Try new books
Try this sometime: walk into a library, wander over to a shelf, grab any book at random without looking at it, take it home and read it. Even if you don’t read every word, at least skim it for the main ideas.
It may sound crazy, but it’s a load of fun. Sometimes you can’t stand the book, but other times you find a new favorite subject or author. If nothing else, you may learn something new or encounter a perspective or genre you hadn’t considered before. It’s an adventure!
During February, our libraries encourage everyone to get out of their well-worn lanes of “favorites” and try something new.
First, join our reading challenge, “10 to Try.” The challenge asks you to read one book in each of 10 categories, track your reading, and share your favorite discoveries with others.
- Read a banned book, which could range from “To Kill a Mockingbird” to the Bible.
- Try a biography or memoir to be inspired by someone else’s life experience.
- Grab a book that has also been turned into a film, like “Dune” or “Emma.”
- Read a book about food, like “Julie and Julia” or “In Defense of Food.”
- Try a book that was originally written in another language and you’re reading the translation, like “Les Miserables” or “A Man Called Ove.”
- Read a book with a title longer than four words, like “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
- Check out a book by a Native American author, like “There There.”
- Take a chance on a staff favorite – ask a library staff member what they have enjoyed!
- Travel by reading a book set in a place you’ve never been.
- Try a young adult book – many books aimed at teens are also enjoyable to adults, such as “The Book Thief” or “The Fault in Our Stars.”
To kick off the reading challenge, we invite you to try “Speed Dating with Books.” Join us on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 11:00am for a virtual event featuring an entertaining round robin of book recommendations. Our library staff will entice you into reading some of their favorite titles, and we hope you’ll give them a try and love them as much as we do! At the very least, you’ll get a snapshot of different books you may not have heard about before.
Register for the event at www.bocolibraries.info so we can send you the Zoom link and call-in info. We’d love to see you there!
What you do you love to read? Share your favorites with others, and take a chance on something new yourself. You may just fall in love with a new book this month.
~ Julie Phillips, Director
Botetourt County Libraries
