Books and Authors
Meet the Authors
Joyspan:
The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half
Efforts to maximize lifespan and even healthspan don’t address the whole picture of successful aging. The truest measure of good longevity, according to gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight, is not length but quality of life: one's sense of well-being, contentment, connection, growth, and choice. In her bestselling book Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half, Burnight introduces the critical concept of joyspan which focuses on maximizing meaning and purpose in later life.
Join us on Zoom as Dr. Burnight shares the science, personal stories, and practical strategies behind her joyspan approach that anyone, at any age, can adopt to make getting older better.
Dr. Burnight was named one of TIME100’s Most Influential People in Health of 2026.
Wednesday, June 17, 1 pm
Presented in partnership with Glencoe and Vernon Area public libraries.
Kathleen Rooney
Man Overboard!
The bestselling author discusses her new book about a former college swimmer who treads water after falling from a cruise ship as memories and regrets wash over him. The family drama explores relationships, avoidance, and more through the story of one man floating through the Gulf of Mexico.
In conversation with librarian Rebecca Hayes.
Books will be for sale and the event will conclude with a book signing.
Thursday, July 16, 7 pm
Mary Savig
Your Ticket to the Best State Fair Crafts
Wednesday
June 3
1 pm
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel
Eat Your Ice Cream: A Compassionate and Humorous Roadmap to Wellbeing
Tuesday
June 9
1 pm
Matt Dinniman
Apocalyptic Mayhem, Lava-Spitting Llamas, and One Very Sassy Cat: Surviving the Universe’s Most Twisted RPG
Thursday
June 11
6 pm
Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy
Simple, Sustainable, and Powerfully Delicious Meals
Tuesday
June 23
1 pm
Mark Wolynn
How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are
Tuesday
July 7
1 pm
Karin Slaughter
Small Towns and Big Secrets
Tuesday
July 14
6 pm
Reyna Grande
Migrant Heart: The Hidden Cost of the American Dream and Healing Through Storytelling
Thursday
July 16
1 pm
Book Discussions
Registration required.
Wild Dark Shore
by Charlotte McConaghy
Tuesday
June 9
1 – 2:30 pm
Noted book discussion leader Judy Levin leads the discussion.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
Amerika
by Franz Kafka
Wednesday
June 17
7 – 8:30 pm
Charlie Maimone, a philosophy instructor at UIUC, leads the discussion.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library
My Sister the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Saturday
June 20
10 – 11:30 am
Join us for a discussion led by librarians.
The Frozen River
by Ariel Lawhon
Saturday
July 18
10 – 11:30 am
Join us for a discussion led by librarians.
Readers' Round Table
Tuesdays, June 30, July 28, August 25
2 – 3 pm
Find out what others are reading and share your recommendations. Pick up ideas for what to read next.