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.
Indiana and Other Midwest Poets
Explore Hoosier and other Midwest poets and writers with a flare for the written word. Join us to celebrate the landscape of Indiana poetry at Central Library on Tuesday, August 19 at 6 pm for Poetry Through the Lens, presented by Brick St. Poetry.
Make a Muscle!
Sarcopenia is defined as the age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. If this sounds all too familiar to you, it is never too late to build muscle. The books on this list are good for the beginner. If you are a serious body builder, we have books for you too but I did not include them here. If you would like to learn more about muscle and how to rebuild yours, check out the books on this list.
The Thursday Murder Club
Like The Thursday Murder Club, these books (and a few series adaptations) feature clever mysteries, quirky characters, and cozy crime-solving. Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club book and for those eagerly awaiting the upcoming Netflix adaptation!
National Relaxation Day
What to do when you’re bored out of your gourd? Have you ever been so lost in the doldrums that you can’t find your way back? Dive into the pages of these books that feature protagonists suffering from various levels of ennui, malaise, and languor, and hopefully they’ll put a little pep back in your step. Reading can be a fun way to escape and relax from the trials of the day.
Did you know?! — National Relaxation Day is August 15th!! I mean, *whispers* National Relaxation Day is August 15th… *pours you a cup of tea, iced if it’s a really hot day, and pats your chosen book invitingly on the cover*
Suspense Books Featuring Older Protagonists
If you enjoyed the charm and mystery of The Thursday Murder Club, this list is for you. These suspenseful reads feature older protagonists, retirees, detectives, and unlikely heroes, who bring wit, wisdom, and a rebellious streak to crime-solving and adventure.
Freaky Friday
the long time coming sequel, Freakier Friday, premiers August 8th. Hilarious onscreen mother-daughter duo Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are now, 22 years later, a grandmother-mother duo. While you wait for the new release to hit theaters (and then library shelves), check out some other popular movie franchise sequels where our young protagonists return all grown up!
Joy & Delight – with little-to-no Drama!
“Cozy” is a term I’ve only learned in in the last couple of years… and thank GOODNESS for the timing! If you’re like me and could use some light reads in times of stress, here are some recent ones I’ve found DELIGHTFUL. Also worth noting – I read most of these as audiobooks (which only increases the delight in being read a story).
Mocktails
Mocktails are pretty popular right now. These books will help create complex and interesting drinks without alcohol.
Surveillance Day
This day was created to have a little fun with a serious topic – the growing lack of privacy and increase in surveillance – be it for law enforcement, general safety, or targeted advertising purposes – in our everyday lives. If you see a surveillance camera on August 16th, give it a little wave, or do a silly dance, or something funny and pleasant to give your silent observer a laugh. Does having cameras around make you feel safer or uncomfortable? Read some of the following fiction to explore the negative and the positive aspects of living an observed life.
Spice Up Your World
Spices have been valued for centuries – as legal tender – as religious items – as medicine – as culinary embellishments. Saffron alone could be worth its weight in gold! Cooking with spices can be a healthy and tasty aspect of your culinary adventures. The Library can help with that! Join us for a session of Spice It Up with the Marion County Health Department.
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.
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.
Romantic Short Stories
For when you want the experience of reading a love story in one sitting, even if you don’t have the time to read a full book.
PTSD Memoirs and Guides for Healing
A list to inform sufferers and loved ones about PTSD and trauma. It includes guides and memoirs on recovering.
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.
