Nightstand Reads: Trudi Trueit recommends middle-grade novels to read now

Seattle author Trudi Trueit’s newest book, The Nebula Secret, is part of the Explorer Academy series of novels from National Geographic. We asked Trudi to tell us about some other middle-grade books she’s been reading and loving. Here are five she recommends:

 

 

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
When Amal, a young Pakistani girl, offends the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, she is forced into indentured servitude to work off her family’s debt. In a country where women are perceived as inferior, Amal refuses to abandon her belief that girls have as much right to pursue their dreams as boys. This story could have easily turned darkly tragic, but Saeed chooses, instead, to make it a hopeful one. Amal’s optimism, as well as her bravery and resolve, gives hope to us all that change is possible. At the end of the book, Saeed writes that she was inspired by the real life story of Malala Yousafzai.

Library Reads: New books for October!

We usually start these Library Reads monthly posts by saying “10 books librarians across the U.S. love …” But for October — you, dear readers, get 11 new books because there’s a bonus “Hall of Fame Author” included this month.  AND four of these titles — from Tana French, Barbara Kingsolver, Susan Orlean, Jodi Picoult — will be in our October Peak Picks collections at all our branches. (Peak Picks = No holds, no wait. Look for the display at your favorite branch!)

And here are the 11 new books for October 2018’s Library Reads:

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory:  A disastrous public wedding proposal results in a chance meeting between Nik and Carlos. What follows is a delightfully humorous and sweet story about two people falling for each other while remaining seemingly unaware of their blossoming romance. The book sets itself apart by portraying a self-aware, feminist woman who enjoys positive relationships with female friends. An engaging and upbeat multicultural romance. ~ LaNiesha Bowles, Boston Public Library, Boston, MA

Listen Local: Download audio books by Washington authors

If you’re looking for a downloadable audiobook, here are a half-dozen titles — general fiction, nonfiction, historical fiction, and fantasy —  by local authors.

She Regrets Nothing by Andrea Dunlop. Fiction
The forgotten granddaughter of one of New York’s wealthiest men is reunited with her family just as she comes of age—and once she’s had a glimpse of their glittering world, she refuses to let it go without a fight. Second novel from a Seattle author.

Whiskey by Bruce Holbert. Fiction
This Spokane author’s latest novel is set in Electric City, Washington. Brothers Andre and Smoker are navigating their own marriages along with their parents’ frequent collision with the law.  Fiercely loyal and just plain fierce, they’re bound by a series of darkly comedic and hauntingly violent events: domestic trouble; religious fanaticism; benders punctuated with pauses to dry out that never stick.

Library Reads for September 2018

New novels from Kate Atkinson and Gary Shteyngart, a new book in the October Daye series by local fantasy author Seanen McGuire, and another installment in a mystery series set in a library (by Jenn McKinlay) — plus six more books librarians across the U.S. are excited to see on the shelves next month.

Announcing Washington State Book Award finalists for 2018!

Congratulations to the finalists in the
2018 Washington State Book Awards

Place a hold on these winning Washington titles here!

Fiction:
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel, of Seattle (Flatiron Books)
The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman, of Seattle (Simon & Schuster)
The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper, of Seattle (HarperCollins)
Solar Reboot by Matthew D. Hunt, of Clearview (Matthew D. Hunt)
George and Lizzie by Nancy Pearl, of Seattle (Touchstone)
Duplicity by Ingrid Thoft, of Seattle (Putnam)

Nonfiction:
Upstream: Searching for Wild Salmon, from River to Table by Langdon Cook, of Seattle (Ballantine Books)
Mozart’s Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt, of Seattle (Little, Brown & Company)
Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil to Life by David R. Montgomery, of Seattle (W.W. Norton)
Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean by Jonathan White, of Orcas Island (Trinity University Press) Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal by David B. Williams and Jennifer Ott, of Seattle, and the Staff of HistoryLink (HistoryLink and Documentary Media)
Ghosts of Seattle Past, various authors, curated and edited by Jaimee Garbacik, formerly of Seattle (Chin Music Press)