By Allison Campbell-Jensen

Want to get out of town? Your summertime trip might be going to visit Minnehaha Falls or driving to the Black Hills. Or perhaps you’d rather head into parts unknown? You can do that with a book — or several — this summer.

Sign up for the Libraries Epic Summer Reading Quest. You might win prizes and, even better, open up new horizons with your mind (and never leave home, if you prefer not to).

Quests, adventures, or the bookish equivalent of a gaming experience — even home-loving Hobbits stretch their boundaries sometimes!

Why not explore books from genres that are new to you: from Westerns and translations to memoirs and more.

Need ideas?

• Scan a list of suggestions curated by our Page Masters.
• You may want to try the Book Matchmaking Service (offered by the University Libraries all year).

Weather or not

Perhaps a summer squall keeps you indoors for a morning? Or even a gloriously sunny day cannot keep you from an enthralling tome: a graphic novel, YA, or historical fiction? Bring your book to the park! Whether it is printed or on an e-reader, a book is a portable vehicle for traveling through time and space.

Book your trip … and away you go, on a quest that will bring you to new territories.