Together We Read is a digital book club on OverDrive that connects readers from the U.S. with the same ebook title at the same time without any waitlists or holds! The inaugural title selection is Lean on Me by Pat Simmons. A poignant, emotional book that readers are saying is "The most empowering story line of a family tied together by the power of unconditional love."

The Together We Read runs from February 19th through March 4th.

The start of a new year means new reading challenges! If you're like a lot of people, you may want some guidance and encouragement (and book suggestions).  We've collected some of the most popular reading challenges to help you get started. Check out the list below to find one that suits you. You can also set a goal and track your books on Goodreads.

If you'd rather set your own goals or simply track your 2020 favorites, CPL's Spark Your Year workbook includes two special sheets to help you track what you like AND highlights the digital resources available to you (ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more)!

Reading Challenges

Book Riot's 2020  Read Harder Challenge

PopSugar's 2020  Reading Challenge

Bookish's 2020  Reading Challenge

EpicRead's 2020  Reading Challenge

PBS'  Great American Read book list

Penguin Books'  100 Essential Classics

Reading  Challenges for Kids

If none of these inspire you, take a look at this Master List of 2020 Reading Challenges. 

Happy reading!

Spring is here! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the end of the school year is in sight-but it's no time to stop learning. The Engage Your Brain Experience To Go Kit offers myriad ways to grow and stretch that space between your ears, to learn new things, and keep your mind sharp so you can live your best life. Try seven days of brain teasers, or a stimulating game of Set, or a well-crafted musical composition to promote brain health and keep you sharp. 

If you're looking for a more social way to sharpen your wits, please join us for Trivia Night at the Library! Bring a team or make new friends by joining someone else. It's tons of fun, and a great way to put that random knowledge to work in a fun and relaxed environment. 

Feeling impatient for spring to finally arrive? Pick up one of our Calm Your Winter Experience To Go Kits. Learn to meditate and relax through the end of winter with the kit's how-to book on meditation and relaxing music CD. Tired of the gray Michigan skies? The kit also has a coloring book and pencils for you to add a little color to your life. Stay calm--spring is almost here!

By February, New Year's resolutions are notorious for being broken. However, slipping up doesn't mean you should abandon your goals completely. Reboot getting healthier and fit intentions with the Experience to Go Kit, Small Steps: Get Healthy.. Each kit contains a cookbook, music CD, timer and exercise suggestions. It's never too late to start over with a clean slate! 

When the weather outside is frightful, the Library has you covered. Check out entertaining and educational video from the library without leaving the comfort of your home, with streaming video from Kanopy or Hoopla (or both!). These services offer movies and television for all ages, and its content is always available with your CPL card. 

Did you know that Kanopy Kids specializes in curating collections of mindful entertainment for developing minds? Both Kanopy and Hoopla offer a wide assortment of animated children's tales, including classics such as The Snowy Day-one of our favorites! Click here to learn more about Kanopy Kids.  
 

As part of Electrify Your Winter, we are introducing a brand new collection. Experience To Go Kits are designed to help you out when you want to try something new, but don't know quite where to begin. These start-up kits are filled with fun tools, books, music and more to drive away your winter blues. We created a variety of kits to help you jump-start that New Year's resolution, enjoy a family night or simply have a calmer, sunnier week.

From January 2nd until the end of April, we have the following kits:

• Calm Your Winter: Color and meditate your stress away.
• Dance Party: Boogie all night with our awesome mixtape and disco lighting.
• Engage Your Brain: Brain teasers, SET (a logic game for the whole family) and a Rubik's cube.
• Experience History--Old School: Kids imagine how learning used to be with a slate and McGuffey Primer.
• Seven Days of Sunshine: Illuminate your winter with a therapy lamp and sunny thoughts.
• Small Steps--Get Healthy: Seven days of exercises, healthy cooking and a workout mixtape.
• Small Steps--Get Organized: Clean up with seven days of tasks (and seven pats on the back for your work).

Come on in and take one home!