Library Journal

Join Library Journal and School Library Journal on November 12 for our 10th annual LibraryCon Live! We're excited to present a day-long celebration of fandom, spotlighting genre fiction for adults and teens with panels devoted to comics and graphic novels, horror, sf/fantasy, and more. Plus, network online while exploring the virtual exhibit hall, where you can chat with publishing reps and download free resources.

This tearjerker combines magical elements, mysteries, and multiple twists, making this the epic romance read of the year. ★Hariri-Kia, Iman. Once in a Timeline. Cosmo Reads. Oct. 2026. ISBN 9781464260803. pbk. 400p. $18.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE Shallow beauty influencer Laia Grace has found herself reliving the same day over and over again—the day she recorded a video inviting her followers to accompany her on a perfect day.

Smith, who is fast becoming a part of the core collection, has crafted another deeply enjoyable case. Suggest to followers of S. J. Bennett’s “Her Majesty the Queen Investigates” series. ★Smith, Sally. A Case of Fear and Favor. (The Trials of Gabriel Ward, bk. 3). Raven. Jan. 2027. ISBN 9781639739875. 368p. $28.99. MYSTERY Smith returns with the next in her marvelously companionable Victorian series (after A Case of Life and Limb).

A sudsy historical novel with both freshness and heft. Fans of The Gilded Age will devour de Gramont’s book with gusto. ★de Gramont, Nina. Peregrine Hill. S&S. Nov. 2026. ISBN 9781668214732. 320p. $28. HISTORICAL FICTION At the turn of the century, socialites Isabelle Bishop and her daughter Mariah are beset with hardships.

Maxwell’s latest is just as queer and subversive as their previous books, with strong themes of ideology and identity, a detailed magic system, and smart characters, all hallmarks of Maxwell’s creative voice, which is well displayed here. ★Maxwell, Everina. Call Me Traitor. Tor. Dec. 2026. ISBN 9781250362339. 480p. $28.99. FANTASY En is a war-tank, a human weaponized by magic carved into her skin, her mind blanked out by the mage in charge.

The shortlist for Canada’s Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction and winners of the American Short Fiction Insider Prize are announced. Pediatrician, author, and children’s literacy advocate Perri Klass will receive a lifetime achievement award at the National Book Awards. IPA reveals the shortlist for its inaugural Freedom of Expression Defenders Award. Want to get the latest book news delivered to your inbox each day? Sign up for our daily Book Pulse newsletter.

Longlists are announced for the Giller Prize, the Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry, the Hawthornden Prize for Literature, and the McIlvanney Prize. Writers’ Trust of Canada launches the Andrew Pyper Prize for Genre Fiction. BookRiot rounds up September book club selections. New Yorker reflects on Anthropic’s book-scanning. NYT profiles Alice Hoffman, author of The Witches of Cambridge. Want to get the latest book news delivered to your inbox each day? Sign up for our daily Book Pulse newsletter.

Despite rising production costs, shrinking sales margins, proliferating books bans, and censorship, independent publishers demonstrate a steadfast commitment to their individual missions. “In the business of Big Five publishing, there’s an incredibly strong orientation toward the bottom line,” says Kalie Caetano, marketing and publicity director at Heyday Books.

Libraries have invested heavily in digitization. The next challenge is discovery. Libraries, archives and cultural heritage institutions have spent years digitizing collections, preserving unique materials, and making them available online. Millions of photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, audiovisual recordings and archival documents are now accessible in digital form. But digitization is only part of the journey. Making collections available does not automatically make them discoverable.

On the occasion of our 150th anniversary, LJ has been reflecting on the history of librarianship, where we are now, and what the future could—and should—hold. Here, a half dozen colleagues consider those questions from their unique vantage points, with all pointing back to the power of the people in our field. Fill out the form below to download your copy of this PDF.