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The Family Remains, by Lisa Jewell (Atria), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

This season offers illuminating and transformative reads: from nonfiction books that turn the volume up on underrepresented voices to novels that spotlight seasoned sleuths. Here the LJ Reviews editors highlight just some of the books we are suggesting to one another and fellow readers in the last half of 2022.

The last few years have seen people looking inward in a deeper, more personal way, while they also look outward, striving to change the social landscape. To this end, readers can anticipate a new crop of great novels for curling up with and cookbooks to tempt them back into the warmth of the kitchen, but there are also books that make readers question notions of home and where they fit in the world. 

Black Dog, by Stuart Woods (Putnam), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

The Last To Vanish, by Megan Miranda (Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

From TV to film, the Gilded Age is all the rage. The following novels illuminate multiple facets of the luxurious—though not-so-golden—era.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman, by Daniel Silva (Harper), is the top holds title of the week (7/18/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

The It Girl, by Ruth Ware (Scout; LJ starred review), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

New key authors are taking possession of the genre by claiming old tropes and making them new; small presses are making huge waves; and the voices of marginalized authors are creating change and energy.

Suspects by Danielle Steel is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

The House Across the Lake, by Riley Sager (Dutton), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

A bit oddly for an undertaking that demands working with one’s hands, gardening turns out to be a wonderful pastime on TV, and, less surprisingly, within the pages of books, where writers such as Jane Austen and William Shakespeare have set scenes in gardens. The following books celebrate the TV-ness of gardening, four written by garden TV hosts and one by a TikTok star.

The Hotel Nantucket, by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown), is the top holds title of the week (6/13/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill (Poisoned Pen; LJ starred review), is the top holds title of the week (6/6/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

These books were selected by LJ reviewers and editors as titles of particular note in the June 2022 issue of the magazine. Along with all the starred reviews in the June issue, these are essential titles to know, buy, suggest, and read.

Sparring Partners, by John Grisham (Doubleday), is the top holds title of the week (5/30/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

Nightwork by Nora Roberts is the top holds title of the week (5/23/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

A picnic book is as essential as a blanket, for reading outdoors is a sublime pleasure that spring invites with blossoms and bright blue skies. Just as what fills a picnic hamper or take-out bag is customizable and endless in its variety, so too are reading choices. Here are a few suggestions based on form.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren (Gallery) is the top holds title of the week (5/16/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

These four books were selected by LJ reviewers and editors as titles of particular note in the May 2022 issue of the magazine. Along with all the starred reviews of the May issue, these are essential titles to know, buy, suggest, and read.

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner (Atria) is the top holds title of the week (5/9/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Book Lovers by Emily Henry.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read City on Fire by Don Winslow.

Climate fiction often spans speculative fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, and eco-fiction as it addresses topics such as carbon emissions, vanishing species, and global warming. However, cli-fi seems virtually limitless in its scope, subjects, and approaches, as these novels of lyrical observation, loss, and wonder illustrate.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Dream Town by David Baldacci.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Investigator (Letty Davenport, Bk. 1) by John Sandford.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel.

The sea has fascinated authors throughout time. Popular fiction genres from domestic fiction to wartime novels involve a profusion of pelagic topics and themes.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich.

Readers’ Advisory + Reader Engagement = Reader Services for Our Times.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Match by Harlan Coben.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson.

An always popular genre, crime fiction continues to grow and evolve, keeping its core readership solidly engaged but also attracting new readers. In our 2022 preview, looking at books publishing through the fall, we have found that storytelling is king, across subgenres, as authors build cases with even more attention to characterization, with a character’s psyche, family, and motivations all powering the story. Already popular cozies—light, nearly violence-free mysteries—are going strong.

Wondering if a book is a cozy? Take this quick quiz, and give yourself five points for every time you answer "yes."

Beth Kava has been reading mysteries her entire life. During her long career as a history teacher, she engaged students by helping them think of past events as mysteries to be investigated. She is currently a volunteer in her community and president of the White Plains Library (NY) Foundation, helping to support a library with, among many riches, an ever-enticing section of mysteries. She’s a member of three book groups— including the library’s crime fiction group, Book ‘Em— and her reading choices are eclectic and far-ranging.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas.

These novels use a fractured narrative style to represent the interior struggles of modern-day lovers.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb.

In its third annual books preview, LJ presents 445 titles in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, with the titles revealing strong parallels in how writers across genres are approaching our turbulent world.

Cookbooks focusing on specific locales, travelers unmoored in time, reboots and sequels taking center stage, historical mysteries, and romance: This season offers illuminating, fun, and transporting reads. Here the LJ Reviews team highlights just some of the books we are suggesting to one another and fellow readers in 2022.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read A Game Of Fear by Charles Todd.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis.

Including fiction, nonfiction, and reference, these 20 graphic works focus on Black lives and voices.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner.

Readers who love both science and fiction but not necessarily science fiction should find much to enjoy in these thought-provoking literary works that dramatize the challenges and rewards of real-life scientific inquiry.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Invisible by Danielle Steel.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale.

The Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) BIPOC Library Workers Group share favorite titles from the year.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult.

Late fall may seem the wrong time to read gardening books, but it is actually ideal. The following titles, devoted to growing beautiful plants indoors and out, will inspire wintertime dreams of spring and summer gardens to come and keep interior landscapes bright and glowing through chilly days.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Mercy by David Baldacci.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly.

Ben Cox and Scott Barbour, sff experts at Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH, share tips for working with readers, building collections, and promoting the genres.

Fonda Lee, author of the “Green Bone Saga,” deftly spans science fiction and fantasy. She talks with LJ about the connections and divergences in sff, martial arts, and the authors who inspire her.

This edition of LJ’s thrice-yearly list of top debut novels focuses on the winter season, including a few late 2021 titles and stretching to March 2022. They are all promising titles, with eight especially intriguing offerings highlighted. 

All the April 2022 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a downloadable spreadsheet and a print-ready PDF of all posts.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight by Janet Evanovich.

Catherine Sheldrick Ross died on September 11. Professor, dean, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, she was a renowned library and information scholar. She leaves a legacy of research and publications critical to reader, reference, and public services.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Better Off Dead by Lee Child & Andrew Child.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Judge’s List by John Grisham. 

Body horror has been a staple of the horror genre starting as far back as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The fear of damage to one’s body and the transformation or destruction of one’s wholeness or identity are features of this subgenre, where the focus is the violation of the human body. It can range from beautiful and haunting to an absolute gore fest. Many contemporary titles incorporate aspects of body horror so readily that sometimes it is taken for granted, but these selections put those elements of the storytelling front and center.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. 

The romance genre continues to be strong. LJ spoke to industry experts and looked at upcoming releases from publishers of all sizes, noting that witches, reality TV plots, and books featuring food competitions are trending upward. Contemporary-set romances featuring a wide range of lived experiences are available both as stand-alone novels or as part of continuing series, while a variety of historical settings mean that readers who want love stories set in the past will have plenty to choose from.

Popular self-published romance novelist Chencia C. Higgins (“The Vow” and “Wolves of West Texas” series, among others) makes her trade debut with D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding (Carina Adores, Jan. 2022). LJ talks to Higgins about Texas, coming-out stories, reality television, and her research process.

All the March 2022 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a central index, a downloadable spreadsheet, and a print-ready PDF of all posts.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. 

“Research” comes from the Middle French word “recherche” (“to go about seeking”). Whether it’s understood as fact-finding, investigation, or exploration, research requires careful attention to detail and locale, both of which are helpful when composing well-analyzed works of historical fiction, as the following five books demonstrate. 

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney. 

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny. 

All the February 2022 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a central index, a downloadable spreadsheet, and a print-ready PDF of all posts.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Noise by James Patterson and J. D. Barker. 

Take one mysterious literary work and embed it inside another, and the result can be greater than the sum of its parts. These complex, riddling novels fully display their authors’ ingenuity and stylistic versatility while providing fiction lovers with a richer, more rewarding reading experience. 

The goal of this newly revived column will be to highlight recent and forthcoming reprints and rediscoveries, with the aim of helping busy librarians replenish their stock of not merely treasured classics but also notable recoveries from the past, to populate the shelves with exciting, unexpected finds for readers and patrons for years to come.

LJ’s thrice-yearly list of debut novels showcases 37 titles to watch for and savor. Featured here are the full-length debuts of highly regarded short story writers Uwem Akpan, Violet Kupersmith, and Shruti Swamy, plus a strong contingent of award-winning African authors and several romances embracing diverse characters.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Vortex by Catherine Coulter.

Fall sweeps in with 133 books that collection development and readers’ advisory librarians will want to know, read, share, and buy.

Award–winning author and editor Roxane Gay discusses the launch of her new imprint at Grove Atlantic, part of a welcome and necessary change in publishing.

LJ editors highlight personal favorites among the new slate of fall 2021 books. Selections span romance, biography, suspense, art, gardening, poetry, and more, including key debuts and the return of favorite authors.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Billy Summers by Stephen King. 

 LJ ’s first readers’ advisory (RA) survey in eight years found that RA is a growing practice, but librarians want more training and tools to do it better, particularly in genres they don’t read for pleasure. Can crowdsourcing help RA keep up?

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas.

Wanda M. Morris talks to LJ about her debut novel, wrapping women’s stories in legal thrillers, and how an Atlanta library was instrumental in the creation of All Her Little Secrets.

Eight years on, readers’ advisory research shows that the service has grown in popularity and importance, but librarians need more time to read widely and practice skills.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read Black Ice by Brad Thor. 

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Cellist by Daniel Silva.

Open these books and enter a world that spans travelogue, memoir, adventure, conservation, and migration to tell the story of the land and its people. 

Essential titles reviewed in our July 2021 print issue, spanning mystery & suspense, fiction, social sciences, audiobooks, and more.

Upcoming releases in the hottest genre of the moment feature exciting debuts, new work from established authors, and more women authors, editors, and publishers than ever.

Becky Spratford talks with LJ about writing the third edition of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror and the changes to the genre since she wrote the second edition.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting for Survive the Night by Riley Sager.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting for Dream Girl by Laura Lippman.

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting for The Maidens by Alex Michaelides.