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Study Break: Virtual Activities, Events, and Fun: Take a Break!

Take a Break!

It's important to take breaks. This guide shares fun, relaxing, and interesting activities you can do from anywhere.

Simply scroll to explore, or click one of the tabs you're interested in to skip to that section. 

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Nature

Spend some time with nature.

Try looking up a local forest preserve or park to visit. A live feed of the ocean or a cute cat video can do the trick, too. 

Read for Fun

Take your mind off your projects and deadlines with a book.

Digital books from the library are an easy way to start reading right away. You may also choose to pick up a physical book from the closest library to you.

Read for Fun

Library Ebooks for Study Breaks

Everything You Dream Is Real

Eleven years after a world war destroyed the consumer-driven, plastic-based existence of 2055, a new order of players jostles for power. Streaky electricity, ravaging drought, a scarcity of food, and deadly Monarch butterflies make for an increasingly desperate situation. Worlds collide when both Mother and Sharps's children are kidnapped by the unstable plastic surgeon Alpha Plus and taken to The Fountain of Youth compound. There's flowing water and beautiful people and beautiful clothes and an incongruous convent where children wear smart uniforms and are tutored by nuns. Lovely, until they discover that a subterranean sex trade funds the compound and the man who leads it is mad. Can Mother, Sharps, and the others take down Alpha Plus and his army? Or will they too become pawns in his bid for world domination? Hilarious and at the same time poignant, EVERYTHING YOU DREAM IS REAL is a fabulous, adventure-filled sequel to highly acclaimed The Rage Room that will delight fans both new and old.

How to Be Remy Cameron

 

Everyone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. The only person who isn't entirely sure about Remy Cameron is Remy himself. Under pressure to write an A+ essay defining who he is and who he wants to be, Remy embarks on an emotional journey toward reconciling the outward labels people attach to him with the real Remy Cameron within. From the author of the bestselling novel Running With Lions , a story about overcoming the labels that try to define our lives.

The Self-Care Year : Reflect and Recharge with Simple Seasonal Rituals.

How to wind down and enjoy the world around you with simple, creative steps for each season.

The Rabbit Factor

What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal. And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother - its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters ... and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back. But what Henri really can't compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri's relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets ... The first in a trilogy.

Yoga Happy: Simple Tools and Practices for Everyday Calm and Strength

Find connection, calm and happiness.Yoga Happy is an essential companion to help you through life, whether you're a complete yoga beginner or wanting to deepen your home practice. In this beautiful, full-colour book you will find everything you need to build your inner strength and resilience, and help you find calm, happiness and the resilience to navigate the modern world.Written by yoga and meditation teacher Hannah Barrett, who has helped hundreds of thousands of people both online and through her workshops and classes, Yoga Happy encourages you to incorporate key disciplines, thoughts and actions into your everyday life. No matter how little time or space you have, Hannah shows how you can find your energy, reduce stress at home or at work, get a good night's sleep and learn to cope better with whatever life throws at you.This inspiring handbook will also guide you through short, illustrated yoga sequences adapted for all abilities, plus give you breathing techniques, meditations and other proven mindful practices that will help to nourish and support your mind and body.

It Ain't over Til the Bisexual Speaks

The bisexual experience is, by necessity, incredibly diverse - we are likely to be attracted to different genders, form part of multiple marginalised groups, and be perceived (depending on the gender of our partner) in wildly different ways.

Plastics

A comprehensive introduction to the plastics life cycle-the impacts on our lives, our future, and our planet-and the actions we can take. Everywhere we look, we are surrounded by plastics- perhaps you have a book in one hand and your phone-made of various metals, plastics, and glass-in the other, or you are reading this on your polyurethane mattress after having flipped on a plastic light switch. 

My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding

 

A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian weddingZurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you're part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don't include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri's sister's extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment. In the midst of the chaos, Zuri's mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom's South African cousin Naveen-who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri's spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen's charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister's big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

The Mindful College Student

College is a time of transition. It's a time for learning and preparing to make your own way in the world. But if you're like many teens and young adults, the thought of leaving home and being on your own in a new place can also be intimidating--even overwhelming. That's why you need a solid foundation to help you manage stress, stay focused, and maintain healthy habits--in body, mind, and spirit. Grounded in evidence-based mindfulness, The Mindful College Student will help you cultivate the cognitive and emotional skills you need to increase well-being and reach your highest aspirations. 

My Black Motherhood

Joyful. Graceful. Blessed. Strong. Anxious. Depressed. Stigmatised. Stereotyped. What happens when motherhood isn't what you expected - and when you reach out for support, you are met with judgment and prejudice? Sandra Igwe shares her journey as a young Black mother, coping with sleepless nights, anxiety and loneliness after the birth of her first daughter. 

Artificial intelligence basics : a non-technical introduction

Artificial intelligence touches nearly every part of your day. While you may initially assume that technology such as smart speakers and digital assistants are the extent of it, AI has in fact rapidly become a general-purpose technology, reverberating across industries including transportation, healthcare, financial services, and many more. 

A History of Women Cartoonists

In this volume, Mira Falardeau looks at the work of great women artists and their experiences in the industry to reveal advice and positive encouragement for future cartoonists. Heavily illustrated with cartoons and artwork from many of the best in the field, the book also asks serious questions about why there have been so few women cartoonists in the field of visual humor and if the digital age is opening more opportunities for female humorists. Falardeau is uniquely positioned to ask these questions. She has spent decades as an art historian, a specialist in visual humor, and the author of several books and essays on cartoonists and their history. She was also a former cartoonist herself-among the first generation of women in her field during the 1970s and 1980s. A History of Women Cartoonists is the first book to offer a truly global survey and analysis of the great women cartoonists of the last three decades-and a welcome addition to the history of comics and cartoons.

The Last Bookshop

Cait is a bookshop owner and book nerd whose social life revolves around her mobile bookselling service hand-picking titles for elderly clients, particularly the grandmotherly June. After a tough decade for retail, Book Fiend is the last bookshop in the CBD, and the last independent retailer on a street given over to high-end labels. Profits are small, but clients are loyal. When James breezes into Book Fiend, Cait realises life might hold more than her shop and her cat, but while the new romance distracts her, luxury chain stores are circling Book Fiends prime location, and a more personal tragedy is looming.

In Praise of Home Cooking : Reasons and Recipes

Award-winning cookbook author Liana Krissoff presents an evocatively written ode to home cooking with all the guidance you need to perfect your own easy-to-master family recipes.Previously, trusted cookbook author Liana Krissoff showed you fresh, clever canning recipes; modern slow-cooker recipes; and easy vegetarian crowd-pleasers. Now, she brings you In Praise of Home Cooking--fit for anyone looking to perfect the staples, parents who want to whip up something tasty, curious kids who want to learn grandma's secret recipes, and everyone who has gotten tired of those absurdly labor-intensive recipes. To Krissoff, developing resourceful habits and perfecting uncomplicated dishes--a pot of fluffy rice and one of creamy beans, a seared steak and a colorful salad--are integral to living with great pleasure, and so she shows us the way.

Viral Justice

Part memoir, part manifesto, Viral Justice is a sweeping and deeply personal exploration of how we can transform society through the choices we make every day. Vividly recounting her personal experiences and those of her family, Benjamin shows how seemingly minor decisions and habits could spread virally and have exponentially positive effects. She recounts her father's premature death, illuminating the devastating impact of the chronic stress of racism, but she also introduces us to community organizers who are fostering mutual aid and collective healing. 

The Cursed Girls

Megan Melvick has spent years avoiding her inheritance, the dark and disquieting family estate Benbrae, now home only to her distant, aristocratic father, and her sister Melissa, dying quietly in an upstairs bedroom. Trapped behind her unreliable hearing aids and vulnerable to what others want her to see, Megan is unable to find the answers she wants: why is there a new woman on her father's arm? And why has their absent mother not returned to say a final goodbye to Melissa? Benbrae has always been a place of loss and misfortune for Megan, but as the Melvick family diminishes still further, she must ask one final question. If there is a curse on the house, will she be its next victim?

Academic eBook Collection

EBSCO eBook Academic Collection contains a broad selection of multidisciplinary e-book titles including reference, academic nonfiction, adult and children's fiction, and study aids and features nearly 120,000 eBooks, with titles from leading university presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, MIT Press, and Harvard University Press.

Popular Titles

  1. Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between Washington and Havana / William M. LeoGrande-Peter Kornbluh
  2. Equal Under the Sky: Georgia O’Keeffe and  Twentieth-Century Feminism / Linda M. Grasso
  3. The Story of Pain: From Prayer to Painkillers By: Joanna Bourke / Joanna Bourke

Public Library eBook Collection

Access to high-quality e-books covering a wide range of topics such as self-help, fitness, games, hobbies and cooking. This general reference e-book collection features titles for both adults and juveniles, as well as best-selling and recommended titles from leading publishers.

Exercise

Move your body!

Take a walk, dance to your favorite song, or try one of these free workout videos.

Arts & Culture

Attend live or recorded performances.

Music, comedy, theater, dancing, and other performance arts are a wonderful study break!

Spend time with art and museums.

Find inspiration in the work of others!

Puzzles and Games

Challenge yourself and have fun.

Whether you play alone or with friends, a game is sure to get your mind moving in new ways.

Virtual Puzzles and Games

Be Mindful

Take a deep breath. 

Mindfulness and meditation techniques are a great way to step away from our work.

Digital Mindfulness Tools

Oddly Satisfying and Relaxing Things

Get Creative

Color or craft your way to relaxation.

Doing something simple with your hands can be a great way to switch gears while taking a break from your work. Plus, you usually end up with something new that you've made at the end!