Table of contents for Booklist, Vol. 122, No. 5, January 2026 in Booklist

Happy New Year! I hope 2026 brings you joy, copious reading, and peace, both personally and professionally. This Booklist issue is focused on readers’ advisory and book discussions. To frame the topic, I thought I’d start with a letter we received from Bruce L. Bortz, publisher at Bancroft Press. Bancroft Press “is a micro-press. We publish 4-6 books a year,” writes Bruce. “We are not a ‘Big 5’ imprint. We are not a ‘Large, Respected Indie.’ We are the publishing equivalent of a guy in his garage tinkering with a potentially world-changing invention, who mostly just succeeds in blowing his own eyebrows off.” Bruce wrote to us about a novel Bancroft published, Ring, by Michelle Lerner, which received a Booklist starred review in 2025, and which has been selected for…

Baby, it’s cold outside, but we’re looking ahead to warmer weather and hot books, from celebrity memoirs to works by genre faves and more. Arsenio. By Arsenio Hall. Atria/Black Privilege, $30 (9781982191368). Apr. The comedian traces his roots from performing as a magician in Cleveland to mega stardom in movies like Coming to America and his iconic talk show, a staple of 1990s late-night (remember Bill Clinton playing the sax?), and discusses his difficult decision to walk away from it all. Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age. By Ibram X. Kendi. One World, $35 (9780593978023). Mar. The National Book Award–winning historian here takes on the origins and spread of “the great replacement theory,” and how folks can protect democracy from its threat. The Ending Writes Itself. By…

Had I Known: Collected Essays. By Barbara Ehrenreich. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. By Omar El Akkad. Hold Everything Dear: Dispatches on Survival and Resistance. By John Berger. Ordinary Notes. By Christina Sharpe. Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us. By Rachel Aviv. Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx. By Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. Book of Unconformities: Speculations on Lost Time. By Hugh Raffles.…

The short stories in the enthralling and surprising collections below share traits and themes both overt and subtle with Louise Erdrich’s Python’s Kiss, from the author’s Native American perspective to an incisive take on rural lives to emotional intricacy, sharp humor, soaring imagination, profound empathy, complex trauma, and transcendent wonder. Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories. By Sherman Alexie. 2012. 480p. Grove (9780802120397). The characters in Alexie’s mischievously and mordantly funny and scathingly forthright tales grapple with racism, poverty, alcoholism, the tragic loss of languages and customs, endangered truths, and imperiled nature. A Calm & Normal Heart. By Chelsea T. Hicks. 2022. 216p. Unnamed (9781951213541). Hicks, an enrolled citizen of the Osage Nation, presents stories that fearlessly embrace and upend Native American traditions as young women navigate sex, love, and life…

An Awkward Age. By Anna Starobinets. Translated by Hugh Aplin. Brat. By Gabriel Smith. Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation. By Silvia Federici. Good and Evil and Other Stories. By Samanta Schweblin. Translated by Megan McDowell. It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over. By Anne de Marcken. Jawbone. By Mónica Ojeda. Translated by Sarah Booker. The Perfect Nanny. By Leila Slimani. Translated by Sam Taylor.…

The Morris Seminar is a biennial, all-day event that connects new ALSC members and those with limited evaluation experience with those who have served on ALSC’s media evaluation committees to train and mentor them in children’s book evaluation techniques. The goal is to prepare participants for future ALSC book and media evaluation committees. The Morris Seminar began in 2008 to honor and support William C. Morris’ dedication to connecting librarians, and ultimately children, with distinguished children’s books. Bill, as he was known, worked as an innovative marketer of children’s books at HarperCollins, publishing for 48 years until he passed away in 2003. He was a respected and beloved figure at American Library Association conferences, where he was well known for greeting the many attendees by name at HarperCollins’ annual summer…

Eugénie Grandet. By Honoré de Balzac. Read by Justin Avoth. 2025. 7.5hr. Naxos, DD (9781781985755). In this famous tour de force, Balzac portrays patriarchal injustice committed on the female population behind the closed doors of nineteenth century rural French homes. He does not, nonetheless, attempt to foreshadow societal changes; the narrative rests on Balzac’s extraordinary gift of observation and masterful reporting on human nature. Avoth understands Balzac’s careful operations between the lines and the fact that surprises in store for the reader constitute a part of the moral of the story. Avoth maintains suspense by not overemphasizing the monomania of a main protagonist and by savoring the descriptive passages, with their concealed hints. Aware of the power of Balzac’s character study, the narrator takes it upon himself to be the…

Nonfiction The Illiterate. By Ágota Kristóf. A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction. By Elizabeth McCracken. A Truce That Is Not Peace. By Miriam Toews. Fiction Audition. By Katie Kitamura. The Book of Records. By Madeleine Thien. Good and Evil and Other Stories. By Samanta Schweblin. Translated by Megan McDowell. Stone Yard Devotional. By Charlotte Wood.…

The Book of Records. By Madeleine Thien. Brother. By David Chariandy. Burning Down The House: Fighting Fires and Losing Myself. By Russell Wangersky. Hysteric. By Nelly Arcan. Translated by David Homel and Jacob Homel. Kukum. By Michel Jean. Translated by Susan Ouriou. May Our Joy Endure. By Kevin Lambert. Translated by Donald Winkler. The Migrant Rain Falls In Reverse. By Vinh Nguyen.…

The top ten most discussable books reviewed in Booklist over the past 12 months cover topics like science and nature, the beauty industry, and the infinitely complicated dynamics of family. Nonfiction Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection. By John Green. 2025. 208p. Penguin/Crash Course (9780525426059). After meeting 17-year-old Sierra Leonean Henry, Green became obsessed with tuberculosis, and the result is an accessible, insightful exploration of a disease that has killed over a billion people in the past 200 years. The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding. By Joseph J. Ellis. 2025. 240p. Knopf (9780593801413). In this fresh history of the nation’s founding, historian Ellis shares the voices of abolitionists, ministers, and writers to examine the Founders’ failure to end slavery and prevent…

Adult Human Nature, v.1. By Darren Aronofsky and others. Art by Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran. Mar. 2026. 208p. Abrams ComicArts, $29.99 (9781419780370). 741.5. The inimitable team of Aronofsky and Handel (Black Swan), joined by Welch (Bet Your Life) in his graphic novel debut, partner their writing acumen with stellar art from Morazzo and O’Halloran (Ice Cream Man) for this page-turning sci-fi thriller with just a touch of dark humor. Duke is an egocentric and powerful billionaire who amassed his fortune in the chicken industry. Just before he succumbs to illness, he has himself frozen and awakens in a terrifyingly confusing world of bizarre creatures where he and his fellow survivors are held in a “zoo.” With all of his wealth and power gone, he fixates on his one remaining…

The Final Volume! Come celebrate Komi’s achievements in this final volume with fun bonus content, including a special, never-before-seen chapter! Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 37 Story and Art by Tomohito Oda Price: $11.99 US / $15.99 CAN ISBN: 9781974761456 On Sale 3/10/26 Komi Can't Communicate MAKING FRIENDS AND NOT SCARING PEOPLE On Sale 3/10/26 Do you find it hard to speak to people? Would you like to learn new ways to make friends? If so, this fun and informational guide featuring snippets of the practical advice, tips, and tricks Komi learns during her journey to overcome her social anxiety is the perfect book for you! Komi Can’t Communicate: Making Friends and Not Scaring People Created by Tomohito Oda Price: $16.99 US / $22.99 CAN ISBN: 9781974753208 Distributed by Simon &…

The Genie Game. By Jordan Ifueko. 2026. 368p. Abrams/Amulet (9781419764370). Gr. 5–9. Apr. This series starter from NYT best-selling Ifueko stars 13-year-old Valentine Adesanya, who’s searching for her missing sister while trying to survive a wish-granting contest. The Heart of Our Home. By Janelle Washington. Illus. by the author. 2026. 32p. Roaring Brook (9781250357366). PreS–Gr. 3. Mar. This picture-book debut from Caldecott Honoree Washington celebrates family memories by centering a household’s kitchen table. The Littlest Elephant: A One and Only Ruby Story. By Katherine Applegate. Illus. by Lita Judge. 2026. 32p. HarperCollins/Storytide (9780063357785). PreS–Gr. 3. Mar. This spinoff of Applegate’s best-selling One and Only series introduces readers to young Ruby the elephant, who is struggling with her coming of age. Piper at the Gates of Dusk. By Patrick Ness. 2026.…

K-Pop Demon Hunters dominated the cultural zeitgeist this past year, enchanting viewers and smashing movie and music records with the undeniable power of its catchy tunes. The film follows a magical girl group tasked with sealing the Honmoon, a mystical barrier that prevents demons from entering the human world. A sequel is already in the works, but until it arrives, the following middle-grade and young-adult titles should help scratch the itch for fans of K-pop, demon hunting, magical girl groups, and the power of song. K-Pop Stardom Girl Crush, v.1. By Midori Tayama. Art by the author. 2025. 176p. VIZ Media (9781974755851). Gr. 7–12. Embracing K-pop’s movement and style through bold lines and stylistic composition, this manga follows angry outcast Tenka as she competes with a rival classmate for K-pop…

Newly independent comics readers are sure to be delighted by the wide range of playful, creative offerings here, reviewed in Booklist from January 2025 to December 2025. Cabin Head and Tree Head. By Scott Campbell. Art by the author. 2025. 88p. Tundra (9781774885055). K–Gr. 3. Jam-packed with the freewheeling creativity of kids’ imaginative play, these uproarious stories follow two buddies, one with a cabin for a head and the other with a tree for a head. The Faraway Forest: Wally’s Route. By Debbie Fong. Art by Debbie Fong and Kayla Catanzaro. 2025. 88p. Chronicle (9781797230412). K–Gr. 2. In this whimsical woodland charmer, Wally the raccoon cheerfully delivers more than just mail in four short, comics-style chapters perfect for emerging readers. Hide & Seek with Clyde and Monique: Clyde in Plain…

Adult Fiction The Botanist’s Assistant.  By Peggy Townsend. Read by Rebecca Lowman. 2025. 8.5hr. Books on Tape, DD, $22 (9798217163229). Margaret values a life that is tidy and predictable and allows her to engage in the scientific work she loves. Her world is turned upside down when she finds her boss, botanist Dr. Deaver, dead and immediately deduces that he was poisoned. Lowman provides a no-nonsense, even-keeled narration that is a perfect match for Margaret. At first the narration may appear to be a bit too unyielding from its tone. However, as listeners get to know Margaret, they will soon realize that it would not fit her or her story to be lively and animated, rather the even-toned narrative choice is intentional. Lowman makes tension and anxiety clear through a…

Successful reader’s advisory for audio can look a lot different from RA for print. The format comes with its own tech requirements, another entire layer of appeal via the narration, and, often, a very different way of interacting with the book from what one might assume with print. Throughout this year of RA explorations, we’ll look at the motivations listeners have behind choosing audio and the particulars of that choice so that we can better understand patrons who listen and better respond to their reading needs. Avid audiobook listeners share some of their motivations for choosing audio below. A format for a busy life I do audiobooks almost exclusively. I just don’t have the time to sit and absorb a book with my eyes anymore. An audiobook is something I…

With the popularity of Netflix’s A Man on the Inside (starring Ted Danson) and The Thursday Murder Club (starring basically every British actor of a certain age), senior sleuths are having a moment. Savvy readers know that the often-overlooked elderly make keen amateur detectives, underestimated and underappreciated, able to slip around unnoticed and gather clues. These mysteries, which tend toward the cozy, highlight older characters using their wits and their life experience to solve crimes. You’ll never look at retirement communities the same way again. Detective Aunty. By Uzma Jalaluddin. 2025. 336p. HarperPerennial. A widow puts aside years of hesitation and returns to Toronto when her daughter is charged with murder. Using her talent for listening and observing, she gathers clues in this series starter that tips its literary cap to…

Journalism & Publishing Starry and Restless: Three Women Who Changed Work, Writing, and the World. By Julia Cooke. Feb. 2026. 448p. Farrar, $32 (9780374609788); e-book (9780374609795). 070.9. Born intrepid and curious around the turn of the twentieth century, Americans Emily Hahn and Martha Gellhorn and Englishwoman Rebecca West defied gender restrictions to fulfill their destinies to travel and write throughout their long, dramatic lives. Each embarked on breathtakingly dangerous journeys in perilous times and wrote sharply observed and blazingly forthright journalism and fiction, supporting themselves and their families and attaining fame and notoriety. Cooke (Come Fly the World, 2021) immersed herself so deeply in troves of unpublished notes and letters, along with the colossal amount of published works by these three prolific, versatile, and radical writers, her chronicle of their…

In his latest work of utterly gripping narrative nonfiction, London Falling, Patrick Radden Keefe centers a family’s tireless hunt for answers about the death of their 19-year-old son, whom they learn was posing as the son of a Russian oligarch, and exposes a dark and moneyed London underworld in the process. The read-alikes below explore underground crime, greed and corruption, mysterious deaths, and individuals fighting hard for the truth. Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America. By Eliza Griswold. 2018. 336p. Farrar (9780374103118). After a Pennsylvania single mother signed a lease to allow hydraulic fracking on her land, her son manifested a series of inexplicable ailments and farm animals unexpectedly died. This empathetic yet analytical account shows how she painstakingly traced the illnesses’ source back to the…

General Fiction The Adjunct. By Maria Adelmann. Mar. 2026. 352p. Scribner, $29 (9781668089972); e-book (9781668089958). As an adjunct professor in her midthirties, Sam juggles multiple classes across Baltimore colleges and scrapes by on meager pay while dreaming of the elusive tenure track. Her life is a constant balancing act between rent, student loans, and medical bills as she teeters on the edge of homelessness and burnout. When she discovers that her former grad school adviser, Tom, a once-revered novelist and professor with whom Sam had a complicated relationship, is now teaching at the same university, old wounds begin to resurface. Their uneasy reunion takes a sharp turn when Sam learns that Tom’s long-awaited comeback novel appears to fictionalize their relationship, reframing her experience through his lens of self-justification. Adelmann’s (How…

So many books, so little space on the Top 10: this is the constant refrain of the Booklist editor. So how do we narrow down the dozens or hundreds of books we review on a topic to get to a tight ten? Let’s take a deeper dive into the Top 10 Book-Groups Books list as an example. It all begins with reviews. Once we decide a book is worthy of review consideration, we assign it to one of our many expert reviewers, some on staff, most spread out across the country, with a good number working in libraries. Booklist is a recommended-only journal, so everything we cover is worthy of a library’s collection. But our starred reviews indicate that a book is exceptional. Picking the best for our Top 10…

The Emigrants. By W. G. Sebald. Translated by Michael Hulse. The God of Small Things. By Arundhati Roy. The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. By Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing. Nox. By Anne Carson. One Hundred Shadows. By Hwang Jungeun. Translated by Jung Yewon. Orbital. By Samantha Harvey We Would Have Told Each Other Everything. By Judith Hermann. Translated by Katy Derbyshire.…

Older Readers Angry Girls Will Get Us Through. By Rebecca Traister and Ruby Shamir. Feb. 2026. 240p. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (9781665943352). Gr. 7–12. 303.484. Women’s anger has been characterized as being too emotional, irrational, shrill, and cranky, to name a few of the criticisms. In this YA adaptation, which draws on a blend of Traister’s previous articles and New York Times bestsellers, including Good and Mad (2018), the author highlights rage as a force for real and practical change. Part 1 focuses on the status of American women from the colonial period to 1920 and how their early anger drove such causes as women’s suffrage, abolition, and workers’ rights. Part 2 picks up in 1920, when some women won the right to vote, and continues through 2016, with women’s…

Older Readers According to Plan. By Christen Randall. Feb. 2026. 416p. Atheneum, $21.99 (9781665939843). Gr. 9–12. For Mal Flowers, having an excellent senior year is dependent on The Plan, including serving as editor-in-chief of their high school’s literary magazine. The Plan exists so Mal and their soccer-star sister, Maddie, can leave their small town of Covington, Kentucky. That is, until Mal and the literary magazine staff learn they won’t have funding to run this year. Emerson Pike, a fellow staff member, suggests that the magazine staff pivots to create its own student-run zine, not approved or funded by the school. Ignoring The Plan and bending the rules is a challenge for Mal, who, as a fat, queer, neurodiverse, low-income person, already feels at odds and misunderstood. As Mal adapts to…

Have we lost the plot? You bet. A reader can be drawn to the feel of a book as much as to its plot, themes, and character types. So, don your mood rings and see where the vibes take you. Funny Dropping Beats. By Nathanael Lessore. Little, Brown, 2025. Gr. 9–12. Lessore’s knack for situational comedy is on full display in this relatable story of a teen with a major crush and dreams of being a rapper. Fly on the Wall. By Remy Lai. Holt, 2020. Gr. 4–7. In a delightful misadventure packed with humor, comics, and tween drama, Henry schemes to prove his maturity. My Lady Jane. By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. HarperTeen, 2016. Gr. 7–11. Wacky, irreverent, and just plain fun, this wildly reimagined account…

Whether selecting for an audiobook-focused book club or just seeking a title with a recommendable audio edition, this list will fit the bill with discussable content and narration. Automatic Noodle. By Annalee Newitz. Read by Em Grosland. 2025. 4hr. Macmillan Audio, DD (9781250395627). This brief but memorable near-future sf cozy offers thoughtful robots running a café for war-weary San Franciscans who often display more humanity than their flesh and bone neighbors. Grosland’s ability to help listeners understand the personality of each robot is entrancing. Big Chief. By Jon Hickey. Read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett. 2025. 10hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781797184616). Attorney Mitch is in the thick of relationship drama and tribal politics. Taylor-Corbett (Blackfeet) narrates as if Mitch’s story is his own, embodying all of the yearning, cynicism, and…

Junie B. Jones Audio Collection: Books 1–4.  By Barbara Park. Read by Lana Quintal. 2025. 3hr. Listening Library, DD (9798217346325). K–Gr. 2. Junie B. is back and ready for a new generation of listeners in this energetic, endearing audio version of the modern chapter-book classic. Quintal’s high-pitched voice and expressive tones are a great match for Junie B.’s big personality. With a deliberate pacing that will help young listeners follow along with print, if they desire, and also engage those who are only listening all the same, she portrays every scowl, eye-squint, worry, sneaky scheme, and unbridled joy as the spunky “almost six year old” shares her adventures. While some of the wordplay that develops between little kids and big words (“announcement” becomes “a nouncement”) is harder to parse on…