shelftalkwriters

  • Book Bingo NW 2024: Friendship

    “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” — Anaïs Nin In 2023, one of our more popular Book Bingo categories was “Read With a Friend.” We often hear how often friends tackle Book Bingo… Continue reading

  • Book Bingo NW 2024: Queer Joy

    “We struggle and fight for our joy — an unreserved and unapologetic joy that springs from our ability to live as we are. It’s a joy worth fighting for and it’s this joy that links all of our struggles together.” — Lady Phyll Readers deserve all kinds of queer stories, but stories that center queer… Continue reading

  • Cozy Horror: Gross But Also Sweet!

    Yes, Cozy Horror is a THING! Even horror can combine elements of the gory and horrific with the sweet and reassuring. Don’t believe me? Here’s two to try: Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell This surprisingly delightful debut was fun, sweet, AND gross–frequently all at once! Who gets to call something… Continue reading

  • Characters with Real World Problems – No Matter the Genre

    Rich and royal characters are a mainstay in literature. We do like to know what it is like to have it all. To live in opulence and navigate the world with ease is something we are told to aspire to, so culturally we gravitate to depictions of wealth and plentitude. Plus, we also love learning… Continue reading

  • Author Spotlight: T. Kingfisher

    Fall is upon us, and with spooky season right around the corner, I can’t think of a better time to put T. Kingfisher on your radar. T. Kingfisher, aka Ursula Vernon (who writes children’s books under that name), is a prolific writer of humorous and often terrifying works of fantasy and horror. Some of her… Continue reading

  • Nightstand Reads with Tobi Ogundiran

    Tobi Ogundiran’s debut short story collection Jackal, Jackal is out this month with Undertow Publications, and he will be in Seattle at the Central Library in conversation with Nisi Shawl on Wednesday, July 26th at 7pm. Third Place Books is our community partner on the event. We asked him to share a bit about his… Continue reading

  • Adult Summer Reading Book Bingo NW 2022 Starts TODAY!

    Adult Summer Reading Book Bingo NW 2022 Starts TODAY!

    Today is the day–Wednesday, May 18th is the start of our 8th Year of Summer Book Bingo with our amazing partner Seattle Arts & Lectures! The bingo card artwork by local artist Jorge Villavicencio highlights the Library’s Year of Wonder theme with vibrant, whimsical balloons, kites, and reading aliens from outer space to help set… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2021 is ON!

    Bluer skies, longer days, fewer masks – it can only mean one thing. Once again, it’s time for Summer Book Bingo! This is our 7th year – YES, the 7th! Such a lucky number! – partnering with Seattle Arts & Lectures to bring you a free adult summer reading program with reading challenges and drawing… Continue reading

  • PNW Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors

    May is Asian Pacific American Heritage month, but as author Nicole Chung noted, “work by Asian American writers is always timely.” The library has created some fantastic lists celebrating Asian American writers and artists for all ages to explore, but I wanted to call attention to some Pacific Northwest Asian American and Pacific Islander authors… Continue reading

  • Clarion West’s Beyond Afrofuturism series: Black Editors and Publishers in Speculative Fiction

    Are you interested in Speculative Fiction? Are you a writer? Are you interested in learning more about Black editors and publishers in the speculative fiction field? We are pleased to be co-sponsoring this upcoming online event series with the Clarion West Writers Workshop and don’t want you to miss it! The first event, Ancestors and… Continue reading

  • Black History Month reading inspiration: short stories

    While February is a short month — too short — I decided to celebrate this Black History Month by reading a short story a day by Black authors. I have been rotating through a variety of anthologies and collections, delighted by the discoveries within: Heads of the Colored People: Stories by Nafissa Thompson-SpiresMy favorite story… Continue reading

  • WA Do I Read Next? (Part 1)

    The Washington Library Association met online this year instead of in Spokane. Most years there is a panel focused on Washington authors with the cheeky title “WA Do I Read Next?” This year I had the pleasure of joining this panel event online with other librarians and local authors to celebrate recently published books by… Continue reading

  • Lessons learned from reading a short story a day

    When the library closed for the pandemic on March 13th and I contemplated the altered days ahead, I had a revelation. I decided that I would tackle a goal I had long held–to read more short stories. Every year I feel hard pressed to read enough of the newly-published fiction and nonfiction to feel grounded… Continue reading

  • Queering Historical Fiction & Historical Fantasy

    Queer literature is booming right now, with more and better representation of LGBTQIA+ characters every year. Here are some recent historical novels and historical/alternate history fantasy to check out. First, some historical novels with queer protagonists: The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco is one gritty historical debut. It has a pretty fast-paced bent, introducing… Continue reading

  • Legendary Children: A QTBIPOC Celebration Goes Online

    LEGENDARY CHILDREN is a QTBIPOC-led extravaganza is usually held at Seattle Art Museum, featuring spoken word, performance, dance, and a public runway. Legendary Children is where arts and social justice get real, with QTBIPOC voices ringing loud and clear. Now you know a pandemic can’t stop The Children. Save the date for Saturday Nov 21,… Continue reading

  • Two Washington Authors Tackle Labor History

    Washington State is home to an amazing array of authors. You can spend an entire year reading our writers of fiction, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, poetry, children’s literature, nonfiction and more. Check out the Washington State Book Awards for a glimpse of the range of writers that live, work, or have ties to our region.… Continue reading

  • Read-alikes for the Emily St. John Mandel fan

    Want something like Emily St. John Mandel? We get this question quite a lot from fans of the author’s best-selling dystopian novel Station Eleven or her more literary mysteries starting with her debut Last Night in Montreal. Here are some read-alikes with similar qualities to St. John Mandel’s beautiful and haunting novels: Continue reading

  • Hot New Romance by Local Authors!

    While many of us are not getting our usual fill of beaches this summer, nothing says we can’t indulge in some beach reads. Not that a good romance can’t be enjoyed year-round! Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert is set in the world of tabletop games and Conrad and Alden have been bitter rivals but must… Continue reading