Are you looking for your next great read? We can help! Visit us in person, explore reading recommendations online, join an in-person or online book discussion, get recommendations on Facebook, tune in to our televised book club segments, and more. Get started here!

Sunday Nights on Facebook
Join us on Sunday nights at 8:30pm on Facebook for Currently Reading. Enjoy this hour during which book enthusiasts share favorite books and offer suggestion about what to read next. Find out about the books that have everyone talking.

Wednesday Mornings – Indy Now Book Club
The Library helps host a ‘book club’ on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. Tune in at 10 a.m. every other Wednesday. Catch book recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your own local librarians. Re-watch segments you have missed and see book lists of the books mentioned in each segment.

In-Person & Online Book Discussions
Do you love talking about books? Join one of our book discussions or book clubs available both in-person and online.

Online Reading Recommendations
NovelList and NovelList K-8 are online services that offer reading recommendations. Browse both fiction and nonfiction, read-alike suggestions, series information, reviews, and lists of recommended and award-winning books for adults, teens and kids. Learn how to start on this video tutorial. Also try Book Connections which includes a “find the right book for you” feature.

Would you prefer one-on-one help? Call or ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text, or email ask-a- librarian.

Make a selection from one of the book lists below created by our staff of avid readers. You can also follow our staff’s most recently published lists on the library catalog home page. Don’t miss our If You Like… suggestions that cover all the favorite genres like science fiction, graphic novels, romance, and more. Finally, don’t miss What We’re Reading Teens and What We’re Reading Kids.

2024 Staff Picks

Explore our 2024 Staff Picks for adults, teens, and kids. Find the perfect audiobook to accompany your morning walk, or choose a movie to enjoy on a cozy winter afternoon. Additionally, browse through our recommendations for holiday gift ideas that will delight your favorite readers!

Listen with Liz – December 2024

I love nonfiction audiobooks. This is a totally random list of titles I listened to in November 2024. Titles are listed in alphabetical order.

Title - Be Ready When the Luck HappensTitle - The Art of PowerTitle - The Black WidowTitle - Gather Me

Light Reads to Combat Early Sunsets

The nights are getting longer so here are some books to lighten up your mood.

Title - How to Age DisgracefullyTitle - The Prophet and the IdiotTitle - Single Dads ClubTitle - Assistant to the Villain

Holly Jolly History

Have you ever paused, mid-carol, and wondered “Why would someone give their beloved So Many Birds?!?” Does the presence of eggnog at family gatherings both intrigue and confuse you? Do you fear – but long to befriend – the Yule Cat? Take a factual and fun journey into the merry and sometimes macabre origins of Christmas traditions!

Title - Christmas PastTitle - Why We Kiss Under the MistletoeTitle - Inventing the Christmas TreeTitle - Christmas

Underdog Stories

When things are tough, an underdog story is a great way to feel inspired to keep going. Here are some underdog stories to enjoy on Underdog Day, Friday, December 20, 2024.

Title - Into Unknown SkiesTitle - The Boys of RiversideTitle - UnderdawgsTitle - The Watermen

This Year in Books

2024… Wow. What a year! Let us look back together on it with some titles directly or indirectly related to the many happenings of this calendar year. Here’s to 2025!

Title - I Think YouTitle - AI Snake OilTitle - Caitlin ClarkTitle - Taylor Swift

STEM or STEAM?

National and Federal scientific organizations promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning to improve the national share of workers employed in related fields. Librarians, and some educators, argue that art is not only as important in its own right, but also a vital part of STEM education programs and workforce fields. The materials below prove that A(rt) belongs in STEM.

Title - Cosmic MotorsTitle - Medieval RobotsTitle - Deep AffinitiesTitle - Design of Straw Bale Buildings

Eat Like an Athlete

Whether you are running marathons or smashing it on the pickleball court, nutrition should be part of your game plan. Check out some of these titles to help you fuel for your next competition.

Title - The Cycling Chef on the GoTitle - SPRING Forward for GirlsTitle - Eat Like A LegendTitle - EAT TO WIN

Exploring the World of the Saxophone

The saxophone, with its unmistakable tone and rich history, has captivated musicians and listeners for generations. Whether you’re a budding saxophonist, a seasoned player, or simply an admirer of its soulful sound, diving into literature about this iconic instrument offers endless inspiration and knowledge. This curated book list highlights essential reads, from biographies of legendary players to technical guides, jazz history, and more. Each selection invites you to deepen your appreciation of the saxophone’s artistry, evolution, and cultural significance.

See our full schedule of 2025 Circulating Concerts at the Library!

Title - Saxophone ColossusTitle - Ornette ColemanTitle - Celebrating BirdTitle - Jazz

Sports Manga & Anime

Manga and anime cover a wide variety of genres, including sports! Even if you aren’t a big sports fan, these titles still have great characters and often page-turning plots! From volleyball and basketball to figure skating, cycling, and competitive card games, there’s a title for just about everyone!

Title - ChihayafuruTitle - Haikyu!Title - KurokoTitle - Medalist

Coffee Table Photography Books: 2024

Immerse yourself in exquisite imagery! These stunning photography books, published in 2024, cover a range of themes, photographic techniques, and time periods.

Title - Tokyo TokyoTitle - Corky LeeTitle - HawaiTitle - Eight Seconds

Culinary Book Club – Cookbooks about the Holidays

There are several holidays that are celebrated in November and December. Take a look at a few of the cookbooks that will help you bring some delicious ways of celebrating with friends and family.

Title - The Friendsgiving CookbookTitle - Vegan Holiday CookbookTitle - Delicious GatheringsTitle - A SWEET YEAR

Explore our 2024 Staff Picks for adults, teens, and kids to discover your next great read from our curated selections. Find the perfect audiobook to accompany your morning walk, or choose a movie to enjoy on a cozy winter afternoon. Additionally, browse through our recommendations for holiday gift ideas that will delight your favorite readers. Whether you’re searching for engaging books, entertaining media, or thoughtful gifts, our 2024 Staff Picks offer something for everyone to enjoy.

You can keep up with our staff’s reading recommendations throughout the year by visiting What We’re Reading, What We’re Reading for Teens, and What We’re Reading Kids. Additionally, you can find our suggestions prominently displayed on the library catalog home page. These resources provide a continually updated list of book recommendations for all ages, ensuring you always have fresh ideas for your next read. Whether you’re seeking captivating books for yourself, your teens, or your kids, our curated selections will inspire and guide your literary journey.


Staff Picks for Adults

Best of Nonfiction

As library workers, we’re always learning and this list of our favorite nonfiction books from 2024 reflects that. Check out books on basketball, friendship, life in the middle ages, homelessness, cars, birds, and more. Looking for cookbooks, craft books, or other lifestyle books? Check out our lifestyle list!

Title - ThereTitle - Cue the SunTitle - Birds Through Indigenous EyesTitle - When Driving Is Not An Option

Best of Biographies and Memoirs

Memoirs and biographies often manage to reach beyond the life of an individual and to dive deep into the particularities of our messy culture. Our favorite memoirs of 2024 touch on gender fluidity, grief, disability, motherhood, science, immigration, and democracy. Are we missing your favorite? Don’t forget to check our Best of Nonfiction list, you may find it there!

Title - Cactus CountryTitle - Grief Is for PeopleTitle - Burn BookTitle - Sociopath

Best of Fiction

Here are a few of our staff members favorite fiction books from 2024. There’s a little something for everyone. Looking for a book that captures the violence of girlhood? Check out Headshot or Brutes. Fascinated by the ways that economic precarity can both forge and complicate relationships? Checkout Come and Get It or Margo’s Got Money Troubles. Want a warm feel good tale that will help your forget about the chaos of the world? Try We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, Sipsworth, or Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame. Plus aliens trying to make sense of the world, sweeping family epics, and nuclear power plants on the verge of melt down.

Think we’re missing something? Don’t forget to check out our genre lists.

New this year: we’ve included some recommendations at the bottom of the list that were our favorite reads from previous years. Hopefully, these will have a shorter hold list for you!

Title - Come and Get ItTitle - Wandering StarsTitle - HeadshotTitle - Margo

Best of Historical Fiction

Here are a few of our staff members favorite historical fiction selections of 2024– covering a span of hundreds of years. Read a trippy reimagining of Montezuma and Cortez’s meeting, see how an 18th century midwife handles being on trial for murder, or experience Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of James, the enslaved man at the center of the narrative. Looking for epic narratives that deal with the present as well as history? Take a peek at our Best of Fiction list.

New this year: we’ve included some recommendations at the bottom of the list that were our favorite reads from previous years. Hopefully, these will have a shorter hold list for you!

Title - JamesTitle - The WomenTitle - You Dreamed of EmpiresTitle - The Frozen River

Best of Lifestyle

Okay, so when we say lifestyle we mean mostly cookbooks. We clearly have a penchant for the quick and the easy, considering our cookbooks range from canned tomatoes, Japanese convenience store foods, and truly anything that implies “this won’t take long.” But we’ve also got books on watercolor, travel, and vegan desserts. Hopefully, you’ll find something to your ~taste~!

Title - 111 Places in Black Culture in Washington, DC That You Must Not MissTitle - KonbiniTitle - The Tinned Tomatoes CookbookTitle - Our South

Best of Romance

In the mood for a light, fun romance? Check out all the books our staff fell in love with in 2024.

For the literary lovers, we have romances involving a children’s librarian and a bookstore. For the fantasy lovers, there are werewolves and fae and dragons (oh my!). Come for the 60’s baseball and shotgun weddings, stay for the swoony romance.

Title - Funny StoryTitle - BrideTitle - The PairingTitle - Perfume & Pain

Best of Sci-Fi/Fantasy

2024 is the year of subverted tropes and plot lines. Fantasy villains wake up with amnesia to grapple with their crimes (Dreadful), magical girls must grapple with purchasing decisions (A Magical Girl Retires), a scholarship student destroys the academy (The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain), and adults must return to their fantasy worlds (The Lost Story).

Of course, if you’re looking for something entirely original, there’s plenty of that too! A cannibalistic demon makes an Indian food documentary (Rare Flavours), a woman is trapped in the body of a wooly mammoth (Tusks of Extinction), and futuristic reality show sees couples raising virtual babies for the chance to have a real child (The Family Experiment).

Looking for speculative horror? Check out our suspense list!

Title - DreadfulTitle - The FamiliarTitle - Lore of the WildsTitle - The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain

Best of Suspense

In the mood to freak yourself out? Check out our staff’s favorite horror, mystery, and thriller novels from 2024.

We’ve got stories of missing children that span decades (The God of the Woods and The Middle of the Night, All the Colors of the Dark), lots of haunted houses (Incidents Around the House, We Use to Live Here, and Model Home), and indigenous suspense (The Angel of Indian Lake and Where They Last Saw Her).

Title - Incidents Around the HouseTitle - We Used to Live HereTitle - The God of the WoodsTitle - My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

Best of DVDs

Did you miss the chance to see a movie in theatres? You don’t need to wait for movies to hit a streaming platform– instead, snag one of our favorite DVDs of 2024, pop a bag of popcorn and enjoy.

Ranging from family friendly to … not that, these DVDs will make you laugh, cry, and cringe.

Title - Dune, Part TwoTitle - ChallengersTitle - Lisa FrankensteinTitle - The boy and the heron

Staff Picks for Kids & Teens

Best of Picture Books

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Our staff share some of their favorite picture books from 2024 that they have seen – from beautiful to funny, we hope there is something for you and your littlest readers to enjoy. One older title submitted added at the bottom of the list.

Title - The Yellow BusTitle - Treehouse TownTitle - It Bears RepeatingTitle - The Bakery Dragon

Best of Graphic Novels for Kids

Graphic novels for kids are formatted like a comic book but are typically longer and more developed than traditional comic books. These novels use illustrations, speech bubbles, and panel layouts. They’re a great way to encourage young readers to enjoy reading. The illustrations provide visual cues that help with comprehension. Here are some of our staff’s favorite graphic novels from 2024 to read and enjoy!

Title - Blood City RollersTitle - Plain Jane and the MermaidTitle - Continental DrifterTitle - Falling in Love With A Traveling Cat

Best of Beginning and Early Readers for Kids

Staff favorites that fall into our beginning and early readers category can be found at the library in the jZ (Beginner) and jE (Early Reader) sections. Books for children beginning to read on their own typically have very controlled vocabulary and a lot of pictures. (Think Piggie and Elephant, Bob Books, or Yasmin.) Books for Early Readers introduce children to a longer stories, often with chapters or vignettes. These books contain more content and the characters have more depth and experiences. (Think Magic Treehouse or Bad Guy series.)

Title - Bunny and ClydeTitle - Fox Plays BallTitle - The Adventure and Other StoriesTitle - The Cozy Home

Best of Fiction for Kids

Some of our favorite new fiction titles published for kids. At the very bottom of the list, enjoy older bonus material: staff were also asked if they read an older title/not published in 2024 that they might also recommend.

Title - FerrisTitle - The Bletchley RiddleTitle - Amari And The Despicable WondersTitle - The Color of Sound

Best of Teen

Enjoy this list of our favorite YA reads of 2024, which spans genres. Enjoy dark academia, fake dating, poetry, comic adventures, subverted fantasy tropes, heists, D&D, and more!

Don’t forget that this year, we’ve included our favorite selections from the back catalog, in the hopes you can get your hands on a book you’ll love right now.

Title - Where Sleeping Girls LieTitle - Hockey Girl Loves Drama BoyTitle - Dear WendyTitle - The Unboxing of A Black Girl

The Library is thrilled to help host a book club on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. Tune in at 10 a.m. every other Wednesday to catch book recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your local librarians. Enjoy the most recent segment or browse the listing of past shows that highlight a variety of reading suggestions. You can also use the featured books links for easy borrowing.

Current Segment

November 6
Fostering Literacy with the World Languages Collection
(Olanike Olaniyi and Keshia McEntire)


2024

November 6
Fall Fest
(Bryanna Barnes)

October 23
Crafting at the Library
(Kelsey Abernathy)

October 9
Meet an Author, Be an Author
(Jill Edwards)

September 11
Fall Programs for Teens
(Kirsten Weaver)

August 27
Small Business Series
(Rachel Wood, Ryan Donnelly)

August 13
Homeschool Resources
(Devery North)

July 31
Legal Resources
(Ryan Donnelly)

July 3
Quick Reads Collection
(Deb Lambert)

June 5
Juneteenth Bookfest
(Bryanna Barnes)

May 8
Meet Your Neighbor Programming Series and Travel-themed Books
(Keshia McEntire)

April 24
Dia del Niño Be My Neighbor Day
(Jessica Neeb-Smith)

March 27
Patent and Trademark Resources
(Ryan Donnelly)

March 13
Books About Self-love and the Center for Black Literature & Culture Programs (Bryanna Barnes)

February 28
Joyful Books by Black Authors
(Keshia McEntire and Alton Parks)

February 14
Meet The Artists
(Jaquelyn Green)

January 17
Book Clubs
(Kris Gould, Keshia McEntire)

January 3
Books to Support New Years Resolutions
(Rachel Wood)

Indy Now Book Club Archive

2023

December 20
Graphic Novels and Arts Programs (Kelsey Abernathy)

December 7
Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
(Natasha Hollenbach and Jyoti Verderame)

November 8
Fall Fest
(Jacquelyn Green)

October 25
Books for Chess Players
(Jordan Hunt, Charlie Cain)

September 27
Indy Cinema Series
(Jason Davis)

August 30
Small Business Series
(Alexandra Loewen)

August 16
Digital Creativity Work Stations
(Dawn Hawkins and Stephanie Flood)

August 2
Disability Representation
(Keshia McEntire)

July 5
Foraging Outside
(Anika Williams)

June 21
More Than a Place Podcast
(Sakura Fuqua)

June 7
Summer Reading Program
(Emily Thomas)

April 10
Books About Building Community and the New Glendale Branch
(Amy Buell)

April 12
Sci-Fi Books
(Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books: Sci-Fi Books

March 29
Dia del Nino
(Emily Thomas)
Featured Books: Dia del Nino

March 15
Making a Positive Difference in the Community
(Leah Kim)
Featured BooksBooks for Hoosiers Hoping to Make a Difference

February 15
Romance Novels for Valentines Day
(Kirsten Weaver)
Featured BooksRomance Novels for Valentines Day

February 15
Romance Novels for Valentines Day
(Kirsten Weaver)
Featured BooksRomance Novels for Valentines Day

February 1
Meet the Artists
(Kimberly Brown)

January 18
Biographies and Memoirs
(Liz Schoettle)
Featured BooksBiographies & Memoirs

January 4
Computer and Technology Classes and Resources
(Marianne Mackenzie & Charlie Cain)
Featured BooksDigital Skills for the New Year

2022

December 21
Holiday Book Recommendations for Families (Devery North)
Devery’s segment starts at 22:20.
Featured BooksCelebrate the Holidays Through Books

December 7
Fall Fest & Slammin’ Rhymes Challenge XVI (Kim Ewers)
Featured BooksFall Fest & Slammin’ Rhymes

October 27
Center for Black Literature & Culture 5th Anniversary (Amira Malcom)
Featured BooksCBLC’s Fifth Anniversary

October 20

Book Recommendations (Rachel Wood)

September 28
Introduction to Kadir Nelson (Shael Weidenbach)
Featured BooksKadir Nelson

August 31
Let’s Get Down to Business (Alexandra Loewen)
Featured BooksBooks About Business

August 17
Book Clubs Available at the Indianapolis Public Library (Sakura Fuqua) We offer a variety of in-person and online book discussions for adults, teens & kids.
Learn more!

August 3
Good Reads About Money (Rachel Nevada Wood)
Featured BooksGood Reads About Money

July 20 Books with Indiana Ties (Shelby Graam-Pavan)
Featured BooksBooks with Indiana Ties

July 6 Pick Up a New Hobby (Chris Hogsett)
Featured BooksPick Up a New Hobby

June 22 Summer Love Reading Recommendations (Keshia McEntire)
Featured BooksSummer Romance

June 8 Summer Reads: Pride Month (Liz Schoettle)
Featured BooksPride Reads

May 25
Adult Summer Reading Sports Reads (Rachel Wood)
Featured BooksSports Reads

May 1
Adult Summer Reading Program (Leah Kim)
Featured BooksBooks for Busy People

April 27
Graphic Novels (Chris Hogsett)
Featured Books
Graphic Novels for Kids

April 13
Spring Reads: Dystopian Fiction (Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books
Dystopian Reads

March 31
Local Black Authors (Keshia McEntire)
Featured BooksLocal Black Authors

March 16
Music Related (Rachel Wood)
Featured BooksMusic-Related Reads

March 2
True Crime (Shelby Graam)
Featured BooksTrue Crime and Thrillers

February 16
Love Stories for February (Kirsten Weaver)
Featured BooksYA Love Stories

February 2
Book Club Kick Off (Rachel Wood)
Featured Books: Books by Black Authors

Find a book discussion near you!

  • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
  • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
  • Location: Lawrence Branch
  • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
  • Register Here

Explore the rich diversity of books by Indigenous authors, offering unique perspectives for both adults and children. Let us help you discover these remarkable stories!

Read an award winner by an Indigenous author.

Make a selection from some of the most distinguished honors in literature.

The Indigenous Voices Awards were established in 2017 to support and nurture the work of Indigenous writers in lands claimed by Canada. “The awards honour the sovereignty of Indigenous creative voices and reject cultural appropriation; to be eligible for the Indigenous Voices Awards, authors must be Indigenous and must make a declaration of Indigenous identity.”

The American Indian Youth Literature Award “identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.” Categories include Best Picture Book, Best Middle Grade Book, and Best Young Adult Book.

Browse our e-Book & Streaming Indigenous author collections.

We have thousands of books, audiobooks, movies, and tv shows for kids, teens, and adults to download or stream instantly with an IndyPL Library card.

Need help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch, and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Get reading recommendations.

Finding Indigenous authors for adults & teens.

Browse suggested viewing and reading from The Eiteljorg Museum. Their author selections range from history to science fiction, to autobiography, horror and poetry. See some of their recommendations linked to our catalog for easy check out. In addition, the museum has a Spotify playlist of the diverse sounds of Indigenous Peoples. You can get a preview of what you might see visiting the Eiteljorg Museum. Look at some of items in their collection of Native American Art in their online collection.

In addition, First Nations publishes a list of essential reading for anyone interested in learning about the Native American experience.

Many of us here – as Native Americans, avid readers, activists for improving Native American economies and communities, and as direct participants in the Native American experience – believe that we are uniquely positioned to suggest this reading list. We attempted to include many facets of the Native American experience, as well as books and research reports that would be of interest to a broad variety of readers.” ~ First Nations President & CEO Michael Roberts.

First Nations indicates on the list which titles are especially good ones to start with. Here are a few of their selections or browse the full First Nations list.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

“Eloquent, heartbreaking, and meticulously documented, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee follows the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the 19th century. Using council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions, Brown’s work highlights the voices of those American Indians who actually experienced the battles, massacres, and broken treaties.”
print | e-book (OverDrive) | audiobook (OverDrive)

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz

“Historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire. Dunbar-Ortiz challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how policy against the Indigenous peoples was colonialist and designed to seize the territories of the original inhabitants, displacing or eliminating them.”
print | e-book (OverDrive) | audiobook (OverDrive)

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer

“Treuer, an Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist, answers the most commonly asked questions about American Indians, both historical and modern. He gives a frank, funny, and personal tour of what’s up with Indians, anyway.”
print

“All the Real Indians Died Off” and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz

“Dunbar-Ortiz shows how myths about Native Americans are rooted in the fears and prejudice of European settlers and in the larger political agendas of a settler state aimed at acquiring Indigenous land and are tied to narratives of erasure and disappearance. All the Real Indians Died Off challenges readers to rethink what they have been taught about Native Americans and history.”
print | e-book (OverDrive) | audiobook (OverDrive)

Finding Indigenous authors for children.

Finding Indigenous books for children has been made easier since 2006 when Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo) began her website, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL). Dr. Reese provides American Indian Children’s Literature Best Books Lists each year to help parents and teachers find great books for kids! Browse many of these titles in our catalog.

Additional lists of best Indigenous books for children can be found at:

Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus

On Novelist Plus you’ll find recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books by Indigenous authors. Browse the Indigenous Lives category.

Here is a sample listing from Indigenous Lives to show a star rating and the option to “Check Availability” to see if it is available to borrow from IndyPL.

Indigenous Authors

Looking for something fun to do or the perfect book to curl up with on a dark and stormy night? If so, join us for some exciting fall activities at the Library! If you need a reading recommendation, our knowledgeable staff is here to assist you. With a variety of engaging events and expert book suggestions, we are excited to help you find the ideal activity or book to make your fall enjoyable and memorable.

Programs

Halloween Storytime Online

Here are some fun stories to help calm typical Halloween fears—complete with laughter! You can listen to a variety of these stories right now. For instance, in Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies, Mo is a zombie who loves gardening and growing his own vegetables. He enjoys cooking and eating them, but his parents insist he needs to eat “finger” foods instead—though they don’t mean snacks! They firmly say, “zombies don’t eat veggies!” However, Mo, being a zombie who eats veggies, tries to convince his parents to give them a try. Enjoy Halloween storytime online and explore more books at the Library that turn Halloween fear into Halloween fun!

If You Like Horror

stacks of old books and a skull

If you’re specifically seeking extra-terror, we can help you find your next horrifying read. First, explore our list of horror award winners. Additionally, check out recommendations from your favorite authors. For ongoing inspiration, subscribe to our horror book newsletter, delivered right to your inbox every month. With these options, you’ll have plenty of ways to discover chilling reads that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Fall Reading Recommendations

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Looking for some mysterious or spooky fun? Start by exploring our curated book lists that feature popular fall and Halloween reading genres, TV shows, and movies. Additionally, enjoy a variety of fall-themed activities at The Library every day. With these resources, you can immerse yourself in the seasonal spirit and discover new favorites to enjoy throughout the season.

Fiction

  • AhOoooooh – Werewolves of Fiction – IndyPL_KaseyP

    Why do shapeshifters fascinate us so? Maybe it’s the transformational quality, or the idea that we’ve all got a little beast hidden inside of us. These stories of lycanthropy promise fear, fascination, and maybe a few howls at the moon!

  • Clowns: Scary or Not So Scary? – IndyPL_ChaseM

    Read through this list of clown related books and movies, to determine on a case-by-case basis if the clown or clowns are scary…or not so scary!

  • Crime-solving spooks – IndyPL_SarahS

    Sometimes, having been murdered is the best preparation for solving crimes. It’s a weirdly popular trope among cozy mysteries.

  • Deadly Games Movies & Books – IndyPL_RyanL

    Horror and thriller movies/books about deadly survival competitions and games that will leave you hearing the eerie phrase “Do you want to play a game?”

  • Dolls: Scary or Not So Scary? – IndyPL_ChaseM

    Pediophobia is the fear of dolls or inanimate objects that appear human, Examine these books and movies on a case-by-case basis to determine if dolls are scary…or not so scary!

  • Graphic Novels To Die For – IndyPL_ShainaS

    Within this spooky list, you’ll find some lesser known graphic novel gems spotlighted. But beware, their shadows are long and twisty. Muahaha!

  • The Little House Down the Lane – Haunted House Stories – IndyPL_KaseyP

    Be it a decrepit mansion, busted apartment complex, or secluded hotel, beware the building that looks back at you with hatred in its grubby windows! And never ever set foot inside…

  • Mysteries with a Paranormal Twist – IndyPL_MicheleP

    Things such as Tarot Cards, Angels, Psychics, Ghosts, Seances, Crystal Balls, and Talking Skeletons can be found in these mystery series. Throw off your disbelief for a short time and enjoy!

  • Sweet and Spooky Romances – IndyPL_RachelNW

    Celebrate the start of fall by reading these sweet and spooky paranormal romances. Read about werewolves, witches, ghosts, and vampires as they carve pumpkins and fall in love.

  • Witchy Mysteries – IndyPL_JessicaM

    Love mysteries and want to get in the mood for the spooky season? Enjoy these mysteries with witch protagonists and magical twists.

TV & Movies

  • A History of Horror Films – IndyPL_ChaseM

    October, more specifically the Halloween season, is a great time to celebrate horror movies and what scares us. This list explores how the definition of what scares us has changed and how culture and society influenced it.

  • If You Like Camp Upside-Down: If you like Stranger Things – IndyPL_KaseyP

    If you love this nostalgic horror phenomenon from Netflix, you know it makes 80s pop culture references galore! Here are some of the gems referencee, as well as Hawkins, IN adjacent goodies for all seasons.

  • If You Like Shaun of the Dead – IndyPL_KaseyP

    Horror Comedies can be done well. (Fair warning: Almost all of these carry an R-Rating. Please giggle responsibly.)

  • Octoberween // Books & Movies to Die For Part 2: The Spookening – IndyPL_ShainaS

    20 beloved favorites! OoooOoooooooo OOOOOOOoooooooooo

  • Terrifying Horror Films – IndyPL_JessicaL

    Beware, these films are not for the faint of heart. Perfect for having a fright night anytime of the year.

  • Zombie Comedy Films – IndyPL_TimothyV

    Some of these movies are classic. Others are classically bad. Either way, zombies can make us laugh even as they terrify us.

Extras

  • Halloween Cooking Fun – IndyPL_KathyH

    Whether you’re having a Halloween party or just want some fun treats to make for your friends or family, check out these fun Halloween cookbooks.

  • Halloween – It’s Not Just for Kids! – IndyPL_KathyH

    "There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch." Robert Brault #IndyPLAdults

  • Mr. & Mrs. Shelley: The Original Goth Couple – IndyPL_DanA

    When Percy was killed in a boating accident, Mary kept his petrified heart on her person and in her desk until the day she died. Learn more!

  • Spooky Scores – IndyPL_MarianneK

    Tingle your spine while tinkling the ivories with these classic chillers.

For Kids & Teens

We can assist you in finding delightful Halloween reading for both kids and teens. Our collection features a range of engaging books tailored to young readers of all ages, ensuring that they can enjoy the spooky season with captivating stories. Whether you’re looking for thrilling adventures, spooky tales, or festive Halloween-themed books, we offer a variety of options to suit every interest and reading level. As a result, you can easily discover the perfect Halloween read to match your mood and interests!

  • Fall Into Autumn with These Wonderful Books – IndyPL_ShannonO

    Fall is here! Time to get into the spirit with some autumn-themed picture books! These are great titles for story times, displays, and more!

  • Spooky Graphic Novels for Kids – IndyPL_RyanL

    A small sampling of some spooky and fun graphic novels for kids. Just in time for Halloween.

  • Octoberween // Picture Books – IndyPL_ShainaS

    Here’s a third batch of creepy cute Halloween-y picture books to warm your chilly autumn nights!

  • Books to Turn Halloween Fear into Halloween Fun! – IndyPL_Recommends_Kids

    Many small children don’t find Halloween fun at all! The masks, the jumping out surprises and all the ghosts, vampires & scary looking pumpkins can be too many surprises for little trick-or-treaters. Here are several stories that can help kids turn their Halloween fears into Halloween fun!

  • If You Like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – IndyPL_CarrieS

    These books offer the same kind of suspense and thrills. This is a list of middle grade books for future Stephen King fans. If you get a thrill out of wondering what lurks in the closet after dark… These stories are for you!

  • Monsters Aren’t Scary – IndyPL_JessicaNS

    Not all monster books are scary! If your little one is afraid of monsters, these are some good choices to help with their fears. They’ll be laughing at monsters in no time.

  • Wholesome Halloween – IndyPL_JessicaL

    Enjoy the fun of Halloween with this family-friendly collection of videos!

  • Witchy Reads for Halloween – IndyPL_ShannonO

    Get into the Halloween season with these witch-themed books and graphic novels for kids and teens.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, browse Veterans Day reading recommendations from a variety of sources. A wide ranging number of books written by scholars, historians, and observers about wars, military strategy, and the experiences of both active duty and veteran service members are classic, best-selling, and highly awarded. Journalists embed with troops and report from all aspects of war from the military command to troop units on the ground.

Sometimes the authors of the recommended books listed are people outside military service, but more often the authors are fellow service members. What these titles share is the distinction of being recommended by service members. These are the titles they suggest to each other, as well as to those of who have not served.

By choosing one of the following lists of recommendations you can explore title choices thoroughly and read in-depth reviews written by service members. A selection of these recommendations are listed below linked to the catalog for easy check out.

Veterans Day Reading Recommendations

Are you a veteran? Do you have a story to share?

The Library of Congress invites you to participate in the Veterans History Project. The Veterans History Project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

Sharing Veteran’s Day with Children

Photo Soldier Dad Reading to Child

Veterans Day is an opportune time to share what military service is with young children. Check out a book from Stories for Kids about Active Duty Soldiers, Veterans, and Their Families for picture book and early reading tributes that illuminate the experiences of active duty soldiers, veterans, and their families. Titles range from community observances like Veteran’s Day to traditions celebrated in families to honor their own active duty or Veteran service members to the experiences of children whose parents serve.

Take at look at these recommended titles selected by the Military Times and the National Medal of Honor Museum. Each has selected books both old and new, fiction and non-fiction that cover history, memoir, women in combat, racism, rules of war, and more. What better way to honor a service member than to read their story, in their own words.

Title - Blaze of LightTitle - Summoned at MidnightTitle - War FlowerTitle - Race of AcesTitle - Beyond the CallTitle - You Are Worth ItTitle - The Warrior CodeTitle - Red PlatoonTitle - Black Hawk DownTitle - The New Rules of WarTitle - Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or DieTitle - Code Name: Lise

6 Ways to Find Your Next Terrifying Read

1. Read an award winner.

Bram Stoker Book Award Seal

Given out yearly since 1988, The Bram Stoker Awards® are the premiere awards for outstanding writing presented by the Horror Writers Association. To place convenient requests in our catalog, see all of the Bram Stoker Award winners in our collection.

2. Borrow e-books, downloadable audiobooks, or movies.

Here are some quick links to fiction & films you can borrow with your IndyPL library card.

If you have never borrowed from OverDrive before both OverDrive app directions and OverDrive browser directions are available. Additionally, you can watch an OverDrive video tutorial or consult with Overdrive Support. If you have never borrowed from Kanopy before here are some Kanopy directions and a Kanopy video tutorial.

Need more help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

3. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

Click on our featured lists or browse through all of our horror staff lists.

    IndyPL Staff Picks 2023- Best of Suspense, Mystery, and Horror

    IndyPL Staff members have compiled their favorite suspense, mystery, and horror novels of 2023 for those who prefer a book that will unsettle them. These books feature cults, funeral home models, creepy puppets, true crime podcasts, mermaids, phone scam revenge, and more. Find new books from your favorite authors or add a new favorite author to your shelf.

    Title - All the Sinners BleedTitle - Our Share of NightTitle - House of CottonTitle - How to Sell A Haunted HouseTitle - None of This Is TrueTitle - DonTitle - Dark CornersTitle - Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow!

    4. Make a selection from this list of horror authors

    5. Subscribe to the horror newsletter from NextReads

    Receive reading recommendation in your inbox monthly. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a sample issueSubscribe to NextReads!

    6. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus.

    On Novelist Plus you’ll find reading recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books. Once you login, choose the a category from the list on the left which includes choices like “Blood-drenched,” “Creature Feature,” “Creepy Clowns & Bad Seeds,” and more! Click on a book to read a brief description, see a star rating, and “Check Availability” to see if it the book is available to borrow from IndyPL.

    Find a book discussion near you!

    You are invited to join in one of our many in-person or online book discussions that take place several times each month. In our book discussion groups we read and talk about both fiction and non-fiction books. We express our opinions (both likes and dislikes!) with other avid readers in the city.

    • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
    • Location: Lawrence Branch
    • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
    • Register Here

    Need more help?

    Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    Join our virtual author talks to enjoy conversation with the authors behind your favorite books from the comfort of home. What questions have you always wanted to ask? Submit your questions online. We will also take questions during the event and will cover as many questions as time allows! Browse our archive of past virtual author talks for even more insightful discussions

    Virtual Author Talk: The Magic…
    • Event: Virtual Author Talk: The Magic of Found Family
    • Date & Time: Wednesday, January 15, 7:00pm
    • Location: Online
    • Description: Come have a magical moment with New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune as he chats about his Cerulean Chronicles, with special emphasis on his newest in the series, “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.”
    • Register Here
    Virtual Author Talk: Notes on …
    Virtual Author Talk: An Inside…
    • Event: Virtual Author Talk: An Inside Look at Working with a Literary Agent
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, January 28, 1:00pm
    • Location: Online
    • Description: You’re writing a book (or thinking about it), but what happens next? Join us for an inside look into working with an agent and the beginning stages of the publishing process with Seth Fishman, Vice President and Literary Agent at The Gernert Company.
    • Register Here
    Virtual Author Talk: How We Cr…
    Virtual Author Talk: Dystopian…
    Virtual Author Talk: I Am Nobo…
    • Event: Virtual Author Talk: I Am Nobody’s Slave
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, February 18, 2:00pm
    • Location: Online
    • Description: We welcome you to our conversation with journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, “I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.”
    • Register Here

    Are you looking for your next great read?

    We can help! Visit us in-person, explore reading recommendations online, join an in-person or online book discussion, get recommendations on Facebook, tune in to our televised book club segments, and more. Get started here!

    Sunday Nights on Facebook

    Join us on Sunday nights at 8:30pm on Facebook for Currently Reading. Enjoy this hour during which book enthusiasts share favorite books and offer suggestion about what to read next. Find out about the books that have everyone talkin

    Wednesday Mornings – Indy Now Book Club

    The Library helps host a ‘book club’ on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. Tune in at 10 a.m. every other Wednesday. Catch book recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your own local librarians. Re-watch segments you have missed and see book lists of the books mentioned in each segment.

    In-Person & Online Book Discussions

    Do you love talking about books? Join one of our book discussions or book clubs available both in-person and online

    Online Reading Recommendations

    NovelList and NovelList K-8 are online services that offer reading recommendations. Browse both fiction and nonfiction, read-alike suggestions, series information, reviews, and lists of recommended and award-winning books for adults, teens and kids. Learn how to start on this video tutorial. Also try Book Connections which includes a “find the right book for you” feature.

    Would you prefer one-on-one help? Call or ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text, or email ask-a- librarian.

    The freedom to choose or reject ideas, to read books of our choice…is the very bedrock of our free society.” ~Kurt Vonnegut

    “Knowledge and education are some of the best equalizers as far as reducing the achievement gap and helping individuals reach their full potential…We need to be sure that our children have full access to knowledge, to education, with no restrictions on books and no restrictions on knowledge.” ~Indiana State Senator Fady Qaddoura

    National Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 as a response to a growing number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries.

    Banned Books Week 2024

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    “I believe that censorship is the enemy of freedom. By banning books, we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from the past and to envision a braver future. Books have the power to open minds and build bridges. This is why certain forces do not want the masses to engage with books. They fear progress and growth in new, bold directions. For this reason, Banned Books Week is vitally important. It is a celebration of our right to access varied voices and to engage with ideas that challenge and champion us. I am honored to be selected as honorary chair of Banned Book Week for this election year, and I stand with my fellow readers, fellow writers and fellow advocates around the world who refuse to let voices be silenced.”


    2024 Banned Books Week Honorary Chair award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay.

    From Selma to 13th and When They See Us, DuVernay’s work shines a light on the power of storytelling. Her film adaptations of frequently banned books, like A Wrinkle in Time, remind us why it’s so important to protect diverse voices.

    The American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023

    Books have a long history of attracting challenges to their presence on library shelves. Banned Books Week takes place annually during the Fall, with the goals of raising public awareness of book censorship and attempts at censorship, and honoring Americans’ freedom to read materials of their own choosing, a constitutional right guaranteed by the First Amendment. The theme of Banned Books Week 2024 is “Freed Between the Lines.”

    Indianapolis’s own Kurt Vonnegut, whose “Slaughterhouse-Five” novel was challenged, banned, and even burned in a North Dakota high school furnace in 1973, had much to say about censorship and attempts to censor books in schools and libraries, including:
    “The freedom to choose or reject ideas, to read books of our choice…is the very bedrock of our free society.”

    The following list contains challenged and/or banned books in two categories, the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 and challenged and banned books written by Indiana authors including Kurt Vonnegut, John Green, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

    Title - Gender QueerTitle - All Boys ArenTitle - This Book Is GayTitle - The Perks of Being A WallflowerTitle - FlamerTitle - The Bluest EyeTitle - Me and Earl and the Dying GirlTitle - TricksTitle - LetTitle - Sold

    Freedom to Read — Local Challenges

    In support of the freedom to read, the Indianapolis Public Library seeks to share information about challenged books during banned books week. The books on this list have been challenged locally at the Indianapolis Public Library. We’ve included the reason for the challenges, and a brief description of the library’s response to the challenges. It includes a mix of books for children, teens and adults. Content warning: The descriptions in the list contain mature content.

    IndyStar September 24, 2024: Hoosiers Challenged These 346 Books at Indiana Libraries Last Year. Is Your Favorite Listed?

    Title - Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers?Title - Bridge to TerabithiaTitle - The Little Red WolfTitle - Jacob

    To kick off the week in 2023, we celebrated the Freedom to Read with John Green

    We hosted #1 New York Times bestselling author and Indianapolis resident, John Green and former Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) educator and Indiana State Senator Andrea Hunley (District 46) on October 2 at Central Library. To a packed house, John and Andrea discussed the importance of protecting our freedom to read. We don’t have a recording of John’s talk but can share eight memorable highlights:

    • What we read shapes what we think. The best example of this in a book is Fahrenheit 451.

    • Libraries don’t exist for everyone to be comfortable with every book in the library. I have profound disagreements with some books in the library, and that’s ok.

    • When people tell you who they are, believe them.

    • There is power in the story. Structures of power try to take stories. Books that get banned are often the most needed. We have to fight to keep them in libraries.

    • I am heartened by all the people working on our problems. Look for the people trying to address these problems. Find hope in that.

    • Nothing can be truly neutral, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work toward an array of voices. You can’t be neutral, but you can be inclusive.

    • If we are going to make progress together, we have to assume a position of a good faith conversation.

    Green’s community discussion underscores the importance of unrestricted access to information and the power of literature to challenge conventional norms.

    Green’s young adult (YA) novel Looking for Alaska is listed among the American Library Association’s most banned books in 2022, and it has been referenced in nationwide discussions on book banning and reshelving in schools and public libraries. His YA novel, The Fault In Our Stars, has also been challenged and pulled from the shelves of school library collections and public libraries.

    At The Indianapolis Public Library, Green’s titles are on the shelf in the Teen collection, circulating and in demand. Listen to The Indianapolis Public Library’s CEO, Gregory A. Hill, Sr., share The Library’s role in protecting a community’s freedom to read.

    “When we ban books, we’re closing readers off to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we unleash the power that lies inside every book. We liberate the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen.” The American Library Association

    WFYI Presents a Documentary: Read or Restrict

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    Conservative activists and parents have put pressure on local schools and library boards to remove certain books from their collections. Many of the targeted titles feature LGBTQ and other minority characters, beloved by young adult readers who want to see themselves reflected in literature. Critics of these titles label them as obscene or inappropriate for kids. But who gets to decide? 

    The film includes interviews with:

    • Jason Aukerman, Center for Ray Bradbury Studies
    • Micah Beckwith, Life Church & former Hamilton County Library board member
    • Jonathan Friedman, PEN America
    • Leah Johnson, Young Adult novelist and owner of Loudmouth Books
    • Diane Rogers, Indiana Library Federation
    • Jim Tomes, Indiana Senator

    Watch the documentary Read or Restrict. Aired March 12, 2023.

    Dig Deeper

    If you want to dig deeper about our mission as a library you can read the Library Bill of Rights stating the rights of library users to intellectual freedom and the role public libraries play to support those rights. For more information about banned and challenged books, visit ala.org/bbooks. You might also find interesting The Freedom to Read Statement, which explains why the freedom to read is essential to our democracy. To learn more, browse our book list How Censorship Impacts the First Amendment. IndyPL’s own Materials Selection Policy is also available.

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    Choose one of these outstanding books by authors whose writing is made unique and compelling by the ancestry they trace to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South American or other Spanish-speaking country in the Caribbean. Read one, listen to one, suggest one for your book club, or read one to your child or class!

    Explore more ways you can visit the Library or use your library card to join in the celebration of Hispanic history and culture during Hispanic Heritage Month.

    1. Download and stream books by Hispanic and Latino authors.

    Choose e-booksaudiobooksmusicmovies, or e-comics on Hoopla from their Hispanic Heritage Month Collection. Hoopla is one of our digital borrowing platforms. It includes materials for all ages. You can borrow 10 Items each month from Hoopla using your IndyPL Library card. If you have never borrowed from Hoopla before, Hoopla directions are available as well as a Hoopla video tutorial.

    You can also stream movies from Kanopy’s Hispanic American Collection. Kanopy is one of our streaming movie platforms. It has movies and TV shows for all ages. You can borrow 20 Items each month from Kanopy using your IndyPL Library card. If you have never borrowed from Kanopy before review these Kanopy directions or watch a Kanopy video tutorial.

    Need help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    2. Check out a book by a Hispanic or Latino author.

    3. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

    For Adults:

    For Kids:

    For Teens:

    4. Read an award winner.

    Find many books to share with children in our collection of Pura Belpre Medal winners. This medal is awarded each year for both writing and illustration to recognize literature that best celebrates the Latino cultural experience. Try one of the winners:

    5. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus.

    Novelist Plus makes finding books by Latine authors easier. Browse recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books all by latine authors on Novelist. Select the option to “Check Availability” to see if a book is available to borrow from IndyPL. Click on a book cover to read a brief description. See star ratings,and get ideas for read alikes.

    6. Subscribe to a Spanish newsletter from NextReads.

    Subscribe to NextReads to receive reading recommendation in your inbox monthly for help finding books in Spanish by Hispanic and Latino authors. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a sample issue and Subscribe to NextReads!

    Here are tips to help you find your next read as well as a convenient clickable list of authors linked directly to our catalog for placing requests or checking out e-books or audiobooks. See also If You Like Amish and Mennonite Fiction.

    1. Find award winning Christian fiction.

    The Christy awards are presented annually to recognize novels of excellence written from a Christian worldview. See Christy Award winners in our collection here.

    2. Borrow e-books or downloadable audiobooks.

    Browse our OverDrive Christian Fiction Collection of e-books and downloadable audiobooks you can borrow with your IndyPL library card.

    3. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

    4. Make a selection from one of these Christian fiction authors.

    5. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus.

    On Novelist Plus you’ll find reading recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning historical romance books. Once you login with your IndyPL library card, Once you login with your IndyPL library card, choose the “Christian fiction” category from the genre list on the left. Click on a book to read a brief description or see a star rating. Click “Check Availability” to see if the book is available to borrow from IndyPL.

    6. Subscribe to a Christian fiction email newsletter.

    Subscribe to NextReads to receive romance reading recommendation in your inbox monthly. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a Christian fiction sample issue. Subscribe to NextReads!

    7. Find a book discussion near you!

    You are invited to join in one of our many in-person or online book discussions that take place several times each month. In our book discussion groups we read and talk about both fiction and non-fiction books. We express our opinions (both likes and dislikes!) with other avid readers in the city.

    • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
    • Location: Lawrence Branch
    • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
    • Register Here

    Need help?

    Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    e-Books & Audiobooks

    Browse OverDrive’s Amish and Mennonite fiction collection of e-books and downloadable audiobooks you can borrow with your IndyPL library card.

    Amish & Mennonite Fiction Authors

    Find a book discussion near you!

    You are invited to join in one of our many in-person or online book discussions that take place several times each month. In our book discussion groups we read and talk about both fiction and non-fiction books. We express our opinions (both likes and dislikes!) with other avid readers in the city. You might get even more reading ideas on If You Like Christian Fiction.

    • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
    • Location: Lawrence Branch
    • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
    • Register Here

    Need help?

    Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    In hard times and in stressful times, reading does not solve all of our concerns and worries, but it can help. Here are some of the ways we are using books to get through this tough period.

    I just can’t focus…how am I supposed to read?

    Listen, we hear you. When our attention spans are exactly the length of one tik-tok video, we use these tips to get back into reading.

    Picture books aren’t just for kids.

    Reading something that is beautifully illustrated and has fewer words per page helps us to get our minds re-engaged. Check out some of our suggestions:

    Try a new genre.

    We tend to have go-to genres but when we are stressed or tired, we might try a new subject or type of book to engage our brains differently. Here are some picks by genre:

    Switch how you are reading.

    Perhaps you only read print books? Try to read an e-book or explore an audiobook. Or have you only read on a Kindle for the last couple of years? Try listening to an audiobook through your phone or pick up a print book through our curbside pickup.

    Reread a favorite.

    Our librarian Carri says, “I like to reread books I’ve loved in the past. Mostly giant fantasy epics or other series where I feel like I know the characters well.”

    “Reading has been an escape for me — but I am choosing books that allow me to escape because that’s what I need right now.” – Crystal, Library patron

    Stop the Scroll

    Numerous studies have proven that the more time that we spend on social media, the more we tend to be anxious. We are too distracted by every notification on our cell phones, every text message vibration, or email alert. How many hours have you spent this week aimlessly surfing social media? We don’t want to incriminate ourselves but we’re pretty sure our weekly screen time report could be included as evidence in a trial on why our brains can’t stay focused on one task. Use these tips to help curtail your scrolling time (except the Library’s social media- you should definitely be following us).

    • Before bed, instead of logging onto social media to doomscroll, open up the Libby App and dive into an e-book instead of going down an anxiety rabbit hole.
    • Waiting in a line or before an appointment? Carry a book on you and instead of grabbing your cell phone, grab the book instead. We especially like to carry an e-reader on us since they give us endless possibilities for reading.
    • Swap out your internet browsing time for an educational app instead. Rebuild those lost foreign language skills with Mango Languages, build new skills with LinkedIn Learning, or watch a craft tutorial on Creativebug and then make it. All free with your library card.

    “Reading is a learning adventure and escape. When I discover a new author and I really like them I read more of their books and then I also want to find out more about that author” – Theresa, Librarian

    Books Can Help Us Feel and Help Us Start Conversations

    Books can help us feel different. We turn to books when we want a good laugh or when we want a good cry. Books can help us to express the feelings that we want to feel but more importantly, they can help us to express the feelings that we need to feel.

    Books can help us escape. When the days feel long and the wind chill is Arctic, escape to a sunny paradise or get lost on an island. Travel the world or explore a new galaxy without ever leaving your couch or treadmill.

    Reading can help us start conversations with friends, family members, and medical professionals. If how you or a loved one is feeling right now is more than the pandemic-blahs, reading can be a way to start a discussion or go into a doctor’s appointment with more information. Reading helps us gain knowledge but also empathy. Here are just a few of the lists that the IndyPL staff has put together on health and wellness:

    1. Read an award winner.

    If you like fantasy here are several awards that are good sources for finding outstanding novels, short stories, or anthologies.

    2. Borrow e-books, downloadable audiobooks & movies.

    Here are some short cut links to easily borrow materials online with your IndyPL library card. If you have never borrowed from OverDrive before or used OverDrive’s Libby app, both Overdrive/Libby app directions and OverDrive browser directions are available as well as an OverDrive video tutorial and Overdrive Support. If you have never borrowed from Kanopy before, you can get Kanopy directions.

    3. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

    Click on a featured booklist to get reading recommendations or see all our staff fantasy book lists.

    IndyPL Staff Picks 2023- Best of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

    Enjoy our staff members favorite scifi and fantasy reads of 2023. In between dragons and pirates and faeries, you’ll also find tales of grilled cheese and talking cats. We hope you find a new favorite magical read.

    Title - To Shape A DragonTitle - Mammoths At The GatesTitle - The Adventures of Amina Al-SirafiTitle - Chain-Gang All-StarsTitle - Fourth WingTitle - The Thick and the LeanTitle - Tress of the Emerald SeaTitle - The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (a Graphic Novel)

    4. Make a Selection from these authors.

    5. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus.

    Find reading recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books on Novelist Plus. Once you login with your IndyPL library card, choose the “Fantasy” category from the list on the left.

    Here is a sample recommendation. When you click on a book you can read a brief description, see a star rating, and click “Check Availability” to see if it is available to borrow from IndyPL.

    6. Subscribe to the Fantasy newsletter from NextReads.

    Receive fantasy reading recommendation in your inbox monthly. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a ample issue or Subscribe to NextReads!

    7. Find a book discussion near you!

    You are invited to join in one of our many in-person or online book discussions that take place several times each month. In our book discussion groups we read and talk about both fiction and non-fiction books. We express our opinions (both likes and dislikes!) with other avid readers in the city.

    • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
    • Location: Lawrence Branch
    • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
    • Register Here

    Need help?

    Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    If you like mysteries, browse these tips and tricks for finding your next mysterious read. There is a huge amount of variation within the genre from true crime to the supernatural, thriller, or romance. A mystery fits any reading taste!

    1. Read an award winner.

    The Agatha Awards celebrate traditional mysteries, a genre defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore, or gratuitous violence. To place convenient requests in our catalog, browse all of the Agatha Award winners in our collection browse all of the Agatha Award winners in our collection.

    The Anthony Awards for mystery writers are announced at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. To place convenient requests in our catalog, browse all of the Anthony Award winners in our collection browse all of the Anthony Award winners in our collection.

    2. Borrow e-books or downloadable audiobooks.

    Use mystery lists from OverDrive to find e-books and downloadable audiobooks. If you have never borrowed from OverDrive before, both OverDrive/Libby app directions and OverDrive browser directions are available as well as an OverDrive video tutorial and Overdrive Support.

    Need more help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    3. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

    Click on a featured book list to get mystery reading recommendations. Browse all our staff mystery lists or see our If You Like Cozy Mysteries recommendations.

    IndyPL Staff Picks 2023- Best of Suspense, Mystery, and Horror

    IndyPL Staff members have compiled their favorite suspense, mystery, and horror novels of 2023 for those who prefer a book that will unsettle them. These books feature cults, funeral home models, creepy puppets, true crime podcasts, mermaids, phone scam revenge, and more. Find new books from your favorite authors or add a new favorite author to your shelf.

    Title - All the Sinners BleedTitle - Our Share of NightTitle - House of CottonTitle - How to Sell A Haunted HouseTitle - None of This Is TrueTitle - DonTitle - Dark CornersTitle - Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow!

    4. Make a selection from this list of mystery authors.

    5. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus.

    Find mystery reading recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning mystery books on Novelist Plus. First, login, then choose the “Mystery” category from the list on the left. Choose from categories like like “Standalone Mysteries,” “Police Procedurals,” “Historical Mysteries,” and more! Read a brief description, see a star rating, and select “Check Availability” to see if the book is available to borrow from IndyPL.

    6. Look online for more reading suggestions.

    Our staff suggests these sites for mystery readers.

    • Novelsuspects.com is great for fans of mysteries, thrillers, and true crime. There you’ll find book lists, essays, reviews, and more.
    • On Mysteryfile.com read daily reviews of both books and media.
    • On Stopyourekillingme.com browse reviews or thousands of authors sorted by series or explore by setting or the sleuth’s occupation.
    • Crimereads.com really lets you drill down to your mystery flavor of choice: noir, suspense, legal thriller, etc.

    7. Subscribe to the mystery newsletter from NextReads.

    Receive mystery reading recommendation in your inbox monthly. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a sample issue and Subscribe to NextReads!

    8. Find a book discussion near you!

    You are invited to join in one of our many in-person or online book discussions that take place several times each month. In our book discussion groups we read and talk about both fiction and non-fiction books. We express our opinions (both likes and dislikes!) with other avid readers in the city.

    • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
    • Location: Lawrence Branch
    • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
    • Register Here

    That’s it… the geeks have finally won! No longer relegated to drug-store paperback spinner racks, the science fiction genre is undergoing a huge cultural surge right now, and we have the books, movies, television shows, and graphic novels to prove it! If you like science fiction, we have the content at the Library to keep you satisfied and Indianapolis has several unique resources and conventions to keep you entertained all year round. You might also like If You Like Fantasy.

    Science Fiction Book Group at Central Library

    Embark on interstellar journeys of imagination with Ad Astra, Central Library’s science fiction book group. Explore distant galaxies, encounter alien civilizations, and unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. Join us for an out-of-this-world reading experience! See the schedule.

    Science Fiction Book Awards

    Explore the best of science fiction and fantasy by checking out the Hugo and Nebula Awards. The Hugos are voted on by fans, while the Nebulas are chosen by authors, offering a unique blend of popular and professional recognition. Discover groundbreaking novels, short stories, and novellas that have shaped the landscape of speculative fiction and are celebrated by both readers and creators alike.

    Reading Recommendations from IndyPL Staff

    Click on a featured booklist to get science reading recommendations or see all our staff science fiction lists.

    In addition to books of science fiction and fantasy, the library also has many great works about science fiction and fantasy. This list of general reference science fiction resources will help you find your next series, keep you up to date on the latest short fiction, or help you while away the hours learning about the books and movies you love.

    IndyPL Staff Picks 2023- Best of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

    Enjoy our staff members favorite scifi and fantasy reads of 2023. In between dragons and pirates and faeries, you’ll also find tales of grilled cheese and talking cats. We hope you find a new favorite magical read.

    Title - To Shape A DragonTitle - Mammoths At The GatesTitle - The Adventures of Amina Al-SirafiTitle - Chain-Gang All-StarsTitle - Fourth WingTitle - The Thick and the LeanTitle - Tress of the Emerald SeaTitle - The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (a Graphic Novel)

    Science Fiction Authors

    Indianapolis Science Fiction Resources

    • The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is in the process of renovating their new building, and is currently operating a pop-up shop in the Circle Center Mall downtown.
    • The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies is another extraordinary resource we are lucky to have in our city. The Center contains tons of Bradbury resources, including manuscripts, drafts, notes, correspondence, recordings, personal artifacts such as his personal typewriters, photographs, and more.
    • If you don’t mind a short road trip, head southwest to hit up the Who North America store in Camby, Indiana. Not only do they sell Dr. Who related merchandise, they have a museum of Dr. Who memorabilia, some items dating from when the show began in the UK over 50 years ago. There is a rumor that they even have a Dr. Who pinball machine. A must for any Whovian!

    Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions

    Looking to have some fun and meet other fans of science fiction and fantasy? Indianapolis is home to many gatherings of fans from all over the globe.

    • If you are purely interested in fiction you might want to try InConJunction, a local science fiction and fantasy convention put on and run by fans. Past guests include George RR Martin, Timothy Zahn, Tobias Buckell, and Mercedes Lackey.
    • GenCon hosts some amazing authors thanks to their Writer’s Symposium series. Robin Hobb, Cherie Priest, Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Hand, Patrick Rothfuss, John Scalzi, Jo Walton, and Brandon Sanderson have all made appearances there.
    • If you are more interested in science fiction and fantasy television and movies, then save up for Indy Popcon and the Indiana Comic Convention! Both conventions feature panels about varied topics and includes visits from some of your favorite actors and creators.

    Online Science Fiction and Fantasy Resources

    If you would rather stay at home there are luckily several places on the internet (beyond Goodreads and Twitter) that encourage reasoned discussion on all things fantastical or futuristic.

    • Reactor Magazine (formerly Tor.com) is a go-to hub for science fiction and fantasy fans. It offers insightful commentary on beloved series, essays by prominent authors, and a vast collection of free original short fiction. You can also connect with a community of like-minded readers.
    • Locus magazine is considered the trade magazine for the science fiction, fantasy, and horror field. It has everything from exhaustive lists of new releases, to author interviews, reports on conferences, writing workshops, industry events, and award ceremonies. Pages and pages of book reviews every month ensure you will never miss out on the best new thing.
    • Fantastic Fiction is the perfect site if you are looking for the full bibliography of an author you are reading. With lists organized neatly and easily into series and links from author to their pseudonyms, it is an easy and quick way to find that next book.
    • Lastly, Novelist is the place librarians go to help someone find their next favorite book to read – and you can use it to! You will just need a valid Indianapolis Public Library card number. Type in an author or book you enjoy and the database will generate lists of similar books or authors you may enjoy, based either on expert recommendations or similar appeal factors.

    Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus

    On Novelist Plus you’ll find science fiction reading recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning science fiction books. Once you login, choose the “Science Fiction” category from the list on the left which includes choices like “Alternate Histories,” “Apocalyptic and Dystopian Fiction,” and more! Click on a book to read a brief description, see a star rating, or click “Check Availability” to see if the book is available to borrow from IndyPL.

    Science Fiction Newsletter from NextReads

    Receive science fiction reading recommendation in your inbox monthly. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a sample issueSubscribe to NextReads!

    Find a book discussion near you!

    You are invited to join in one of our many in-person or online book discussions that take place several times each month. In our book discussion groups we read and talk about both fiction and non-fiction books. We express our opinions (both likes and dislikes!) with other avid readers in the city.

    • Event: Adult Book Discussion at Lawrence
    • Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 10:30am
    • Location: Lawrence Branch
    • Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion program. The title for December is “Imagine Your Life Like This” by Sarah Layden. Author Sarah Layden will be leading this book discussion.   
    • Register Here

    Need more help?

    These are just some of the many resources available to Nap-town residents. Be sure to check the library’s website periodically for events, author signings, and new titles. And may the nerds continue to reign supreme for a long time to come!

    Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    " "

    Here are five tips to help you explore voices of the LGBTQ+ experience as well as a convenient clickable list of LGBTQ+ authors linked directly to our catalog for placing requests or checking out e-books and audiobooks. If you need help finding books by LGBTQ+ authors, we can help!

    1. Read an award winner.

    Make a selection from some of the most distinguished honors in literature.

    2. Borrow e-books or downloadable audiobooks.

    Browse OverDrive’s LGBTQIA+ collections of e-books and downloadable audiobooks.

    If you have never borrowed from OverDrive or the OverDrive Libby app before, both OverDrive browser directions and Libby app directions are available as well as an OverDrive video tutorial and Overdrive/Libby Support.

    Need more help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

    3. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

    LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels

    Graphic novels where LGBTQ+ characters and themes are relevant to the plot.

    Title - Fun HomeTitle - Bingo LoveTitle - My Lesbian Experience With LonelinessTitle - BatwomanTitle - Wandering SonTitle - LumberjanesTitle - My BrotherTitle - Skim

    4. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist Plus.

    Novelist Plus makes finding books by LGBTQ+ authors easier. Browse recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books all by LGBTQ+ authors on Novelist. Browse the LGBTQIA category to see sample and see listings that show a star rating and the option to “Check Availability” to see if a book is available to borrow from IndyPL. When you click on a book you can read a brief description and get ideas for read alikes.

    5. Subscribe to the Rainbow Reads newsletter from NextReads.

    Subscribe to NextReads to receive reading recommendation in your inbox monthly for help finding books by LGBTQ+ authors. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a sample issue and Subscribe to NextReads!

    LGBTQ+ Adult Authors

    LGBTQ+ Teen Authors

    LGBTQ+ Childrens Authors

    Here are five tips to help you find books written by Asian and Pacific Islander authors, including a convenient list of authors linked directly to our catalog for placing requests or checking out e-books or audiobooks.

    1. Read an award winner.

    Make a selection from some of the most distinguished honors in literature. 

    2. Get reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.

    Click on a book list to get started! 

    Featured List: Asian American Romance Novels

    This list features Asian American and Asian Canadian writers and main characters – find a new favorite in this selection of swoony storylines!

    Title - Fancy Meeting You HereTitle - Role PlayingTitle - Tastes Like ShakkarTitle - To Have and to HeistTitle - SeoulmatesTitle - The Emma ProjectTitle - One Last WordTitle - Sorry, Bro

    Featured List: Mysteries and Thrillers from AAPI Authors

    Do you like murder-mysteries? What about psychological thrillers? Find your next page-turner in this list of mysteries and thrillers from Asian American and Pacific Islander authors. I’ve made note of any titles that are a part of a series if you want to keep the thrills coming!

    Title - Arsenic and AdoboTitle - City of OrangeTitle - The CartographersTitle - When We Fell ApartTitle - KismetTitle - Death DoesnTitle - CounterfeitTitle - IQ

    Browse more of our staff created lists:

    3. Discover a new author by browsing through a literary magazine. 

    Literary magazines are an excellent way to acquaint yourself with new literary communities. Check out the literary magazines below and if you find an author you like, see if they have additional work in our catalog.  

    • Lantern Review is a literary journal dedicated to Asian American poetry. While the journal stopped publishing in 2022, their past issues are still available for folks to read online.  
    • Bamboo Ridge Press is a literary journal that publishes fiction and poetry related to the people of Hawai’i. While current issues are available for purchase, the archives can be browsed on the University of Hawai’i’s website for free. 
    • Jaggery, named after an unrefined dark brown sugar used throughout the South Asian diaspora, publishes poetry, fiction, and essays by South Asian authors.   
    • The Margins is a literary magazine published by the Asian American Writer’s Workshop. They feature “poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, critical essays, reportage, translations, interviews, and experimental and hybrid-genre work.” 

    4. Use your IndyPL library card to log into Novelist Plus

    On Novelist Plus you’ll find recommendations, read-a-likes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books. You can search books by the author’s cultural identity, including Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Hmong or dig a little deeper and search by nationality, like Indian or Vietnamese. Be sure to use the “Check Availability” feature to see if a specific book is available to borrow from IndyPL!  

    5. Asian & Pacific Islander Authors

    Ali, Monica
    British Bangladeshi

    Cho, Zen
    Malaysian

    Chu, Wesley
    Taiwanese 

    Davenport, Kiana
    Hawai’ian

    De la Cruz, Melissa
    Filipina American

    Han, Kang
    South Korean

    Hoang, Helen
    Vietnamese American

    Hosseini, Khaled
    Afghan American

    Kaur, Rupi
    Indian Canadian

    Khaw, Cassandra
    Malaysian

    Kuang, R.F.
    Chinese American

    Lee, Chang-Rae
    Korean American

    Lee, Min Jin
    Korean American

    Manansala, Mia
    Filipina American

    Mikhail, Dunya
    Iraqi American

    Milan, Courtney
    Chinese American 

    Murakami, Haruki Japanese

    Murata, Sakaya
    Japanese

    Nafisi, Azar
    Irani

    Nhat Han, Thich
    Vietnamese

    Ondaatje, Michael
    Sri Lankan Canadian

    Rushdie, Salman
    American British Indian 

    Satrapi, Marjane
    French Iranian 

    Sattouf, Riad
    French Syrian 

    Shamsie, Kamila
    Pakistani British

    Sutanto, Jesse Q
    Chinese Indonesian

    Taleb, Nassim Nicholas
    Lebanese American 

    Tan, Amy
    Chinese American

    Thomas, Sherry
    Chinese American

    Upadhyay, Samrat
    Nepalese American

    Vaite, Celestine
    French Polynesian

    Vuong, Ocean
    Vietnamese American