December 2019

  • Their Books Live On: Authors In Memoriam 2019, Part 2

    Their Books Live On: Authors In Memoriam 2019, Part 2

    Our second post (see part one here) looking back at the authors we lost in 2019, with suggested titles from our catalog. Charles McCarry. This great spy novelist is often praised as the American John Le Carre. Check out his classic rendition of the JFK assassination, The Tears of Autumn. Vonda McIntyre. An American science fiction writer… Continue reading

  • Their Books Live On: Authors In Memoriam 2019, part 1

    Their Books Live On: Authors In Memoriam 2019, part 1

    As 2019 draws to a close, we pause to remember authors (listed alphabetically) who died over the past year, with suggested reading from the library. Our list concludes tomorrow. Andrea Camilleri. The Sicilian author’s mystery series featuring loveably gruff Inspector Montalbano begins with The Shape of Water. Da Chen. His memoirs and historical fiction include… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for December

    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 December: Vox by Christina Dalcher. A read-alike for A Handmaids Tale, women of America can no longer hold jobs and are limited to 100 words a day. They are forced to… Continue reading

  • The Yule Log Times Three!

    Each of us has a picture that pops into our minds whenever we hear about the yule log. Whether it’s a log on the fire during Winter Solstice, a decadent dessert, or a cozy mystery. Here are a few items in our collection to celebrate the yule log in its many forms! For apartment dwellers… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction for the Movie Based Fan!

    I love science fiction – but realized recently that the genre is really different to read than it is to watch. I have two dozen favorite TV shows and movies that are all science fiction, but really struggle to find the same styles and pacing in books. However, I have recently come across some titles… Continue reading

  • Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Food in Fiction

    With holidays in full swing you might find yourself in need of a little break from the table. Here are a few novels that celebrate food in fiction. How it brings us together, pushes us apart, or leads us on an adventure to sights, sounds, and smells we never knew before. Continue reading

  • Who needs Disney+ when you have the library?

    Sure Disney+ has new TV shows and movies to watch, but the library has the classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and lot of other great Disney resources too! Whether you want to start at the beginning and learn about the man who dreamed up Disney with the book Walt Disney: The Triumph… Continue reading

  • Holiday Shopping Guide from Reader Services

    Happy Holidays! Here are some of our 2019 favorites for the readers on your shopping list this year: Edge of Your Seat • The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets • The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda • American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson • Freefall by Jessica Barry • No Exit… Continue reading

  • (NOT) The Ten Best Books of 2019

    That time of year has rolled around again when all the “Best Of” lists begin to appear, those tempting listicles claiming to reveal the best books of the year, decade, and century. We all click on them: they’re irresistible. I’m kind of over these “best of” lists. The premise that something so magnificently multivariate as… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup – December 2019

    Is the end of the year going by at light-speed for anyone else? It’s passing so quickly for me that I’m a week late in suggesting new fiction to check out this December. 12/3: Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer – In a City with no name, in the shadow of the all-powerful Company, lives converge… Continue reading

  • Upcoming Author Events for December

    Laureen Nussbaum, Terry Tempest, Local broadcaster and historian Feliks Banel, and two open mic readings at Ballard and Columbia branches are in store this month. The free programs listed below are held at a variety of locations in December; please check our online Author and Books Events calendar for complete details on these featured December… Continue reading

  • Audiobooks Voiced by Your Favorite Seattle Actors

    It has probably happened to you. You suddenly sense that the performer you’re enjoying live on stage sounds hauntingly familiar. What you may not have realized is that theirs was the voice reading into your airpods on that morning’s commute. Here’s just a small sampling of local talent on audio. One of Those Malibu Nights,… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – December 2019

    The diet starts today! Get a head start on your New Year’s resolution or take it easy this holiday season these books, starting with Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones Kitchen featuring 100 recipes from the healthiest places in the world; it’s also a Peak Pick! Reclaim your health with Molly Carmel’s Breaking Up with Sugar or embark… Continue reading