The Seattle Public Library loves to promote books and reading. This monthly column is a space to share reading and book trends from a librarian\u2019s perspective.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Living in the Seattle area, readers have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to local authors. As librarians, a particular joy is recommending a local author to someone looking for their next great read.<\/p>\n Enjoy this small selection of recently published titles by Washington authors, featuring a charming tale of an unusual pregnancy, a thriller deep inside a cave system, a prison abolitionist\u2019s memoir of motherhood and a psychological horror tale of homeownership gone awry.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In \u201cEnormous Wings,\u201d<\/strong><\/a> the latest novel by bestselling author Laurie Frankel, 77-year-old retired English teacher Pepper Mills loses her license and subsequently her freedom to live independently after a minor fender bender. At the behest of her adult children, Pepper reluctantly moves into a Texas retirement community where her ex-husband also lives.<\/p>\n Although she is annoyed to be starting over, it turns out life still has big surprises for Pepper. She makes new friends and meets Moth, an enchanting widow and former science teacher. She seems to be settling into companionship and cozy romance when she receives profoundly shocking news \u2014 she’s pregnant!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Through this extraordinary pregnancy, Frankel thoughtfully explores weighty topics \u2014 sex, ageism, reproductive justice and mortality \u2014 while striking a joyous tone with delightfully snappy dialogue. Pepper and her pals, including her new love, channel the sassy, vivacious energy of \u201cThe Golden Girls\u201d as they form their own family unit. Pepper’s bizarre circumstances also provide an opportunity for healing and a deeper connection with her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n “Enormous Wings\u201d is a celebration of possibility, wonder and purpose throughout all life\u2019s unpredictable seasons. (Frankel will discuss \u201cEnormous Wings\u201d<\/a> with Nancy Pearl at the Central Library on May 13 at 7 p.m.)<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHer Last Breath,\u201d<\/strong><\/a> the latest thriller by Taylor Adams, takes place in a remote area of the Cascade Mountains where childhood friends Tess and Allie go caving. But they\u2019re not alone: From the entrance to the cave system, a masked man with obvious ill intent follows them in. Pursued through ever smaller and more treacherous offshoots, the pair must draw on all their skills and instincts to survive.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The story alternates between accounts of what happened in the cave from various perspectives and Tess telling her story to a detective from a hospital bed. Tension ratchets up as narrative twists and turns play with the reader\u2019s conception of what actually happened deep underground and whose story to trust.<\/p>\n