Selby G.

  • Science Fiction Checklist Challenge: Alternative History

    ~posted by Selby G. History is a series of events. But what if some of those important events had a different outcome? What if the Soviet Union won the cold war or Kennedy didn’t get assassinated? How would that change the world? Science fiction writers are known for pondering the wild realms of speculation and… Continue reading

  • New Year’s Resolution- To be More Eco-Friendly

    ~posted by Selby With a new year come new year’s resolutions. Whether you want to learn to carve wood, invest in the stock market or create a will, the library probably has something to help you. One of my resolutions is to be more environmentally friendly. After reading the first two books below, I was… Continue reading

  • Mystery Challenge: Exotic Locales

    ~ by Selby G. One of the many great things about reading a book is that it can take you anywhere. Can’t squeeze in a vacation to China? Read a book and follow the characters down alleyways in Shanghai or to a temple in Beijing. Combine those foreign landscapes with a good mystery and you… Continue reading

  • The Mystery Challenge Begins

    By Selby G. Now that fall is here, the icy fingers of winter will soon be sliding down our necks and forcing us inside to stay warm and dry. This time of year makes me want to curl up with a good mystery. So with that thought in mind, I am issuing another reading challenge.… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesday: Our Romance Genre Challenge heads to YA and new adult romance

    by Selby G. Part 5 of our  Reading Challenge focusing on subgenres of romance. The late teen years and early 20’s are times in life when things change rapidly and emotions run high. To appeal to these audiences, romance publishers have added a label between young adult (YA/teen) and general romance: New Adult. Young Adult… Continue reading

  • Adult Summer Reading Challenge: Paranormal Romance

    – posted by Selby G. Part 4 of our Adult Summer Reading Challenge focusing on subgenres of romance. This week’s romance subgenre is a doozy and, admittedly, the reason I started reading romance novels. Paranormal romance is all the weird stuff. Men (and women) who can shape-shift into tigers (or just about any other animal you… Continue reading

  • Adult Summer Reading Challenge: Amish and Christian Romance

    Posted by Selby G. Part 3 of our Adult Summer Reading Challenge focusing on subgenres of romance. Inspirational or religious romance novels are a hot commodity these days, particularly books featuring the Amish. With no sex, and a lot of God, the focus is more on finding love that nurtures one’s soul than a steamy romance. Continue reading

  • Adult Summer Reading Challenge: Historical Romance

    Posted by Selby G. Part 2 of our Adult Summer Reading Challenge focusing on subgenres of romance. Historic romance novels run the gamut of time and place. Pick up one and you could be transported to the bedchamber of a Tang Dynasty courtesan or the castle of a noble lord. Either way, historical romances are… Continue reading

  • Adult Summer Reading Challenge: Contemporary Romance

    By Selby G. Set in the here and now, contemporary romance novels deal not only with love but also current social issues. Single motherhood, military members with PTSD and illness feature heavily in these works. Contemporary romance can run the gambit from chaste kisses between potential partners in an idyllic small town to drinking too… Continue reading

  • Reading challenge for adults: How many romance genres can you read this summer?

    Posted by Selby G. How many genres of romance novels can you read this summer? Romance novels make up roughly 30 percent of the books sold in the U.S. They range from sweet stories about small town girls finding the perfect cowboy to plaid-clad highlanders seducing innocent heiresses and shape-shifting dragons fighting demons and finding… Continue reading

  • Can bicycling save the economy?

    ~posted by Selby Can biking save our economy? This is the main question that Elly Blue tackles in her book Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save the Economy. I was skeptical when I picked up the book. I, like so many people, see biking as a recreational activity or a way to help save the environment.… Continue reading

  • Spring Biking

    The daffodils and tulips are finally indicating that it is spring here in Seattle. It is time to shake off the winter doldrums and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. A perfect way to do that in our beautiful city is by bike. Whether you pull an old clunker from storage or plunk down the… Continue reading

  • Caffeine: The World’s Favorite Drug

    Posted by Selby Whether you slam an energy drink in the afternoon or start your day with a cup of joe, most Americans consume some amount of caffeine during the day, and we love it. Recently, author Murray Carpenter took a good long look at a drug many of us use daily without thinking about it. In his… Continue reading

  • Slightly Gruesome Historical Fiction

    The Hangman’s Daughter Series I picked up The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch because I liked the cover art and the font used for the title. Yes, sometimes, I judge books by their covers but this time it worked out really well for me. Although the book is great, with an imaginative plot, intriguing characters… Continue reading

  • Strange History

    One hot July day a woman walks out of her house and starts dancing. She dances for hours and then days. Soon other people become infected with the dancing plague and before long hundreds are uncontrollably dancing in the streets. Sounds like a great science fiction story, right? Well it actually happened in Strasburg, Germany… Continue reading

  • Toilet Reads: Fascinating Nonfiction about the Necessary Acts

     The human body is fascinating. But sometimes what is more fascinating is what we do with what comes out of the human body. The book Life of Pee, by Sally Magnusson, is a testament to some of the strange and ingenious things we have done with urine. We have used it to dye our hair,… Continue reading