Hi, librarians! Can you believe May is coming to a close? We’re back with a few top new releases from May 19th and May 26th. During this time of incredible change as many of you move orders away from Baker & Taylor to new partners, we wanted to make sure you don’t miss any key books during this transition.

On sale 5/26/26
9780063451551

On sale 5/19/26
9780063448841

On sale 5/19/26
9780063236936

On sale 5/19/26
9780063415898

On sale 5/19/26
9780063328068

On sale 5/26/26
9781335000682

On sale 5/26/26
9780063514522

On sale 5/26/26
9780063470132

IN THE NEWS

Alexandra Andrews’ The Fine Art of Lying is the May Reese’s Book Club pick! We recently had Alexandra on Writers to Watch.

CATCH THE REPLAY OF WRITERS TO WATCH

There’s a really beautiful exclusive interview in People with author Caitlin Shetterly about how she experienced the same illness she wrote for one of her characters.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

Pack your beach bag with these summer reads! Library Love Fest is here with sizzling summer reads to keep you company at the beach. Whether you’re looking for fantastical escapism or poignant family stories, we’ve got something for you! Check out the list of books coming this summer below.

Whistler by Ann Patchett
On sale date: June 2, 2026
Also available in Large Print

The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

Egalley on Edelweiss

Egalley on NetGalley

That Night by Gillian McAllister
On sale date: August 18, 2026
Also available in Large Print

From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an electrifying thriller about three siblings torn apart by the cover-up of a death while on a family vacation in Italy.

Egalley on Edelweiss

Egalley on NetGalley

Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
On sale date: July 7, 2026

From the award-winning author of Winter Counts comes a new thriller about life—and death—on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

Egalley on Edelweiss

Egalley on NetGalley

Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
On sale date: June 2, 2026
Also available in Large Print

From the bestselling author of Mansion Beach, a summery drama following three sisters who return to their childhood home, each with their own secret, perfect for readers of Sandwich and Pineapple Street.

Egalley on Edelweiss

Egalley on NetGalley

The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill
On sale date: May 19, 2026

From the author of The In-Between Bookstore, the sweet, unforgettable story of a trans man in his thirties who books a Cape Cod cottage for one lonely summer—only to have its magic bring him visitors from the past and romance where he least expects it. Perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Ashley Poston.

Egalley on Edelweiss

Egalley on NetGalley

The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty
On sale date: May 12, 2026
Also available in Large Print

New York Times bestselling author Shannon Chakraborty sets sail into the second adventure of pirate Amina al-Sirafi as her quest to track down magical artifacts brings her to the island lair of a sorceress whose woven enchantments are impossible to flee.

Learn more on Edelweiss

Your favorite YA and children’s books authors are here with their adult debut novels! We are thrilled to be publishing Alexandra Bracken’s adult debut novel Immortal Rose and Victoria Aveyard’s adult debut novel Tempest!

Alexandra Bracken is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore and the Darkest Minds series. Immortal Rose is set in a sumptuous world ruled by magical perfume. This achingly romantic, slow-burn love story will shatter your heart and leave you breathless.

Victoria Aveyard is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Queen series and the Realm Breaker trilogy. Tempest is an epic adventure of love and betrayal amid a brutal war for the high seas. Dive into this epic adventure full of plot twists, complex characters.

Looking for more adult debuts from your faves? Click the button below for a catalog of more upcoming adult debuts.

Hello, librarians! Are you attending the PLA Conference in Minneapolis this year? If so, the Library Love Fest Team would love to see you! Swing by our booth (#637) for galleys galore, author signings, and more. As always, you can email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com or find us on social (X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) at any time. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Find our conference schedule below.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1ST

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Justin Ellis, The Cruelty of Nice Folks
Signing in the HarperCollins booth #637

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Justin Ellis, The Cruelty of Nice Folks
Library Journal’s Evening of Dialog
Hyatt Regency, 1300 Nicollet Mall
RSVP to this event here

THURSDAY, APRIL 2ND

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Children’s Author Breakfast
Featuring Katherine Applegate, Wombat Waiting
This event is ticketed (sold out)
Find more information here

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Katherine Applegate, The Littlest Elephant
Signing in the HarperCollins booth #637

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Katherine Applegate, The Littlest Elephant
Signing in the Follett booth #215

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Wisdom Corner
PLA Mystery Program
Room 205 A-D, MCC
See scheduler for all details

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Ann Patchett, Whistler
PLA Author Lunch
This event is ticketed
Find more information here

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Megan Giddings, Meet Me at the Crossroads
Signing in the HarperCollins booth #637

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Booklist Book Buzz
Minneapolis Convention Center

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan
Signing in the Gale/Cengage booth #903

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts
Signing in the HarperCollins booth #637

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Ann Patchett, Whistler
Signing in the Ingram booth #1222

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Melissa Albert, The Children
LibraryReads “Your Evening Is Booked” Panel
RSVP here for this event

FRIDAY, APRIL 3RD

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
ALMA Book Buzz
Book Buzz Stage

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Melissa Albert, The Children
Signing in the HarperCollins booth #637

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Melissa Albert, The Children
Signing in the Hoopla booth #1112

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Loretta Ellsworth, The Jilted Countess
Signing in the HarperCollins booth #637

Melissa Albert, the New York Times bestselling YA author of the Hazel Wood series, makes her adult debut with The Children (on sale June 2nd, 2026).

This intoxicating, haunting novel follows the estranged adult children of a legendary children’s author as they reckon with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic. Those who have returned to their childhood favorites just to discover that they’re much darker than they remember will delight in this novel and its eerie atmosphere.

Perfect for book clubs and Albert’s YA fans, The Children was also the Lead Read selection for Summer 2026. Lead Read is a program led by the HarperCollins Sales Team in which a single novel is chosen as the read of the season.

We know you’ll love it just as much as we do, so once you read, cast your LibraryReads vote for The Children by May 1st. Download the egalley now on Edelweiss or NetGalley to start reading!

Praise for The Children

“A great addition to every collection.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“An extraordinary book. It’s a page-turner, full of mystery, but that’s the least of it. The language is dusted with magic. The Children reminded me of Ray Bradbury at his best.”
—Stephen King, New York Times bestselling author

“I don’t know how, but Melissa Albert has taken my most private nightmares and desires and published them as a dark fairy tale. The Children is a poison apple of a book: glossy, sweet, and absolutely terrifying. I don’t think I’ll ever get it out of my bloodstream.”
—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting

Melissa Albert is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of The Bad Ones, Our Crooked Hearts, and the Hazel Wood series. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and included in the New York Times list of Notable Children’s Books. The Children is her first adult novel. 

Legendary author Ann Patchett returns with a new novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time. Whistler is a luminous story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. With Ann’s signature and profound voice, Whistler is not one to be missed. It sits alongside the greats.

We’re thrilled that Ann will be narrating the audiobook which will be on sale simultaneously with the print edition on June 2nd, 2026! If you just can’t wait until June (trust me, we get it), below you will find links to download the egalley on NetGalley or Edelweiss. Once you read it and love it, be sure to submit your LibraryReads votes by May 1st.

Praise for Whistler

“Patchett is a clarion voice who can persuade any reader to devour her books without pause. Her latest is no exception, with strong characters, compelling circumstances, and the one detail on which lives can pivot to ruin or to happiness.”

—Library Journal

“Like many of Patchett’s works, this beautiful and generous novel feels effortless, never straining for effect. It’s one of her best.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children’s books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the LibraryReads winners have finally been announced! Thank you to all who voted.

So excited to announce that The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke and Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker have made the Top Ten list! We also have one Hall of Fame selection for April: Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell. Additionally, The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin is the Board Bonus Pick and The Lost Cities of El Norte by Peter Stark is the Notable Nonfiction pick. Congrats to all!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to audiograms below from the Evelyn Clarke duo, Kylie Lee Baker, Willy Vlautin, and Peter Stark.

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the LibraryReads winners have finally been announced! Thank you to all who voted.

So excited to announce that Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s Lake Effect and Vincent Tirado’s You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom have made the Top Ten list! We also have three Hall of Fame selections for March: Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson, Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian, and Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. Congrats to all!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to audiograms below!

Our website might look a little different for a while! We are moving over from our old platform. Unfortunately, that site is no longer in business, so we created a quick site that would allow us to have limited disruption and still offer great updates on what the team is doing. More coming soon. Thank you for your patience! As always, you can email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com or find us on social (X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) at any time. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Register for Writers to Watch on Crowdcast.
Register for Galley Gab Fest on Crowdcast.

Thank you for your patience during this transition!

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team

The Library Love Fest Team has a treat for you! Author Claire Oshetsky sat down to answer five questions for you about their latest novel, Evil Genius.

More about Evil Genius (on sale 2/17/26):
An exuberant, brutally hilarious novel about a young woman’s insatiable quest to carve her own path—even if she needs to step over a few dead bodies along the way.

1. What was the initial spark or idea that led you to write Evil Genius?

I had just finished my novel Poor Deer and I said to my husband, “I don’t know what to write next,” and he said, “You haven’t written about your ex-husband yet.” That was the spark.

2. Your previous works include a mythic element, and this one does as well. Tell us more about the Crab Queen and the role she plays in the novel.

I happened to watch an old Roger Corman movie called “Attack of the Killer Crabs,” and the next time I sat down to write, completely out of the blue, Celia began to tell a story about an old movie she saw once called “Attack of the Killer Crab Queen.” It was just that accidental. At first I didn’t really ask myself what The Crab Queen was doing in my novel. She just kept inserting herself into the action. It took me a while to realize I’d stumbled on what would turn out to be a potent symbol of Celia’s growing sense of self, and her determination to change her life.

3. Celia’s likeability and edginess is very balanced, allowing the reader to really root for her. How did you go about creating this dynamic?

Celia makes some very sketchy, possibly indefensible choices in her life, but she doesn’t judge. I think Celia’s extreme reluctance to think badly of other people did a lot of the work for me, when it came to keeping her likeable.

It also helps that Celia is narrating this story from a distance. She’s looking back on a time of great turmoil in her life, and from this perspective, after many years spent reflecting on those tumultuous times, she can feel a lot of compassion, even for the people who did her grave harm back then.

Finally, I let plot elements unspool themselves in a way where my readers can plausibly imagine Celia is completely innocent of any criminal intent. Maybe things just happen to work out really well for her.

4. This novel is set in 1974 San Francisco. What drew you to this specific time and space?

I wanted to set my story in an era where the lowly telephone was so critical that even a minimum-wage billing operator like Celia had the power to ruin a life in the space of a three-minute customer service call, by disconnecting someone’s telephone for non-payment. That was interesting to me.

Also, 1974 was such an interesting year. It was the year Nixon resigned. It was the first full year after the end of the Vietnam war. There were upending notions circulating about “women’s liberation” but not much had changed in most women’s lives, either at work or at home. San Francisco from the outside seemed to be a hotbed of free love and flower children that year, but regular people’s lives went on as usual. It felt like fertile ground to place my story.

5. What do you hope readers take away from Celia’s story?

With all of my stories, I hope people come away entertained, and also, that they come away thinking: “I get this, because I have also felt this way.”

Claire Oshetsky is the author of Poor Deer and Chouette, which was a PEN/Faulkner Award nominee, the winner of the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and a finalist for the Northern California Book Award and the Barbellion Prize. They live in Santa Cruz, California.

ALA Awards for 2026 have been announced, and HarperCollins is honored to have so many books represented across the awards.

Sonita by Sonita Alizada received the Alex Award. The Young Adult Library Services Association selected 10 adult books with special appeal to teen readers to receive the 2026 Alex Awards.

Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus and The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman have both been included on the Notable Books List in the Fiction category. The Notable Books List is an annual best-of-list comprised of titles written for adult readers and published in the US including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

The Reading List is an annual best-of list comprised of eight different fiction genres for adult readers. There is also a shortlist of honor titles, up to 4 per genre.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker was selected as the winner for the Horror list. King Sorrow by Joe Hill and The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling were selected as shortlist titles.

Didn’t You Used to Be Queenie B? by Terri-Lynne DeFino was selected as the winner for the Relationship Fiction list. The Stand-in Dad by Alex Summers was selected for the shortlist.

The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joseph Finder was selected as an Adrenaline shortlist title.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner was selected as a read-alike for the Fantasy list, and Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur was selected as a read-alike for the Romance list.

Hostage by Eli Sharabi was selected as an Honorable Mention by the committee of the Sophie Brody Medal, and Four Red Sweaters by Lucy Adlington was selected as a Noteworthy title. The Sophie Brody Medal is given to encourage, recognize, and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature.

The Listen List is comprised of audiobooks honored for their outstanding narration. The following titles from HarperAudio were named as listen-alikes:

Positive Obsession by Susana M. Morris, narrated by Karen Murray
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons, narrated by Nicolette McKenzie
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston, narrated by Tim Carroll
Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn, narrated by Greg Chun

The Asian Pacific American Award for Literature honors and recognizes individual works by Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pasifika authors that highlight Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pasifika cultures and experiences.

Extinction Capital of the World by Mariah Riggs has been selected as the Pasifika Adult Fiction winner.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker has been selected for the Asian American Adult Fiction Honor.

Congratulations to all of our award winners!

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team

It’s that time again! We’re back with another list of our top new releases for your convenience.

Find our entire list here. The books listed below are the titles that are on sale January 20th and January 27th. Also, you will find upcoming events where you can hear about forthcoming titles or directly from the authors.

NEW RELEASES

On sale: 1/20/26
ISBN: 9780063463509

On sale: 1/20/26
ISBN: 9780063352018

On sale: 1/20/26
ISBN: 9780063380882

On sale: 1/27/26
ISBN: 9780063411586

IN THE MEDIA

On sale: 8/18/26
ISBN: 9780063411586
Cover reveal

On sale: 9/29/26
ISBN: 9781335002693
Cover reveal

On sale now
ISBN: 9780063480049

On sale now
ISBN: 9780063448087
Film adaptation coming

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for all you do.

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team

Happy New Year, librarians! We’re so grateful to have spent a wonderful year talking books with you in 2025, and we’re looking forward to doing it all again in 2026.

Below is our list of our top new releases! The books listed are the titles that are on sale January 6th and January 13th. Also, you will find upcoming events where you can hear about forthcoming titles or directly from the authors.

Click here for an Edelweiss catalog of all of the titles mentioned below and even more.

NEW RELEASES

On sale: 1/6/26
ISBN: 9780062892430

On sale: 1/13/26
ISBN: 9780063492639

On sale: 1/13/26
ISBN: 9780063338371

On sale: 1/13/26
ISBN: 9780778387855

IN THE MEDIA

On sale: 1/6/26
ISBN: 9781335000989
Read With Jenna Pick

On sale: 1/6/26
ISBN: 9780063467965
NPR Interview

On sale now!
ISBN: 9781335534637
Now a show on HBO
More sports romances

On sale: 1/6/26
ISBN: 9780063484948
Get ready for season 4 on Netflix

On sale: 1/13/26
ISBN: 9780063495722
Coming to Netflix

UPCOMING EVENTS

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for all you do!

All our best,
Library Love Fest

So excited to announce that Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl has made the Hall of Fame list for January!

Want to hear how they reacted to the big news? Listen to an audiogram from Sierra and Julie below!

It’s time for another list of our top new releases! The books below are the titles that are on sale through the end of December. We’ll be back in the new year!

Click here for an Edelweiss catalog of all of the titles mentioned below and even more.

NEW RELEASES

On sale: 12/30/25
ISBN: 9780063436718

On sale: 12/30/25
ISBN: 9780063476530

On sale: 12/30/25
ISBN: 9780008666927

IN THE MEDIA

On sale now!
ISBN: 9780063279889
WNCY’s All of It interview

On sale: 4/14/26
ISBN: 9780778306085
Cover reveal & excerpt

On sale: 2/17/26
ISBN: 9780063445192

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for a great year, and happy holidays!

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team

Librarians, it’s been a great year for books! So many “best of” lists are pouring in and we are beyond thankful for the number of HarperCollins titles we’re seeing on these lists. We cannot express enough how thankful we are for the support you show our authors and their books.

New York Public Library

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (9780063391147)
Fair Play by Louise Hegarty (9780063360556)
The Art Spy by Michele Young (9780063295896)
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (9780063318779)

Chicago Public Library

Black in Blues by Imani Perry (9780062977397) — included in the Top 10!
Spent by Alison Bechdel (9780063278929) —included in the Top 100
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (9780063021471) — included in the Top 100
Strange Pictures by Uketsu (9780063433083)— included in the Top 100
Archive of Unknown Universes by Ruben Reyes Jr. (9780063336315) — included in the Top 100
King Sorrow by Joe Hill (9780062200600) — included in the Top 100
So Far Gone by Jess Walters (9780062868145) — included in the Top 100
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (9780063318779) — included in the Top 100
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin (9780063434875) — included in the Top 100
Bad Company by Megan Greenwell (9780063299351) — included in the Top 100
Y2K by Colette Shade (9780063333949) — included in the Top 100
Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola (9780063306967) — included in the Top 100
Toni at Random by Dana A. Williams (9780063011977)
Water Mirror Echo by Jeff Chang (9780358726470)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (9780063391147)
Wreck by Catherine Newman (9780063453913)
Helm by Sarah Hall (9780063439948)
Crooks by Lou Berney (9780063445574)
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman (9780062998101)
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter (9780063336773)
Motherland by Julia Ioffe (9780062879127)
The Mission by Tim Weiner (9780063270183)

Los Angeles Public Library

Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane (9780063292574)
Intemperance by Sonora Jha (9780063440845)
Strange Pictures by Uketsu (9780063433083)
Twice by Mitch Albom (9780062406682)

King County Library System

The Phoenix Pencil by Allison King (9780063446236)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (9780063391147)
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (9780063021471)
An African History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi (9780063335417)
Black in Blues by Imani Perry (9780062977397)
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin (9780063434875)

Booklist

Black in Blues by Imani Perry (9780062977397)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (9780063391147)
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (9780063021471)
An African History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi (9780063335417)
A Love Story from the End of the World by Juhea Kim (9780063446397)
The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren (9780063322134)
The Unwanted by Boris Fishman (9780063387447)
The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver (9780063394308)

Library Journal

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (9780063021471)
King Sorrow by Joe Hill (9780062200600)
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin (9780063434875)
Les Normaux, Volume One by Janine Janssen (9780063414679)
The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold by Ally Carter (9780063386976)
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz (9780063305700)
Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory (9780063439689)
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins (9780063293441)
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman (9780062998101) — included in best covers

Congratulations to all, and thank you, librarians, for such a fantastic year! Here’s to more great books in 2026!

Hello, librarians!

We hope you had a lovely holiday with good food and lots of time reading. We sure are thankful for you!

Find our recommendations for the February list here. Reminder to get your votes in for the February list by January 1st!

Happy reading!

Until next time,
The Library Love Fest Team

The Library Love Fest Team is back with another list of our top new books that are coming out on November 25th at December 2nd, as well as books that have been all over the media.

You can check out this Edelweiss catalog for all of the titles on sale in addition to those below.

NEW RELEASES

On sale: 12/2/25
ISBN: 9780063293441

On sale: 11/25/25
ISBN: 9780063215979

On sale: 12/2/25
ISBN: 9780063138575

On sale: 11/25/25
ISBN: 9780063478626

IN THE MEDIA

On sale now!
ISBN: 9780063421493
Oprah’s Book Club Pick

On sale now!
ISBN: 9780063471740
Get ready for the movie!

On sale now!
ISBN: 9780063374454

UPCOMING EVENTS

RSVP on Facebook
Register on Crowdcast

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you for all you do!

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team

The Library Love Fest team is excited to share a letter to librarians from Zefyr Lisowski! She is the author of Uncanny Valley Girls, a sharply personal and expansive memoir-in-essays dedicated to the strange and absurd beauty of horror films, exploring the complications of gender, the insidiousness of class ascension, and the latent violence hidden in our own uncanny reflections. Hear directly from her about her newest work and her connection to libraries.

Dear Librarians,

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to talk to you about my essay collection, Uncanny Valley Girls, out now through Harper Perennial.

Uncanny Valley Girls is a book about a lot of things—loving horror movies and loving other people despite being hurt by both; the vicarious thrill in an on-screen spurt of fake blood; the complexities of growing up trans in the rural South, and the horrors and joys that lurk there too. But, above all, it’s a book about survival. I started writing it at a period of my life that felt like an absolute nadir—emerging from a psych ward, knowing that something in my life had to change. I wrote it at a time where my greatest need was wanting to want to live, and, in writing it, something clicked open. Writing this book saved me, and I hope some of the care that experience gave me shines through into your life, too.

I’ve been heartened by the reaction to Uncanny Valley Girls. But I’m especially excited to share this book with you specifically, given the way libraries provided me a space to see into lives like my own and others. Every week, from elementary school onward, I would trek to the brick edifice downtown and check out books— Paul Beatty novels and Shirley Jackson short story collections, books of poetry and plays, histories of the ghosts in my town and state. As a queer kid in a rural North Carolina community, libraries helped me first dream of community before I found it. I first started to read LGBT writers through my library, first started to build my own canon of other writers thinking expansively about place and people, first started to think through difference and similarity and difference again. 

I’ve also tried to give back to libraries how I can. Throughout high school, I volunteered at that same branch, working as a shelver and youth program coordinator. Since I moved to NYC ten years ago, I’ve discovered countless new books, authors, and experiences through the Brooklyn and New York Public Libraries, and had the honor of participating in a poetry showcase at the BPL in 2021. Libraries have deeply shaped my politics and imagination; at times I haven’t been able to afford to buy books, they’ve kept me reading. It’s no exaggeration to say I wouldn’t be a writer without them. 

I hope you join me on the journey I describe in Uncanny Valley Girls—from a town secluded in the recesses of a swamp obsessed with a hundred-year-old drowned girl to a residential high school built on the grounds of an abandoned hospital. Here, you’ll find stories of gender-ambiguous figures in Texas wielding chainsaws and disabled girls pushed down wells—stories of people carved down to their last nerves. But through all of it, you’ll find light, the warmth of bodies huddled against each other and the relief we can find through and despite that fear. You’ll find love, and through that love, you’ll find life too. 

Thank you to all of you for what you’ve done, and continue to do.

Warmly,
Zefyr Lisowski

Thank you, Zefyr, for writing this touching letter to librarians and congratulations Uncanny Valley Girls, out now.

Praise for Uncanny Valley Girls:

“Lisowski takes an intimate approach to horror films…. drawing poignant parallels between her experience as a trans woman and the monsters and final girls of the films she loves…. [Lisowski is a] talent to watch, with a strong, singular voice.”
—Library Journal

“Zefyr Lisowski has written a poignant, innovative, and urgent blend of memoir and criticism that has replenished my belief in how art and love can save your life—a book that can single-handedly infuse new and unexpected beauty into your favorite films.”
—Torrey Peters, author of Stag Dance and Detransition, Baby

More about Zefyr Lisowski:

Zefyr Lisowski is a Lambda award-winning trans and queer writer, artist, and North Carolinian living in New York City. A 2023 NYFA/NYSCA Fellow and 2023 Queer|Art Fellow, she’s the author of the poetry collections Girl Work, winner of the 2022 Noemi Book Prize, and Blood Box, winner of the Black River Editor’s Choice Award from Black Lawrence Press. Zefyr’s work has appeared in The Believer, Electric Literature, Catapult, Literary Hub, Split This Rock, and elsewhere. From 2016 to 2024, she served as poetry co-editor for the Whiting Award-winning Apogee Journal. She’s seen grave robbers twice.

Hi, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the LibraryReads winners have finally been announced! Thank you to all who voted.

So excited to announce that Stacia Stark’s We Who Will Die has made the December 2025 LibraryReads List! And Margot Harrison’s The Library of Fates has been selected as a Board Bonus Pick!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen below.

Hello, librarians!

We know Halloween recently passed but we have one more scary thought for you: we are getting ready to vote for the JANUARY 2026 LibraryReads list! Yikes! Where did the year go? Find our recommendations for the January list here. Reminder to get your votes in for the January list by December 1st!

Until next time,
The Library Love Fest Team

Hello, librarians!

We’re back with another list of our top new books that are coming out on November 11th at November 18th, as well as books that the media has been buzzing about.

Be sure to check back for upcoming lists of don’t-miss titles for your patrons. You can find all of the titles in this Edelweiss catalog.

NEW RELEASES

On sale: 11/11/25
ISBN: 9780063421493

On sale: 11/18/25
ISBN: 9780063422919

On sale: 11/11/25
ISBN: 9780063446731

On sale: 11/11/25
ISBN: 9780778387862

IN THE MEDIA

On sale now!
ISBN: 9780063453913
GMA Book Club Pick

On sale now!
ISBN: 9781335146984

On sale: 1/13/26
ISBN: 9780063460751
Upcoming movie!

UPCOMING EVENTS

RSVP on Facebook
Register on Crowdcast

RSVP on Facebook
Register on Crowdcast

Please let us know if you have any questions. As always, we’re here for you!

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team

Dear librarians,

We know it’s a time of incredible change as many of you move orders away from Baker & Taylor to new partners. We wanted to make sure you don’t miss any key books during this transition, so we’ll be spotlighting our don’t-miss titles that your patrons will be looking for. 

Let us know what else you need to make this a smooth transition.

NEW RELEASES

On sale: 10/28/25
ISBN: 9780063276635

On sale: 10/28/25
ISBN: 9780063453913

On sale: 10/28/25
ISBN: 9780063381308

On sale: 11/4/25
ISBN: 9780063423107

Find a catalog of all titles publishing on 10/28 and 11/4 here

IN THE MEDIA

On sale: 10/7/25
ISBN: 9780063489790
NPR’s “Morning Edition” interview
The Washington Post Op-Ed by the author

On sale: 10/21/25
ISBN: 9780062879127
National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction

UPCOMING EVENTS

RSVP on Facebook
Register on Crowdcast

As always, we’re here for you. Please reach out if you have any questions, or if we can help with anything at all.

All our best,
The Library Love Fest Team (Lainey & Grace)