Have you or are you thinking about planning a trip this year?  You are not alone! The outlook for travel this year is a high priority for many Americans.  At the beginning of 2022, “just over 80% of Americans were looking forward to traveling in the next 12 months—the highest level since the start of the pandemic.”  This eagerness to travel is apparent in the fact that 54% of Americans would like to travel to a new destination. Where would you like to travel to this year?

Whether you are traveling stateside or abroad this summer, don’t forget that your local library has first-rate resources for your travel adventures.  Check out Fodor’s, Frommer’s, and more ebook travel guides online here for travel within the United States. Check out over 500 + ebook travel guides such as Lonely Planet for Europe here. If you haven’t decided upon a travel destination, make sure you check out this article for places to visit in 2022.  So far this year, we see fewer border closings and more freedom to move about from country to country with fewer covid restrictions. Most people will agree with this sentiment that “2022 is the year to get back out there and turn your dream trips into reality.” 

Thinking about traveling to a foreign country? Need to pick up some basic phrases in their native tongue? Your local library offers free language courses via Mango Languages.  Find over 70 plus languages to study and log in with your library card to keep track of your progress.

Don’t forget your passport! The Waldorf West Branch offers Passport Services several times a week, and you can visit us online here to make a passport appointment.  Please read this important information to find out what you need to bring and do before your passport appointment.  

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. 

• Augustine Hippo

  

Sources:

• Monthly Travel Data Report (2022-03-31) | US Travel
• Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of February 28—Going to New Places, Traveling Sustainably – Destination Analysts

It’s getting to be that time of year, again – Summer! Though things may look a little different this summer, there is no denying the heat, the sun, and all the great things that make summer awesome…even if you are just reading it in a book. Check out these hot summer reads that will make your summer even better.

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen

Do you ever feel like an outsider? For Ethan Harper this becomes his reality when he spends the summer with his aunt and uncle in a small town in Alabama. Until he meets Juniper Jones, the town’s oddball and freespirit. Together they navigate their place in a town that is determined to reject them.

Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Miynowski

Have you ever been to Summer Camp? Sam swore, when she was eleven years old, that she would never return to Camp Blue Springs. But now, since her boyfriend ditched her for a European vacation, she has taken a job as a camp counselor at the one place she never wanted to return. Sam’s sure that the next seven weeks will be a disaster. 

Then Gavin is introduced into her life. Gavin, the sailing counselor at Camp Blue Springs, armed with abs of steel and a smile for miles, will he teach Sam a thing or two about expectations? Come to Camp Blue Springs and find out.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

From the author of the series, One of Us is Lying, comes a mystery thriller that is sure to keep you reading until the very end. 

Three cousins who have never met are invited to stay with their rich, estranged grandmother on her private island for the summer. With the blessings of their parents, who were cut out of the grandmother’s life and fortune, the cousins are hopeful that this will be a fun summer full of family and forgiveness. 

What they get, however, is family secrets that are mysterious and dark and all are being uncovered this summer. The Cousins can be found at your local library and on Overdrive, in audiobook and ebook format.

Come check out all these great reads from your local library and enjoy them on vacation or simply in your favorite reading spot.

It might be cold and dreary outside, and we might be spending more time inside and on our couches than we normally would, but that shouldn’t get you down. This time of year, it’s easy to miss the warm sunniness of a beach day. There’s just something amazing about having our feet in the sand while we delve into a fantastic new book while the waves crash in the background. So, if you’re longing for the sun and sand of summertime, why not fake a beach day at home?  

How to Fake a Beach Day While Stuck Inside

Step 1: Location, Location, Location.

Find the sunniest spot in your bedroom/house/apartment to set up shop.  I like to find one that has afternoon sun streaming in, but you can have a beach day any time of day!

Step 2: Set the scene! 

Grab that awesome beach towel that immediately gives you beach vibes, pull up a photo on your laptop/tablet/tv, and hunt down a beach-themed playlist on your favorite streaming app. Might I suggest Freegal? (“What’s Freegal?”, you ask. Check out this blog post to learn more!) 

Got it pulled up? Great, press PLAY.

Step 3: Get your supplies! 

Want to wear your favorite sunnies indoors? Go for it! Want to wear sunscreen for the aesthetic? Slather it on. Don’t forget the summery drink with a fun straw and a cute little umbrella. 

Check, check, check… you should be all set!

Step 4: The MOST crucial step.

Ok, this might be the most crucial step. Definitely do not skip this step or this beach endeavor will fall apart like a sandcastle when the tide comes in. Grab your beach read! May we offer you some amazing recommendations?

(All summaries are from the publishers)

Need a library card? Please visit Get a Library Card to sign up for one today!

Beachy Reads for When You’re Stuck Inside:

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family that she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is also divided into two people. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her—Emma or Saylor—will win out?

Ebook Available on Overdrive
Audiobook Available on Hoopla 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee—Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.

Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

So Monty vows to make this year long escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.

Don’t miss Felicity’s adventures in The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, the highly anticipated sequel! 

Ebook Available on Overdrive
Audiobook Available on Overdrive
Ebook Available on Hoopla
Audiobook Available on Hoopla 

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control . . . or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.

Ebook Available on Overdrive

Warcross by Marie Lu

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game–it’s a way of life. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships–only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. With no time to lose, Emika is whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Ebook Available on Overdrive
Audiobook Available on Overdrive

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she’s isn’t sure if she’ll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new…the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel’s disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself–or worse.

Ebook Available on Overdrive 

Little Wrecks by Meredith Miller

Ruth, Magda, and Isabel are different from everyone else. They can see beneath the seemingly perfect, cookie-cutter exterior of their small town of Highbone, Long Island. They know that below the surface, each house is filled with secrets, indifference, and violence.

These girls refuse to become willing participants of these fake lives. Instead, they are determined to fight every condescending comment, every unwelcome touch, and every lie they’ve been told.

When the opportunity to commit the perfect crime appears, the girls finally start to see their way out of Highbone. But for the first time, Ruth, Magda, and Isabel are keeping secrets from each other. As they drift apart, the weight of reality starts to set in. These girls can’t save each other. They might not even be able to save themselves.

Ebook Available on Hoopla
Audiobook Available on Hoopla

The End of Our Story by Meg Hatson

BEFORE: Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other’s lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year, she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it.

AFTER: When Wil’s family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil’s side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed in the past year. Though they once knew each other’s every secret, they aren’t the same people they used to be. Bridge can’t imagine life without Wil, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Can they find their way back to each other, or will this be the end of their story?

Ebook Available on Hoopla
Audiobook Available on Hoopla

These Things I’ve Done by Rebecca Phillips

BEFORE: Dara and Aubrey have been inseparable since they became best friends in sixth grade. Dara is the fearless one, Aubrey the prodigy, yet despite their differences, they support each other unconditionally. However, as they begin their sophomore year of high school, cracks in their friendship begin to form, testing the bond they always thought was unbreakable.

AFTER: It’s been fifteen months since the accident that killed Aubrey, and not a day goes by that Dara isn’t racked with guilt over her role in her best friend’s death. Now, after spending a year away from home in order to escape the constant reminders of what happened, Dara is back at her old high school to start her senior year. Dara thought the worst thing about coming home would be confronting the memories of Aubrey that relentlessly haunt her, but she soon realizes it isn’t half as difficult as seeing Ethan, Aubrey’s brother, every day. Not just because he’s a walking reminder of what she did, but because the more her feelings for him change, the more she knows she’s betraying her best friend one final time.

Ebook Available on Hoopla 

Generation One by Pittacus Lore

It has been over a year since the invasion of Earth was thwarted in Pittacus Lore’s United as One. But in order to win, our alien allies known as the Garde unleashed their Loric energy that spread throughout the globe. Now human teenagers have begun to develop incredible powers of their own, known as Legacies.

To help these incredible and potentially dangerous individuals—and put the world at ease—the Garde have created an academy where they can train this new generation to control their powers and hopefully one day help mankind. But not everyone thinks that’s the best use of their talents. And the teens may need to use their Legacies sooner than they ever imagined.

Ebook Available on Overdrive
Ebook Available on Hoopla
Audiobook Available on Hoopla

Ash & Quill by Rachel Caine

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny….

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies–and to save the very soul of the Great Library….

Ebook Available on Overdrive
Audiobook Available on Hoopla 

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed. But that doesn’t mean that Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph’s music lie forgotten under his bed after he’s murdered—not when his rhymes could turn any Bed Stuy corner into a party.

With the help of Steph’s younger sister Jasmine, they come up with a plan to promote Steph’s music under a new rap name: the Architect. Soon, everyone wants a piece of him. When his demo catches the attention of a hotheaded music label rep, the trio must prove Steph’s talent from beyond the grave.

As the pressure of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. Only, each has something to hide. And with everything riding on Steph’s fame, they need to decide what they stand for or lose all that they’ve worked so hard to hold on to—including each other.

Ebook Available on Hoopla
Audiobook Available on Hoopla 

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

Four teens fight to outsmart a killer who intends to avenge a young boy’s death in this suspenseful thriller that inspired the classic horror film.

After a party, four teens are in a hit-and-run accident that results in a young boy’s death. Unable to deal with the consequences, they leave the body behind and make an anonymous phone call to the police, tipping them off.

The group makes a secret pact to bury the memory of that night and never speak of it again, but when one of the girls receives a note that reads “I know what you did last summer,” their dark lie is unearthed. With twists and turns at every corner, they’ll have to fight to stay steps ahead of a killer determined to make them pay.

Ebook Available on Overdrive