Young adult fiction is one of the hottest genres around, inspiring long series and many recent movies. These novels are popular not only with teens but adults, too.  We’re all familiar with Divergent and The Hunger Games!

Summer is coming soon. Publishers are offering many new young adult titles to fulfill the lure of vacation reading. We’re buying lots of great books for our leisure readers to enjoy during our summer reading programs. Read more about There's a whole lot of shifting going on!

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie seems to be everywhere these days – both in high brow literary circles and in the heat of popular culture.  Her TED Talk “The Danger of a Single Story” has millions of views.  She’s featured in Beyonce’s r Read more about Americanah: Powerful, Tender and Award-Winning

When planning to make a big purchase, what key factors influence your selection process? Do you go to the store and pick based on the best sale? Do you read through customer reviews on the retailer websites and pick the item with the highest number of stars? Or do you stick with brand loyalty, and only review items with a certain label? Read more about Before you buy...

Winter Weather got you down? Well, it’s time to

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

  Read more about laissez les bon temps rouler!

One of the great things about TV these days is that so many international programs are available here in the United States, on DVD or through online streaming. Recently I watched two television productions, one from New Zealand (via BBC and the Sundance Channel) and one from France, both of which were incredibly compelling and much different than programs you are apt to catch on American primetime.

Read more about International TV that will keep you up at night: Top of the Lake and The Returned

Read more about Unlikely...But Adorable!

Are you a fan of gorgeous photographs? Do you enjoy Urbana Free’s art collection? Read more about Scrumptious Photographs

            Read more about Black History Month at The Urbana Free Library

Something is wrong in Area X, an isolated coastal region, full of wildlife, empty of human inhabitants. The Southern Reach, as the organization responsible for exploring, explaining, and possibly containing Area X, has sent a team of scientists through the border to investigate. This the twelfth expedition. The previous expeditions were not successful. Successful at what? That's a good question. Something wrong in Area X? Read more about Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

The Golem and the Jinni was one of the first books I read this year, and having read it, I sincerely wish I'd picked it up back in Ap Read more about The Golem and the Jinni