The King County Library System (KCLS) and the South Seattle Emerald are teaming up to bring you the “South End Scoop.” Dig into this community-centered column each month for great book, music, movie, and event recommendations from your local librarians.
If the cooler weather has you craving books and movies that send a chill down your spine this month, check out the spooky recommendations below.
And don’t forget that Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 5! Visit KCLS’ elections webpage for nonpartisan resources, ballot box locations, and voter events.
How to Make Friends With a Ghost by Rebecca Green
Find out how to make friends with a ghost in this cute guide by Rebecca Green. Try reading to your ghost before bedtime, and make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream. This endearing picture book offers great advice on how to be a good friend to all the spirits around us.
ParaNorman directed by Chris Butler
Norman Babcock finds his paranormal abilities pushed to their limits when he takes on zombies and ghosts to save his town from a centuries-old curse. Available on DVD and streaming on Kanopy.
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis
Sixteen-year-old Katrell has an unusual side hustle — resurrecting the dead for cash. But this work comes with both risk and reward. Katrell is warned by her best friend’s late grandmother to stop her lucrative but spiritually dangerous summoning or face dire consequences. An emotional story of friendship and resilience, Bad Witch Burning confronts tough choices facing teens seeking survival.
Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin
Argentinian author Samantha Schweblin delivers a haunting novel that questions the line between reality and imagination. Stuck in a rural hospital, a mother is visited by a young boy. He is not her son, but he is connected to her through a web of both tangible and intangible toxicity. What follows is a hallucinating story of eco-horror and how to grapple with situations outside of one’s control.
Recommendations courtesy of KCLS librarian Julie from the Burien Library.
KCLS offers a variety of in-person and online events and activities for all ages! All events are free. Find one that interests you at KCLS.org/Events.
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
Online
Hear from Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. Her adult debut novel, Witch of Wild Things, was a USA Today Bestseller, one of Amazon’s Best Romances of September 2023, and a People Magazine Romantasy Pick. Her next adult novel, Lightning in Her Hands, will be released this month. Moderated by Alexandria Ramos, assistant professor at the University of Washington.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Tukwila Library
Decorate pre-molded sugar skulls using icing gels, metallic sequins, tissue paper flowers, and other craft supplies. Learn how Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and around the world.
Friday, Oct. 25, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Boulevard Park Library
Be wowed by entomologist Don Ehlen. Learn about his adventurous expeditions and impressive bug collection and see displays of insect specimens up close, including butterflies, giant beetles, spiders, and more.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Federal Way Library
Learn about the recording equipment and software available in the sound booth at the Federal Way Library Makerspace. Explore personal or professional opportunities to make music, start a podcast, and more.
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Renton Library
Join Environmental Science Center for a fun and interactive presentation about a salmon’s journey to the Cedar River. Learn about current impacts to their health and population levels and how to incorporate stewardship actions into your daily life.
Monday, Nov. 4, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
Federal Way 320th Library
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Find the inspiration to get started on your writing project and connect with other writers at this fun and motivational event.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Skyway Library
Join local authors Dr. Secret Charles-Ford and Lee Yusuf for a reading and book signing. Dr. Charles-Ford will discuss his first book, Vietnam, PTSD, and Therapy, which offers one person’s account and experience as military personnel and a combat veteran. Lee Yusuf will discuss her debut novel, Sacred Waters, which captures the essence of love, heritage, and spiritual powers through a family of traditional healers from South America and the Islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
Online
Join a discussion with Waubgeshig Rice, bestselling author and journalist from Wasauksing First Nation on Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. Rice’s new novel, Moon of the Turning Leaves, is an exhilarating return to the world first explored in the phenomenal breakout bestseller, Moon of the Crusted Snow. It is a brooding story of survival, resilience, Indigenous identity, and rebirth.
Thursday, November 14, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Online
Meredith Maran, award-winning author, keynote speaker, and regular contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and O Magazine, will dig into her book The New Old Me. Maran’s post-divorce memoir explores her experience starting over at 60 — in youth-obsessed, beauty-obsessed Hollywood.
Residents in the KCLS service area (in King County, outside the City of Seattle) can sign up instantly for a physical card to access our full collection. Seattle residents may sign up for a digital eCard to access our digital collection. Visit KCLS.org/Library-Cards to get started. Contact Ask KCLS at KCLS.org/Ask if you need assistance with your account, or call (425) 462-9600 or (800) 462-9600.
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