Graduation season is almost here, so May is a great month to reflect on transitions; from middle school to high school, and from high school into the world beyond—whether that’s college, a job or another sort of adventure.
It’s also a great month to pick up a Young Adult fiction or non-fiction title.
Find this badge in your Beanstack account. Enter the title of the Young Adult book you read to change it to color
Adults, whose coming of age years may be decades in the past, especially those who don’t have teens of their own, may not realize how enjoyable these books can be. But since the goal of Reading Resolutions is to encourage readers to try new and unfamiliar genres, here are a few reasons to give YA a try, courtesy of YA author Janae Marks:
The books are entertaining! Since teens have so many distractions, including the ability to stream a hit movie or TV series straight from their phone, YA books need to grab and hold their attention. In addition to being page-turners, the stories also offer well-developed and relatable characters, compelling plots and vivid world building, which can make a reader feel like they’re living the story, right along with the characters.
They tackle complex themes. Like novels written for adults, YA fiction deals with serious themes, such as substance abuse, sexuality, racism, mental health, suicide, and violence at home, school and on the streets. At the same time, the serious topics are usually balanced by an uplifting, rather than cynical, tone. While the stories and endings aren’t always happy, readers can walk away feeling hopeful.
They’re often “clean” reads. Though there’s frequently a romantic element in YA fiction, books written for teens generally don’t have on-page sex scenes, or excessive swearing. While individual authors may include edgier content, it’s likely to be less explicit than what you’d find in adult genres. In addition, friendships and family ties are as likely as first love, to be at the emotional heart of a YA novel.
Want to know more? Check out Janae’s post here, or visit our online YA catalog to reserve your May Young Adult selection.
Already a YA fan? Consider joining AAPLD’s Forever Young book club, for adult fans of Young Adult literature. The group meets virtually, the second Monday of each month, at 6:30 p.m. May’s read is Kent State, by Deborah Wiles. Click here to register.
This month’s Reading Resolutions challenge is to read a graphic novel or Manga. While our library has an excellent collection in our Young Adult/Teen area, these books might be less familiar to adult readers.
If you’re wondering what a graphic novel is, the simple answer is that it’s a story told through illustrations. While most people are familiar with comic books, and graphic novels are often referred to as comics, the label is deceptive. Graphic novels can cover all genres of literature, (including non-fiction!) and aren’t limited to traditional comic book/super hero fare. Graphic novels can also include serialized works, and even illustrated versions of popular novels.
Find this badge in your Beanstack account. Enter the title of the Graphic Novel you read to change it to color
Manga are Japanese graphic novels and are read from right to left. Manga have a distinctive artistic style and are most often serialized into multi-volume stories.
We’ve created a special collection of graphic novels, which you can browse here , and we’ve also highlighted a few selections by genre. We’re sure you’ll find a great read, but if you’d like a recommendation, be sure to give us a call.
General Fiction
The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard – In this collection of evocative, unnerving slice-of-life horror, five stories explore what happens when one is desperate enough to seek solace in the unnatural, and what might be waiting for us at the Crossroads at Midnight.
Blankets by Craig Thompson – Loosely based on the author’s life, chronicling his journey from childhood to adulthood, exploring the people, experiences, and beliefs that he encountered along the way.
Girl in Dior by Annie Goetzinger – It’s February 12, 1947 and the cráeme de la cráeme of Paris Haute Couture is flocking to the momentous event of Dior’s first show. Clara, a freshly hired chronicler, is our guide in the busy corridors of the brand new house of Christian Dior. In a flurry of corolla shaped skirts, the parade of models file down the runway. Dior’s career is launched and Clara’s story begins when she is picked by Dior himself to be his model.
Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story by Lauren Myracle – Victor is mourning the death of his brother, and Nora is coping with the illness she knows will eventually kill her. Readers looking for a tragic romance with moral ambiguities, even those unfamiliar with the DC universe, will appreciate this backstory of one of Gotham’s most notorious criminals.
Autobiography and Non- Fiction
March by John Lewis – A first-hand account of Congressman John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel – Author and cartoonist Bechdel tells of her childhood with a closeted gay father, who ran a funeral parlor. The book is the basis for a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
Persepolis: the story of a childhood by Marjane Satrapi –The great-granddaughter of Iran’s last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Tehran in a country plagued by political upheaval and vast contradictions between public and private life.
The Beast of Chicago by Rick Geary – The true-crime tale of early 20th century serial killer Herman Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, who was the inspiration for the book The Devil In White City.
Novel to Graphic Novel Adaptations
The Giver by Lois Lowry – Now in graphic novel format, Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning classic story of a young boy discovering the dark secrets behind his seemingly ideal world is accompanied by renowned artist P.Craig Russell’s beautifully haunting illustrations.
Octavia Butler’s Kindred by Damian Duffy – Dana is a 1970s black woman repeatedly and involuntarily whisked back in time to a nineteenth-century plantation, where she becomes embroiled in the lives of the people enslaved there, risking everything by educating their children, even as she forms an uneasy and dangerous relationship with her own white ancestor.
Anne Frank’s Diary by Ari Folman – Authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation, this volume beautifully brings to life the inhabitants of the Secret Annex. Although this account has not been adapted verbatim, owing to length, Folman and Polonsky effectively convey the material, and the visuals capture the heartbreak of families in prolonged hiding.
When it comes to books that have been made into movies, do you prefer to read the book before you see the movie, or after?
Everyone has an option on the topic (book first fan, here!) but whatever your preference, you’ll love March’s Reading Resolutions theme, which invites you to read a book that’s been made into a movie, a TV series or even rewritten as another book.
While you’re probably familiar with popular adaptations such as Jurassic Park, It, or The Lord of the Rings, why not give one of these books a try for your March read? Take home the movie to watch before or after, and tell us which you enjoyed most!
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks – In 1950s small-town North Carolina, a popular boy falls for the local preacher’s daughter, who hides a devastating secret. The 2002 film stars Shane West and This Is Us’s Mandy Moore.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen– The story of the Dashwood sisters, one ruled by common sense, the other who lives according to her passions, and the men who love them. The 1995 film stars Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer– A biologist and her team investigate a beautiful, deadly world of mutated landscapes and creatures, to stop the spread of an alien lifeform which threatens the planet. Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez and Oscar Isaac star in the 2018 film adaptation.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas– Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. The 2019 film stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall and musician, Common.
From Here To Eternity by James Jones – In 1941 Hawaii, Army Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a champion boxer. But when he refuses to join the base’s boxing team, he gets “the treatment” that may break him or kill him. First Sgt. Milton Anthony Warden knows how to soldier better than almost anyone, yet he risks his career to have an affair with the commanding officer’s wife. The classic 1953 film stars Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – One of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. When former Olympic runner turned U.S. Air Forces lieutenant Louis Zamperini’s plane crashes in the Pacific, he draws upon his courage and ingenuity to survive alone on a small raft in open water, and later in a Japanese POW camp. Angelina Jolie directed the acclaimed 2015 film
Find the “Twice Told Tales” activity badge in Beanstack. Read a book, answer a question to turn it into color.
Check out more from our special Reading Resolutions Twice Told Tales collection here
February is awards month. It’s time for the Golden Globes, and the Oscars, and also a great month to read an award-winning book!
In the book world, major awards don’t correspond neatly to one month, but AAPLD’s print and digital collections include winners of all the major literary and genre fiction awards, from 2020 through many previous years.
To help you decide which award winner you might enjoy for your February Reading Resolutions read, here is a list of the book awards represented in our collection and a little about each one:
National Book Award – Presented by the National Book Foundation, whose mission is to “celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture.” National Book Award winners in our collection include: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, There, There by Tommy Orange and Leave The World Behind by Ruuman Alam.
Man Booker Prize – One of the two Booker prizes for literature, the Man Booker Prize considers a writer’s body of work rather than a single novel. Man Booker Prize winners and finalists in our collection include This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangeremba, and The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
National Book Critics Circle – Each year, the National Book Critics Circle presents awards for the finest books published in English in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Poetry, and Criticism. NBCC winners/finalists in our collection include Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat, Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg, Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
Kirkus Prize – The awards in fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature are given annually by Kirkus Reviews, and each award comes with a $50,000 cash prize, making the Kirkus Prize among the most lucrative in the world. Kirkus winners/finalists in our collection include Luster by Raven Leilani, Black Sunday by Tola Rotimi Abraham, Fiebre Tropical by Juliana Delgado Lopera and the Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante.
Pulitzer Prize – Established in 1907 by publisher Joseph Pultizer to recognize excellent in literature and journalism. Pulitzer prize winners and finalists in our collection include The Nickel Boys by Colin Whitehead, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, The Topeka School by Ben Lerner.
Women’s Prize For Fiction – one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious literary prizes, and annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom. Winners and Finalists in our collection include Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Domincana by Angie Cruz, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel, and Weather by Jill Offill.
Hugo Award– Selected by popular vote of the World Science Fiction Society to recognize excellence in writing, art and publishing. Since 2009, the Hugos have also recognized Science Fiction and Fantasy graphic novels. Winners and finalists in our collection include Monstress (volumes 1-3) by Marjorie M. Liu, Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson (Hugo for Best Graphic Story), A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal.
Edgar Award– Awarded by the Mystery Writers of America and named for Edgar Allen Poe, the Edgar recognizes excellence in the mystery, thriller and true crime genres. Edgar winners and finalists in our collection include The Devil In White City by Erik Larson, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole, and Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel.
RITA Award – Selected by the members of the Romance Writers of America, this award recognizes excellence in multiple genres of romance fiction. In 2021, the RITA will be replaced by the Vivian, to better reflect the diversity of romance readers and authors. RITA award winners in our collection include Lady In Waiting by Marie Tremayne, A Duke In The Night by Kelly Bowen, How to Keep A Secret by Sarah Morgan, My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma, Then There Was You by Kara Isaac, Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins.
Stonewall Award – Awarded by the American Library Association’s LGBTQ roundtable to recognize excellence in fiction and non-fiction related to the LGBTQ experience. Winners in our collection include Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis, The Hours by Michael Cunningham.
YALSA Notable Book Lists– Fiction titles that exemplify quality literature with appeal to young adults, awarded by the American Library Association, and nominated by readers, librarians and publishers. Winners in our collection include Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, The House of One Thousand Eyes by Michelle Barker, The Cruel Prince by Ashley Herring Blake
Nebula Award– Recognizes the best works of science fiction and fantasy, selected by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Winners in our collection include The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon, The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Agatha Award – A relatively new award devoted to the cozy mystery genre and named for author Agatha Christy. Agatha Winners in our collection include Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron, Glass Houses by Louis Penny.
Christy Award – Awarded by Christian publishers to recognize excellence within several genres of Christian fiction. Books in our collection include No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert, Life After by Katie Ganshert, The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry, The Sea Keeper’s Daughter by Lisa Wingate, The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate, Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley
Find the “Award Winners” activity badge in Beanstack. Read a book, answer a question to turn it into color.
Want to see more of our Award Winning books? Click here to watch the latest edition of the Adult Services New Release Round-Up, and here to access the Reading Resolutions February online catalog.
Once you’ve read your selection, go to the 2021 Reading Resolutions Challenge in Beanstack, select the February Activity Badge (shown above), answer the question. When your badge changes from gray to color, you’re entered in our monthly drawing.
Yes, we know that February is the shortest month, so if you can’t finish your book by the end of the month, no problem. Once a badge is active, it remains active all year. While you’ll miss the monthly drawing, you’ll still earn the badge, which counts toward the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the year.
The 2021 Reading Resolutions Challenge kicks off with the theme “Famous and Infamous,” which invites you to read a biography, autobiography or memoir.
What’s the difference? According to Oxford Languages/Google, a biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else. An autobiography is an account of someone’s life written by that person. A memoir is similar to an autobiography, in that it’s also an account written by the person who lived it, but a memoir tends to focus on a theme or experience, and how it shaped the person’s life going forward.
Regardless of which you choose, these books can satisfy your craving for larger-than-life characters who celebrate amazing triumphs, or suffer spectacular downfalls. They can deliver page-turning reads that are both entertaining and educational, and like the Challenge title suggests, you can read about heroic, admirable people, the talented but deeply flawed, or the notoriously corrupt and criminal. Famous or Infamous? The choice is up to you.
Find the “Famous and Infamous” activity badge in Beanstack. Read a book, answer a question to turn it into color.
Whether your interests run toward Classic Hollywood, Amazing Athletes, Rock Stars, Memoirs, Supreme Court, Royalty, or Presidents, you’re sure to discover a great story. Click here to explore our online collection of biographies, autobiographies and memoirs, and place your item on hold. Or give the Adult Services department a call, and we’ll be happy to pull available materials and place them at the Main Library drive-up.
Want to see a few of our newest biographies, autobiographies and memoirs? Click here to watch our Adult Services New Release Round-Up.
Once you’ve read your selection, go to the 2021 Reading Resolutions Challenge in Beanstack, select the January Activity Badge (shown above), answer the question. When your badge changes from gray to color, you’re entered in our monthly drawing.
Can’t finish your book by the end of January? No problem. Once a badge is active, it remains active all year. So while you’ll miss January’s drawing, you’ll still earn the Famous and Infamous badge, which counts toward the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the year.
Make 2021 your best reading year yet, with a fun reading challenge that continues all year long!
Reading Resolutions encourages you to read a book that fits a different theme each month. For each month you participate, you’ll be entered into a monthly prize drawing, and a grand prize drawing at year’s end.
These are the twelve monthly themes:
January – Famous and Infamous (read a biography)
February- And the winner is… (read an award winning book)
March- Twice Told Tales (read a book that’s been adapted into a movie, TV series, or another book)
April- Let’s Get Graphic (read a graphic novel)
May- Graduation Day (read a Young Adult book)
June- Summer Lovin’ (read a romance or a love story)
July- #OwnVoices (read a book by an author from a marginalized group about a character from the same group)
August- The Great Outdoors (read a book set primarily in nature, such as a western, or a beach book, or a non-fiction book about nature or climate)
September- Back to School (read a literary classic)
October- Spooky Reads (read a horror, paranormal or mystery novel, or non-fiction about eerie phenomena, or true crime)
November- When I Was Growing Up (read a book set in your childhood/teen decade)
December- Short and Sweet (read poetry, short stories, novellas, essays)
You can also request a bookmark listing the themes with your next drive through or curbside pick-up.
Get started by signing up in Beanstack. If you’re participating in Winter Reading or did 2020 Summer Reading, you will already have an account. If you’re not sure, or can’t log in, ask an Adult Services staff member for help.
Check out the FAQs to learn more about how Reading Resolutions works
FAQs
Do I have to register to participate?
Yes, and you’ll receive your first prize drawing entry, just for signing up.
To participate, you will need to create an account in Beanstack.com. If you’re participating in Winter Reading, or if you did 2020 Summer Reading, you already have one. Not sure? Ask an Adult Services staff member for help.
Once you’re signed into your Beanstack account, select the Reading Resolutions Reading Challenge banner.
This will take you to the 12 monthly themes (known in Beanstack as “activity badges”) for the challenge. When you’ve read a book with that month’s theme, click the corresponding activity badge to record your progress and be entered in the drawing.
You can also track your reading progress on paper and ask an Adult Services staff member for help recording your progress in Beanstack.
Can books I read for Reading Resolutions count toward Winter Reading?
Yes! But you’ll have to enter them under the Reading Resolutions Challenge’s activity badges AND log them as books read to count them for the Winter Reading Challenge
Can I read more than one book for each month’s theme?
While only one book can count toward your Reading Resolutions Challenge activity, if it’s a theme you love, you can always count additional books toward Winter Reading.
Do I have to read a book every month?
No. You can participate in the challenge every month or just once. Remember though, that every month you participate earns you another entry in the prize drawing. If you complete all twelve months, you receive a bonus Completion badge, for a total of 14 entries. Better odds!
What if I miss a month?
No problem! You can catch up. Badges activate on the first day of the month for that theme and will remain active through the end of the year.
Can I count a book I’ve already read?
As long as it’s a book you read in 2021. But you cannot click on the badge until it becomes active on the first day of the theme month, so no jumping ahead.
How about ebooks or audiobooks?
Of course!
What are the prizes?
Each month we’ll give away a $10 gift card, and at the end of the year, we’ll give away a $100 gift card and a $50 gift card for a local merchant. Monthly winners are still eligible for the year-end drawings.
How do I find books to fit the theme?
Each month, we’ll have a display set up in the Adult Services Department. We’ll feature book ideas on the Adult Services blog, and you can also find links to suggested titles in Beanstack. You can also read a book from your personal collection.
So far, snow hasn’t been falling, but books are definitely calling, as AAPLD opens its 2020-21 Winter Reading program. The program officially kicked off on Monday, December 14, and runs through February 1.
Signing up is easy! If you created a Beanstack account for 2020 Summer Reading, just go to aapld.beanstack.org or use the Beanstack app. Log-in and follow the prompts. If you don’t have an account, select the Registration button on the Beanstack sign-in page and create an account. You can also give the library a call and ask a staff member for help.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll use Beanstack to track your progress. Just click the Log Reading and Activities button to log your reading or record an activity. If you’d rather keep track on paper, you can print a log from Beanstack, ask for one at the Harnish Drive-through window, or with curbside pick-up at the Eastgate Branch. Track on paper, then call the library to have us record your results.
Adults will receive a packet of hot cocoa mix for reading their first book, a coupon for Scorched Earth Brewing or Churros y Chocolate for their second book, and a colorful AAPLD ceramic soup mug for their third book. Each book, up to 15, also earns you an entry into the drawing for our Grand Prize Baskets: Book Lovers, Binge Basket, Coffee Lovers, Cozy Blanket, Culinary Basket and the Eastgate Basket.
When you’ve won a prize, give us a call to arrange to for pick up.
If you want more information, be sure to check out this post, and FAQs. If you’re ready to start your first Winter Reading book, check out these happy holiday reads, available digitally through Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby.
Items marked with an asterisk are also available in print and/or audio. Use our website to place a hold, or give us a call.
Starting November 2, library patrons can check out the latest selection for the Big Library Read, a digital book club sponsored by Overdrive/Libby and local libraries across the country.
Reverie is a contemporary YA fantasy novel by debut author Ryan La Sala. When a gay teen’s daydreams suddenly materialize in real life, he begins to question what is real, what is a dream, and which “reality” is worth fighting for.
Ever since Connecticut high school student Kane Montgomery was found nearly dead in a river, nothing has been the same. His memory has vanished. Three classmates who claim to be his friends seem to know what is happening, but can he trust them?
Reverie is Inception meets The Magicians, mixed with elements of Alice In Wonderland and Harry Potter, as Kane and his friends discover their magical powers, and battle a colorful cast of adversaries. Book of the Month reviewer Lily Philpott called it “an energy drink in novel form.” Action-packed, magical beyond your wildest dreams, and unashamedly queer, this electric debut is a wild ride from start to finish. Read more of her review here.
From Nov. 2-16, AAPLD patrons can use their cards to check out a digital copy from Overdrive or Libby with no waiting and no holds. Sign up for a special online chat with the author on November 10, and post your thoughts about the book, and discuss it with other readers here.
The Big Library Read is the world’s largest digital book club and allows library patrons to participate in a shared reading experience, through out the year. The program is free to participants, and includes opportunities to interact with other readers and even the book’s author. New to Overdrive or Libby? Check out our tutorials to install the apps and start discovering our digital collections of ebooks and downloadable audiobooks today!
Graduation season is almost here, so May is a great month to reflect on transitions; from middle school to high school, and from high school into the world beyond—whether that’s college, a job or another sort of adventure.
Already a YA fan? Consider joining AAPLD’s Forever Young book club, for adult fans of Young Adult literature. The group meets virtually, the second Monday of each month, at 6:30 p.m. May’s read is Kent State, by Deborah Wiles. Click here to register.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
So far, snow hasn’t been falling, but books are definitely calling, as AAPLD opens its 2020-21 Winter Reading program. The program officially kicked off on Monday, December 14, and runs through February 1.
Hoopla
Overdrive
Starting November 2, library patrons can check out the latest selection for the Big Library Read, a digital book club sponsored by Overdrive/Libby and local libraries across the country.