Nonfiction

  • Seattle Cooks…Digitally

    Everyone knows that The Seattle Public Library has an outstanding cookbook collection. But you may not know that you can check out “e-cookbooks” through OverDrive. If you’re a messy cook prone to spilling ingredients on page after page, then this could be the best option for you! OverDrive has more than two dozen cookbooks, food and wine… Continue reading

  • If Walls Could Talk: The Bussell Family – Part 2

    By Jade D If you missed my first post about the history of the Bussell family and their home, take a look at Part 1 to catch up! So here’s what really happened, as best as I can tell. Charles Bussell and his first wife, Elizabeth, bought their Madrona home in 1900. Despite the stately… Continue reading

  • If Walls Could Talk: The Bussell Family – Part 1

    ~posted by Jade It all began with a picture of a house. I was researching a recent addition to our Seattle Historical Photograph Collection and all I had to go on was the name “Bussell” on the back of the photograph. Quick searches in HistoryLink and the Seattle Times historical newspaper database revealed it to… Continue reading

  • Get Your Banh Mi On

    I love banh mi! Those amazing Vietnamese sandwiches have occupied many coffee shop visits with friends. However, finding time to go get my banh mi fix can be somewhat of a pain. But then…The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches by Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen crossed my path one day at work and when… Continue reading

  • Tigers!

    ~posted by SPL staff Tigers (Panthera tigris), the largest of all cats, are critically endangered. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), fewer than 2,500 adult tigers remain in the wild today. There were over 100,000 a century ago. They have lost over 90% of their natural habitat and are now found… Continue reading

  • Driving with my Favorite Celebrities: Audiobook Memoirs Read by the Author

    I’m obsessed. Listening to audiobook memoirs during my daily commute, my favorites are read by the authors themselves. It makes the ride more enjoyable, and there is something special about listening to a person read aloud their own memoir. It feels like they’re sitting right there, sharing their story with me and me alone. Here… Continue reading

  • How to Prevent & Survive Identity Theft

    By Ann G. Identity theft is increasingly common, and we all should be aware of how to protect ourselves—it really could happen to any one of us! It takes some work to theft-proof your life, but it is far less work than it takes to fix the problem after there has been a breach. Here… Continue reading

  • Delicious Cooking Within Your Budget

    By Ann G. If you walk the aisles of the Library’s cookbook section (and, at the Central Library, that is several aisles!), you will see a wide range of books with delectable-looking recipes. Truffles, chocolate, caviar, fine wine—it all looks so good, and so out of reach for those of us with normal budgets. But… Continue reading

  • Going Green to Save Some Green

    By Tina M. Don’t worry, it’s all about the small things! Earth Day is April 22nd and so is our Money Smart Week. Every year, I promise to be more “environmentally friendly” and “save more money.” It’s not as easy as it looks, but by adding one thing at a time – say one thing… Continue reading

  • Let’s Talk Money, Honey

    By Meadow P. Money may well be the most challenging aspect of our so-called adult lives, and yet we are so reluctant to discuss it with others for fear of looking the financial fool. It’s time we embrace financial education and make it part of our regular conversations. A fantastic way to do this is… Continue reading

  • Money Smart Week at the Library, April 18-28

    Interested in learning how to live within a monthly budget, manage debt and maintain good credit, and more? Come check out our Money Smart Week programs! As part of the national Money Smart Week movement, which you can check out at moneysmartweek.org, The Seattle Public Library has offerings including: Free Financial Family Fun Fest (it will… Continue reading

  • Begin the Poem

    ~posted by Library Staff Let’s get down to business, the business of beginning to enter the poem. It will cost you, you know, time and more time that you can imagine.  But, if you allow yourself the journey, if you permit the path to form then may you, traveler, travel on, On Poetry. There is… Continue reading

  • The Possibility of Poetry

    By Library Staff Sometime, during this season of growth, why not follow that bud of thought and branch out, bloom into the possibility of poetry. Poetry is as wide-mouthed as a nest of hungry birds. Where to begin but with that squiggly line of a title whose scent reeks of earthbound adventures beckoning you to… Continue reading

  • Not Just Another Book About Women in Rock

    ~ posted by Abby Women have always been a part of rock and roll – as musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, promoters, critics, fans and much more. Yet their stories have often been overlooked in rock writing. Thankfully, this myopia is finally receiving a serious corrective, with more and more women writing about their involvement in… Continue reading

  • Hearing History

    ~posted by Jenny C. I’m a fan of history – reading books based in historical times (yes, sometimes even the romances), enjoying biographies of interesting people, delighting in extensive footnotes, and recreating historical activities, like folk dancing and fencing. What I like even better is experiencing original materials – all the weird and wonderful vocabulary… Continue reading

  • Girls on the Run

    Last year I took part in a program called Girls on the Run. I volunteered to be a Running Buddy for Highland Park Elementary School, located a block from where I grew up. As a Running Buddy you get partnered with a girl to run a practice 5K, then run the Girls on the Run… Continue reading

  • Books and Their Blogs

    I started following Elsie Larson’s blog A Beautiful Mess in February of 2009. I also followed her sister’s blog Food Coma until she officially moved over to A Beautiful Mess and together those two have created DIY wonderment. With their amazing sense of style they create a vibrant and project-filled adventure with each new post.… Continue reading

  • Postmarked with Love

    ~posted by Jade In honor of Valentine’s Day and the spirit of sending messages to loved ones, I’m sharing a couple of fun postcards from our online Historic Seattle Postcard Collection. One of my favorite parts about this collection is finding postcards that include messages between friends and family. These brief notes can reveal some… Continue reading