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!
Personalized Reading Recommendations
Whether you are in a reading frenzy or a reading slump, you might just need a short list of title suggestions to support your reading habit or to get inspired. Hoosier Next Read is a personalized book recommendation service from The Indianapolis Public Library. Share your reading preferences, and our Library staff will send you a custom list of 2–5 titles within 7 business days so you’ll always have your next great read ready.
Sunday Nights on Facebook
Join us on Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m. 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.
Indy Now Book Club
Catch book recommendations and Library program highlights from your own local librarians once a month on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. The show airs at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Browse our past appearances.
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.
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.
2025 Staff Picks
Explore our 2025 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. Whether you’re searching for engaging books, entertaining media, or thoughtful gifts, our 2025 Staff Picks offers something for everyone to enjoy.
February 2026 Staff Picks
2025 This Year in Books
Are you ready to wrap up 2025 yet? It’s been a doozy of a year for many of us, so let’s take a look back at some of the biggest events of the year and take time to reflect. There are some good things (or at least interesting things) that happened, too! Check out related reading, including histories, biographies, journalism, and a few novels. And the list ends with a tribute to a optimism and hope. Cheers to a new year!
Light Reads to Combat Early Sunsets
The nights are getting longer so here are some books to lighten up your mood.
Winter Mysteries and Thrillers
Need a chilly read? Here are some winter thrillers to keep you up at night!
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2025 In 10 Films and Shows
Here are my top titles that I viewed in 2025 across television and film. There are old and new classics; strange, immersive, wild worlds; explosive and cathartic action; familial heartbreak and found family mayhem; and (since the invention of quotable movies) the one that leaves them all behind. I hope you find something new to love.
2025 in Ten Books and Graphic Novels
Here are my top ten books and graphic novels that I read in 2025. A splash of sci-fi, a dash of fantasy, a basketful of horror. Lots of gorgeous sights and uncomfortable honesty and queer happiness. I hope you find something new to love.
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If You Liked Trigun
Here you will find a number of other stories that either fall into the sci-fi, western, or post-apocalyptic genres, as well as titles that feature characters who struggle in a world of violence, where finding the humanity in others can be difficult
Cupcakes
According to Nora Roberts ‘cupcakes are happy food.’ I won’t disagree with that statement. And, to back it up, the Library has lots of books to help you get even happier in your baking adventures.
Sting Like a Bee
Throughout their existence, organized sports have played a crucial role in society, leading them to have a great impact on politics. Sports in the United States, more specifically, have been continually intertwined with the fight for racial justice. Though athletes have long used their platforms to advocate for change, fear of backlash, violence, and jeopardizing their careers has understandably kept some from speaking out freely against the United States’ racist systems. One trailblazer in using their sporting success to make political strides without catering to the white media was Muhammad Ali. In honor of his birthday on January 17th, explore these titles about the remarkable Muhammad Ali and other inspiring athletes whose stories keep his fighting spirit alive.
Long Live the Final Girl
This list celebrates the iconic horror trope of the Final Girl—the lone survivor who outwits the killer, confronts unimaginable terror, and refuses to die. These adult horror novels feature true, literal Final Girls: women who endure slashers, massacres, monsters, and relentless hunters, and who must grapple with the trauma, strength, and resilience that come with survival. Whether you love classic slasher structure, meta-horror reinventions, or stories centered on the aftermath of being “the last one standing,” these books put Final Girls front and center for a fierce and unforgettable read.
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If You Liked…Project Hail Mary
these are books that capture the humor, science, survival, cosmic wonder, and big-hearted problem-solving of Andy Weir’s hit novel.
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Myth & Magic: A Chinese Zodiac Fantasy Reading List
Spellbinding fantasy books by Asian American authors — one for every sign. From clever Rats to powerful Dragons, this reading list pairs each Chinese zodiac symbol with a book by Asian American authors whose stories echo the traits, themes, and legends of each animal. Whether readers want fierce warriors, hidden magic, quiet wisdom, or shape-shifting creatures, these books highlight the depth, diversity, and imagination of contemporary Asian American fantasy writing.
If You Liked…People We Meet on Vacation
Emily Henry’s iconic writing voice will bring you somewhere warm and sunny, where you’ll meet bookish and heartfelt characters along the way. This list is comprised of some of her recent fiction, as well as other notable summer romance novels.
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Romance … on Ice!
There’s a subgenre for everyone, and if you prefer love with the slight chill of an ice rink in the air, welcome home. Come for the HEAs (happily-ever-afters for the newbies), “stick” around for the hilarious and cringe-inducing titles. And most importantly, have a pucking good time.
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Books on the Holocaust
The Jewish Community Library houses an extensive collection of over 10,000 books, with a significant focus on literature related to the Holocaust. This curated selection includes both fiction and non-fiction works that illuminate the historical, cultural, and personal dimensions of this pivotal period in history. The collection serves readers of all ages, offering compelling narratives and educational resources for youth and adults alike. Below is a sampling of books that capture the profound impact of the Holocaust and its enduring lessons for humanity.
The Jewish Community Library is part of the Indianapolis Public Library Shared System. Our Library will send books to regular Indianapolis Public Library cardholders if you request it and choose a Library branch or Central Library pick up location. We share items all year. We are also open for browsing or reference most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A Beginner’s Guide to Houseplants
Bring the outdoors inside on Houseplant Appreciation Day! This list features several beginner’s guides on how to choose houseplants, how to style houseplants in your living space, and how to take care of houseplants. Whether or not you consider yourself someone with a green thumb, these titles offer plenty of guidance and useful information for brand new and seasoned houseplant enthusiasts.
None of My Peers Avoided Prison. None of ’em
Titles related to incarceration. As alluded to by the rapper Nipsey Hussle, about 5.1% of Americans will be incarcerated at some point in their lives, with an overrepresentation of some communities.
Mapping Indianapolis
From aerial views to stories of neighborhood change, explore maps and narratives about the history of Indianapolis.
Celebrate Transit Equity Day
Celebrate Transit Equity Day
Celebrate Transit Equity Day, the birthday of Rosa Parks, each year on February 4th. Explore titles that honor the courageous actions of Rosa Parks, capture the joy and possibility that riding the bus can bring, or tackle the importance of equitable public transit.
It is a great day to come explore how The Library supports equitable ACCESS! Why not take an IndyGo bus to one of our many library branches located near a bus stop? Or hop on board to visit any destination and use IndyGo bus’s free Wi‑Fi to borrow or explore one of our many digital resources during your ride.
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Blind Date With a Book
The list for Central Library’s “Blind Date With A Book” display. These are all of the titles patrons may find in the display.
Women in Conservation & Environmental Justice
Let’s pause to honor some of the remarkable women in the ongoing fight to preserve the Earth and its natural resources for generations to come. Learn more by digging into the titles below!
Very Normal Love Stories
This Month of Love, indulge in some tales of tenderness and terror! Each item in this collection of films and television shows features a romantic relationship with a horrific (or horror-adjacent) twist, from the gothic to the supernatural to the people-being-their-worst-selves. Let’s get off-putting this Valentine’s Day!
Black Futures Month
This Black History Month, look back to the radical and mundane past and present to create the future. This collection of fiction and nonfiction audiovisual works explores the vastness of the Black experience, in its many expressions of love, joy, healing, chaos, fear, determination, and the spirit of transformation of and beyond trauma. Let us invoke the liberatory power of imagination to transform the world we have inherited into the world we wish to inhabit.
Listen with Liz – February 2026
I love nonfiction audiobooks especially memoir and autobiographies. This is a totally random list of titles I listened to in January 2026.
