We see every day how much the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community is hurting as horrific attacks and racist insults are in the news. This certainly isn’t a new problem, but it has become strikingly more visible in the past year. There are many tangible ways we can all help out, and if you’re curious about educational resources or where to make donations, please don’t hesitate to ask at a library information desk.
February saw the release of the novel Nick by Michael F. Smith, which is the story of The Great Gatsby’s Nick Carraway before the events of that novel. Smith wrote this book years ago but had to wait until 2021 to publish it once the copyright on Gatsby expired and its contents became part of the public domain.
Sometimes it's nice to spend time with a lengthy book, absorbing yourself with the characters' lives day after day until you reach the end. At other times you just want to fly through a short book in one sitting. In honor of the shortest month of the year, below is a list of books under 250 pages you can start and finish within hours. The majority of books on the list have been released in the last year, with a handful of classics worth revisiting at the end. If you're behind in your reading goals, you can knock out one (or more) of these by the end of the month with no problem.
Sometimes you know exactly what you want to pick up or place on hold, and sometimes you just need options. We know it can be a little tricky to find a new book when you can’t just browse the new section at the library for something that strikes your interest, so below are some of new titles that have just hit our shelves in the last week.
Just over 2 weeks of our Winter Reading Challenge remain, which is plenty of time to finish off your activities in order to claim your prize. It’s not even too late to register if you haven’t done so yet! See Kirstin’s blog post here to learn how to sign up.
Not only are the cold winter months always a great time to curl up in a blanket with a murder mystery, but this week in particular is fitting for picking up Agatha Christie. Today marks 94 years since the bestselling novelist of all time was found after an 11-day disappearance, the details of which remain unknown to this day.
For those of you registered for our Winter Reading Challenge (hopefully all of you!), you know that along with logging reading minutes, you need to earn activity badges too.
The activities for adults are fun and easy to accomplish. The "Stay Cozy" badge, for example- "read a book in your pjs- pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and curl up with your book." I knocked that one off my list immediately, as that's basically how I spend every morning before I start work. Here are a few more of the activities and some suggestions to help you mark them off on your log.
November is Native American Heritage Month, and The Library of Congress, National Archives, Smithsonian, and other great institutions have worked together to pay tribute to the history and contemporary culture of Indigenous people. The official website can be found here if you'd like to explore some of the webinars and other materials they have put together.
November is once again a busy month for new adult book releases, so here's a sampling of all the great titles coming out. Take a peek and place a hold on whatever catches your attention so you can be one of the first to check it out upon its release. As usual, your hold can be for pick up at Dundee, Randall Oaks, or Home Delivery. Happy reading!
Election Day 2020 is fast approaching and voting is already underway across the country, with early voting and absentee/mail in voting proving especially popular in this pandemic year. If you’ve yet to cast your vote, or haven’t yet registered to vote, this post will provide critical information about the process and tips to help you make decisions if you’re not yet committed.
Voting/Registration Information
