Nonfiction

  • Cozy Fall Cookbooks

    Cozy Fall Cookbooks

    Cookbooks are one of my favorite items to check out at the library, even just to flip through the pages and get inspired. Lately, I’ve been enjoying comfort cookbooks for the fall season. Here are a few of my recent favorites: The Complete Autumn & Winter Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen This America’s Test Kitchen… 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

  • 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

  • 4 More Surprising Things You Can Do Through the Library

    4 More Surprising Things You Can Do Through the Library

    In September, we published an article in the Seattle Times (and on this blog!) that shared insider tips from Library staff about cool, lesser-known Library services or collections. Since we couldn’t begin to fit all of the ideas in one article, here’s an encore, shared by staff in a variety of roles. (Share your ideas… Continue reading

  • Election Resources and Accessible Voting at SPL

    Election Resources and Accessible Voting at SPL

    With less than three weeks to go before Election Day on November 5, 2024, the Library has registration events, booklists, and other informational resources to help inform you on the voting process. Don’t forget to check out this list of Election Resources on the library website for ballot box locations, lists of elected officials, and… Continue reading

  • Highways and Byways

    Roads are infrastructure so ubiquitous they almost resist noticing – until a pothole takes out your axle, or a landslide prevents you from getting to your vacation cabin. But their very existence – from placement, to number of lanes, and more – is also deeply political with profound local impacts. Two recent books look at… 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 Nonfiction Roundup – October 2024

    It’s peak publishing season and October’s nonfiction releases will be in demand. Check out these top picks for the month. In biography and memoir, the wilds of Graceland are the setting for Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir From Here to the Great Unknown (completed by her daughter Riley Keough following Presley’s death in 2023). Stanley Tucci… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – September 2024

    We’re back! We took the summer off but are ready to resume our list of notable nonfiction books arriving in September – in addition to our stellar line-up of Peak Picks. We’re kicking it off with cookbooks, including two from celebrities: Dolly Parton teams up with her sister Rachel for a year of meals, friends… 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

  • Book Bingo NW 2024: Refugee/Immigrant Memoir

    Memoirs are a wonderful way to experience what Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop termed “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors,” the ways we as readers can see ourselves and others through books. Given that more than 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced, reading the stories of refugees and immigrants is particularly important for highlighting… Continue reading

  • Sports Romances to Accompany the Summer Olympics

    The 2024 Olympics kick off in Paris on Friday, July 26, and sports content is on everyone’s minds. If you want to immerse yourself further in the world of competitive sports, check out a sports romance, perfect for indulging fantasies of the goings-on in Olympic Village! As a recent convert to the joys of women’s… Continue reading

  • 5 Books to Accompany Summer Music Festival Season

    Reprinted with permission from the Seattle Times.  If you anticipate attending this season’s events or just want to stay in that frequency, here are five books about music and musical artists to keep you on beat this summer.  Have you ever coveted an object related to an artist or band you loved? “Nina Simone’s Gum”… Continue reading

  • Round Out Pride Month with These 4 Books from LGBTQ+ Writers

    In an often unwelcoming world, many LGBTQ+ people cultivate what they call “chosen family,” creating networks of support that are vital in the best and worst of times. In honor of Pride Month, we recommend four books that speak to the power of queer community as an antidote to hate, intolerance and division. These books,… Continue reading

  • Get a Jump-Start on 2024 Summer Book Bingo With These 4 Books

    This year marks the Seattle Public Library’s 10th year of the Summer Book Bingo program, in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures. Book Bingo celebrates reading and discovery and incentivizes participation with a drawing for prizes. This year, we have the exciting addition of Teen Book Bingo, offering teen-focused challenges and prizes! And Spanish-language readers can… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – May 2024

    George Stephanopolous recounts the inside story of 12 presidents during moments of crisis, from JFK to Biden, in The Situation Room while historian Jon Meacham reflects on the life of George H.W. Bush in The Call to Serve. Former White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki shares lessons from work, the White… Continue reading

  • Dig Into These Books for Spring

    Read the latest column by Reader Services librarian Misha Stone on the Seattle Times website or below, where it’s republished with permission. The Seattle Public Library loves to promote books and reading. This column, submitted by the library, will be a space to promote reading and book trends from a librarian’s perspective. You can find these… Continue reading

  • Cook the Books

    When you finish a novel that includes a strong food theme, you may want to make a dish that continues those yummy good book feelings. Or maybe you’re part of (or want to start) a combo book club/potluck. Some of the books below already include recipes, but here are some suggestions to go even further,… Continue reading