Chapter By Chapter: Janet & Dakota’s Reading Journey

Chapter By Chapter: Janet & Dakota’s Reading Journey A mother-daughter journey through books-Dewey, fiction, and read-aloud from the kids’ shelf.

✨ The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla📖 Borrowed from Flower Memorial LibraryThis short but sharp book ...
10/22/2025

✨ The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla
📖 Borrowed from Flower Memorial Library

This short but sharp book breaks down the ways human behavior can be, well… stupid — and how it often causes more harm than we realize. Cipolla uses humor, logic, and a bit of economics to explain why stupidity is such a powerful and underestimated force in the world.

💭 My Take: This one came up in my random code generator, and I’m glad it did! It was funny, insightful, and surprisingly accurate. It’s a quick read that makes you stop and think about how often irrational choices shape society (and sometimes our own lives). Definitely one I wouldn’t have picked on my own — and that’s what makes this project so fun.

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Tags:
Doubleday BooksPenguin Random HouseFlower Memorial Library

🎧 Audiobook Feature📚 Work Clean by Dan CharnasThe life-changing power of mise-en-place—what great chefs use to stay orga...
10/15/2025

🎧 Audiobook Feature
📚 Work Clean by Dan Charnas

The life-changing power of mise-en-place—what great chefs use to stay organized and focused—applied to life, work, and mindset. 🍳✨

This audiobook explores how the discipline of the kitchen can transform the way we manage our time, space, and energy everywhere else. Practical, motivating, and surprisingly profound.

🔖 Category: Nonfiction / Self-Development
🎧 Format: Audiobook
📍Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio


Penguin Random House Penguin Random House Audio Dan Charnas

✨ What Went Wrong by Popular MechanicsThis book investigates some of history’s worst natural and man-made disasters — fr...
10/08/2025

✨ What Went Wrong by Popular Mechanics

This book investigates some of history’s worst natural and man-made disasters — from explosions and bridge collapses to hurricanes and airplane crashes. It breaks down the science, engineering, and human decisions behind these events to explain how and why they happened.

💭 My Take: I found this one interesting because it dives deep into the “why” behind major disasters, but I won’t lie — it’s also a little depressing to see how often tragedy comes down to human error or oversight. Still, it’s an eye-opening read that shows how much we’ve learned (and how much we still need to) from past mistakes.

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Popular Mechanics HarperCollins

📚 Fiction Post✨ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas AdamsFrom the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the...
10/01/2025

📚 Fiction Post

✨ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

From the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this novel introduces Dirk Gently, a very unconventional detective who believes in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. With time travel, ghosts, humor, and plenty of absurd twists, Adams delivers his trademark wit in a detective story that is anything but ordinary.

💭 My Take: This one was quirky, weird, and witty — exactly what you’d expect from Douglas Adams. It’s definitely not your standard detective story, but if you like a mix of comedy, sci-fi, and the unexpected, this one fits the bill.

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Tags:
) Penguin Random HousePenguin Books

✨ How the Post Office Created America by Winifred GallagherThis book explores how the U.S. Postal Service shaped the nat...
09/24/2025

✨ How the Post Office Created America by Winifred Gallagher

This book explores how the U.S. Postal Service shaped the nation’s development, connecting people across vast distances and helping establish a sense of unity and shared identity. From stagecoaches and Pony Express riders to the modern mail system, Gallagher shows how the post office became a central part of American democracy and everyday life.

💭 My Take: Not a topic I would have normally chosen, but that’s part of the fun of this project! I actually learned a lot and was surprised at how influential the post office has been in shaping America’s growth and communication.

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Tags:
(if available) Penguin Random House

📚 New Category Launch — Our First Audiobook Post!✨ The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot🎧 Narrated by C...
09/18/2025

📚 New Category Launch — Our First Audiobook Post!

✨ The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
🎧 Narrated by Cassandra Campbell with Bahni Turpin

This book tells the unforgettable story of Henrietta Lacks, the woman whose cells (known as “HeLa”) were taken without her knowledge in 1951. Those cells went on to become one of the most important tools in modern medicine, used in developing vaccines, cancer treatments, and countless medical breakthroughs. Skloot weaves together science, history, and the deeply personal impact on Henrietta’s family.

💭 My Take: I found this audiobook extremely interesting and was surprised by how much I learned. The narrator’s voice drew me in and made the heavy subject matter engaging and powerful. While audiobooks aren’t my preferred format, I’m opening up to them more — they’re perfect for long drives or moments when sitting down with a physical book isn’t possible. It’s also wonderful that they’re accessible through libraries and apps like Libby.

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Rebecca Skloot Crown PublishingPenguin Random HousePenguin Random House Audio Libby App@CassandraCampbell

📣 Exciting News for CBC!We’re expanding our Read the Library Project with a brand new category: Audiobooks 🎧.While physi...
09/18/2025

📣 Exciting News for CBC!

We’re expanding our Read the Library Project with a brand new category: Audiobooks 🎧.

While physical books will always be my favorite, I’ve started opening up to audiobooks more — they’re perfect for long drives, busy days, or when sitting down with a print book just isn’t possible. Plus, they’re easy to access through our library and the Libby app.

Our first audiobook review will follow this announcement — The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot — a powerful and eye-opening listen I can’t wait to share with you.

Stay tuned for more audiobook reviews to come — because stories find us in many formats, and they all count toward our adventure of reading the whole library.

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Tags:
Rebecca SklootCrown PublishingPenguin Random House Penguin Random House Audio Libby App

✨ The Nesting Dolls by Alina AdamsA multi-generational novel following three women across Soviet Russia to contemporary ...
09/17/2025

✨ The Nesting Dolls by Alina Adams
A multi-generational novel following three women across Soviet Russia to contemporary Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. It explores survival, family secrets, and the weight of history.

💭 My Take: This wasn’t my favorite read, but it was still an interesting window into a different perspective and culture. Sometimes those are the ones that stick with you even if they aren’t “page-turners.”

And here’s the best part — I might never have discovered Alina Adams if it weren’t for this project. By reading alphabetically A–Z through the fiction shelves, I not only found The Nesting Dolls, but also stumbled across her Figure Skating Mystery series 🧊⛸️. Since Dakota is a figure skater, that feels like such a fun and unexpected connection — exactly why this project matters.

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Tags:
Alina Adams Media HarperCollins

With Book Readers Worldwide – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉
09/15/2025

With Book Readers Worldwide – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

📚 Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost Vol. 1 by Kaori Yuki🌹🐺 This week’s graphic novel pick is Beauty and the Beast of...
09/09/2025

📚 Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost Vol. 1 by Kaori Yuki

🌹🐺 This week’s graphic novel pick is Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost by Kaori Yuki.

I love the traditional Beauty and the Beast story, so this version felt like a huge switch at first — and honestly, I wasn’t sure it would work for me. It’s definitely not a young kids’ fairy tale, but it turned out to have some surprisingly deep themes and life lessons tucked inside.

It’s darker, different, and maybe not for everyone — but that’s what I enjoy about exploring graphic novels: you never know which ones will challenge your expectations.

Have you read this or other retellings of classic fairy tales? Did they work for you?

✨ Kodansha US

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