Fiction
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Watch & Read: Ozark
Ozark is one of those shows that is just pure madness – it snakes in on itself in perpetual chaos. No breaks, no ease, just edge of your seat shenanigans the whole time. And I can’t get enough! While we wait for the next season, here are a few items in our collection that will… Continue reading
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New Fiction Roundup – September 2021
After a hiatus, we resume our monthly rundown of new fiction, with an exciting slate of September titles including new work from Anthony Doerr, Colson Whitehead, Sally Rooney, Ruth Ozeki, and many more. 9/7: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney – Two friends, one a famous novelist and the other an editorial assistant,… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021: Mystery and Crime under 250 pages
As Summer Book Bingo 2021 comes down to the wire (deadline: Sept. 7), you may be looking to maximize your remaining reading time. To that end, here are a selection of mysteries that clock in under 250 pages, for rapid reading. Feeling more leisurely? Check out our longer list of suggested mystery/crime novels. Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021 Sports
Still struggling to find the right book for your Sports Book Bingo square? Never fear, your intrepid Seattle Public Library sports librarian has some suggestions for you, whether you’re a diehard sports writing fan, or have never picked up a book about sports before in your life. Confession time: despite serving as the Library’s sports… Continue reading
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Recent Science Fiction: Journey to the Stars
Science fiction, as a genre, covers many different subgenres and subjects, but one steadfast storyline is a trip to the stars. If you’re in the mood for fictional space exploration, check out one of these recent novels. We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen Dr. Grace Park has always gotten along better with androids… Continue reading
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Books Set in Tokyo
We are well into the second week of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and while many events are held indoors, catching glimpses of the city as triathletes, runners and more move through it has me craving deeper engagement with the people and places of Tokyo. So I have turned, naturally, to fiction. Here are a few… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021 Cli-fi or Environmental Non-fiction
The Cli-fi/Environmental Non-Fiction square offers lots of good reading options! From visions of how the world might look after a climate apocalypse, to intensely personal stories of connection with the land; from accounts of how we got to this point in time, to examinations of the intersection of capitalism and climate; and much more. Check… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021 Black Joy
A short list of good reads that can be applied to the Black Joy 2021 Book Bingo square. These are funny, romantic stories that follow Black characters whose best lives find them. Girl Gurl Grrrl: On womanhood and belonging in the age of Black girl magic by Kenya Hunt, deputy editor of the fashion magazine… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021 Coming of Age
Looking to fill your book bingo Coming of Age square? Check out one of these titles, in which characters confront confusing situations and pursue big dreams as they enter adulthood. White Ivy by Susie Yang As a teenager, Chinese-American Ivy is caught between the disapproval and harsh parenting style of her parents, and the love… Continue reading
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Of Food and Love
As a lover of food media such as the Great British Baking Show, as well as a lover of romances, I am definitely the target audience for romance novels that include a strong food-based storyline. If you are too, or want to see what that means, check out one of these recent romantic comedy novels… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021 Beach Read
Fellow readers, let’s talk beach reads. Don’t be put off by the name – these can be read at the beach, sure, but also by a lake; in a park or on your lawn; on your couch – anywhere you’re taking some time for yourself. And any book can be a beach read*, so long… Continue reading
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Book Group Picks, July 2021
Are you in a book discussion group, and looking for affordable ways to supply your group with books to discuss? The library is here for you! Each month or so, we’ll share a varied handful of titles, any one of which would make for terrific discussion, and each of which – at the time of… Continue reading
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Tired of Grim Dystopias? Try Solarpunk!
Solarpunk is a relatively newer subset of the cyberpunk and steampunk genres, being introduced in 2008. Solarpunk focuses on what the future might be like using renewable resources. Often humanity is managing to coexist in a more harmonious way with the world and while natural disasters might not have been avoided, they are less likely… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2021: Graphic Novel or Comic
This is a short list of my favorite reads that can be applied to the graphic novel or comic 2021 Book Bingo square. These are thrilling, heart wrenching, thoughtful stories. Infinitum: An Afrofuturist Tale by Tim Fielder From the distant past through to the unforeseeable future, King Aja Oba lives many lives, made immortal by… Continue reading
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A hobby on the side: businesswomen solving crimes
Running a small business seems like it would be enough to keep anyone busy, but the women in these cozy mysteries also must solve murders that hit close to home in order to clear themselves or their loved ones of suspicion. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. ManansalaReeling after a bad breakup, Lila Macapagal moves… Continue reading
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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
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2021 Fiction by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors
Looking for captivating new titles to enjoy as we observe Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month this May? Here are ten varied works of fiction by AAPI authors published so far this year. Continue reading
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Fictional glimpses inside the film industry
With the 2021 Academy Awards celebration coming up on Sunday, April 25, check out one of these recent novels with insider views of the film industry. Pretty as a Picture by Elizabeth Little – Film editor Marissa Dahl experiences the world filtered through her encyclopedic knowledge of film. Struggling to find film editing work after… Continue reading