LibraryReads: January 2026

    

 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 January 2026 list.... 

Is This a Cry for Help

Emily Austin

(Atria Books)

After she learns of the death of her ex-boyfriend, librarian Darcy has a mental breakdown and takes a leave from her job at a public library. With time, therapy, and support from her wife, Darcy returns to work while coping with guilt and book-banning protests. This reflective, heartwarming, and character-driven read delves into grief and identity with care and humor.

—Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, MI

NoveList read-alike: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

Now the rest of the list...

Bell, A. D.    

The Bookbinder's Secret    

St. Martin's Press    

Lily is in limbo. She loves books and her binding trade, but her father is distant and her employer seems not to value her. Her life is turned upside down when she is given a burned book and the secrets it holds. This is truly a wonderful read full of mystery, love, and intrigue.  

 

-- Susan Willis, Chanute Public Library, KS 

NoveList read-alike: The Binding by Bridget Collins

Cobb, May    

All the Little Houses    

Sourcebooks Landmark    

Cobb’s latest gasp-out-loud read doesn’t disappoint, bringing readers back to the East Texas town of Longview, where wealth, booze, secrets, sex, and very bad—some might even say murderous—behavior abound. Readers will not be able to take their eyes off this propulsive thriller.     

-- Carol Ann Tack, Merrick Library, NY

NoveList read-alike: The Empress of Cooke County by Elizabeth Bass Parman

Elston, Ashley    

Anatomy of an Alibi: A Novel   

Pamela Dorman Books

This is a tale of two women: Wealthy Camille is living the high life, while Aubrey works as a bartender. Who is telling the truth? An unhappy marriage, skeletons in the closet, and a murdered husband make this a story worth reading!    

-- Jo Hic, Phillips Public Library, WI  

NoveList read-alike: T he Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Everhart, Donna    

Women of a Promiscuous Nature        

Kensington   

In this stunning character-driven novel set in the 1940s, Everhart introduces the inmates and staff of the Industrial Farm Colony for Women. As readers are drawn into the life of the Colony, the lofty goals as well as the terrible cruelty and injustice of the place are slowly revealed. Highly recommended.

-- Vicki Nesting, St. Charles Parish Library, LA

NoveList read-alike: T he Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church

 Hannah, Sophie   

No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done    

Sourcebooks Landmark   

In this satirical book-within-a-book, the Lamberts’ dog, Champ, accused of biting the neighbor’s daughter. The eccentric pet-obsessed matriarch Sally refuses to believe this, so the family goes on the run with Champ in tow. Twisty and puzzling.

-- Magan Szwarek, LibraryReads Ambassador, IL

NoveList read-alike: Cat Fight by Kit Conway

Mara, Andrea    

It Should Have Been You: A Novel   

Pamela Dorman Books   

  

When a woman accidentally sends a private message meant for her sisters to the entire neighborhood group chat, the ensuing chain of events exposes secrets and causes deadly anguishThis book was a wild ride that will captivate readers from the first page.

-- Debbie Frizzell, Johnson County Library, KS

NoveList read-alike: You Deserve to Know by Aggie Bloom Thompson

McConigley, Nina   

How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder: A Novel    

Pantheon

When their uncle arrives from India, two sisters' adjustment to a dual culture life in small-town Wyoming in the mid-1980s becomes complicated. This debut hits on touchy subjects with grace, as the sisters choose to fight instead of being silent victims. Those of us who spent many hours at teen sleepovers will also delight in the nostalgia scattered amidst the actual crime and justice served.

-- Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX

NoveList read-alike: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithewaite

Saunders, George   

Vigil: A Novel

Random House       

Saunders knows how to capture the essence of life in a story all about death. This climate story effectively hammers home that climate change affects everyone and everything irreparably, but we must also carry on. This message is wrapped in a Christmas Carol package about a ghost ushering a greedy, selfish man into the afterlife.

-- Sabrina Unrein, Mahwah Public Library, NJ

NoveList read-alike: T he Apology by Jimin Han

 Sotto Yambao, Samantha    

The Elsewhere Express: A Novel     

Del Rey

This enchanting, whimsical fantasy is a warm hug for the soul. A magical train that appears to those who are lost is absolutely charming, and creativity shines in the descriptions of the train's wondrous cars, from lily-pad picnics to jellyfish swimming through clouds. A journey not just through a magical world, but also of self-discovery, hope, and finding one's sense of purpose.

-- Lee V., New York Public Library, NY

NoveList read-alike: The Rainfall Market by Yeong Gwang You

Board Bonus picks:

The Poet Empress

Shen Tao

(Bramble) 

Notable Nonfiction: 

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History and America's Black Botanical Legacy

Beronda L. Montgom

(Henry Holt and Co)

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. Please note, the current year's Hall of Fame lists are pulled out at the top of the page.

Butcher, Jim    

Twelve Months        

Ace    

Dave, Laura    

The First Time I Saw Him        

Scribner      

 

Feeney, Alice    

My Husband's Wife   

Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar      

Hawkins, Rachel    

The Storm

St. Martin's Press    

McFadden, Freida    

Dear Debbie        

Poisoned Pen Press    

McGuire, Seanan    

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold        

Tordotcom    

9781250339409    

1/6/2026  

McLain, Paula    

Skylark: A Novel   

Atria   

Murphy, Julie and Sierra Simone   

Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl

Avon    

St. James, Simone    

A Box Full of Darkness        

Berkley    

Segura, Jo    

The Lust Crusade      

Berkley                

Umrigar, Thrity    

Missing Sam    

Algonquin Books    

Winstead, Ashley    

The Future Saints  

Atria Books   

Revisiting My Most Popular Posts of 2025: A Roundup with Links

As we creep closer to the end of the year, I like to look back on the most popular posts on the blog from 2025.

Before I share the posts, I want to thank you all for staying with me all these years. I had over 1.41 million views in 2025 (still counting). I have had over 5.6 million views all time (since August of 2007). Each year I have had more than the year before. On days when I think I have nothing to share, knowing that all of you read this blog and count on it to help you help your readers is what keeps me going.

Yesterday I shared my most popular guest post of 2025. Today, I am moving on to revisit the posts I wrote in the last 12 month that resonated the most with all of you.

First I want to start with the Just Say No to AI series I started this year. Those posts were all up in the top 10. You can pull up the whole series here. The most popular of those posts (and in the top 2 of my posts this year) was the one that started the series:

Just Say No To AI: Add the F Word to Your Searches and Google's AI "Insights" Disappear.

Here is the thing though, that post and others like mine getting out there with this info led to Google stopping this from working. Sigh. I mean, yaya that we got the word out, but boo that Google also listened. I already have more Just Say No to AI posts planned for the new year.

Back in February I wrote about why Dark Romance is so popular and gave you links to help you get your displays and lists ready to help patrons. 

Right at the end of December though (almost exactly 12 months ago), I had a post that got many clicks over the course of this year, some of that is because I reminded you multiple times throughout 2025 hat I wanted this to be all of our goals for 2025.

We are Terrible at Communicating Who We Are, What We Do, and Why-- Make a Commitment to Do Better in 2025

We are still not there in terms of this goal, but I hope you return to this post as the year ends and think about how you did in 2025 and make a plan for 2026. This is not a goal we can reach and be done with it; this is something we need to prioritize each and every year, even when things are going well.  As I say in the post:

To that end, I want all of you to take a moment as we move from one year to the next and really think about how you are going to communicate your worth and articulate exactly what we do throughout 2025. I want you to start speaking out about how great we are BEFORE people try to attack you. I want you to do it in 2025 but then keep doing it, on a regular basis going forward.

Library workers too often are uncomfortable bragging about themselves (best case) or are afraid to sp-eak out for fear of retaliation by book banners (worst case).

To this I say-- GET OVER IT.

We have not prioritized telling our story. We have ALWAYS let others define us. And when we do try to advocate for ourselves we do stupid things like tell people are services are free. THEY ARE NOT FREE. EVERYONE HAS PRE-PAID FOR THEM.

I give you links to articles that will help you craft your story. I really do hope we keep this goal going into 2026.

Now on the the most popular post, one that defined the second half of my year:

Why I Love Horror: The Book Tour-- Coming to a Library and a Computer and a Podcast Near You

This year was a whirl wind for me as I severed my official ties with a public library (left the library board after 24 years as an elected trustee) and jumped head first into being an author of books for the general reading public.

At every stop, in person or virtual, I brought the work of all of us library worker to a wider audience. And I still have plans to do more in 2026 including an appearance with Paul Tremblay, John Langan and Eric LaRocca in the Boston area on 1/31 (details soon). The great thing about this book is that it is evergreen. I can be out there promoting it for years to come. And I plan to do that.

Along the way this Fall, I met readers, library workers, new writers, and horror fans. I will always be grateful that this book resonated with people. I heard over and over again how important this book was to fans for themselves and to share with their family and friends to explain why horror means so much to them. I also heard from many people who knew about the authors in my book but were not sure if they would like their books, but by trying these authors on for size through their essays, they are ready to fully embrace horror.

And of course a HUGE thank you to the authors from the book who joined me along the way-- Rachel (3x), Clay (3x), Grady (2x), Sadie, Alma, Victor, Cynthia, and Hailey. We had a lot of fun and I know we introduced everyone to new authors. One of my favorite memories is from Westport, CT when Rachel matched all of our books with their corresponding Starbucks order. Or when Clay scared the entire audience at the Twisted Spine. Oh also when Victor said the working title of his new vampire novel set during the 1980s is "Crackula." You can relive all of these events and even see Rachel's "coffee alikes" at that post here.

And of course, thank you to the team at Saga for trusting me, for spending the time and money to get this book out into the world, for promoting it, for celebrating me in person in NYC, and just everything it takes to get a book into the world. 

I will have even more to say about this journey and the places it has taken me before the end of the year and of course in my posts to start the year as I always look back on the year that was before presenting my goals for the year to come, but for now, just know that I appreciate all of the support. 

It is not an exaggeration to say I could not have done this without all of you, the library workers on the ground putting books in people's hands every day. This book was dedicated to 4 specific library workers, but it is in honor of all of you. 

So thank you for following me here on the blog every day, thank you for buying my book (Saga had to restock Ingram a few times already), thank you for voting for me to make the September LibraryReads list, but most importantly, thank you for helping your readers (horror and otherwise) all year long.

Revisiting My Most Popular Guest Post of 2025: Library Staff Are Not Superheroes: by Robin Bradford

As we creep closer to the end of the year, I like to look back on the most popular posts on the blog, highlighting what you found the most connect with.

Before I share a specific post, I want to thank you all for staying with me all these years. I had over 1.41 million views in 2025 (still counting). 

Today I have 2025's most popular post written by someone other than me. Itt was by Robin Bradford, originally posted on January 13, 2025 here and below.

Library Staff Are Not Superheroes: a Guest Post by Robin Bradford

Just before the new year, Robin and I were chatting and she sent me this text: "Can I come to a guest post on our blog that libraries are NOT heroes?!?." I immediately wrote back "YES," with the full knowledge that she was only half joking and the understanding that if I told her I wanted it, she would actually do it. 

And as you can see, I was correct. So I present, "Library Staff Are Not Superheroes" by Robin Bradford with a meme created by her as well. This post is important. Please read, but also pass on. It needs to spread further than RA and Collection Development circles. Thanks in advance from Robin and me.

Meme by Robin Bradford

Library staff are not superheroes. They’re not magical, or extraordinary, or phenomenal. It’s flattering to be thought of this way, to be sure. Who doesn’t want to be seen as fighting for truth, justice, and the American way? A book for every reader, and every reader its book! There are 2 problems with hanging this burden on library staff

First problem, library staff are not superhuman. They are people who work for money. Money that pays the rent or mortgage. It pays for the utilities, and food, and transportation. If they’re lucky it pays for holiday gifts, and childcare, and evenings out, and conferences, and (ironically) books, and other things that bring joy to everyday life. No one is getting rich off of library work, but, like any other full-time job, it should pay a living wage at every level. Library work is underpaid across the country, and probably beyond, and that isn’t helped by insinuating that library staff are working for things like “the love of the work” or that they are “superheroes.” It is possible that library staff DO love their work. Many do, but not all. But what they all want is to be paid a wage that supports their life. And that’s before we get into the security issues, or the mission expansion without the accompanying staff expansion. “Do more with less” has been a library motto for years, and eventually people burn out. Do you know why? Because they are not superheroes. Library staff often perform superhuman *feats* that don’t quite equate to the mother getting a surge of adrenaline to lift a car off her child, but even in urban legends, that mother lifts the car off her kid just the one time. It isn’t something she has to do every single day! And it’s only her own kid that gives her that boost of adrenaline, not every kid in the neighborhood. Library staff certainly aren’t the only group of workers who do work that is socially, but not monetarily, applauded. So let’s applaud by recognizing that the work they do is damn hard, as well as damn important, and they don’t have the benefit of superpowers to get them through the workweek. 

Second problem: not all library staff are created equal. Not all library staff believe in the intellectual freedom espoused by the profession. Not all library staff believe people should be able to see themselves on the shelves. Not all library staff believe in promoting books by authors, or featuring characters, that look, act, think, worship, or love differently than what the library staff member is familiar and/or comfortable with. You think this is inherent in the profession and it comes with the job, but it does not. There are plenty of library staff who would prefer to limit availability to some books. There may even be some joining or advising those groups you hear about so they know just how to go about making inroads in the community. There are library staff members who are removing books from certain sections of the library, or from the library altogether, because they are afraid of objections from community members. There are library staff members who are refusing to buy books uplifting marginalized communities at all. Library staff are not all the same. 

So painting us all with the broad superhero brush is flattering, but unhelpful because we need to be held to account. When libraries have books and/or programs that promote a diverse and progressive world, it can’t be written off as expected. It is, often, extraordinary. Send off a quick email to the library about how glad you are to see such books on the shelves and how you want more of it. Make a big deal out of it because it might, in fact, be a big deal! You never know the fight that had to happen for that book to be purchased or displayed. And if you are not seeing those things, send an email asking where they are. Let it be known that you expect the library to reflect the world and you notice how narrow the worldview is on the shelves. 

Libraries are a wonderful community resource, but they are not mythical entities. They are real, they require real money to provide the services people enjoy, and the people who work in them both deserve to be fairly compensated for the jobs they do. And when they fall behind in providing services that represent a diversity of voices, the community must insist they change course and hold them to it.  

After all, we’re only human.