NYPL Recommendations

A listing of book lists created just for you by our librarians. Also check out our regular Staff Picks, and subscribe to the Biblio File blog and biweekly podcast.

The Gatsby Effect

Our NYPL experts named other books, written from the first-person perspective, that aren’t really about the narrators.

Origin Stories

There are a couple kinds of origin stories. There are the backstories that super heroes have to explain how they got their powers. There are origin stories that describe how some reality came into existence. Our staff recommend some favorites here.

Board Books with Photographs

We love children's book illustrations and illustrators, but sometimes babies want the real thing. Here are some board books to bring on those smiles and grabs.

Five YA Favorites for Hispanic Heritage Month

A list of our five favorite young-adult books written by Hispanic authors, whose protagonists are shaping how teens see identity, race, and growing up.

Back to (a Different Kind of) School

Five YA back-to-school stories with ethereal characters and otherworldly settings.

Bicycle Books for Beginners

Learning to ride a bike is a childhood rite of passage. Here a few titles to encourage kids through the many falls that precede those glorious, autonomous loops around the block or the park.

The Long and the Short of It

We love 1000+-page novels here at NYPL—but we also love to see our favorite long-form writers apply their talents to shorter pieces.

NYPL's Top 10 Summer Reads... And What You Should Read Next

Voting with their library cards, New Yorkers have picked out the most popular summer reads—the 10 books most frequently checked out from the New York Public Library between June 1 and August 31.

NYPL's Top 10 Summer Reads... And What You Should Read Next

Voting with their library cards, New Yorkers have picked out the most popular summer reads—the 10 books most frequently checked out from the New York Public Library between June 1 and August 31.

Technology Gone Wrong… for Grownups

Seven scary tech stories—this time, for grownups.

17 Things We Wish Had Happened in Harry Potter

Everyone’s favorite boy wizard became the star of millions of new stories that J.K. Rowling never put in her books through a new vehicle: fiction written by thousands of passionate readers all over the world.

Women, Activism, and Inspiration

Aug. 26 is Equality Day—so, we asked our expert NYPL staff members to recommend some books about women and activism, for all ages and in cultures all around the world.

Building Young Brains

Yet more scientific evidence has emerged that—shocker!—reading books is good for young children. So, the question isn’t WHETHER to read to kids, it’s WHAT to read.

Travel: A Reading List from Open Book Night

Books and destinations from around the world were discussed at the most recent Open Book Night, and lots of recommendations were picked up along the way.

A Little Light Bibliotherapy

We asked our expert NYPL staff members to recommend books that helped them stay sane and navigate life in Gotham.

Summer of Steampunk

High adventure, gears and gadgets, fantastical inventions, Victorian-era settings (or not)… the rise of steampunk gives authors of young-adult fiction rich new ground to tread.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Wordless Picture Books

Many parents feel intimidated when they first encounter a wordless picture book. Then the possibilities set in: the child can make up the story, the story can change from reading to reading. Not to mention, the art in these wordless books is stunning.

Beyond Bond

We asked library staff to investigate Ian Fleming's legacy and go “beyond Bond”—to pick out other books starring secret agents.

Get Away from It All: Seven Escapist YA Books

Escapist YA picks that transport readers to faraway lands.

Unlikely Beach Reads

We asked our experts: “What’s your recommendation for a long, dense, serious beach book?”

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