It’s hard to maintain balance in your life when you are experiencing stress and anxiety, but that is often when it is most important to take the time to care for yourself. Whether you are looking for a little inspiration, some sage advice on achieving inner peace, or a step-by-step guide to self-care practices, we have books that can help.

June is Pride Month, and in celebration, we wanted to share some of our favorite memoirs and autobiographies from the LGBTQIA+ community. Reading about other people’s experiences can help us make connections and build empathy. The authors featured here come from a wide variety of backgrounds and lead different lives with unique experiences, occupations, and perspectives.

Juneteenth celebrates the end of the institution of slavery in the United States, commemorating the date a Union general issued an order to free all enslaved persons in Texas on June 19, 1865. If you are interested in celebrating Black lives this Juneteenth through literature, we have created a list of excellent Black authors for adults and young adults, whose work you can explore free at the library. If you are interested in learning more about anti-racism, we have also included a list of recommended resources. We hope you all find a way to celebrate and contemplate this Juneteenth, and because we know reading has the power to change the world, we hope that this literature will inspire you.

The One Henrico Reading Challenge started as a fun way to share reading activities during the stay-at-home order, and starting June 15, it is the official Henrico County Public Library Summer Reading Challenge! If you haven’t already, sign up to participate in our fun weekly activities designed to help you grow your love of reading and discover a great big world of learning. Logging your reading and learning will earn you chances to win cool prizes, provided by the Friends of Henrico County Public Library.

In a challenging job market, you may need assistance reworking your resume, refreshing your skill sets, or exploring career alternatives. HCPL has free online resources and print books to help you in your job search – all you need is a library card.

Springtime is here! Warm sunlight and gentle breezes are calling us to spend some time outside. Whether you have a huge back yard, a tiny patch of earth, or a porch with a few pots, gardening is a great way to do just that. Henrico County Public Library has a plethora of online options to get you growing!

Aliens, strange worlds, sentient robots, interstellar spaceships… science fiction focuses on worlds and realities that we can only imagine. It can be wonderfully fun and even comforting to escape to these unknowns. Here are some of our favorite titles, both new and old, that push the limits of imagination.

Historical fiction immerses you in a different time and place. You can travel back to 16th Century England, 19th century Liberia, 1920s Mexico, -- the possibilities are endless. Historical fiction can also give us insight to the lives of historically marginalized people, and allow us to deepen our understanding of the past.

Springtime in central Virginia is beautiful, but there’s a dilemma. Should you read, or should you work in the garden? Try some sleuthy-ness and plots based on, well, garden plots! These cozy mysteries are satisfying, quick reads that are perfect companions when digging in the dirt. Murder and mayhem notwithstanding, they can be very refreshing after a day in the backyard.