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 8:30 p.m. 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.
Indy Now Book Club
Catch book recommendations and Library program highlights from your own local librarians once a month on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. The show airs at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Browse our past appearances.
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.
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.
Unearth Imagination
May 31 – August 2
Prizes for all ages – including adults! Summer is the perfect time to explore new worlds, discover exciting stories, and build a love for reading! These fun, engaging activities, events, and book recommendations are tailored just for you! Join us for an adventure in learning to become a lifelong reader!
Looking for a summer read? Browse our staff created book lists:
- All About Jurassic Park
- Dinosaurs – Books for Adults
- Indiana Geology & Geography
- Living Fossils: Reptiles, Birds, and More
- Natural History Large Print & Audiobook Suggestions
- Paleoart
Try our printmaking and paleoart workshop for adults. Schedule & Register for Printmaking Paleoart
- Paleontology
Try our exploring paleontology workshop for adults. Schedule & Register for Exploring Paleontology - Rock Art & Cave Painting
Try our art in stone workshop for adults. Schedule & Register for Art in Stone - Sci-Fi Dinosaurs
- Summer Reading Quick Reads
- That’s Not a Dinosaur
Barbeque!
As the days get slowly warmer the urge to sear food on a grill in your backyard grows. The Library has lots of wonderful books to help you scratch that itch!
Disability Representation in Fantasy and Science Fiction
These stories feature characters in fantastical or futuristic settings whose disabilities are not “magically cured”; some of them do use familiar mobility aids or prosthetics, and/or they are fighting for a society that accommodates and supports their differences. In some of the stories, the disability is just an aspect of the character and doesn’t affect the plot really. I’ve tried my best to include stories that are either #OwnVoices (the author personally shares the disability or is intimately aware of the disability (a family member has it) or it has been confirmed that great care and research was taken when writing the story, and they’ve avoided certain harmful tropes.
National Ice Cream Month
It’s getting hot outside! Check out a book on how to make your own ice cream to cool down with this month, or learn about the history of ice cream and other frozen sweets from around the globe.
Fiction Featuring Type 1 Diabetics
In the US alone there are an estimated 2 million people living with type 1 diabetes. This list goes out to all the fellow type 1 and otherwise insulin dependent diabetics out there looking for representation. These portrayals are honest and accurate, so you won’t find any wild misinformation in this list. No demoralizing apocalypse stories, either.
History of Protest
Defending Democracy is an ongoing struggle, and there’s always a protest happening somewhere. Learn about the importance of protest throughout American history with the titles below.
Conceptual Art
Conceptual Art emphasizes the concept behind the work as more important than the art itself. It is a very significant movement in contemporary art. I made this list to help this movement to be more accessible to art lovers unfamiliar with it.
Birds!
What does the meme say? “As you age, it’s ridiculous how fast bird-watching creeps up on you.” And, it’s TRUE! Here is a selection of books that will round out your bird knowledge once that creep happens.
Let the Games Begin
Whether you’re gearing up for GenCon (July 31 – August 3 in Indianapolis) or just love a good magical showdown, these teen books put strategy, survival, and strength to the ultimate test. From deadly tournaments and royal trials to virtual games and magical gauntlets, each story features characters fighting for glory, love, freedom, or just to stay alive.
Enemies to Lovers Romances
Celebrate Read a Romance Novel Month with one of the genre’s best tropes: enemies to lovers. Whether it’s workplace rivals, royal adversaries, or sworn magical foes, these characters start tense and combative but end up falling for each other. Spanning contemporary, fantasy, LGBTQ+, and historical romances this list is sure to have a story to please nearly every romance reader!