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Roundup, April 2025</a></h2> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <p>Springtime is here, the flowers are popping, and the books are blooming! Read on for fiction arriving this month.</p> <div class="tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized" data-original-width="840" data-carousel-extra='{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"https:\/\/blog.spl.org\/2025\/04\/11\/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025\/","likes_blog_id":"65407090"}' itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageGallery" > <div class="gallery-row" style="width: 840px; height: 424px;" data-original-width="840" data-original-height="424" > <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 286px; height: 424px;" data-original-width="286" data-original-height="424" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <meta itemprop="width" content="282"> <meta itemprop="height" content="420"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89327" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg" data-orig-size="402,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="family recipe" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg?fit=201%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg?fit=402%2C600&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg?w=282&h=420&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg?w=402&ssl=1 402w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg?resize=201%2C300&ssl=1 201w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/family-recipe.jpeg?resize=235%2C350&ssl=1 235w" width="282" height="420" loading="lazy" data-original-width="282" data-original-height="420" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="family recipe" alt="family recipe" style="width: 282px; height: 420px;" /> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 280px; height: 424px;" data-original-width="280" data-original-height="424" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <meta itemprop="width" content="276"> <meta itemprop="height" content="420"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89328" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg" data-orig-size="394,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="library dollhouses" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg?fit=197%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg?fit=394%2C600&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg?w=276&h=420&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg?w=394&ssl=1 394w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1 197w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/library-dollhouses.jpeg?resize=230%2C350&ssl=1 230w" width="276" height="420" loading="lazy" data-original-width="276" data-original-height="420" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="library dollhouses" alt="library dollhouses" style="width: 276px; height: 420px;" /> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 274px; height: 424px;" data-original-width="274" data-original-height="424" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <meta itemprop="width" content="270"> <meta itemprop="height" content="420"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89329" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg" data-orig-size="386,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="swept away" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg?fit=193%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg?fit=386%2C600&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg?w=270&h=420&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg?w=386&ssl=1 386w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg?resize=193%2C300&ssl=1 193w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/swept-away.jpeg?resize=225%2C350&ssl=1 225w" width="270" height="420" loading="lazy" data-original-width="270" data-original-height="420" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="swept away" alt="swept away" style="width: 270px; height: 420px;" /> </div> </div>  </div>  <div class="gallery-row" style="width: 840px; height: 636px;" data-original-width="840" data-original-height="636" > <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 424px; height: 636px;" data-original-width="424" data-original-height="636" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <meta itemprop="width" content="420"> <meta itemprop="height" content="632"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89330" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg" data-orig-size="399,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="when we were real" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg?fit=399%2C600&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg?w=420&h=632&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg?w=399&ssl=1 399w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/when-we-were-real.jpeg?resize=233%2C350&ssl=1 233w" width="420" height="632" loading="lazy" data-original-width="420" data-original-height="632" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="when we were real" alt="when we were real" style="width: 420px; height: 632px;" /> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 416px; height: 636px;" data-original-width="416" data-original-height="636" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <meta itemprop="width" content="412"> <meta itemprop="height" content="632"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89331" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg" data-orig-size="391,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="where the axe is buried" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg?fit=196%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg?fit=391%2C600&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg?w=412&h=632&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg?w=391&ssl=1 391w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg?resize=196%2C300&ssl=1 196w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/where-the-axe-is-buried.jpeg?resize=228%2C350&ssl=1 228w" width="412" height="632" loading="lazy" data-original-width="412" data-original-height="632" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="where the axe is buried" alt="where the axe is buried" style="width: 412px; height: 632px;" /> </div> </div>  </div>  </div> <p>4/1: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037244"><strong>The Family Recipe</strong></a> by Carolyn Huynh<br /> Vietnamese sandwich restaurant founder Duc Tran has rewritten his will: if his five children want their inheritance, they’ll have to meet his wishes. His four daughters must take on run-down shops in Little Saigon locations in Houston, San Jose, New Orleans, and Philadelphia; but if Duc’s son gets married first, he gets it all. (general fiction)</p> <p>4/1: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037148"><strong>The Library of Lost Dollhouses</strong></a> by Elise Hooper<br /> Librarian Tildy Barrows is determined to save the archive where she works. When she finds two dollhouses, Tildy digs into their history, the artist who created them, and the secrets they keep. (general fiction)</p> <p>4/1: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043385"><strong>Swept</strong> <strong>Away</strong></a> by Beth O’Leary<br /> Zeke and Lexi are both onboard for a one-night stand – literally, as they’re on a houseboat. But when they wake up adrift, they’ll have plenty of time to get to know one another as they try to get back to land. (romance)</p> <p>4/1: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043695"><strong>When We Were Real</strong></a> by Daryl Gregory<br /> Seven years after discovering that we all live in a digital simulacrum, best friends JP and Dulin head out on a guided cross-country tour of geographic glitches. Alongside them are fellow travelers, each seeking their own purpose. (science fiction)</p> <p>4/1: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4038412"><strong>Where the Axe Is Buried</strong></a> by Ray Nayler<br /> In the Federation, the president is immortal, the same mind downloaded into a new body when necessary. In the Union, AI Prime Ministers run the government. Programmer Lilia holds the key to the resistance. (science fiction thriller)</p> <div data-carousel-extra='{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"https:\/\/blog.spl.org\/2025\/04\/11\/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025\/"}' id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-89321 gallery-columns-5 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img decoding="async" width="264" height="400" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?fit=264%2C400&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?w=264&ssl=1 264w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?resize=198%2C300&ssl=1 198w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?resize=231%2C350&ssl=1 231w" sizes="(max-width: 264px) 85vw, 264px" data-attachment-id="89100" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/03/31/a-peek-at-peak-picks-april-2025/audition-4/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?fit=264%2C400&ssl=1" data-orig-size="264,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="audition" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?fit=198%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/audition.jpg?fit=264%2C400&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img decoding="async" width="395" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?w=395&ssl=1 395w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?resize=198%2C300&ssl=1 198w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?resize=230%2C350&ssl=1 230w" sizes="(max-width: 395px) 85vw, 395px" data-attachment-id="89335" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/big-chief/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="395,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="big chief" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?fit=198%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/big-chief.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="400" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?w=400&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?resize=233%2C350&ssl=1 233w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 85vw, 400px" data-attachment-id="89332" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/float-test/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="400,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="float test" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/float-test.jpeg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="398" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?fit=398%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?w=398&ssl=1 398w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&ssl=1 199w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?resize=232%2C350&ssl=1 232w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 398px) 85vw, 398px" data-attachment-id="89333" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/impossible-thing/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?fit=398%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="398,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="impossible thing" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?fit=199%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/impossible-thing.jpeg?fit=398%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="395" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?w=395&ssl=1 395w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?resize=198%2C300&ssl=1 198w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?resize=230%2C350&ssl=1 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 395px) 85vw, 395px" data-attachment-id="89334" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/murder-at-gulls-nest/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="395,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="murder at gulls nest" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?fit=198%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/murder-at-gulls-nest.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure> </div> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037162"><strong>Audition</strong></a> by Katie Kitamura<br /> A successful stage actress and a young man have lunch in a push-pull dual narrative that examines who they are to one another, to themselves, and the ways in which that story can be rewritten (general fiction)</p> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037163"><strong>Big Chief</strong></a> by Jon Hickey<br /> On the fictional Passage Rouge Indian Reservation in Wisconsin, Mitch and tribal president Mack run the tribe’s government and its casino. Facing activist Gloria in the election, the community risks tipping into chaos unless Mitch can find a way out. (general fiction)</p> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037168"><strong>The Float Test</strong></a> by Lynn Steger Strong<br /> The four grown Kenner siblings reunite at their Florida family home where, over the course of one summer, they’ll reckon with family secrets, personal rifts, and the variable nature of truth. (general fiction)</p> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043711"><strong>The Impossible Thing</strong></a> by Belinda Bauer<br /> In 1926 Yorkshire, the trade for beautiful sea bird eggs is booming. Celie finds a rare scarlet egg, the sale of which pulls her family from poverty. In present day Wales, Patrick and Nick try to track down a stolen red egg, entering the underground world of egg trafficking. (thriller)</p> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4042609"><strong>Murder at Gulls Nest</strong></a> by Jess Kidd<br /> In 1954 England, Nora Breen, nun, leaves the convent to discover why a friend has abruptly stopped answering her letters. Installing herself at Gulls Nest, a boarding house in a seaside town, Nora investigates her fellow boarders and townsfolk alike. (historical mystery)</p> <div data-carousel-extra='{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"https:\/\/blog.spl.org\/2025\/04\/11\/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025\/"}' id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-89321 gallery-columns-4 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="381" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?fit=381%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?w=381&ssl=1 381w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?resize=191%2C300&ssl=1 191w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?resize=222%2C350&ssl=1 222w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 381px) 85vw, 381px" data-attachment-id="89337" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/vanishing-worl/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?fit=381%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="381,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="vanishing worl" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?fit=191%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vanishing-worl.jpeg?fit=381%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="397" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?w=397&ssl=1 397w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&ssl=1 199w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?resize=232%2C350&ssl=1 232w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 397px) 85vw, 397px" data-attachment-id="89338" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/midnight-in-soap-lake/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="397,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="midnight in soap lake" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?fit=199%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/midnight-in-soap-lake.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="397" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?w=397&ssl=1 397w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&ssl=1 199w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?resize=232%2C350&ssl=1 232w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 397px) 85vw, 397px" data-attachment-id="89339" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/this-is-not-a-game/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="397,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="this is not a game" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?fit=199%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/this-is-not-a-game.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="399" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?fit=399%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?w=399&ssl=1 399w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?resize=233%2C350&ssl=1 233w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 399px) 85vw, 399px" data-attachment-id="89340" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/my-documents/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?fit=399%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="399,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="my documents" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/my-documents.jpeg?fit=399%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure> </div> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043685"><strong>My Documents</strong></a> by Kevin Nguyen<br /> Vietnamese American cousins Ursula, Alvin, Jen and Duncan are coming of age when a series of violent attacks rock American society, leading to the creation of internment camps for Vietnamese Americans and upending the cousin’s lives. (general fiction)</p> <p>4/8: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043692"><strong>This Is Not a Game</strong></a> by Kelly Mullen<br /> Mimi convinces her estranged granddaughter, Addie, to come to Mackinac Island and attend a party and charity auction. But when a storm crashes in and the hostess is murdered, Mimi and Addie must solve the mystery to survive the night. (mystery)</p> <p>4/15: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043683"><strong>Midnight in Soap Lake</strong></a> by Matthew Sullivan<br /> Abigail moves to Soap Lake, WA and finds herself investigating the dead of a young boy’s mother, the local legends, and the magic lurking in the lake. (mystery)</p> <p>4/15: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037247"><strong>Vanishing World </strong></a>by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori<br /> In a near future world where married couples no longer have sex and all children are conceived by artificial insemination, Amane joins a commune in an effort to overcome her hidden desires and the taboo that she was conceived via sex. By the author of <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C3370197"><strong>Convenience Store Woman</strong></a>. (science fiction)</p> <div data-carousel-extra='{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"https:\/\/blog.spl.org\/2025\/04\/11\/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025\/"}' id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-89321 gallery-columns-4 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="395" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?w=395&ssl=1 395w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?resize=198%2C300&ssl=1 198w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?resize=230%2C350&ssl=1 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 395px) 85vw, 395px" data-attachment-id="89341" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/atavists/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="395,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="atavists" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?fit=198%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/atavists.jpeg?fit=395%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="397" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?w=397&ssl=1 397w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&ssl=1 199w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?resize=232%2C350&ssl=1 232w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 397px) 85vw, 397px" data-attachment-id="89342" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/fair-play/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="397,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="fair play" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?fit=199%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fair-play.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="397" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?w=397&ssl=1 397w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&ssl=1 199w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?resize=232%2C350&ssl=1 232w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 397px) 85vw, 397px" data-attachment-id="89343" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/great-big-beautiful/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="397,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="great big beautiful" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?fit=199%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/great-big-beautiful.jpeg?fit=397%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure><figure class='gallery-item'> <div class='gallery-icon portrait'> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="400" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?w=400&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?resize=233%2C350&ssl=1 233w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 85vw, 400px" data-attachment-id="89344" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/zeal/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="400,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="zeal" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/zeal.jpeg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1" /> </div></figure> </div> <p>4/22: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037161"><strong>Atavists</strong></a> by Lydia Millet<br /> A collection of short stories examine a range of primal urges, from jealousy to grief to desire and beyond. (general fiction)</p> <p>4/22: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4043678"><strong>Fair Play</strong></a> by Louise Hegarty<br /> At a Murder Mystery party, come morning the host is dead. As his sister Abigail strives to understand what happened, a famous detective arrives to find the killer. (mystery)</p> <p>4/22: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037169"><strong>Great Big Beautiful Life</strong></a> by Emily Henry<br /> Two writers arrive on a small island to tell the story of a reclusive heiress and her scandalous family. Alice Scott is looking for her big break; Hayden Anderson is an award-winning biographer. As the two compete over who will tell the story, their own mutual attraction takes center stage. (romance)</p> <p>4/22: <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4037182"><strong>Zeal </strong></a>by Morgan Jerkins<br /> In this multi-generational family saga, the legacy of love of formerly enslaved people in Reconstruction-era America and the iterative efforts to live a free life reverberate through the generations, culminating in an engagement party in 2019. (historical fiction)</p> <p><em>~ posted by Andrea G.</em></p> </div> <footer class="entry-footer"> <span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=49&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=98&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-49 photo' height='49' width='49' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/><span class="screen-reader-text">Author </span> <a class="url fn n" href="https://blog.spl.org/author/rablogspl/">rablogspl</a></span></span><span class="posted-on"><span class="screen-reader-text">Posted on </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-04-11T09:30:32-07:00">April 11, 2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-04-08T16:09:50-07:00">April 8, 2025</time></a></span><span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/books/" rel="category tag">BOOKS</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/books/fiction/" rel="category tag">Fiction</a></span><span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/tag/andrea-g/" rel="tag">Andrea G.</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/tag/new-fiction/" rel="tag">new fiction</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/tag/new-fiction-roundup/" rel="tag">New Fiction Roundup</a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/11/new-fiction-roundup-april-2025/#respond">Leave a comment<span class="screen-reader-text"> on New Fiction Roundup, April 2025</span></a></span> </footer> </article> <article id="post-89372" class="post-89372 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-communications category-library-services tag-library-staff"> <header class="entry-header"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/10/branches-in-bloom-photos-of-spring-at-the-library/" rel="bookmark">Branches in Bloom: Photos of Spring at the Library</a></h2> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <figure id="attachment_89384" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-89384" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="89384" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/10/branches-in-bloom-photos-of-spring-at-the-library/magnolia-branch-front-entrance-600/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?fit=600%2C790&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,790" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Magnolia Branch front entrance-600" data-image-description="<p>The first photo shows the vibrant pink color of the saucer magnolia tree in full bloom at the Magnolia Branch. </p> " data-image-caption="<p>The first photo shows the vibrant pink color of the saucer magnolia tree in full bloom at the Magnolia Branch. </p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?fit=228%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?fit=600%2C790&ssl=1" class="wp-image-89384 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?resize=600%2C790&ssl=1" alt="" width="600" height="790" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?resize=228%2C300&ssl=1 228w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Magnolia-Branch-front-entrance-600.jpg?resize=266%2C350&ssl=1 266w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-89384" class="wp-caption-text">A the saucer magnolia tree in full bloom at the Magnolia Branch. Photo by Mathew Roland</figcaption></figure> <p>We usually associate libraries with the indoors — buildings, books, computers, programs and classes. But a lot of thought and care goes into the landscapes surrounding our buildings as well.</p> <p>Mathew Roland, senior gardener, is a member of the Library’s Facilities team, which works hard around the year to keep our spaces clean, safe, well-functioning, and beautiful. An avid photographer, Mathew enjoys documenting the work that his team does and the seasonal changes that he observes.</p> <p>Below, he shares a bit about his favorite plants and blooms around our libraries in the spring.</p> <p><strong>SPL: What is a typical workday like for you? </strong></p> <p>MR: As a gardener my days vary by the season. I work on projects like lawn maintenance, pruning, shearing, operating and fixing irrigation, weeding, and leaf pickup. I enjoy landscaping the library grounds in the spring because the weather begins to warm up and dormant plants emerge for the season. <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/10/branches-in-bloom-photos-of-spring-at-the-library/#more-89372" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> “Branches in Bloom: Photos of Spring at the Library”</span></a></p> </div> <footer class="entry-footer"> <span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=49&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=98&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-49 photo' height='49' width='49' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/><span class="screen-reader-text">Author </span> <a class="url fn n" href="https://blog.spl.org/author/rablogspl/">rablogspl</a></span></span><span class="posted-on"><span class="screen-reader-text">Posted on </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/10/branches-in-bloom-photos-of-spring-at-the-library/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published updated" datetime="2025-04-10T11:23:38-07:00">April 10, 2025</time></a></span><span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/communications/" rel="category tag">Communications</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/library-services/" rel="category tag">Library Services</a></span><span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/tag/library-staff/" rel="tag">library staff</a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/10/branches-in-bloom-photos-of-spring-at-the-library/#comments">2 Comments<span class="screen-reader-text"> on Branches in Bloom: Photos of Spring at the Library</span></a></span> </footer> </article> <article id="post-89124" class="post-89124 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-books category-non-fiction tag-frank-b tag-new-nonfiction-roundup"> <header class="entry-header"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/" rel="bookmark">New Nonfiction Roundup – April 2025</a></h2> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized" data-original-width="840" data-carousel-extra='{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"https:\/\/blog.spl.org\/2025\/04\/09\/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025\/","likes_blog_id":"65407090"}' itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageGallery" > <div class="gallery-row" style="width: 840px; height: 292px;" data-original-width="840" data-original-height="292" > <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 194px; height: 292px;" data-original-width="194" data-original-height="292" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/adulthood-2/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="190"> <meta itemprop="height" content="288"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89136" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/adulthood.jpg" data-orig-size="265,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="adulthood" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/adulthood.jpg?fit=199%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/adulthood.jpg?fit=265%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/adulthood.jpg?w=190&h=288&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/adulthood.jpg?w=265&ssl=1 265w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/adulthood.jpg?resize=232%2C350&ssl=1 232w" width="190" height="288" loading="lazy" data-original-width="190" data-original-height="288" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="adulthood" alt="adulthood" style="width: 190px; 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height: 288px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 207px; height: 292px;" data-original-width="207" data-original-height="292" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/pronoun-2/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="203"> <meta itemprop="height" content="288"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89142" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg" data-orig-size="282,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="pronoun" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg?fit=212%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg?fit=282%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg?w=203&h=288&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg?w=282&ssl=1 282w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg?resize=212%2C300&ssl=1 212w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pronoun.jpg?resize=247%2C350&ssl=1 247w" width="203" height="288" loading="lazy" data-original-width="203" data-original-height="288" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="pronoun" alt="pronoun" style="width: 203px; height: 288px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  </div>  <div class="gallery-row" style="width: 840px; height: 634px;" data-original-width="840" data-original-height="634" > <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 417px; height: 634px;" data-original-width="417" data-original-height="634" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/matriarch/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="413"> <meta itemprop="height" content="630"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89140" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg" data-orig-size="262,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="matriarch" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg?fit=197%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg?fit=262%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg?w=413&h=630&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg?w=262&ssl=1 262w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1 197w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/matriarch.jpg?resize=229%2C350&ssl=1 229w" width="413" height="630" loading="lazy" data-original-width="413" data-original-height="630" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="matriarch" alt="matriarch" style="width: 413px; height: 630px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 423px; height: 634px;" data-original-width="423" data-original-height="634" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/ordinary-2/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="419"> <meta itemprop="height" content="630"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89141" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg" data-orig-size="266,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="ordinary" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg?fit=266%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg?w=419&h=630&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg?w=266&ssl=1 266w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ordinary.jpg?resize=233%2C350&ssl=1 233w" width="419" height="630" loading="lazy" data-original-width="419" data-original-height="630" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="ordinary" alt="ordinary" style="width: 419px; height: 630px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  </div>  <div class="gallery-row" style="width: 840px; height: 317px;" data-original-width="840" data-original-height="317" > <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 210px; height: 317px;" data-original-width="210" data-original-height="317" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/louvre/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="206"> <meta itemprop="height" content="313"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89139" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg" data-orig-size="263,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="louvre" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg?fit=197%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg?fit=263%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg?w=206&h=313&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg?w=263&ssl=1 263w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1 197w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/louvre.jpg?resize=230%2C350&ssl=1 230w" width="206" height="313" loading="lazy" data-original-width="206" data-original-height="313" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="louvre" alt="louvre" style="width: 206px; height: 313px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 210px; height: 317px;" data-original-width="210" data-original-height="317" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/tears-3/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="206"> <meta itemprop="height" content="313"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89144" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg" data-orig-size="263,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="tears" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg?fit=197%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg?fit=263%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg?w=206&h=313&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg?w=263&ssl=1 263w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1 197w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tears.jpg?resize=230%2C350&ssl=1 230w" width="206" height="313" loading="lazy" data-original-width="206" data-original-height="313" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="tears" alt="tears" style="width: 206px; height: 313px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 214px; height: 317px;" data-original-width="214" data-original-height="317" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/golden-2/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="210"> <meta itemprop="height" content="313"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89138" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg" data-orig-size="269,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="golden" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg?fit=202%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg?fit=269%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg?w=210&h=313&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg?w=269&ssl=1 269w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg?resize=202%2C300&ssl=1 202w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/golden.jpg?resize=235%2C350&ssl=1 235w" width="210" height="313" loading="lazy" data-original-width="210" data-original-height="313" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="golden" alt="golden" style="width: 210px; height: 313px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  <div class="gallery-group images-1" style="width: 206px; height: 317px;" data-original-width="206" data-original-height="317" > <div class="tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/accidentally/" border="0" itemprop="url"> <meta itemprop="width" content="202"> <meta itemprop="height" content="313"> <img decoding="async" class="" data-attachment-id="89135" data-orig-file="https://blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg" data-orig-size="258,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="accidentally" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg?fit=194%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg?fit=258%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg?w=202&h=313&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg?w=258&ssl=1 258w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg?resize=194%2C300&ssl=1 194w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/accidentally.jpg?resize=226%2C350&ssl=1 226w" width="202" height="313" loading="lazy" data-original-width="202" data-original-height="313" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" title="accidentally" alt="accidentally" style="width: 202px; height: 313px;" /> </a> </div> </div>  </div>  </div> <p>Happy April! There’s a lot of outstanding nonfiction to consider this month.</p> <p>In self-care, Gretchen Rubin distills her key insights into simple truths for living with greater satisfaction, clarity, and happiness in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027864">Secrets of Adulthood </a></strong>while Melinda Gates draws from previously untold stories to offer a new perspective on encountering transitions in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027855"><strong>The Next Day</strong>. </a>Ashlee Piper pens a radically simple 30-day guide to saving money, the planet, and your sanity in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027950">No New Things </a></strong>and Dr. Judith Joseph provides guidance for overcoming your hidden depression and reclaiming your joy in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027941">High Functioning</a>.</strong> Eamon Dolan empowers people to find peace and freedom through family estrangement in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028043">The Power of Parting </a></strong>while Annie B. Jones shares lessons she’s learned while staying put in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027857"><strong>Ordinary Time</strong>. </a>And Maggie Smith offers pep talks and practical advice for the creative life in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4029211"><strong>Dear Writer</strong>.</a></p> <p>In current events and essay, Sarah Kendzior navigates a changing America over a series of car journeys in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028040"><strong>The Last American Road Trip</strong>; </a>Gardiner Harris reveals the secrets of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027949"><strong>No More Tears</strong>; </a>Viet Thanh Nguyen considers what it’s like to write as an “other” in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4030786"><strong>To Save and to Destroy</strong>; </a>linguist John McWhorter busts the myths and shares the history of the most controversial language topic of our times in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028044">Pronoun Trouble</a></strong>; Andrea Long-Chu asks a provocative question: What is <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4029206">Authority</a> </strong>when everyone has an opinion on everything?; and Vauhini Vara explores selfhood in the digital age in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028526">Searches</a></strong>.</p> <p>In biography and memoir, Tina Knowles-Lawson, the mother of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles, chronicles family love and heartbreak in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027854">Matriarch </a></strong>while supermodel Christie Brinkley takes you behind the cameras in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4033065">Uptown Girl</a></strong>. Ian Leslie reveals how the music of the Beatles was influenced by the complicated relationship between <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027945">John & Paul</a></strong> and Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus shares how he came of age to lead one of his generation’s biggest bands in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027937">Farenheit-182</a></strong>. NBS News anchor Vicky Nguyen tells of her unlikely journey from refugee to reporter in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4029208">Boat Baby</a></strong> while Kristen Kish reflects on her Midwest childhood as a Korean adoptee and eventual win on Top Chef in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027883">Accidentally on Purpose</a></strong>. Dan Nadel writes the first biography of influential cartoonist Robert <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4029210">Crumb</a></strong>, and <em>New Yorker </em>illustrator Harry Bliss celebrates and grieves the life and death of his beloved dog Penny in the graphic memoir <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4031753">You Can Never Die</a></strong>.</p> <p>In history, Rick Atkinson delivers the second volume of the American Revolution trilogy with a focus on Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027848"><strong>The Fate of the Day</strong>; </a>meanwhile William Dalrymple explores how Ancient India transformed the world in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027850"><strong>The Golden Road</strong>. </a>Greg Grandin pens a sweeping five-century history of the New World in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027844">America, América </a></strong>and Michael Luo presents an American history of Chinese exclusion in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027866"><strong>Strangers in the Land</strong>. </a>Elaine Pagels presents a new account of the historical mystery of Jesus in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028042">Miracles and Wonder </a></strong>while Diarmaid MacCulloch chronicles the intersection of sex and Christianity over three thousand years in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028253"><strong>Lower Than the Angels</strong>.</a></p> <p>In cooking, comedian Matteo Lane debuts with 30 recipes to up your pasta game in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028050">Your Pasta Sucks </a></strong>while Barbara Costello provides 101 easy & delicious family-friendly dinners for every night of the week in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027936">Every Day With Babs </a></strong>and Roy Choi shares flavor-packed, rule-breaking recipes for a delicious life in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027890"><strong>The Choi of Cooking</strong>. </a>Michael Greger’s illustrated cookbook delivers 100+ recipes for getting healthier and living longer in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027852">How Not to Age Cookbook </a></strong>while dietician Kylie Sakaida helps you enjoy delicious recipes and expert tips for balanced eating in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4029254">So Easy So Good</a></strong>. The second volume of Bobbie Lloyd’s <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028521">Magnolia Bakery Cookbook </a></strong>focuses on icebox desserts and Nicole Rucker’s fuss-free collection of recipes for pies, cookies, brownies, cakes, and more will delight bakers in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027938">Fat + Flour</a></strong>. Beejhy Barhany shares timeless recipes for modern kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and beyond in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028035"><strong>Gursha</strong>; </a><span aria-hidden="true">Rick Martínez helps you dip your way into Mexican cooking in </span><strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027863">Salsa Daddy</a></strong>; and Sarah Ahn captivates with 100 family recipes from a Korean mom’s kitchen wisdom in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028048"><strong>Umma</strong>. </a>Meera Sodha draws on a wide range of Asian cuisines to provide 120 vegan and vegetarian recipes for the most important meal of the day in <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4031062">Dinner </a></strong>while Eden Grinshpan presents irresistible celebration of veg-forward Middle Eastern- and Mediterranean-inspired recipes in <a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4027904"><strong>Tahini Baby</strong>.</a></p> <p>Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Perhaps <strong><a href="https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S30C4028511">Adventures in the Louvre</a></strong> by Elaine Sciolino, who will help you fall in love with the world’s greatest museum by immersing yourself in the world of beauty and culture will do the trick.</p> <p><em>~posted by Frank</em>. All descriptions provided by publisher.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> <footer class="entry-footer"> <span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=49&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=98&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-49 photo' height='49' width='49' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/><span class="screen-reader-text">Author </span> <a class="url fn n" href="https://blog.spl.org/author/rablogspl/">rablogspl</a></span></span><span class="posted-on"><span class="screen-reader-text">Posted on </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-04-09T09:30:37-07:00">April 9, 2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-04-02T17:23:02-07:00">April 2, 2025</time></a></span><span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/books/" rel="category tag">BOOKS</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/books/non-fiction/" rel="category tag">Nonfiction</a></span><span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/tag/frank-b/" rel="tag">Frank B.</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/tag/new-nonfiction-roundup/" rel="tag">New Nonfiction Roundup</a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/09/new-nonfiction-roundup-april-2025/#comments">1 Comment<span class="screen-reader-text"> on New Nonfiction Roundup – April 2025</span></a></span> </footer> </article> <article id="post-89347" class="post-89347 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-communications category-library-events category-library-services"> <header class="entry-header"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/08/meet-me-at-the-library-qa-with-author-shamichael-hallman/" rel="bookmark">Meet Me at the Library: Q&A with Author Shamichael Hallman</a></h2> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <figure id="attachment_89361" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-89361" style="width: 558px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="89361" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/08/meet-me-at-the-library-qa-with-author-shamichael-hallman/shamichael-hallman-collage-with-cover-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?fit=558%2C390&ssl=1" data-orig-size="558,390" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Shamichael Hallman collage with cover 2" data-image-description="<p>Author Shamichael Hallman will speak at Town Hall Seattle on Monday, April 14 about his book “Meet Me at the Library”</p> " data-image-caption="<p>Author Shamichael Hallman will speak at Town Hall Seattle on Monday, April 14 about his book “Meet Me at the Library”</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?fit=300%2C210&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?fit=558%2C390&ssl=1" class="wp-image-89361 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?resize=558%2C390&ssl=1" alt="Author Shamichael Hallman will speak at Town Hall Seattle on Monday, April 14 about his book "Meet Me at the Library"" width="558" height="390" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?w=558&ssl=1 558w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?resize=300%2C210&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shamichael-Hallman-collage-with-cover-2.jpg?resize=501%2C350&ssl=1 501w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 558px) 85vw, 558px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-89361" class="wp-caption-text">Author Shamichael Hallman will speak at Town Hall Seattle on Monday, April 14 about his book “Meet Me at the Library”</figcaption></figure> <p><span data-contrast="none">Shamichael Hallman, author of “Meet Me at the Library: A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy,” will speak on </span><a href="https://www.spl.org/event-calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D181072075"><span data-contrast="none">Monday, April 14 at Town Hall Seattle</span></a>. His topic couldn’t be more <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/03/24/imls-provides-invaluable-support-to-libraries-in-washington-state-and-throughout-the-u-s/">timely</a> — <span data-contrast="none">why the public library may be our best hope for bridging current societal divides and creating strong, inclusive communities. Please join us (<a href="https://townhallseattle.org/event/shamichael-hallman/">register here</a>)! </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Hallman is the director of civic health and economic opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council and former senior library manager at Memphis Public Libraries. As a preview of his talk, Shamichael kindly answered a few questions from us. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559738":240,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}"> </span></p> <p><b><span data-contrast="none">SPL: Why are libraries uniquely suited to foster connections and promote democracy?</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></p> <p><b><span data-contrast="none">SH: </span></b><span data-contrast="none">To cultivate a strong, healthy democracy, we need places where people can show up regardless of their beliefs or how much money they have in their pocket. We need places where people can just be, and the library fits that bill exceptionally well. Once you walk into a library, you have access to a variety of opinions and thought, intellectual freedom in practice. Libraries offer so many opportunities for shared experiences that allow us to show up and learn from and about each other. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></p> <blockquote><p><span data-contrast="none">Libraries offer so many opportunities for shared experiences that allow us to show up and learn from and about each other. </span></p></blockquote> <p><b><span data-contrast="none">What has been surprising to readers in terms of what libraries do? </span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">I recommend that people go to the website of their local library and browse <a href="https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/a-z-programs-and-services">“additional services.”</a> You’ll see everything from help with mapping your genealogy to launching a business to cultivating a new hobby. In my book, I also wrote about the growing trend of “library of things”: Libraries are loaning everything from sewing machines and fishing rods, to car diagnostic kits, which fits into the idea of a circular economy.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span> <a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/08/meet-me-at-the-library-qa-with-author-shamichael-hallman/#more-89347" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> “Meet Me at the Library: Q&A with Author Shamichael Hallman”</span></a></p> </div> <footer class="entry-footer"> <span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=49&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=98&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-49 photo' height='49' width='49' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/><span class="screen-reader-text">Author </span> <a class="url fn n" href="https://blog.spl.org/author/rablogspl/">rablogspl</a></span></span><span class="posted-on"><span class="screen-reader-text">Posted on </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/08/meet-me-at-the-library-qa-with-author-shamichael-hallman/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published updated" datetime="2025-04-08T09:47:10-07:00">April 8, 2025</time></a></span><span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/communications/" rel="category tag">Communications</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/local-interest/library-events/" rel="category tag">Library Events</a>, <a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/library-services/" rel="category tag">Library Services</a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/08/meet-me-at-the-library-qa-with-author-shamichael-hallman/#respond">Leave a comment<span class="screen-reader-text"> on Meet Me at the Library: Q&A with Author Shamichael Hallman</span></a></span> </footer> </article> <article id="post-89184" class="post-89184 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-local-interest tag-food-waste-prevention tag-guest-blogger tag-seattle-public-utilities"> <header class="entry-header"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/07/food-waste-prevention-week-2025/" rel="bookmark">Food Waste Prevention Week 2025</a></h2> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <p><a href="https://www.foodwastepreventionweek.com/">Food Waste Prevention Week</a> 2025 is April 7 to 13. Sheryl Anayas and Liz Fikejs from Seattle Public (SPU) Utilities join us for an interview about the work they do to help prevent food waste, and how individuals can take action.</p> <p><strong>What is Food Waste Prevention Week, and why is reducing food waste important? </strong></p> <p>Food Waste Prevention Week (FWPW) is a national campaign, from April 7 – April 13th, aiming to raise awareness about food waste and inspire action to reduce it. Many organizations, such as SPU, engage as a <a href="https://www.foodwastepreventionweek.com/partnerportal">partner</a> to encourage reducing food waste by messaging via our social media channels, event outreach, and other efforts. Reducing the amount of food that we waste is important because it’s an easy act that’s good for the planet and climate, and is a way to directly save you money. Additionally, despite a City ordinance in 2015 to ban food from going into the garbage, food remains the largest single material in Seattle’s garbage – about 20% of our garbage is made up of food! So, collectively, there is a significant opportunity to reduce food waste in our city.</p> <figure id="attachment_89187" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-89187" style="width: 840px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="89187" data-permalink="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/07/food-waste-prevention-week-2025/spu-image/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?fit=4864%2C3824&ssl=1" data-orig-size="4864,3824" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="SPU image" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?fit=300%2C236&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?fit=840%2C660&ssl=1" class="wp-image-89187 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=840%2C660&ssl=1" alt="Two women at a busy street fair look at a table of printed resources." width="840" height="660" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=1024%2C805&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=300%2C236&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=768%2C604&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=1536%2C1208&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=2048%2C1610&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=1200%2C943&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?resize=445%2C350&ssl=1 445w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?w=1680&ssl=1 1680w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.spl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPU-image.jpg?w=2520&ssl=1 2520w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-89187" class="wp-caption-text">City of Seattle Community Liaisons share SPU food waste prevention resources at the 2024 Lunar New Year Festival in Seattle’s Chinatown International District</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Can you tell us about your roles at Seattle Public Utilities and the work you do around food waste prevention? </strong></p> <p>Both Liz and I are Senior Program Managers that support SPU’s Waste Prevention Planning and Diversion Team within the Solid Waste Division. I focus on food waste prevention education and outreach geared towards residential households, while Liz focuses on similar work with commercial businesses. Together, we seek opportunities to encourage food waste prevention behaviors – whether it’s at home or in a food business such as grocery stores. You may be wondering what does this all look like? In our homes, it can entail making sure to meal plan before grocery shopping, to storing and freezing food properly so food can ultimately last longer. We have many resources via SPU’s <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/protecting-our-environment/sustainability-tips/waste-prevention/at-home/stop-food-waste">Love Food Stop Waste (LFSW) Program</a>, such as our food storage guide and freezer storage guide, which can help folks learn how to extend the shelf life of food they buy and, ideally, prevent these items from going to the garbage. And outside of our homes, food waste prevention can entail buying smaller portion sizes, requesting boxes for leftovers, and creatively repurposing those leftovers, just to name a few. SPU’s overarching goals around food waste include fostering a culture that values food and preventing it from going to waste in the first place.</p> <p><strong>What is your top piece of advice for folks looking to start reducing their food waste? </strong></p> <p>Taking steps to reduce food waste can look different for everyone, so starting with what feels easy and relevant to you is key! I’d suggest folks take a look at our <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/protecting-our-environment/sustainability-tips/waste-prevention/at-home/stop-food-waste">LFSW webpage</a> and apply some of the food saving tips we’ve outlined in our various resources to see what makes sense to incorporate into their individual lifestyles.</p> <p>For more ideas on how you can reduce food waste, check out our booklist featuring cookbooks, kid’s books, and more: <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fseattle.bibliocommons.com%2Fv2%2Flist%2Fdisplay%2F117997230%2F2739999567&data=05%7C02%7CAndrea.Gough%40spl.org%7C3522553c0c1c47fb413708dd70634516%7C1ed0e6f0e52f41e498359789433aff0b%7C0%7C0%7C638790293858617295%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hFl7LCLEVrSG3y%2BxPwzOHTynXCgAZoecmG8WOmpzjDk%3D&reserved=0"><strong>Food Waste Prevention</strong></a>.</p> </div> <footer class="entry-footer"> <span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=49&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e6c17504267dcb7fd418d22865f526d6?s=98&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-49 photo' height='49' width='49' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/><span class="screen-reader-text">Author </span> <a class="url fn n" href="https://blog.spl.org/author/rablogspl/">rablogspl</a></span></span><span class="posted-on"><span class="screen-reader-text">Posted on </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/2025/04/07/food-waste-prevention-week-2025/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-04-07T09:30:50-07:00">April 7, 2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-04-02T14:06:05-07:00">April 2, 2025</time></a></span><span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span><a href="https://blog.spl.org/category/local-interest/" 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