Staff Picks
Discover the best fiction and nonfiction books, selected by our staff. Find new featured book lists every month, or explore our picks by genre.
Featured Adult Fiction
Arab American Heritage Month Fiction
Check out these recent novels by Arab American authors in celebration of Arab American Heritage Month!
Seattle Picks: Mystery and Thriller
In the mood for crime fiction, mysteries and thrillers? Check out these titles selected by a librarian at The Seattle Public Library
Black Love and Friendship
In honor of Black History Month and Valentine's Day, check out these stories centering Black love and friendship!
Seattle Picks: Science Fiction 2024
A variety of recently published science fiction titles recommended by our librarians.
Seattle Staff Faves 2024: Fiction, Part 1
Every year we ask our staff across the system for their favorite books published in a given year. Our staff are such voracious readers that we needed two parts for adult fiction this year!
Native American Fiction
National Native American Heritage Month, observed in November, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions – historical and ongoing – of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Hispanic Heritage Month 2024: Recent Fiction for Adults
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latine Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States, and is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 annually. Check out these recent releases from authors of Hispanic or Latine background!
Seattle Reads: Read Deeper
If you're enjoying the 2024 Seattle Reads book "Parable of the Sower" and want to read authors inspired by or who inspired Octavia Butler, check out these titles! (created April 2024)
Featured Adult Nonfiction
Food Waste Prevention Week 2025
Join Seattle Public Utilities and the Seattle Public Library in learning more about the scale of the problem, how food waste contributes to climate change, the Indigenous food sovereignty movement, and how you can limit food waste at home.
Native American Poetry
This list of poetry by North American Indigenous poets was created by librarians at The Seattle Public Library.
Seattle Picks: History
These nonfiction history books – covering a wide variety of topics and time periods – are well-researched and page-turning true stories published in the last few years.
Black American Nonfiction
Enjoy these nonfiction titles by African American authors published within the last two years and selected by librarians at The Seattle Public Library
Cookbook Resolutions
Many New Year's Resolutions could be addressed with a good cookbook - from learning a new skill, to saving money, to trying something new (a flavor, an ingredient, a type of cooking), to eating "healthier" (whatever that means for you), to gathering with friends or family, and more.
Seattle Staff Faves 2024: Nonfiction
Every year we ask our staff across the library system for their favorite books published in the current year.
Native American Nonfiction
National Native American Heritage Month, observed in November, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions – historical and ongoing – of American Indians and Alaska Native.
Latine / Latinx Nonfiction
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), enjoy these recent memoirs and nonfiction by Latine authors, selected by librarians at The Seattle Public Library
Body Liberation
Here are some suggestions for your 2024 Book Bingo NW category: Body Liberation. Body liberation is freedom from the social and political systems of oppression that designate certain bodies as more worthy, healthy, and desirable than others.
Refugee/Immigrant Memoir
Here are some suggestions for your 2024 Book Bingo NW category: Refugee/Immigrant Memoir
LGBTQ+ Poetry and Essays
Here are some suggestions for your 2024 Book Bingo NW category: LGBTQIA+ Poetry and Essays.
Adult Fiction
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Fiction
A staff selection of fiction by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors for adults.
Adult Nonfiction
Asian American and Pacific Islander Memoir
A staff selection of memoirs highlighting lived experiences by Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander authors.
