Booking Ahead
Booking Ahead is Beaverton City Library’s year-long reading program!
Each month, read or listen to a book that fits the monthly theme. Submit an entry for every month you complete to be entered into monthly prize drawings. All entries will also be included in a Grand Prize drawing at the end of the year.
Scroll through to see each month's theme.
JANUARY: Read The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton, our One Book, One Beaverton 2023 selection.
TIP: Join us for related events during the month of January and the author event on Feb. 4. Learn more at BeavertonLibrary.org/1book.
FEBRUARY: Read a thriller or mystery by a Black author.
TIP: Check out this list created by Marin County Library: Cozies, Sleuths and Detectives: Black Authored Mysteries.
MARCH: Read a novel with a female protagonist over the age of 50.
TIP: Read the Book Riot article 50 Must-Read Fiction Books Featuring Older Women for some fantastic ideas.
APRIL: Celebrate National Library Week! Read a book about books. It could be set in a library / bookstore / publishing house, have an author / librarian / editor as the main character, or feature a main character who loves to read.
TIP: Search online for “Books about books” to get some great ideas.
MAY: Read a book set in the Pacific Northwest.
TIP: Read the Powell's Bookstore article Required Reading: 40 Books Set in the Pacific Northwest to explore some possible titles.
JUNE: Read a book chosen by a celebrity book club.
TIP: Some of the top celebrity book clubs are Reese’s Book Club, the Today Show’s Read With Jenna Book Club, Oprah’s Book Club, Good Morning America Book Club, and Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf.
Don’t forget to sign up for Adult Summer Reading beginning June 1!
JULY: Read a book that has a cover you don’t like.
TIP: This theme is a great excuse to browse through our library stacks to find just the right book with just the wrong cover.
AUGUST: Read a novella (a work of fiction of intermediate length between a short story and a novel).
Tip: Consult the Book Riot article 100 Must-Read Novellas for ideas for this month's theme.
SEPTEMBER: Read a memoir by a Latinx author.
TIP: Pima County Library curated an incredible list of memoirs by Latinx authors.
OCTOBER: Read a book that celebrates queer identity (fiction or non-fiction).
TIP: Choose a romance, a biography, a thriller, or a fantasy novel - there are many books that center queer narratives. Ask a library staff person for help with ideas.
NOVEMBER: Listen to a non-fiction audiobook.
TIP: Browse the non-fiction audiobooks on the library shelves, or find a downloadable audiobook using Libby on your device.
DECEMBER: Read a book that has won an award.
TIP: For some ideas, search online for past winners of the National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Oregon Book Award, or Man Booker Prize.