booklists

Imagine being stuck at home and eating the same foods again and again and again. Did this happen to you in 2020? If so, it is understandable because 2020 was a year in which we mostly focused on staying alive and staying healthy, but our food choices can be about something more now that we are adjusting to this new stay-at-home lifestyle: FLAVOR! If you no longer find the foods you’re eating a joy to make or delicious to eat, it is time to up your kitchen game and try a new recipe, and you can find tons of them in one of Jacksonville Public Library’s cookbooks. To give you some ideas on where to start, I’ve listed 5 more food trends with some options from JPL’s catalog.

As the holiday season approaches, we take time to decorate the house with shining lights, listen to festive music, and sip peppermint-flavored drinks. So, it makes perfect sense for that same merry-making to extend to the books we are reading as well!

In libraries, classrooms, family rooms, and at bedtime around the world, every day print picture books take children on incredible journeys of discovery and bring people together. Whether it’s a new or beloved story, children begin to associate words with meaning and are introduced to beautiful artwork that they can hold in their lap. Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book and its importance during the month of November.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a celebration of the many varied Native American cultures. Take time this month to honor the traditions, artistry, activism, and everyday lives of Native peoples with these books by and about Indigenous people.

Are you having trouble getting motivated to finally sit down and write that book you’ve been saying you would write one day? This month is the perfect month to start!

Howard Phillips Lovecraft created compelling horror fiction—much of which is rooted in his racist beliefs and other anxieties. This can make revisiting his classic works such as Mountains of Madness challenging for readers... luckily there are plenty of modern authors working either within Lovecraft’s established mythology or in worlds of their own drawing some inspiration from his style of weird fiction.

In case you need an excuse to read more graphic novels, July is National Graphic Novels in Libraries month! With thrilling sci-fi and fantasy, action-packed manga and hero-led humor, graphic novels are sure to captivate readers of all ages. Whether you're a graphic novels connoisseur, or just getting started, the library has great material waiting for you to check out. You can access tons of graphic novels on Hoopla when you create a free account using your Jacksonville Public Library card!  

Presidents Day began as a holiday to honor the birth of George Washington on February 22, 1732 and is still officially called Washington's Birthday.  Now the day honors all Presidents.  Pick a Presidential biography to bone up on one of the 44 men to live in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Only pick one though, because these are long reads.

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! For kids, the magical tales of mythical leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow make this day extra special. Below are ten books that are perfect for sharing with kids to help them understand and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. Whether it’s a book about the history of the holiday, a classic folktale, or a mischevious adventure with a leprechaun, there’s something here for every child that encourages them to dream, play, and try their luck.

March is Women's History Month and we are celebrating here at Jacksonville Public Library with not only books for adults and children, but with some awesome free programs! The 2019 theme for Women's History Month is "Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence."