March 2014

  • Movie Mondays: Top 10 hoopla Movies (according to me)

      Posted by Frank hoopla, one of the Seattle Public Library’s streaming video services, has doubled its collection of videos since my last blog post. Here, in no particular order, are my current top 10 favorite movies that you can stream, right now, for free. Big Night (1996). Two brothers (Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci) try to… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: NW SF & Fantasy Writers Part 3: More Influential Writers

    Just like last time, here are more influential Northwest science fiction and fantasy writers who have set and raised the bar for other writers to follow. Continue reading

  • Edible Garden series: Confessions of a compost queen

    Not only will red worms eat your garbage, but these girls/guys may take a bigger place in your life than you imagine. You’ll find yourself, even if you’re the prudish sort, gleefully discussing their male/femaleness and digging through your worm bin show off their eggs at when you have parties. You’ll make proclamations like, “Earthworms are… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Your Next Five Historical Romances

    If you’re eagerly awaiting new titles from Eloisa James, Jo Beverley, Victoria Alexander and other prominent historical romance authors, here are five more books worth exploring. The Dark Lady by Máire Claremont Surprisingly gripping and shadowy, Claremont’s detailed, character-rich novel is set in Victorian England. If you enjoy it, be sure to pick up Lady in Red and… Continue reading

  • Just because Women’s History Month is over….

    …doesn’t mean that you can’t go on reading about the heroines of our past!  I read a lot of non-fiction, and I can testify that it isn’t necessarily turgid and boring.  Many biographies and histories center around a gripping story and read like fiction, and there are also the joys of well-written and humorous prose. … Continue reading

  • Women in History: Fiction

    Women’s History Month is almost over, but it’s never too late to read novels about times past and women who made history. The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott After trading the harsh life of farming for a textile factory job in Lowell, Massachusetts, Alice Barrow inadvertently moves into a role as spokesperson for… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Modern Day Black-and-White

                 The overwhelming majority of films since the 1970s have been filmed in color. The few black-and-white films since then – The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon and Young Frankenstein in the ’70s, The Elephant Man, Raging Bull and Zelig in the ’80s, Schindler’s List, Ed Wood and Clerks in the ’90s, and Good Night, and Good Luck, Sin City and Persepolis in the ’00s – represent some of… Continue reading

  • Where East Meets West

    For hundreds of years, Turkey has been a crossroads between European and Asian culture, politics, business and art. Turkey’s influence has also been wide-ranging– the Hungarian fondness for paprika is a remnant of the time that Hungary was part of the Ottoman Empire, and the pungent spice was brought to its citizens from the motherland.… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: NW SF & Fantasy Authors Part 2: Influential Writers

    The Northwest boasts a stunning array of influential writers–those names that are invoked again and again as inspirations in new writers’ work, those that blazed trails that others have look at in awe and tried to follow. Here are just a few of the authors the Northwest can claim as stellar examples in the firmament.… Continue reading

  • Edible Garden Series: Coming soon to a library near you!

    The days are getting longer, choosing shoes in the morning is a low-stakes version of Russian roulette/exercise in futility (rain boots or strappy sandals?), the scent of cherry blossoms is in the air, and the first Pacific Northwest Halibut has shown up at Pike Place Market– all signs point to spring!  And what is spring… Continue reading

  • Sing it! Musicals at the Central Library

    Listen up, Aca-people! The Teen Center presents: Pitch Perfect: the beloved A Capella cult film in our Acatorium on March 28 at 4:00. If you love A Capella (and who doesn’t love A Capella?) this is the movie for you! There will be snacks, and Aca-singing along is encouraged.   Come back to the Microsoft… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: DVDs Delving Deeper – Orson Welles

    In certain circles the received wisdom is that Orson Welles, a theatrical prodigy who rose to fame through live drama and radio, made one cinematic masterpiece, Citizen Kane, and then floundered for the rest of his career, squandering his talent by appearing in wine cooler commercials and Transformers movies. However, even the briefest exploration into… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s ‘The Suit’

    We are excited about the opening of Seattle Repertory Theatre‘s production of The Suit, next Wednesday, March 19! Legendary director Peter Brook (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 2001) brings to the stage a parable about forgiveness set in apartheid South Africa. Combining a rich musical score with a remarkably simple staging The Suit follows a cuckolded… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: NW SF & Fantasy Authors Part 1: Rising Stars

    The Northwest doesn’t just have the best coffee and the greenest trees, we also seem to be a breeding ground for science fiction and fantasy authors. In addition to our plethora of local litfic and narrative nonfiction authors, genre authors are here in great numbers. This is bound to be the beginning of a long… Continue reading

  • Care For A Show?

    I just recently went for the second time to see the Can-Can Castaways in Pike Place Market. Not only are their performances amazing…and their costumes, but the venue makes you feel as if you are stepping into a roaring 20’s speakeasy. Their current show CHICHI is a play on that very era of fringe dresses and… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Werewolf? There, wolf

    This post was inspired by that classic line from Young Frankenstein, you know, the one where Frederick questions Igor, “Werewolf?” and Igor responds, “There, wolf.” In paranormal romance if there isn’t a vampire, there’s a wolf. I meant werewolf. Sometimes there are both vampires and werewolves. Sometimes there are werelions and weretigers and werebears (oh… Continue reading

  • Three for Free – “Cold” Cuts

    As the long, cold, winter rolls along and the weather in the PNW continues to set record lows for high temperature numbers, get warm by moving your body to these “cold” cuts, songs utilizing the word “cold” that are available for free download using Freegal. Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Free Screenings of Award-nominated Films

    Now that the 2013/2014 award season has wrapped up, it’s time to catch up on all of the winning and nominated films! To alleviate the long hold lists for several of these titles, the Northgate Branch is showing some of this year’s notable and popular films on Sundays through May. Each free film screening starts… Continue reading