I love narratives where the past, a past, any past, comes screaming into the present. It doesn’t matter if what happened is relevant to the heroes of the story or deeply woven into their family tree — it is their problem to face and they have to contend with it now. “The past is never […]
Iowa City Public Library
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked: Reads to help fight burnout
The start of a new academic year can be another time of resolutions and new beginnings. Students and working professionals alike can get a charge from the fresh energy. Some of us recommit ourselves to staying on top of tasks and projects and getting our calendar together. Some of us need our paper calendars and […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked: Comic books to expand your universe
I’ve been a lifelong comic book fan, but I go through seasons of feast or famine. Recently, I read a slew of comics after not reading any for roughly a year and a half. Luckily, the Iowa City Public Library’s collection always has titles of interest when I’m in the mood for superhero epics or […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked: Travel books to guide your next vacation
It’s summer, which means that it’s time for that hallowed tradition of summer vacation. I have many fond memories of piling into my parents’ light blue and fake-wood-paneled station wagon to hit the road. Many times that meant Adventureland (the sky seats! the swimming pool! the bingo parlor!), but we definitely also set out to […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked: Interactive books to flip over
By Casey Maynard Children love books that defy traditional format categories: picture book biographies, early reader comics, longform illustrated novels, graphic novel nonfiction. The combinations offer endless variety for readers. Lucky for us, publishers are delivering! Here is a brief list of books on Iowa City Public Library’s new children’s shelves featuring more than one […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘This is our legacy’: ICPL hosts banned book giveaway as attacks on books and libraries continue
Update: The pop-up event at ICPL on Saturday was postponed due to a winter weather advisory. The new event date has yet to be announced. The Banned Wagon is coming to the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL) on Saturday, as the library hosts a pop-up event where Annie’s Foundation will be giving away free copies […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked: Chinese children’s stories for a new year
One of the top picks for the weekly Chinese Bilingual Storytime at the Iowa City Public Library (Fridays at 10:30 a.m.) is The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Round by Wendy Wan Long Shang. While singing along to the sweet family-themed picture book, kids and parents can enjoy a big feast of Chinese […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fully Booked: Chilling stories for the whole family
Can’t decide what to read next? Librarians at the Iowa City Public Library have some ideas. Browse the ICPL’s collection of print books and audiobooks online. If there’s a tween in your life looking for a spooky story this Halloween season, these picks are eerie but not too scary. Aimed at 8-to-12-year-olds but enjoyable for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Public Library reopens after bomb threat Tuesday afternoon, continued threats Wednesday morning
The Iowa City Public Library was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon, after it received a bomb threat at approximately 3:30 p.m. The library remained closed on Tuesday, even after bomb-detection dogs from the University of Iowa Police Department swept the building. ICPL reopened on its regular schedule Wednesday morning. According to a written statement issued by […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked: The best Star Wars novels in the galaxy
Can’t decide what to read next? Librarians at the Iowa City Public Library have some ideas. Browse the ICPL’s collection of print books and audiobooks online. A long time ago, in a Carnegie library in Pella, Iowa, I discovered The Empire Strikes Back on VHS. It was my first step into a larger world, and […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fully Booked: Compelling nonfiction to inspire your travels
Can’t decide what to read next? Librarians at the Iowa City Public Library have some ideas. Browse the ICPL’s collection of print books and audiobooks online. Summer is here! For me that means it’s almost time for two of my favorite reading situations: one, where I’m in a very comfy chair, near the water, preferably […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fully Booked: Adventure memoirs that take you places
Can’t decide what to read next? Librarians at the Iowa City Public Library have some ideas. Browse the ICPL’s collection of print books and audiobooks online. With spring in the air, my feet itch to hit the Iowa dirt and take in the sight of green, new growth outdoors. While I consider myself a dedicated […]
