Tabla de contenidos para Booklist, Vol. 121, No. 15/16, April 2025 en Booklist

The Ageless Brain: How to Sharpen and Protect Your Mind for a Lifetime. By Dale E. Bredesen. Apr. 2025. 384p. Flatiron, $29.99 (9781250362599); e-book (9781250376367). 612.82. Who doesn’t want a youthful, functional brain for life? Medical doctor Bredesen shares his ideas for how people can retain their mental power for more than 100 years. As the healthy-living evangelist notes, “The prospect of life without a sound mind is rightfully terrifying.” The good news—humans are not doomed to lose their ability to speak, read, learn, remember, and reason. To reverse cognitive decline, they can take steps like avoiding weight gain (obesity has been linked to brain atrophy). They can also be aware that red-eye flights, difficult relationships, surgical procedures, and loud sounds contribute to stress. Sugar, “a poison,” also accelerates aging,…

All the Perfect Days. By Michael Thompson. May 2025. 352p. Sourcebooks/Landmark, paper, $17.99 (9781728265834); e-book (9781728265858). A physician in a sleepy English town, Charlie is used to the pattern of office visits: listening to patients’ complaints, discussing treatments, and offering some tired platitudes while enduring well-meaning chitchat about the weather. After Charlie experiences a series of odd sensations during patient visits, resisting the urge to diagnose himself with an aneurysm or brain tumor, he discovers he can see the exact number of days a patient has left to live—a gift that quickly becomes a curse. In the midst of figuring out how to handle this new diagnostic tool, Charlie’s life is upended by an ex-girlfriend’s return to town. In this new twist on a classic ethical dilemma, Thompson (How to…

Organizations and institutions that protect public health are essential to communities big and small. From vaccination programs to food standards to workplace safety, doctors, scientists, researchers, and policymakers have endeavored to enshrine guidelines and regulations to keep communities safe and healthy. The following titles, for a range of audiences, describe the sometimes gruesome and deadly conditions and circumstances that public-health programs were established to remedy, as well as the tireless, often thankless work that made them happen. Older Bubonic Panic: When Plague Invaded America. By Gail Jarrow. 2016. Astra/Calkins Creek, $18.95 (9781620917381). Gr. 6–9. A plague outbreak in early twentieth-century San Francisco, primarily Chinatown, is the focus of Jarrow’s comprehensive volume, which begins with a history of the infectious disease before moving on to describe how prejudice against Asian Americans…

For most libraries, the summer-reading program is the cornerstone of all the programming for the year. The excitement and energy of the program make it an essential part of the library’s identity during those warmer months. It can be daunting for library staff, especially when managing so many moving parts, to keep things running smoothly while engaging the community. How can you approach summer reading in a way that accomplishes your goals without leaving staff mere husks of their former selves? The answer lies in thoughtful planning, creativity, and ensuring that fun and joy remain at the heart of it all. First and foremost, make it fun. Summer should be a time to bring people into the library for more than just books. While reading is at the core of…

Summer reading bingo is for audiobooks, too! For many of the squares on the facing page, full lists of recommendations are available from previous Booklist issues in our online archives. Search the new and improved Booklist website (booklistonline.com) for the month specified to find the list you seek. For the trickier categories, we suggest you start with these standouts from recent years. Audio Makes It Easy Easier These titles are notoriously difficult to read in print, but listening on audio can help demystify these stellar novels and play. Finnegans Wake. By James Joyce. Read by Barry McGovern and Marcella Riordan. 2021. 29hr. Naxos, DD (9781781983669). Lincoln in the Bardo. By George Saunders. Read by a full cast. 2017. 7.5hr. Books on Tape, CD, $35 (9780553397598). Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.…

Trans resistance is a powerful antidote to rising anti-trans legislation and book bans targeting trans stories. One effective method of resistance is storytelling: sharing tales that hold a mirror up to trans readers’ lives, offering kinship and comfort. For all readers, these stories offer a humanizing window into a dangerously marginalized group. The books detailed below all center trans characters and will ignite a spark of hope, which is a powerful component of dissent. American Hippo. By Sarah Gailey. 2018. Tor.com, $17.99 (9781250176431). In this version of the United States, the government introduced hippos en masse to Louisiana as an alternative meat source and Winslow Houndstooth, along with his talented crew, are hired to take back the waterways from the feral beasts. This work of alternative historical fiction is a…

What do folks really want to read in order to capture that summer feeling? What kinds of stories will help them relax? It’s different for every reader—some like thrills, some like to chill; some like a dishy tale, some like hard facts—so you can either throw options at the wall to see what sticks, or follow our slightly (only slightly) more organized guidance. These beach-read suggestions are laid out by category, and within each category is a melange of suggestions to help you reach a wide range of readers, no matter their reading preferences. Beyond WWII WWII tales continue to dominate the historical-fiction market, but these novels reach beyond that popular period, featuring a circle of American women in 1960s Saigon, a family enduring the Tulsa Race Massacre, the building…

Whether students love them or hate them, summer reading lists are an enduring part of the school experience. Teens and tweens balking at spending their summers reading typical classroom novels might be gratified to find there’s a vast world of graphic adaptations available. While there’s no replacing reading the original, these graphic novels can ease the way into the stories and deepen readers’ understanding with thoughtful perspectives and evocative artwork. Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel. By George Orwell and Odyr. Art by Odyr. 2019. Clarion, $22 (9780358093152). Gr. 9–12. Orwell’s allegory about abuses of power is a classroom staple, and this effective and affecting graphic adaptation helps emphasize its key themes and concepts in lush, painterly artwork. Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation. By Ari Folman. Art by David Polonsky.…

Older Readers From Silence to Solidarity: The Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights. By Emily Starbuck Gerson. 2025. 64p. illus. Lerner, lib. ed., $34.65 (9798765627198). Gr. 7–12. 323.3264. This offering from the Spotlight on Social Justice series (4 titles) centers on the history and current challenges of LGBTQ+ rights. Primarily focusing on North America and Western society, this volume introduces identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella and moves through recent history (starting in the 1800s), each chapter focusing on a different time period and the slow progression of rights for LGBTQ+ people. The work does a nice job of recognizing the pioneers of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the efforts of those with intersectional identities, though at one point somewhat conflates drag with trans identity. Nevertheless, this is a solid primer on the…

The following nonfiction series, both new and continuing, markthe season’s newest releases available in Spanish. New Series Animales superincreíbles (Super-Incredible Animals). Black Rabbit. Individual titles, lib. ed., $24.95. Gr. 3–5. (8 titles) Biografías de estrellas fáciles (Easy Star Biographies). Mitchell Lane/EZ Readers. Individual titles, lib. ed., $28.57. PreS–Gr. 1. (4 titles) Camiones en acción (Trucks at Work). ABDO/Kids Junior. Individual titles, lib. ed., $32.79. PreS–Gr. 2. (6 titles) Creative Sports: Campeones de la NBA (Creative Sports: NBA Champions). The Creative Company/Creative Education. Individual titles, lib. ed., $24.95. Gr. 4–8. (20 titles) La crisis climática (The Climate Crisis). Lerner/Graphic Universe. Individual titles, lib. ed., $33.32. Gr. 3–6. (6 titles) Cuentos de hadas clásicos con un giro (Classic Fairy Tales with a Twist). Seahorse/Mermaid. Individual titles, lib. ed., $29.27. Gr. 2–5. (6…

Too often, depictions of disability are limited to those obvious and visible to the general public, such as distinct physical differences from what we perceive as “average.” But disability is far more diverse than what we can see: invisible disabilities are just as varied and distinct, from neurodiverse experiences with autism, psychosis, and OCD to less apparent physical disabilities like seizure disorders, chronic fatigue, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In the following titles, characters with invisible disabilities offer a wide array of nuanced representation and honest complexity, as well as a commendable amount of joy. Middle Readers Aniana del Mar Jumps In. By Jasminne Mendez. 2023. 384p. Dial, $17.99 (9780593531815). Gr. 4–8. After receiving a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Aniana is forbidden from swimming by her anxious mami. However, her doctor…

It’s undeniable: self-help readers love audiobooks. Audiobooks appeal to readers who have limited time for traditional reading. This is a common situation for those seeking pathways to self-improvement. Much of the time, title selection for self-help is driven by an author’s popularity and social media platform, so when authors narrate their own self-help audiobooks, listeners feel an increased connection to and inspiration from their personal-enrichment idols. For these reasons, popular-materials libraries should ensure that they have an ample selection of both new and classic self-help and wellness titles on audio. This year’s Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace by the rapper and mental-health advocate Big Sean is an example of a self-help and wellness audiobook with demand driven by its author and narrator but that can…

Caring for loved ones struggling with disease, advanced age, or both takes a toll, as do so many aspects of life. These candid, informative, practical, and inspiring memoirs and guides address the demands on caregivers and the need for self-care for everyone. Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America. By Kate Washington. 2021. Beacon, $24.95 (9780807011508). Washington chronicles the exhausting caregiving stint she took on when her husband was diagnosed with lymphoma, then widens the lens to consider the challenges faced by caregivers and call for new and improved caregiver-centered government, employer, medical, and insurance policies. First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream. By Jessica Hoppe. 2024. Flatiron, $29.99 (9781250865229). Hoppe, a high-fashion-focused social media influencer, delves into her family’s traumas, how such hardships…

These books are recommended by BlueInk Review, a fee-based review service. Every month, BlueInk will compile a list of their favorite self-published titles for Booklist, as a service to librarians hoping to incorporate self-published work into their collections. BlueInk was founded by Patti Thorn, former book review editor of Denver’s Rocky Mountain News, and Patricia Moosbrugger, a literary agent who represents several best-selling authors. The company delivers professional, unbiased reviews of self-published books written by critics drawn largely from major mainstream publications and by editors from prominent publishing houses. Stars reflect the decisions of BlueInk reviewers and editors. Booklist is happy to bring this curated collection of the best in self-publishing for adults and youth to our audience. Adult Bellosio: An Age of Miracles.  By John F. Shekleton. 2024. 484p.…

Redemption stories are powerful. It’s an appealing theme, the notion that we can mess up spectacularly yet, in the end, it will all work out. These novels feature second chances in life, in relationships, and in love, at all ages. Read on and be comforted that even your all-too-human human foibles can be forgiven. The Anatomy of Magic. By J. C. Cervantes. 2025. Park Row, $18.99 (9780778310822). In a story tinged with magic, a woman returns to her family’s ancestral home in Mexico after a medical disaster, only to rediscover her first love and realize she must make amends with her past in order to move forward. The Book Swap. By Tessa Bickers. 2024. Graydon, $27.99 (9781525836701). A woman grieving the death of her best friend accidentally donates a beloved…

If you’re looking for manga titles to add to your summer reading lists, here are a few with summer anime adaptations! Tap into the anime bump of the Summer 2025 season by sprinkling in the manga inspirations of some of the most anticipated TV adaptations of this year. CITY. By Keiichi Arawi. Art by the author. Vertical. Gr. 9–12. Arawi’s previous hit, Nichijou, inspired an anime with a cult following, and CITY will likely follow in its predecessor’s footsteps. With a similar tone of ridiculous hilarity, this gag manga is about a trio of college students navigating life in a city that oscillates from normal to absurd from moment to moment. This will be a great pick for fans of Nichijou and Azumangah Daioh. Sakamoto Days. By Yuto Suzuki. Art…

Older Nonfiction Coping with a Parent Who Overdrinks: Insights and Tips for Teenagers. By Michelle Shreeve. Apr. 2025. 160p. illus. Rowman & Littlefield, $28 (9781538177679). Gr. 9–12. 362.292. In an empathetic and comprehensive response to a difficult problem, Shreeve guides adolescent readers through living with a parent who overdrinks and the subsequent problems it may cause. Shreeve is consistently conscientious about addressing how difficult these situations can be and leads readers through the many stages of acceptance and coping with an overdrinking parent. Shreeve discusses the many questions and concerns of children of alcoholics (though she consistently uses the word “overdrinking” to separate the issue at hand from the stigma of alcoholism), such as struggling with why parents overdrink, daily challenges of living with someone who overdrinks, and what responsibilities…

¡Mistaco! A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas.  By Eliza Kinkz. Illus. by the author. Apr. 2025. 40p. Penguin/Kokila, $18.99 (9780593700235). K–Gr. 3. Childlike multimedia illustrations help set the tone for Kinkz’s moving yet hilarious tale of owning your mistakes. Izzy feels like she makes mistakes all the time—mistakes like dropping her toothbrush in the toilet, spilling queso on her homework, and stepping in dog poo. Her family, cued as Latinx and portrayed with various skin and hair tones, love her fiercely despite her imperfections. After a particularly trying day at school, Izzy and her family go to her grandparents’ home to visit and make tortillas. The disgruntled girl gets increasingly frustrated as she struggles to make a perfectly round tortilla. Finally, her anger explodes in a wonderfully dramatic double-page spread,…

If your teen summer reading challenge is a numbers game, short books have immense appeal. And thankfully, the world of short books for teens is full of gems. The following titles, all of which are under 200 pages, represent an eclectic mix of genres and formats, offering a wide variety of options for a wide variety of readers. And the Ocean Was Our Sky. By Patrick Ness. Illus. by Rovina Cai. 2018. 160p. HarperTeen, $19.99 (9780062860729). Gr. 9–12. Ness’ experimental novel presents a pared down, inverted take on Moby Dick from the perspective of the whale. Teens encountering the classic novel in English class will especially appreciate this fable-like story. At the End of the World. By Nadia Mikail. 2023. 192p. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 (9781250868091). Gr. 9–12. Aisha and…

Back after This. By Linda Holmes. Read by the author. 2025. 9hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593909386). In order for Cecily to have a crack at finally doing the podcast she dreams of—well-researched portraits of the mothers of famous people—her boss insists that she take on a project that centers a rising relationship influencer and Cecily’s own lackluster dating life. Through the ups and downs of the 20 blind dates the pointed yet optimistic Eliza Cassidy sets up for Cecily, she keeps running into Will, the man podcast listeners have dubbed “Hot Waiter.” But are these coincidences enough to drive a relationship? And isn’t her reliance on kismet exactly what Eliza keeps telling her is the crux of her relationship problems? A podcaster and radio host herself, Holmes’ third novel…