As a reader, I like to set goals to diversify the books I choose, which helps me avoid reading slumps and pushes me to pick books I may have otherwise overlooked. My goals this year include reading classics, literary prize lists and translated fiction, especially by women. Books have always been a meaningful way to […]
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Fully Booked at ICPL: Test-drive Switch 2 games from the library
The Iowa City Public Library’s video game collection is leveling up with the addition of Nintendo Switch 2 games! The collection features everything from Switch 2 exclusives to remakes and remasters of classics. Two games in the collection that I’ve personally enjoyed are Donkey Kong Bananza and Splatoon Raiders. Gaming’s most famous ape makes his […]
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Fully Booked at ICPL: Howl-worthy werewolf fiction
I just finished reading Rosie Danan’s Fan Service, and it has reawakened my shapeshifter-loving heart. It’s a redemption story of a washed-up child actor who once played a werewolf on TV, and who thinks he’s turning into a real werewolf (and he just might be). The only person who can save him? His biggest fan. This […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Reads for the kid in all of us
If you’re like me, you know that growing up means stretching regularly to avoid cramps and sleeping well to have energy for the whole day. What it doesn’t necessarily mean is stopping ourselves from reading books geared toward children and young adults. In fact, new juvenile fiction is published every year that catches my interest. […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Books best read aloud
Long before we learned to read, we learned to listen. Some of my favorite reading memories are not just about the books themselves, but about the voices that brought those stories to life: A grandparent sharing a favorite tale, a teacher making a character unforgettable, a librarian turning storytime into a magical experience. Reading aloud […]
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Fully Booked at ICPL: Stories to celebrate Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride began as a single day of celebration when the Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990. In 2015, July officially became Disability Pride Month on the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Representing decades of disabled-led activism, including an historic 26-day occupation of the San Francisco federal building in 1977 over […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: You’re a winner, baby! LGBTQ+ books with literary awards
Last year, I prioritized reading books that were nominated for literary awards as a way to diversify my reading. I was pleased to see that LGBTQ+ authors and stories were well-represented, and encouraged by this, I committed to reading books from a variety of prize lists. Last year was an outstanding year for LGBTQ+ representation […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Dynamic dinosaur books
Lately, I’ve had dinos on the brain. Luckily, as a youth librarian, I’m not alone — after all, kids and dinosaurs go together like mac and cheese! I try to have some fun dino books ready for those eager kids looking to get a little closer to what our planet was like eons ago. I […]
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Fully Booked at ICPL: Stories Between Generations, a pen-pal summer reading program
This summer the Iowa City Senior Center and Iowa City Public Library are partnering to present Stories Between Generations, a program that connects local seniors and school-aged children through a shared reading and letter exchange experience. Think part book club, part pen pal program, all community! Participants will choose a book from the following list […]
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Fully Booked at ICPL: New DC Comics absolutely worth your time
DC Comics’ Absolute titles are reimagined and radical new takes on their most popular heroes, and have genuinely got me excited about reading comics again. The set-up is fascinating: The characters of the Absolute universe are at a disadvantage, because this world bends towards darkness and evil. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were the first […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Prose books authored by poets
I am a lifelong poetry lover. It began with my Shel Silverstein obsession as a child and carried through into my adulthood, as I discovered amazing poets like Lucille Clifton, Sharon Olds and Sandra Cisneros. I love poetry the same way I love short stories; it’s incredible the way a skilled writer can distill complex emotions […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Food reads to inspire a cooking spree
Books and recipes share a secret: both are meant to be savored. I’ve always loved reading cookbooks, treating them almost like memoirs, full of a chef’s memories, family traditions and tiny windows into their lives. Recipe books and food-forward stories invite you to linger, imagine and taste your way through someone else’s experiences. That love […]
