A statewide summer reading experience

Read ME is the MHC’s statewide community read offered in partnership with Maine State Library and Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. Every summer, the program gets Maine adults all reading two books recommended by a well-known Maine author. 

Hosted by public libraries all across the state, Read ME connects Maine’s adult reading community through shared experiences, supports Maine libraries in their work to provide quality adult summer reading initiatives, and elevates the work of upcoming Maine authors. 

Announcing Jaed Coffin

2024 Recommending Author

Jaed Coffin is the author of the memoirs A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants and Roughhouse Friday. His essays and stories have been featured in the New York Times, The Sun Magazine, Snap Judgment, Moth Radio Hour, Best American Travel Writing, and TED Channel. A contributing editor at Down East magazine, he teaches journalism and creative writing at the University of New Hampshire and has spoken at over twenty colleges and universities. He lives in his hometown of Brunswick with his wife and two daughters. 

Coffin’s selections for our 2024 statewide summer read will be announced in January with library registration opening in February.

2023 Books

This debut novel from Meghan Gilliss is a brilliant and heartbreaking story about addiction, doubt, marriage, motherhood, and learning to see in the dark.

Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection from Morgan Talty about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy.

Bring Read Me to your library

Over 60 libraries participated in Read ME 2022. Join us again this summer. 

Read ME is structured to enable even the smallest, most rural libraries to participate. All that’s required is a commitment to making each of the featured titles available to their patrons.

Past SUmmer

Author Talks

Attend an Event

No Events scheduled for Read ME

TOOLKIT

Everything you need to convene your community for Read Me.

Latest News

Sep 20, 2023
Announcing Jaed Coffin as Recommending Author for Read ME 2024Coffin’s…
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Mar 13, 2023
Announcing the Featured Books for Summer 2023!Recommending Author Colin Woodard…
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Sep 12, 2022
MWPA is partnering on MHC’s statewide community readStarting this year,…
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Sep 12, 2022
Colin Woodard chosen as recommending author for Read ME 2023Colin…
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