July 2022

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – August 2022

    Ease into August with the month’s best nonfiction. And don’t forget to check out the month’s Peak Picks! Biography and Memoir.The ever prolific James Patterson tells “the most heartbreaking story of our time” in Diana, William and Harry on the 25th anniversary of Princess Di’s death, while biographer David Maraniss covers the complicated life of… Continue reading

  • Recent and upcoming Book-to-Screen Adaptations

    Recent and upcoming Book-to-Screen Adaptations

    It’s easy to wonder sometimes if there are any new ideas in Hollywood, as so many movies and TV series are adapted from books, plays, comics, etc. But the best adaptations make the original content feel fresh and new, drawing audiences back to the source material. Continuing our tradition of books-to-screen posts, here are some… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks for August 2022

    Nine new titles are joining Peak Picks in August! Fiction features three highly anticipated new titles by bestselling authors: Taylor Jenkins Reid (Malibu Rising) returns with the story of a retired tennis pro who returns to the court after watching her records shattered by a rising new star in Carrie Soto Is Back; Mohsin Hamid… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: A book about books

    This summer, slow-down from the modern virtual world of the internet and open up the older virtual world of the book. Contemplate this way we humans choose to share and expand those worlds of our joint imaginations, oh and complete your “Book about Books” #BookBingoNW2022 square at the same time! As the saying goes –… Continue reading

  • Escape the Heat at The Seattle Public Library

    With temperatures rising again, Seattle residents without access to air conditioning will look for public spaces to cool down, including at The Seattle Public Library. The Central Library and 17 of our neighborhood branches have air conditioning, and everyone is welcome to come in, cool down and stay hydrated during open hours. (In addition to… Continue reading

  • In Their Own Words: Densho and Japanese Americans making oral history

    In Their Own Words: Densho and Japanese Americans making oral history

    Join us on Saturday, July 23, at 1 p.m. for a conversation with Densho’s executive director Tom Ikeda, Michael Shiosaki of Seattle Parks and Recreation, and author Daniel James Brown about writing Facing the Mountain and the importance of oral histories in revealing a legacy of resilience and courage. The event will include a book… Continue reading

  • The Central Library’s Iconic Red Floor Reopens To The Public

    The Central Library’s iconic Level 4 – the “Red Floor” – has reopened to the public for the first time in over two years. With its walls, ceiling, floors and stairs completely covered in 13 shades of red, Level 4 is a favorite of patrons and staff alike, and one of the most celebrated and… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Hobby or skill

    It’s summertime in Seattle! Whether you plan to take your Subaru and hit the trail, set up a hammock by the ship canal, or you’d rather crank your window unit and relax inside with your fur babies, there’s an unending variety of new hobbies or skills you can try out or just read about, from… Continue reading

  • New Additions to our Northwest Photograph Collection

    We’ve just wrapped up the addition of more than 800 historic images to our Northwest Photograph Collection thanks to grant funding from Washington State Library and Institute of Museum and Library Services. The collection now includes over 1300 photographs from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. The newly added photos include views of : The… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Banned or challenged book

    Reading the news lately, it feels like there has been an increase in the challenging and banning of books, particularly around discussions of Critical Race Theory and LGBTQ representation. If you’re looking to fill your “Banned or challenged book” Book Bingo square, consider one of these titles: In China, Unfree Speech:  The Threat to Global… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: The Romance of the Bookshop

    Anyone who spends time in bookstores knows that they are special places where all kinds of magic can happen, including romance. If you want to get your romance reading in while also checking off that ‘books about books’ category in this year’s Book Bingo, here are some charming (and a few steamy) options. In How… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup – July 2022

    Summer reading continues with these great new releases: 7/5: Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore After magician Violet Volk disappeared mid-act, her sister Sasha picked up the pieces and moved on. Coming up on the ten year anniversary, with both a podcast host and her niece digging up old memories, Sasha resolves to discover the… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – July 2022

    Kick off the summer with the latest nonfiction! From politics, current events and history to sports, entertainment and travel, July has something for everyone. The state of the Republican Party is the subject of three books this month: Jonathan Lemire examines the unprecedented attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in The Big Lie;… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Unreliable narrator

    Unreliable narrators? Who knows what they’re thinking, doing, how they really feel, and if their version of events is the actual version. No matter what the genre, there’s an air of mystery about the narrator who doesn’t seem like someone whose words should be taken to heart. That’s the beauty of unreliable narrators in fiction:… Continue reading