If It's May, It's Beach Read Season!

If it's May, then it must be time for "beach reads." According to Bookriot, the summer season officially begins every May with a wave of new books billed by publishers as beach reads. And if it's the perfect season for beach reads, then it's also the perfect time for a Beach Read Giveaway at the Forest Public Library.  Before you pack your bag this summer, take a guess to win ours! The patron who guesses the correct number (or closest to the number) of seashells contained in a large vase at the circulation desk will win a bag so full of goodies and books that it doesn't even require a beach! Really! A patio, a park, or even a picnic table will do! 

Beach reads comprise one of the most anticipated book lists of the year. Libraries, celebrities, websites, social media, and periodicals publish their choices for summer booklists or beach reads. Just as every beach bag has its necessary contents, such as sunscreen, beach towels, flip-flops, and refreshments, every beach read has certain criteria that place it on the list. 

According to an article written last year (https://bookriot.com/what-makes-a-book-a-beach-read/ ), there are five main characteristics of a beach read: 1) carefree joy, 2) compulsively readable, 3) summer settings, 4) romance, and 5) low stakes. According to the article, a beach read doesn't necessarily have to check all the boxes to be considered; however, readers quickly identify these characteristics when they are making their summer selections.  

Just as tourists travel to the beach for fun and sun, relaxation and rest, and excitement and escape, readers choose beach reads to achieve the same objectives. Whether on vacation or staycation, lawn chair or armchair, the books are written to make us simply feel better about the world, about other humans, and even about ourselves. Beach reads do not belong to a certain genre or follow a predictable plot, but like a great vacation, they elevate our mood, afford us a different perspective, and provide a distraction from the sameness of everyday life.

The two books included in the library's Beach Read Giveaway are Hello Summer by Mary Kay Andrews and A Week at the Shore by Barbara Delinsky. Both books are written by authors who are known for their beach-themed novels. Other writers include Elin Hilderbrand, Mary Alice Monroe, Nancy Thayer, and the beloved Dorothea Benton Frank.

As beach read season begins, be sure to visit the library for vacation-friendly novels. And if you pack a beach bag, a balcony bag, or a backyard bag, be sure to include a beach read book!  Check out these online lists and find your favorite!

https://www.beyondthebookends.com/ultimate-beach-reads-2021/

https://www.perpetualpageturner.com/best-beach-reads/

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g3585/summer-reading/

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/159673.Best_Beach_Reads_2021

May Events at the Morton Library

We are all set up early for Summer Reading! Please come by and see our amazing jungle! With the Summer theme being Tails and Tales we decided to go Jungle! We have monkeys, elephants, birds, and even a waterfall for you to come and see. May 7th will be the first day to sign up for Summer Reading so be sure and come by and get signed up to be entered into all of our programs and contests.

Summer Reading will officially begin June 1st. We think this will be a fantastic summer theme with lots of amazing things to make and do.

May 4th is of course STAR WARS DAY! May the Fourth be with you! Come check out Star Wars movies and books to make it a fun family day.

And don't forget all of our special Mothers on May 9th for Mother's Day! We have take-home crafts to make for Mom.  Be sure and do something special for her even if it's just to help around the house. A hug is worth more than anything you could buy.  

National Library Week: April 4-10, 2021

CMRLS Celebrates Mississippi Authors

Libraries have celebrated National Library Week in April since 1958. For 62 years, during this week, libraries across the country have held receptions and luncheons; brought in authors, elected officials, or local celebrities to tout the benefits of the library for a thriving community. Library staff planned special programs for all ages. Civic clubs invited Library directors to give “State of the Library” addresses. That is… until… COVID!

How is CMRLS celebrating this year? We are celebrating Mississippi authors… virtually. John Grisham, Greg Iles, Charlaine Harris, Janet Ferguson, and Katina Rankin are all considered successful Mississippi authors and extremely popular authors with CMRLS patrons! The lineup for this celebrated week:

·         Monday, April 5 – John Grisham (Recorded, Library of Congress) The first winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction (2009), John Grisham is America’s most popular writer of legal thrillers. The Guardians (Doubleday) is his hair-raising thriller about wrongful convictions. Watch this interview with Marie Arana, literary director of the Library of Congress, for the 2020 National Book Festival.

·         Tuesday, April 6 – Greg Iles (Recorded, Mississippi Public Broadcasting) Novelist Greg Iles of Natchez is interviewed in 2017 by Marshall Ramsey for Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Iles' most recent book is Cemetery Road, out in 2019, discusses here the third installment in his trilogy of books that began with the New York bestseller Natchez Burning. Ramsey talks to Greg about Mississippi Blood and what the future holds in store now for this prolific writer.

·         Wednesday, April 7 – Charlaine Harris (Recorded, Library of Congress) Charlaine Harris appears at the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival. Harris is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse book series that was turned into the popular HBO series True Blood. Her newest series is the Gunnie Rose series which includes 3 titles including the 2021 release of The Russian Cage.

·         Thursday, April 8, 6:30 p.m. – Janet Ferguson (Live, ZOOM meeting) Join us for a live discussion with Mississippi author Janet Ferguson whose series Southern Hearts and Coastal Hearts are well received in our CMRLS libraries. Ferguson is a Grace Award winner, FHL Readers Choice Winner, and a Christy Award finalist. She grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served as a children’s minister and a church youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. She writes humorous inspirational fiction for people with real lives and real problems. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.

·         Friday, April 9 – Katina Rankin (Recorded, Meet My Mississippi) Katina Rankin, on-air personality, author, and humanitarian, is interviewed by Patricia Neely Dorsey from Hill Country Network and Meet My Mississippi. Rankin, who grew up in Magee, discusses her career and her children's book Up North Down South / City Folk Meet Country Folk.

We hope you enjoy hearing this group of authors discuss their work and a bit about their personal lives. Most of all, we want you to appreciate the talent that comes from Mississippi. These represent just a fraction of the literary legacy on which Mississippi can boast.

Happy National Library Week 2021!