Destination: Anywhere!
INTRODUCTION:
Great stories take you places. Unlike any other medium, a book can transport readers a few counties or a few continents away just for the view or for a change of scenery or to observe another culture up-close. No maps and travel guides necessary. No tourist traps netting the unwary.
Great authors understand that a truly unique story unfolds in a truly unique setting, and those surroundings – be it a suffocating jungle, an urban bustle or barren desert – make the actions (real or imagined) more memorable.
Destination: Anywhere! offers readers some of the most captivating vistas put into print, scenic landscapes that create a mood and motivate men and women to act on instinct, impulse, or whim. These destinations are places that shape people – and shape readers.
Book Review Videos: Check out YouTube videos of librarians discussing the Suggested Readings from the Winter Reading Program.
What is Winter Reading?
The Adult Winter Reading Program is an annual initiative of the Library aimed at encouraging leisure reading among adults. Every year, the program advances a different theme (such as Destination: Anywhere!) as a means of recommending literary classics and overlooked gems to the reading public.
How to Participate in Winter Reading:
Readers may join the 2012 Adult Winter Reading Program at any Kansas City Public Library location. There are many opportunities for participation:
1) Read any five books between January 9 and March 11, 2012.
The Kansas City Public Library has a diverse collection of fiction and nonfiction titles designed to appeal to all reading interests. While our entire collections is at your disposal, readers should also feel free to browse their own shelves at home for a prized paperback or hardback classic.
2) List those five books on a Reading Log, available online and inside Winter Reading booklets (pick one up at any Library location).
Return a complete Reading Log (or a printed online confirmation) to any Library location in order to receive your limited edition 2012 Adult Winter Reading Program bistro mug. Winter Reading participants will also be entered into a drawing for a Nook e-reader.
3) Include any Destination: Anywhere! Suggested Reading(s) in your Winter Reading booklist.
The Suggested Readings complement the Destination: Anywhere! theme of the Adult Winter Reading Program. There are no reading requirements for a Reading Log (other than that selections should be book length and written for adult audiences), though the Destination: Anywhere! Suggested Readings have been vetted to provide a quality reading experience that is entertaining, thoughtful, and surprising.
Here are some tips for putting together your own Winter Reading booklist:
- Readers may reserve books (and other Library materials) by visiting any Library location or by logging into their library account in the catalog.
- If a favorite book is currently on the shelf at another Kansas City Public Library location, that book can be delivered to your neighborhood branch. Ask at the Public Service Desk for more information.
- The Kansas City Public Library has select e-book editions available for free download.
- Audiobooks and Playaway titles certainly count as reading!
4) Join a Winter Reading book discussion group.
Enjoy an engaging conversation of a Destination: Anywhere! Suggested Reading. New participants are always welcome.
5) Participate in online discussions.
Discussions are hosted by the Kansas City Public Library on its KC Unbound blog, its Facebook page, and/or its Goodreads page.
