Seattle Arts and Lectures

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Myth or Fable (original or retold)

    During quarantine one of my goals was going through all the Marvel movies in order of release (I’ve heard I’m not the only one).  This had me falling in love with Loki all over again.  This set of a spark in me to read more books about Loki and myths in general. I also lucked… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Debut Book by Author Over 50

    Does age matter when we’re talking about a book’s author? It does for this specific Book Bingo square! Here we’re celebrating authors who published their first book after they reached 50, reminding us it’s never too late to start writing. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantas Washington state author Karl Marlantas published… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Neuro-diverse protagonist or author

    In this year’s Book Bingo, the neuro-diverse protagonist or author square invites us to journey into the world of a person whose modes of thinking and ways of processing the world differ from those of the mainstream population. Neurodiversity, often associated with disabilities like autism or ADHD, can sometimes lead to deep connections, groundbreaking insights,… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW: Published in the 1920s

    Book Bingo is taking us back in time to the 1920s! Books published in the 1920s made up most of my English curriculum and though it was often hard to love a book that was assigned, that century on its own has held a lot of fascination for me, especially now, a hundred years later.… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Afrofuturism

    #BookBingoNW2020 is upon us! One of the new categories this summer is Afrofuturism. If you saw Black Panther or watched Janelle Monaé’s emotion picture for their album “Dirty Computer,” then chances are you have already been exposed to Afrofuturism. But have you read any Afrofuturist books? Dictionary.com defines Afrofuturism as (noun) “a cultural movement that… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Set At or By the Sea

    It seems as long as people have told stories, they have told sea stories. Gilgamesh crosses the sea and even dives to the bottom in the quest for eternal life. The nautical adventures of Homer’s Odysseus are literally legendary, as are those of Jason and the Argonauts. More recently, both Edgar Allan Poe’s Narrative of… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Epistolary

    And then there’s that square marked “epistolary.” You’d be forgiven for Googling that one, where you’ll find it means a story told in the form of documents, such as diaries, emails, texts, and – most traditionally – letters – aka, epistles. To which you might respond “they write novels in the form of letters?” Oh… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Animal as Main Character

    There’s something about stories narrated by animals that provide a very different reading experience. Whether they are anthropomorphized or remain true to their wild selves, animal narrators give us a chance to step out of our human skin and see the world around us in new ways. Here are some titles that are in turn… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Nature

    Today we unveil yet another Book Bingo category: nature. As someone who loves the outdoors as much as I love reading, I’m very excited for this square! Whether you’re a nature lover or not, here are some different ways to find a book that best suits your reading interests: Think Local: If you’re taking daily… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: On your shelf

    I’ve always been a reader but, as time goes on, I find that my eyes are perpetually larger than my literary stomach, resulting in piles of books all over the house and a Goodreads “to read” shelf that requires constant pruning.  Between teleworking and homeschooling there isn’t nearly much time to read as I had… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Uplifting

    What better way to announce Book Bingo 2020 then with a teaser square?! Not to mention a square that is much needed. Here are a few books to get you started on completing your Uplifting square! And keep an eye out for the full downloadable card in early May.   We have to start with… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2018: About the Environment

    One of the many things I appreciate about the Book Bingo categories is that quite a few can be filled by both fiction or nonfiction, leaving the choice up to the reader. Today let’s look at the “About the Environment” category, which at first glance lends itself primarily to nonfiction, and instead see what fiction… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW: Suggested by a Young Person

    We asked our young patrons at the Central Library Children’s Center to suggest books for our adult Book Bingo players and they delivered! These young people know their kid lit – they suggested classics both modern and older, video game tie-ins, realistic fiction, fantasy, adventure – there’s something for every reader of any age. Find… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2018: A SAL author

      There is no shortage of ideas for the Book Bingo challenge to read a Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) author. SAL has been bringing writers to Seattle for three decades (here is the complete list), so there are literally hundreds of options. In the spirit of being current with this year’s literary happenings around town,… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2018: Memoir or biography — deep thoughts from funny people

    #BookBingoNW2018: Memoir or biography — deep thoughts from funny people

    If you’re looking for a lighter summer read but still want some substance, check out these memoirs by comedians. Lately I’ve been feeling a little too world-weary for anything heavy but a little too… existentially keyed up? for pure escapism. Luckily, the library has a great collection of memoirs that weave in issues of family… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2018: A book that takes place in the area where you were born

    #BookBingoNW2018: A book that takes place in the area where you were born

    Yukon-born Pierre Berton’s advice to aspiring authors that they get themselves “born in an interesting environment,” was facetious, but based on some sound evidence. Consider authors such as William Faulkner, Louise Erdrich, Jim Lynch – you can safely assume their story will be set in Mississippi, Minnesota, and Washington state, respectively.  I would argue that… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2018: Written by an author from another country

    #BookBingoNW2018: Written by an author from another country

    Sitting in the top right corner, the category Written by an author from another country could be vital to making bingo vertically, horizontally, or the elusive diagonal bingo. We’re here to help you get it filled. For inspiration, you could consult previous posts about intriguing African fiction, East Asian fiction, European fiction, Latin American fiction, or Australian… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2018: Graphic novels for a blackout!

    #BookBingoNW2018: Graphic novels for a blackout!

    One solid Summer Book Bingo blackout strategy is to stockpile quickly-read comic books that could be applied to one of a number of different squares. This strategy gives you multiple choices of where to place a title when you need to fill a certain area of bingo card real estate. Plus you’ve got options if… Continue reading