Jen B.

  • Seattle Rep’s ‘The Comparables’ — incomparable!

    We are excited about the opening of Laura Schellhardt’s new play The Comparables, at the Seattle Repertory Theatre on Friday, March 6! Schellhardt, who created the 2011 hit “The K of D, an Urban Legend,” about a girl with a lethal kiss, now presents a world premier neo-feminist satire that tips the good old boy… Continue reading

  • Mystery Challenge: Historical Mysteries

    ~by Jen B. If you love a good historical murder mystery, you’ll be ready for sleuths to do their own leg work and be adept at deciphering psychological clues. Although they lack modern technology and forensics, these stories, set over 50 years ago, showcase the bygone talents of great minds. A few time periods provide… Continue reading

  • Alaska beckons

    It’s been quite the hot summer — it has many of us dreaming of going even further north to catch some cool breezes and gain additional daylight hours to play in. Alaska beckons! Ann says: Alaska is vast, beautiful and unforgiving. Many men (and a few women) have been lured to Alaska by its beauty and its… Continue reading

  • Staff favorites: books with attitude

    Posted by Jen B. The 2014 Spring/Summer edition of Staff Favorites is now available! Here, in their own words, Library staff members talk about why they love books with attitude. The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey Ever wonder where the colloquial term “monkey wrench” comes from? Abbey’s zany characters show us how to sabotage… Continue reading

  • Staff favorites: fantasy

    Posted by Jen B. The 2014 Spring/Summer edition of Staff Favorites is now available! Here, in their own words, Library staff members share some great fantasy fiction for your summer reading list. The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker A doctoral candidate on the verge of ditching her thesis takes a… Continue reading

  • Staff favorites: literary fiction

    Posted by Jen B. The 2014 Summer edition of Staff Favorites is now available at our favorite branch! Here, in their own words, Library staff members share some great literary fiction for your summer reading list. The Plague by Albert Camus The plague is quiet. Is there misguided hope that there is some civility in… Continue reading

  • Immerse Yourself in Bastille Day

    By Jen B and Ann G This Monday, July 14, is the 225th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille – when Parians invaded the fortress and prompted the French Revolution. The Bastille was for them a symbol of everything the uncaring old regime and its bloated monarchy stood for. The violence and passion of the attack… Continue reading

  • Staff favorites: Mysteries

    Posted by Jen B. The 2014 spring/summer edition of Staff Favorites is now available in library branches near you! We’ve included a few tantalizing titles to whet your appetite for more. Here, in their own words, Library staff members share some great mysteries to add to your summer reading list. The Sweetness at the Bottom… Continue reading

  • Medieval cathedrals reach for heaven

    ~ Posted by Ann G. and Jen B., who have contributed several posts together on different subjects as portrayed in nonfiction and in fiction. Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King Imagine that you had to climb Mt. Everest– as Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay did, with no modern climbing equipment and 44-pound… Continue reading

  • A Humble and Delicate Matter

    Posted by Jen B. and Ann G. Recently we posted A Literary Cure for Spring Fever in which we suggested fiction and nonfiction on a single theme. Whether you prefer one or the other, we think it’s important to present good options for maximum understanding of other important topics – like safe sex, emotional intelligence… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s ‘Once: The Musical’

    Posted by Jen We’re excited about Seattle Repertory Theatre‘s production of Once: The Musical, opening next Tuesday, June 3 and running until June 8. Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards, Once is the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who is about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest… Continue reading

  • Seriously fun fiction

    Posted by Jen B. Literary fiction doesn’t have to be difficult, sad, or highbrow, but finding stellar writing, intriguing characterization and whip-smart wit in popular fiction is a needle-in-a-haystack hunt. Here are four great picks (plus their read-alike cousins) that are thought-provoking, good for discussion and just plain fun to read. The World to Come by Dara Horn There’s… Continue reading

  • A Literary Cure for Spring Fever

    Posted by Jen B. and Ann G. Ann suggests: Many of us have a literary character who we long to meet in real life.  Mine has changed over time—my first was Harriet the Spy (I wanted to read her secret notebooks).  In Letters to Juliet by Lise and Ceil Friedman, we hear from the people… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’

    Posted by Jen We’re excited about the opening of Seattle Repertory Theatre‘s production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? this Friday, April 18th. Set amidst campus politics, Albee’s hilarious and provocative masterpiece examines why we are sometimes cruelest to those we love most. George and Martha (theatre’s most dysfunctional couple) invite young Nick… Continue reading

  • Women in History: Fiction

    Women’s History Month is almost over, but it’s never too late to read novels about times past and women who made history. The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott After trading the harsh life of farming for a textile factory job in Lowell, Massachusetts, Alice Barrow inadvertently moves into a role as spokesperson for… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s ‘The Suit’

    We are excited about the opening of Seattle Repertory Theatre‘s production of The Suit, next Wednesday, March 19! Legendary director Peter Brook (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 2001) brings to the stage a parable about forgiveness set in apartheid South Africa. Combining a rich musical score with a remarkably simple staging The Suit follows a cuckolded… Continue reading

  • Listen List 2014: Outstanding Audio Awards

    Every year we five librarians on the Listen List panel review hundreds of new audio books, nominate and choose the twelve titles that are the very best in narration, production and story. Announced on January 26th at the American Library Association Midwinter conference in Philadelphia, this year’s Listen List is posted on the ALA website, where you… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s ‘Venus in Fur’

    We’re excited about the opening of the Seattle Repertory Theatre‘s production of David Ives’ Venus in Fur this Friday! A Broadway hit, this cheeky, sexy play finds playwright Thomas Novachek at a loss. There are simply no actresses talented enough to play his leading lady. Then in walks Vanda, a mysterious siren with the uncanny ability to inhabit his… Continue reading