Authors & Books
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A Peek at Peak Picks – October 2025
We’re adding ten new Peak Picks in October! In fiction, Anna North astonishes with the tale of Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist who is called to investigate a body found in a bog in Northwest England – but this body is unlike any she’s ever seen – in Bog Queen; Daniel H. Wilson draws on his… Continue reading
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Why Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Tessa Hulls Loves the Library
“I am an artist, writer and adventurer, and the library is one of my favorite places in the world,” said Tessa Hulls while at the International District-Chinatown Branch recently. You might know Tessa as the (sometimes) Seattle-based author and illustrator of the graphic memoir, “Feeding Ghosts,” which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Memoir/Autobiography earlier… Continue reading
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Hispanic Heritage Month 2025
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the histories and cultures of Latino/Latina/Latinx Americans with ancestry in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15. Librarians at the Seattle Public Library have created some lists to help readers discover and celebrate these voices, with select titles featured… Continue reading
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Middle Grade Fiction that Adults & Kids Will Love
Will I ever outgrow my love for middle grade novels? I think not. And I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to, either! There’s something magical about middle grade novels. They depict the thrills and pains and stumbles that come along with growing up and discovering ourselves. They can tell stories of lives… Continue reading
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Fall 2025 Author and Arts Events at the Library
When is the Library a comedy club? On Wednesday, Sept. 24, when guest curator Amy Hirayama kicks off a series of programs titled “Serious Play,” with a night of comedy gold from local comedians. This fall you can also explore the myth of bringing your authentic self to work with viral Ted Talk speaker Jodi-Ann… Continue reading
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Recent Novels from Washington Authors
From Seattle to Spokane and everywhere in between, Washington is home to many great authors. Check out this (small) selection of 2025 fiction releases by Washington authors. Intemperance by Sonora Jha In this satirical novel out in October, a woman nearing her 55th birthday decides to hold a contest inspired by an Indian ritual in… Continue reading
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New Recommended Reads for Teens – September 2025
A number of local schools publish their annual challenge lists in June and August. Here are some of their top picks for the upcoming school year, for both middle and high school readers! (MS = middle school readers) In Vera Brosgol’s graphic novel Plain Jane and the Mermaid, ordinary Jane finds herself suddenly alone in… Continue reading
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New Fiction Roundup, September 2025
September is back to school season, and whether that is literal for you or more figuratively just a time to return to more bookish pastimes, there are great new releases in September to check out. 9/2: To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage Steph Harper, member of the Cherokee Nation, has one goal: to… Continue reading
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How to Get Your Reading Groove Back
Last week, the Library’s own Stesha Brandon was interviewed on KUOW’s Meet Me Here” podcast about a Very Important Topic: How to get out of a reading slump and back into a reading groove. We’ve all had a reading slump, right? You’re reading restlessly, can’t settle in, bored of your favorite genres, looking for something… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – September 2025
The fall publishing season starts….now! Celebrity biographies (and poetry!), memoir, self care and cookbooks feature heavily this September. In biography and memoir, Charlie Sheen presents how he defied the odds after descending into “a vortex of extracurricular activities” in The Book of Sheen; TLC’s Sister Wives star Christine Brown Woolley pens a memoir about finding… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – September 2025
We’re adding eleven new Peak Picks in September! In nonfiction, Elizabeth Gilbert, who taught millions of readers to live authentically (Eat, Pray, Love) and creatively (Big Magic), shows how to break free with her first nonfiction book in a decade, All the Way to the River; Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Greenblatt explores the dangerous times and fatal genius… Continue reading
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Cool Reads for Summer Heat
Summer might be winding down, but the heat sure isn’t. Take a mental cool down with these summer reads, but reader beware: like the gorgeous, inviting waters of the Puget Sound, these pretty covers hide deep and sometimes dangerous undercurrents. In Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield, not all is fun in the sun for 18-year-old,… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2025: Monsters
What makes a monster? Is it feral and visually arresting – a furry creature with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth? Maybe your frame of reference is mythological: Medusa and her snakes, Scylla’s six hideous heads rising from the sea. Do you imagine the uncanny and unnatural – Frankenstein in his lab, foisting life onto… Continue reading
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Why Old Trees Matter: A Conversation with Lynda Mapes
As August draws to a close, our summer book club series with KUOW is wrapping up with a topic relevant to any northwesterner: the connections between trees, salmon, and Indigenous knowledge. On Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 6:30 p.m., Lynda Mapes will be at the Central Library auditorium to talk about her recent book, “The Trees… Continue reading
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Travel Through Time With These 4 Historical Fiction Novels
Sometimes we all need to take a break from our current world. A wonderful way to do this is to read historical fiction that transports us to a distant time and place, filled with rich details and fully developed characters. Perhaps this is escapism, but the best historical fiction not only teaches us about a… Continue reading
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Women in Translation
August is Women in Translation Month, an annual tradition that started in 2014 and seeks to celebrate and promote the work of women writing in languages other than English around the world. Consider reading one of these works of translated fiction by a female author. To Go on Living by Narine Abgaryan was originally written… Continue reading
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Hugo Award 2025 Finalists
Every year, the Hugo Awards celebrate some of the most exciting voices in science fiction and fantasy. This year, the ceremony will be right here in Seattle during Worldcon on August 16. From time travel and resurrected mammoths to graphic novels and YA adventures, the 2025 finalists offer something for every reader. This month, we’ve… Continue reading
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Teen Book Bingo, Round Two
Summer is half over! How easy is it to fill in your card? Here are more suggestions for each of our squares in the Teen Book Bingo, two titles per square. Finding books set in the Pacific Northwest can be a challenge. The easiest way to search for them is to do a keyword search… Continue reading