Summertime and the readin's easy: KUOW Book Club and Seattle Public Library partner for live author series

The KUOW Book Club has some exciting news to share today: We are kicking off a summer reading series in partnership with The Seattle Public Library.

This is the first time our club is doing something like this, and I could not be more stoked. It's an honor for me, as a lifelong library fangirl, to present this super summer program.

"We are delighted to invite all of Seattle to read along with KUOW's Book Club this summer, and then meet these amazing authors in person at the Central Library," said Stesha Brandon, literature and humanities manager at The Seattle Public Library. "Bring your friends, bring your questions, and be part of these powerful conversations!"

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June

We have a great summer lineup scheduled, starting with Corinne Manning's "We Had No Rules" and Ijeoma Oluo's "Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World — And How You Can, Too."

We're highlighting these talented authors in new ways this month.

We'll start by reading Corrine Manning's short story collection that explores queerness in contemporary life. Read "We Had No Rules" by June 18, and tune in to KUOW's Meet Me Here podcast for a special episode with Manning.

RELATED: Check out KUOW's new arts podcast 'Meet Me Here'

I've heard from many loyal readers that y'all want more opportunities to connect with each other. This summer series is intended to build more community around literature. To that end, join your fellow bookworms and me on Zoom on June 23 at 6 p.m. for a group discussion. I'll share the Zoom link in June 18's newsletter (subscribe here if you haven't already).

Finally — and this is the big one — join me in conversation with Ijeoma Oluo at the Seattle Central Library on June 26 at 6 p.m. Tickets are free, and attendees will have an opportunity to ask Oluo questions. I'll share a debrief for everyone who can't make it on June 30.

Register for free here.

July

As you can see, June is going to be jam-packed with reading. But the summer fun doesn't end there.

We'll continue in July with a book that has been on my list since it came out in 2022: Kim Fu's "Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century." I know it's not new, but honestly, I didn't know Fu was local until Stesha Brandon at SPL told me. So, yeah, this is a slightly selfish pick. Considering the short story collection has won a ton of awards and accolades, including the 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Prize and 2022 Shirley Jackson Award for Short Fiction, I don't think y'all will be disappointed.

I'll share the reading schedule on July 1. In the meantime, register for my live conversation with Fu on July 30.

August

Last but not least, we'll wrap up the series with Lynda V. Mapes' fresh new work, "The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests." It just came out in April and is already being hailed as essential reading for anyone interested in environmental stewardship. In a nutshell, the book considers how old-growth forests play an irreplaceable role in the environment, but much like the forests themselves, it's so much more than that.

Look out for the reading schedule on Aug. 1. And don't miss our live conversation on Aug. 27.

Please note, all library events are free and open to the public, but registration for each of these events is required. I hope to see y'all there.