Brooklyn Public Library’s 250 Influential Books For America’s 250 Anniversary (and More Library News)

I hope everyone’s bracing themselves, because I have a monster list of news and updates for library workers. There’s an update on the inaugural Booker Prize for Children, the best books of the year (as chosen by The New York Times), cryptid-centered mysteries, and two buzzy books your patrons are hearing about. Let’s dive in.

New & Upcoming Titles

Rebecca Yarros is publishing an epic “castaway romance,” which comes out this fall. Here’s an excerpt from Life Out of Order, Audrey Niffenegger’s sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife. Here’s a look at T.J. Klune’s upcoming novel, We Burned So Bright. The New York Times picks the best books of the year so far. 7 SFF titles coming in late 2026.

All Things Comics

In the Time of the Butterflies is getting a graphic novel adaptation. Out-of-this-world space comics for teens. 8 dark romance comics. 8 comics by celebrities.

Award News

Indie booksellers award the best books of 2025. The winner of the inaugural James Patterson + Bookshop.org Prize has been announced. Helen DeWitt announced she turned down a $175,000 Windham-Campbell Prize because the promotional requirements were too difficult for her to fulfill. The L.A. Times Book Prizes have been awarded. Carla Hayden received the Champion of Writers Award from the Authors Guild. The 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist has been released. The Booker Prize has released more information about their inaugural Children’s Prize (awarded in 2027), including a search for children to serve on the judging panel.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Kids

Rhyming books for preschoolers. 5 must-read fantasy picture books. Children’s books that celebrate Arab culture and heritage. 20 kids’ books that celebrate mothers and caregivers. 10 hopeful climate books for kids. Kids’ books that celebrate libraries. Children’s books to help adults talk to kids about school shootings. 14 books for kids who only want to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 3 readalikes for kids who love Ramona Quimby. 10 authentic middle grade books about autism.

Teens

31 poetry books and novels in verse for teens. 30 queer YA SFF books that should be on your radar. YA novels featuring international road trips. 8 cozy YA fantasy novels.

Adults

The Brooklyn Public Library has released a list of 250 influential books in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. The L.A. Times picks 101 of the best book club picks. Literary thrillers that expose Hollywood’s dark side. Books that explore the ethics of true crime. 20 queer novels centered around food. Greek mythology romances. 8 Latine poets to put on your radar. 5 cautionary fantasy novels about shopping. 8 mysteries about cryptids and cryptozoology. Books that make you want to root for the killer. 7 books for fans of Margo’s Got Money Troubles. Romantasies by BIPOC and/or queer authors.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

My Dear You: Stories by Rachel Khong What if God extinguished the human race in favor of something better? What if the government injected you with a drug that made you see everyone else as the same race and gender as you? Rachel Khong’s wide-ranging short story collection asks deep questions about modern-day dating, being an Asian woman in America, being human, and more. Featured in: L.A. Times

Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online by Fortesa Latifi Journalist Fortesa Latifi dives into the dark world of the child influencer industry and exposes the privacy issues, financial abuse, and emotional trauma that come with having your entire life captured on film. Her writing has been featured in Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and The New York Times. Featured in The New York Times, NPR.