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Historical Fiction for Teens – July 2026
Historical fiction reminds us of where we came from and shows how young people lived through challenging times of their own. Here are some new titles that speak to our past. (MS = middle school) In And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis, Vik has lost her little sister to a cursed forest in Soviet… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – July 2026
We’re adding ten new Peak Picks in July! In fiction, from Valeria Luiselli (Lost Children Archive and Tell Me How It Ends) comes her most powerful and page-turning novel yet: Beginning, Middle, End, the tale of a mother and a daughter starting over and searching for a new story; two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead returns with Cool Machine,… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Queer/Trans Voices
We love reading books by queer and trans voices all year round, but here are some to finish out Pride Month and count towards your Book Bingo reading goals! Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar is a meditative, slyly comic novel about a poet and recovering addict, Cyrus Shams, who ruminates on grief, sacrifice, and art in the… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: World Cup Country
This summer, two of the biggest competitions are in Seattle. That’s right, I’m talking about the FIFA World Cup, and Book Bingo! In a brilliant moment of crossover potential, Book Bingo has a category for FIFA World Cup Country! Read on for suggestions on what to pick up, or check out a longer list in our catalog: Book Bingo NW 2026: World Cup Country. … Continue reading
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Teen Pride Graphic Novels
Here are some fantastic new stories to enjoy during Pride, all lushly illustrated. MS = middle school In Balazs Lorinczi’s book A Bite of Pepper, a skateboarding vampire falls for a human artist whose attraction to her might be enough to make her commit to turning this human into a vampire and becoming immortal herself. Dan in Green Gables, by Ray Terciero, follows a queer teen in… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Honorable Mentions
Every year, dozens of excellent books that are nominated for major book awards every year, but don’t quite make it over the finish line. Just because a book didn’t win doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. Celebrate these also-rans and runners-up, and check off a Book Bingo square, with books that were nominated, longlisted… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – June 2026
We’re adding ten new Peak Picks in June! In fiction, from Lisa See comes the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles in Daughters of the Sun and Moon; Paul Tremblay delivers a genre-bending near-future tech nightmare that… Continue reading
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4 Recent Books from Washington Authors to Enjoy This Spring
Living in the Seattle area, readers have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to local authors. As librarians, a particular joy is recommending a local author to someone looking for their next great read. Enjoy this small selection of recently published titles by Washington authors, featuring a charming tale of an unusual pregnancy, a… Continue reading
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New Fiction Roundup, May 2026
Can you feel it? Summer reading season is right around the corner! As you plan vacations and staycations, long weekends or surprise rainy days inside, here are some new fiction releases to take along. 5/5: The Calamity Club by Kathryn StockettIn 1933 Mississippi, an orphan and two women fallen on hard times band together with… Continue reading
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Complex Characters and Epistolary Novels: More Books Like The Correspondent
I don’t know about you, but I did not see the popularity of the epistolary debut The Correspondent by Virginia Evans coming. First novels, let alone novels written entirely in letters, are not necessarily burning up the bestseller lists these days. Book trends can follow predictable arcs at times, so it can be refreshing when a book or… 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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Celebrate National Poetry Month
This April is the 30th anniversary of National Poetry Month! Celebrate all month long by exploring the poetry booklists below, or sign up forr a Poem-a-Day from poets.org. National Poetry Month 2026New poetry readers looking for a place to start or avid poetry lover looking for something new should explore this list of recent award… 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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A Peek at Peak Picks – April 2026
We’re adding twelve new Peak Picks in April! In fiction, Emma Straub returns with an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult as she sets sail on a cruise ship for a four-day themed voyage with all five members of a famous 1990s boyband in American Fantasy; Evelyn… 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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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