Posted on Friday, July 31, 2026 by patron reviewer
Human to human connection is the thing I most value in books I read. And in the novel “Atmosphere,” while a one sentence description may focus primarily on the astronaut, space-travel, or shuttle-explosion elements of this story, this book is really about the power of making connections with other people. As we meet Joan around 1980, she is rather convinced that hers will be a solitary life. She is dissatisfied and underappreciated working as a college instructor. She has never had a real romantic relationship and even her connections to her family can be strained.
But, over the next couple hundred pages, we watch as she fills her life with strong relationships and by extension fills her life with a meaning she didn’t think was possible for her.
Three words that describe this book: Satisfying, Compelling, Emotional
You might want to pick this book up if: you’re seeking a “love conquers all” read.
-Xander
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
Maybe you know a dino loving kid or maybe you were one. Maybe you never lost the Jurassic fever. I’m here to tell you that the adventure of digging up the ancient past, fantastic creatures, and distant worlds can be as exciting as it ever was.
Let’s start with “The Fossil Hunter,” by Shelley Emling, which recounts the life and discoveries of the young Mary Anning and the dawn of paleontology. In 1811 Mary Anning, at the age of 12, uncovered a skeleton of strange bones on England’s southern shores. The bones matched no known creatures and sparked a reckoning between science and religion throughout the Western world. Emling shares the Dickensonian tale of Anning’s start as an impoverished girl hunting trinkets (fossils) to sell to becoming the leading (if under-recognized) paleontologist of her time.
“Why Dinosaurs Matter, ” by paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Lacovara is a small, charming book chocked full of wit, facts and humor. Nestled within its pleasing facade are insightful observations and reflections on what dinosaurs have to teach us. Continue reading “Dinos Are For Adults, Too”
“Cold Storage” – Website / Reviews
When a mutating fungus escapes a sealed facility, two employees and a bioterror operative must survive the wildest night shift ever to save humanity from extinction in this horror/comedy film.
“Fantasy Life” – Website / Reviews
In this comedic drama, an anxious law school dropout stumbles into a job babysitting his psychiatrist’s three granddaughters and falls for the girls’ mother, an actress in a rocky marriage.
“Scrambled” – Website / Reviews
A perpetual bridesmaid with her biological clock ticking decides to freeze her eggs and embark on an empowering journey of self-discovery in this comedic drama.
This past weekend I enjoyed a solo al fresco breakfast in downtown Columbia, and as I sipped my coffee I realized I wanted to be doing anything but scrolling on my phone. I needed to spend some time with myself, not enthralled with whatever might show up on my social media. After telling my insulin pump to give me a bolus for my bagel and iced oat milk latte, I put my phone away and settled into the moment. I heard gossip and watched people go to and fro while petting the occasional puppy as they passed by. I can’t believe I didn’t bring a book, is what I kept telling myself. I had just started “Cats Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut and it was ripe for reading on this sunny summer afternoon. If only I would’ve brought an analog bag to cure my idleness.
This Reader’s Digest article discusses the cure for doomscrolling and how to make an analog bag. Here at the library we have several items that could be fabulous additions to your analog bag including Fiber Art Kits. You could “Learn to Crochet” or even “Learn to Loom Weave.” You can put a Fiber Arts Kit on hold through the catalog or ask about them at the reference desk.
Analog Scrolling
Recently, in a similar vein to the analog bag, I’ve been enjoying the screen-free activity of analog scrolling. To begin analog scrolling all you need to do is find a large non-fiction book with plenty of pictures and get to flipping those pages. It’s basically Pinterest but without the ads and AI photos in between the art and outfit inspo you’ve been trying to enjoy. No need to read every word or look at every picture, just flip the pages and let yourself relax. Check out these scroll-worthy books that are available in the adult non-fiction section on the second floor at the Columbia Public Library: Continue reading “Analog Summer”
Last year, Daniel Boone Regional Library hosted 1,788 programs, drawing a total attendance of more than 39,000. That number included people of all ages and backgrounds, some who visited library programs every week and many who came for only one event. Whether you are at one of our locations for a children’s story time, a craft program, “Silent Book Club,” plant swap, a “Memory Café” serving those with dementia, or anything else, we strive to be welcoming to all.
While those of us who plan and host events might be familiar faces to library users, many more staff members work in the background to make our events successful. Read on for a peek behind the curtain to see what goes into the creation of a DBRL program. Continue reading “Library Programming, a Peek Behind the Curtain”
We try to bury our fears, but time and again, they resurface and suffocate us in a claustrophobic wave of heavy earth, rock and soil. What’s that mineral taste in your mouth? Is it fear? What’s that smell? Is it … death? No, it’s just another fresh heap of horror films, unearthed for your viewing pleasure.
This time, I dug deep and found subterranean horror on our streaming service, Kanopy. If you don’t know what Kanopy is by now: it’s the free streaming service that you, lucky library cardholder, have access to through your very own Daniel Boone Regional Library. Here’s the dirt …
Underground bunkers are supposed to be safe, but what if you woke up in one and were told that the world had come to an apocalyptic end while you slept? And the creepy guy who says he saved your life seems a little, uh, creepy? Continue reading “Subterranean Horror!”
It’s Summer Reading time! This year we are delving deep in an attempt to uncover the unknown. In the spirit of this, why not take a look at some of these graphic novel hidden gems? This list features comics that either relate to the theme of exploring the unseen or might showcase works that are more directly related to archeology-adjacent topics. With all of that in mind, let’s dig in! Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Unearth a Story!”
You might notice something different on the first floor of the Columbia Public Library. We now have a screen streaming live activity in the natural world with accompanying resources!
Live nature webcams have become popular features in many classrooms and libraries across the country. The National Parks, Missouri Department of Conservation, various zoos and conservation groups set up and maintain live webcams to share these experiences, create educational opportunities and promote conservation.
Our screen (located behind New Books and adjacent to the Help Desk) is launching by supporting Summer Reading’s Unearth a Story™ theme by alternately streaming one of these three sites:
Dueling Dinos at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences with related resources.
We hope that you’ll stop by this webcam streaming area to connect to the natural world and to see creatures and places that you might not experience in real life.
Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2026 by David Litherland
From the redwood forest, to the Gulf Stream waters, the natural beauty and bounty of the United States has so much to offer. Since the first humans strode through its forests, deserts, valleys and mountains, we have marveled at the grandeur and majesty of its natural wonders. One of our great achievements as a country is our dedication to the conservation of nature through the National Park System, but it is not an untarnished record; it took many activists, movements and laws to keep these places pristine and open to the people of this country, and maintaining them requires constant vigilance and progress towards the ideals set by environmentalists before us. Read on to discover purple mountain majesties, amber waves of grain and what makes the United States naturally beautiful.
If we were to choose one single person to thank for our national parks, it is John Muir. Aghast at the careless razing of forests and loose livestock left rampant in the Yosemite Valley, Muir began a grassroots effort to preserve our wondrous spaces that led him straight to the White House and into the heart of every environmentalist. “Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite” by Dean King traces Muir’s journey and activism that created the modern culture of natural conservation. Continue reading “Literary Links: America the Beautiful”
This time around, Reid has tackled 1980s NASA space shuttle program. Protagonist Joan Goodwin is a straight-laced professor of astronomy and physics. She has a comfortable life with two loves, the stars and her niece. But a fire is lit under her when she sees an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join the NASA shuttle program.
Finding community, friendship, love and passion within NASA transforms Joan. She finds her voice and her place in the universe, only to have it all change in an instant during one mission in 1984.
Reid’s stories are always engaging and hard to put down. “Atmosphere,” is no exception. The story is gritty and gripping. The characters are complex, imperfect and loveable. One the surface “Atmosphere” is entertaining, but the plot rests upon deeper themes of feminism, sexuality and the human quest to know the universe.
Read “Atmosphere” this month and bring your questions on the meaning of life and our place in the universe to the Children’s Programming room in the Columbia Public Library at noon on August 6.
Human to human connection is the thing I most value in books I read. And in the novel “Atmosphere,” while a one sentence description may focus primarily on the astronaut, space-travel, or shuttle-explosion elements of this story, this book is really about the power of making connections with other people. As we meet Joan around 1980, she is rather convinced that hers will be a solitary life. She is dissatisfied and underappreciated working as a college instructor. She has never had a real romantic relationship and even her connections to her family can be strained.
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
