2024

  • 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

  • Take Flight with Dragon Reads

    Between the Year of the Dragon, the popularity of Fourth Wing, and the release of a new book in the legendary YA series The Inheritance Cycle, I’ve got dragon books on my mind. Try one of these titles to get into the spirit, with options for all ages! Dragon fantasy romance doesn’t always have to be serious… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks – March 2024

    Eleven books are joining Peak Picks in March! In fiction, Sierra Greer examines intimacy, power, autonomy, and control in her debut about the relationship between a female robot and her human owner in Annie Bot; Justinian Huang follows two men whose love transcends time, going from 4 BCE to the present-day China, in the romantasy… Continue reading

  • Blu-Ray Bruce!

    Blu-Ray Bruce!

    Did you know we recently added Blu-Rays? And that compared even to streaming HD, Blu-Ray offers better stability (vs. Wi-Fi), picture, and audio (especially when considering beautifully curated prints)? Enter Bruce Lee! Where legends collide, your library’s box set, Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits contains seven painstakingly restored Blu-Rays featuring most of the local legend’s best work.… Continue reading

  • Happy Black History Month 2024: Celebrating African Americans and the Arts

    Happy Black History Month 2024: Celebrating African Americans and the Arts

    Though we celebrate the accomplishments of the people of the African and Black Diaspora all year, every February provides an opportunity to focus on and highlight the history and contributions of African Americans. Black History Month has a different theme each year, and 2024’s theme is African Americans and the Arts. There is not enough… Continue reading

  • A look back at 2023’s best genre fiction

    A look back at 2023’s best genre fiction

    This January, librarians from across the country met to hash out the best books published in 2023 for adults. The Notable Books List highlights literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; the Listen List is all about outstanding audiobooks; and The Reading List, which I want to focus on today, highlights outstanding genre fiction in eight genres:… Continue reading

  • Fiction Picks for Black History Month 2024

    February is Black History Month and this year, it’s got a special theme: African Americans and the Arts. It’s a great time to read books by and celebrating Black artists across form and genre, so here are some titles to check out centering stories of Black artists. Teju Cole writes thought-provoking, meandering philosophical fiction; his… Continue reading