Fiction

  • New fiction roundup, November 2019

    No matter what you read – romance, fantasy, historical fiction, prize-winning fiction – November has a new release for you. 11/5: The Book of Lost Saints by Daniel José Older – In this multigenerational Cuban-American family story of revolution, loss, and family bonds, the spirit of a woman who disappeared during the Cuban Revolution visits… Continue reading

  • Local Graphic Novels to Gear Up for Short Run

    Graphic novels are doing particularly well in the Pacific Northwest, with Short Run Comix & Arts Festival coming up I like to prepare for the small press and independent level of creators by focusing on local creators. From mainstream on down to independent, Seattle has every genre being created right here. Here are a few… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for October

    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 October: Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik. Running from her past, Lily seeks a different sort of adventure after her teaching job in Bolivia ends and her listlessness grows tiring. In… Continue reading

  • We Dare You…

    As we enter peak fall foliage in the Pacific Northwest we dare you to get swept away by those beautiful colors and read a book by the color of its cover! Here are a handful to choose from, but we highly recommend you explore the stacks – you never know what gem you might find.… Continue reading

  • Hidden Libraries in Fiction

    As great as real libraries are, they’re no match for the hidden libraries created by novelists. Magical libraries have unlimited space, can form labyrinths explorable only by the most intrepid, can spontaneously birth characters from the page to the real world, and much more. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón This is… Continue reading

  • Library Reads for November 2019

    Librarians across the country have chosen the ten books coming out in November that they’re most excited about. The Starless Sea  by Erin Morgenstern A moving labyrinth of a story, ever changing and evolving. What begins as a mysterious thread in a book, an opportunity taken or missed and the consequences of the choice, evolves… Continue reading

  • It’s Horror Season

    It’s Horror Season

    As the weather turns chill and the darkness creeps earlier and earlier, it’s time to stay inside with a scary read. From a family jumping through alarming hoops to get an inheritance, to two variations on the creepy haunted house, monsters lurking at the window, and much more, there’s something to spook everyone. The Silent… Continue reading

  • Top 10 Noteworthy 2019 Speculative Fiction Books Part 2

    A continuation of our favorite speculative fiction works this year! So far… The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. Annalee Newitz just won a Hugo Award for the Our Opinions Are Correct podcast with their partner Charlie Jane Anders and is a writer of both science and science fiction. TFOAT is a fiercely feminist… Continue reading

  • Top 10 Noteworthy 2019 Speculative Fiction Books Part 1

    Even though it’s only October and there are still two more months left for publishing and reading in 2019 we are already assembling our “best lists”. Here are some of our favorite speculative fiction works this year (so far): The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders. This is a science… Continue reading

  • Queer Comics for LGBT History Month

    October is LGBT History Month! Let us celebrate and read some recently published comics and graphic novels by queer creators and about queer characters and stories! Continue reading

  • New fiction roundup, October 2019

    October is particularly rich in short story collections from both established and new voices, and also sees the return of favorite characters with new books by Elizabeth Strout and Lee Child, and the long-awaited adult fiction debut of blockbuster YA author Leigh Bardugo. Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for September

    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 September: Circe by Madeline Miller. The story of Circe, the daughter of the sun god Helios, banished to an island for Zeus believes her to be a threat. Unlike other children… Continue reading

  • Pride and Prejudice Redux

    Published in 1813, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice seems to be showing no signs of slowing down in terms of either popularity or endurance. In fact, a recent handful of offerings make it abundantly clear that the famous novel of romance and manners still has plenty to offer for modern readers. Pride, Prejudice, and Other… Continue reading

  • Library Reads for October 2019

    Ready to place some holds? Check out these ten books coming in October that librarians across the US are loving. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson A fascinating look at the human body and how it functions. Each historical tidbit is well-researched and thoroughly cited. Interesting stories, such as how diseases, cells,… Continue reading

  • New fiction roundup, September 2019

    9/3: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore – England, 1879: a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter earns a place among the first cohort of female students at the University of Oxford, and ultimately takes on a powerful duke in a fiery love story that threatens to upend the British social order. 9/3: Dominicana by Angie… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for August

    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 August: Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. I’m glad I gave myself a bit of time before I read this book. To Kill a Mockingbird was one of those books… Continue reading

  • Defective Detective Departments

    What happens when cranky, poorly motivated or seemingly-incompetent individuals are all sidelined together into a single work unit? They end up solving the mysteries that no one else could, of course. Or, at least, in fiction they do. These books are all the first in series that find professional pariahs taking care of business. The… Continue reading

  • Toni Morrison and the Library

    From a small town girl to a big city woman, Toni Morrison had a deep, enduring connection to libraries. As a teenager, after school, she did housework for a white family. Complaining about the treatment she received, her sister helped her get a job shelving books at the Lorain Public Library. This experience was the… Continue reading