January 2023

  • Introducing Higo! New Central Exhibition

    Introducing Higo! New Central Exhibition

    Higo 10 Cents Store, owned by the Murakami family and a social hub in Seattle’s Japantown, has a long and fascinating community and family history. Meet Me at Higo welcomes younger generations to connect with and explore what it means to be Japanese American. Today, Higo 10 Cents Store (or Higo Variety Store) is KOBO… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks – February 2023

    Ten titles are joining Peak Picks in February! FICTION. Diane Marie Brown debuts with a drama about four generations of Black women afflicted by a family curse with origins in 1950s New Orleans in Black Candle Woman. Tom Rob Smith (Child 44) returns with a tale of apocalypse survivors who must reinvent civilization in Antarctica… Continue reading

  • Behind the Scenes at Black-Owned Business Excellence: Entrepreneur Tierra Bonds

    Behind the Scenes at Black-Owned Business Excellence: Entrepreneur Tierra Bonds

    On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Fourth Annual Black-Owned Business Excellence Symposium will be held at the University of Washington Tacoma and online. The Seattle Public Library is a co-sponsor of the symposium. Now a nonprofit, BOBE started as a collaboration of organizations and individuals to support, educate, inspire and elevate businesses that are owned by… Continue reading

  • Librarians’ Favorite Reads this February

    Librarians’ Favorite Reads this February

    Among our most popular shares here on Shelf Talk happen each December when we share our Staff Favorites for Ficton and Non-Fiction, as well as books for kids and teens. But did you know that librarians and library workers from all across the country vote on their ten favorite titles each month? It’s called LibraryReads,… Continue reading

  • Taking a walk on the weird side of Fantastical Seattle

    Taking a walk on the weird side of Fantastical Seattle

    We all know that Seattle is fantastic, but only fantasy readers know just how much so. Seattle not-quite-as-we-know-it has appeared in many fantasy novels. Urban fantasy fans will be familiar with Kat Richardson’s classic Greywalker series, in which psychic sleuth Harper Blaine solves crimes along the natural and supernatural faultline that passes right through our… Continue reading

  • The Central Library Expands Hours, and 20-Plus Things to Do There

    The Central Library Expands Hours, and 20-Plus Things to Do There

    Tourists stop by all the time, but when was the last time you visited The Seattle Public Library’s internationally acclaimed downtown location? If it’s been a while, we have good news: Starting Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Central Library will be open two nights a week until 8 p.m. (with the exception of the Faye G.… Continue reading

  • Take a walk with MLK Jr. this Monday

    Take a walk with MLK Jr. this Monday

    Last year around this time, as folks surfing wave after pandemic wave faced a difficult decision of whether to gather together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we suggested for those staying home a streamable festival of films about MLK and the fight for Civil Rights. Now that more of us are feeling comfortable out… Continue reading

  • Seismic Retrofit, Air Conditioning And More Coming To The Library’s Green Lake Branch

    The Seattle Public Library’s historically landmarked Green Lake Branch (7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N.) will temporarily close from Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, through early 2024 to undergo major renovations. This project, funded by the 2019 Library Levy, will include the seismic retrofit of the branch, installation of an electric HVAC system (including air conditioning)… Continue reading

  • What Seattle Read in 2022: Teen Edition

    What are the teenagers checking out these days? We were curious, so as a follow-up to our post on The Seattle Public Library’s most popular books for adults in 2022, we’ve compiled the top-circulated 10 fiction and nonfiction books for teen audiences. It’s a diverse, fascinating list, ranging from award-winning graphic novels to an Ojibwe… Continue reading

  • Now that you’ve blown your New Year’s resolutions…

    Has it happened yet? Has that steely resolve behind your New Year’s Resolution already failed? Not so fast: what happens next is crucial. What if it isn’t willpower you lack, but the flexibility to embrace failure as part of the process? As Maya Angelou wrote, “…it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – January 2023

    Start 2023 with some “new year, new you” titles, assessments of historical and current events, science books, and more! Bestselling author Jay Shetty provides a guide to every stage of romance in 8 Rules of Love, while Portland’s Aubrey Gordon dispels myths about fat people in “You Just Need to Lose Weight.” Legendary music producer… Continue reading

  • Library Finds: Cozy Up With These Family-Friendly Streaming Movies

    Library Finds: Cozy Up With These Family-Friendly Streaming Movies

    When it comes to raising children, the years might be short, but the days and nights can be long, especially in the dark days of a Seattle winter. Streaming entertainment to the rescue! Through your Library card, you can access hundreds of family-friendly films, TV shows and programs, for free, through services such as Hoopla… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, January 2023

    New year, new fiction! 2023 gets off to a great start with a slate of engaging general fiction, mysteries, horror, historical fiction, and much more. What will be the first novel you read in 2023? 1/1: Hide by Tracy Clark Chicago detective Harriet Foster is on the hunt for a serial killer who targets redheads.… Continue reading

  • Goals for 2023

    In the early days of 2023, perhaps you’re still taking stock of 2022. Perhaps you’re looking forward to this new year, setting goals and gathering information to achieve them. If it’s the latter, here are some suggestions to get you started in a few different areas. Finances Money money money – always a preoccupation! Maybe… Continue reading