Booklist Reader

Published by Booklist, an imprint of the American Library Association. Booklist Reader features diverse book and audiobook recommendations, for readers and listeners of all ages. Filled with high-interest, themed lists that showcase books for your family or book discussion group.

From the Publisher

Booklist Reader

Historical Fiction Debuts • These debut historical novels cover lots of the twentieth century, but also delve into deeper historical time lines.

Joanna Shupe • USA Today best-selling author Joanna Shupe has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. Her books have appeared on numerous yearly “best of” lists, including those in Publishers Weekly, Washington Post, Kirkus, Kobo, and BookPage. She lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and opinionated husband.

Jane Austen–Inspired Historical Fiction • Jane Austen admirers, long known as Janeites, revel in the evergreen power of her novels, which continue to inspire writers who create historical fiction in tribute to her indelible plotlines and characters. These contemporary variations reveal new relevance for Austen’s keen psychological and social insights. As we mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, readers are the ones receiving all the bookish gifts!

Holiday Romance Roundup • Romance writers are inspired by the winter holidays to create tales about overcoming obstacles to love whether dire or amusing. And what better time to cozy up with a book that promises a happy ending than in the season of gifts and good cheer?

HALL OF FAME TITLES • The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly list since 2013. As of the October 2018 list, when an author’s third title places on a monthly list via library staff votes, the author moves into our Hall of Fame.

Resistance: Recent Topical Nonfiction • These thoroughly researched and dramatic true stories chronicle the pursuit of justice pertaining to our constitutional rights on many fronts, from racial inequality to reproductive health, immigrant rights, the legal system, land use, and chemical pollution.

THE BOOKLIST INTERVIEW NADIA LATIF AND WALTER MOSLEY • Intrigued by the prospect of a film adaptation of Walter Mosley’s complexly philosophical and unnerving novel, The Man in My Basement, one of his imaginative explorations beyond his trailblazing crime fiction, we jumped at the chance to speak with Mosley and Nadia Latif, a London based theatermaker and director. This is her first feature film.

Historical Fiction • These top 10 historical fiction titles cover locales from Washington, DC, to Nigeria to France, and time periods from the Protestant Reformation to the Harlem Renaissance to the mod era in London, exploring themes and revealing truths that transcend geography and time.

Historical Fiction on Audio • Autofiction and revisiting familiar characters and time periods are the rich scores upon which skilled narrators weave their work in this year’s list.

PBS BOOKS

Sci-Tech Audio for All • Audio is a great format for dipping your toes into the world of science and technology. Enthusiastic narrators and engaging delivery pull listeners into these sometimes complex, always curious narratives that seek to explain the world around us.

Brief Audio for Busy Days • December may have 31 days, but they never seem to be enough for getting everything done before the year’s end. This makes it a great month for sneaking short, sweet audiobooks—none more that three-and-a-half hours—into your routine. Each of these offers a quiet, contemplative respite from the bustle of this busy month.

Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan • For some kids, there’s no friend better than an animal friend. In Finding Lost, Cordy’s...