Resources for Readers

Welcome to our 2026 Reading Challenge: American Tales

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, we’ll be looking back at some of the defining moments in our nation’s story. From the sophisticated societies of Pre-Columbian America to the struggles of the Revolution, from the heartbreaks of the Civil War to the excesses of the Gilded Age, from the cracking of the atom to our journey to the stars—American Tales invites us to revisit eras we know well and explore those we’ve never investigated. Each month offers a chance to dive into fiction and nonfiction from, about, or set in twelve distinct periods of American history.

Pick up a map and reading suggestions at the Library, or click the links below. Stop by each month to tell us what you read and have your map stamped, as you make your way across the country!

January: Pre-Colombian America Before 1600
February: Europe Discovers America Before 1650
March: Colonial America 1650-1763
April: Revolutionary America 1763-1800
May: The Early Republic 1800-1848
June: Civil War and Reconstruction 1848-1877
July: The Gilded and Progressive Ages 1877-1917
August: The World War I and Jazz 1917-1929
September: The Depression and WWII 1929-1945
October: The Cold War and Civil Rights 1945-1991
November: Contemporary America 1991-present
December: The American of Tomorrow The Future

If you have any questions throughout the process, please don't hesitate to contact Mike at mmccartney@clamsnet.org!

What Should I Read Next?

We have compiled lists of books for a variety of genres. These are a work in progress, to be updated and changed as new books continue to be published. If there is a genre you are interested in, please inquire at the Reference Desk. Adobe Reader is needed to read these files. Happy Reading!

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Read Around the World

Looking for something new or something you may have missed? Click on each of the pictures, then click on each book jacket to be directed to the CLAMS page to place a request.

What We're Reading - Staff Picks

We love to read here at the Eldredge, and we like to talk about it! Here are some of our recent staff picks. You can also find staff pick books highlighted throughout the library.

Foreign Fruit by Katie Goh
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux
Room to Dream by David Lynch

Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner
Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Everything is Tuberculosis - John Green

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

What We're Reading - Trustee Recommendations

The Library is privately managed by a Board of Trustees. Their role is to oversee the function, finances and facility, prepare and adopt written policies that govern the Libraries activities and act as an advocate for the Library within our community. The Trustees are of course not only library supporters, but big readers! Here's what they currently recommend:

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James MacBride

The Revenge of Geography by Robert Kaplan

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

The Wager by David Grann

How to Know a Person by David Brook

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

A Little Ray of Sunshine by Kristan Higgins

Top Twelve Most Checked Out Books at EPL in 2025!

Online Resources

NoveList is a fiction database that provides subject heading access, reviews, annotations, and much more for over 120,000 fiction titles. It also includes other content of interest to fiction readers, such as Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, and Feature Articles. For school media specialists and teachers there are Standards-Based Thematic Units and Picture Book Extenders, as well as specific teaching guides for using fiction in the classroom.

BookPage is a monthly book review publication distributed to more than 450,000 avid readers through subscribing bookstores and public libraries. Founded in 1988 and located in Nashville, TN, BookPage serves as a broad-based selection guide to the best new books published every month. The tone is upbeat and literate, focusing on bestsellers as well as new discoveries. All of the content from the print edition is posted on BookPage.com each month.

Booklist Reader is Booklist’s new library patron–facing magazine, featuring diverse readers' advisory recommendations, in print and on audio, for readers of all ages.