Nonfiction

  • Book Bingo: Memoirs

    Join The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Arts & Lectures for our 2nd annual Summer Book Bingo for adults! Follow us throughout the summer for reading suggestions based on each category. From gossipy tell-alls to the extraordinary lives of ordinary individuals, the popularity of memoirs endure. Here are some memoirs to consider for Book Bingo – and… Continue reading

  • Language Learning Resources for Children

    Learning another language is not just for adults who want to travel. When children learn another language they improve their vocabulary and cognitive ability, so it is no wonder many parents are now starting their kids off young. Even just learning a few words can be useful. There are many fun and easy ways to… Continue reading

  • Book Bingo: #WeNeedDiverseBooks

    Join The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Arts & Lectures for our 2nd annual Summer Book Bingo for adults! Follow us throughout the summer for reading suggestions based on each category. The #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign launched in April 2014 by calling out the lack of diverse narratives in children’s literature. This grassroots effort advocates for essential changes in the publishing… Continue reading

  • Life in the City: Unique Perspectives on Urban Living

    It’s no secret that Seattle is going through a boom. For some of us, it’s an exhilarating time as we build housing and transit on our way to becoming a vibrant and diverse first-class city. For others, it’s an overwhelming period where we yearn for less congestion, greater civic pride, and the simpler, less-bustling days of… Continue reading

  • A Plethora of Language Learning Resources

    Have you decided what language you want to learn? If you missed our first post on language learning and want advice on how to decide which language to learn then click here. If you already know which language you want to learn then let’s jump right in. The majority of language learners are doing it for… Continue reading

  • Weird and Wonderful Nonfiction

    Have you read up on bog bodies and tripe? Are you caught up on clothing that kills and bad clowns? If so, here’s another group of wonderfully weird nonfiction. Goatman: How I Took a Holiday from being Human follows Thomas Thwaites as he dons a goat exoskeleton and lives among a herd of goats in the… Continue reading

  • May is National Bike Month!

    “Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.” – Mark Twain, Taming the Bicycle Whether you are an experienced cyclist or beginner, now is a good time to re-commit to Pedal Power. Perhaps you want more exercise. Perhaps you feel guilty with your greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps you want to know Seattle… Continue reading

  • Celebrating 100 Years of the National Park Service

    2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service. Not to be mistaken with the designation of national park land, which began more than a century ago, the National Parks Service is composed of all the people who keep those parks functioning and open to the public: park rangers, visitor center interpreters, maintenance staff,… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for April

    First off, I moved to Tacoma. I gotta say I never thought I’d move from Seattle, but life happens and between rent increases and a boy I made the plunge to the sassy sister to the south! One of the many highlights of my move has actually been my bus commute. That’s not something you… Continue reading

  • How to Find a Financial Planner (for Non-Millionaires)

      ~posted by Ann G. Getting your finances in order can seem daunting, especially if you are not wealthy.  You know that most of us are in very good company in wondering how to get good financial advice at lower (!) incomes if you consider that a household income of $450,000 a year puts you… Continue reading

  • Free and Inexpensive Activities in Seattle

    ~posted by Tina M.  Looking for things to do this spring and summer, but you’re on a budget? Well, look no further! In this post you will learn about fun, free (or insanely cheap) things to do on your own or with your kids and family! Recreational Activities: Fortunately for Seattleites, there are plenty of… Continue reading

  • How To Identify Spring Flowers

    -posted by Nicole S. If you are like me, you stop and smell flowers. From swampy skunk cabbage to the lovely rose, we are lucky to live in a temperate climate and a city of horticulturists – where flowers abound year round. But if you are also like me, you do not know many plant… Continue reading

  • Birds Near and Far

    -posted by library staff April is a fine month to turn our attention to wild birds. With the longer days of springtime, there are more opportunities to hear the joyous songs of our busy local birds. I enjoyed a melodious treat recently on an early evening walk in my neighborhood. The Central Library boasts a… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Much Ado About Costumes

    ~posted by Ann G. Shakespeare’s First Folio is still here in Seattle for a few more days—if you haven’t gotten a chance to stop by, consider getting tickets and coming to see it! The library hosted a program recently called “Make Your Own Shakespearean Costume”; we had stations where you could make ruffs, cuffs, brooches, beards, and… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Shadows of Shakespeare: Biographies of a Folio and a Forger

    ~posted by Carl When William Shakespeare died in 1616, he was not yet the literary giant of the English language. His reputation grew over the centuries, following the development of the Shakespearean cult in the 18th century. About seven years after Shakespeare died, his colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell published the first collection of… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Shakespeare’s Restless World

    ~posted by Carl Hundreds of years from now, what could investigators conclude about our society from finding a smartphone or GPS device? What about a Styrofoam lunch tray or a pizza delivery box? In the work Shakespeare’s Restless World: A Portrait of An Era in Twenty Objects, Neil MacGregor of the British Museum looks at… Continue reading

  • Seattle Repertory Theatre’s “brownsville song (b-side for tray)” – Beyond the Theatre

    ~posted by Abby B. When high school senior Tramaine (“Tray”) Berry Thompson is killed by a random act of gun violence, his family and friends seek hope and resilience in their memories of his vibrant, all-too-brief existence. Stories like Tray’s are sadly all too common in America today. In fact, playwright Kimber Lee was inspired… Continue reading

  • Courier and Lives: For the Love of Letters

    ~posted by Rebecca K. “We have never talked together the way we have sometimes in letters. Why do I meet people better in letters?” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh A previous post talked about why handwriting is good for your health. Today let’s explore the enjoyment of writing and receiving letters! What makes a handwritten letter… Continue reading