Spring has sprung! The time for adventures has begun. Luckily, the library has oodles of ideas for your next spring trip. 

Of course, we like to think we know the library pretty well, but with more than 61,000 items in our collection – and more than 9 million across the IHLS system as a whole – we’re always seeing something fun or unexpected popping up on the holds shelf. Here are a couple of the coolest finds we’ve come across this month:  

Moby-duck: the true story of 28,800 bath toys lost at sea, and of the beachcombers, oceanographers, environmentalists, and fools– including the author– who went in search of them, by Donovan Hohn. When it comes to adventure, there are far riskier — and less fun! — treks than searching the world for a rubber ducky. 

The House Across the Lake, by Riley Sager. If your ideal vacation involves both a murder mystery and a waterfront destination, this may just be the perfect book for you.  

The Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge, by Jill Barklem. Looking for something a bit quieter? This compilation of stories from a year in a field mouse community might be just the thing.  

East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian recipes from Bangalore to Beijing, by Meera Sodha. Adventure doesn’t always have to mean leaving the country (or even the house). Sometimes, it’s as simple as a new recipe — and this book offers more than 100 ideas for something new. 

Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faieries, by Heather Fawcett. Nothing says “adventure” like travelling to a remote village in Iceland to study faeries — but of course, as Emily soon discovers, wherever you go, there you are. 

Looking for your next read? These items (and millions more) are available here at the O’Fallon Public Library, or through Interlibrary Loan. Check one out on your online account, via our new SHARE app, or by asking one of your friendly local librarians!