National Thesaurus Day

When’s the last time you used a thesaurus? A thesaurus is like a dictionary, but it doesn’t just contain a list of alphabetized words and their definitions. It organizes the words for you in a sort of catalog that allows you to easily navigate your way through vocabularies and discover the word you were looking for, or the word that best describes what you are trying to say.

When you visit a library, you might know what type of book you like to read, or what type of TV show or movie you enjoy watching, but you are often looking to discover new (or new to you) titles that are available to you in the HCTPL collection.

As you’re browsing our shelves or searching in our catalog to find what you want or need, consider all you might “discover” in the thousands of options available at your local library. Check out a few books with titles synonymous with discovery.

Discover: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz – Set in 1987 El Paso, Texas, two teenage Mexican-American boys explore what it means to find your friends and your family.

Explore: The Food Explorer

by Daniel Stone – Available in the Libby app as an e-book, this account details the travels of a botanist who introduced America to a whole new set of flavors.

Perception: Visual Intelligence

by Amy E. Herman – A total guide to seeing the world and communicating with it.

Find: Find Me

by Laura Van Den Berg – A young woman reckons with the ghosts of her past in a post-epidemic America.

Look: Looking Back

by Lois Lowry – The author of The Giver chronicles memories of her younger life.

Realize: Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One

by Raphaëlle Giordano – Popular in France, this novel details the life of a woman who seeks to break routine and find joy and fulfillment.

Learn: They Never Learn

by Layne Fargo – In this psychological thriller, an English professor is a serial killer with a vigilante twist. Available on the Libby app as an e-book and e-audiobook.