Do you dream to travel to distant locales or crave new adventures this new year? Good news! You don’t even need to leave the comfort of your favorite armchair to take a reading voyage around the world with the Cumberland County Public Library’s Adult Reading Challenge 2023.
Organize your “To Be Read” lists for departure this month and prepare for your worldwide reading adventure.
Each month of this reading voyage comes with a task to create your travel itinerary by reading a book that fits the monthly theme. You might choose to join Freya on a photographic expedition to Antarctica in Robyn Mundy's "The Nature of Ice.'' You could tag along with Binti as she navigates an interstellar war in Nnedi Okorafor's "Binti.'' Your adventure may even find you in the Swiss Alps, where guests seem to vanish in a newly renovated hotel in Sarah Pearse's "The Sanatorium. '''
But what if you’re stumped and need help choosing a destination? In that case, our armchair travel agents (also known as library staff members) are ready to assist. Browse prepared lists of suggested titles for each month or request personalized recommendations through our BookMatch service, both accessible at bit.ly/ccplncreaderscorner. Filling out an online BookMatch gets you a list of reading suggestions made just for you, based on your reading preferences.
We saved the best part for last: Participation earns entries into prize drawings. Each quarter one traveler will win a local experience. But wait – there’s more! After the reading voyage concludes on Dec. 31 one lucky literary traveler will win the grand prize, an Amazon Fire HD tablet. The more you read, the more you increase your chances of winning.
Pick up entry forms in person at any of our eight locations or participate online. No library card is required, but any prizes won must be picked up in person. The Adult Reading Challenge 2023 is possible through the continued generous support of the Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library Inc.
To learn about other library programs and resources stop in, call 910-483-7727 or visit www.cumberlandcountync.gov/library.
Marissa Mace is the adult programming librarian for the Cumberland County Public Library.
