Beat the Winter Blues! 

So what do you look forward to the most in winter? Plowable snow? The coldest recorded windchill? The polar vortex? When the dark days and repeated shoveling out of the sidewalk/car/front door has lost its charm, you may want to find a comfy chair, a hot drink and a good book.  Lucky for you, the library has your back with books - print, electronic and audio - and Winter Reads.  Look to us for reading suggestions, programs, and a chance to win a prize.

How can I participate?  

There are two ways you can participate in Winter Reads: online, or at your library. 

Online: 
Participate online using Beanstack. Log each of the books you’ve read or listened to, and you’re eligible for the weekly prize drawing and Grand Prize drawing at your library!  If you write book reviews, you can also win virtual badges for your efforts, and your reviews will be shared with other online Winter Reads participants. Click here to read reviews submitted by other Scott County readers!

At the Library:
Read or listen to one book -- or many! Pick up a Winter Reads bookmark at the library, and rate and comment on the books you read. Give the completed bookmark to library staff to be eligible for the weekly prize drawing AND the Grand Prize drawing at your library. We'll also put the bookmark back into the book or audiobook you returned so that other readers can benefit. You also have the option of writing a full review that will be placed in your library's Book Reviews Notebook for others to peruse.

You’ve come to the right place!  We have several resources to connect you with new authors and books, and we can recommend read-alikes, new authors, and more.  Check out our New and Recommended page for reading ideas. 

If you are interested in finding “the best” of 2019, check out these lists: Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, Goodreads, Book Riot,  New York Times, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

NEW IN 2020 - Winter Reads Bingo: Looking for an extra challenge, or fresh ideas for completing your ten books? Complete a Winter Reads Bingo card and turn it at your library branch to earn 2 additional entries into the Grand Prize drawing! Pick up a paper copy in your library branch, or click here to print one out at home!