Nonfiction
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Recent Books Celebrate Magnolia Branch Architect
The life and work of architect Paul Hayden Kirk, designer of The Seattle Public Library’s Magnolia Branch, is commanding renewed interest due to the publication of two new books: Paul Hayden Kirk and the Rise of the Northwest Modern by Seattle author and filmmaker Dale Kutzera, and Paul Hayden Kirk and the Puget Sound School… Continue reading
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Tinkering Toddlers: Activities for At Home Play
A wicked cold, snow, and a closed daycare was making me a stir-crazed mama. I needed ideas to keep my kiddo’s brain learning and his body moving. I found a wonderful collection of books from the Library that gave me the boost and inspiration I needed to be the fun mom! Continue reading
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New Nonficton Roundup – February 2022
The shortest month of the year is long on noteworthy nonfiction. In addition to five Peak Picks, check out the best nonfiction that February has to offer. History, Politics & Current Events Garrett M. Graf details the full scope of the most influential political event of the 20th century in Watergate: A New History, while… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks for February 2022
We’re adding ten new titles to Peak Picks for February! Fiction features two family sagas: estranged siblings reunite over their mother’s death in Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut Black Cake, and Lan Samantha Chang returns after a dozen years with a fresh spin on The Brothers Karamazov in The Family Chao. Nina de Gramont reimagines what happened to… Continue reading
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From Minecraft to Mae Jemison: The Library’s most popular kids’ nonfiction books in 2021
What true stories did Seattle’s children turn to in 2021? While the Library’s most popular fiction books for kids were fairly unsurprising – bestselling titles by Dav Pilkey, Raina Telgemeier and Mo Willems dominated – the most popular kids’ nonfiction books last year were a more varied, surprising collection. Our young Library readers checked out… Continue reading
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What we read in 2021, nonfiction edition: The Library’s most popular nonfiction checkouts of last year
Curious about the nonfiction books that Seattle’s readers turned to in 2021? This is the second in a series on most popular Library checkouts from last year, including e-books and physical books. (See this post for a list of most popular novels of 2021.) This list ranks nonfiction books by combined circulation for e-books and… Continue reading
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Stream Your Own MLK Day Film Fest
As the ongoing pandemic presents challenges for those seeking to observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday in ways that are both meaningful and safe, we invite you to stream your own Martin Luther King Jr. film festival. The following documentaries from our collection are all available to stream, right now. (New to streaming movies… Continue reading
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What we read in 2021: The Seattle Public Library’s most popular novels of the year
Curious about the books that Seattle’s readers turned to in 2021? Or perhaps you’re building your booklist for 2022 and want to be inspired by others’ top picks? The Library just released a list of most popular checkouts from last year, including e-books and physical books. Fittingly, the most popular book checked out last was… Continue reading
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Cookbooks and food writing from the past year
Explore dumpling styles from around the world, cook everyday meals rich with Afghan history, get a dose of inspiration from Chinese bakeries, add some Filipino dishes to the next few weeks (and probably forever), or learn how to cook Hawaiian dishes — we have confidence that you can do it all, with the right guide.… Continue reading
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Aging in Place
If you ask most adults where they’d like to live as they grow older, most everyone says that they want to age in their own homes or in their local neighborhoods. It makes sense. People want to feel comfortable and live near familiar streets, parks, stores, and, of course, to neighbors and friends. But, it’s… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – January 2022
Happy 2022! The new year in nonfiction starts with guides to self-improvement, assessments of current events, momentous memoirs, and scenes from history. Continue reading
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New Year, Same You
At the beginning of the year, publishers typically release a slew of “new year, new you” books – guides to eating better, losing weight, decluttering your surroundings, and changing your thoughts to become a better person. But 2022 is different, and the trend has moved away from cheery, self-help platitudes and towards the reality of… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks for January 2022
We’re starting 2022 with eight new Peak Picks. Fiction features three debuts: A neurodivergent protagonist is at the center of the locked-room mystery The Maid by Nita Prose; the lives of four millennials are told in vignettes in Daphne Palasi Andreades’ Brown Girls; and Puerto Rican siblings cope with family baggage in Olga Dies Dreaming… Continue reading
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New to Always Available Audio
The library has added more than 40 new audiobooks to our collection of Always Available titles. We’ve highlighted some below, but be sure to check out the latest additions to the collection! Nonfiction.In 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think, Brianna Wiest presents short but provocative essays that guide readers towards seeking wisdom… Continue reading
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Staff Faves 2021: Graphic Novels
It seems like both the quantity and quality of graphic novels and graphic nonfiction just keeps increasing every year. This is great news for readers but it can feel a bit overwhelming when trying to find your next great graphic read. Luckily, our librarians read hundred of titles this year did a fantastic job sorting… Continue reading
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Seattle Staff Faves 2021: Nonfiction
We asked our staff across the city for their favorite nonfiction books published in 2021 — and what a great list we created together! Here’s a tease of some excellent nonfiction for adults, with a link at the end to the full list of 29 recommendations from your library staff. A Little Devil in America:… Continue reading
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Yarn Is All You Need
‘Tis the season to break out your yarn stash and start making some knots! My mom taught me to crochet at a very young age, though I mainly stuck to anything square shaped like scarfs and blankets. I finally started to branch out this year, and I’m finally making a hat, which inspired me to… Continue reading
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Library Explainer: Why We Float Collections
Did you know that some of the Library’s collections are floating again? Or that our floating collections save time and money, decrease hold times and expand the diversity of materials at a branch? In library terms, “floating” means that certain Library collections – such as mysteries, DVDs and children’s comics — stay at the Library… Continue reading