Katie's parents never told her "no" when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she's not at work, she's at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves.
Twitter: @kt_librarylady
Halfway through the first month of the year, it’s time to send out the old and usher in the new. I have compiled some book lists and 2025-in-review numbers from the end of the year, along with a list of most-anticipated titles for 2026 and a new set of reading and listening challenges.
Let’s dive in.
New & Upcoming Titles
- The most anticipated books of 2026 from Barnes & Noble, Brightly (picture books, middle grade, YA), Goodreads, and USA Today.
- The most underrated books of 2025.
- The most-anticipated books in translation of 2026.
- 2026 releases that will be perfect for your book club.
- Here’s some food for thought: What does it mean to publish so many books?
Reader’s Advisory and Genre Resources
- Make sure to take a look at the 2026 Read Harder Challenge!
- If audiobooks are more your style, Libro.fm has a 2026 listening challenge.
- Romance is booming, but why do critics still dismiss it?
- A short history of romantasy.
- The state of YA in 2025.
Check Your Shelf
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Numbers & Trends
- Which books showed up across all of the Best Of lists?
- The most popular books on Libby in 2025.
- Hoopla’s 2025 Year in Review.
- These were the most popular books across dozens of US public libraries in 2025.
- Most Americans didn’t read many books in 2025.
- People aren’t lying about reading. You’re just insecure. (Ouch.)
Book Adaptations In the News
- What happened to these high-profile canceled adaptations?
- Not surprisingly, Heated Rivalry gets a second season at HBO.
- A look at all of the upcoming Freida McFadden adaptations.
English (US) · 