Blog Entries

I like big books and I cannot lie

No that’s not just a song parody; In my case it’s also true. I didn’t realize until recently, though, just how true it is. I started my big book journey with “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry. I remembered watching the miniseries back before streaming was a thing and people actually had to watch a show when it aired or not at all. I’ll admit I was hesitant to get too excited about 843 pages of aged white men lamenting their glory days “taming” the Old West.

I was wrong.

Unlike my memories of the miniseries, McMurtry tells an engaging, thought-provoking, at times he... Read Full Blog

Game Day Gastronomy

Tailgating represents a uniquely North American socio-gastronomic phenomenon, transforming an unremarkable parking lot into a temporary culinary event. (Some say there is even a sporting event afterwards). These setups run from a couple of coolers and some folding chairs to fully operational kitchens in an outdoor environment, and if you are taking it that seriously you should check out some of the tailgate-specific cookbooks the library has. These cookbooks function not merely as sources of recipes, but as sacred documents that rigorously codify the culture of communal out... Read Full Blog

Squirrels!

There’s changing leaves, crisp apples, and tomorrow is the first day of October! Along with being a lovely month, October is also National Squirrel Month.  At first when I heard of that, I laughed, but then I started thinking a bit more. There are a lot of wonderful children’s books with squirrels—why not read one this month? This can also help kids make connections to their own lives while reading. After all, they may have seen a squirrel just this morning!

Our very youngest readers can start out in the board book section.  A wonderful choice is Nanc... Read Full Blog

Women’s Basketball: Shattering the Glass

On a whim this morning at HyVee I bought a box of Caitlin’s Crunch Time cereal. As I munched on the frosted flakes, I got thinking about all the athletes who are breaking barriers for girls to dream about becoming sports superstars.

Caitlin Clark’s rise to basketball fame started here in Iowa of course. She was already an exceptional player in high school, then catapulted to the top of the women’s college game during her years at the University of Iowa. Now we’re cheering her on along with her Indiana Fever teammates in the WNBA.

The women playing in Iowa’s fir... Read Full Blog

Characters of a Certain Age

As I head into the second half of my life, I am drawn to books whose characters are also older, experiencing change, looking for connection and meaning in new ways and places. From the funny to the heartwarming to the death-defying, here are some recent favorites.

In “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, Tova Sullivan has been rebuilding since her son disappeared, and after her husband dies, she seeks solace in an overnight janitorial job at the local aquarium and her longtime friends, the Knitwits. I loved the slower pace and tone of this book, as wel... Read Full Blog

The Importance of Play for Adults

We all know that playing is important for children’s development, but play is also important for adult’s mental health and well-being.  Regular play allows adults to relax, connect with friends and family, and improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills.  Play has been linked to having a better mood, increased productivity, and healthier relationships.[1] 

Play is any activity you do only because you enjoy it, that brings with it an in-the-moment attitude and allows you to engage deeply either with the activity itself or with the people playing w... Read Full Blog

Television

by Seth Warburton

Our disheartening subject today is that well-known instrument of repression, that symbol of deluded decadence, that cathode-rayed betrayer of sensible taste and thief of precious reading time: the television.  

At least in the days of my youth (now, alas, long fled, and along with them seemingly all morality) the television was a blocky instrument, possessed of three dimensions and therefor useful as a shelf.  In these debauched, modern times, the television has grown hedonistically thin, and thus completely useless even as a surface for piling b... Read Full Blog

Books To Take on Your Next Adventure!

Whether you're packing for a beach vacation, a mountain retreat, or just a long weekend getaway, no suitcase is complete without a good book. Travel offers the perfect chance to escape both physically and mentally—and the right story can transport you even further. Here is a selection of titles to match every kind of journey, from breezy page-turners for sun-soaked afternoons to thought-provoking reads for quiet evenings. Wherever you're headed, let these books be your perfect travel companions!

In Funny Story by Emily Henry Daphne finds herself alone in Waning... Read Full Blog

Growth Mindset

All my life I have had the opposite of a green thumb. I was notorious in my family for killing plants, no matter how much I strived to keep them alive. It was frustrating and disappointing and a bit embarrassing, too. I could keep my pets and my kids alive, but not plants? 

Then a few years ago my kids brought me home plants for Mother’s Day, and my youngest got a fairy tree plant from her sister, and the stakes got higher. I put the plants together in my kitchen windowsill and vowed to water them every week. That became “water me Wednesdays.” To my surprise, a ye... Read Full Blog

Free Seeds at Your Library!

I’ve been checking out our new gardening books in preparation for the growing season ahead, but the best thing I have been taking home are the seeds from the Seed Library. The Ames Seed Library is a collaborative effort between the Ames Public Library, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Story County, Ames Repair Café, and Mustard Seed Community Farm. This partnership underscores the shared commitment to fostering self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and a stronger, more connected Ames community, one seed at a time.

The seed library is located on the ... Read Full Blog

Romantasy

The last few years have seen the remarkable rise of a new genre.  Romantasy, of course, is the cross of the fantasy (or even sci-fi) genre with the culture of the Roman Empire.  As all men know, there is a singular manly appeal to Roman times: loose fitting clothing, playing with swords, greeting other dudes with “hail” as we pass on the street, orgies.  Here are a few Romantasy titles for you to try.

The Hierarchy, the Roman analog in James Islington’s “The Will of the Many,” has been devouring its neighbors for generations.  Vis, orphaned in one ... Read Full Blog

Tailoring my 12

If someday, in the distant future, my tombstone should read, death by TBR (To Be Read) pile, I would smile from the great beyond. I’m in no rush for that to become a permanent fixture but I would consider it a life well lived. So many books, so little time. 

Since I read so voraciously it was getting overwhelming deciding what to read next. Then I found the Ames Public Library 12 to Try Challenge. The year-round adult reading program aims to open up new reading possibilities. Each month an open-ended prompt has given me some guidance and the perfect reason to hit so... Read Full Blog

National Plan for Vacation Day

If you earn vacation days at your job, think back to how many vacation days you took in 2024. Any chance you left some of those unused? If so, let 2025 be the year that you use every single bit of your earned vacation.

Americans leave about 600 million collective vacation hours unused each year. It’s time to chip away at that number, so today we celebrate National Plan for Vacation Day. At Ames Public Library we offer books, magazines and DVDs that might inspire your next vacation. Even if you’re planning a stay-cation, you can stock up on everything you need to chil... Read Full Blog

The Wonder of Wonderbooks

If you are looking to stay inside, cozy up with a good book, and want to get the whole family involved, check out our Wonderbooks and VOX Books!  Wonderbooks and Vox Books provide a great opportunity for everyone of any age to be able to engage with reading. 

If you have never seen or checked out one of these books, they are printed books that come with a charged audio player inside the front cover that allows you to have the book read aloud as you flip through the pages. It is a physical book and an audiobook all in one! These books can be especially useful f... Read Full Blog

All the things you can do from home

During winter I would prefer to snuggle up under a blanket at home and leave as few times as possible until it is spring. If you are like me and would like to therefore see what the library has to offer to your wintering self, let’s hop onto the Library’s website and apps and explore. 

You can stream and download a wide variety of titles in e-book and e-audiobook as well as a selection of magazines, movies, tv shows, music, comics and more through the library’s apps Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Comics Plus. When you login to Libby, scroll down to recommendations rel... Read Full Blog