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BPL Staff Picks: May 2026

Every month staff from across the Boston Public Library system recommend their favorite books for all ages across a variety of genres. We hope this list inspires you to keep reading! Place a hold or check one out today and enjoy a good book! #BPLStaffPicks

User from Boston Public Library

23 items

  • On Tyranny

    Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century

    Snyder, Timothy,
    Nonfiction. A very small but mighty book. If you only read one book on politics, let it be this one. This is a great primer on how tyranny takes over as well as how to stand up to it and keep yourself informed and ready to fight back. - Jordan D.,…
    Book, 2017New York : Tim Duggan Books, [2017] — JC495 .S625 2017x
  • Teen Historical Romance. I think this is one of the better books about a Bennet sister's life post-Pride and Prejudice! This one follows Kitty Bennet and Georgiana Darcy as they get to know each other and fall in love. The characters in this don't…
    Book, 2026New York, NY : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2026. — TEEN FICTION EDWARDS E
  • Teen Fantasy. Set in a fictional world that is inspired by Chinese and East Asian cultures, the story follows Cai, a young noodle chef and prodigy. She dreams of competing in the deadly Celestial Banquet and being given the honor of the…
    Book, 2025New York, NY : Sweet July Books, 2025. — TEEN SCIFI FANTASY LIM R
  • Fiction. A charming, light read about 4 older male friends living in Palm Springs. I enjoyed the comradery between the friends, and the way they created a found family together. If you enjoy the Golden Girls, you will love this book! - Shane J.,…
    Book, 2026Toronto, Ontario, Canada : MIRA, [2026] — FICTION ROUSE W
  • Fantasy. I can’t believe this was Tasha Suri’s debut. It’s so good! The plot makes sense and is the perfect size for a standalone! Cool worldbuilding without the need to infodump constantly! The PINING! Deeply satisfying and wraps up in one book, no…
    Book, 2018New York, NY : Orbit, 2018. — Suri, T.
  • Fingers Crossed

    How Music Saved Me From Success

    Berenyi, Miki,
    Memoir. Packed with personal history, musings, the raw, hard facts about the music industry, and plenty about how tough it is for women. Berenyi's deprecating, yet brash delivery suits both the time and the atmosphere. Compelling reading about a…
    Book, 2023London : Nine Eight Books, 2023. — ML420.B52 A3 2023
  • Children's Picture Book. Beautiful illustrations accompany the fascinating history and process behind how soy sauce is made. It really made me appreciate how unique Chinese, Japanese, and Korean soy sauces are from one another! Fun fact: soy sauce…
    Picture Book, 2025New York : Algonquin Young Readers, Workman Publishing, 2025. — J PICTURE LEE L
  • Horror. This book was a RIDE. A couple moves into a country house after an accident... And just like the main characters, the house has its own baggage, and its own plans. This is a refreshing take on the haunted house genre with genuinely…
    eBook, 2025Flatiron Books, 2025
  • Middle Grade Fiction. Full of believable magical realism, gorgeous writing, loveable characters, and Native Hawaiian joy, this coming-of-age tale has something for everyone, no matter their age! - Ana C., Branch Library Staff
    Book, 2024New York, NY : HarperCollins Children's Books, [2024] — J SCIFI FANTASY KAHAKAUW K
  • Children's Picture Book. Do you love books? Do you accumulate books more swiftly than you read them? What if you couldn't read them? What if you could not read at all? Enter the Book Hog! He's a sweet swine with a sad secret...he is an illiterate…
    Picture Book, 2019Los Angeles ; New York : Disney Hyperion, [2019] — J PICTURE PIZZOLI G
  • Horror. Set is 1700s Mexico, Alba and her family retreat to a silver mine to wait out a plague, and weird things immediately start happening. Heavy on gothic tension and light on gore, this twisty story is brought to life with historical…
    Book, 2025New York, NY : Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025. — FICTION CANAS I
  • Fantasy. Easily one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. The first and best book in Ken Liu's magisterial Dandelion Dynasty series tells the tale of the charismatic bandit Kuni Garu and the mighty warrior Mata Zyndu, who join forces to…
    Book, 2016London ; New York : Saga Press, [2016] — SCIFI FANTASY LIU K
  • Children's Early Chapter Book. This book both warmed my heart and made me laugh out loud! Gracie Wei has been studying her hardest for the spelling bee, but learns that friendship matters more than winning. - Amy B, Central Library
    Book, 2026New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. — J EARLY CHAPTER YOURE A WINNER
  • Out of the Sky

    Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe

    Friedman, Matti, 1977-
    Nonfiction. In 1944, a group of young fighters parachute into Nazi-occupied Europe to save as many as Jews as they can. Friedman has a gift for unearthing little-known episodes in history, and he brings to life these dreamers and their doomed…
    Book, 2026New York : Spiegel & Grau, [2026] — DS135.H9 F754 2026
  • Fantasy. This romp of a comedy essentially asks what life would look like as a zoo keeper. Except the creatures you care for are monsters, and part of your job is keeping citizens of Earth from knowing about them. In typical style, Scalzi pokes fun…
    Book, 2022New York : Tor, 2022. — 813.6000
  • Hidden Wonders

    Discover Our Planet's Best-kept Secrets

    Maggi, Nicole,
    Middle Grade Nonfiction. This book shares information about a bunch of really cool places in the world that kids (and adults) might not know about. Some of my favorites were the Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Oregon, Fingal's Cave in Scotland, and Cat…
    Book, 2026Carlton, Victoria ; Oakland, CA : Lonely Planet Global Limited, 2026. — AG250 .M152 2026
  • Children's Chapter Book. Sophie learns more about friendships, identity, and family in this delightful chapter book. Her school's annual Rainbow Fair encourages kids to make booths celebrating their heritage, but her teacher always has Sophie…
    Book, 2025New York, NY : Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2025. — J FICTION MA D
  • Fiction. This book was fascinating, unique and unexpectedly hilarious for a story filled with war and atrocities. Raja, a 60-something gay man, shares his story of a life in Beirut through several wars, regimes and a pandemic. Listening to the…
    Book, 2025New York : Grove Press, 2025. — FICTION ALAMEDDI R
  • Mystery. Matsumoto's debut novel is credited with launching the mystery genre in Japan, and for good reason. This short, compact mystery kept me guessing until the end! - Liz B., Fields Corner Branch Library
    Book, 2025New York : The Modern Library, [2025] — MYSTERY MATSUMOT S
  • Hamnet

    a Novel of the Plague

    O'Farrell, Maggie, 1972-
    Historical Fiction. O'Farrell simultaneously deposits you into a world that is foreign, although beautifully imagined, with characters that feel familiar and dear. This book is an emotional rollercoaster that takes its reader through what it means…
    Book, 2020New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2020. — FICTION OFARRELL M