BOOKS

  • Talking Tolkien

    “All we have to decide, is how much Tolkien to enjoy with the time that is given to us.” Ok, maybe that isn’t quite the encouraging quote Gandalf gives to Frodo in Moria, but it can certainly still motivate to action! Currently our own Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) group, in an extraordinary cinematic showing,… Continue reading

  • Teen Novels for Black History Month 2024

    Teen Novels for Black History Month 2024

    Here are some brand new titles featuring Black teens and at least a bit of Black history. (Created January 2024) When the super strict principal of a tough charter school is found murdered, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are immediately under suspicion, and must find the killer before they are caught in Nick Brooks’ Promise Boys.… Continue reading

  • Characters with Real World Problems – No Matter the Genre

    Rich and royal characters are a mainstay in literature. We do like to know what it is like to have it all. To live in opulence and navigate the world with ease is something we are told to aspire to, so culturally we gravitate to depictions of wealth and plentitude. Plus, we also love learning… Continue reading

  • Middle Grade Fiction for Adults

    Middle Grade Fiction for Adults

    For a long time as an adult, I told myself that middle grade books were no longer for me. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong! Not only can middle grade novels simply be great stories, they can also transport you back into the world of being a kid. This… Continue reading

  • Oh, doggone it!

    Dogs can completely change the way we feel—for the better. They are funny, loving, and intelligent. Canine companions live in an estimated 63 million U.S. homes, so it’s no wonder stories, movies, and videos featuring dogs have always been big hits. Let’s not forget our own local legend, the public-transit-riding dog, Eclipse, who rides the… Continue reading

  • Science fiction and fantasy books about change

    During these times of uncertainty, many of us are looking to our favorite writers for comfort and guidance. For decades, speculative-fiction writers have shown themselves to be especially well-versed in the subject of uncertainty, using their magical worlds to explore social problems and existential questions that complicate our daily lives. Here are three science fiction… Continue reading

  • Judge a Book by its Spine

    They say to never judge a book by its cover (though we all do), but what about its spine? While in libraries, bookstores, and private homes we all try our best to face our beautiful collections out for all of the world to behold, most collections are smooshed together citing space considerations, presenting only the… Continue reading

  • Our Top 10 Children’s Picture Books of 2017

    Children’s Services Librarians from The Seattle Public Library have selected our ten favorite picture books of the year.  Though it’s a challenge to limit ourselves to ten titles (check out our longer list of favorite 2017 picture books), we all responded to the joy in these ten books – each is a celebration: of home… Continue reading

  • Our Top 10 Teen Books of 2017

    Every year, we look for the best books written for young adults. We all have our personal favorites, of course, but there are inevitably a handful of books that rise to the top. This year, our collective favorite titles cover an impressively wide range of timely and important topics, from immigration and criminal justice to… Continue reading

  • Our Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2017

    … according to Seattle Public Library adult librarians Yesterday we listed our librarians’ favorite novels of 2017; today, we present you with the list of our ten favorite nonfiction books published in 2017, from memoirs to essay collections to history and cooking. Continue reading

  • Our Top 10 Novels of 2017

    … according to Seattle Public Library’s adult librarians The librarians here at the Seattle Public Library conferred, and here are our favorite ten novels published in 2017, from a debut mystery to the conclusion of a fantasy trilogy, a debut by a Washington state author to the winner of the 2017 National Book Award for… Continue reading

  • Making a Library Purchase Suggestion

    “They have every other book in this 57 volume manga series, how can they not have volume two?!?!” Sometimes the library doesn’t have what you’re looking for. This can be a frustrating or confusing situation. The library is supposed to have everything, right? Sometimes it’s one part of a book series, or one movie of… Continue reading

  • Suggestions for a Seattle Book Crawl

    Today’s guest post is from Ann Glusker, formerly a librarian with the Seattle Public Library and now with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Thanks to the Medical Library Association News for sharing this post; we trust with this handy guide that the medical librarians visiting our fair city later this month will have a… Continue reading

  • Now More Than Ever, Reading is Power

    This book you are now reading is a manifesto of sorts–my manifesto, a manifesto for readers. Because I think we need to read and to be readers now more than ever. Every January I struggle to decide what I want to read. Do I catch up on what I missed the previous year, or do I read… Continue reading

  • Our Top 10 Novels of 2016

    … according to Seattle Public Library’s Reader Services department. As Reader Services librarians, we spend our days at the Central Library talking to people about books and suggesting reading we think they might enjoy next. Of course, we’re readers too. With the end of the year approaching we sat down and collaborated on a list… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for April

    First off, I moved to Tacoma. I gotta say I never thought I’d move from Seattle, but life happens and between rent increases and a boy I made the plunge to the sassy sister to the south! One of the many highlights of my move has actually been my bus commute. That’s not something you… Continue reading

  • Top 10 Families More Dysfunctional Than Yours (Probably)

    ~posted by Andrea G. The extended holiday season, from Thanksgiving through Hanukkah and Christmas to the end of Kwanzaa and into the New Year, is often a time full of family – and the unique frustrations that family can bring. For comfort and commiseration, try reading one of these 10 books featuring families that are… Continue reading

  • Top 10 Novels of 2015

    …according to Seattle Public Library’s Reader Services department As Reader Services Librarians, we spend our days at the Central Library talking to people and suggesting books we think they might enjoy. Of course, we’re readers too. With the end of the year approaching we sat down and collaborated on a list of the novels we… Continue reading