2024-2025 Adult Winter Reading Challenge
Join us for the Adult Winter Reading Challenge (PDF) beginning Monday, December 2nd and ending Monday, February 24th
Brown Bags & Books
Join us on the fourth Wednesday of the month at noon for Brown Bags and Books. Bring a sack lunch or enjoy our light refreshments as you listen to a book review.
January 22 – Roger Lyons – Resistance: Reclaiming an American Tradition by Jeff Biggers
February 26 – Jeff Campbell – When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father’s War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann
March 26 – Jason West – Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
April 23 – Cathy Wall – James by Percival Everett
May 28 – Jonah Rice – Walden, or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
June 25 – Marj DeNeal – Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
July 23 – Topper & Tina Ellis – The Red Suit Diaries: A Real-Life Santa on Hopes, Dreams, and Childlike Faith by Ed Butchart
August 27 – Gloria Tison – The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama
September 24 – Arla Murphy – Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
October 22 – Gillum Ferguson – Walking with Spring by Earl Shaffer
Cloud Library
The 3M Cloud Library app is available for Harrisburg District Library patrons to download e-books and e-audiobooks for free! All you need is your Harrisburg District Library card number and 4-digit PIN. The app is available for free download to iOS and Android devices. The Cloud Library has fiction and non-fiction for kids, teens, and adults.
https://www.yourcloudlibrary.com/
*Choose Illinois Heartland Library System when prompted to “Find Your Local Library.”
Hoopla
The Hoopla app is available for Harrisburg District Library patrons to download e-books, e-audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and music for free! All you need is your Harrisburg District Library card number and 4-digit PIN. The app is available for free download to iOS and Android devices. There are items available for all ages, with no wait times. Download the item immediately for easy access or stream online.
*Sign up with an email and password, choose your library, accept the terms and conditions, then enter your library card number and 4 digit PIN
Goodreads
Keep track of the books you’ve read and the books you want to read! See what your friends are reading and be a part of the world’s largest community of readers!
Fantastic Fiction
A great website where you can search for your favorite authors and easily see all of the books they have written. Plus, find all of your favorite series in order! https://www.fantasticfiction.com/
Explore More Illinois
“Explore More Illinois” is a free service offered to Harrisburg Public Library District cardholders to access discount offers from museums, cultural centers, and other attractions. Click on the following link “Explore More Illinois” to log in- choose our library and enter your library card number and PIN. Choose the attraction and date of your planned visit and submit your request. You will receive an email confirmation with details specific to the attraction. Current offers include Buy One, Get One Free admission from the Discovery Center in Rockford; $2.00 off regular adult admission from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield; Buy One, Get One Free admission to Edwards Place in Springfield; 25% off your gift store purchase at Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum in Oak Park; and more! Partnerships with other attractions are pending so check back periodically.
Emily’s Pick of the Month
Bibliophile by Jane Mount
Available at our library in print. (028.9 MOU)
A vibrant, illustrated celebration of all things bookish, featuring book recommendations, profiles of bookstores and libraries, author insights, and fun trivia, all presented with Mount’s signature whimsical style.
Evan’s Pick of the Month
Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck
Available at our library in print (INS HAU) and as an eBook on the Cloud Library and Hoopla apps.
A heartwarming novel set in a small Florida town, following three generations connected to the iconic Starlight skating rink, as they face challenges and find love and acceptance amidst community and faith.
Sherry’s Pick of the Month
Death Rides the Sky: The Story of the 1925 Tri-State Tornado by Angela Mason
Available at our library in print and as a reference book in our genealogy room.
The Tri-State Tornado destroyed cities, devoured whole farms, and set the record for the most deaths, injuries, and monetary damage, a record which remains standing to this day. This is the story as told directly by nearly four dozen survivors and eyewitnesses, in the most comprehensive account of the Tri-State Tornado ever to be compiled.
Meg’s Pick of the Month
Keep Moving by Maggie Smith
Available to order through interlibrary loan.
Maggie writes about new beginnings as opportunities for transformation. Like kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken ceramics with gold, Keep Moving celebrates the beauty and strength on the other side of loss. This is a book for anyone who has gone through a difficult time and is wondering: What comes next?
Lynda’s Pick of the Month
Upstream by Mary Oliver
Available as an audiobook on the Hoopla app.
Comprising a selection of essays, Upstream finds beloved poet Mary Oliver reflecting on her astonishment and admiration for the natural world and the craft of writing.
Hadleigh’s Pick of the Month
Daydream by Hannah Grace
Available to order through interlibrary loan and as an eBook on the Cloud Library app.
Henry, a hockey captain struggling with a difficult class and his new responsibilities, and Halle, a bookish student with writer’s block, form an unlikely friendship and tutor each other, leading to a blossoming romance.
Ray’s Pick of the Month
The Medici Return by Steve Berry
Available at our library in print. (NEW BER #19)
From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry comes the latest installment in his wildly popular Cotton Malone series — an adventure that takes Cotton to Italy and Tuscany to solve a five hundred year old mystery.
Emma’s Pick of the Month
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
Available at our library in print. (KOO)
Amy Redwing is a woman dedicated to rescuing dogs, who forms an extraordinary bond with a golden retriever named Nickie. As their connection deepens, they find themselves targeted by dangerous individuals, forcing Amy to confront a deadly threat while navigating a mysterious and sinister plot.