Nonfiction
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May and June 2026 Author and Community Events
The Seattle Public Library’s May and June calendar is blooming with author and community programs. Find more book-related events, including a variety of book and writing programs, in our Books and Authors calendar. All Library events are free and open to the public. Many of these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – May 2026
Check out some of the month’s best nonfiction! In addition to May’s slate of Peak Picks, there are moving memoirs, guides to self care for the mind and body, American history in anticipation of the nation’s 250th anniversary, and so much more. In memoir, Patricia Cornwell, author of the Kay Scarpetta series, tells the story… Continue reading
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4 Nonfiction Reads for International Workers’ Day 2026
Since the establishment of International Workers’ Day in 1889, May 1 has been an important date for labor unions, immigrant rights advocates and organizations that strive to advance the cause of workers’ rights. Ahead of International Workers’ Day, we invite readers to explore the past, present and future of the labor movement, including an overview of American labor history, a deep dive into anti-racist activism in Seattle, an interrogation of the very concept of solidarity and a… Continue reading
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The Crows are Coming! Corvid Facts and Fiction
It’s that time – the sunsets are later, the allergies are gearing up, and the crows are stirring. Most people know of the infamous swooping season – when new and protective crow parents will now consider you A Very Suspicious Character and suddenly whoosh! …you’ve been stealth swooped. Patrons of the West Seattle branch are keenly aware of their resident corvid guardians I’m sure. But move past the anxiety inducing fly-bys and there is so much to celebrate about the family Corvidae! From magically engineered war corvid fiction to fun crow facts, the library is here to satisfy your crow curiosity…crowiosity? Of course, leading the charge is Hollow Kingdom by local author Kira Jane… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – May 2026
We’re adding eleven new Peak Picks in May! In fiction, Laurie Frankel returns with an exuberant and timely new novel, Enormous Wings, about 77-year-old Pepper Mills, who moves into a retirement community, falls in love—and becomes pregnant; the latest from Walter Mosley, Ghalen, is a beautiful coming-of-age novel that explores love in all forms—romantic, familial,… Continue reading
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A Journey Through Space – Books to Read While You Wait for Project Hail Mary and Watch Artemis II
If your feed is consumed by the Artemis II mission and the blockbuster movie Project Hail Mary, you might be looking for books to take you into space as well. Though Andy Weir’s novels have a long wait right now, we’re happy to suggest some titles with similar themes of exploration, survival, ingenuity, and friendship… Continue reading
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Gardens in the Anthropocene: Seed Saving as Activism, Planting as Rebellion, Mutualism as Resistance
After another weird winter that gave us snow in March, Spring has officially begun: the Cherry Blossom cam at UW is live and the trees are in glorious bloom. In an era of compounding global climate crises, expanding food deserts, and catastrophic land and resource extraction in the race to build ever larger, more powerful… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – April 2026
Spring has arrived, and April is the pinnacle of the spring publishing season. In addition a half dozen nonfiction titles featured in this month’s Peak Picks, there are dozens of new books to consider. Check out some of the highlights below! In memoir and biography, social media superstar Isabel Klee searches for true love in… Continue reading
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April and May 2026 Author and Community Events at the Library
Author and community programs are blooming at the Library this spring, from an evening with famed audiobook narrator Julia Whelan to One Book, One Coast programs that reframe and retell the history of Japanese American incarceration. All Library events are free and open to the public. Many of these events are supported by The Seattle… Continue reading
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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