Seattle Times column
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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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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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4 Poetry Collections that Celebrate the Black Diaspora
Black people throughout the diaspora have long preserved their dynamic cultures through African and African American oral traditions and poetry. Poets of the Black/African diaspora write passionately and often pull from many Black poetry forms and traditions to express collective and individual joy, survival, pain, and various facets of their lives. The collections suggested here explore, celebrate… Continue reading
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Why We Read: 6 Books Explore the Pull of the Page
Many of us start the new year with a resolution to read more. We hear that it’s good for us, helps us unplug, opens our mind and gives us space to escape our daily stresses. But what else does reading provide, and what are its perils? These recent memoirs and books about reading explore this question… Continue reading
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6 Books That Take Place in One Day
Stories with compressed timelines of 24 hours, with some flashbacks thrown in, take center stage here to showcase just how much one day can really make a difference. “One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America” by Gene Weingarten starts with the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist choosing dates out of a hat. He… Continue reading
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5 Fiction and Nonfiction Books that Dive Into AI
If representations of AI in fiction are starting to feel eerily plausible to you, you’re not alone! AI suddenly seems to be everywhere — in your phone, in your browser, offering tech support and an uncanny form of virtual friendship. How did this happen, where is it headed and what will it mean for humanity?… Continue reading
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Dark and Disturbing: 8 Horror Novels by Women
In the tradition of local award-winning author Sadie Hartmann’s newest release, “Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women,” Hartmann and SPL Reader Services librarian Genesee Rickel share two lists featuring chilling tales written by women. As in the book, these lists are curated to work in conversation… Continue reading
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4 Dark Academia Novels to Read This Fall
As daylight hours wane, the transition to fall is the perfect time to get absorbed in a novel that matches the energy of an eerie evening walk. The literary subgenre of dark academia explores themes of power and deceit, using the shadow of the ivory tower to set the tone for murders, hauntings and speculative… Continue reading
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Travel Through Time With These 4 Historical Fiction Novels
Sometimes we all need to take a break from our current world. A wonderful way to do this is to read historical fiction that transports us to a distant time and place, filled with rich details and fully developed characters. Perhaps this is escapism, but the best historical fiction not only teaches us about a… Continue reading
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6 Titles for Mid-Summer Book Bingo Inspiration
It’s mid-July, which means we’re halfway through Book Bingo season and you have six solid weeks to read books in fun categories and fill up that bingo card. For the uninitiated, all summer long, The Seattle Public Library, Seattle Arts & Lectures and new partner, King County Library System, celebrate Book Bingo, a program that encourages… Continue reading
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Celebrate Pride With Four Books of Queer Joy and Resistance
Pride month in Seattle is both a celebration and a call to action — a time to reflect on the legacy of queer and transgender people and how we can continue to fight for a more just, inclusive future. This month, the library and Charlie Hunts, owner of Charlie’s Queer Books in Fremont, are sharing books that… Continue reading
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6 Books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, but often, Pacific Islander and Filipino books and authors are less acknowledged in publishing, articles and displays. Here are some Pacific Islander and Filipino voices to discover in May and beyond. “Kapaemahu,” a picture book by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel… Continue reading
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Celebrate National Poetry Month and Seattle Reads 2025 With These Books
For only the second time in the history of Seattle Reads, the library’s citywide book club, a book of poetry has been selected. “You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World,” an anthology edited and introduced by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, features 50 American poets observing and reflecting on their place in the natural world,… Continue reading
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For Women’s History Month, 4 Bewitching Pageturners
For centuries, women who claimed their power through medicine and magic, curiosity and intelligence, and a refusal to submit and abide, were persecuted as witches. In honor of Women’s History Month, we offer four fictional titles in several genres — crime, thriller, fantasy, historical Western — that honor witches and their stories of strength and… Continue reading
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5 Books That Celebrate Nonromantic Love
February is traditionally a month to celebrate romantic love. But while romance novels are easy to find on the shelves of any library near you, we think it’s time to highlight the passion, tenderness and devotion expressed in other types of relationships. These five books focus on love in a variety of settings, from friendship… Continue reading
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How to Read More in 2025
“Books are uniquely suited to helping us change our relationship to the rhythms and habits of daily life in this world of endless connectivity. We can’t interrupt them; we can only interrupt ourselves while reading them.” — Will Schwalbe, “Books for Living“ Here’s a secret: Librarians give you permission to read anything you like because… Continue reading
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4 Cozy Books to Accompany Long, Cold Nights
As the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, one activity perfectly matches the mood of winter: reading a cozy book. Though any book can be made cozy by the addition of a hot beverage or a warm blanket, some instantly evoke a sense of comfort. For this roundup, we looked beyond the well-known… Continue reading
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Have a Laugh With These 4 Funny Books
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” by Rufi Thorpe proves that other people’s problems can be pretty funny — as long as they’re narrated by a chaotic heroine who is wisecracking and whip-smart. Nineteen-year-old Margo Millet was not exactly set up for success with a flighty mother and an absentee, former wrestling star father. But when Margo… Continue reading