Jane S.
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Let’s Talk About Books!
We have good news for library patrons who want to chat with others about what they’re reading — Let’s Talk About Books is happening at branches around the city! Let’s Talk About Books (LTAB) is a no-pressure book group where folks can share what they’re reading and get ideas for their next read. All are… Continue reading
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Adult Fiction for Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, celebrating the achievements, contributions, and perspectives of folks from Hispanic and Latina/o/e backgrounds. There are so many incredible recent books by Hispanic authors, including some in translation, and here we offer a small selection for your enjoyment. We Are Green and Trembling by Argentinian author… Continue reading
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Washington State Book Award Winners
The Washington Center for the Book just announced the winners of the 2026 Washington State Book Awards for works published in 2025 by writers from our wonderful state. Across genre, form, and audience, these winners represent outstanding titles by authors who currently live in Washington, as judged by other local authors, librarians, and booksellers. Creative… Continue reading
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Fiction for National Translation Month
September is National Translation Month, a time to highlight the works and contributions of authors from around the world, and the translators who make their work available to more readers. Check out this taste of recent fiction in translation. Delicious Hunger by Singaporean author Hai Fan uses the author’s background as a guerilla fighter in… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Outer Space
We hear from readers all the time that they read to escape, and what can be a bigger escape than an out-of-this world read? From nonfiction exploring the universe to science fiction on an interstellar ship, the Book Bingo Outer Space category lets you expand your reading to another dimension. Adina, the protagonist of Marie-Helene… Continue reading
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Fire Season: Writings on a Burning World
With the Spokane fires raging, Spain and France experiencing unprecedented wildfires, and Seattle smoke season upon us, it’s hard not to think about the new reality of summer wildfires and smoke. Reading can help us make sense of the world around us, and for better or worse, there’s no shortage of titles for all ages… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Unplug
This year’s Book Bingo Unplug category can certainly be used for a physical book read distraction-free, as the board says, but since we like to make categories as broad as possible, here are some other ideas for books that play with the “unplugged” theme: hands-on hobbies, off-the-grid living, and fostering in-person connection and attention. One… Continue reading
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Lambda Literary Award Winners
The Lambda Literary Awards, highlighting LGBTQ+ writers across genres, identities, experiences, age ranges, and categories, are the perfect blend of Pride Month and the library, showcasing the best in queer books. The 2026 winners were just announced, and any of these would be great options for your Queer/Trans voices Book Bingo square! With 26 categories… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Historical
One of the goals of Book Bingo is to have as many entry points as possible for readers, and the “Historical” category is a great example. An alternate history speculative fiction? Check! A biography of a historical figure? Perfect! A Regency romance? That works! If you’re looking for somewhere to start, try one of these,… Continue reading
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Adult Fiction for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and with it, we welcome the opportunity to highlight recent novels and stories by authors of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian heritage. If you want to keep it local, check out Mike Curato’s Gaysians, a graphic novel that follows the friendship and adventures of… 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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Women in Translation
August is Women in Translation Month, an annual tradition that started in 2014 and seeks to celebrate and promote the work of women writing in languages other than English around the world. Consider reading one of these works of translated fiction by a female author. To Go on Living by Narine Abgaryan was originally written… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2025: Great Escapes
Perhaps more than any other Book Bingo category this year, Great Escapes invites personal taste and creativity into the conversation. A guidebook to somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit? A portal to a world you wish you could escape to? A memoir of around-the-world travel? A gripping thriller or sigh-worthy romance that gives you an… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2025: May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor
If you talk to me for more than a few minutes, my passion for Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series will undoubtedly come up. I’ve read the books at least six times each, have had genuine arguments about whether I’m allowed to name my children after the characters, made custom iron-on attire for movie premieres on… Continue reading
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Local Pulitzer Prize Talent and More!
The 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced on Tuesday, May 5th, and Seattle (unsurprisingly a City of Literature) was represented incredibly well! Local author and illustrator Tessa Hulls won for Memoir or Autobiography with her incredible graphic memoir Feeding Ghosts, while local author Stacey Levine achieved finalist status for Fiction with Mice 1961, Seattle Times… Continue reading
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Black Love and Friendship
This Black History Month, celebrate titles that illuminate the power of Black love and friendship with titles from our recent booklist: Black Love and Friendship! Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen – Aaliyah James, a 29-year-old plus size Black woman, is ready to find real love and prove her body shaming family wrong by debuting… Continue reading
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Friendship Stories for the New Year
Though we often associate love stories with romantic partnership, Lilly Dancyger’s First Love: Essays on Friendship highlights the role that friendship plays in forming our associations with love, as well as opportunities to care for one another and show forms of love we may not receive in our families of origin or romantic relationships. After reading… Continue reading