May 2010

  • Dispatch from Brooklyn: Metro Reading

    A while ago Shelf Talk had some posts on what people are reading on the buses in Seattle.  I’m visiting family in New York right now, riding the subway every day, and decided to check out the reading tastes of New Yorkers on the MTA.  I had to be careful that the riders wouldn’t think I was… Continue reading

  • 20,000 Magazines at Your Fingertips

    While an increasing number of magazines and newspapers have been succumbing to the economic downturn – either disappearing entirely or moving to online publication only—Google and some publishers are beginning to make the full content of magazine archives available online for free. A few of the magazines with substantial digital content and archives are Baseball Digest… Continue reading

  • Take a walk on the lighter side of religion

    Here are some unconventional books (and a movie) about religion and the kind of religious practices you might not hear about every day. The year of living biblically: one man’s humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible by A. J. Jacobs (2007). A. J. Jacobs’ quest is to follow the Bible as… Continue reading

  • Forget the Allowance

     The economy is bad and money is scarce, it’s true…but that doesn’t mean teens can’t earn money for themselves. There are jobs out there just for young adults–jobs that are tailored to suit school schedules and young adult interests, and that provide useful training and experiences. More importantly, these jobs can help young adults establish… Continue reading

  • Children’s Summer Reads: Chapter Books

    Summer is almost here, along with Summer Reading programs, days at the beach, camping, and a much deserved respite from school. Now is the time for some fun, recreational reading. These new titles are sure to put kids in a summer state of mind: Animal Rescue Team: Gator on the Loose! , by Sue Stauffacher… Continue reading

  • Nightstand Reading: Translator Bruce Fulton

    Editor’s note: Seattleites Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton will read from their translation of the work of Hwang Sunwon at the Montlake Branch on Tuesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m. We asked Bruce how he and his wife came to work translating the masters of Korean literature.  We also asked him what books (not in Korean) he… Continue reading

  • I Want to Ride My Bicycle

    When I was in college, I lived off-campus with a small army of roommates. I had a great time, and I don’t have any major complaints about my roomies. However, young people often become obsessive with music and play the same albums and songs over and over and over again. For example, I had one… Continue reading

  • What I Made: Dessert Party — even if you can barely boil water

    Seattle is home to a thriving DIY ethic and culture.  As part of an occasional series of posts, we feature hand-made items created by staff at The Seattle Public Library and the library books, CDs, and DVDs that showed them how to do it themselves. We hope you’ll draw inspiration from their creations and check… Continue reading

  • Building (and Closing) Bridges

    The South Park Bridge has had a long and glorious life.  Built in 1931, it tenderly carries over 20,000 automobiles a day over the Duwamish River to and from the Boeing area and the South Park neighborhood . The South Park Bridge is a lifeline for South Park’s main business district, consisting of vibrant, friendly restaurants… Continue reading

  • Ship Ahoy!: Sail Into the Sunset with a Picture Book

    If you have lived any length of time in Western Washington, you have probably toyed with the idea of owning a boat. Boating is in our blood around here and both children and adults dream of chugging around Elliott Bay in a tugboat, riding a ferry to the San Juan Islands, sailing on Puget Sound… Continue reading

  • A Library In Your Pocket

    The Seattle Public Library system consists of 27 buildings, including the Central Library and 26 neighborhood branches.  All together, this fair system has a total floor area of approximately 600,000 square feet, or the equivalent of 10 and a half football fields (including the end zones). The latest version of Apple’s iPhone is 4.5 inches… Continue reading

  • Check it out and then check out your power use

    Last week the The Seattle Public Library began checking out  “Kill-A-Watt” home energy monitors to Library patrons. Thanks to a partnership with Seattle City Light, you can borrow the device like any other library item. Take it home, plug it into an electrical outlet and find out how much it costs to run your toys. The… Continue reading

  • Book Review: Changes by Jim Butcher

    In Changes, the newest novel by Jim Butcher, wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden learns that he has an eight-year-old daughter who has been kidnapped by some seriously evil vampires.  In the race to save the girl, Harry faces dangerous old enemies and makes some hard decisions that will irrevocably alter his fate — and even change the… Continue reading

  • New Seattle History Guide

     Shove over, Sherlock. Seattle history detectives have a powerful new tool to help them deduce the details of Seattle’s past. You should have been so lucky! Due to the efforts of nearby historians, Lorraine McConahy and Helen Divjak, the legendary voice of Paul Dorpat and friends and Greg Lange at the Puget Sound Regional Archives  among others, we’ve had powerful allies for delving into Seattle history.… Continue reading

  • Can You Feel the Beat? Picture Books that Boogie!

    There are some books that just compel you tap your toes and snap your fingers. The rhythm of the words inspires you to get up and move, join in the story action, and fall into the musical beat of the rhyme. Pair that magic with dynamic illustrations and you are sure to have a book… Continue reading

  • Bicycle Obsessions

    As a bicycle commuter along the Burke-Gilman trail here in Seattle, I am not that upset when it rains. Hail, ice and snow, of course, are another matter. Rain seems to thin out the casual walkers and riders. And so beginning this Bike to Work Month with several days of rain has not been that… Continue reading

  • Celebrate Mother’s Day

    Why not celebrate Mother’s Day with some books? Here are a few picture books celebrating mothers: Olympia papercut artist Nikki McClure just released a picture book called Mama, Is It Summer Yet? In her beautfully simplistic papercut style, each page depicts a mother and son as they have a conversation about looking in nature for signs… Continue reading

  • Follow the leader – retracing other folks journeys

    It’s hard to imagine how the original explorers got the nerve to do what they did and go where they went. Would you be brave enough to cast off into the great unknown, most likely in search of a dream? Check out these books by people who re-created the voyages of some pioneers, in the… Continue reading