December 2016

  • Seattle Rep’s WOODY SEZ: Beyond the Theatre

    Seattle Repertory Theatre presents WOODY SEZ by David M. Lutken from January 6 to 29, 2017. Librarians at The Seattle Public Library created this list of books, CDs and DVDs to enhance your experience of the show: Seattle Rep’s WOODY SEZ: Beyond the Theatre Playwright and musician David Lutken brings a folk legend to life… Continue reading

  • Those We Lost in 2016

    Continue reading

  • Best of the Best of lists

    Year-end lists can be the best, giving you ideas to round out your 2016 reading year and take into 2017. Here are some lists created by librarians – from the expected, such as best novels and top ten picture books; to the unusual, such as the best books with red covers. We’ve also added some… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for December

    The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry. A librarian finds a man asleep in the basement near the section she is in charge of. Before the door opens to the public she decides to take that time to tell him her life of working at the library, along with the history of libraries, its… Continue reading

  • Morrissey and Marr

    If you are a fan of The Smiths, the Manchester, England band together from 1982-1987, known for the indie hits such as “How Soon is Now?” and “This Charming Man,” then you took notice when Morrissey’s Autobiography came out in 2013 (as a Penguin Classic, an auspicious honor). Morrissey has long been an enigmatic yet mysterious musician.… Continue reading

  • Musicians We Lost in 2016

    2016 was a brutal year for musicians and their fans. Things started out badly with David Bowie leaving us in January, then got worse when Prince suddenly died in April, and became seriously heartbreaking with Sharon Jones’ untimely death in November. There’s still 5 days left in 2016, and I’m a little terrified that we… Continue reading

  • hoopla for the holidays

    The holidays are upon us, and for many of us that means non-stop activity with family and friends. If you need to take a break and carve out some time for yourself, grab your smartphone or laptop and go right to hoopla and stream a movie, anytime! Here are ten recent additions to consider. Beetlejuice… Continue reading

  • Dark Days? Get Happy with Hygge!

    When we think of untranslatable words – words from another language that do not have an exact match in English – the first one we’re likely to think of is schadenfreude, which is German for taking pleasure in another’s misfortune. With the holidays upon us, along with short days and long cold nights, let’s learn about another… Continue reading

  • Home for the Holidays

    Have you ever wanted to explore the history behind some of Seattle’s unique bungalow homes? This month we launched a new digital collection featuring the iconic Bungalow Magazine that lets you do just that. Bungalow Magazine was published in Seattle between 1912 and 1918 and features homes constructed in the Puget Sound region and other… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Nonfiction by Washington authors

    Keep it local this season by reading (and giving) books by Washington state authors. Here’s a selection of  local authors’ nonfiction titles — a biography of the Romanov family confidante (Rasputin),  a look at some pivotal  feminists (Dead Feminists), an animal history of Seattle (The City Is More Than Human), a look at what went… Continue reading

  • The 2016 Elections: Library Resources

    The mission of The Seattle Public Library is to bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We value equality, inclusion and openness and strive to be welcoming safe spaces. No matter what the current events are locally and beyond, the Library provides a collection of materials to patrons of all ages,… Continue reading

  • Notable Comics of 2016

    There were a lot of great comics published in 2016. Here are a few of my favorites from this year: March: Book Three by John Lewis The National Book Award winning conclusion to Congressman John Lewis’ comics memoir (created with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell) is a visceral, unsentimental portrayal of the civil rights movement… Continue reading

  • “This Will Not End Well:” The Appeal of Tragic Fiction

    I often get asked “Why do you always read such depressing books?” My answer, succinctly, is that I don’t find “depressing” books, well, depressing. I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to favor fiction with content that others may deem dark or upsetting, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading.  In fact,… Continue reading

  • Our Top 10 Novels of 2016

    … according to Seattle Public Library’s Reader Services department. As Reader Services librarians, we spend our days at the Central Library talking to people about books and suggesting reading we think they might enjoy next. Of course, we’re readers too. With the end of the year approaching we sat down and collaborated on a list… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s VIETGONE: Beyond the Theatre

    Seattle Repertory Theatre presents VIETGONE by Qui Nguyen from December 2, 2016 to January 1, 2017. Librarians at Seattle Public Library created this list of books, CDs and films to enhance your experience of the show: Seattle Rep’s VIETGONE: Beyond the Theatre. A raucous rock-and-roll road trip across America in 1975 taken by two Vietnamese teens forms… Continue reading

  • Food Trends for 2017

    According to this article from Forbes,  there are five important food trends to be on the lookout for next year. But don’t fear – The Seattle Public Library is on top of it. Stay a step ahead of everyone with these cookbooks! Continue reading

  • A Day to Remember Infamy

    Seventy-five years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces resulting in the deaths of over 2,500 soldiers and civilians and the destruction of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Within hours, the Japanese empire had also launched attacks upon Guam, Wake Island, Malaya, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines, engaging the United States and its allies in a global conflict which would cost many millions… Continue reading

  • Intriguing African Fiction, 2016

    Sitting down to write about international fiction can be overwhelming simply because there is so much good stuff available, and any entry will inevitably leave so much out. Consider this a glimpse of interesting novels coming from outside our borders – in this case, coming from authors in countries throughout Africa. Nigeria’s literary scene is… Continue reading