Adult Summer Reading
Welcome to the 2026 Adult Summer Reading Big Book Challenge! This summer, we’re traveling down the Big Muddy with Mississippi Solo by Eddy Harris and Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. Although published more than a century apart, both books combine elements of memoir, travelogue, and cultural commentary as the authors recount their experiences on the mighty Mississippi River. Over the summer, we’ll explore these classic adventures in monthly discussions, supplemented by a fantastic line-up cultural programming. All events will take place in the UCPL auditorium, unless otherwise noted.
Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t add our thanks to the Library Services and Technology Act, which is appropriated by Congress and administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Missouri Secretary of State, which makes this program possible. We can’t wait to read with you!
Pick up your books and reader guides!
Wednesday, May 27
Books, reader guides, and bookmarks will be available for pick-up all day at the circulation desk.
Keynote Presentation with Eddy Harris
Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m.
Join us for a special visit from Eddy Harris, author of Mississippi Solo, an account of his journey by canoe down the entire length of the Mississippi River. Born in the Midwest and educated at Stanford University, Harris has been Writer in Residence and professor of English, Creative Writing, and African American Studies at esteemed institutions including Washington University in St. Louis and Goucher College in Maryland. He has traveled extensively the world, often in the most precarious conditions, and while he remains a simple Midwesterner at heart, he currently lives in France. He counts Mark Twain as one of his favorite writers.
Movie Night: River to the Heart documentary screening
Wednesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Join us for a screening of River to the Heart, a beautiful and powerful documentary following Eddy Harris’s second trip down the Mississippi River in a canoe, 30 years after the journey detailed in Mississippi Solo. The 2018 documentary explores the way that the river, the adventurer, and the country have changed in the interval between Harris’s voyages.
Book Discussion: Mississippi Solo
Wednesday, June 24 at 7 p.m.
Join us for the first discussion in our Adult Summer Reading Program, covering Mississippi Solo by Eddy Harris.
Summer Reading Field Trip: Missouri Historical Society Library & Research Center
Wednesday, July 8 at 10 a.m. & 3 p.m.
Join us for a trip to the Missouri Historical Society’s Library & Research Center, where experts will show and discuss items in their collection that relate to Mark Twain, riverboats, and the Mississippi River in the 1800s.
Due to limited capacity in the tour groups, ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Call 314-727-3150 or email reference@ucitylibrary.org to register for either the 10 a.m. tour or the 3 p.m. tour.
Book Discussion: Life on the Mississippi, chapters I-XXVII
Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m.
Join us for the second discussion in our Adult Summer Reading Program, delving into the first half of Mark Twain’s classic travelogue.
Southside Creole Playboys concert
Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m.
Join us an evening of Cajun and Creole music from local band, the Southside Creole Playboys. This program is free and open to all ages.
Book Discussion: Life on the Mississippi, chapters XXVIII-LX
Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m.
Join us for the final discussion in our Adult Summer Reading Program, covering the second half of Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi!
