LibraryReads: August 2025

      

 It's LibraryReads day and that means four things here on RA for All

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
4. Every upcoming book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. 

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

Now let's get to the August 2025 list.... 

Automatic Noodle

Annalee Newitz

(Tordotcom)

This refreshingly sweet and short tale is about a group of AI robots who band together in friendship to support each other—and along the way they open a wonderful little restaurant for the humans who survived a devastating war. This novel is the hopeful kind of science fiction we need right now.

—Diana Tixier Herald, LibraryReads Ambassador

NoveList read-alike: Al l Systems Redby Martha Wells

Now for the rest of the August 2025 list!

The Battle of the Bookshops       

Poppy Alexander

Avon

This charming literary-themed novel is about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt’s beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition—which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family’s rivals. This is a great read for those who enjoy enemies-to- lovers romance.

—Karen Troutman, LibraryReads Ambassador

NoveList read-alike: Love to Hate You by Marina Adair

 

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold  

Ally Carter 

Avon    

Two former covert agents wake up handcuffed in a shed, then start a globe-trotting trip down memory lane as they escape and try to figure out who's behind itall and what they want. This fast-paced, bantery rivals-

to- overs, second-chance romcom adventure works as a sequel and companion to The Blonde Identity.

—Julie Graham, Yakima Valley Libraries, WA

NoveList read-alike: It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier

What Hunger 

Catherine Dang      

Simon & Schuster

This gripping coming-of-age horror novel follows Ronny, who's entering high school when tragedy strikes her family. This is followed by an assault that alters her world. Forced to move forward, she must navigate the complexities of family life and a new school while carrying the weight of her trauma.

—Dominique Brown, Tinley Park Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: T he L ambby Lucy Rose 

The Wrong Sister       

Claire Douglas    

Harper Perennial

Alice and her husband Kyle are watching her sister Tasha’s children when the worst happens: they are attacked, leaving Alice in intensive care and Kyle dead. Was the target actually Tasha? This novel is full of suspense and secrets, and has great twists that will leave readers guessing.

—Magan Szwarek, LibraryReads Ambassador

NoveList read-alike: Our House by Louise Candlish

   

The Locked Ward   

Sarah Pekkanen    

St. Martin's Press 

Georgia has been accused of murdering her sister, and her adoptive parents have her locked in a psych ward. The only person she asks to see is her biological twin, who she has never met.The twists and turns will have readers breathlessly rushing through the final pages.

—Kaite Mediatore Stover, Kansas City Public Library, MO

NoveList read-alike: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

The Magician of Tiger Castle       

Louis Sachar

Ace

Anatole is a hairless magician tasked with getting the princess to fall out of love with Pito, a lowborn scribe, so she can proceed with her arranged marriage to a prince. A cozy fantasy novel brimming with Sachar's classic humor.

—Michelle Morris, Fort Worth Public LIbrary, TX

NoveList read-alike: Kill the Farm Boy by Kevin Hearne and Delilah S. Dawson

How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of The Catholic Church's Biggest Names   

Kate Sidley

Sourcebooks

Readers will love the gruesome, weird, and goofy stories while they learn about Catholic miracles, martyrs, and traditions. With lively humor, Sibley covers the lives of saints, Medieval European history, and the past and current process of canonization.

—Migdalia Jimenez, Chicago Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: 100 Places to Visit After You Die by Ken Jennings

Lucky Day       

Chuck Tingle

Tor Nightfire  

Vera's life was perfect until a catastrophe so gruesome and unlikely that it resembled something out of a horror movie hit, causing her to question everything. Readers follow Vera as she is recruited by a secret

government agency to help make sense of the events of that day four years ago and reset the scales of fate.

—William Ives, La Crosse Public Library, WI

NoveList read-alike: Dr . No by Percival Everett

The Dead Husband Cookbook       

Danielle Valentine

Sourcebooks Landmark    

Maria's husband disappeared nearly 30 years ago, and now she's ready to tell her story. Enter Thea, an editor on the brink of career collapse. Arriving at Maria's country farm in an odd arrangement of secrecy, Thea will have to pick through Maria's story in order to save her career. A fun, fast read.

—Andrea Galvin, Mt. Pulaski Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: Jul ie T udor Is Not a Psychopathby Jennifer Holdich

Board Bonus picks:

The Book of Lost Hours   

Hayley Gelfuso

Atria Books    

Notable Nonfiction: 

Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization

Tim Queeney

St. Martin's Press

See our social media for annotations of the bonus picks

Click here to see the entire Hall of Fame

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the Hall of Fame authors organized in alpha order.

The Possession of Alba Díaz 

Isabel Cañas

Berkley  

   

Zomromcom

Olivia Dade     

Berkley       

Too Old for This

Samantha Downing         

Berkley    

Well, Actually    

Mazey Eddings    

St. Martin's Griffin   

Five Found Dead   

Sulari Gentill  

Poisoned Pen Press   

Hemlock & Silver        

T. Kingfisher

Tor Books    

Katabasis  

R. F. Kuang   

Harper Voyager    

We Are All Guilty Here: A Novel    

Karin Slaughter, 

William Morrow    

Forget Me Not  

Stacy Willingham

Minotaur Books