Fiction

  • A Peak at Peak Picks – September 2022

    Eight new titles are joining Peak Picks in September! For nonfiction, New York Times food writer Melissa Clark’s follow up to Dinner in French features 100 one-pot, one-pan and one-sheet recipes that are perfect for weeknights in Dinner in One; poet Javier Zamora tells the harrowing story of his three-thousand mile journey, alone among strangers… Continue reading

  • Book Lovers: Meta-textual Romances edition

    Step aside, enemies-to-lovers; editor-to-lover may be the newest romantic trope. Romances set in the world of publishing certainly seem to be having a moment, no doubt spurred on by the wild success of Emily Henry’s Beach Read in 2020 and her follow-up, Book Lovers (currently a Peak Pick!), this year. Get out your red pen… Continue reading

  • Summer Scares

    Summer Scares

    Horror novels aren’t just for October! Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan, or a new reader looking to dip your toe into the genre while it’s still light out in the evening, this summer has several books to entice you. The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay This faux-memoir about a formative, youthful friendship where one… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Health or Healthcare Workers

    Summer Book Bingo 2022 deadline is looming! As Sept. 6 draws near, here are some suggestions for folks trying to fill their Health or healthcare workers square – two novels that imagine the lives of nurses, plus nonfiction about building healthcare infrastructure, reflections on medical advancements, and two books for common health concerns. The Pull… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup – August 2022

    August is rich in new fiction options, from a spy thriller, to innovative fantasy, compelling historical fiction, and new books from bestsellers Jamie Ford, Emma Donoghue, Mohsin Hamid, Sarah Addison Allen, and Taylor Jenkins Reid. 8/2: Alias Emma by Ava Glass For her first assignment as a British spy, Emma Makepeace is charged with protecting… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks for August 2022

    Nine new titles are joining Peak Picks in August! Fiction features three highly anticipated new titles by bestselling authors: Taylor Jenkins Reid (Malibu Rising) returns with the story of a retired tennis pro who returns to the court after watching her records shattered by a rising new star in Carrie Soto Is Back; Mohsin Hamid… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: The Romance of the Bookshop

    Anyone who spends time in bookstores knows that they are special places where all kinds of magic can happen, including romance. If you want to get your romance reading in while also checking off that ‘books about books’ category in this year’s Book Bingo, here are some charming (and a few steamy) options. In How… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup – July 2022

    Summer reading continues with these great new releases: 7/5: Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore After magician Violet Volk disappeared mid-act, her sister Sasha picked up the pieces and moved on. Coming up on the ten year anniversary, with both a podcast host and her niece digging up old memories, Sasha resolves to discover the… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Unreliable narrator

    Unreliable narrators? Who knows what they’re thinking, doing, how they really feel, and if their version of events is the actual version. No matter what the genre, there’s an air of mystery about the narrator who doesn’t seem like someone whose words should be taken to heart. That’s the beauty of unreliable narrators in fiction:… Continue reading

  • July Author Events: Daniel James Brown, Fonda Lee, Annalee Newitz and more

    July Author Events: Daniel James Brown, Fonda Lee, Annalee Newitz and more

    Here are a few reasons to be indoors in July: The Seattle Public Library’s lineup of free author programs, including Daniel James Brown (“The Boys in the Boat”) in conversation with Tom Ikeda about his new book “Facing the Mountain;” and two terrific Clarion West events featuring authors Fonda Lee, Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane… Continue reading

  • Seattle Book Clubs Discuss Abortion

    We librarians often witness how life and literature interact, as topics of real world interest to our patrons swiftly show up in requests for reading material, and especially in titles for book clubs. One of the best things about such groups is how the focus on a book can help people to discuss a topic… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Non-binary/genderqueer/two-spirit author or character

    Happy Pride and Summer Book Bingo, y’all! Gender can be messy and wonderful and specific and fluid; a source of anxiety for some and self-contentment for others. These authors and their characters, stories, and poems explore the infinite spectrum of human identities and experiences. Maia Kobabe’s cathartic graphic memoir Gender Queer follows eir exploration of… Continue reading

  • First Ukrainian Books Added to The Seattle Public Library’s Collections

    First Ukrainian Books Added to The Seattle Public Library’s Collections

    Responding to requests from patrons, The Seattle Public Library has added the first books in Ukrainian to its collection, approximately 120 physical books for adults and children that comprise 95 titles. We will add more titles in Ukrainian this summer. The Ukrainian books include picture books and chapter books for children and a mix of… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup – June 2022

    June delivers some great titles to kick off our summer reading, including a caper, some gothic suspense, immersive historical fiction, and the return of a favorite character. 6/7: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen Ava Wong looks like she has the perfect life, but it’s secretly crumbling. It’s the perfect moment for her former college roommate to… Continue reading

  • June 2022 Author Events: Quintard Taylor, Judy Heumann, Ottessa Moshfegh and More

    June 2022 Author Events: Quintard Taylor, Judy Heumann, Ottessa Moshfegh and More

    The Library is bringing in June with amazing author evens. Learn about the history of Seattle’s Black community, hear poems inspired by video games and AI, meet the authors of one of the most talked-about comics of 2020, listen to award-winning fantasy authors, hear the story of leading disability rights activist Judy Heumann and more.… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: First book by an author, most recent book by same author

    This year’s adult book bingo issues one compound challenge, two squares that can be filled by reading the first book by an author, and then the most recent book by the same author. It’s a neat challenge – do you go with an author who has been writing for 40+ years? A newer author still… Continue reading

  • Comic Book Cool Cats

    Comic Book Cool Cats

    It’s kitten season (April-October) and cats are absolutely everywhere right meow, including in just about every type of comic book or manga story you could imagine. In Cat Massage Therapy by Haru Hisakawa, world weary workers find relief from the most unexpected of feline massage professionals. Catboy by Benji Nate sees Olive’s wish to hang… Continue reading

  • The year in Asian American & Pacific Islander fiction

    Each May, in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we take a look at the past year’s novels and short stories from AAPI authors. You’ll find the full list of recent AAPI fiction here. To get you started, here are some highlights from this year’s list: The Family Chao, by Lan Samantha… Continue reading