Adult Booklists
Feel like you’re reading the same type of books over and over again? Try something new with these themed booklists. Most of the lists include both fiction and non-fiction.
Jump to: Dewey Non-fiction / Mystery / Science
African American Non-fiction
Compelling non-fiction from recent years dealing with the African-American experience
Animals
Lions, and tigers, and… pigs? Oh my! A menagerie of books with animals
Aritist's Touch
Get inspired by these books about painters and/or their inspiration
Asian/Pacific American Authors
Looking for something beyond Amy Tan and Lisa See? Discover these American authors with Asian or Pacific Island heritage
Banned or Challenged Books
Warning! Some of these books have been challenged or banned for political, religious, or other reasons
Baseball
Batter up! Take a swing at some baseball-themed fiction and non-fiction
Biography
From the rich and famous to ordinary folks doing extraordinary things, try some riveting life stories
Book Club Books: 2012 Favorites
Popular book club titles from last year
Book Club Books: Biography and Memoirs
Discussable life stories
Book Club Books: Classic Books
What makes a book a classic? Read one and decide if it deserves the mantle of "classic"
Book Club Books: Dark but Compelling
Not for the faint of heart, but riveting and powerful
Book Club Books: General Non-fiction
Highly readable non-fiction to spur conversation
Book Club Books: Marilyn's Favorites
Veteran book clubber and librarian Marilyn chooses her favorites
Book Club Books: Tried and True
New book club? These titles are old favorites that continue to have lasting appeal
Book Club Books: Try These Too
These books didn't make the Tried and True cut, but are still well-regarded
Book Club Books: Uplifting Books
Feel good books with enough heft to be worthy of discussion
Books Made into Movies
These titles get it right twice: a great read and a film that does it justice. Check out both!
Culinary Reads
Partake in these delectable books where the preparation and savoring of food plays a central role
Destination: Cuba!
Fifty years after the Cuban Missle Crisis, take a trip to Cuba with these books and films
Destination: London
Keep Calm and Carry a Book. Head to London with these titles based in England's colorful capital city
Destination: Paris
The City of Lights awaits you through the pages of these books
Downton Abbey: Servants and Society
Get your period drama fix with these books and DVDs! First are books giving a "below stairs" peek at domestic servants, followed by TV series and movies set in Old England, and then a few books written by the creator of Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey: World War I Reads
Hooked on the BBC's period drama? Absorb more World War I and Edwardian era atmosphere with these historical fiction and non-fiction books
Eat, Drink & Be Merry!
Theses books will help you eat healthy, prepare simple/quick meals, create great drinks, and host fun, fabulous parties
Epistolary Tales
Enjoy some lively correspondence in both fiction and non-fiction
Family Dramas
Whether they drive you crazy or keep you grounded, there’s no lack of drama when the family’s around
Full Dewey: A Non-fiction Sampler
Tired of fiction? Keep it real with some books drawn from real life
Genre Fiction
Appealing to readers expecting a particular tone or character-type, genre fiction includes Romance, Horror, Fantasy, and Westerns
Ghostly Tales
From gentle lost souls to the seriously spooky, the ghosts in these books are sure to intrigue you
Graphic Novels
These titles successfully combine a compelling story with artwork that adds to the narrative
Great Outdoors
Get out in nature with these titles
Historical Fiction and History Non-fiction
Soak in some history while enjoying a rollicking read
Humorous Books
From the clever to the campy, darkly satirical to frothy farce, there's a world of laughter awaiting you at the library
In Translation
Expand your horizons with these books from the past ten years that were originally published in languages other than English
Irish-born Authors
Ireland is the birthplace of many fine writers. Here's a taste of some Emerald Isle talent.
Jewish American Fiction
Try some fiction by Jewish American authors
Mysteries- Cozies
These books will go down like a warm cup of tea. No gory violence or graphic sex to be found here
Mysteries- First Novel Winners
Award-winning debut mysteries from previous years
Mysteries- Historical
Take a peek into the past with these first-in-a-series mysteries set in a different time
Mysteries- International
A sampling of mystery series that take place outside of the U.S. and England
Mysteries- Local Authors
Read the local talent and discover a new mystery series to try
Nature Books
Look here for books about wildlife to ones with a powerful sense of the outdoors
Olympic Stories
Catch Olympic fever with these books about olympic athletes and/or the politics and intrigue tied to the Olympic Games
On the Road to Recovery
Riveting memoirs, powerful fiction, and non-fiction about people recovering from substance abuse
Oscar-worthy Books
Read the books that inspired 2011's Oscar-nominated films, plus past winners of the Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Plays
Here’s some drama for you! Whether or not you’ve seen it in the theatre or on the screen, try reading these plays
Plays- Award Winners
Bring home a play that brought home a Tony Award
Poetry
Be absorbed in the exquisite power of language with some individual volumes and themed anthologies of poetry
Poetry- Award Winners
Experts agree, these poems and poets deserve a prize! Winners of the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award or poets who are Nobel Laureates
Politics & Spies
This election year pick up some books with politics, intrigue, or spies
Presidential Lives
As the nation picks a president, you can pick up a book about real and fictional U.S. Presidents and/or their wives.
Science Fiction Award Winners
Grab yourself some Nebula Award winners for best novel awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.
Science Fiction Classics
You can’t go wrong with these classics of the Science Fiction genre
Science Non-fiction
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to enjoy these books
Short Stories and Essay Collections
No time for the latest epic saga? Try some short stories and non-fiction essays
Simple Living
Take some time to remember the simple things in life
Speculative Fiction- Here on Earth
Want something fantastical, but without space ships and aliens?
Sustainable Living
Get inspired to lead a more eco-friendly life
Teaching Tolerance
Learn to spread compassion, heal divisions, and build inclusive communities
Travel
Catch the wanderlust bug with these tales of travel
True Crime- Gangsters and Mobsters
Listen up, doll. The Big Cheese says you oughta read these, and how. Whatchya waiting for, now scram!
True Crime- General
Engrossing real-life stories of murder and deception
True Crime- Heists & Swindles
Engrossing real-life stories of murder and deception
Uplifting Books
Inspiring, humorous, and generally “feel-good” reads
Women in Science
Stories and books featuring scientists who are female
Women Writers' Lives
Take a peek into the lives of famous female writers with some fiction novels and true biographies
Year of Living Interestingly
Got a gimmick? Spend some time with folks who took a detour from their normal life and lived to write about it
Dewey Decimal Categories - Non-fiction Samplers
Ever wonder what those numbers on the side of non-fiction books mean? The Dewey Decimal Classification System assigns numbers to books based on their main subject heading, and libraries use these numbers to organize the books on our shelves. Here are samples of what you'll find in the ten Dewey classes. Want a little of everything in one non-fiction list? Try our Full Dewey booklist (or the printable pdf version).
000's: General Knowledge
100's: Psychology & Philsophy
200's: Religion
300's: Social Science
400's: Language
500's: Math & Science
600's: Medicine & Technology
700's: Arts & Recreation
800's: Literature
900's: History & Geography
Full Dewey Reading Guides
In 2012, the library had a non-fiction book club that read it's way through the Dewey Decimal System. Here are the handouts with suggested readings for some of the books we read.
Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Just Kids: From Booklyn to the Chelsea Hotel: a life of art and friendship, by Patti Smith
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester
A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson
To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918, by Adam Hochschild
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau