Veronica H.
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Fantastical Pirates and Swashbuckling Tales
Seattle sure loves its pirates! Whether you splashed in the surf with the Seafair Pirates last weekend, or had to miss out because Reasons, here’s a few books to keep you in a swashbuckling state of mind for more summer fun. Don yer eyepatch, grab yer compass and get ready to navigate the stormy waters… Continue reading
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Camp NaNoWriMo
In addition to the big National Novel Writing Month that happens every November, NaNoWriMo also hosts two writing camps, one in April and one in July. These camps can be used to do a variety of writing projects, including finishing your novel, revising/editing a novel, planning for a new one, or world building. The main… Continue reading
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Hot Monster Summer
A friend of mine recently showed me a funny new twist on the “Hot Girl Summer” trend: Hot Orc Summer. As a fan of all kinds of romance, my brain immediately went to the currently exploding subgenre of Monster Romances! Here’s some highlights from the genre. And remember, if SPL doesn’t have a title you… Continue reading
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World Wide Knit in Public Day
World Wide Knit in Public Day is June 10th! While perusing the shelves at Central Library, I came across Barbara Levine’s photography book People Knitting and realized that World Wide Knit in Public Day is tomorrow, Saturday, June 10th! I hope some of our latest knitting books inspire you to get out and knit in… Continue reading
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Book Lovers: Meta-textual Romances edition
Step aside, enemies-to-lovers; editor-to-lover may be the newest romantic trope. Romances set in the world of publishing certainly seem to be having a moment, no doubt spurred on by the wild success of Emily Henry’s Beach Read in 2020 and her follow-up, Book Lovers (currently a Peak Pick!), this year. Get out your red pen… Continue reading
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Recent and upcoming Book-to-Screen Adaptations
It’s easy to wonder sometimes if there are any new ideas in Hollywood, as so many movies and TV series are adapted from books, plays, comics, etc. But the best adaptations make the original content feel fresh and new, drawing audiences back to the source material. Continuing our tradition of books-to-screen posts, here are some… Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2022: The Romance of the Bookshop
Anyone who spends time in bookstores knows that they are special places where all kinds of magic can happen, including romance. If you want to get your romance reading in while also checking off that ‘books about books’ category in this year’s Book Bingo, here are some charming (and a few steamy) options. In How… Continue reading
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Library as Community
Working in a library during the pandemic has been hard, but not for reasons you might think. It was hard because we had to close to keep people safe and working with people is one of the most primary functions of a public library. What is a library with no patrons? The pandemic and our… Continue reading
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Cozy Mysteries of the Magical Variety
In the wake of Halloween, All Saint’s Eve, Samhain, and Dia De Los Muertos, there’s quite a bit of magic lingering in the air. The leaves have turned, the weather is harsher, and the nights are chilling. Many peoples view this time of year as the time to honor their ancestors as the veil between… Continue reading
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Fall into a Cozy Mystery, 2021
As the weather turns and the rains begin, I love nothing better than to curl up with a good book. Cozy mysteries are a genre I’ve recently discovered, only to lament that I hadn’t started reading them sooner! Don’t let the pun-filled titles deter you from this warm, light, and friendly genre, which is often… Continue reading
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Radical Mycology!
We live in one of the most fungally rich regions in the United States. Oregon has the largest single living organism on Earth in the Malheur National forest. It’s a fungus known by several names: Armillaria, scientifically; Honey Mushroom commonly; or, locally, as the Humongous Fungus. By 2015 it was three square miles large and… Continue reading
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Magical Thinking
Sometimes we need a little magic in our lives, whether we create it ourselves or look to others to create it for us. Let these magic-makers offer you inspiration, wonder, and escape. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman is a classic of the genre. It introduces us to sisters Gigllian and Sally Owens and their efforts… Continue reading
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Digital Knitting
While Ravelry.com is arguably THE place to get knitting and crocheting patterns, Seattle Public Library has many pattern books as ebooks that are free to borrow, from beginner learning books like Teach Yourself Visually Knitting, to books on advanced techniques such as Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch by the venerable Nancy… Continue reading
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Library Podcasts with a Seattle Focus
Last week I highlighted some of the diverse podcasts the library has to offer on it’s website with no library card required. I wanted to discuss some of the other things offered on the Library Podcast page, specifically the variety of discussions on Seattle and Seattle history. In Fall of 2019, the Library hosted discussions… Continue reading
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Change In A Time Of Longing
While browsing Instagram the other day, I came across a post from Sonya Renee Taylor, author of The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love, that called out the collective longing to return to our normal state for what it is: a longing to return to a world that “normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion,… Continue reading
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Revisit Past Events with Our Podcasts
Was there an author event you missed out on at the library? Did you miss a Thrilling Tales adult story time? Don’t fret! The library records many of its events, everything from author readings to theatre previews. Found under the Books and Media tab on our homepage, Library Podcasts are sorted by year at the… Continue reading
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Travel to Other Worlds with Digital Comics
The toilet paper is gone. Small businesses are closed. The freeways are empty. Our hands are raw from washing them so often. Life feels surreal. Are we in an apocalyptic comic? Lest we start to wonder if reality is fiction, take a look at other weird worlds through Hoopla’s digital comics. Continue reading
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#BookBingoNW2019: Set in the Northwest
Welcome to another year of Summer Book Bingo and suggestions for the category “set in the NW!” This category is one of my favorites because it gives me a chance to explore my home region in fiction. Find these titles and other suggestions here. While I’m native to Portland, OR, there’s one book that made… Continue reading