LibraryReads: February 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 February 2026 list.... 

Operation Bounce House

Matt Dinniman

(Ace)

The colonists of New Sonora have spent decades settling the land when the gate to Earth finally opens. Looking forward to a greater connection to the rest of the universe, they instead get an eviction action where bored Earthers use AI soldiers from the comfort of their homes. Oliver and his friends fight to protect the land they colonized with farm equipment and ingenuity.

—Jessi Leister, Enoch Pratt Free Library, MD

NoveList read-alike: Interstellar Mega Chefb y Lavanya Lakshiminarayan

Now the rest of the list...

Her Last Breath

Taylor Adams

(William Morrow)

Two friends get far more than they bargained for when they decide to explore a cave together in this fast-paced page turner. This unrelentingly tense read combines the heart-pounding, claustrophobic terror of navigating tight tunnels and turns with the added horrors of being stalked by a killer. Thriller fans, take note!

—Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: The Drift by C.J. Tudor

Cleopatra: A Novel

Saara El-Arifi

(Ballantine Books)

This absolutely stunning novel weaves historic facts into a love story. Readers will see Cleopatra's  life through her eyes as she ascends the throne of Egypt. They will watch the young Pharoah battle with siblings and see her fall for a love parallel to her love of country. This moving story set across time and a landscape of destruction will cut readers deep.

—Andrea Galvin, Mt. Pulaski Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff

This Is Not About Us: Fiction

Allegra Goodman

(The Dial Press)

In a series of linked stories, we follow three branches of one family as they maneuver their way around the pitfalls of living. This is a portrait of a group of people that come together, drift apart, and try to find a way back, as many families attempt to do.

—Donna Ballard, LibraryReads Ambassador, NY

NoveList read-alike: Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen

Keep of Lost Children

Sadeqa Johnson

(Simon & Schuster: 37 Ink)

Inspired by true events, this story explores the reverberating impact of the actions of an Army wife who facilitated the adoption of mixed-race babies fathered by servicemen in Germany during WWII, finding them loving homes with Black families in the United States. Perfect for book clubs or readers who enjoy uncovering lesser-known historical events.

—Lori Hench, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

NoveList read-alike: Take My Hand

by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Kin: A Novel

Tayari Jones

(Knopf)

It's amazing the different roads two lives can take, even when growing up in very similar circumstances. While the story is set long ago, the situations seem as if they could happen today. The feelings, reactions, and things the characters long for—belonging, acceptance, and love—are all timeless. Readers will be thinking about these characters for a long time.

—Robin B., Pierce County Library, WA

NoveList read-alike: Sul a by Toni Morrison

 This Book Made Me Think of You

Libby Page

(Berkley)

After Tilly's husband dies, she discovers he had purchased a dozen books for her to pick up each month from a beloved bookshop owned by Alfie. Each book brings gradual healing, new friends, and a feeling of wholeness. The books (and Alfie!) make for a truly wonderful reader experience. Your to-read pile will surely grow from the recommendations!

—Crystal Faris, Kansas City Public Library, MO

NoveList read-alike: P ack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins

Trad Wife

Saratoga Schaefer

(Crooked Lane Books)

Influencer Camille has it all: a loving husband and a dream house, as long as she obeys his word. If only she had a baby, her husband wouldn't be pulling away. But nothing happens, until she makes a wish at a demonic well. Funny yet sad, this horror novel is a commentary on social media, conservative families, and the power men try to wield over women.

—Judy G. Sebastian, Eastham Public Library, MA

NoveList read-alike: Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton

The Red Winter 

Cameron Sullivan

(Tor Books)

A (nearly) immortal, his demon, and a succubus walk into a werewolf story. The right mix of humor, heat, history, religion, and mythology combine to make this a unique and compelling queer historical

fantasy debut. (The footnotes!) Here’s hoping that there are more adventures of Professor Sebastian Grave in our future.

—Ann Finstad, Glencoe Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Halifax Hellions

Alexandra Vasti

(St. Martin's Griffin)

These twin sisters are women of some infamy, purely because they shirk the rules and conventions of the day. Margo, a whirlwind of chaos and joy, and Matilda, the more staid and artistic of the two, are witty and wonderfully drawn. Readers who like spicy Regency romance will be delighted.

—Nicole Guerra-Coon, Morrill Memorial Library, MA

NoveList read-alike: A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Board Bonus picks:

Good People: A Novel

Patmeena Sabit

(Crown)

Notable Nonfiction: 

I'll Make Me A World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month

Jarvis R. Givens

(Harper)

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.

And Now, Back to You

B.K. Borison

(Berkley)

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

Heather Fawcett

(Del Rey)

Brawler: Stories

Lauren Groff

(Riverhead)

It's Not Her

Mary Kubica

(Park Row)

When I Kill You

B.A. Paris

(St. Martin's Press)

More Than Enough: A Novel 

Anna Quindlen

(Random House)

The Astral Library

Kate Quinn

(William Morrow)

Where The Wildflowers Grow

Terah Shelton Harris

(Sourcebooks Landmark)

Becky Spratford: Library Journal Reviewer of the Year 2025

Double posts today since this finally went online and I have many days of posts already planned out. Click here to read the interview on LJ's site:

Becky Spratford | Reviewer of the Year 2025

by Melissa DeWild
Jan 14, 2026 | Filed in Reviews+

When librarian Becky Spratford isn’t busy training library staff on readers’ advisory, she’s reading and reviewing horror novels. Her love, excitement, and in-depth knowledge of and for the genre shine through her reviews and author interviews. She surfaces small gems from independent publishers, identifies potential blockbusters, and notes both appeal factors and read-alikes. She’s also excellent at capturing the experience of reading horror, describing all the ways these books captivate, unsettle, and terrify readers. I always look forward to reading her reviews.

---

‘‘There is an intensity, a breathless desperation that lurks just under the surface, giving the sense that everything that is about to happen, no matter how terrible, is inevitable and cannot be stopped.”

From Becky’s review of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

---

When did you start reviewing for LJ?

I started covering horror for LJ in 2018 when I was asked to do the genre preview. I began LJ’s stand-alone horror column in January 2020, an unfortunately well-timed moment for its debut.

What are your favorite kinds of books to review?

My favorite kinds of books to review fall into three categories. First, I love reading debuts and discovering new voices. Second, about once or twice a year a book lands in my lap to review, by an author I know nothing about; I read it with zero expectations, and then, wow, it blows me away. Third, horror can make me feel so much discomfort that I need to take a break from reading and go get a breath of fresh air, which still gives me a thrill.

What do you find most rewarding about the reviewing process?

Sharing horror with library workers who may not be a fan of it themselves but know that they need to help their readers who crave it. I write every review to the audience of its best reader. I think of the perfect reader that I would hand this book to, knowing they will love it, and channel that energy into my words. It is hard to capture the unique appeal of a book in 200 or so words, but I relish the challenge. I work hard to drop in key words or phrases that very deliberately refer to something that will happen in the book but still give nothing away to people before they read it. I often giggle to myself while writing the reviews knowing the little Easter egg I have left for future readers.

Can you share three books that you have enjoyed reviewing for LJ?

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones: the second I finished this heartbreakingly beautiful revenge novel, I knew I had read the best book of 2020. In 2021, I heard about Hailey Piper and her debut novel, Queen of Teeth, which featured a vagina monster. I was intrigued, but little did I know I would be introduced to one of horror’s brightest stars and treated to a visceral and sensual story, tackling issues of gender identity and marginalization head on, with fast-paced body horror and an awesome creature in a thought-provoking tale that was both utterly terrifying and adorably sweet, even if the end of the world may be imminent. Gabino Iglesias’s The Devil Takes You Home is another reviewing high point. This book is special for so many reasons, but what I remember is how Iglesias managed to perfectly balance brutal and graphic violence with lyrical and staggering beauty.

Resource Alert: Independent Press Bestseller List

Yesterday, I wrote about the 2025 overall book sales numbers, but that data does not tell the entire story. From a PW story here:

The Independent Publishers Caucus, a collective of 117 small and independent publishers, has announced the launch of a new weekly bestseller list in partnership with the American Booksellers Association, creating what organizers say is the first national ranking focused exclusively on independent press titles sold at independent bookstores.

Dubbed the Independent Press Top 40, the new list debuts this Wednesday and offers separate fiction and nonfiction lists of 40 titles each. The intent is to surface popular titles that are typically denied appearances on traditional bestseller lists due to the dominance of Big Five blockbusters.

The new list draws from sales rankings reported by independent bookstores to the ABA—the same methodology the ABA uses for its Indie Bestseller and regional lists—but filtered to include only independent publishers. Updated lists will be published every Thursday and will be available as PDFs and Excel spreadsheets at the IPC website, with direct links to titles on Bookshop.org.

"When you take out Amazon, when you take out the large press books, and you just have independent publishers at independent bookstores, you get this really interesting list," Dan Simon, IPC cofounder and publisher at Seven Stories Press, told PW. "It's like going to a foreign land. It's really different." 

Click through to read more about the list and why it was created.

But why is this list important us? Well there are a few reasons:

1. Bestsellers lists identify titles that readers see as "pre-approved." Why? Because the human brain says, "well if this many people spent money on this book, it must be good." Of course this is not necessarily true. And just like with a book with high checkouts, we have no idea if all of those people even read it, let alone liked it. But that doesn't matter here. If something is a "bestseller" many readers will give it a serious look.
2. Allowing more books to shine as bestsellers in their own categories means more access to titles people wouldn't find without some help. The more bestseller lists the better. Why? Because each time you break the bestseller list down into smaller categories, more titles get their chance to shine. And with our readers, we want to find a way to make the overwhelming universe of books feel a little more manageable. A bestseller list is a type of display. Amazon does this very well as they make their lists very specific, so specific that even I was a bestseller with the orange banner in multiple categories this past fall.
3. Sales to independent books stores are a good mirror of the tastes of library users. Go look at the list. These are titles you know are very popular with your readers and supporting independent book stores is something libraries can easily get behind.
4. Not everything worth buying comes out from a Big 5 publisher. I say this as a Big 5 author myself. I know we know this, but the Book Scan driven bestseller lists do not reflect this.
5. This gives you another resource to find titles you should but for your library collection. I know that some of you cannot buy a book if it did not have a review in certain sources or (if not) at least made a bestseller list. This is a great bestseller list to help you add great titles to your collections. 

You can see the lists here. Bookmark it because it will update every Wednesday.

I would consult it weekly along with the USA Today, NYT, and of course the monthly LibraryReads list which comes out tomorrow.

2025 Overall Book Sales Data

The last piece of the puzzle for me to craft my annual year in review program is now available. (Click here for a description via CA Library Learning but check your system's access to PCI Webinars.)

And that piece is the year end print book sales report. Click here to see the full list via Publishers Weekly. Please note, this is all print sales in one list with number of units sold. It is VERY important for us to see this data so that we understand exactly what sells regardless of where we would shelve it in the library.

If you subscribe to the Book Riot Newsletter you would have also received this in your inbox, breaking down the PW data:

Print book sales held steady in 2025

After peaking in 2021 with 839.7 million copies sold, print sales seem to have settled in at a new post-pandemic normal. Publishers Weekly reports total unit sales of 762.4 million in 2025, which is 0.3% higher than in 2024 but more than 9% lower than the 2021 high.

Mel Robbins’s self-help juggernaut The Let Them Theory topped charts with more than 2.8 million copies sold, followed closely by Rebecca Yarros, whose Onyx Storm moved a combined total of more than 2.7 million units across two editions, and Suzanne Collins’s latest Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping , which notched just over 2 million.

Other notable data:

👑 BookTok fave Freida McFadden takes home the crown for Most Popular, with three unique titles among the year’s top 20 bestsellers 👧 8 of the 20 bestselling titles are kids’ books 🐻 The oldest book to hit the top 20: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, originally published in 1967 💸 Bank on The Nightingale. Kristin Hannah’s four-quadrant hit, which hit shelves a full decade ago, sold nearly half-a-million copies. Also notable, though sadly unsurprising, is the utter lack of diversity among the year’s top sellers. Indeed, the last time an author of color appeared among the 20 best-selling titles of the year was 2022 (Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry). I will be using this list of bestselling books and comparing it to top library checkouts and best lists as part of my Year in Review program. Again those slides will be available to all on February 11th, but check with your library systems learning platforms to see if you will have access. I trained CT libraries yesterday and they get access. It means our 4 month contract comes with a 5th bonus trading.  One last book sales fact that PW noticed which I saved as part of my year in review resources, Bible Sale broke record sin the US and UK. Click here for the article about it. I am not sure how this will factor into my program yet, but it is definitely worth noting. More on all of this soon as I will begin building the presentation this week.

60 Small Things You (and Your Patrons) Can Do To Defend the Right to Read via Kelly Jensen

It's the second full week of 2026 and my question to you is the same one I have had for the last 5 years-- What have you been doing to fight for the freedom read in the face of increasing censorship across the entire country?

Seriously, I hope everyone reading this is doing SOMETHING to help fight censorship where they live. And don't say to me Becky, my state is doing fine, so I am good.

NOPE. This is wrong on so many levels.

First, I am in IL which was the first state to ban book bans, I was there when the bill was signed, but I also serve on the Illinois Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee, and let me tell you, we receive requests for help from library workers whose libraries are facing threats to their intellectual freedom all the time. So if you think you are "safe" where you live you are not.

Second, and this is what I spent all of 2025 discussing everywhere I went-- We need to be speaking out BEFORE there are problems. It's too late in some places, but everywhere else, why aren't you showing up to be in favor of the freedom to read at Board Meetings. Here is my keynote from the Bram Stoker Awards where I shamed every author and every viewer for NOT acting and then gave concrete info on how to go to a meeting and speak up. From that speech which you can read or watch here:

I am asking you tonight to commit to attending a meeting (or 2 or 3) of your local library board in the next few months. Even if, and especially if, they are not experiencing any book challenges. Why? Well, first, they probably are and you just don’t know it. The Federal Government is actively striping money from every public library in the nation right now. They have put the American Library Association on their “enemies” list. We library workers are in the thick of this horror novel level chaos every single day. What we need is to see the public come out and support us.

I also gave a version of this speech to a room full of publishers at an ALA Preconference. 2 people in an entire room of supposed library lovers had ever even attended a meeting of their local library board meeting and one of those was because he served as a trustee. I know many library "supporters" are not acting. 

Third, no one is "safe" from threats to our intellectual freedom in America. When anyone is being threatened, we all are. And this point is one Kelly Jensen has been making for over 5 years now. No one has done more to help fight for the Freedom to Read than Kelly Jensen. I have shared her clear action steps on the blog many times before-- click here and here for examples just from the last few months or use this link to pull up all of her literary activism pieces and censorship info roundups on Book Riot.

Even though Kelly has had many easy to adopt and follow action steps for you and ones you can pass on to your patrons, you all still aren't pulling your weight. Have you done ANYTHING? If yes, you can do more. And most importantly, have you used your library's platform to share how your community can help? 

The time for excuses is long past, but it is never too late to start acting. And to help you, Kelly has made a spreadsheet of 60 small things you can do to actively defend the freedom to read. 60 things you can also encourage your patrons to do because we get asked by the public how they can help all the time. Don't tell me you don't. I have been stopped at the grocery store, local restaurants, parties, etc... and am asked to explain what the heck is going on and how they can help. 

Please go here to read her article. Read the entire thing. And then especially pay attention to this part:

 To help with this, as the list below can be overwhelming to take in as a whole, I’ve created a Google Spreadsheet for you to use in tracking, documenting, and including any notes that might help you along the way. The document is locked, so to edit it, you’ll need to go to File, then select ‘Make a Copy’ onto your own Google Drive.

Please follow her directions. You click here to get access to the spreadsheet, but then you must go to "File" and "Make a Copy " so you can save the spreadsheet to your own Google Drive.

The 60 tasks themselves would also make a great series on your own social media or websites. Things you can share with your community throughout the year. Things everyone can do. Number 11 is one similar to what I have been advocating that people do:

Write a letter to your library board complimenting something about the work being done in your public library. Don’t overthink this. You can say you borrowed a book you loved because you saw it on display. You can say that library workers do a fantastic job of selecting material that meets the needs of your community. If you work in a library, advocate for making it easy for your users to advocate for you (examples here and here)

Please commit to 2026 being the year you finally step up and do something. And if you have already been active, make it the year you get someone else involved. There are 60 small things right at your fingertips.

What I'm Reading: January 2026 Issue of Booklist Plus Spotlight on Book Discussion Books

The January 2026 issue of Booklist is out and I have one review, but before I get to that review, I did want to mention that this issue also has the annual spotlight on book discussions. 

I love leading book discussions, and I love training library workers to be better at facilitating book discussions even more. In fact, I am providing that training program for the library workers of the state of CT next week. This current issue has three excellent lists to use to help you or your co-workers who are leading book discussions. I have added 5 years of backlist access where applicable as well. 

• Top 10 Book-Group Books 2026
• 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
• Reading and Listening Together: Print and Audio Discussion Standouts
• Top 10 Book Group Books on Audio 2026 
• 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

And if you aren't involved in book groups in anyway, please note that these lists are a great resource for your patrons who come in and ask you to help them bring their suggestions to their personal book groups and battle tested book discussion titles are also one of my favorite sure bet resources. Pro-tip: when your mind goes blank, grab a list of book discussion favorites to use as suggestions. It works every single time!

Now back to my review in the January 2026 issue. As usual I have my draft review with bonus appeal info and readalikes. 

You Have to Let Them Bleed: Stories

By Annie Neugebauer

Feb. 2026. 282p. Bad Hand, paper, $19.99  (9798988128694). 
First published January 1, 2026 (Booklist).

A woman goes to extreme lengths to see the color red, the chaos of a junk drawer leads to madness, how not washing the cilantro ends a marriage (but not in the way readers will expect), and a decidedly uncozy grandmother-grandson relationship. These are just a sampling of the disorienting and thought-provoking tales, cleverly hidden amidst mundane situations, which readers encounter in Neugebauer’s collection of 19 stories and 8 poems. Framed by psychologically unmooring poems, the author begins by letting everyone know that she is collecting “the shadowlings,” for them, but by the end, those shadowlings are directly calling out to the reader. This narrative choice combined with the range of gore and fear (from subtle to visceral) offered throughout and direct call-outs to horror masters like Shirley Jackson and Edagr Allan Poe, work to immerse all who encounter these tales in a unique and unsettling voice, one readers will want to revisit in future books. For fans of the weird, original, and thoughtfully crafted works of Kelly Link, Cassandra Khaw and Samanta Schweblin. 

Three Words That Describe This Book: disorienting, making the mundane terrifying, range of gore and fear

Further Appeal: Here are some of my notes.

Other general appeal: Thought-Provoking, Weird, unsettling (especially with her endings which can be very open-- leaves room for readers to feel the story though and then think about it), psychological horror but not without gore, unmooring, very deliberate word choices-- in a way that is still making them easy to read, but you can feel and see the writing craft here, unique, original voice, nothing goes where you think it will.

Neugebauer is a name you might not think you know, but her stories have been seen across the horror 
publishing landscape including multiple appearances in "best of" anthologies.

"The Pelt" is included and that is the story that introduced me to Neugebauer and I still love that story. But in my review I will pulled out others.

Poems serve as good interludes in between stories. Starts and ends with poems featuring "The Shadowlings" which helps to give the collection a larger structure. These stories are her shadowlings, that she collects and shares, but at the end, they are still calling to us.

Also the title of the collection sets the stage very well here.

There are stories here that directly draw off of Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allan Poe which also show part of what she is doing here in this collection-- Neugebauer is clearly invoking some great works of horror literature but also grabbing them to make them her own. She is doing it explicitly in those 2 stories, but I would argue, that every story does it. You notice it more when they are collected together.

"Redless" about a woman who goes to great lengths to see the color red is short and taught and immersive and terrifying.

"Cilantro" and "The Little Drawer Full of Chaos" are both focused domestic dramas gone, not just horribly wrong, they are that, but also they go to weird, disquieting and terrifying places. Different places but same idea

"You Ought Not Smile as You Walk These Woods" is a dark fairy tale type story. Reminded my of Cass Khaw a lot.

I am not going to leave comment for each story here. If what I have said in general intrigues you, you should grab this collection.

Bad Hand Books is a solid small press and now with larger distribution, you can easily add all of their titles to your libraries.

Readalikes: This reminded me of the stories of the three authors I called out in the review, but also, specific books: Cursed Bunny by Chung and Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Lima. And The Grip of It (novel) by Jac Jemc.

As you can see there is a wide range of readalikes here, making this a great choice for general library collections.

What I'm Reading: January 2026 Library Journal Horror Review Column

      

My January 2026 Horror Review Column is now live on the LJ site and in the current issue of the print magazine! 

In this post I have gathered the titles with my three words and links to my full draft reviews on Goodreads. Click on the titles for readalikes and more appeal information. 

I am also giving away 2 of these books to 2 winners on the Horror blog today. Click here to see that post with the rules on how to enter.  

Back to the January 2026 reviews. First this month's 2 STARS: 

• Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (two time frames, dreamlike/nightmarish, strong sense of place)
• My interview with the author also appears in this issue here.
• Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher (Bug-Body Horror combo, Gothic with teeth, strong sense of place)

And the other 6 excellent titles: 

• Trad Wife by 
  Saratoga Schaefer (
  conversational narration, influencer horror, disquieting)
• The Glowing Hours by Leila Siddiqui (Gothic, retelling, menacing)
• The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore (menacing, political intrigue, historical) 
• Dead First by Johnny Compton (Supernatural Detective Horror, Emotionally Charged, Original Monster story)
• The Midnight Muse by Jo Kaplan (cursed bands, liberal use of ephemera/foreshadowing and flashbacks, monster in the woods)
• The Body by Bethany C. Morrow (religious cult horror, secrets and trauma, supernatural thriller)
  

2026 Horror Books Preview Part 1 with Backlist Access

Right before the end of 2025, I made what has become an 2x a year appearance on ARC Party with Robb Olson and Emily Hughes. This time we did the Jan-June 2026 Horror Preview. You can watch and/or listen here.

We have been doing these in December and June every year since December 2024, previewing the entire year in 2 epic podcasts where we each highlight 2 books per month for 6 months.

Robb made this amazing playlist of 5 existing podcasts so you can pursue them all. And without my prompting Robb did this and said it is because these books don't have a shelf life, you can read them anytime. 

My backlist promoting librarian heart was filled with this comment. He is 100% correct. And of you pair our previews with Emily Hughes' much more comprehensive lists, you get a very full picture of the horror genre over the last 6 years.

Emily's lists are always accessible-- current and backlist going back to 2020-- here. From that link you can break things down by year and even month.

Emily's lists should be your first stop for all of your horror collection development needs. What you should order ahead of time. What you missed that you can go back and add. There is even some readalike information in there with titles including annotations and comps. 

We love bringing you this episode 2x a year. It is a good amount of work but we all know it is worth it. It highlights Emily's work and provides an entry into the mass of information she has gathered while also shining a spotlight on the horror genre specifically. We even talk about trends we are seeing now that we have 5 of these under our belts.

Take a peek at the list for 2026 and give our podcast a listen as you are thinking about helping your horror readers in 2026 and beyond.

Speaking of that, I will have a whole bunch of reviews (by me) of upcoming 2026 Horror from the January 2026 issues of Library Journal and Booklist to round out the week here on the blog, and a giveaway of 2 of those titles on the Horror blog. Stay tuned!

Click here to access 2026 Part 1

Reading Resolutions for 2026: Part 2-- 2026 Goals

Yesterday I began the process of posting my 2026 reading resolutions by first looking back and assessing how I did on my 2025 resolutions. You can read that post here.

Today, I using what I learned doing that exercise yesterday and adding in what I already have planned for the coming year, I present my 2026 Goals-- the ones I will hold myself to for assessment a year from now. I use the term "reading resolutions" to keep the posts as similar as possible from year to year, but really this process is more akin to goal setting. However, since my work is defined by my mission, "training library workers to help leisure readers," reading is at the center of it all.

Please remember, I post both my assessment of the year that was and the upcoming year on back-to-back days to begin each new year so that they are easy to find yes, but also I am forced to hold myself to account for it all. Because I am a big proponent of the "lead by example" leadership style, if I am advocating for you to make resolutions and then go back and assess how you did before making the next year's resolutions, I also have to do it myself.

These are my resolutions and goals for 2026. I create these for myself specifically; however, I hope you can use them to help you craft resolutions that will work best for you.

Finally, I want to make a plea to do resolutions or goals for yourself no matter how you are feeling. They do not have to be lofty. I love this post from 2022 in Book Riot, with easily achievable reading resolutions. These are no stress, and may seem silly on first glance, but I think they are great. Having something as a goal gives you direction and encouragement to keep moving forward. Small victories add up to larger advancements. 

 

Okay now on to my 5 official resolutions for 2026:

2026 Resolution: Try A Year With No Specific Reading Resolution: As I mentioned yesterday, I feel like I finally figured out how to make sure I read the books I have to read for review and still fit in the books I want to read for joy. As 2025 went on, I didn't have to try to fit in non-work books. However, I also know that thinking you figured something out is not the same of holding yourself accountable to keep it going. So instead of declaring victory, I am going to make a cautious but intentional goal about my reading by trying not not have a specific reading resolution and yet still make the commitment to assessing how well that worked (or didn't). I toyed with the idea of just not having a reading goal this year, but as everything I do is tied to reading-- both for work and pleasure-- I am not ready to abandon having this as a goal. However, I am very excited to see what happens in 2026 without a specific reading goal and am looking forward to how this pans out.

2026 Resolution: No New Training Programs: This month marks the 25th anniversary of my graduation with my MLIS. I have been out of libraries as a worker since June of 2015 and in May 2025 I left my position as a library trustee. All of this means that my ties to a physical library are officially over in 2026. I don't think that means I am not qualified to keep training libraries, but I do want to start monitoring this part of my work. How much longer will I offer training programs to libraries? I know I am closer to the end of this time than the beginning. But that is all I know for sure. I have a very busy training schedule for the first quarter of 2026. This is common for the new year. These training programs were booked back in the late Summer and Fall of 2025. I am confident in the programs I have available and in keeping them updated for the time being. However, so that I have time to pursue the next three goals, I will not be creating new programs in 2026. I will update the ones I have, but I will not create custom one off programs for anyone this year. And, I am going to try to not actively promote the training side of my work as well. I would say I get about 50% of my work via word of mouth right now. I am interested to see what I get if I do no formal promotion. Maybe that will lead to the right amount of work for me to pursue new projects or maybe it will mean I am not busy enough. I will not know until I give it a try. I do know that the next 3 goals will not happen at all if I don't take away something, and for now, this is that something.

One step I took toward this goal happened in 2025, but I think it should be mentioned here. I purposely did NOT submit a single program proposal for ALA Annual in June of 2026. This resolution has been percolating since summer and I thought this step-- planning to attend ALA Annual without submitting a single program-- was a good idea. Please note, I am doing this with intentionality and chose this year to try it because ALA Annual is in Chicago and I d not have to travel to attend. Let's see what happens and how many things I end up getting asked to do without formally applying. It is the right time to give this a try.

2026 Resolution: Dive Deeper Into New Projects: And this is what I will use some of that non-training time for in 2026. Some of these are things that I have already started. For example, last year I focused on the academic journal Robin and I are working on ( out November 2026) and the Foundation for my local library, which I am also in the beginning stages of setting up. But toward the end of 2025 I also started a formal strategic planning process for the HWA Libraries Committee with a deliberate growth strategy. That already has a timeline set to culminate in late summer. 2025 also saw me get paid for many more moderating gigs for all genres. I really love moderating conversations with authors be it one-on-one or panels. I know I do a good job because people ask me to return and do more. This is an area I could consciously grow and promote from a professional standpoint. I have proven myself to be worth the money and I like the creativity and challenge of these more spontaneous events (compared to my very methodically planned out training programs). Finally, while I knew that my book tour would be fun, I did not realize how much opportunity it opened for me to moderate more conversations and do more of my own traveling. Why I Love Horror is a book that has a long tail, I can do events for it indefinitely. I can appear with authors for events that pair my book with their releases and even other horror related activities (like the one I have planned for late January in the Boston area-- details coming soon). I am also beginning to be asked to come to book clubs. If can keep traveling to libraries and conferences just on my book, do I even need the librarian part of the equation to justify where I go? Some of this connects to the above resolution as well. Selling books at events now makes me money. These are all things I will be devoting more of my time to than the more traditional training I focused on for the last 10 years. (Note: The biggest portion of my paying work is still reading and writing reviews; that will not change)

2026 Resolution: Allow Time for the Success of 2025 To Be Thoughtfully Applied: I made a goal in 2025 to double down on myself and well, as I discussed yesterday, it worked better than I could have ever expected. But what comes next? Well at this specific moment, nothing much different. As I said above, I have a busy schedule of trainings coming up in the next few months, but after that? Doors are being opened all over the place-- which ones do I go through? I need to really think about this in a vacuum. I think change will come to me but I need to be ready to embrace or reject it with more to go on than my current vibes. I need to be in a place mentally where I can think about each opportunity and make thoughtful decisions. The most comparable moment in my life to this moment is back in 2015 when I made the decision to leave library work and focus on providing training to libraries full time. That was not a decision I made all at once, or even in the same calendar year. It came at me incrementally and required I spend serious time contemplating it from every angle. That was 10 years ago but I still remember the time and research I put into taking this step. I am using that model from 2015 to help me through this exciting and scary time in my career. 

One concrete thing I am planning to do in order to give myself the serious time to think about where I am  now and where I should go next is to set a time to take a walk each week where all I do is think about the bigger picture. I take a walk a few times a week already but often I use it to listen to books or podcasts. And I don't schedule every walk. Starting now though, I will be serious and thoughtful about this. I will put a "thinking walk" on my calendar at the start of each week and honor it like any other business appointment. 

2026 Resolution: Explore Another Major Writing Project: This is one I have to do. I refuse to just do Why I Love Horror 2. It has to be something different. It has to be something that only I could write. And maybe it isn't another book. I really have no idea. That has not stopped well meaning people from giving me ideas all the time. I am thankful for those ideas, but I do need to schedule some of the time from the resolution before this one (including some of those walks) to just think about what I want my next major writing project to be. I will not work on something that I don't believe is needed out in the world. I want to come up with what that next something is before the end of 2026 (if possible) so that I can devote 2027 to working on it. Why plan this far ahead? Well it is necessary. Take the academic journal, Robin and I agreed to this publication last year around this time-- January 2025-- and we have been working on it since March 2025. It will not be out in the world until November 2026. If there is even a chance that I will be working on another major writing project in the near future, I need to commit now to leaving 2027 open from saying yes to anything else.

And that's a wrap on my annual 2 part series on resolutions. I will have my January reviews in Booklist and Library Journal up later this week. I will also be focusing on more year in review think pieces and reports as we lead up to my February 11th year in review program for PCI. My goal is to have everything I refer to I that program also accessible with commentary here on the blog, so that you do not need to see the program in order to have some benefit form the work I am doing to take everything from 2025 in RA Service and help you move into 2026 with confidence.

Reading Resolutions for 2026: Part 1-- Assessing How I Did in 2025

Today I am back to work for 2026, and as I like I do each new year, I am kicking off 2026 on the blog with my annual 2 part Reading Resolutions posts. First up, I am looking back at the year I just completed by taking an honest assessment of how I did on my 2025 goals. 

I like to lead by example. As the author of this blog, one that I know is used by thousands of library workers all over the country as a trusted resource, I also understand that I must not only hold myself to a very high standard, but also, I need to model the behaviors I think all of you should also try.

This is why every single year, before I set out my own reading resolutions, I publicly assess my resolutions from the previous year. Here is last year's post where I kicked off my 2025 goals by assessing my 2024 resolutions.

Before you run headlong into a new year, any year, I advocate for taking a step back to assess not only the goals you set for 2025, but also taking a hard look at where the goals you set at the start of the year met reality, making those goals harder or even invalid. This is NOT an exercise in feeling bad that you didn't keep resolutions or complete goals. No one ever gets everything done.

Rather the exercise of setting goals is about learning from the past and making adjustments moving forward. I have learned this by living it. This two step process of assessment before goal setting has saved me from burn out by forcing me to look at long held practices and make real changes, changes that have improved this blog and my professional life in general. In fact, if you have not done an assessment before, I highly recommend going back and looking at mine. I just went through the past 5 years of assessments before writing this post and it made me appreciate how much this process has helped me. I can literally see my growth and improvement. It is clarifying and quite honestly, inspiring. And honestly, when you can inspire yourself, that is a win.

But even if you have never done this before, please considering starting now. It is extremely important to look back at the year that was BEFORE you plan for the year to come, otherwise you are simply making goals in a vacuum, which helps no one. I will demonstrate why this is necessary for you today by using myself as your example. You cannot learn from the past without taking a moment to reflect.

But, before I get to myself, I want to make my annual plea to NOT make resolutions about the number of books you will read in a year. Many people set goals based on a number and in my experience this is never a good idea. It makes many anxious and leads to choosing books based on how quickly you can finish them. It is quality not quantity. Sometimes a book that takes you a month to finish will help you more [whether professionally or personally because it nourished your soul] than 5 that you could have rushed through in that same time frame. I have more to say on this topic here. 

Do what you want, of course, but that is my opinion on this issue.

Now on to the leading by example part. Here is the full post where I laid out my 2025 Resolutions with details. As a reminder those resolutions were:

2025 Resolutions: Read More Nonfiction

2025 Resolution: Update My Signature Presentation

2025 Resolution: Actively Promote Others Who Can Do This Work

2025 Resolution: Start Officially Training Trustees

2025 Resolution: Begin To Think Bigger

Now as I aways do, I will take all 5 goals together and assess what I did well and what I need to work on.

What Went Well:

• As I mentioned in my post to end 2025 here, I have figured out how to make sure I am reading more widely and especially in the genres I enjoy for fun. The key for me is the listen to the books I am reading for enjoyment since all the books I read for review (work) are in print. I easily read more nonfiction this year because of this. Like a lot of goals, this one was around for a few years and I figured out more about myself by intentionally trying to hit the goal. And the results of this goal will make a return tomorrow in my 2026 goals as well.
• I did make some big changes to my signature presentation in what I emphasize, the examples I use, and how I go about delivering it. I think it is a better experience for all who are a part of the training especially those in person. I already have a handful of chances to keep this momentum going in early 2026 as well.
• I have worked to help other trainers expand their programs and helped them to find more jobs. Librarians in adult, schools, and children's. I also have continued to mentor a newer library director as well as my more informal mentoring of those who reach out for advice. While I will not make this a goal next year, 2025 definitely marked the point in my career when I went from saying yes to all the training jobs to thinking about who else could do them just as well as me and maybe even better.
• Well thinking bigger kinda exploded. I never thought my book would do as well as it has. I thought it would be popular with the people I knew. I did not anticipate how big the book tour would be, or how many people came for me and not just to meet the famous authors (there were many for the authors, don't get me wrong). I did not think would be in almost every Barnes and Noble -- that part has been weird. I was in People Magazine (online) and in the Wall Street Journal. The cover reveal was on CrimeReads. I have signed a contract for Spain to release an edition and a specialty version is in the works. And I definitely never thought an honor like Chicagoan of the Year for Books was something I would even be considered for. This is on top of the work I have done to start a foundation at La Grange Library (still on-going) and co-edit an Academic Journal with Robin (articles are beginning to roll in). I have moved very far outside of my normal library consultant lanes faster and it a wider swing than I would have thought possible 12 months ago. I am happy about this, but as I will mention below, I need to be cautious about how it affects me. 

What I Still Need to Work On:

• Spending the year trying to promote others to take on some of my training work and updating my RA for All presentation has led to new questions for me and my work. How much longer do I want to be doing this training thing. As I get further removed from working in a library, and the world in which I have influence expands, I do not know how my presentations to library workers on RA will fit in going forward.
• I had to abandon training trustees due to giving my book tour the time and space it deserved. And I think being over half a year removed from my 24 years as a trustee has made me LESS inclined to train trustees. I will say it also helps that the state of IL is doubling down on mandatory trustee training as the rule, not the exception, so I know others are already trying to make that happen. I am fine letting others step in. This is a great example of a goal that was there for me to explore but in the end, it is better for me to abandon it than pursue it. Others can do this better and with more enthusiasm.
• I am thinking about not setting a reading goal for the first time in a long time. But if I do that, I might need to add something that makes sure I check in with myself. In many ways this seems like such an unimportant goal to worry about and yet, I know it actually is very important both to me  as a professional in the book world and as a human who loves reading. And since I think I unlocked the problem this year, I 100% need to hold myself accountable there.It easy to declare victory, but it is much harder to keep the success going without conflict.
• In a similar vein, while my commitment to "thinking bigger" in 2025 paid off in ways I never could have imagined, I do not want my success in 2025 to lead to me making decisions that move me too far into a direction I might not be ready to go yet or even want to go. This is an example of when success without contemplation of what the success means could be a bad thing. I am going to cautiously test new waters in 2026 and continue to see if how I feel about making some larger changes in the future, but I need to take baby steps.

Okay, that's a wrap on 2025's goals and how I did. Back tomorrow with 2026's goals.