Kickstart Your New Year's Resolution

In just a couple of days it’ll be time to start making good on your New Year’s resolutions, and the right books can help! The nonfiction section of the library is sorted by the Dewey Decimal system, meaning books with similar topics will be shelved next to each other. So if you find a book that sounds helpful, head to the library and you're likely to find more books on the same shelf.

Health and Wellness

Resolutions to eat healthier or be more active are among the most common, but can be difficult to follow through on. Planning ahead by finding easy workout plans and meals will help you start off the year on the right track. You can find many books on healthy lifestyles and various diets in the library, like these suggestions below:

Travel & Culture

Other popular resolutions involve broadening your horizons by vowing to travel more or spend more time taking in the arts. Identify some time you can take off in 2022, anywhere from a free evening or weekend to an extended vacation, and use it to experience more of the world. BPL has travel books and information on destinations around Indiana and around the globe, so consider picking out a locale now and planning ahead using a book like these:

Hobbies

An easy resolution for anyone struggling to come up with a realistic goal for themselves, a resolution to try out a new hobby is hard to avoid! Trying out a new craft, style of cooking or any other task you’ve always wanted to try is easy to start by researching online or finding a book on the subject. Here are a few examples of hobbies you can try out in the new year:

Reading

Of course a resolution list from your local library wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the resolution to read more in 2022! For those of you hoping to read more books in the new year, here are some recommendations from our staff. 

And if you’re open to trying out digital reading — audiobooks or e-books — you should check out the Libby and Hoopla apps, which are free to use with your library card! For multitaskers, audiobooks can add extra reading time to your day by letting you “read” while you work on other tasks or commute. Head to your app store to download the apps; feel free to stop by the library if you need some help setting them up.

On behalf of all BPL staff, we hope you had a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to serving you in the new year!

Short Stories for Short Attention Spans

With the holiday season as hectic as ever, it can be difficult to focus on getting through a book. But if you still want to get some reading in over the holidays, now might be the time to try out a short story collection.

Short story collections are great for the wandering mind because your attention span only needs to last as long as each chapter, and you can find one in just about any section of the library. The best part is, there's no commitment! If you're not enjoying an author's writing after a few stories, you don't need to feel guilty about giving up on a book's whole plot.

Here is a list of short story collections at BPL you should check out today:

Horror

Growing Things by Paul Tremblay

Stephen King Goes to the Movies by Stephen King

The Merry Spinster by Mallory Ortberg

Mystery

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Turston

A Simple Murder by Kate Castillo

Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson

Shots Fired by C.J. Box

Nonfiction

I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell

Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley

General Fiction

Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger by Lee Smith

All the Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash

99 Stories of God by Joy Williams

Inspirational

Gentleman's Kiss by various authors

With All My Heart Romance Collection by various authors

Non-Romance Christmas Reads

It's December, so you're already being bombarded by Christmas books and recommendations, but bear with me for a few more that aren't your average holiday reads!

If you've visited the library recently, "yule" have noticed that we're in full festive mode with decorations and book displays. Many of those Christmasy books on display are romances. Of course there's nothing wrong with those kinds of books, but sometimes you want a little something different with your holiday reading.

Here are five books that are sure to get you in a holly jolly mood that don't revolve around romance.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is an author and humorist who has several published essay collections, with this one revolving around the holidays. Most of the stories center around Christmas and winter, but some ebb into Halloween and Easter. But with any holiday, shenanigans run amok.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

This beloved Dickens classic about a miserly man given a second chance has inspired so much in the Christmas media realm. You'll find a few different copies of this book in our collection, but the one linked above features special holiday recipes by Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and Trisha Yearwood to go along with the story. And if you're interested in learning more about how Dickens came up with the story, a movie came out in 2018 called "The Man Who Invented Christmas."

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

First published in 1956, this autobiographical Christmas classic is written by an author you might better recognize as the true crime writer of "In Cold Blood." Capote pivoted for this piece to include his personal accounts of his upbringing in rural Alabama, and one of his long-standing friendships full of memories and holiday rituals.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Grisham took a break from his legal thrillers to put out this Christmas comedy novel about a couple of empty nesters planning to skip the festivities of Christmas. But their plans change at the last-minute when their daughter calls to say she'll be making it home for Christmas after all. Grisham intended this book to highlight the commercialization of Christmas, and was the inspiration for the movie "Christmas with the Kranks."

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie

Poirot is one of the most recognizable detectives, and this Christmas rendition will keep mystery lovers guessing. The story takes place on Christmas Eve and begins with a crash of furniture, a man lying dead in a pool of blood, and plenty of suspects with motive. What could be more festive than that?