Back in 2019, when I was in library school and working at the Whitefish Bay Public Library as an intern, my boss put me in charge of hosting a monthly mystery book club. I had been in book clubs for decades, but I had never organized one, so this was a new challenge.

If you are a patron of the Whitefish Bay Public Library, you are probably familiar with our HOT READS. These are new, in-demand titles that cannot be put on hold and check out for 14 days. This year, Friends of the Whitefish Bay Public Library have generously offered to buy these books for the library. This will mean that we will be able to purchase more of the popular titles that our patrons are interested in. We are also changing the name from HOT READS to LUCKY DAY. They will be located in the same place, in the bookcase near the adult reference desk where the new books are.

Getting tired of your same old book club? Why not try spicing it up (literally!) with some food? For a creative twist at your next book club meeting try adding some of the food and drinks that come from the setting of your novel.

This time of year always has me thinking about snowfalls, crackling fires, decorated trees, and a cozy blanket to curl up in and read a good book. If the hectic holiday season is wearing you out, a classic novel might be just what you need to slow down and relax. Classic literature is often referred to as “Great Books” but why is that? The reason stems from a type of literature that stands the test of time due to classic themes, quality writing and deemed to have great scholarly value. Even though many of these novels were written well over 100 years ago they still have relevance for our modern society. These classics are found by academics to improve language and writing skills as well as critical thinking. Even though some views expressed in the classics may be quite dated or even shocking, it’s also a testament to how society has progressed over the years.

It appears that winter is upon us even at this early pre-Thanksgiving date. It’s cold, snowy, and dark, and I want to put on my fuzziest pajamas and not leave the house until May. This is not a good state of affairs. Winters in Wisconsin are too long to give in completely. It’s important to keep active, get out of the house, and see other people. One way to do this is to check out the free programs and activities that we offer at the library.

There is only about a month left in the spring semester at UWM, and that means that soon I will be free from academic responsibilities for the summer. I haven’t been this excited about a summer off since I was a kid. For some people, summer means family vacations, camping, and all kinds of outdoor activities. For me, it means more time to read! Here are some of the titles coming out this summer that I am excited about.

I will be hosting a new mystery book club on Thursday evenings starting on March 7, at 7 pm. I have chosen the first three mysteries as a jumping off point. It is my hope that if we have regular attendees, then we can vote on which titles we would like to read. Here are some other mysteries that I have read and enjoyed, and some that I would like to explore.

As the summer winds down, I realized that one of my favorite things in the Youth Services department is when a family comes in before a vacation, and each kid leaves with a teetering stack of books, having been instructed by their parents to get enough for a week or 10 days. It is clear that they are headed to some idyllic spot with no Internet, and the family will have to entertain themselves without screens or devices. As adults, we rarely have this kind of time to devote to reading, and it really is a shame that we get distracted by work, household chores and Netflix. What would you choose to read if you had an uninterrupted week to do so?

Now is the time of year when all of the summer reading lists appear, so we will supply a short list of fun summer reads that you can find here at the Whitefish Bay Public Library or in the Library System.

This year PBS is airing The Great American Read, a series of programs “which celebrates the power, passion and joy of reading through the lens of America's 100 best-loved books as chosen by the public.” This is an opportunity for those who love books and literature to engage in a national conversation about our favorite books.

Are you in a book club book or are thinking of joining one? Perhaps you need some new titles to fill out your reading list? Here are several books have been making the rounds in book clubs throughout the country, and a couple of these titles are ones we’ve featured (or are about to feature )at our tea time book club here at Whitefish Bay Library.

Are you in a book club? Does your book club want to read the newest titles on the best seller list? There can be long waits at the library for the hottest reads, which doesn’t work when you only have a month or so to read a book. Need some other ideas? Here are some suggestions that will still have that book club appeal but don’t come with that long waiting list.

Over the past two years, I’ve led a book club discussion once a month and I thought it might be interesting to share some of my favorite titles that we’ve read. My selections included some nonfiction as well as fiction. All of the titles were published in the past five years, and only a few were bestsellers.