Are you looking for your next great read? We can help! Visit us in person, explore reading recommendations online, join an in-person or online book discussion, get recommendations on Facebook, tune in to our televised book club segments, and more. Get started here!
Sunday Nights on Facebook
Join us on Sunday nights at 8:30pm on Facebook for Currently Reading. Enjoy this hour during which book enthusiasts share favorite books and offer suggestion about what to read next. Find out about the books that have everyone talking.
Wednesday Mornings – Indy Now Book Club
The Library helps host a ‘book club’ on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. Tune in at 10 a.m. every other Wednesday. Catch book recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your own local librarians. Re-watch segments you have missed and see book lists of the books mentioned in each segment.
In-Person & Online Book Discussions
Do you love talking about books? Join one of our book discussions or book clubs available both in-person and online.
Online Reading Recommendations
NovelList and NovelList K-8 are online services that offer reading recommendations. Browse both fiction and nonfiction, read-alike suggestions, series information, reviews, and lists of recommended and award-winning books for adults, teens and kids. Learn how to start on this video tutorial. Also try Book Connections which includes a “find the right book for you” feature.
Would you prefer one-on-one help? Call or ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text, or email ask-a- librarian.
Recommendations from Our Staff – December 2023
Make a selection from one of the book lists below created by our staff of avid readers. You can also follow our staff’s most recently published lists on the library catalog home page. Don’t miss our If You Like… suggestions that cover all the favorite genres like science fiction, graphic novels, romance, and more. Finally, don’t miss What We’re Reading Teens and What We’re Reading Kids.
Culinary Book Club – Holiday Feast and Treat Cookbooks
My favorite time to cook and bake is during the holidays. Sharing the traditional recipes and meals is very rewarding. This selection of cookbooks hold a wealth of ideas and recipes to try with family. If you want to learn more about a country or holiday what better way than through a cookbook!
Listen with Liz – December 2023
I love nonfiction audiobooks. This is a totally random list of titles I listened to in November 2023.
Advent Devotionals
Advent/Nativity/Annunciation is a season in the Christian tradition that typically spans the four to six week period before Christmas. It is often considered a time for reflection and preparation. Though denominations/traditions vary in their specific practices and names for the season, many use devotionals to focus the intent of their actions and meditations.
Home Sweet Home
Cooler temps mean more time inside. Fall and winter are the perfect time for a home refresh. Check out some of these new titles for inspiration and ideas.
Make Your Own Pop-Up Cards
Imagine the delight your friends and loved ones will feel when they receive a handmade card from you! These books provide step-by-step guidance, inspiration, and a sense of unfolding possibilities.
Winter Holiday Romances
Cozy up this holiday season with different romance novels that center Diwali, Hannukah, Christmas, and New Year’s!
Christmas Decorations!
If you haven’t finished trimming the tree, decking the halls, Jingle Bells, ho ho ho, and all that jazz, here are some helpful guides to keep the yule-logs burning. “For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute, candles in the window, carols at the spinet …”
Celebrations of Yule – The Winter Solstice
Celebrated on December 20th or 21st, Yule is the longest night and shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice has been celebrated for decades by Pagan families, and by cultures around the world for centuries as the “return of the light” in the depths of winter. Here are stories for young and old alike to celebrate this Yuletide.
Celebrate Hanukkah!
Chag sameach Hanukkah! Happy Chanukah! No matter how you spell it, the Festival of Lights is a time where Jewish families and individuals celebrate the rededication of the holy temple through an eight-night festival. Below, we’ve gathered some of our favorite resources for adults and teens to celebrate the festival or learn about the history of Hanukkah. Looking for resources for kids? Check out 8 Nights of Bedtime Stories for Hanukkah which provides stories for each night of Chanukah.
Christmas Horror Films
If you’re in the mood to spice up your holiday eggnog with a real kick, we have some Christmas horror movies that are to die for.
Alternative Christmas Movies
They’re clearly set in December, but they aren’t exactly paragons of Yuletide cheer.
Succession
HBO’s popular prestige drama Succession aired its series finale in May of 2023. If you find yourself missing the Roy family antics, these titles will help fill the void. Entries on this list feature high drama, including but not limited to back-stabbing, competitive family dynamics, entitlement, extreme wealth, a healthy dose of schadenfreude and more! If you haven’t watched Succession yet, start with season one at the end of this list.
A-Z Albums: Singer Songwriters
Although the phrase ‘singer songwriter’ can bring to mind a folk musician playing an acoustic guitar (and this list does include albums that fit that image), there are so many other ways that singer songwriters have expressed their musical creativity. Explore the selections here to get a taste of the wider singer songwriter possibilities.