August 2019

  • Ale Yeah!

    My dad’s favorite beer was Schmidt – during football games or working in the garage, that was his go-to drink of choice. Occasionally he might add some tomato juice, but more often than not it was just that simple can with a fish on the label. Camping in my twenties I often grabbed a pack… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for August

    Commuting to Seattle by bus five days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Here’s what I read on the bus in August: Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. I’m glad I gave myself a bit of time before I read this book. To Kill a Mockingbird was one of those books… Continue reading

  • DIY Different

    While gardening, cooking, and home improvement are what most people think of as do-it-yourself, or DIY, in a more general sense anything that you can pay someone else to do or buy ready-made, but do yourself, is do-it-yourself. Let’s DIY Different! Whether you’re an incessant reader, enjoy binge-watching television shows, or love a long videogame… Continue reading

  • Defective Detective Departments

    What happens when cranky, poorly motivated or seemingly-incompetent individuals are all sidelined together into a single work unit? They end up solving the mysteries that no one else could, of course. Or, at least, in fiction they do. These books are all the first in series that find professional pariahs taking care of business. The… Continue reading

  • Toni Morrison and the Library

    From a small town girl to a big city woman, Toni Morrison had a deep, enduring connection to libraries. As a teenager, after school, she did housework for a white family. Complaining about the treatment she received, her sister helped her get a job shelving books at the Lorain Public Library. This experience was the… Continue reading

  • Thanks Obama: Summer Edition

    We have just a little over a month before we say good bye to summer and hello to fall, which gives you plenty of time to read some of former president Barack Obama’s summer reading favorites! Toni Morrison’s collected works, including Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, and Beloved – a longtime popular author even… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2019: By an author from Mexico or Canada

    If you’re still working away on your Adult Summer Book Bingo, we’re back with some suggestions for authors from Mexico and Canada to check out. I’ve focused on writers with a new book out in the past few years, but try our longer list in the catalog for even more suggestions including some classic authors… Continue reading

  • New Music Mixtape

    This year is giving me life when it comes to new albums coming my way by some old favorites and new loves. Brooks and Dunn from my childhood; the Hotel Cafe alumni, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles, who were the soundtrack of my twenties; and the band Joseph is a gem my husband shared with… Continue reading

  • Three Views of Seattle

    Seeing your city through different eyes can be revelatory, bringing to the fore details you may not have noticed. Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, just moved in, or are somewhere in between, pick up one of these books for a new lens on Seattle. Seattle Walk Report Exploring 23 Seattle neighborhoods, Seattle Walk… Continue reading

  • Bestselling Fiction in the Pacific Northwest

    Comparing what’s popular and in-demand in the Northwest with national bestsellers can be an interesting look into local readers’ preferences. Each week, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association shares the bestselling titles from independent bookstores in our area. Compare that list with the national bestseller lists from New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA Today and… Continue reading

  • Get Out of the Lake!

    The lake is where you want to be on a beautiful August day, unless you’re a character in a mystery novel. I’m here to tell you that, in my experience as an avid mystery reader, an idyllic remote lake can often double as the scene of a crime. Which is why these mysteries are wonderful… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, August 2019

    A book told from the point of view of a Seattle crow, two novels about surveillance states, several short story collections and much more await you this August. 8/1: They Could Have Named Her Anything by Stephanie Jimenez – Racism, class, and betrayal collide in this poignant debut novel about restoring the broken bonds of… Continue reading