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(Note: Carver County Library branch managers are providing updates on exciting programs and services. This month, Chaska location manager Kevin Spencer shares information on the Winter Reads program).
The Winter Reads for Adults program is heading into its final stretch, so now is the perfect time to wrap up reading books, submit entries and enjoy the last round of special programs. A reminder: All Winter Reads activities must be completed by the end of February. This includes submitting book reviews — either on paper or through the Beanstack app — and turning in entries for the county-wide adult bookmark contest.
Full details, including printable forms, are available on the Winter Reads page at carverlib.org, and paper forms can also be picked up at any Carver County Library location. Prize drawings for the Barnes & Noble gift cards will take place shortly after the program ends in March. Winners will be notified by email or phone, and all prizes must be picked up in person by the end of March 2026.
Winter Reads Author Series (Online Events)
This February, Winter Reads continues with two compelling online author talks, streamed live on the library’s Facebook page and available afterward on both Facebook and YouTube.
On Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m., science fiction, fantasy and horror author Ian Young discusses his work. Young is the author of Darkness Unknown, Ashen Light, and The Automaton, which won the 2023 Best Indie Book Award for Science Fiction and received an indieBRAG medallion. He’ll be joined by fellow author Katherine Kempf, whose novel The Mimameid Solution was a quarterfinalist in the 2023 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition.
The following week, on Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m., author and DJ Mary Lucia shares her powerful story. Her memoir, Whatever Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate to, chronicles her experience with fame, fandom and a terrifying three-year stalking ordeal, told with honesty, grit and dark humor.
Puzzle It Out
Adults are invited to Puzzle It Out at the Victoria Library every Thursday at 1 p.m. throughout the Winter Reads program timeline. Stop in for a new puzzle, game or brain teaser each week (note: the solution is revealed the following week).
Consider attending “Dig Into Your Community Garden” at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 to start thinking beyond winter months. This program explores the Chaska community garden project, highlights accomplishments from 2025, and looks ahead to goals for the coming growing season.
Winter Reads is more than a reading challenge — it’s a chance to connect, reflect and discover something new. Find these programs and much more at carverlib.org.
