Table of contents for Booklist, Vol. 122, No. 4, December 2025 in Booklist

As we reflect on 2025, we see it as a deeply challenging year for many of us and challenging as well for ALA and for Booklist. Yet, throughout the year, with all of its demands, our editorial team remained laser-focused on Booklist’s mission, which is to connect library and education workers to the books and resources needed to support and enrich their communities. I’m grateful to and proud of the Booklist team for observing and adhering to our mission. Their hard work and perseverance enables us to deliver this stunning issue featuring the 2025 Booklist Editors’ Choice and Starred Reviews. When I read these pages, I’m amazed at the volume of books we review. For each submitted book, our editorial staff decides whether to consider it for review, enters it…

Combining evocative artwork and stirring stories, our editors’ choice graphic novels for adults and youth show-case this year’s best of the format in a wide variety of genres, topics, and tones. Adult Cannon. By Lee Lai. Art by the author. 304p. Drawn & Quarterly (9781770468023). Evocative, deeply emotional artwork tells the affecting story of stoic Cannon, whose typical coolheadedness starts to crack when struggles with friends, family, and work collide. Drome. By Jesse Lonergan. Art by the author. 320p. 23rd St. (9781250386939). In inventive, convention-smashing artwork, Lonergan tells a dramatic, elemental story about creation and destruction in a thrilling visual style. Ginseng Roots. By Craig Thompson. Art by the author. 448p. Pantheon (9780593700778). Blending childhood memories of working on Wisconsin ginseng farms with a deep dive into the root’s cultural…

Readers are clamoring to learn more about artificial intelligence as it changes every aspect of our lives. These books offer insights into how to channel the power of AI and why we should do so cautiously. Artificial Intelligence in Journalism: Changing the News. By Tony Silvia. McFarland, paper, $39.95 (9781476694085). Offering a thoughtful look at both the promise and pitfalls of AI in journalism, this book both raises important questions about and outlines the current capabilities of the technology in the newsroom. Beast in the Machine: How Robotics and AI Will Transform Warfare and the Future of Human Conflict. By George M. Dougherty. BenBella, $29.95 (9781637747186). An incredible resource for raising public awareness, this book traces the history, evolution, and application of AI and robotics in war in a reader-friendly…

General Fiction All the Water in the World. By Eiren Caffall. St. Martin’s, $29 (9781250353528). Caffall’s intense first novel follows climatecrisis survivors living in the closed American Museum of Natural History until a flooding megastorm forces them to flee in an old birchbark canoe. Amputation. By Bruce Wagner. Arcade, $27.99 (9781648211614). Wagner’s timely, blistering, pitch-perfect, and funny novel depicts an eclectic cast of characters, including real-life celebrities, in L.A. during and after the horrific Palisades fires in early 2025. Art on Fire. By Yun Ko-eun. Tr. by Lizzie Buehler. Scribe, paper, $20 (9781964992198). In Yun Ko-eun’s latest darkly humorous, biting satire, a wealthy dog named Robert oversees a foundation that offers struggling artist An Yiji a residency, but there’s a disconcerting catch. At the Island’s Edge. By C. I. Jerez. Amazon/Lake…

Ranging from romance to fantasy to thriller to the most realistic of fiction, these diverse tales of school days and campus life will attract a variety of readers. An Academic Affair. By Jodi McAlister. Atria, paper, $19 (9781668092330). Two academic rivals, once bitter enemies, enter a partnership of convenience to get placement at a prestigious school posting in this book featuring endearing characters and their challenging careers. The Academy. By Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham. Little, Brown, $30 (9780316567855). This dishy, panoramic novel illuminates nine months in the life of a New England private school, presenting dramas large and small among the students and teachers. The Bewitching. By Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Del Rey, $29 (9780593874325). A graduate student studying an obscure horror author finds herself caught up in a chain of…

Covering a range of subjects, reading levels, and grade ranges, these nonfiction titles will make excellent supplements to classroom discussions. Older A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in Schools. By Debbie Levy. Bloomsbury, $19.99 (9781547612215). Gr. 6–9. The Scopes trial (1925) featured two great orators debating whether teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution or the Christian Bible was inappropriate in public schools. Can Posters Kill? Antisemitic Propaganda and World War II. By Jerry Faivish and Kathryn Cole. Second Story, paper, $22.95 (9781772604290). Gr. 6–10. Faivish, the son of Holocaust survivors, individually analyzes several archival anti-Jewish propaganda posters with insightful commentary in this unique offering with multiple cross-curricular applications. Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect Us Today, 3rd ed.…

Near to the present or far in the past, these titles expertly wield time to jump within and further develop their robust narratives. The Dead of Summer. By Ryan La Sala. Scholastic/Push, $19.99 (9781546125877). Gr. 8–12. Following a tropical storm, multiple timelines converge on the secret of a semiaquatic zombie apocalypse threatening to dismantle an already emotionally stricken teen and his friends. Kill Creatures. By Rory Power. Delacorte, $19.99 (9780593302316). Gr. 9–12. Power explores what happened over a tragic summer in this taut psychological thriller told from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, moving between the previous summer’s tragedy and the current summer’s investigation. Last Chance Live! By Helena Haywoode Henry. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, $21.99 (9780593625309). Gr. 9–12. Eternity Price jumps at the chance to see her death-row sentence eliminated through…

Nonfiction The Book of Sheen. By Charlie Sheen. Read by the author. 9hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781668118047). Unapologetic, hilarious, and oddly endearing, this is a masterclass in memoirmeets-mayhem. Sheen delivers with unfiltered candor and surprising tenderness. Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays. By Amanda Quaid. Performed by a full cast. 1.5hr. L.A. Theatre Works, DD (9781682661918). A marvelous dramatic audio production about the first scientist, a woman, to discover that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Wellcast and beautifully sound-mixed. Cults like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America. By Jane Borden. Read by the author. 11hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781797188430). Culture journalist Borden narrates her most recent investigation into cult-like thinking’s influence on America. The topic is compelling on its own, but the author’s…

Big-deal novels across many genres and two galvanizing works of nonfiction populate the final Hot List of 2025. See you next year, when all these books will arrive! Backtalker. By Kimberlé Crenshaw. Simon & Schuster, $30 (9781982181000). May. Crenshaw tells her life story, sharing with readers the girl who became the noted legal scholar who introduced Americans to the groundbreaking ideas of intersectionality and critical race theory. Cherry Baby. By Rainbow Rowell. Morrow, $30 (9780063380264). Apr. In Rowell’s next sexy novel, Cherry’s husband is in Los Angeles, getting famous for his webcomic featuring a character based on Cherry and not planning to come back, when Cherry runs into someone from her past in Omaha. Crash into Me. By Robinne Lee. St. Martin’s, $30 (9781250412751). Jul. Lee, author of the best-selling…

Older Readers All We Once Had. By Katy Upperman. Feb. 2026. 416p. Sourcebooks/Fire, paper, $13.99 (9781464217814). Gr. 8–12. Piper lost her parents to a drunk driver when she was 10 and has only known her older sister as her guardian since. Three years ago, she met a boy who helped her when she needed it most, but then he disappeared. Henry is back in Florida, visiting his dad, when he runs into Piper, the girl he had a magical time with on his last visit. Piper and Henry reconnect, and their bond is stronger than ever. Upperman excels at creating heart-wrenching situations for her characters to navigate. Piper and Henry are both lost souls struggling to come out of the darkness they’ve found themselves in—Piper finding herself alone after an…

As many books as we review for Booklist, Booklisters always need more stories, more inspiration, more comfort. We hope you find our personal “bests” of 2025 intriguing and enticing. Thanks for being with us throughout this demanding year. We look forward to sharing many more recommendations in 2026. 1984. By George Orwell. What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Only that this prescient, relevant, and oft-banned classic spurred in me a verve to protect our creativity and critical-thinking skills in a way few books have done before. —Biz Hyzy The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World. By Sharon Brous. Brous is a California rabbi. Her central theme of “showing up for others” has really had an impact on how I view my role…

Adult Books We the editors feel uplifted and reassured by the intelligence, creativity, curiosity, convictions, imagination, and caring that shine from these exceptional books published and reviewed in Booklist during a difficult year. The range of subjects, voices, and stories affirms the vibrant diversity of our nation and our passions. Here you will find favorite writers and new talent in biographies, cultural histories, exposés, memoirs, poetry, and entrancing fiction of many genres, settings, and moods. These outstanding books entertain and enlighten, offer food for thought, and make us laugh. The Arts Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People. By Imani Perry. 256p. Ecco (9780062977397). National Book Award–winner Perry (South to America, 2022) offers a fascinating cultural history of the African diaspora through its connections to…

Selected by the Books for Youth editors, the following titles constitute the year’s best personal reading for teenagers among adult books published in 2025. More on each book’s content and suggested audience can be found in the full-length Booklist review. Nonfiction 24 Hours at the Capitol: An Oral History of the January 6th Insurrection. By Nora Neus. 240p. Beacon (9780807020623). Neus gathers a compelling oral history of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot through interviews with journalists, people working in the Capitol, police, rioters and their families, and transcripts from the investigating House committee. Fire in Every Direction. By Tareq Baconi. 256p. Washington Square (9781668068564). Acclaimed scholar and analyst Baconi chronicles his coming-of-age as a young gay man and defiant Palestinian (and the integration of these identities), illuminating his family…

Historical mysteries have particularly rich allure as they reimagine the past to create everything from witty cozies to lushly atmospheric and complex thrillers in far-flung places. Dead in the Frame. By Stephen Spotswood. Doubleday, $28 (9780385550468). Jessup Quincannon is locked up for a crime she didn’t commit, and Willowjean Parker must solve the case before her associate dies in the notorious Women’s House of Detention. The Devil in Oxford. By Jess Armstrong. Minotaur, $28 (9781250374653). In post-WWI Oxford, Ruby Vaughn faces her most complicated case yet when the body of a disgraced archaeologist is found inside one of his relics. The Hidden City. By Charles Finch. Minotaur, $29 (9781250767165). In this richly layered, meticulously researched series entry, aristocrat Charles Lenox is beset by professional and domestic troubles as his investigation…

Adult Ace of Hearts: Lessons in Love from an Asexual Girl. By Cooklin. Art by the author. Street Noise, paper, $23.99 (9781951491451). In this heartfelt book exploring her path toward discovering her asexuality, Cooklin describes her experiences with purity culture, sexual assault, and the frustrating attempt to fix what the world called broken. Bridge Planet Nine. By Jared Throne. Art by the author. Top Shelf, $19.99 (9781603095631). This easily accessible, thrilling graphic novel with expert pacing and crisp art has just the right balance of suspense, emotion, and social commentary about capitalistic waste. Cannon. By Lee Lai. Art by the author. Drawn & Quarterly, $29.95 (9781770468023). Cannon, a talented cook, can keep a cool head in even the most hectic conditions, but when she struggles with difficult family and friendship…

Dip in and out at your leisure in these fact-filled books that don't require a front-toback read to be utterly satisfying. All the World’s Your Stage: Shakespeare for Today. By Farah Karim-Cooper. Illus. by Manjit Thapp. DK/DK Children, $19.99 (9780593966952). Gr. 6–9. This visually enticing work with inspired, multicultural Renaissance portraiture comprehensively captures the life, historical context, and most iconic works of Shakespeare. Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights. Ed. by Ashley Hope Pérez. Illus. by Debbie Fong. Holiday, $19.99 (9780823458301). Gr. 8–12. Authors of banned or challenged books offer insight into their personal experiences while explaining how damaging books bans are to the community at large in this galvanizing anthology. Dinosaurs: Exploring Prehistoric Life and Geological Time. By Rachel Ignotofsky. Illus. by the author. Ten Speed, $22.99 (9781984861757).…

Older Readers Lovely One (Adapted for Young Adults). By Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jan. 2026. 368p. Random/Bright Matter, $20.99 (9798217117772). Gr. 7–12. 347.732. Justice Jackson’s memoir, Lovely One (2024), is just as lovely in this young adult adaptation, with a shorter page count and an emphasis on her scholastic career. Jackson showcases not only her own accomplishments and accolades but also her family’s circumstances during the civil rights era, before describing her experience of becoming the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her tireless work ethic, confidence, and belief in the legal system are on full display as she discusses very personal subjects, such as the undercurrent of racism she felt as one of the few Black students in her AP classes or her daughter’s eventual autism diagnosis.…

Adult Nonfiction The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing. By Juhee Mun. Read by Herin Seo. 2025. 2.5hr. Books on Tape, DD (9798217287727). In a world of communication governed by speedy efficiency, is a handwritten letter an anachronism? Or could there still exist a need for it, remaining, even in a dormant state, connected to emotional healing for us and for others? This brilliant essay on the revival of letter composition is a blend of evidence-based practical sense (the author runs a successful stationery shop called Guelwoll) and exceptional sensitivity to human emotional needs. What seems difficult to believe is that narrator Seo is not the author herself! Her joy in the secrets of facilitating letter-penning keeps the listener hooked throughout the reading, as Seo shares the author’s belief in…

Committed to providing a broad selection of outstanding books that mixes popular appeal with literary excellence, the Books for Youth editorial staff has chosen the titles below as its most-recommended nonfiction, fiction, and picturebook offerings of the year. Our YA fiction, middle-grade fiction, picture-book, and nonfiction selections can be found below, as well as individual book recommendations from Booklist editors and select reviewers, highlighting their personal favorite titles. Older Nonfiction A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in Schools. By Debbie Levy. 256p. Bloomsbury (9781547612215). Gr. 6–9. Levy follows key players in this well-researched and still-relevant account of the 1925 Scopes trial, which considered whether Darwin’s theory of evolution could be taught in public schools. Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of…

Older Readers Between Extremes: The Formation and Preservation of Democracy. By Elsie Olson. Lerner/Twenty-First Century, lib. ed., $26.99 (9798765644157). Gr. 7–12. This expansive history of democracy reveals inaccuracies in stories Americans commonly learn and highlights non-European variants that significantly predated the West’s. Chappell Roan: A Vibrant Journey Through the Career and Influence of the Indie-Pop Superstar. By Harbert Day. Quarto/Epic Ink, lib. ed., $19.99 (9780760399279). Gr. 7–12. Studded with quotes and excellent photos, this biography of the indie-pop sensation and her rise to fame will satisfy fans and researchers. Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown. By Candace Fleming. Random/Anne Schwartz, $19.99 (9780593480069). Gr. 7–12. With nuance and an emphasis on firstperson accounts of survivors, Fleming thoughtfully traces the ascension and violent downfall of Jim…

Older Readers All the Noise at Once. By DeAndra Davis. Atheneum, $19.99 (9781665952651). Gr. 9–12. Black and autistic Aiden wants nothing more than to play football with his quarterback brother, Brandon, but when Brandon is wrongfully accused of assaulting a police officer, Aiden must find a way to help clear Brandon’s name. All the Stars in the Daylight Sky. By Maya MacGregor. Astra, $19.99 (9781662620980). Gr. 8–12. MacGregor represents their Scottish roots well in this cozy, queer romantasy in which autistic, agender Cam accidentally becomes an Other and must grapple with magic and mystery amidst the mundane. All-Nighter. By Cecilia Vinesse. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, $19.99 (9780063285927). Gr. 8–12. In an all-in-one-night whirlwind, sworn enemies Autumn and Tara are thrown together in a fake-student-ID plot so that Autumn can get the girl.…

Break out your microscope and magnifying glass; these books make the tiniest creatures the star of the show. Bob the Vampire Snail. By Andrea Zuill. Illus. by the author. Random House Studio, $18.99 (9780593814963). K–Gr. 3. After Bob the snail unexpectedly transforms into a vampire, he must figure out the pros and cons of the situation. The Dirt! Wild Life Under the Soil’s Surface. By Lindsey Leigh. Illus. by the author. Penguin Workshop, $17.99 (9780593889657). Gr. 3–8. Though students likely take soil for granted, this standout overview, featuring cartoon illustrations and a wide-ranging wealth of information, showcases how fascinating it can be. Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies. By Megan McDonald. Illus. by Lenny Wen. Candlewick, $17.99 (9781536201420). Gr. 1–4. Eliza must help save the flower fairies from…

Journalism & Publishing Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built. By Gayle Feldman. Jan. 2026. 1,072p. illus. Random, $40 (9781400060276); e-book (9780593978375). 070.5092. The Random House of today, an immense corporate conglomerate, began nearly a century ago as the brainchild of a venturesome nonconformist, Bennet Cerf. Feldman, who has written for Publishers Weekly for four decades, spent many years researching and writing this mammoth, vividly detailed, compelling, and complexly revelatory biography of Cerf and the world-altering publishing house he brashly founded and brilliantly piloted. After acquiring the Modern Library reprint series, Cerf and close friend Donald Klopfer, his essential behind-the-scenes guru, began publishing other books “at random,” inspiring the insouciant name of their upstart company. Though he was a “driven, dead-serious publisher-for-the-ages,” Cerf also cultivated the…

General Fiction Anne of a Different Island. By Virginia Kantra. Jan. 2026. 368p. Berkley, paper, $19 (9780593816493); e-book (9780593816509). Kantra (The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale, 2023) once again takes inspiration from a beloved children’s classic in this charming, life-affirming tale. Anne Gallagher always identified with the fictional Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She has the same impulsive spirit and zest for life and, as a girl, yearned to escape her small hometown of Mackinac Island. However, after a series of setbacks in her personal and professional lives, she returns to Mackinac for the summer and discovers that the life she imagined for herself as a child may no longer match her desires as an adult. Kantra ably balances story lines about Anne’s thorny relationship with her mother,…

Few Blue Skies. By Carolina Ixta. 2026. 384p. HarperCollins/Quill Tree (9780063287914). Gr. 9–12. Feb. The sophomore novel from Belpré winner Ixta follows teenager Paloma in the wake of personal tragedy as a corporation brings its polluting warehouses to her rural hometown of San Fermín. The Future Book. By Mac Barnett. Illus. by Shawn Harris. 2026. 40p. Knopf (9798217033171). PreS–Gr. 3. Mar. This interactive picture book from acclaimed duo Barnett and Harris takes readers into the future, when many things are different—and incredibly silly. Here Come the Aunties! By Cynthia Leitich Smith. Illus. by Aphelandra. 2026. 32p. HarperCollins/Heartdrum (9780063374690). PreS–Gr. 3. Feb. Aunties of all kinds, whether they’re family or friends, get their due in this picture book about the importance of community in the life of Native children. Is It…

Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age. By Penn Badgley and others. Read by the authors. 2025. 7hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781668119952). The trio behind the popular podcast Podcrushed has penned a compelling and introspective collection of essays. All are authored and narrated by the familiar voices of Penn Badgley, Sophie Ansari, and Nava Kavelin. The audiobook offers a nuanced exploration of themes such as identity, vulnerability, and personal growth, framed through the lens of adolescence and early adulthood. Each essay is thoughtfully crafted, blending emotional depth with moments of humor and reflection. The narration is the standout feature of this book, with each contributor bringing authenticity and warmth to their respective stories. Badgley’s delivery is particularly resonant, offering a calm and sincere tone that enhances the emotional…

Something Wicked This Way Comes. By Ray Bradbury. Read by Paul Giamatti. 2025. 8hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781668133880). Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes returns in a spellbinding new audiobook edition that transforms a timeless tale into an immersive experience for modern ears. This 1962 Halloween classic, set in a quiet Midwestern town, follows two 13-year-old boys, Will and Jim, whose lives are upended when a mysterious carnival arrives just before the spooky holiday. Dreams are granted at Cooger & Dark’s carnival, but the price is far more than anyone expects. As the boys uncover the carnival’s dark secrets, they confront themes of aging, temptation, and the battle between good and evil. This new edition is elevated by Giamatti’s mesmerizing narration. From the very first line—“First of all, it…