David W.

  • What’s new in Pacific Northwest Science Fiction and Fantasy

    The Pacific Northwest has always been a little different, as these wildly imaginative recent Fantasy and Science Fiction titles by NW authors attest. Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton. Facing a battle in Seattle against a mutant horde, Cheeto loving crow S.T. takes Dee, the sole surviving human, under his wing, in the hilarious sequel… Continue reading

  • Verse Novels for National Poetry Month

    Looking to add something to your nightstand reading to commemorate National Poetry Month, but long for the narrative pull of a good novel? Welcome to the world of novels in verse, a fascinating corner of the fictional universe that picks up where classic verse epics and other traditional narrative poetry leaves off. No matter your… Continue reading

  • After dispensing with fines, Seattle Public Library dispenses with fine dispensers.

    Back on January 2, 2020, joining a movement being embraced by many public libraries across the country, the Seattle Public Library decided to end its longheld practice of charging late fees for items returned after their due dates. The move has been a rousing success, restoring access to many Seattlites for whom excessive late fees… Continue reading

  • Librarians’ Favorite Books this March

    If you saw last month’s post, you know that each months library workers from around the country nominate their favorite books, and the top ten are presented by LibraryReads. Here are a few of this month’s favorites: Lone Woman, by Victor Lavalle. A homestead far from prying eyes offers Adelaide a fresh start in 1915… Continue reading

  • Our Favorite Fantasy Fiction of 2022

    I’d say Fantasy Fiction is enjoying a “renaissance,” but it never went away, and has garnered massive mainstream interest since a certain boy wizard’s first day at Hogwart’s, or even since Bilbo left the Shire. That said, today’s fantasy readers can choose from an unprecedented diversity of subgenres, settings, voices and themes. We recently compiled… Continue reading

  • Black History in Fiction

    Each February, many readers come to the library to check out the latest titles on Black history. Don’t read history books? No worries! Whether you enjoy historical or literary fiction, thrillers or fantasy, romance or mysteries, here are some recent books that immerse us in the lived experiences of Black Americans throughout our history. By… Continue reading

  • Librarians’ Favorite Reads this February

    Librarians’ Favorite Reads this February

    Among our most popular shares here on Shelf Talk happen each December when we share our Staff Favorites for Ficton and Non-Fiction, as well as books for kids and teens. But did you know that librarians and library workers from all across the country vote on their ten favorite titles each month? It’s called LibraryReads,… Continue reading

  • Taking a walk on the weird side of Fantastical Seattle

    Taking a walk on the weird side of Fantastical Seattle

    We all know that Seattle is fantastic, but only fantasy readers know just how much so. Seattle not-quite-as-we-know-it has appeared in many fantasy novels. Urban fantasy fans will be familiar with Kat Richardson’s classic Greywalker series, in which psychic sleuth Harper Blaine solves crimes along the natural and supernatural faultline that passes right through our… Continue reading

  • Take a walk with MLK Jr. this Monday

    Take a walk with MLK Jr. this Monday

    Last year around this time, as folks surfing wave after pandemic wave faced a difficult decision of whether to gather together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we suggested for those staying home a streamable festival of films about MLK and the fight for Civil Rights. Now that more of us are feeling comfortable out… Continue reading

  • Now that you’ve blown your New Year’s resolutions…

    Has it happened yet? Has that steely resolve behind your New Year’s Resolution already failed? Not so fast: what happens next is crucial. What if it isn’t willpower you lack, but the flexibility to embrace failure as part of the process? As Maya Angelou wrote, “…it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you… Continue reading

  • Something You Haven’t Read: Best Fiction Debuts of 2022

    Do you seem to be reading the same authors, and the same books, over and over and over? We’ve got the antidote: check out our list of stellar debut novels from 2022. Get in on the ground floor of these authors’ promising careers. Here’s a small sample of what you’ll find there: The Ghetto Within… Continue reading

  • Reading Filipino American History Month

    As a patron helpfully noted the other day, October is Filipino American History Month! Thanks to that patron’s question, our Filipino American History Month display went up October 1st at the Central Library, and – no surprise – it has been hugely popular. We also published a couple of book lists – one of fiction,… Continue reading

  • American Classics on Audio

    One of the best things about being a librarian is all the great questions we get, and the answers we’re challenged to come up with. Recently I was approached by a patron who grew up on another continent, and for whom English was their third language. They were particularly interested in listening to audiobooks of… Continue reading

  • Read With Pride: Our favorite LGBTQIA+ fiction of 2022, so far

    Read With Pride: Our favorite LGBTQIA+ fiction of 2022, so far

    Each year, our librarians start a fresh list of some of the best fiction by LGBTQIA+* authors, adding new titles as the year goes along. In commemoration of Pride month, we recently published a list of some of our favorites of 2022, so far. We’ll keep updating this list all year, and you’ll find a… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2022: Read Outside!

    #BookBingoNW2022: Read Outside!

    Are you ready to get outside? We’re jumping into this Book Bingo square right away, because it is without doubt the easiest one there is. You can literally read anything you feel like, including whatever books you’ve already been planning to read: just read that book outside. Of course the trick around here is that… Continue reading

  • The year in Asian American & Pacific Islander fiction

    Each May, in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we take a look at the past year’s novels and short stories from AAPI authors. You’ll find the full list of recent AAPI fiction here. To get you started, here are some highlights from this year’s list: The Family Chao, by Lan Samantha… Continue reading

  • Unbanned Books: A Celebration

    With all the attention that has been garnered by alarming censorship challenges that have been erupting in libraries and school districts across the nation, we thought it might be nice to focus on the bright side. Here are just some of the many books deemed so harmless that their place on library shelves hasn’t been… Continue reading

  • Reading Ukraine: History, Memoir and Literature

    Whenever conflicts erupt on the world stage, we can count on our patrons to head to their local library to find out more. When it comes to the current conflict in Ukraine, whether you prefer the objectivity of history and political analysis, the more subjective personal experiences of those involved, or the imaginative capacity of… Continue reading