From Secret Garden Books in Seattle, WA: What’s the staff reading? Hana just finished… Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea– or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor …
Lucy is irresistible. In this beautiful, layered, emotional story about a brother’s death, a resilient young girl finds support in unexpected places. I love how believably flawed the adults are in this novel and how the relationship between Lucy and her brother are depicted with so much heart without shying away from the hard parts. …
How to categorize this! Set across 15th-18th century France, you could call it lush, historical horror, dark academia, queer romance, or a fantasy retelling of the tale of the Beast of Gevaudan. (A little something for everyone.) Professor Sebastian Grave is a morally complicated near immortal who shares his skin with a demon and has …
Maybe no one asked for a gayer, funnier, or cozier version of Outlander, but I do not care, dear reader, for George Falls Through Time was exactly what I needed a m4m low drama romantasy to be. Calling it a romantasy may be a stretch as that genre encompasses a certain YA fairytale mystique, however, …
Did you miss the Seattle Independent Bookstore Passport Challenge that started on Independent Bookstore Day and wrapped up May 4th? There’s another sequential bookstore event coming right up in the Ballard neighborhood to encourage you to visit five local bookish haunts over a weekend. Here’s some information courtesy of Secret Garden Books: Join us for …
Visit and revisit illustrations that shift before your eyes as you gain contextual understanding of the interlocked stories in this book. This mystery-horror novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Truly chilling! -Lucy, Secret Garden Books, Seattle, WA On Seattle Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 25th, 2026, Secret Garden Books is hosting a …
Secret Garden Books in Seattle wants to spread the word that you can buy audiobooks through libro.fm and support their store. (Seattle-based audiobook company libro.fm lets you support your favorite independent bookstore by choosing your bookstore when you create a free account.) Although you do have to go to the libro.fm site to purchase the …
Secret Garden Books in Seattle, WA interviewed YA author Zoe Hana Mikuta. How did you find your way to being a young reader’s author? I wrote my debut, Gearbreakers (YA sapphic sci-fi) in high school — I was writing what I was reading, and it felt natural to create characters who were my age. In your …
From Secret Garden Books in Seattle, WA: Describe your book [The Tiny Things Are Heavier] in 3 words. Seeking. Hoping. Loving. What element of this book (character/scene/setting) came to you first? Sommy, the novel’s protagonist, came first. What inspired you to write about class in Nigeria? I come from a lineage of postcolonial writers—Achebe, Emecheta, …
Seattle’s Secret Garden Books in Ballard interviewed author Kathy Wang about her upcoming novel, The Satisfaction Cafe, publishing July 1, 2025. Describe your book in 3 words. Vivid, unexpected and moving. If I can get a bonus verb, I’d add comic! What came hardest to you when writing this novel? The point of view. It’s …
