Adult Summer Reading

Option 1 – Stop by the library to pick up your Summer Reading packet beginning June 28.

Option 2 -Sign up using ReadSquared if you prefer to participate digitally.

Fill out your Adult Summer Reading Bingo Sheet with books read and activities completed between June 28, 2025 and August 23, 2025. When you have at least five squares (bingo) filled in, bring your card at the library! 

All cards must be submitted before the end of the day on August 23, 2025.

Community Block Party – Saturday, June 28 11:00am-2:00pm

Join us to celebrate the start of Summer Reading at our annual Block Party! Enjoy food, games, crafting, music, and more. Pick up your Summer Reading packet and scratch-off ticket prize if you preregistered for Summer Reading.

Nature’s Imprints – Tuesday, July 1 12:30-1:30pm

Kids and kids at heart are invited to explore the many colorful shapes of leaves, pine cones, branches, and man-made items and the imprints left behind when painted and stamped on paper.

Mobile Market – Wednesdays, 11:00am-1:00pm

The Mobile Market will be at the library every Wednesday with local fruit and veggies. All produce is priced below retail value, and SNAP/EBT is accepted.

Meet the Masters – Wednesdays, 1:00pm

Van Gopher? Peacockso? Frida Catlo? Where did these mascots come from!? Join us every Community Wednesday to learn about our mascots’ artistic namesakes and the Masterpieces they created in real life! Each week will bring information about 2 of our artists and a small craft to pay homage to their great works. Coloring sheets will be available throughout the week to explore in a passive program. No registration is needed for this free program for all ages.

Crafting and Community – Thursdays, 5:00-6:30

See the Programming Calendar for more information.

Flashes in Time – Fridays, 2:00-4:00pm

See the Programming Calendar for more information.

Solar Dyeing – Monday, July 7 5:30-6:30pm

Experiment with Cyanotype paper, using different leaves, flowers, or objects to create silhouettes as the sun dyes the paper.

Space is limited, so adults 18 and older are encouraged to register for this free program by visiting the Information Desk or calling 716-484-7135 ext. 226.

Adult VR – Tuesday, July 15 5:00-6:30pm

The library has joined the 21st century and wants to share the experience of entering Virtual Reality. Enjoy playing “Walkabout MiniGolf,” “ForeVR Bowl,” “MetaTretris,” or the ever popular “Beat Saber”! Board games and a live stream of players will be available as you wait for your turn.

This session is for adults 18 and older (see calendar for sessions for younger patrons). Limited play time is available so registration is needed for this free program. Call 716-484-7135 ext. 226 or visit the Information desk to reserve your turn.

Black-Out Art – Saturday, July 26 11:30am-12:30pm

Help give donated books a new life as art! Learn how to use sharpies to create black-out poetry, pixel art, or sharpie magic in this free program.

Instruction provided to adults 18 and older for an hour; independent art exploration available until supplies run out. No registration is needed for this free program.

Judith’s Reading Room Dedication – Thursday, July 31 4:30pm

Join us as we honor the donation of books generously given to our Children’s and Young Adult collections by Judith’s Reading Room. 

Color the Library – Saturday, August 2 1:30-3:30pm

Help us “Color the Library” with unique and colorful art painted by YOU. Add your colored hand print to the library’s raised garden bed. Create art to display around the library. Supplies provide.

Pet Portraits – Tuesday, August 12 5:00-6:30pm

Adults are encouraged to partner with teens for the good of the pets! Using animals available for adoption at Chautauqua Humane Society as models, participants will learn how to create realistic pet portraits with acrylic frames and paint.

Registration is recommended due to limited supplies for adults to participate in this free program.

Musical Expression – Monday, August 18 1:30-2:30pm

Ever wonder what the sound of music looks like? In preparation for Debussy’s birthday on August 22nd, art lovers of all ages are invited to come listen to live piano music, watch live artists create visual art of the inspiration they hear, and participants will have the chance to explore the intersection of visual and auditory art themselves! 

Family VR – Saturday, August 23 11:00am-3:00pm

Fun for the whole family! Reserve your spot to play “Walkabout MiniGolf,” “ForeVR Bowl,” “Beat Saber,” or one of our team-building games! Board games and a live stream of players will be available as you wait for your turn! Fun for the whole family, no experience required!

Sign up for an hour long segment to interact with up to 3 other families at a time. Call 716-484-7135 ext. 234 to give the names and ages of your familiy members who plan to attend this free program.

Citizen’s Preparedness Class – Friday, August 29 4:00-5:00pm

Led by the New York National Guard, this free course provides an introduction to responding to natural or human-caused disaster and advises participants on how to develop family emergency plans and stock supplies. Each family will receive a free NYS Disaster Preparedness Kit with examples of key items to assist individuals in responding to disaster.

Summer Reading Finale – Saturday, August 30: 11:00am-12:00pm

Join us on the patio to celebrate the end of Summer Reading with a Cupcake Party! Color a cupcake with a variety of toppings. There will be activities, games and prizes. Finale prize winners will also be announced.

Books with a Yellow Cover

• All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (YA)
• The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
• Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult
• The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
• Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong (NF)
• Daughters of the New Year by E.M. Tran*
• God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer by Joseph Earl Thomas*

#OwnVoices Book

• The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong*
• My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende*
• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
• There There by Tommy Orange
• Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

Book Made into a Screen Adaptation

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
• Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (NF)
• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
• The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Book with a Color in the Title

• Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey*
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
• Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
• The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
• The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
• Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson*

Biography or Memoir

• The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait by Carlos Fuentes and Sarah M. Lowe
• Fearless and Free by Josephine Baker
• Portrait of An Artist: A Biography of Georgia O’Keefe by Laurie Lisle
• The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black history and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther by Ruth E. Carter*
• 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei
• Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South by Winfred Rembert
• Fierce poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York by Alexander Nemerov*

Book About an Artist

• Warhol’s Muses: The Artists, Misfits, and Superstars Destroyed by the Factory Fame Machine by Laurence Leamer (NF)
• The Collector by John Fowles*
• Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
• The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
• Rodin’s Lover by Heather Webb
• I Always Loved You: A Story of Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas by Robin Oliveira
• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
• Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva
• The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Novel of Michelangelo by Irving Stone

Book About the Past

• Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
• All the Broken Places by John Boyne
• James by Percival Everett
• White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
• Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
• The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
• Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
• The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Read a Graphic Novel

• Brownstone by Samuel Teer (YA)
• Courage to Dream by Neal Shusterman (YA)
• Black Science by Rick Remender
• How to Be Happy by Eleanor Davis
• Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• The Color of Earth by Tong-hwa Kim*

Banned or Challenged Book

• All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson*
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
• Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Bingo Squares – Each square completed is an entry into the halfway and finale prize drawings for summer and art themed gift baskets.

Bingo Completed – For every 5 squares completed, receive a free book from the Booksale. 

Reader’s Delight – Turn in your Bingo Sheet with all 24 squares filled in to earn a library tote bag, a coupon for a free bag of books from the Booksale, and an entry into a special basket drawing. 

Bookmark – Want to continue reading? Use your Color Your World Bookmark to track additional books read. Color a diamond for each book you read. Each diamond is an entry into the finale basket prize drawing. For every 5 diamonds completed, earn a free book from the Booksale.