Kara P.

  • #BookBingoNW2018: Author (or character) with a disability*

    Something special is happening in Seattle July 1 through the 6th: The USA Special Olympic Games! “More than 4,000 athletes and coaches representing 50 state Programs and the District of Columbia, along with the support of tens of thousands of volunteers and spectators, will compete in 14 Olympic-type team and individual sports.” –from Special Olympics… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for May

    Bus Reads for May

    Commuting to Seattle by bus 5 days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Here’s what I read on the bus in May: Everything Is Teeth by Evie Wyld A graphic memoir of a young Evie’s obsession with sharks; every little thing about them. Folded in among that obsession are stories of family… Continue reading

  • May the 4th Be With You!

    “May the 4th be with you.” What started as pun warmly shared by fans has become a full-fledged Star Wars holiday: Star Wars Day, a special once-a-year celebration of the galaxy far, far away. One of the earliest known records of “May the 4th” used in popular culture is in 1979, as described here by… Continue reading

  • Nap Time is my Happy Hour

    Napping isn’t just for kids anymore. Sometimes on my days off just curling up with my cats and a good book I’ll find myself just nodding off a bit…and it’s wonderful! Same goes for work, when I’m working a late shift and the afternoon yawns hit, I’ll curl under my desk on my 15-minute break… Continue reading

  • Bird Week: Bus Reads for April

    Bird Week: Bus Reads for April

    The Seattle Public Library is partnering with the Seward Park Audubon Center for the first ever Bird Week, April 23-30, in celebration of the center’s tenth anniversary. Commuting to Seattle by bus 5 days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Usually I read whatever catches my eye, but for Bird Week I… Continue reading

  • The Empty Chair

    It’s been two years since I lost my dad and a year since I lost both my grandmothers. During that time I didn’t know if I was going to end up whole by the end of it and in a way I guess I didn’t, but I’m still here… Besides my family, friends, and champion… Continue reading

  • Friday the 13th: Stream the Screams

    It’s Friday the 13th, which always makes me want to curl up with a good horror flick…or even a bad one. But I’m sure I’m not the only one, and DVD wait lists can sometimes crush those plans…however with our streaming services a horror flick is just a click away with your library card. Want… Continue reading

  • Time to melt: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

    Time to melt: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

    Did you know that April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!? Grilled cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort foods — and I know I’m not alone: People have been loving its ease and possibilities for nearly 100 years. “The United States modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the… Continue reading

  • Books for Two

    There’s no need to go to the trouble of getting a large group together for a book group each month (unless you want to). I have a book group for two, and it’s going just fine. Here were our book selections for January through March: The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis This book was in one… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for March

    Here are my March bus reads: Mothers and Other Strangers by Gina Sorell Married to a man she didn’t love and carrying a child she never could. Elsie had always wanted her mother to be proud of her…to want her, but she was always too selfish to be the mother Elsie needed. Now as an… Continue reading

  • Cooking Wild

    Every year around February or March my husband and I plan our first camping outing. We have a cabin that we love, so even if it’s cold outside we can be nice and cozy. Our cabin has the absolute basics though, no cooking inside, no kitchenette, just a bed and a table, so that means… Continue reading

  • Time to Wine Down

    Time to Wine Down

    One of my favorite activities for wine o’clock is to curl up with a book. Maybe a Full Bodied Murder mystery or A Case of Syrah, Syrah by chance. For more of a darker blend you could try a Deadly Tasting. If you prefer a lighter read, like me, you could try Blush for Me or… Continue reading

  • Happiness is a Painted Rock

    Happiness is a Painted Rock

    Well it’s March and that sun of ours is making its way more and more into our lives. It gives those of us that live in this beautiful Pacific Northwest region more opportunities to romp around. Taking place in my little corner of Tacoma is one of my favorite little surprises around this time: finding… Continue reading

  • Feminist Slam

    Some of my favorite slam poetry fixes come from Button Poetry, founded in 2011 by Sam Cook and Sierra DeMulder, who were shortly joined by Rachele Cermak and Heidi Lear. They launched the first Button website and blog. Sierra DeMulder was the first to pull me in with her poem “Today Means Amen,” from her… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for February

    Here are my February bus reads:   California Dreamin’ by Penelope Bagieu A look at the life of Mama Cass before she was Mama Cass (of The Mamas and the Papas). I loved it. Beautifully illustrated, and Mama Cass has been a fascination to me; she also reminds me a bit of my mom.      … Continue reading

  • Galentine’s Day

    For Galentine’s Day I reached out to the amazing ladies in my life for some female friendship literature! Here were their suggestions:   Jen (the childhood friend): Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for January

    Bus reads is back with a twist! We want to hear from you! Share what you’ve read during your commute: whether on a bus, a train, or the light rail. To mix it up I’ll incorporate reviews from you, our patrons, into future Bus Reads columns! I may even see you on the bus! Here are my… Continue reading

  • Books For Two

    Sometimes being in a book group can be a lot of pressure – not just the assigned reading aspect, but trying to get a group of people together to meet. A book group can simply be just two people getting together; maybe a coworker that you can go out to lunch with once a month… Continue reading