NW Book Lovers
From the Pacific NW Booksellers Association | promoting independents since 1965
  • Find a store
  • NW authors
  • Classifieds
  • Browse
    • N.W. Voices: Essays
    • Conversations: Interviews
    • The Storefront: NW booksellers
    • Face Out:
      Bookseller recommended
    • One Nightstand:
      Reader recommended
    • Award Winners
    • A Cup of News
    • Best Foot Forward
    • Doodles
    • Reading-Related Rambles
    • The Shelf Talker
    • Turning Pages
  • Indie NW Bestsellers
  • About Us
Browse: Home / Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler

Feb

6

2026

WA Bookstores featured on PBS’s “American stories: A Reading Road Trip”

Washington | American Stories: A Reading Road Trip Episode 108 Congratulations to Auntie’s Bookstore of Spokane and Elliott Bay Book Company of Seattle for being part of PBS’s Reading Road Trip! Big thanks to Sara Peté of the Washington State Library for sending us the news.

Jun

20

2025

Octavia Butler photo by Patti Perret

Celebrate Octavia Butler at Third Place Books June 23, 2025

From Third Place Books in Seattle: June 22nd marks the 78th birthday of former Lake Forest Park resident Octavia Butler, the trailblazing author of The Parable of the Sower and the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction. Butler lived in the neighborhood of Lake Forest Park from 1996 until …

Jul

15

2024

Phinney Books’ 100 Bestsellers of the Last 10 Years

Sure, the New York Times released its 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list. But the list we’re really excited about is Phinney Books’ 100 bestselling books from their first ten years. From Phinney Books, Seattle, WA:  You can see the top 10 displayed here, and the full top 100 on our website. Such …

Jan

30

2023

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

Ibi Zoboi (The People Remember; American Street) pays radiant homage in Star Child to the woman who inspired her, taught her and shared her birthday. She deftly combines poetry, prose, quotes and photos to create what she calls the “constellation” of science fiction writer Octavia Estelle Butler: “I decided to call this biography a constellation because Octavia’s …

Nov

23

2021

Welcome, Parable of Tacoma, WA!

From the Tacoma Ledger article “Books, Plants, Records and More: Parable Tacoma” by Rosie Mendoza Bautista Sept. 2021: Parable is a new bookstore within the Tacoma community. It sells new and used books alongside plants, records, clothing/accessories and local artisan goods. It is family-owned, community-owned, LGBTQ+, black-owned and woman-owned. Co-owner, LaKecia Farmer spoke to the …

Nov

24

2020

Karen Russell

Rapid-Fire Book Recs from Author
Karen Russell on Literary Hub

Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for Books,” Book Marks, interviewed Portland author Karen Russell, author of Sleep Donation. For her thoughts on 19 books, click here, but below– a sampling. Book Marks: First book you remember loving? Karen Russell: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle BM: Favorite re-read? KR: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn BM: What book do you …

Nov

19

2020

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Octavia Butler (a Seattleite!) should be required reading, and this book is a prime example as to why. This novel follows teenage Lauren, a visionary leader dedicated to seeking freedom and safety despite the fear, violence, and complacency of those around her. You will be in awe of her at every turn. Butler transcends the …

Sep

5

2018

Dawn by Octavia Butler

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

Dawn is complex, deeply compelling, and endlessly thought-provoking in its meditations on what it means to be human, who gets to be considered human, and what’s at stake in these categorical distinctions. Set in a dystopian future, Dawn’s chilling, unsettling narrative reminds us how the words we use and distinctions we make so urgently matter …

Mar

20

2018

ethnicseattle logo

Five Women of Color Writers from Seattle You Should Know

Celebrate Women’s History Month by reading works from women of color authors in Seattle By LeAnn Nguyen March 5, 2018 for ethnicseattle.com March is Women’s History Month, dedicated to celebrating the contributions that women have made to history and society. While women have been involved in many areas, we wanted to highlight a few who …

Jul

14

2017

Octavia Butler photo by Patti Perret

Octavia Butler Featured in “The Week’s Best Stories from NPR Books”

On July 10, 2017, NPR aired “Octavia Butler: Writing Herself Into The Story” by Karen Grigsby Bates about Octavia Butler, beloved scifi author who lived in Seattle from 1999 until her death in 2006.  Octavia Butler used to say she remembers exactly when she decided to become a science fiction writer. She was 9 years …

Search

Facebook icon Twitter icon Instagram icon
What are you reading?

Advertising information

We recommend

Of N.W. interest

  • Book Nook Bits for Teens
  • Brad Craft: Used Buyer
  • Brian Doyle: Complete Epiphanies
  • Literary Arts
  • Northwest Passages Book Club
  • NW Book Talk
  • Oregon Humanities
  • Poetry Northwest
  • Seattle City of Lit Map
  • Seattle Indie Bookstore Day
  • Seattle Literary Map
  • Writing the Northwest

Of national interest

  • Authors Against Book Bans
  • Bookstore Romance Day
  • Christian Science Monitor
  • Independent Bookstore Day
  • Indie Bob Spot
  • largehearted boy
  • Literary Hub
  • Live Wire Radio's Open Book Podcast
  • New York Times Books
  • NPR Books
  • Salon.com
  • The Book Man
  • The Rumpus

On the industry

  • Book Publishers Northwest News
  • Bookselling This Week
  • PW Daily
  • Shelf Awareness

For library lovers

  • ALA READ Poster Series
  • EarlyWord
  • Home
  • Find an Indie Bookstore Near You!
  • NW authors
  • Classifieds
  • Indie NW Bestsellers
  • About Us

© 2010-2026 NW Book Lovers

A production of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.