Nonfiction

  • 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

  • The Art of Protest

    With things heating up in labor movements, the increase of book bans, and continued infringements on the rights of BIPOC and queer people across the country, the art of protest is more important than ever. And by art of protest, I mean not just the act of protesting, but the literal art that people make… Continue reading

  • Looking Towards a Fiery Future

    The devastating fire in Maui is the most recent reminder that uncontrolled fires are happening more often, in more places, at a more harmful scale than ever before, and will only continue to do so as climate change contributes to our warming planet. Writers are grappling with these realities, looking back for lessons even as… Continue reading

  • Bisexuality Visibility Day Picks

    Bisexuality Visibility Day Picks

    Bisexuality Visibility Day, celebrated annually on September 23, is a chance to bring awareness to bi people around the world. A diverse and vast community, bi authors create works to educate, entertain, and acknowledge the existence and experiences of this identity. Here are some recent titles to check out! In Robin Gow’s Ode to My First… Continue reading

  • Making friends: creating community as adults

    How do you make friends and cultivate community as an adult? You may have noticed an uptick in studies and reporting about loneliness, social isolation, a widespread breakdown of community. Or maybe you’ve been feeling it yourself. Here are a few books that look past romantic relationships to argue for the importance of friendships in… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – September 2023

      September marks the beginning of the fall publishing season, and some outstanding nonfiction will be released this month! Check out these top nonfiction picks. Bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson profiles fascinating and controversial innovator Elon Musk, while Anderson Cooper chronicles another legendary American family in Astor. Jill Duggar reveals the secrets behind the TLC reality… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2023: Workers’ Rights!

    Are you well into #hotlaborsummer and still looking for stories of solidarity to fill out your workers’ rights Bingo square? I’ve got plenty of books for the bargaining table below. On the Line: A Story of Class, Solidarity, and Two Women’s Epic Fight to Build a Union by Daisy Pitkin First up is a harrowing… Continue reading

  • ‘Black Activism in Print’ Exhibit Highlights Art and Community Activism

    Black Activism in Print: Visual Art from the African American Collection, now on view at the Level 8 Gallery of the Central Library, is more than just an art exhibit. Though it features beautiful art prints by prominent artists and activists Charles White and Elizabeth Catlett, it is also a wonderful opportunity to learn about… Continue reading

  • Get a Kick Out of These Picks

    The FIFA Women’s World Cup is ongoing now until August 20th, and fans across the world are captivated by women’s soccer (football anywhere but here) being played in Australia and New Zealand. If your goals include reading books about women in soccer, check out these keepers and run with it! In Racquel Marie’s You Don’t… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2023: Indigenous Author

    As I’m writing now on the lands of the Coast Salish people, specifically the Duwamish, in a city named for Duwamish and Suquamish Chief Seattle, it feels appropriate to recognize the many ways Indigenous individuals and nations have shaped our society. One way we can do this is by centering Indigenous creators, like Indigenous authors,… Continue reading

  • New Nonfiction Roundup – August 2023

    The lazy days of summer are the best time to immerse yourself in a good read. Biographies and memoirs are plentiful in August, along with a wide range of essays and histories. In biography, Yunte Huang narrates the life story of Anna May Wong, old Hollywood’s most famous Chinese American actress, in Daughter of the… Continue reading

  • Huzzah! It’s a Ren Faire!

    Hail library patrons and well met! Summertime Renaissance Faire season is upon us! Here are a few items we hope will excite and inspire you to join in the revelry. Let the anachronistic good times roll! For some background, have you ever wondered how the idea of a modern Ren Faire came about? In Rachel… Continue reading

  • A Peek at Peak Picks – August 2023

    Nine new titles are joining Peak Picks in August! In fiction, Nicola Dunn debuts with the story of a queer couple in London and the challenges they face when one of them decides to transition in Bellies; Elizabeth Acevedo’s first adult novel focuses on the women of a Dominican American family as they prepare for… Continue reading

  • Introduction to Appalachian Literature, Part 2: Nonfiction

    In my last post, I introduced you to several notable fiction titles in Appalachian literature. In this post, I’m highlighting three nonfiction titles that give you a glimpse into the history and diverse lived experiences of the region. The Southern Review of Books calls titles such as these a “new wave of Appalachian literature [that]… Continue reading