Fiction
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21 Irish Novels for the 21st Century
Let’s just get this out of the way: this St. Patrick’s Day list of 21 Irish Novels for the 21st Century is absurdly incomplete. Where are Colm Tóibín, Emma Donoghue, Roddy Doyle or William Trevor? There’s no Anne Enright, or John Boyne, or John Banville or his alter-ego Benjamin Black; no Tana French or Ken Bruen… Continue reading
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Make It Long
Last week I suggested that reading shorter works could kickstart a reading habit stalled due to short attention span. But maybe you’re a reader who wants a loooooong read. Short novellas have fast pay off, but the reader does have to do the work of getting into the world created by the author. A long… Continue reading
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Keep It Short
How are our attention spans these days? I had a project to keep me reading last year, but in 2021 I have lost my reading focus. To try to get back in the groove I’ve been turning to novellas, short works that tell a complete story in less than 200 pages. I’m hoping the momentum… Continue reading
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A guide to exploring new genres
Each year, groups of librarians from across the country hole up in a room (this year, a virtual room) to discuss and select the best books from the year before. The Notable Books List features literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; the Listen List is all about outstanding audiobooks; and The Reading List, which I want… Continue reading
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The Irresistible Lure of Russian Literature
Recently, a curious thing happened in the Library’s beloved Peak Picks collection (still very much available at a curbside location near you, by the way); we featured a not unscholarly explication 19th Century Russian literature. Admittedly, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, in which four Russians give a master class on writing, reading, and… Continue reading
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Black History Month reading inspiration: short stories
While February is a short month — too short — I decided to celebrate this Black History Month by reading a short story a day by Black authors. I have been rotating through a variety of anthologies and collections, delighted by the discoveries within: Heads of the Colored People: Stories by Nafissa Thompson-SpiresMy favorite story… Continue reading
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Read Something Amorous
Maybe it’s Bridgerton, or the promise of Spring; Valentine’s Day, or the promise of vaccination day, but more and more readers these days are discovering the wondrous and diverse world of romance fiction. Ever one of the most popular genres around, last year saw rising numbers of romance readers, with more expected in the year… Continue reading
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America’s forgotten white supremacist coup d’état
The questions we get at the library are a barometer of what is on our collective minds, so it comes as no surprise that this week people have been asking us just what is a ‘coup’? The word ‘coup’ is a French word meaning ‘strike’ or ‘blow,’ and when combined with ‘état,’ or ‘state,’ we… Continue reading
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Nuevos títulos en español en la Biblioteca / New Spanish books in the Library
La Biblioteca Pública de Seattle, como muchas otras bibliotecas durante la pandemia; siguió comprando libros en español, dándole énfasis a otro formato, los ebook o libros electrónicos. A muchos usuarios de la biblioteca no les gusta leer libros en formato electrónico. Y yo soy una de ellas, me gusta el olor a libro nuevo, a… Continue reading
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Lessons learned from reading a short story a day
When the library closed for the pandemic on March 13th and I contemplated the altered days ahead, I had a revelation. I decided that I would tackle a goal I had long held–to read more short stories. Every year I feel hard pressed to read enough of the newly-published fiction and nonfiction to feel grounded… Continue reading
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Watch and Read: Stranger Things
While I can honestly watch Stranger Things over and over and over again we have so much material that adds on to the Stranger Things universe to quench your nerdy hearts. As well as a few reads to give you the same feeling the show did – for all ages! The Stranger Things Field Guild… Continue reading
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Christmas Horror!
Ah, Christmas! A magical time filled with colored lights, falling snow, and visits from old St Nick. Yet colored lights can’t hide the fact that each day it gets darker earlier and stays dark longer. Falling snow is awfully good at making footprints look strangely shaped or just covering them up all together. And isn’t… Continue reading
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Mixing History with Mystery
Fellow readers, there are few things I love more than crossover titles – books with footing in multiple genres. I am a huge mystery reader, and I will follow mystery plots into many other genres. Today, let’s talk about some new mysteries that are also quite good historical fiction titles. The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne… Continue reading
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The Romance of Reality TV
One of my guilty pleasures is watching Romance reality TV. Specifically, lately, it has been 90 Day Fiance, including the spinoff show, The Other Way. Since I am watching this on a streaming service, I am always a season or two behind. Unlike others, I started my obsession with reality TV by watching The Amazing… Continue reading
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The Inimitable P.G. Wodehouse
P G Wodehouse was a prolific writer, with nearly all of his stories set among British aristocracy and/or in the proverbial ‘polite society’ of 1920s and 30s Britain. Knowingly or not, he somewhat reflected the naïve obliviousness of a few of his characters in his real life. After moving to France and being captured by… Continue reading
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Queering Historical Fiction & Historical Fantasy
Queer literature is booming right now, with more and better representation of LGBTQIA+ characters every year. Here are some recent historical novels and historical/alternate history fantasy to check out. First, some historical novels with queer protagonists: The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco is one gritty historical debut. It has a pretty fast-paced bent, introducing… Continue reading
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Watch and Read: The Queen’s Gambit
Just like with books, shows will also leave me wanting more. While The Queen’s Gambit is based on a book by Walter S. Tevis it’s also pretty darn popular right now, as anyone who has seen the show can probably imagine. So here are a few other diamonds in the rough to get you through…and… Continue reading
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Curl Up With a Cozy Cat Mystery
As night descends sooner and sooner and light autumn rain patters on your windowsill, you may want to consider which books to read with your hot tea as you snuggle in a warm, fleece-lined blanket. Here are five cozy cat mystery series to curl up with. Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda JamesTake a… Continue reading