Authors & Books
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Exploring the Library’s Photography Books
I love reading photography books. Flipping through their pages brings a much-needed sense of creativity and inspiration, while also providing a window into history, community, and the world around us. Here are some that I have enjoyed recently: Pilgrimage Annie Leibovitz travels to locations that hold meaning for her, including Emily Dickinson’s house in Amherst,… Continue reading
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February and March 2026 Events at the Library: Red Floor Poetry, Healing Fiction and More
If you could use a heart-centered program right about now, go to the Library. Make a zine for someone special on an upcoming Saturday; watch multidisciplinary artist Miz Floes perform a neighborhood narrative in a fusion of spoken word and theater on Feb. 19; or take your beloved to the Red Floor for love poetry… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – February 2026
We’re adding ten Peak Picks in February! In fiction, Jonathan Miles (“a writer so virtuosic that readers will feel themselves becoming better, more observant people from reading him”– Los Angeles Times) delivers a blackly comic literary gem in which a broken man confronts a broken world on an uninhabited Pacific island in Eradication; Jasmin Kirkbridge debuts with a… Continue reading
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“We Belong Together”: New Series by Guest Curator Amber Flame
Could you use a little more community, connection, and cheap date ideas this winter? We have just the series for you. Writer and interdisciplinary artist Amber Flame has guest-curated a new series titled “We Belong Together” at the Central Library. With a kickoff event this Sunday, Jan. 25, the three events will explore how we expand… Continue reading
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Why We Read: 6 Books Explore the Pull of the Page
Many of us start the new year with a resolution to read more. We hear that it’s good for us, helps us unplug, opens our mind and gives us space to escape our daily stresses. But what else does reading provide, and what are its perils? These recent memoirs and books about reading explore this question… Continue reading
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Series Highlight: Black Dawn from AK Press
Science and Speculative Fiction has long been a way to explore other ways of existence, as well as a way to think about current moments through alternative lenses. In 2021 AK press, a worker-run, collectively managed anarchist small press that aims to “expand minds and change worlds,” launched Black Dawn, a series of speculative fiction… Continue reading
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So, You Wanna Join a Cult? A Primer.
Cult stories seem to be having a bit of a moment in our cultural consciousness (go figure), usually the weirder the better. From the ancient Greek Mysteries to Charles Manson to Midsommar, humanity’s cultural landscape is littered with cults. They equally fascinate and repel, highlighting how our deepest longings to belong can so easily be… Continue reading
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Time is Fake!
“Happy” “New” “Year”? Celebrating the passage of time freaks me out. I feel unsettled by the acknowledgement that humans assign numbers and meaning to our spins through space and time. And we don’t even all use the same calendar! Time feels increasingly fake to me. I spent most of my college astronomy class either fighting… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – January 2026
It’s a new year, and a time for reinvention. In addition to a host of “new year, new you” self improvement books, January has plenty of histories, memoir and other noteworthy nonfiction to consider. Take the next step in the Love Language revolution and discover how to personalize love so you really feel it in The… Continue reading
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Winter 2026 Author and Community Events at the Library
Soak in creative and cozy winter vibes at Library programs in January and February. Browse zines and make your own on Saturdays at the ZAPP Zine Collection, celebrate the 60th anniversary of “Dark Shadows,” enjoy love poetry on the Central Library’s Red Floor with guest curator Amber Flame, and more. All Library events are free… Continue reading
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Adult Titles with Teen Appeal – January 2026
We are updating our Adult Titles with Teen Allure list for 2026! Here are some of the best new books written for and marketed to adults, but which have a ton of appeal for teens. When disability activist and blogger Melissa Blake was trolled for putting pictures of herself online, she turned the tables on… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – January 2026
We’re adding ten new books to Peak Picks in January! In fiction, Gabriel Tallent’s sophomore novel tells a story of intense friendship and grit, following two down-and-out teens who escape their lives and chase a different future through rock-climbing in Crux; Rosie Storey debuts with a modern love story about a woman who leads… Continue reading
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6 Books That Take Place in One Day
Stories with compressed timelines of 24 hours, with some flashbacks thrown in, take center stage here to showcase just how much one day can really make a difference. “One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America” by Gene Weingarten starts with the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist choosing dates out of a hat. He… Continue reading
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Whimsigoth – Three Variations on an Aesthetic
The final core we three wish to leave you with this year is the effervescent, highly mutable, slightly dark, yet utterly magical core of whimsigoth. May these suggestions spark warm fizzes of delight amidst the deep dark grey of winter. Meranda: My first taste of whimsigoth came from The Addams Family. The dark aesthetics, the… Continue reading
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What Seattle Read in 2025: The Library’s Most Popular Checkouts
It’s always fascinating to compile The Seattle Public Library’s top checkouts for the year to get a sense of what’s been on the minds of Seattle’s readers. In 2025, they turned closer to home and explored local voices — perhaps not surprising given the state of national dialogue. Several of our most checked-out print books… Continue reading
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While You Wait: Heated Rivalry
Perhaps you are enjoying the new television series Heated Rivalry. Maybe you have watched every episode as it has been released, read this interview with the actors and this one too. You probably found this interview with Chala Hunter, the intimacy coordinator for the series, fascinating. Perchance you even started learning Russian for free with… Continue reading
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No Wait? No Way! Always Available Digital Collections
One of the library’s best kept secrets is our collection of always available digital books and audiobooks. They can be checked out simultaneously, and checkouts are unlimited. Perfect for book groups or reconnecting with a personal favorite, these collections provide 24/7 access to timeless classics alongside brand new releases. The library just added “Mysteries and Thrillers… Continue reading
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Winter Break 2025 Activities at The Seattle Public Library
Looking for family fun and community while the kids are on winter break? Our libraries have planned board game bashes, crafternoons, maker events and early New Year’s parties. We are also hosting regular story times and other family programming. You can also stop by one of The Seattle Public Library’s locations any day we’re open… Continue reading