald Sea Scuba, $24.95, www.northwestwreckdives.com). A guide to more than 80 maritime wrecks, from clipper ships to tramp steamers, in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

"Seduce Me at Sunrise," by Lisa Kleypas (St. Martin's, $7.99). A new historical romance set in 19th-century England about "forbidden love and long-denied desire." Kleypas lives in Bellingham.

"Monsters on Machines," by Deb Lund, illustrated by Robert Neubecker (Harcourt, $16). A Whidbey Island author's rhyming picturebook for children ages 4-8, about some jolly monsters doing their thing on tractors, backhoes, bulldozers and other construction vehicles.

Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times book critic