Welcome, everyone, to our final episode of the season of Reading With Libraries!

This week we are discussing a favorite topic: Minnesota books! We will look at book set in Minnesota, and books by Minnesota authors. This is always our season finale topic, because we know there are 10,000 lakes here and at least as many good stories!

Thank you so much for joining us for this discussion! This is our final show of Season Two ? but stay tuned for Season Three coming soon later this fall. We want to talk about more genres and more books, and to talk with more members of our CMLE podcast book group. If you have genre suggestions, or if you want to be a guest to talk about some fun books ? send us an email at admin@cmle.org. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a single episode!

And if you want to hear more about the work we do in libraries ? which is surprisingly fun! ? subscribe to our podcast Linking Our Libraries. Our first episode of Season Three there will drop next Thursday, so you never have to miss a week without a CMLE podcast!

Check out this episode!

This week we are discussing books about Pets!

We welcome returning guest hosts Jordan and Grace, and also Official Office Dog, Lady Grey. It was great to have everyone in the studio, contributing to the episode!

For our discussion today, however, we want to narrow the topic and keep it focused on Pets specifically. (Of course, we aren’t picky – if other animal books make it onto our list we won’t mind!) We will talk about both fiction and non-fiction today, and include a range of different age groups, from picture books to middle grade to books for adults!

You can read our full information page here, with links to all the book-finding resources we suggest!

Bring your book ideas, bring your beverages, and join us back here on Thursday!

Check out this episode!

This week we welcome returning Guest Host Ariel, from St Cloud Public Library!

Sometimes you just need a change; and this week we will look at books with different histories that create different futures.

Check out all our information on our show notes page. Our beverages, book information, and books we share are all here. Grab a beverage, browse for book ideas, and let’s talk books!

Want to be a full book group member? Join us on Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you can support the podcast as well as helping to keep Official Office Dog, Lady Grey, in treats.

Check out this episode!

Welcome, everyone, to Reading with Libraries! This week we are discussing nature books, and all the fun of seeing the outside world.

This week we welcome Guest Host Kathy Parker from St John’s and St Ben’s college libraries!

This is such a fun topic, partly because it is so very broad! You can find all kinds of books in here, from hard sciences, to travelogues, to gardening. Animals, flowers, backyards, mountains ? it can all be included as part of the nature genre. This may make it easier to find a book you like, as there are tons of potential choices; but of course so many choices can make decisions harder!

In many libraries, especially public libraries, the gardening section is very popular; and it can be a challenge to keep them on the shelves long enough for people who want them to find them. In school libraries, the books with cool pictures of insects are always popular with kids who use them in writing reports for science classes. In academic libraries we might find books with specialized information about the biology of animals. In medical libraries, we can find books on the anatomy of plants, especially those that are potentially helpful or dangerous to us.

Numerous studies are showing the value of being in nature, as our lives increasingly retreat inside and we spend our days staring at screens. Take a walk 20 minutes a day and potentially see blood pressure drop, anxiety and depression levels drop, and an increased sense of calm in your day. Japanese doctors began prescribing Forest Bathing for people, and it’s spreading to the US.

This has lead to a whole host of physical and mental problems, which may be helped by deliberately spending time outside, looking at nature, animals, ocean waves, or things growing. At least, put some plants in your home or office so you have some nature inside with you!

Check out this episode!

Welcome to our podcast Reading with Libraries! We are so pleased to be back here chatting about books with you!

Do you want to be a supporter of the Reading With Libraries book group? Join us on Patreon! Office Office Dog, Lady Grey, appreciates your support for her treats! (We appreciate your support to pay podcast costs!)

This week we will be discussing Magical Realism.

Check out our full show information page here!

Our book group is very inclusive; there are no “right” or “wrong” books here! We just like to read and chat about books, and want you to share what you are reading too! All of us will take away at least a title or two that we want to read at the end of our time together!

Who is joining our book group this week? We are excited to welcome back returning Guest Host Kelly Kraemer from the St. John’s/St. Ben’s library! Thank you for joining us again as we discuss Magical Realism!

Check out this episode!