This column, compiled by library staff, appears monthly in the Ovation section of the Columbia Daily Tribune. Each article contains a short list of books on a timely topic.
2025
| November | History From a First Person View |
| October | Art Curious |
| September | The Case for Variety |
| August | Travel & Time: The Works of Daniel Mason |
| July | Permaculture, Green Living & Eco-Friendly Living Spaces |
| June | One Read Finalists 2025 |
| May | Summer Reading: Life Is Better in Color |
| April | Spring Is the Season for Hope — Tips for Finding Some |
| March | Women’s Work |
| February | Exploring Short Stories |
| January | Sober Curiosity |
2024
| December | Thinking About Endings |
| November | Exploring the Immigrant and Refugee Experience |
| October | Learning Our World Through Food |
| September | Back-to-School Fiction |
| August | Migrations and Lost Worlds |
| July | Science Fiction and Science Fact |
| June | One Read Finalists 2024 |
| May | Summer Reading 2024 |
| April | Journaling Your Journey |
| March | The Year Is Yours |
| February | Making Peace With Diagnosis |
| January | The Science of Music and Sound |
2023
| December | Time Travel |
| November | Artificial Intelligence |
| October | The Truth Is Out There |
| September | Windows and Mirrors |
| August | One Read Author Margaret Verble |
| July | How to Survive Seven Very Specific Calamities |
| June | One Read Final Ten |
| May | Summer Reading 2023 |
| April | Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia |
| March | Nurturing Your Relationships |
| February | Inventors and Inventions |
| January | Birds, Birds, Birbs! |
2022
| December | Myths Retold |
| November | Giving Thanks for Native American Heritage Month |
| October | All About the Brain |
| September | All Work, No Play |
| August | One Read‘s “The Big Door Prize” and Human Fulfillment |
| July | The Joy of Being Read To |
| June | One Read 2022 Finalists |
| May | Summer Reading 2022 |
| April | Climate Lit |
| March | Identity |
| February | Black Activists and Activism |
| January | The Art of Saving Lives |
2021
| December | Pearl Harbor |
| November | Food History |
| October | Urban Planning |
| September | Unconventional Horror |
| August | One Read’s “Furious Hours” and the True Crime Renaissance |
| July | Words, Words, Words |
| June | One Read Finalists 2021 |
| May | Summer Reading 2021 |
| April | True Crime Reads |
| March | Women, Medicine and Health |
| February | Pets and Veterinarians |
| January | Long Reads |
2020
| December | The Lost Art of Letter Writing |
| November | Our Many Homes |
| October | The Atomic Shadow |
| September | Puzzles and Games |
| August | One Read 2020 |
| July | All Human Things Are a Circle |
| June | One Read Final 10 |
| May | Our Favorite Audiobooks |
| April | Resilience |
| March | Marking 100 Years of Votes for Women |
| February | Terrific Teens |
| January | Troublesome Types |
2019
| December | A Brief History of Human Flight |
| November | The Legacy of Ice |
| October | Bestsellers Through the Decades: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of DBRL |
| September | Upping Your Book Club Game |
| August | “Nomadland” |
| July | First Love |
| June | One Read Finalists |
| May | Summer Reading |
| April | Welcome to the Anthropocene |
| March | Activism in Women’s History |
| February | All That’s Jazz |
| January | List Mania |
2018
| December | An Age of Injustice |
| November | Global Politics in the 21st Century |
| October | Critical Thinking and Decision-Making |
| September | The Supreme Court |
| August | One Read: “Killers of the Flower Moon” |
| July | The Armchair Adventure |
| June | One Read Finalists |
| May | Summer Reading 2018 |
| April | Financial Literacy |
| March | Orphans and Orphan Trains |
| February | The Spanish Flu of 1918 |
| January | Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement |
2017
| December | Our Technological Future |
| November | Veterans Day |
| October | Spooky Reads |
| September | Great First Lines |
| August | One Read 2017 |
| July | O Canada! |
| June | One Read Finalists 2017 |
| May | Build a Better World |
| April | Coffee Table Books |
| March | Women’s History in the Work World |
| February | Retirement |
| January | Visiting Mars |
2016
| December | Satire |
| November | Heartwarming Reads |
| October | Our White House |
| September | Art |
| August | Aging Parents |
| July | National Parks |
| June | One Read Finalists |
| May | Summer Reading |
| April | A Journey Into Dance |
| March | End of Life |
| February | Midlife Crisis |
| January | Debut Novels |
