Shelf Talk

  • Ten Non-Fiction Books We Loved in 2018

    As the New Year approaches, join our librarians in looking back on our favorite reading of the year gone by. By popular acclaim, here are ten non-fiction titles that made the biggest impact on us in 2018. (Fiction and books for youth will follow in the days to come). 2018 was a huge year for… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – December 2018

    December’s not just about the holidays. Enjoy these nonfiction titles being released this month. 12/4: Babel. Gaston Dorren explores the twenty most widely spoken languages in the world, which accounts for half of the Earth’s population. 12/4: Congo Stories. Fidel Bafilemba and John Prendergast consider the impact of five decades of exploitation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup – December 2018

    12/4: The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson – School librarian Charlotte finds herself filling in for her glamorous twin sister who falls ill the night before a beauty pageant. 12/4: The Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash – This family saga follows the Winters family, living New York City’s famed Dakota building, in the year… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for November

    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 November: There There by Tommy Orange. It was one of those books I loved, but wanted more. I want more book, I want a sequel, I want more of the story, more, more,… Continue reading

  • Cultivating Gratitude with Picture Books

    “What I have come to believe is that joy is the twin sister of gratitude.  I am most joyful when I am most grateful.”*          –Katherine Paterson, Newbery Medal-winning author Thankfulness doesn’t end with Thanksgiving. Enjoy these wonderful picture books celebrating gratitude! Gracias, Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra A… Continue reading

  • Classics Reimagined

    Here are five fantastic books that explore some classic Greek tales many of us know, touching upon many centralized themes of classic Greek mythology but in unexpected and innovative ways. All are an illuminating read! The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood This fine rendition of a classic tale, the Odyssey by Homer, rejects the standard canon… Continue reading

  • DIY Holidays: Crafty Gifts and Gifts of Food

    Today is Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season and historically the busiest shopping day of the year. If the idea of battling frenzied crowds for the latest must-have doo-dad makes you want to pull the covers over your head and never come out, we have an idea for you – make… Continue reading

  • Thankful for Books

    Ever since I was a child, at our family gathering that coincided with the Thanksgiving holiday, we would go around the table and everyone would have to say a little something about what they were thankful for. Perhaps it was (or is) the same for you? For our hedonistic childhood selves, so unaccustomed to being… Continue reading

  • Book-It Repertory Theatre’s MY ÁNTONIA: Beyond the Theatre

    Book-It Repertory Theatre presents MY ÁNTONIA by Willa Cather, adapted and directed by Annie Lareau, from November 29 to December 30, 2018. Librarians at Seattle Public Library created this list of books, video, and podcasts to enhance your experience of the show. Annie Lareau, director of Book-It Repertory Theatre’s 2018 production of MY ÁNTONIA, has… Continue reading