Nonfiction

  • Living in the Time of Drought(s)

    With the 8th hottest winter on record since 1895, the Washington State Department of Ecology declared a state-wide drought this week. Though there are limited exceptions for Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett metro areas, thoughtful consideration of your household’s water consumption can only help our local water ecologies. Below are some resources to help you consider… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – April 2024

    April is the peak of the spring publishing season, and this month’s nonfiction books do not disappoint! Blockbuster author Erik Larson’s latest, The Demon of Unrest, is a saga of hubris, heartbreak, and heroism at the dawn of the Civil War; Hampton Sides’ newest book, The Wide Wide Sea, tells a tale of imperial ambition,… Continue reading

  • Three (more) on a Theme: Tarot for the Future

    If my last post on the tarot in fiction piqued your interest in the tarot in general, but you aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered! There are many, many books out there on the tarot, from compendiums of esoteric texts to the late Rachel Pollack’s iconic works. The tarot… Continue reading

  • Wonders of the deep

    The oceans sing to us, with promises of adventure, wonder, the unknown. And so humans set out to discover what is under the waves. Check out these recent nonfiction books about the history and present of deep sea exploration, some of the awe inspiring things found there, and the compulsion to make a profit. The… Continue reading

  • Found in the Stacks: Subversive Stitches

    I recently completed my first ever cross-stitch: a bookmark with a Stephen King quote surrounded by moths and floral elements. It was a stunning red thread design on black cloth. I was immediately ready to take on a new project and headed into the book stacks at Central Library for inspiration. I scanned the shelves… Continue reading

  • Happy Black History Month 2024: Celebrating African Americans and the Arts

    Happy Black History Month 2024: Celebrating African Americans and the Arts

    Though we celebrate the accomplishments of the people of the African and Black Diaspora all year, every February provides an opportunity to focus on and highlight the history and contributions of African Americans. Black History Month has a different theme each year, and 2024’s theme is African Americans and the Arts. There is not enough… Continue reading

  • Data Privacy Week

    Nathan Merrells, Sr. Privacy Specialist of the City of Seattle, is our guest blogger today. He is part of the “small but mighty” privacy program within the City’s Information Technology department. The privacy team works diligently behind the scenes to ensure that the City’s Privacy Principles guide the actions that the City takes when collecting and using personal information. There are… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – February 2024

      February is brimming with eclectic essay collections, incisive memoirs, practical tools for self care, and perceptive observations on current events. Check out some of the most anticipated books for the month. MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid traces the lives of civil rights icons Medgar & Myrlie Evers. Katie Rogers considers the transformation of the modern First… Continue reading

  • And The Seattle Public Library’s Most Popular Book in 2023 Was …

    Now that we’ve turned the page on another year, it’s intriguing to look back and see which titles captured the interest of Seattle’s readers in 2023. Below are The Seattle Public Library’s top 10 checkouts in adult fiction and nonfiction (both print and e-books) and e-audiobooks for the year. How do these titles stack up… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – January 2024

    Happy 2024! It’s a new year, and we’ve got plenty of books for those of you looking to start the year off on a positive start, along with compelling histories, stimulating science, and lots more! Judson Brewer (Unwinding Anxiety) examines why we eat when we’re not hungry – and how to stop – in The… Continue reading

  • New Year’s Resolutions 2024

    Are you a devout resolution-maker, a goal-setter, or just someone who likes to consider new habits? As we ring in the New Year, read on for inspiration; or peruse our more in-depth booklist: New Year’s Resolutions 2024. Eating From Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-cooked Favorites From Cultures Around the World by Maya Feller Nutritionist and… Continue reading

  • Staff Faves 2023: Adult Nonfiction

    Library staff across the city weighed in on their favorite nonfiction books published in 2023 – and what a great, eclectic list we have! Read on for highlights of the excellent nonfiction included (these are books favorited by multiple staff), or jump right into the full 62-item list. Pageboy by Elliot Page “In this timely… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – December 2023

    There’s nothing better than a book to get you through the cold, windy, dark days of December. Check out the top nonfiction titles for the last month of the year. Former Republican leader Liz Cheney issues a warning to Americans who ignore the Constitution in Oath and Honor, while Tim Alberta reports on American evangelicals… Continue reading

  • A Day With(out) Art

    A Day With(out) Art

    By the late 1980’s, the AIDS crisis had reached a fever pitch in the United States. Afflicting primarily (but not exclusively) the gay male population, tens of thousands of people were dying every year, with elected officials responding at a snail’s pace, if at all. To emphasize the impact this was having on the arts… Continue reading

  • Native American Heritage Month Book Highlights

    In honor of November as Native American Heritage Month, check out these recent fiction and nonfiction titles for adults, or dig deeper with longer lists of Native American Fiction and Native American Nonfiction. Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah (fiction) We are made of the stories we tell, and that are told about… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks – late October to December

    19 titles are joining Peak Picks through the end of 2023! In adult fiction, National Book Award winner Alice McDermott provides a riveting account of women’s lives on the margins of the Vietnam War in Absolution; Jonathan Evison delivers a poignant story about a 102-year-old nursing home resident seeking love and redemption in Again and… Continue reading

  • 11 Not-to-Miss Author Events in October and November 2023

    Fall is a great time to sink into a riveting read. Even better: Read the book, and then see the author speak at one of these upcoming events with The Seattle Public Library. From Tananarive Due’s new horror novel set in Jim Crow-era Florida to Lauren Groff’s 17th century survival story to new books by… Continue reading

  • Protecting the Freedom to Read: Five Months of Books Unbanned

    “There are very few books with ANY minority characters at the libraries in my state, so I never see people like myself represented in written media.” – Age 16, Alabama “I am a young person living in a rural-adjacent area without access to a local library.” – Age 18, Nebraska “I live in a rural… Continue reading