November 2019

  • Indigenous Wisdom

    November is Native American Heritage Month and in exploring our American story in the Pacific Northwest I asked myself what relationship I’ve had with Indigenous peoples in my own region. At a young age I knew of the Duwamish tribe because of my grandmother’s relationship with Cecile Hansen. “For over 30 years, Cecile Hansen has… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for November

    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 November: The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones. In a dystopian world those seeking adventure and a chance to see nature pay a high price tag to explore outside the salt… Continue reading

  • Millennial Thanksgiving

    Thanksgiving in my family has always been big and loud and so much leftovers you’d eat for weeks afterwards. But as families move farther away whether they are retiring or falling in love or discovering a new career…or as the case with a lot of my cousins and I moving farther out so we can… Continue reading

  • Thrilling Tales for the Holidays

    Now that Hallowe’en is past, we approach the holidays with visions of murder dancing in our heads. We’re talking about the next few months of Thrilling Tales – Seattle Public Library’s popular Story time for Grownups, of course! It all starts this Sunday: November 17, 7 p.m. with a Storytime for Grownups at Third Place… Continue reading

  • Three books about military service in honor of Veterans Day

    Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who are serving or have served in the armed forces. To mark the day, consider reading one of these novels or short story collections that portray military experiences during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bring Out the Dog by Will… Continue reading

  • Be the Change: Race and Social Justice

    Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin Recently on a streaming service, I watched a documentary on White Privilege.  At the beginning of the documentary, which was hosted by a white women, there was a room full of people of color and… Continue reading

  • Conversation Hearts: An Inclusive Love Fest for Romance Readers and Writers

    Romance readers and writers are passionate people. They are passionate about the power of love to transform people’s lives and to transform the world. They are passionate about an HEA (Happily-Ever-After) or a HFN (Happy-for-Now). And it’s safe to say they are tired of hearing ill-informed and dismissive opinions about the genre they love. If… Continue reading

  • Arthur C. Pillsbury Photograph Collection

    Interested in seeing panoramic photos of Seattle and Alaska at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush? We recently digitized 197 photographs taken by Arthur C. Pillsbury between approximately 1896 and 1900, documenting the Gold Rush and scenes from California, Oregon and Washington. The collection includes a mixture of photograph sizes, many of them panoramic… Continue reading

  • New fiction roundup, November 2019

    No matter what you read – romance, fantasy, historical fiction, prize-winning fiction – November has a new release for you. 11/5: The Book of Lost Saints by Daniel José Older – In this multigenerational Cuban-American family story of revolution, loss, and family bonds, the spirit of a woman who disappeared during the Cuban Revolution visits… Continue reading