Nonfiction
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Cemetery Walks
Death is a frequently fraught topic, deeply tied to cultural and religious customs, philosophy, and fear. And so, walking around a cemetery can tell you a lot about a place and a people. What a treat, then, to find four recent books that invite us into the lives of final resting places around the world.… Continue reading
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4 Poetry Collections that Celebrate the Black Diaspora
Black people throughout the diaspora have long preserved their dynamic cultures through African and African American oral traditions and poetry. Poets of the Black/African diaspora write passionately and often pull from many Black poetry forms and traditions to express collective and individual joy, survival, pain, and various facets of their lives. The collections suggested here explore, celebrate… Continue reading
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New Teen Nonfiction
Readers often gravitate towards fiction for their pleasure reading, but there are tons of great books that are completely true and make for compelling reading. Here are some newer titles that you may have missed. MS = middle school Barb Rosenstock’s book American Spirits recounts how sisters Kate and Maggie could explain strange rapping sounds in their house by communicating with the… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – March 2026
Spring is not quite here yet, but the spring publishing season has arrived in full force! Check out some of most anticipated nonfiction coming out this month. Christina Applegate considers her life, from star of Married with Children and Anchroman to her role as an advocate for herself and others living with multiple sclerosis in… Continue reading
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Books to Help You Start (and Finish!) Writing Your Novel
Have you always wanted to write a novel? Or are you feeling stuck with your current draft? Wherever you are in your writing project, the library carries many books that can help with inspiration and next steps. Here are some that I have found to be especially useful: For Getting Inspired: 1,000 Words by Jami… Continue reading
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Spring 2026 Author and Community Events at the Library
Author and community programs are blooming at the Library this spring, from a KUOW Book Talk with Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe about “Thunder Song” on March 23, to an evening with famed audiobook narrator Julia Whelan on April 15, to two One Book, One Coast events with local authors that reframe and retell the history of… Continue reading
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Learn About the Hidden Histories of Native American Activism on March 10
“How can a nation founded on the homelands of dispossessed Indigenous peoples be the world’s most exemplary democracy?” That is the question that opens Dr. Ned Blackhawk’s “The Rediscovery of America,” which won the 2023 National Book Award in Nonfiction. The Library is honored to have Dr. Blackhawk present this year’s annual Bullitt Lecture in… Continue reading
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Read George Takei’s Graphic Memoir with the West Coast’s Biggest Book Club
We have good news for Seattle readers! This spring, The Seattle Public Library invites you to take part in One Book, One Coast, a shared reading initiative connecting more than 140 library systems across California, Oregon, and Washington, including more than a dozen in Washington State alone. Organized by LA County Library, One Book, One… Continue reading
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6 Books That Speak to Midwinter Moods
“The Pacific Northwest has a cold like no other place. It seeps through your clothes and keeps you cold like your own personal ghost had moved in.” — Neko Case, “The Harder I Fight the More I Love You.” For some Seattleites, February is a time for sojourns to sunnier locales. For those who stay… Continue reading
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Where Is Dr. King Living Today?
At the start of every year, we celebrate the life and achievements of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Although his life on Earth ended in 1968, his words and deeds inspired many people to carry on his life’s work right up to this very day. For your own inspiration, here are some of their stories… Continue reading
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Cozy Survival: Making a Home in the Wilds
Lately, I’ve been running across books that instruct by example how to eke out survival while making a comfortable home. Cozy survival, if you will. In January, my apartment had a gas leak that caused a lapse in hot water and heating. Winter suddenly became very wintry. Luckily, I felt more prepared to weather the… Continue reading
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Whoa, It’s Lunar New Year: Cook Your Way Through the Year of the Horse
Happy Lunar New Year! February 17th marks the start of the Year of the Horse and kicks off dayslong festivities in different communities. Everyone has their own cultural and familial traditions when it comes to celebrating this time of year, and what better way to celebrate anything than with food? During Lunar New Year, many… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – February 2026
America celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, and the first of many books about our nation’s history are being released this month. Acclaimed historian Jon Meacham unites centuries of essential American voices to understand our national debates and divisions in American Struggle while CBS News’s senior correspondent Norah Jones paints a vivid portrait the hidden… Continue reading
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Local Authors Take the Stage for KUOW Book Talks
Want to be part of a book club that features selections by some of our region’s greatest talents, and offers you a chance to meet the author in person? Welcome to the KUOW Book Talks Live series at the Central Library. From February through May, KUOW Book Club host Katie Campbell will sit down with a… Continue reading
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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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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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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