March 2024

  • A Peek at Peak Picks – April 2024

    Ten new titles are joining Peak Picks in April – plus a bonus March pick! In nonfiction, novelist Amy Tan presents a gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight with beautiful, original sketches by the author in The Backyard Bird Chronicles; Death doula Alua Arthur reframes… Continue reading

  • Solar Power: Plan for a Safe Eclipse Experience on April 8

    Get ready! On Monday, April 8, 2024, parts of the U.S. will experience a total solar eclipse. Seattle will experience a partial eclipse starting at around 10:39 a.m. and ending at 12:21 p.m., with the maximum coverage of the sun (20%) at 11:29 a.m. Here’s a reminder about how to experience it safely and how… Continue reading

  • Seattle Reads 2024: Parable of the Sower

    Seattle Reads, The Seattle Public Library’s citywide book group, has announced its book selection for 2024: Parable of the Sower, by legendary science fiction author Octavia Butler. “We are thrilled to celebrate this incredibly influential author and book with new readers while celebrating her legacy with those who have been influenced by her work for… Continue reading

  • Three (more) on a Theme: Tarot for the Future

    If my last post on the tarot in fiction piqued your interest in the tarot in general, but you aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered! There are many, many books out there on the tarot, from compendiums of esoteric texts to the late Rachel Pollack’s iconic works. The tarot… Continue reading

  • Reading and Writing the ‘Other’: Q&A with Nisi Shawl, Library Guest Curator

    On Thursday, March 28, a new author series kicks off at The Seattle Public Library’s Central Library. Curated by Seattle writer and editor Nisi Shawl, it’s called “Reading and Writing the ‘Other:’ Diversity and Inclusion in Our Worlds.” The three programs include the March 28 event on Writing the ‘Other’ and sensitivity reading with Nisi… Continue reading

  • Three on a Theme: Tarot in Fiction

    As someone with a long-time interest in the tarot, a deck of 78 cards that can be used in a multitude of ways – to practice magic, to tell the future, to dive deep into your soul, or even as a creative tool – I always keep an eye out for fiction books that feature… Continue reading

  • Wonders of the deep

    The oceans sing to us, with promises of adventure, wonder, the unknown. And so humans set out to discover what is under the waves. Check out these recent nonfiction books about the history and present of deep sea exploration, some of the awe inspiring things found there, and the compulsion to make a profit. The… Continue reading

  • Nightstand Reads with Tricia Romano, author of The Freaks Came Out to Write

    Tricia Romano, author of The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture and a member of the 2023 Writers Room cohort at The Seattle Public Library, shares some books she’s loving. Romano will be appearing in conversation with Dan Savage at Town Hall at… Continue reading

  • The Seattle Public Library Is Reducing Our Maximum Digital Holds. Here’s Why.

    Starting Tuesday, March 19, The Seattle Public Library is reducing the number of maximum holds allowed on e-books and e-audiobooks from 25 to 10. Please note that if you have more than 10 holds on digital books at that time, you won’t lose any of these holds. You just won’t be able to place new… Continue reading

  • Get Me Out of Here!

    I must admit, I’m not typically a mystery reader. I’m impatient and I scare easily, which makes a genre that often features violent deaths and long solving processes difficult for me. I’ve found solace, though, in locked room mysteries, where the why and the how of the crime is often more interesting than the who.… Continue reading

  • Found in the Stacks: Subversive Stitches

    I recently completed my first ever cross-stitch: a bookmark with a Stephen King quote surrounded by moths and floral elements. It was a stunning red thread design on black cloth. I was immediately ready to take on a new project and headed into the book stacks at Central Library for inspiration. I scanned the shelves… Continue reading

  • These Books Became 2024 Oscar-Nominated Film Adaptations

    These Books Became 2024 Oscar-Nominated Film Adaptations

    The Seattle Public Library’s Reader Services team recently debuted a new monthly column in the Seattle Times. Read the article by Reader Services librarian Misha Stone on the Seattle Times website or below, where it’s republished with permission.    The Seattle Public Library loves to promote books and reading. This column, submitted by the library,… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – March 2024

    CNN’s Fareed Zakaria traces the history of progress – and backlash – from 1600 to the present in Age of Revolutions while Henry Louis Gates Jr. considers how Black Americans have used the written word to define and redefine themselves in The Black Box. Jonathan Haidt investigates how the rewiring of childhood has caused an… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, March 2024

    March blows in with a robust slate of new fiction, so get ready to place some holds! 3/5: Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez Raquel Toro, an art history student at Brown University, navigates feeling like an outsider among more privileged students. Then Raquel rediscovers the work of Anita de Monte, a Cuban… Continue reading

  • Teen Fiction for Women’s History Month

    Teen Fiction for Women’s History Month

    It’s officially March, which means Women’s History Month is here! Check out some teen titles highlighting women in historical fiction. In The Davenports by Krystal Marquis, set in 1910 Chicago, the titular Davenports are one of a few wealthy Black families, and teen sisters Olivia and Helen want to chart their own paths.  Olivia wants to… Continue reading