Seattle Nonfiction
Take a trip through the many stories of Seattle with these adult nonfiction books, published 2023-2025, and selected by our librarians. (Created August 2025)
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Rising Tides and Tailwinds
A history of the Port of Seattle, from chaotic railway sprawl to modern seaport and airport.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Birth of Seattle Rap
An exploration of Seattle's early rap artists and their groundbreaking sound, from the Seattle streets to studio beats. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Notoriously Bad Character
Olsen sifts through the myths and legends that have gathered around Lou Graham, brothel owner and significant Seattle citizen at the turn of the 20th century, to reveal how she - and others forgotten by history - shaped Seattle.
Format: Book
Availability: In-library use only at this time
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Seattle in the Great Depression
Capturing stories from Seattle newspapers and other sources, this narrative history traces a turbulent decade that scarred a generation and defined years of policy and culture... (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Seattle Cocktails
Seattle cocktails tells the story of how a devoted core of bartenders elevated the Emerald City's cocktail culture to great heights and lets you taste recipes that take full advantage of local flair and flavor. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Washington State Rising
Washington State Rising is the first book to document 1960s Black student activism in the Pacific Northwest and includes extensive oral history interviews with former BSU [Black Student Union] members. Robinson uncovers new insights into Black politics, locating the Black Power Movement in Seattle, Washington, a city and state not typically associated with 1960s black protest. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Filmlandia!
From Twin Peaks to Twilight, from Practical Magic to Portlandia!, Filmlandia! highlights more than 200 film and television entertainments created and centered in Seattle, Portland, and the greater Pacific Northwest, extensively researched and curated by culture writer David Schmader. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Heartbreak City
Relearn the history of Seattle by examining it through the games people played. Scott makes a compelling case that through sports, we can learn our urban histories in a way that provides clarity about past, present and future. (The Nation)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Arthur Loveless
Discover the impact and lasting legacy of notable Seattle architect, Arthur Loveless. Boldly shaping the architectural landscape from 1908 through 1940, Loveless's visionary designs encompassed over 100 remarkable residential and commercial structures.... leaving an indelible mark on Seattle's major neighborhoods. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Tent City, Seattle
In 2000, Seattle became the first city in the United States to grant permanent legal status to a peer-operated tent encampment, forever changing Seattle's urban landscape. Sparks explores how residents of Tent City 3 - a large, longstanding tent encampment in Seattle - attempt to create and sustain a sense of home in the context of the displacement and exclusion that we often refer to as "homelessness." (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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