Order from the library: what to read next?

If your library is like mine, they are still serving during the pandemic, car-hop style.

True to their mission, municipal libraries have risen to the occasion by continuing to serve their communities, even one car at a time.

"Curbside Pickup is still going strong! Our process has changed now that we are open. At the Main Library, please pull up ... in front of the library. Call and let us know you are here!"

The Windsor Public Library (https://www.windsorlibrary.com/) stayed true to their mission to "inform, enlighten and inspire" even during lockdown when the library was closed, by embarking on a new service: curbside pickup. As their website says, "Ask us to pull a collection of materials for you. Or pickup a hold that has become available for you. Just give us your library card number to check out and arrange a time to pick up, we’ll do the rest!" Kudos to them for rising to the occasion. When the rest of the world felt far away, the library gave us a comfortable solution -- the library at home!

What to read?

It's tough to know what to select when you can't browse the stacks, but not to worry: many libraries put their catalogs online. You can search through by genre or reader age. The American Library Association publishes a list of notable publications each year (http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb). Even Amazon has become a go-to source for research, and the site tracks what you've ordered in the past to provide recommendations. Of course, readers who have perused and shared on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/) will find a comfortable social media community there to consult.

My thoughts?

Try something new!

Given all that has happened in the last year, I have opted to use my time at home reading authors I didn't know, especially pushing into cultures unlike my own. I have discovered new favorites:

Get Inspired

Nic Stone's Dear Martin and Dear Justyce had me on the edge of my seat and staying up late to finish. Tomi Adeyemi took me out of my comfort zone and set my mind buzzing with her Legacy of Orisha trilogy.

Stepping away from fiction, I delved into memoir with Nellwyn Lampert's Every Boy I Ever Kissed, a surprising look at feminism and sexuality in the 21st century. Always my first love, fiction pulls me back and I am currently reading One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite. Well-written books always pull me in and I feel like I am living the story myself, an observer on the sidelines, but my heart invested just the same.

Having just attending the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators 2021 Winter Conference (usually New York, but virtual this year), I have a list of new books I will be reading over the next couple months. Stay tuned for more recommendations! And if you read any of the titles on my list, let me know what you think. ~ty