Christine Reed presents 'Blood Sweat Tears' and 'Alone in Wonderland'

Third Place Books welcomes author and adventurer Christine Reed at our Seward Park location for a presentation of her new book Blood Sweat Tears: A Rugged Outdoorswoman Collection and Alone in Wonderland: Longing for Connection and Adventure in the Shadow of Mount Rainier.

Blood Sweat Tears is a powerful anthology of unflinching essays that shatters the taboos around the female body in the world's most extreme and male-dominated environments, while Alone in Wonderland recounts Reed's solo journey backpacking the 93-mile Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier.

This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

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Tickets:

This event is free to attend. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance.

About Blood Sweat Tears. . .

Edited by author and adventurer Christine E. Reed, Blood Sweat Tears dismantles the glossy myth of the fearless female adventurer and replaces it with something far more honest, raw, and powerful. This groundbreaking collection features a diverse group of writers revealing a truth rarely spoken aloud: adventuring in a female body is a specific, messy, and consistently undervalued act of endurance.

From high-altitude mountaineering to transcontinental running and life inside the military, these stories capture what happens when natural cycles collide with extreme environments. Organized into three evocative sections, this anthology explores the physical realities and quiet cultural blind spots women navigate in pursuit of their limits:

• BLOOD: Explores the physical and cultural realities of menstruation in the wild, featuring Bethany Adams, Maggie Seymour, Saryn Schwartz, Holly Priestly, Sarah Thomas, Cecilia Castillo Saldivar, Katie Houston, and Lauren Jones.
• SWEAT: Redefines strength and grit through the lens of thru-hiking and resilience, featuring Christine E. Reed, Liesl Magnus, Heather Anderson, Mikaela Osler, Halle Homel, Tatiana Corbitt, Alicia Gatto Peterson, Bronwyn Preece, and Meg Landymore.
• TEARS: Dives into the emotional landscapes of adventure, addressing grief and motherhood, featuring Belinda Arndt, Katie Ives, Jenn Joslin, Ankita Sharma, Callie Leisure, Rebekah Rafferty, Anne Jobe, Skye Lammers, Meaghan Martin, and Christine E. Reed.

By turns harrowing, defiant, and darkly funny, Blood Sweat Tears is a rallying cry and a validation. It honors the grit it takes not only to push the body to extremes, but to do so in a world that still undervalues what women endure.

About Alone in Wonderland. . .

A woman leaves behind the expectations of conventional life to walk solo into the wild— and discovers far more than just the miles ahead.

When Christine Reed first stumbled across a long-distance hiking blog at her office desk, she never imagined it would change her life. With little outdoor experience and no real plan, she decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. That single decision sparked a journey of thousands of miles and countless transformations.

Years later, newly single and questioning everything she thought she knew about herself and her relationships, Christine sets out to hike the 93-mile Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier. Alone. Battling rough terrain, unpredictable weather, and the emotional weight of her past, she reclaims her identity as a woman capable of doing hard things and learns that sometimes, solitude is the only place we truly hear our own voice.

Alone in Wonderland is a raw, relatable story of independence, vulnerability, and the healing power of wild places. With honesty and humour, Christine explores what it means to define yourself on your own terms and reminds us that sometimes, the person you've been looking for has been with you all along. Perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed's Wild, Carrot Quinn's Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart, and anyone who's ever wanted to pack a bag, walk into the woods, and see what happens.

Christine Reed is a long-distance backpacker, climber, and trail runner whose writing blends adventure with emotional honesty. Her outdoor journey began on a whim—and quickly became a way of life. She has since hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Colorado Trail, and the Wonderland Trail, accumulating thousands of miles on foot and countless lessons along the way. Her “Rugged Outdoors Woman” persona, once just a tongue-in-cheek hashtag, has evolved into a symbol of her commitment to living boldly and authentically. Christine’s work resonates with readers seeking stories of independence, resilience, and breaking free from expectations. When she’s not on the trail, she’s often traveling in her van, speaking at events, or working on her next book. She lives in New Mexico, USA.

About Third Place Books

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.