Summer is the perfect time to explore new worlds, discover exciting stories, and build a love for reading! These fun, engaging activities, events, and book recommendations are tailored just for you! Join us for an adventure in learning to become a lifelong reader!
Register, Track Reading Time & Earn Prizes
1. Register Learn how to get registered and see the full list of rules.
2. Get a Reading Tracker Download and print an Adult Reading Tracker (.pdf) or pick one up at any Library location.
3. Read Spend time listening to audiobooks, reading aloud to someone, or having someone read to you.
4. Earn Prizes Prizes are earned at 1 hour, 5 hours, 10 hours, 15 hours, and 20 hours of reading. When you reach the hour markers, visit any Library location to claim your prize! Prizes are subject to change and while supplies last. Claim prizes until August 2, 2025.
5. Earn an extra Prize Ready to dig deeper? Complete 7 of 11 activity challenges to win a bonus prize. Download and print the Adult Activity Challenges (.pdf) or pick one up at any Library location.
6. Win a Gift Card Fill out the Adult Summer Reading feedback survey to be entered to win a gift card!
7. Grand Prize Drawing All readers who log time will be eligible for grand prizes at the end of the summer if all age groups in the Summer Reading Program together reach a total of 18 million minutes read. Winners will be contacted in August.
Reading Recommendations
All About Jurassic Park
Summon your inner paleontologist and dig into natural history by reading and watching all things related to Jurassic Park. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the novel's publication. On this list, you will find films, books, and media related to both the book by Michael Crichton and film by Steven Spielberg, as well as other non-fiction titles related to the themes of this epic literary and cinematic dinosaur adventure.
Suspense Books to Curl Up and Read on a Summer Day
Whatever kind of weather you're looking to hide from this summer, whether it's rolling summer thunder storms or high temperatures, these thrillers are sure to make the time pass by quickly. With suspense books featuring sinister magical academies, damp mansions, and charming cafes, there's a mystery and a thrill between every page.
Printmaking
Okay, we have a LOT of books about prints and printmaking. There is at least one at your local branch. This list offers some key elements and suggestions for folks who want to take their printmaking knowledge to another level - before or after they attend the printmaking classes (and a link to see the schedule and register for one this summer).
Indiana Geology & Geography
Indiana's geology and geography are as fascinating as its people. From secluded waterfalls, to limestone caves, to fossil evidence of ancient seas, Indiana has plenty of wonders to explore.
Romances to Toss Into Your Beach Bag This Summer
Whether you're catching sun on the beaches of some far off coast or off of your own cozy balcony, one of these paperback romances is sure to be the perfect fit-- for your hand and your reading tastes. These books run the gamut of tropes and genres, from playful werewolf romance novels to marriage of convenience in space.
Library Explorer: Read, Watch, and Listen Online
Discover online borrowing with e-books, e-magazines, streaming music and videos, or on-demand learning. All available for free with your library card through services such as Hoopla, Libby, LinkedIn Learning, and Kanopy. Each title from this list connects you to a way to borrow items online. Click Download & Stream in the catalog menu to learn more about these platforms.
Surf's Up
Books To Add To Your Beach Bag For Summer 2025. Don't forget to pack some tissues along with your beach towel. These stories will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love all over again...
Summer Reading Workshops for Adults
Art in Stone
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Art in Stone
Join Artisan Experience for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carve your very own piece of Indiana Limestone. This one-hour workshop is perfect for anyone who wants a personalized piece of Indiana's Natural History. Come learn a bit about what makes Indiana Limestone SO amazing!
Guided Painting for Adults
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Guided Painting
Join us for a guided painting class with local artist, Stephanie Schrodetzki. Our 1.5-hour class will focus on natural prehistoric plants and animals.
Printmaking Paleoart Experience
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Printmaking Paleoart
Discover printmaking with a prehistoric flair! This beginner-friendly class will guide adults through a quick lesson in drawing techniques and material basics before diving into printmaking with artist Amanda Keller.
Exploring Paleontology
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Exploring Paleontology
Join us as we uncover the fascinating history of paleontology from ancient mythological creatures to dinosaurs and newly discovered fossils, revealing their connection to modern-day birds. We’ll also explore some of the fossil giants that once called Indiana home.
Natural History Book Club
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register Natural History Book Club
Join us to discuss the book Why Dinosaurs Matter by Kenneth Lacovera!
Convinced you don’t have time to read?
Reading 20 hours this summer is easier than you think!
• Listen to an audiobook to make doing chores more exciting.
• Download an e-book to your phone to take a break from scrolling social media.
• Count your time reading a sacred text during your daily spiritual or religious practice.
• Cope with your commute by escaping into an audiobook—listen to it while you drive!
• Create a cozy reading spot at home with your favorite décor, mood lighting, and accessories.
• Read in public! Visit a park, a local coffee shop, or a museum to read in the company of your community.
• Spend 10 minutes of your lunch break at work reading a nonfiction book.
• Always have a book with you! Pull out your phone to read an e-book while you’re in the waiting room or taking the IndyGo bus.
• Read some book reviews on sites like Goodreads and Kirkus Reviews! You can count the time spent reading the reviews towards your summer reading goals while also building your list of books to check out.
• Invite a friend out for a blind reading date! Visit one of our city’s indie bookstores, buy each other a book, and spend some time reading together. If you don’t want to spend money visit the free IndyPL Public Collection at Central Library, your local Little Free Library, or find great book bargains at Indy Library Store.
• Check out a cookbook and try new recipes in your weeknight dinners. The time you spend reading the recipes counts towards your summer reading goals!
• Read aloud to someone you love! If you’re a parent, reading bedtime stories to your child will count as minutes read for summer reading—and for BOTH of you! Organize a popcorn reading session with your family or friends to take turns reading aloud together.