Fiction

  • New fiction roundup, November 2023

    The days are short, the nights are long … curl up with a thriller, a romance, or some thought provoking general fiction. 11/1: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen This first in a new series from the Rizzoli & Isles author finds retired spy Maggie Bird turning to her book club of former spies to… Continue reading

  • Indigenous Fiction and Nonfiction for Teens

    To honor Native American Heritage Month, here are some of the newest titles by Indigenous authors of North America. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley Working at a summer job that brings her to the local tribal heritage museum, Perry learns of the Warrior Girl, an ancestor of her people whose bones and knives are… Continue reading

  • YA and Adult Book Pairings

    If my own tastes in reading are any indication, there’s less of a divide between those who read young adult and adult books than some might think. As a former Teen Services Librarian and current Adult Services Librarian, my reading is split about 50/50 between teen and adult books. Like macaroni and cheese, wine and… 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

  • Three on a Theme: Cozy Horror

    ‘Tis the season for terrifying tales! But do they all have to be terrifying? Could they also be cozy? Yes, they absolutely can be cozy! What constitutes a “cozy” horror story is highly subjective, but some common examples that folks reference are The Addams Family, Over the Garden Wall, Scary Stories to Tell in the… Continue reading

  • In the Deep Dark Woods

    Growing up with the woods at my back in Central Oregon, forests have always been closest to the sublime for me. Forests hold beauty, magic, mystery, and little bit of terror – there is nothing quite so eerie as the silence of the woods on a snowy winter’s day. Since moving to Seattle, with its… Continue reading

  • Using Horror to Expose Truths About Race: Tananarive Due at the Central Library on Nov. 1

    Using Horror to Expose Truths About Race: Tananarive Due at the Central Library on Nov. 1

    Halloween might be on Oct. 31, but the season continues at the Central Library on Wednesday, Nov. 1, when award-winning horror writer and Jordan Peele collaborator Tananarive Due appears to discuss her much-anticipated new novel “The Reformatory,” just one day after it’s released. The event, which runs from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., is free… Continue reading

  • Haunted Houses

    When it comes to horror tropes, the haunted house is one of my favorites, and this year I’m in luck as we have a bounty of horror fiction featuring haunted houses to choose from. Given that horror is often seen as a lens on contemporary fears and anxieties, both as exploration and commentary, I wondered… Continue reading

  • Murder: What’s Age Got to Do With It?

    The beginning of autumn always makes me want to curl up with a good book and a steaming mug of tea and nothing is cozier to me than a cozy mystery. With protagonists ranging from “your average 30 something whose life has been upended and must return home” to (usually) “single women who inherit mysterious… Continue reading

  • Horror Tales for Teens

    Horror Tales for Teens

    Halloween is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to read these terrifying tales? In Katie Alender’s The Companion, orphaned Margot learns that she is being brought to live with a wealthy family to be a companion to their daughter Agatha, who is completely silent. After a series of strange events, it appears… 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

  • 1990s Vampires

    The days are getting shorter and colder, the fog is rolling in every morning. Fall has arrived, and with it, spooky season! Many may be familiar with local sparkly vampires, but for horror fans looking for a more menacing take on the creature, check out these three titles. My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, October 2023

    October brings a robust slate of fresh horror reads, plus new books from heavy hitters like John Grisham, Jesmyn Ward, Jonathan Lethem, Jhumpa Lahiri, and more! 10/3: Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem Residents of one Brooklyn neighborhood experience – but remember differently – community, crime, real estate speculation and gentrification over 50 years. (general… 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

  • 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

  • Jewish Reads for the High Holidays

    As we move into the High Holiday season, with Rosh Hashanah starting on September 15 and Yom Kippur on September 24, why not try a new book by a Jewish author? These represent many different experiences of Judaism, with some identifying strongly with the religion, others with the culture, and there are as many ways… Continue reading

  • Author Spotlight: T. Kingfisher

    Fall is upon us, and with spooky season right around the corner, I can’t think of a better time to put T. Kingfisher on your radar. T. Kingfisher, aka Ursula Vernon (who writes children’s books under that name), is a prolific writer of humorous and often terrifying works of fantasy and horror. Some of her… Continue reading

  • New Fiction Roundup, September 2023

    September brings a bumper crop of excellent fiction, including early horror titles, deep explorations of moments in American history, and much more. 9/5: Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood Grace Adams has hit 45 years old, and she’s losing it. Stuck in traffic one day, she gets out of her car and sets off across… Continue reading