Authors & Books
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Book Bingo NW 2026: World Cup Country
This summer, two of the biggest competitions are in Seattle. That’s right, I’m talking about the FIFA World Cup, and Book Bingo! In a brilliant moment of crossover potential, Book Bingo has a category for FIFA World Cup Country! Read on for suggestions on what to pick up, or check out a longer list in our catalog: Book Bingo NW 2026: World Cup Country. … Continue reading
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New Fiction Roundup – June 2026
Summer reading season begins! 6/2: Blunt Instrument by Amy BloomWhen a largely disliked professor is murdered, Dell Chandler – former English professor, current private investigator – is called in to sift through departmental squabbles and student complaints to solve the murder before bad PR can damage the school’s reputation. (mystery) 6/2: The Disaster Gay Detective… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – June 2026
Whether you’re looking for your next great read or looking to check off a Book Bingo square, June has some great new nonfiction to consider (in addition to June’s Peak Picks). Politicos, AI skeptics, and anyone else who wants to take a deep dive on recent events have a lot of options this month. Cory… Continue reading
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Teen Pride Graphic Novels
Here are some fantastic new stories to enjoy during Pride, all lushly illustrated. MS = middle school In Balazs Lorinczi’s book A Bite of Pepper, a skateboarding vampire falls for a human artist whose attraction to her might be enough to make her commit to turning this human into a vampire and becoming immortal herself. Dan in Green Gables, by Ray Terciero, follows a queer teen in… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Historical
One of the goals of Book Bingo is to have as many entry points as possible for readers, and the “Historical” category is a great example. An alternate history speculative fiction? Check! A biography of a historical figure? Perfect! A Regency romance? That works! If you’re looking for somewhere to start, try one of these,… Continue reading
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3 Ways to Celebrate Pride 2026 With the Library
Happy Pride Month! We invite you to celebrate with the Library all month long, and we have a few special things planned this June and beyond. Attend a Pride event Calling all “Heated Rivalry” fans: On Saturday, June 13, check out this Queer Joy & Hockey program with Seattle Pride Hockey at the Northgate Branch. It… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Honorable Mentions
Every year, dozens of excellent books that are nominated for major book awards every year, but don’t quite make it over the finish line. Just because a book didn’t win doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. Celebrate these also-rans and runners-up, and check off a Book Bingo square, with books that were nominated, longlisted… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – June 2026
We’re adding ten new Peak Picks in June! In fiction, from Lisa See comes the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles in Daughters of the Sun and Moon; Paul Tremblay delivers a genre-bending near-future tech nightmare that… Continue reading
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June 2026 Author and Community Events at the Library
The Library’s many author and community events in June include a Queer hockey night at the Northgate Branch, a zine-making workshop with Densho, and FIFA World Cup 2026 watch parties. Find many more events at www.spl.org/Calendar. Find information and registration through the event links below. All Library events are free and open to the public.… Continue reading
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Ready, Set, Book Bingo 2026
Happy Book Bingo Day! Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the 12th annual Book Bingo launches with a beautiful board of 24 reading challenges that invites adults to read adventurously all summer and to connect with friends, family, and neighbors around books and reading. Because we’re once again partnering with Seattle Arts and Lectures (SAL) and King County Library System (KCLS), the… Continue reading
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The Pitt Readalikes
“The Pitt” season 2 recently wrapped and I already miss the characters and the unfolding drama. If you also miss the high stakes, mission-driven ER environment of The Pitt, as well as the interpersonal dynamics between the cast members, here are some books to read while we wait for another season: The Hospital: Life, Death,… Continue reading
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Discover Summer Quest, the Library’s New All-Ages Summer Program
Summer in Seattle is all about adventure and discovery: ice cream, ferry rides, tide pooling, reading outside, festivals, exploring new places … and now, Summer Quest! This summer, the Library invites patrons of all ages to discover a brand-new version of our century-old summer reading program, starting on June 15. Summer Quest will encourage kids,… Continue reading
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Adult Fiction for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and with it, we welcome the opportunity to highlight recent novels and stories by authors of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian heritage. If you want to keep it local, check out Mike Curato’s Gaysians, a graphic novel that follows the friendship and adventures of… Continue reading
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New Fiction Roundup, May 2026
Can you feel it? Summer reading season is right around the corner! As you plan vacations and staycations, long weekends or surprise rainy days inside, here are some new fiction releases to take along. 5/5: The Calamity Club by Kathryn StockettIn 1933 Mississippi, an orphan and two women fallen on hard times band together with… Continue reading
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Stories about Mental Health for Teens
Mental health – the proper care and maintenance of your emotional state – seems more important than ever. Here are some new novels showing teens finding their way through challenging times. Amelia Diane Coombs’ book All Alone with You follows loner Eloise as she works her way back from a depressive episode that cost her some friends. Now she helps out at a… Continue reading
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May and June 2026 Author and Community Events
The Seattle Public Library’s May and June calendar is blooming with author and community programs. Find more book-related events, including a variety of book and writing programs, in our Books and Authors calendar. All Library events are free and open to the public. Many of these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – May 2026
Check out some of the month’s best nonfiction! In addition to May’s slate of Peak Picks, there are moving memoirs, guides to self care for the mind and body, American history in anticipation of the nation’s 250th anniversary, and so much more. In memoir, Patricia Cornwell, author of the Kay Scarpetta series, tells the story… Continue reading
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Complex Characters and Epistolary Novels: More Books Like The Correspondent
I don’t know about you, but I did not see the popularity of the epistolary debut The Correspondent by Virginia Evans coming. First novels, let alone novels written entirely in letters, are not necessarily burning up the bestseller lists these days. Book trends can follow predictable arcs at times, so it can be refreshing when a book or… Continue reading