March 2012

  • My Favorite Women Writers and Artists

     Advance Weekend Edition for Sunday, April 1, 2012 I’m always amazed at how an artist’s personality and distinctive voice come through in their work, especially with some of my favorite women authors. Case in point: Joyce Kilmer. She’s most famous for her beautiful poem “Trees,” which has also been set to music by Oscar Rasbach.… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: Rediscovery of a man

    Cordwainer Smith is one of those science fiction writers whose name is uttered with reverence, though he isn’t very well-known to the casual genre reader. Though he only completed one novel during his brief writing career, Smith’s creations all share an internal history and universe called The Instrumentality of Man. It’s a far-future vision, 14,000… Continue reading

  • Hot Topic: Bullying

    There has been a lot of buzz in the media about the Motion Picture Association’s decision to give the new documentary, “Bully,” an R-rating, preventing teens from seeing the film. Many filmmakers, parents, and even politicians have been challenging the rating decision, lobbying to make “Bully” PG-13 and therefore available to a wider audience. The Weinstein… Continue reading

  • Your Next 5 Books: Adventure Writing

    In this column we regularly highlight a Your Next 5 Books submission that we find interesting, funny, unique, or useful to other readers. Submit Your Next 5 Books entry now, or stop by and see us in person, and maybe you could see your (anonymous) reading habits on Shelf Talk! Continue reading

  • What do we do after the world ends: Fight (Part 1)

    The post-apocalyptic young adult novel is a genre that has been around for years, but seems to be holding steady and even picking up in frequency. I find them fascinating. Why? Because this is one of the new frontiers in speculative fiction – an acceptance that the world is likely to change radically in our… Continue reading

  • The ultimate Hunger Games read-alike list

    This is a short public service announcement: There is life after The Hunger Games. There are more books out there for you! Start with our Ultimate Hunger Games read-alike list, with 24 suggestions for those of us looking for unlikely heroes starring in fast-paced dystopian adventures.  You’ll find titles in e-book version on this list. And we… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: Cover to Cover

    I’m convinced that the biggest barrier between science fiction and fantasy readers and mainstream readers is the stigma of reading genre fiction. Sadly, some people would be too embarrassed to be seen reading a book with a cover like this on the bus: Even though it’s a wonderful book that would delight readers across the board,… Continue reading

  • Crime: Four Felonious Frasers.

    In publishing it has always been called the “mid-list” – that amorphous body of works that don’t get the attention of heavily promoted bestsellers. It is the vast majority of what gets published, and in the mystery section of any good bookstore or library, it is the source of untold riches. Working my way through my alphabet of… Continue reading

  • Animals are only human, too—

    What in the world are they thinking? Have you ever come home to find your pet waiting for you behind the door? Ever looked into their eyes and wondered what’s going on in there, or felt the connection of thought and emotion? Have you observed animals’ interactions amongst themselves that remind you of ourselves? If… Continue reading

  • Your Next 5 Books: Characters in the Modern World

    In this column we regularly highlight a Your Next 5 Books submission that we find interesting, funny, unique, or useful to other readers. Submit Your Next 5 Books entry now, or stop by and see us in person, and maybe you could see your (anonymous) reading habits on Shelf Talk! Continue reading

  • What was on the Tube in 1962

    On the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair, we look back at that year’s popular books, music, movies and TV shows. This week, what was on TV in 1962. Television looked different in 1962. Nine out of ten American households had TV sets, but they were almost all black & white; Zenith produced its… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: The cure to your ‘John Carter’ blues

    So while I haven’t seen it yet, I’ve heard the new movie John Carter, based on the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, fails to live up to the high standards of the early science fiction books. While it certainly isn’t surprising, it never ceases to be disappointing when Hollywood manages to bleed out the most charming, interesting… Continue reading

  • Inspired by Darcy: Characterizations of Jane Austen’s proudest hero

    Have you noticed how many novels are based on or inspired by classics, especially novels by Jane Austen? First there are the retellings of stories, like Emma and the Vampires, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, or Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, in which an author takes the original classic and adds exciting paranormal characters.… Continue reading

  • Your Next 5 Books: A column of our favorite reader’s advisory questions

    In this column we regularly highlight a Your Next 5 Books submission that we find interesting, funny, unique, or useful to other readers. Submit Your Next 5 Books entry now, or stop by and see us in person, and maybe you could see your (anonymous) reading habits on Shelf Talk! Continue reading

  • Jon Agee: Deadpan humor for all ages

    As any parent knows, children’s books aren’t just for children. There are some books that grow more tedious with every reread, and there are others that continue to delight and surprise both parent and child. Jon Agee is one of those children’s authors and illustrators that has a dry, caustic wit running through every book… Continue reading

  • What we were watching in 1962

    On the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair, we look back at that year’s popular books, music, movies and TV shows. This week’s list in our catalog: what we were watching in 1962. Lawrence of Arabia was the top-grossing film that year (winning seven Oscars), with the star-studded D-Day epic The Longest Day hot on… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: The Wonderful Worlds of Walton

    Jo Walton is simply a joy to read. Whether it’s her fiction or her reviews, musings and recaps over at the Tor blog. If you ever want a list of great science fiction to read, I highly recommend reading the older blog entries of her rereads of the Hugo winners. What’s so beguiling about Walton… Continue reading

  • Crime: E is for Evanovich? Prolific lady sleuths.

    “You know what I really love a book to have?” she asked me. “No, what?” “About 20 sequels!!” We were counting through Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, but she’d already read all 18, and was getting desperate. In fact, she’d also been through our If You Like Janet Evanovich list, and looked through a few other library’s lists as well.… Continue reading