Summer Reading Isn't Just for Kids

We have lots of books for the kids to read this summer, but what about the parents and adults out there? To me, summertime reading should be a bit more laid back and more guilty pleasure reading. It is hard to get into a serious book when there are so many fun activities to enjoy in the sun!

Check out some of our staff's summertime favorites:




We also have a few other ideas for book suggestions. NPR has a segment called "Three Books" where where they have invited writers to suggest three great reads on a single theme (Augusten Burroughs was the most recent contributor to the list). And readers/listeners are encouraged to submit their own choices, too.

This is a cute book that has a lot of fun reading suggestions:



NoveList is another great resource to find information about fiction titles. Or you can always ask your trusty Irondale librarians for a recommendation :)

Hope you start your summer off right - with a great book!

Summer Reading

Summer Reading has arrived!

This year's themes are "Express Yourself" and "Be Creative." Throughout the summer we will be having a wide variety of programs for all different ages! Music, dancing, tattoos, singing, storytelling and so much more! We have events scheduled for 3 different age groups, just click on the group name for the complete event listing:

Read-To-Me - Ages 3, 4, & 5

Reader - K-5th grade

Young Adult - 6th grade and up

We hope to see you at one or all of the events here at the library :) See you soon!

Book Club Meeting - Year of Wonders

We had another great book club meeting on Monday night! Thank you to all that came out! The book we discussed this time was Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders. The book tells the story of a small village near London that is befallen by the Plague in 1666. It is narrated by a young widow who recounts the year that the village quarantined itself from the outside world to prevent the disease from spreading. The book shows how difficult times bring out the best and worst of people. We talked about that theme and also noted how it was a bit strange to be reading this book while the H1N1 virus scare was going on :)

For further information about the Plague:

Episode of PBS series, Secrets of the Dead - Mystery of the Black Death

Non-fiction books -The Great Plague: the story of London's most deadly year

In the Wake of the Plague: the Black Death and the world it made

Fiction Books - A Parcel of Patterns, The Crimson Petal and the White

Website about Eyam village and the Great Plague

Please come and join us for our next meeting on Monday, June 8th at 6:30pm. The book we will be discussing is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. We look forward to seeing you!

Authors Spotlighted As Influential

Time magazine's current issue showcases their annual Time 100 - The World's Most Influential People. Three authors made the list this year: Jeff Kinney, David Sheff, and Martin Lindstrom.

Jeff Kinney - Creator of the widely successful "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series about the trials and tribulations of middle schooler Greg Heffley. There are 16 million copies now in print.

David Sheff - In Beautiful Boy: A father's journey through his son's meth addiction is a father writing about the struggles he faces trying to help his son overcome addiction.

Martin Lindstrom - A Danish brand consultant and author of Buyology, a book that uses brain-imaging tools to determine why consumers buy/don't buy.

So what are you waiting for? Go out and allow yourself to be influenced (by a book) today!