Library Card Sign-Up Month Reading List

Marilyn and Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe

Gail Crowther

Far from the spotlights of the Hollywood film sets and the flashbulbs of the press, Marilyn Monroe was a great reader and lover of books. Her association with writers did not stop at reading their words on the page. She was, of course, briefly married to one of America's best-known playwrights, Arthur Miller, and met a number of other writers who moved in his literary world. But she also met authors independently of Miller, many of whom were fans of her films and keen to meet her. Through her deep research, Gail Crowther delves into Marilyn's personal book collection and recounts some of these meetings, like when she shared an apartment with Shelley Winters in West Hollywood, where they entertained Dylan Thomas and Christopher Isherwood for drinks (probably several drinks), after which Monroe arranged for Thomas to meet his childhood hero, Charlie Chaplin. Or when Life magazine arranged for Monroe to be interviewed by Dame Edith Sitwell at the Sunset Tower Hotel, and Sitwell was both charmed and blown away by Monroe's intelligence. Marilyn And Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe charts the intellectual life of a screen legend, revealing how Monroe, who left high school before graduation, embarked on an impressive and progressive program of self-education, hungry for knowledge and devouring books as an active and engaged reader. Her personal library reflects this inquiring mind. In 2026, for her centenary, this book showcases Marilyn Monroe the reader. Because, at the end of her life, it was not her jewels or her furs, shoes, or dresses that she cared about. It was her books.

Booking for Trouble

Jenn McKinlay

Just off the shores of the coastal Connecticut town of Briar Creek are two small islands, which library director Lindsey Norris visits with her new book-boat, inspired by the bookmobiles she's seen traveling across the country. Nothing, not even the infamous feud between the families who own the Split Islands, can stop Lindsey from getting books into the hands of readers. But when Lindsey and her boat captain husband, Mike Sullivan, discover a body on the rocky outcropping of one of the islands, Lindsey's new library venture quickly becomes a murder investigation. At news of the crime, hostilities between the two families are reignited. Long buried secrets are revealed, tensions spark, and suspects abound. As Lindsey navigates treacherous waters (both literal and metaphorical), she must use her research skills and community ties to solve the murder and bring peace to the islands before her book-boat dreams are sunk.

The Missing Pages: A Novel

Alyson Richman

Harry Widener boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless book he just purchased in London. After mayhem strikes the ship, Harry's last known words are that he must return to his cabin for his treasure. Neither the young man nor the book are seen again. In his honor, his mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to memorialize her son and house his extensive book collection. Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When strange things begin happening -- books falling off shelves or opening to random pages -- Violet wonders if Harry Widener's ghost is trying to communicate the missing pieces of his story from beyond the grave. "An unforgettable story about the power of love over loss, the extraordinary capacity of books to provide inspiration and solace, and the surprising -- and sometimes supernatural -- way in which the past exists alongside the present.

Dinner at the Night Library: A Novel

Hika Harada

All Otoha Higuchi wants to do is work with books. However, the exhausting nature of her work at a chain bookstore has quickly brought reality crashing down around her. She is already on the verge of quitting when she receives an anonymous invitation to apply for a job at the Night Library. The hours are from seven o'clock to midnight. The library exclusively stores books by deceased authors, and none of them can be checked out -- instead, they're put on public display to be revered and celebrated by the library's visitors, making it akin to a book museum. There, Otoha feels she has finally found her place in the world. She meets the other staff, a group of like-minded literary misfits, including a legendary chef who prepares incredible dinners for the employees at the end of each day. Night after night, she bonds with her colleagues over meals in the café, each of which are inspired by the literature on the shelves. But as strange occurrences start happening around the library that may bring the threat of its closure, Otoha and her friends fear that the peace they have found there will forever be lost to them. Will their faith in the value of books be strong enough to save it? And what will remain if it isn't?

Audio described tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress

This accessible virtual tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, was developed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled from a tour designed by the Informal Learning Office and Professional Learning & Outreach Initiatives. This virtual tour was created for individuals with visual impairments and others who may not be able to visit the Library in person. Completed in 1897, this amazing example of architecture, artistry and craftsmanship was a crown jewel of the young capital city. Experience the highlights of this magnificent building in this guided tour which includes audio descriptions of the building's striking exterior, grand rooms and detailed ornamentation.

The Librarians

Sherry Thomas

Murder disrupts the peaceful, predictable daily routine of life for four quirky librarians who must protect their life-altering secrets in the first contemporary mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas. Sometimes a workplace isn't just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge ... In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don't always realize that their librarians are human, too. Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore. When two patrons turn up dead after the library's inaugural murder mystery-themed game night, the librarians' quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library-and themselves-is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together ... All in a day's work.

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page before Lights Out

Shannon Reed

In this uproarious exploration of the joys of reading, a long-time teacher, lifelong reader and The New Yorker contributor shares surprising stories from her life and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students and shows us how literature can transform us for the better.

A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order

Judith Flanders

A Place for Everything is the first-ever history of alphabetization, from the Library of Alexandria to Wikipedia. The story of alphabetical order has been shaped by some of history's most compelling characters, such as industrious and enthusiastic early adopter Samuel Pepys and dedicated alphabet champion Denis Diderot. But though even George Washington was a proponent, many others stuck to older forms of classification--Yale listed its students by their family's social status until 1886. And yet, while the order of the alphabet now rules--libraries, phone books, reference books, even the order of entry for the teams at the Olympic Games--it has remained curiously invisible. With abundant inquisitiveness and wry humor, historian Judith Flanders traces the triumph of alphabetical order and offers a compendium of Western knowledge, from A to Z.

Old librarians Never Die, They Jump out of Airplanes: Adventuring through the Senior Years in Indiana

Marie J. Albertson

Albertson raised four children and put herself through college while doing so. After her husband's death she became a librarian at the Indiana State Library with a "rest of my life to-do list"...this book tells her personal story as she worked, then retired and began adventuring: learning to kayak, horseback-riding to see the wild mustangs, crewing on a tall ship, visiting the Great Wall of China on a budget, taking gliding lessons and reading Shakespeare.

My Reading Life

Pat Conroy

Bestselling author and South Carolinian Pat Conroy acknowledges the books that have shaped him and celebrates the profound effect reading has had on his life. Strong language.

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading

James Patterson

To be a bookseller or librarian... You have to play detective. Be a treasure hunter. A matchmaker. An advocate. A visionary. A person who creates "book joy" by pulling a book from a shelf, handing it to someone and saying, "You've got to read this. You're going to love it." Step inside The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians and enter a world where you can feed your curiosities, discover new voices, find whatever you want or require. This place has the magic of rainbows and unicorns, but it's also a business. The book business. Meet the smart and talented people who live between the pages and who can't wait to help you find your next favorite book.

Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

Jill A. Grunenwald

A newly minted librarian looks back on her first career stop: working in a prison. Discusses what drew her to the profession, why she chose to take the job, personalities she encountered, examples of both typical days and extraordinary ones, and challenges she faced. 2019.

Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents, their Books, and the Shaping of American History

Craig Fehrman

Journalist provides an overview of books written by American presidents, beginning with Thomas Jefferson and continuing through Donald Trump. Discusses the motivations for these publications, their contents, and their impact on the lives of the authors and society at large.Commercial audiobook. 2020.

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts

Joshua Hammer

A journalist recounts the efforts of a small group of librarians and archivists in Mali to rescue thousands of rare manuscripts before they fell into the hands of the jihadists attacking the city of Timbuktu. Some strong language. 2016.

A Delayed Life: The True Story of the Librarian of Auschwitz

Dita Kraus

    A Jewish woman whose experiences were fictionalized in The Librarian of Auschwitz (DB 89356) recounts her experiences of Nazi-occupation in Prague, life in the Jewish ghetto at Terezín, her own imprisonment in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, and life after liberation. She describes her role as librarian of books smuggled into Auschwitz. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

America's Library: The Story of the Library of Congress, 1800-2000

James Conaway

A history of this cultural institution--often considered the world's greatest library--and the thirteen Librarians of Congress who guided its development. Discusses its transformation from modest legislative resource to the vast national library of the United States. Describes some of the variety found in its diverse collection of over 115 million items. 2000.