Fiction

  • Dive into Light Novels

    If you’ve never heard of light novels, you’re not alone; I didn’t really know what they were until a couple of years ago. Light novels are characterized as short, quick books, often featuring a handful of manga-like illustrations. Light novels originated in Japan and have grown in popularity all over the world. While they are… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, December 2024

    As the end of the year rolls around, there’s still time to cozy up with some excellent new fiction. Read a suggestion below or look back at the years’ worth of New Fiction Roundups. 12/3: Alter Ego by Alex Segura Annie Bustamente is a filmmaker and comic book artist looking to regain her creative spark… Continue reading

  • Transgender Day of Remembrance

    Trans people have always existed. Transgender Day of Remembrance is Wednesday, November 20th. This is a day to mark the lives lost to violence in the transgender community. Here are some selected books from a longer, staff-created list that capture the history, complexity, and dynamism of the trans experience. There are now more romances than… Continue reading

  • Paging All Kids: Global Reading Challenge Books Announced

    Paging All Kids: Global Reading Challenge Books Announced

    Fourth and fifth graders around Seattle are buzzing with book news: The Library has just unveiled the Global Reading Challenge books for 2024-25 on our website at www.spl.org/GlobalReadingChallenge. For those new to the program, the Global Reading Challenge, now in its 30th year, is a reading incentive program for fourth and fifth graders enrolled in… Continue reading

  • Have a Laugh With These 4 Funny Books

    Have a Laugh With These 4 Funny Books

    “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” by Rufi Thorpe proves that other people’s problems can be pretty funny — as long as they’re narrated by a chaotic heroine who is wisecracking and whip-smart. Nineteen-year-old Margo Millet was not exactly set up for success with a flighty mother and an absentee, former wrestling star father. But when Margo… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, November 2024

    As we dig into a season of long nights, why not also dig into a new book? Here are some suggestions to get you started, and of course don’t forget to look at our new November and December Peak Pick titles. 11/12: A Case of Matricide by Graeme MacRae Burnet Inspector Gorski (The Accident on the A35)… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks – November & December 2024

    We’re adding twelve books to Peak Picks in November and December! In fiction, Daniel Aleman spins a suspenseful dark comedy about a struggling writer who wakes up to find his date from the night before dead–and must then decide how far he’s willing to go to spin the misadventure into his next big book in… Continue reading

  • Fall Magic

    Fall is my absolute favorite season, from sweater weather to warm honey oat lattes, Halloween decorations in overkill to shorter days and deliciously longer nights, and everything in between. That first day of a lingering chill in the air is pure magic to me. But perhaps the thing I love most of all about fall… Continue reading

  • Horror Stories for Teens

    Horror Stories for Teens

    Halloween is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to read these terrifying tales? In The Black Girl Survives This One, edited by Desiree S. Evans, fifteen superb Black authors create ghastly and horrifying stories in which, as you may have guessed, the Black girls survive.  In one, a space traveler must… Continue reading

  • 6 Books by Artists at the 2024 Short Run Comix Festival

    6 Books by Artists at the 2024 Short Run Comix Festival

    Now in its 12th year, the annual Short Run Comix Festival, which takes place on Nov. 2 at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion, celebrates the fusion of art and literature in the ever-expanding medium of comics. Free and open to the public, Short Run showcases hundreds of emerging and established artists from the Pacific Northwest and… Continue reading

  • What to Read While Waiting for Nobel Prize Winner Han Kang’s Books

    On Thursday, it was announced that South Korean author Han Kang was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for “her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” She is the first South Korean to receive this honor. With this Nobel win, we can expect a new surge… Continue reading

  • Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Horror!

    Autumn is Autumning, bringing with it moody, creepy vibes – in other words, the perfect time to read horror! And since it’s Hispanic Heritage Month, check out these three titles for a taste of Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Argentinian horror. House of Bone and Rain: A Barrio Noir by Gabino Iglesias “Todas las historias son… Continue reading

  • Fall Arts Events: Angela Garbes, Lindy West, Rachel Kushner and More!!

    Fall Arts Events: Angela Garbes, Lindy West, Rachel Kushner and More!!

    As fall weather sets in, it’s a good time to mark your calendar with a few of The Seattle Public Library’s exceptional arts and author events in the next couple of months. Gear up for the election with a live “Text Me Back” podcast taping with Lindy West, learn about the connection between homelessness and… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, October 2024

    From spooky tales to epic fantasy and much more, October new releases have you covered as the nights get darker and cooler. 10/1: The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister The Haddesley family has long maintained a supernatural bargain – their family tends the cranberry bog and the bog sustains them, with each generation sacrificing their… Continue reading

  • Get Cozy With It

    With one weekend of rain underway, I’m ready to be on the couch, mug of tea in hand, reading a book that matches my mood. I’m looking for maximum coziness and though you can find cozy fantasy, cozy mystery, and even cozy horror, I’ve been diving into translated Japanese and Korean cozies, with a distinctly… Continue reading

  • Books to Check Out for Hispanic Heritage Month

    Hispanic Heritage Month honors the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latine Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. It is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 annually. Check out one of these recent fiction reads by Hispanic/Latine authors to kick off the month! I describe The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, September 2024

    September kicks off a busy Fall publication season, with many books by returning favorite authors and much more. Get ready to cozy up to darker and chillier nights with one of the books below! 9/3: Colored Television by Danzy Senna On sabbatical and house-sitting in Los Angeles, Jane works on her second novel, but also… Continue reading

  • September Author Events: Fantasy, Reproductive Health, Banned Books Letterpress

    We’re kicking off this energetic month with an amazing lineup of author and community events, including New York Times bestselling author Aiden Thomas (“Celestial Monsters”), Lambda finalist Garth Greenwell (“Small Rain”) and reproductive health expert Dr. Karen Tang (“It’s Not Hysteria”) in conversation with Tik Tok sensation Jane Park. You’ll also get a chance to… Continue reading