Go on a blind date -- with a book

During February you can go on a blind date -- with a book!

Stop by the Siloam Springs Public Library to check out your date. It will be wrapped in decorative paper, so you will not know the identity of your date until you open the package. There will be no awkwardness and you don't have to dress up. Once you have read your book, return it to the library and fill out a "Rate Your Date" slip. This will be entered into a raffle to win a dinner for two in the form of a $75 gift card donated by 28 Springs. The drawing will be held on Monday, March 2.

Last month I challenged you to read from a reading list, try different genres or join a book club. Some of the books that I have read and would put on my reading list include "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss, "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls, and "The War Prayer" by Mark Twain.

Book club selections for February:

• Adult Reading Group -- Monday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. The book is "Bel Canto" by Ann Pratchett. The library has two copies of this book.

• Morning Book Club -- Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 11 a.m. The book is "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot.

• The Tween/Teen event will be on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 5 p.m. The topic will be Black-Out Poetry. Come join us as we discover how to create this version of art and poetry.

Regular programming at the library includes:

• Monday movies at 4:30 p.m.

• After-school events on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m.

• Preschool story hour on Thursdays at 11 a.m.

• The Home-School program on Thursdays at 11 a.m.

The calligraphy class at the library is full. We are going to have another class on Saturday, Feb. 28. The cost for this class is $20 which includes supplies. We will need to have a minimum of 6 people sign up by 7 p.m. Feb. 26, in order to host the class. Please call the library and leave your name and telephone number to sign up for the class.

Please visit our webpage for more details at www.siloamsprings.com/departments/library or call 524-4236.

New items at the library include:

1. "Gone Girl" (DVD)

2. "Dragonball Z: Battle of Gods" (DVD)

3. "Peter, Paul and Mary: Fifty Years in Music and Life" by Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers (Nonfiction)

4. "Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most" by Timothy Shriver (Nonfiction)

5. "Robert B. Parker's The Bridge" by Robert Knott (Fiction)

6. "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson (Fiction)

7. "Dragonbreath: Knight-Napped!" By Ursula Vernon (Young adult fiction)

8. "The Art of Lego Design: Creative Ways to Build Amazing Models" by Jordan Schwartz (Young adult nonfiction)

9. "Dear Mr. Washington" by Lynn Cullen (Children's fiction)

10. "Blizzard" by John Rocco (Children's fiction)

New e-books (Available through Arkansas Library 2 Go)

1. "The End of Power" by Moises Naim

2. "Extras" by Scott Westerfeld

And as always, we will see you at the library.

-- Dolores Deuel is the library manager at Siloam Springs Public Library. The opinions expressed are those of the author.