Summer often gives people more time to relax, rejuvenate, and, of course, read!  Without the pressure of school and deadlines, reading can become a more leisurely, enjoyable activity.  Readers can explore different worlds, enjoy a light “summer read” or a breathtaking thriller, and temporarily forget about their day-to-day life.  For the travelers among us, books are wonderful company on those long plane, train, or automobile rides.  The warmer weather and less likelihood of a sudden rainstorm, makes outdoor reading more feasible—there is something magical about reading while sitting on the beach or a park bench with the sun shining, the birds singing, and a gently breeze blowing…

The longer days of summer offer us the chance to tackle that long list of books we’ve been meaning to read, explore different perspectives, and learn something new. No matter what your plans are for the summer, a good book is a perfect companion. To get you started on your reading adventures, check out these summer-related titles available from the library’s collection on the WU Reads Reading Guide.

“There is a temperate zone in the mind, between luxurious indolence and exacting work; and it is to this region, just between laziness and labor, that summer reading belongs.” — Henry Ward Beecher

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (also known as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month), which provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing heritage and history of people from these areas.  Now is the perfect time to reflect on the traditions, languages, and contributions of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs).  The vibrant and varied cultures of AANHPIs have enriched America’s history and culture in so many ways.  Their impressive achievements in science, art, literature, music, dance, sports, agricultural practices, cuisine, and countless other areas, deserve recognition and appreciation. At the same time, it is also important to acknowledge the struggles and hardships experienced by AANHPIs both in the past and the present. Let’s take time this month to pay tribute to the many achievements and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders everywhere. Check out a selection of recent materials by or about AANHPIs available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.

For more information, see:

https://asianpacificheritage.gov/

https://fapac.org/AAPI-Resources

In the immortal words of Robert Frost, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”  Do you love a good haiku?  How about a Shakespearean sonnet? Perhaps free verse is more to your liking?  Or maybe you prefer that old crowd favorite, a lyrical limerick?  If poetry brings you solace, or inspiration, or just plain makes you happy, this is the month for you!  That’s right, April is National Poetry Month!  Established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month gives us the chance to celebrate poetry and poets’ vital place in American culture.  Join us in celebrating the wonder of poetry by revisiting your favorite poet or poem.  Alternatively, check out one of these books of poetry or poetry-related titles available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.

“If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.”–Emily Dickinson

“Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own.”–Dylan Thomas

The days are getting longer, early flowers are emerging in all their glorious colors, birds are excitedly chasing earthworms, the weather vacillates from sunny to rainy in mere seconds, and outdoor markets are starting to reopen everywhere.  It’s beginning to look a lot like springtime in the Willamette Valley!  March ushers in the official beginning of spring and offers a whole host of things for us to celebrate such as St Patrick’s Day, March Madness, and of course, who can forget Spring Break?  If you enjoy wildly unpredictable weather, green grass, baby ducklings, and blooming flora such as daffodils, crocuses, tulips, and daphne, this is the season for you!  So get on out there and chase a few rainbows and while you’re at it, check out one of these spring-related titles available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.

With Valentine’s Day as its central holiday, February is famous for love.  February is also National Library Lover’s Month so “love is in the air” no matter where you look!  There are lots of wonderful sentiments and song lyrics that celebrate love such as “love conquers all,” “love makes the world go ‘round,” and “all you need is love.”  The emphasis can often seem to be on romantic love but the love we feel for a good friend is just as important and deserves to be celebrated as well.  So if we think about love and friendship together there is one saying that seems to incapsulate Valentine’s Day and Library Lover’s Month quite nicely: “If you have a book, you have a friend.”  This month, we’re paying tribute to love in all its forms whether romantic, platonic, familial, or the love of a good book!  Check out one of these love/friendship-related titles available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.

The winter months seem to be filled with one holiday after another–Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s…  Many of these cultural and/or religious holidays bring together family and friends and whenever people gather, there is usually a meal involved.  When you talk to people about holiday traditions, it seems like food inevitably comes up.  Whether it’s green bean casseroles, black-eyed peas, or matzah balls, everyone has a list of foods they associate with different celebrations.  Many of these foods have deep meaning and significance to the celebrants but also, the breaking of bread together is just a wonderful way of building community and fellowship.  So gather with your people, celebrate the holidays of your choice, eat good food, and maybe just for fun, check out one of these food-related titles available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. –Edith Sitwell

enit by Wendy Red Star

National Native American Heritage Month (also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month) provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing heritage and history of Native Americans. The original inhabitants of America have rich and varied cultures dating back thousands of years. Now is the perfect time to reflect on the traditions, languages, and contributions of the indigenous peoples of North America. There are currently over 500 federally recognized tribes, representing hundreds of different cultures. Contemporary native peoples’ impressive achievements in art, literature, music, dance, sports, cuisine, agricultural practices and so many other areas, deserve recognition and appreciation. At the same time, it is also important to acknowledge the struggles and hardships experienced by Native Americans both in the past and the present. Let’s take time this month to pay tribute to the many achievements and contributions of Native Americans everywhere. Check out a selection of recent materials by or about Native Americans available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.

For more information, see American Indian and Alaska Native Data Links: https://www.census.gov/about/partners/cic/resources/data-links/aian.html

According to Merriam-Webster, autumnity can be defined as the “quality or condition characteristic of autumn.” In other words, it’s that time of the year when the days are often beautiful and warm, but the nights and mornings are cool and crisp. There is occasional rain, but it’s refreshing and exciting rather than tiresome and never-ending. The leaves on the trees are turning beautiful colors, geese are honking through the skies in great numbers, pumpkin spice is everywhere, and a good cup of hot coffee or an amazing tea latte brings serious joy.  It’s the season of apple cider donuts and harvest festivals, falling acorns and scrambling squirrels, flannel sheets and cozy sweaters…

And autumn is the perfect time to curl up in a comfy chair with a warm blanket, a companionable cat or dog, and a good book!  Check out the selection of fall-related titles available from the library’s collection on the WU Reads Reading Guide.

Every leaf speaks bliss to me / Fluttering from the autumn tree. — Emily Brontë

Summer stretches out before us in all its glory—light-filled days, warm evenings, beautiful blooms, fresh fruits and vegetables, outdoor time, vacation travels—all the simple joys of summertime life. Summer offers us the chance to relax a little, soak up the sun, enjoy long conversations with family and friends, stroll aimlessly through gardens and parks, lounge by pools and lakes, and explore other places near and far. And what better way to celebrate sunny days and mild nights than by immersing ourselves in the captivating world of books? The longer days beckon us to tackle that long list of books we’ve been meaning to read, to escape into different worlds, explore different perspectives, lose ourselves in exciting mysteries, and learn something new. No matter what your plans are for the summer, a good book is a perfect companion. To get you started on your reading adventures, check out these summer-related titles available from the library’s collection on the WU Reads Reading Guide.

In my college years, I would retreat to our summer house for two weeks in June to read a novel a day. How exciting it was, after pouring my coffee and making myself comfortable on the porch, to open the next book on the roster, read the first sentences, and find myself on the platform of a train station. — Amor Towles

The academic year is winding down, and oh, what a year it has been! After months of living the college life in all its hectic glory, summer break is near. For many of us, that means the chance to relax, unwind, and maybe finally get enough sleep for a change! Quality sleep is absolutely critical for overall health and well-being, but during the whirlwind of an academic year, it is often hard to prioritize sleep. What better time to work on developing good sleep habits then during the month of May when we celebrate Better Sleep Month! Take advantage of this awareness month by paying attention to your sleep environment and routines, being aware of how diet and exercise play a role in sleep quality, and learning more about sleep health in general. And to help you in your exploration of sleep, check out one of the sleep-related books from the library’s collection featured on the WU Reads Reading Guide.

For more information about sleep, see:

National Sleep Foundation–https://www.thensf.org/

American Academy of Sleep Medicine–https://aasm.org/

Sleep is the best meditation—Dalai Lama