Blog

Why Adults are Reading YA

Adults are reading Young Adult (YA) literature. Yeah, adult adults — grown people with jobs, who pay their own bills, chat about interest rates on mortgages, or maybe even have young adult children themselves. Not only are they reading it, they also make up most of YA literature’s readership.

Reading Recommendations in Your Inbox

We have added new categories to our NextReads Newsletters. Whether you enjoy fiction or nonfiction, we have a list for you. If you like a little faith with your historical fiction, romance or suspense sign up for our Christian Fiction newsletter. The Fantasy & Science Fiction newsletter brings you the best of fantasy, science fiction and everything in between.

Books are Magical

Unleash the magic — open a book and make today extraordinary. September 25 is National Open the Magic Day. After discovering this celebration, I did a little digging because it reminded me of unicorns. My five-year-old daughter is rather obsessed with them.

National Book Lovers Day

Calling all book lovers — did you know that there’s a day meant entirely for you? There’s no better way to celebrate than to grab a book, kindle or tablet and find a cozy place to read the day away.

Top 5 Checked Out Picture Books

Have you ever wondered what the most popular books are at your library? Well, look no further, we’ve got your answer. You can even make it a game, grab a pen and piece of paper and jot down your guesses to see how many you get right.

Books in Verse

Roses are red, violets are blue, we recommend reading novels in verse, as something you should do. Novels in verse are not a new invention; if you haven’t experienced this thriving genre — now is the time, after all, April is National Poetry Month.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

February is Black History Month. It’s a time to bring more awareness and recognition of African American authors and illustrators whose work bespeak an appreciation of African American culture.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

“Bah, hum bug.” Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly, cantankerous miser, made his way into the homes and hearts of many people in the 1800s and has remained steadfast for decades. Charles Dickens wrote the classic tale A Christmas Carol, and published his work on December 19, 1843. Hoping to write his way out of a financial slump, Dickens penned this work as a commentary on how Victorian society treated the poor, as well as, the importance of goodwill towards all human beings. What better time to show goodwill than Christmas, right?

Fall Into Winter Reading

The days are getting colder and the nights are getting longer — but reading always brightens up our day — so we’re challenging you to Fall Into Winter Reading. We realize you’re busy, so we made it simple.

Phantom of the Opera

This weekend I started reading The Phantom of the Opera, the classic mystery/horror novel by French author Gaston Leroux. Having grown up in the 80s and 90s, I am of course familiar with the hit musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and have been singing it for days in anticipation of reading the novel for Irmo’s Multimedia Book Club. Almost immediately upon beginning my read of the classic novel, I was struck by a distinct impression: Ya’ll, this is going to be GOOD.

Vampires

Regardless of whether they are the heroes or villains of their story, vampires captivate our imaginations. These blood-sucking fiends (or, in some cases, friends) hide in the shadows, cloaked in the darkness of night. While vampires may hide from the sun, let us metaphorically shine a light on these ferocious, fanged creatures of the night.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

National Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15 to October 15, traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. To celebrate Hispanic authors, illustrators and creators this month (and every month) be sure to check out some excelente books written by Latinx authors.

What’s all the Hoopla About?

Books, ebooks, audiobooks, movies and television shows are all items accessible through the library — but what about music? That’s where Hoopla comes in. Hoopla allows you to check out music from a wide variety of artists and in a …

Fairy Tales: Little Red & Cinderella

Fairy tales are an important genre in children’s literature and have been passed down from generation to generation. Usually ending “happily ever after,” fairy tales make for a perfect family read aloud. These favorites …

Sharks

We sing about an entire family of sharks to an incredibly catchy beat. We hum the Jaws theme in the pool. We know that some sharks declare that “fish are friends, not food.” We get excited every year for Shark Week. We’re still not sure why there are so many Sharknado movies.

Upcoming YA Fiction Releases

YA (that’s young adult literature for newbies) has a lot of hot titles hitting the shelves this month — including books from some of our favorite authors and breathtaking debuts from fresh voices. We’ll experience the beginnings of exciting new series and the much-anticipated continuations and conclusions of others. No matter what you love, whether it’s thrillers, romance, fantasy, nonfiction or graphic novels, you’ll find a wide variety of books sure to satisfy every kind of reader. With all of these great works to read, you’ll be happily turning pages all summer long.

Literature’s Love Guru

As a Jane Austen novice, I was intrigued to read about one of her most popular novel characters, Emma, of whom Austen stated, “I am

The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes

One of the world’s most famous fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes, made his debut in the novella A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, published

I Need a Library Card

I’m stuck at home (with the kids) and I just found out about all the great ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music and magazines available at the

Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of the most influential writers to this day. Jane Austen was born on December