By Caroline Dow
mail@floridanewsline.com
St. Johns Reads, the annual county-wide reading event hosted by the St. Johns County Public Library System, will once again be held in January and take place at all library locations around St. Johns County. The third annual Lace Up for Libraries 5K will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29 in Nocatee beginning at 8 a.m. All race proceeds go to future St. Johns Reads programs.
Residents are invited to enjoy programming centering on the theme of “secrets.” This year’s program is a bit different because there are four chosen titles for patrons to read and enjoy. The four books chosen for St. Johns Reads 2022 are:
“Crossing the Creek: The Literary Friendship of Zora Neale Hurston and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings,” by Anna Lillios
“Children of Blood and Bone,” by Tomi Adeyemi
“Little Fires Everywhere,” by Celeste Ng
“The Vanishing Half,” by Brit Bennett
For the 17th year of St. Johns Reads, the Programming Committee, composed of library programming staff across the county, chose a selection of titles this year to provide something for everyone. Lovers of mystery, conspiracy, and spy thrillers will be left guessing in this year’s selections. With “Crossing the Creek,” nonfiction lovers have the opportunity to dive into the friendship between two of Florida’s most beloved authors.
Throughout the month of January, the library system will host a variety of virtual and in-house programs. Programming will be inspired by the chosen titles and will range from art to food to author interviews. There is even a program with local crime scene investigators for true crime fans.
To round out an exciting month of programming, everyone is invited to lace up their running or walking shoes for the third annual Lace Up For Libraries 5K. The winter warm up run/walk along the peaceful Nocatee hike and bike trails will serve as the grand finale for St. Johns Reads. The first 200 5K registrants will receive a commemorative shirt if registered by Jan. 6 and the first 200 finishers will receive a medal. A huge thank you to our major sponsors: VyStar Credit Union and Nocatee. To learn more about this 5K event, including the virtual participation option, go to the Lace Up for Libraries 5K event page at https://laceupforlibraries5k.itsyourrace.com.
To read any one or all of this year’s titles and discover more about St. Johns Reads 2022 events and programs, contact your local branch library, or visit the St. Johns County Public Library’s website at www.sjcpls.org.
Caroline Dow is Vice President of the Bartram Trail Friends of the Library.
Photo courtesy Bartram Trail Friends of the Library
Runners at last year’s Lace Up for Libraries.
