Alert

HOLIDAY: All libraries will be closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Mon., Jan. 19. More Info

Alert

Update: Elevator Outages, Maintenance and Upgrades at Central Library More Info

Arlington Public Library

Collection

Great Books You Might Have Missed in 2025

Looking for a great book? We're here to help!

Arlington readers know that every month sees more amazing books released than they can possibly keep up with! In 2025, nearly 2,500 books received a starred review.

Arlington fell in love with some of those books critics raved about, but with so many to choose from, some inevitably flew beneath our radar.

The books are sorted into subcategories: fiction, nonfiction, graphic, detective, science fiction and fantasy teen, elementary/middle grade and picture books/early readers. And much like browsing the library’s shelves, you're sure to find something unexpected and delightful!

To see which books Arlington readers checked out the most this year, check out our companion list: Arlington's Top Reads in 2025.

Browse Full Lists in the Library Catalog

Complete List
Fiction List
Nonfiction List
Detective List
Sci Fi and Fantasy List
Graphic Novel List
Picture Books / Early Readers List
Elementary / Middle Grade List
Teen List

Arlington’s Top Reads in 2025

What did Arlington readers check out this year?

2025 was another excellent year for Arlington readers with over 3.6 million checkouts.

Arlington's reading choices span a wide array of genres, including cookbooks, romance novels, biographies and picture books. We listened to eAudiobooks, read on our phones and stacked paper books on our nightstands. Still, certain titles stood out as particularly popular.

Here is a breakdown of the most popular adult, kids and young adult titles.

Composite of 10 book covers.

Two titles had more than 4,000 checkouts this year:

  1. "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros
  2. "The Women" by Kristin Hannah

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros was a big hit with all three titles in the top ten.

Emily Henry had two titles this year with "Funny Story" and "Great Big Beautiful Life."

"The Women," "Funny Story" and "Iron Flame" are on the list for the second year in a row while "Fourth Wing," "Remarkably Bright Creatures" and "Demon Copperhead" are in their third year of being one of Arlington’s most popular reads!

"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas is one of the most popular teen reads for the third year in a row, but the rest of the top five are all books from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, with "Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" keeping its position at number one.

Just like last year, our younger readers couldn’t get enough of "Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney!

We’re excited to see what books Arlington will fall in love with in 2026.

Of course, there are always great books that don’t get the buzz and popularity and sometimes are overlooked.

Curious about the other excellent releases you might have missed this year? We have a curated list of Great Books You Missed in 2025 to help you find some hidden gems in our catalog.

Always free. Always open. Always reading!

Your favorite eCollection resources

The library’s digital collections had a standout year in 2025, with patrons turning to eCollections more than ever. From books and newspapers to online courses and career tools, these platforms have become part of everyday life for readers and learners across the Arlington community.
Libby remains the favorite for eBooks, audiobooks and magazines, while PressReader connects patrons to newspapers and magazines from around the world. One in four titles read on PressReader were international titles and in languages other than English, underscoring its role as a vibrant hub for global perspectives. Across all of our magazine platforms, patrons most enjoyed reading The New Yorker, The Economist, The Atlantic, People and Consumer Reports.

Learning platforms saw strong engagement as well. O’Reilly and LinkedIn Learning offered courses in artificial intelligence, technology, business and creative skills. Patrons especially enjoyed diving into top courses "WordPress: Ecommerce, Project Management Foundations" and "Pre-investing: Before Investing in Real Estate," and "Writing: The Craft of Story"—all designed to sharpen professional skills or introduce new hobbies and opportunities to online learners.

Mango Languages kept language learners busy with sessions in everything from Spanish to Japanese to American Sign Language, often right from their phones.

Specialized eCollections played an important role.

Value Line gave investors reliable financial research, Consumer Reports guided smart shopping decisions and Bookflix made reading fun for families by pairing children’s books with engaging videos. News lovers stayed informed with full access to the Washington Post Digital and Global Newsstream.

We welcomed several new eCollections this year. You can stream films and series through Access Video On Demand: Master Collection and Biblio+, explore American and global cuisines with AtoZ Food America, AtoZ World Food, and Eat Your Books and dive into research using AtoZ Databases and Social Explorer.

Career seekers will find guidance and opportunities in Vault Career Intelligence. With more than 70 eCollections available, there’s something for everyone.

Arlington's Top 10 eResources In 2025

New November Releases

We're grateful for authors and stories.

This November, we express our gratitude for the imagination and dedication of authors who give us stories to enjoy.

Marisa Kashino’s "Best Offer Wins" skewers the local real estate market in a twisted and darkly humorous novel of domestic suspense. After being outbid 11 times in 18 months for various houses in the D.C. area suburbs, Margo’s getting desperate. When she hears of a wonderful house that will soon hit the market, she’ll stop at nothing to get it.

Nils knows today is his last day on earth, but still goes to work as a ferry operator. As the passengers embark, he sees they are all ghosts from his past. Sailing his route through the Norwegian fjords for the final time, he waits for the ghost of his recently deceased wife in the wistful and quiet story "The Ferryman and His Wife" by Frode Grytten and translated by Alison McCullough.

While trying to negotiate a lighter sentence by returning stolen art from previous heists, an officer tells thief Myles Conner that only a Rembrandt would save him. So, while out on parole, Conner steals a Rembrandt in an audacious daytime theft from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Anthony M. Amore’s "The Rembrandt Heist" gets into all the action and intrigue of a story that’s stranger than fiction.

In 1834, David Ruggles opened the first Black bookstore in the U.S., selling abolitionist literature and creating a place for Black people to gather and learn. It’s a template many Black bookstores to come would follow, despite harassment from the FBI and IRS, racism, gentrification and a shifting publishing marketplace. "Black-Owned" by Char Adams traces the history of the Black bookstore and the role those bookstores have played in their communities.

Middle grade readers will want to check out "How to Free a Jinn" by Raidah Shah Idil. When Insyirah and her mother move from Australia to Malaysia to take care of her ailing grandmother, Insyirah learns the women in her family can see jinn. As she gets used to life in a new place, she must also confront an evil spirit haunting her new school in this energetic adventure that blends family, mythology and faith.

Annie Fairfax has been cursed by the finfolk—vengeful creatures that live beneath the waves and were responsible for the shipwreck that killed her parents. Annie is a young female head of the whaling company that her village depends on for survival. Responsibility weighs heavily on her shoulders while the curse is getting worse. There might be a cure, but the cost may be too high in "Break Wide the Sea" by Sara Holland. Teen readers will be drawn in by this roiling and atmospheric tale blending horror, folklore and love.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Indigenous Peoples Month Guest List
Veterans Guest List

New October Releases

The Spooky Season Is Here 👻

The nights are getting longer and whether you’re celebrating spooky season or the start of cozy season, it’s the perfect time to curl up with a blanket and a good book. 

Set in 2075 New York, the queer cyberpunk dystopian thriller "Local Heavens" by K. M. Fajardo retells "The Great Gatsby," showing the timelessness of its themes of wealth, class, loss and the damage careless people can cause while going after their desires.

You’d think that bargaining with a shadowy figure for a promotion would be standard at a workplace like Dark Enterprises, but while Colin does get promoted, he also unleashes an ancient evil. Mark Waddell’s "Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World" sees Colin trying to save the world because there are a few things he likes about it—his best friend, the new guy he’s been seeing, and of course, his new job. Welcome to Night Vale meets The Office in this darkly humorous horror satire that doesn’t skimp on the romance or action.

The college years often include bad grades, worse boyfriends, questionable fashion choices, late-night parties and learning who you really are. All of this is further complicated if you’ve already won the Nobel Peace Prize and are a global figure for surviving the death threats that haven’t gone away. "Finding My Way" by Malala Yousafzai is a candid and dynamic memoir as she confronts a public image that’s impossible to live up to and learns who she actually is, on her own terms.

November 10 marks the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes shipwreck immortalized in song by Gordon Lightfoot. "Gales of November" by John U. Bacon is an absorbing and in-depth look at the wreck, as well as the importance and dangers of sailing on the Great Lakes. Most importantly, he introduces readers to the 29 men lost when she went down, their lives on board and on shore and the loved ones they left behind.

Allan Wolf and Jose Pimienta’s middle grade novel, "Vanishing of Lake Peigneur" tells the dramatic story of when a routine drilling operation on Louisiana’s Lake Peigneur went very, very wrong, creating a giant whirlpool and draining the entire lake away into the salt mines underneath. Narrated by the lake itself and detailing the lives of the people caught in the chaos, this is a gripping introduction to a little-known environmental disaster.

Beauty content creator Lyric plans to spend the holiday season continuing to build her platform and get the most out of her latest brand collaboration. When a spur-of-the-moment photo with new classmate, Juniper, goes viral, the girls decide to make the most of the moment and start fake dating for the clicks (and the accompanying money, which will fund their respective post-high school plans). But the line between reality and social media blurs quickly in "I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," Mariama J. Lockington’s slow-burn teen Christmas romance.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Best Recent Latine Fiction
Latine Horror

New September Releases

New Stories to Carry You Through the Fall Season

School has started and the weather has gotten cooler. These new titles are made for cozy evenings, your favorite pumpkin spice treat and getting lost in a page.

Follow the lives of the workers at a nail salon in "Pick a Color" by Souvankham Thammavongsa. To the customers, they have the same uniform and haircut and have nametags that say "Susan." They spend the day bantering and telling jokes in their unnamed mother language, showing their distinct lives and personalities. Told in the owner’s observant and dry-humored voice, it’s a funny and moving exploration of class, identity and work.

Steph wants to be the first Cherokee astronaut, an ambition that drives her life and tests her familial and romantic relationships. Through Steph and the women in her life, Eliana Ramage explores a wide range of Native American history and identity. In "To the Moon and Back," multiple narrators explore family, identity, ambition and space. In the hands of a lesser novelist, the result would be overstuffed, but this epic debut is instead absorbing and thought-provoking.

Growing up in a cult and struggling with addiction, chess was a lifeline and outlet for Danny Rensch. An International Master by the age of 19, he helped elevate the level of play at Chess.com and has become the face of the website, which was caught up in a massive cheating scandal. "Dark Squares" combines a poignant story of overcoming adversity with a history and examination of the game.

In "Humanish," Justin Gregg examines how our peculiar tendency to humanize the nonhuman helps us socially connect and make sense of the world. At the same time, humanizing mundane objects makes it easier to dehumanize large groups of people. Full of research and illuminating anecdotes, this informative and astute exploration of anthropomorphism is a delightful and engaging read.

Gail Jarrow’s latest medical history book for middle grade readers, "White House Secrets," looks at nine presidents whose health information was concealed from the public. From Garfield up through Biden, it examines the history and the ethical issues surrounding presidential health. Intriguing and accessible, it’s also great conversation fodder.

Teen readers will learn all about the radical Emma Goldman in "Loudmouth" by Deborah Heiligman. Born in Lithuania in 1869, Goldman was forced to leave school at 13 to help support her family. At 16, she immigrated to America where she faced discrimination for being Jewish, an immigrant and a woman. This engrossing tale of a fierce and influential figure has many contemporary parallels, but Heiligman keeps her meticulous research and absorbing prose on Goldman herself.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

For those who are awaiting new seasons of Only Murders in the Building and Slow Horses, explore these book lists inspired by both series.

Only Murders in Building
Slow Horses

New August Releases

Great Reads for the Final Weeks of Summer

We’re very studiously ignoring the pumpkin spice that has started appearing on the shelves and are trying to enjoy these last few weeks of summer.

Summer Reading goes until September 1 and if you need help finishing, try one of these great new releases.

Four robots open a noodle shop and need community support when robophobes try to shut them down in the heart-warming "Automatic Noodle" by Annalee Newitz.

R. F. Kuang is a favorite of literary genre fans and she’s back with "Katabasis." This dark academia enemies-to-lovers story features two grad students using Orpheus and Dante as travel guides as they venture into hell to retrieve their advisor so they can get the recommendations they need.

August 6 and 9 mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Garret M. Graff’s oral history, "The Devil Reached Toward the Sky" covers everything from the giddy science of splitting the atom to the haunting and tragic effects on the survivors.

In the 1970s, the Bronx was burning. While the fires were largely blamed on tenants, Bench Ansfield’s "Born in Flames" shows that the fires were actually set by landlords themselves in a massive case of insurance fraud.

There are two horror books set in Blitz-era London for young readers coming out this month!

Middle grade readers will be terrified by Ryan James Black’s "The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham" when a scavenging orphan sets loose a shadow monster. He’s always been a lone wolf, but now he has to band together with other street orphans to destroy the creature.

In "Death in the Dark" by Bryce Moore, teen readers will follow the sleuthing of the prime minister’s daughter, Mary, as she tries to catch a gruesome serial killer while dodging the falling bombs.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Atomic Bomb
The Voting Rights Act of 1965

New July Releases

July's turning up the heat and so are these new releases!

The long, hot days of summer are perfect for cooling off into a great book, and there are excellent new releases to choose from.

The Rashomon-esque thriller, Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke, looks at Katie, a 22-year-old murder suspect, through the eyes of five men—her father, her ex-lover, her friend, her lawyer and a journalist. They all know a different side of her and have differing feelings about her guilt. Told in alternating perspectives, the reader gets several versions of truth as they piece together who Katie is and what really happened.

Fans of comforting, cozy reads will want to pick up Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida, translated from Japanese by Bruno Navasky. The lives of the employees and customers at a local convenience store intertwine and come together under the watchful eye of the store’s manager, Mr. Shiba, who takes the store’s motto, “Caring for people, caring for you,” very seriously.

During the early days of the pandemic, four true-crime-obsessed friends decided to try and solve a local cold case. The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan details their success in finding enough information to get the case officially reopened, only for the women to find themselves in real danger from those who wanted the case to stay cold.

It’s not just middle grade readers who will enjoy looking over Rachel Lancashire’s The Atlas of Languages. Beautifully illustrated, it has everything from the source of the word “banana” to Manx language revival and a chapter on different sign languages around the world.

Every year, Dulce’s school puts on a murder mystery game to test their criminology students, and this year she’s determined to win. But there’s more than her grade on the line when the victim ends up actually murdered and the body count keeps rising. The snappy teen mystery Very Dangerous Things by Lauren Muñoz is full of twists and turns for a satisfyingly chilling read.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Celebrate Disability Pride Month with excellent reads that champion inclusion.

Disability Pride 2025

Check out these romance novels featuring characters living with mental illness.

Romance w/ Mental Illness

New June Releases

Kick off your Summer Reading with these new books.

June is here. With the end of school and the start of summer, this month gives us a great selection of books to kick off Summer Reading.

In "Making Friends Can Be Murder" by Kathleen West, six Minneapolis women, all named Sarah Jones, connect via Instagram and become friends. When a Sarah Jones who isn’t in the group turns up dead and one of their own is the prime suspect, they band together to investigate in this playful and quirky mystery.

The "Phoenix Pencil Company" by Allison King explores memory and story when a college freshman tries to reunite her grandmother with her long-lost cousin. In dual timelines, Monica journals in an online app while caring for her ailing grandparents. Meanwhile, her grandmother tells her story of espionage and betrayal when she was young in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A luminous family saga awaits.

People often wonder at the point of studying such “silly” things as the tubercles on humpback whales, Yellowstone’s bacteria, or Gila monster venom. In "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog," Carly Anne York explains how discoveries build on discoveries and lead to important breakthroughs, such as more efficient wind turbines (the humpback whales) COVID-19 PCR testing (Yellowstone’s bacteria) and Ozempic (Gila monster venom).

From a carpet woven in the 3rd or 4th century BCE and discovered during an archaeological dig effected by the Russian Revolution, to one woven in 21st century Pakistan for commercial export, "Threads of Empire" by Dorothy Armstrong examines the conditions in which these objects were made, moved and found, and the people’s lives they touched along the way. An intriguing look at history that might literally be beneath our feet.

When Esme’s friend says she’s "too intense" from chasing after her mother’s approval, Esme vows a chill summer at the pool with her swim team. But a growth spurt has made Esme really fast this season, so her mother has started to take an interest. Unfortunately, her focus on winning and being the best feels unsportsmanlike to Esme. In Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s middle-grade book "The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun," Esme must learn to listen to her inner voice as she balances her mother's approval with being a good teammate in this heartwarming story.

Last summer, Mandy’s best friend was killed in an accident. This summer, her family is back at the same vacation spot while Mandy, a true-crime podcaster, and the police start looking back into the case. Was it really that accidental? And how much fault does Mandy have? "Now She’s Dead" by Roselyn Clarke is a dark, twisty mystery that will keep teen readers guessing right to the end.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Library Director Diane Kresh shares her book recommendations to celebrate Pride.

Pride Guest List

Commemorate Juneteenth with these great reads.

Juneteenth

New May Releases

Spring cleaning? We prefer spring reading. 🌸🧹📚

Turn off notifications, find a quiet spot in the shade and use these new books as the perfect excuse to ignore your to-do list.

When Cora’s son is born, everyone in the family disagrees on what to name him. "The Names" by Florence Knapp explores three different timelines, each stemming from what name the baby is given.  

You don’t need to be a racing fan to enjoy Karen Booth’s steamy enemies-to-loves romance, "Not So Fast." Formula 1 podcaster Mia has been going viral for her hot takes on struggling racer Xander, but when the two meet face-to-face, a different type of sparks begin to fly!  

The axe is one of humanity’s oldest tools and most chilling weapons. In "Whack Job," Rachel McCarthy James mixes true crime, pop culture and witty prose to trace a lethal legacy through the centuries, from royal executions in Tudor England to infamous modern crimes like Lizzie Borden. 

From closeted housewives to out teens, the entries from a lesbian helpline reveal a chorus of voices seeking connection and solidarity in 1990s London. Weaving these stories with her own, Elizabeth Lovatt’s "Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line" asks vital questions about queer history and who gets remembered. 

Newbery Medal winner Erin Entrada Kelly shifts to nonfiction in her middle grade biography "At Last She Stood." Diagnosed with leprosy during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Josefina "Joey" Guerrero was expected to disappear quietly. Instead, she used her disease to slip past Japanese checkpoints and delivered crucial intelligence to the Allies. This riveting account of Guerrero’s bravery brings an unsung World War II hero to light. 

Teen mystery fans will enjoy the sharp and funny "Death in the Cards" by Mia P. Manansala. Danika juggles tarot readings and part-time PI work at her mom’s detective agency—but when a classmate disappears after a chilling tarot session, Danika’s casual side hustle turns into a full-blown investigation involving secret identities, hidden movies and a growing web of suspects. 

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Celebrate the many cultures and stories within the AANHPI community with hand-picked books by librarian Deborah K for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.

AANHPI Guest List

Explore these books, suggested by the Arlington County's Chavurah Employee Resource Group for Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM).

JAHM Guest List

New April Releases

It’s time to pack your books for spring break! 📗🌸🌷

Peak bloom has officially ended, baseball is underway and whether you’re going to the beach or staying on your couch, it’s time to pack your books for spring break. Luckily, there are some great books out this month to choose from!

Picture it: Miami, 1980s. Four beloved sitcom characters have to solve a murder after Dorothy’s date is found face-down in cheesecake. "Murder by Cheesecake" by Rachel Ekstrom Courage captures the beloved Golden Girls in this cozy mystery series opener.

"The Amalfi Curse" by Sarah Penner features a coven of witches who protect the coast from pirates. When one tries to run away with a sailor, she’s kidnapped by a shipping magnate who wants her power. Two hundred years later, an underwater archaeologist searching for treasure instead finds family secrets and deep magic in this lush and atmospheric tale.

Parenting is hard, even more so when you’re disabled. "Unfit Parent" by Jessica Slice exposes the challenges from trying to find accessible baby equipment to fighting a system that sees disabled parents as fundamentally "unfit." Slice's own experiences and those from other disabled parents demonstrate how the creativity and skill needed to navigate an unjust system can make everyone a better parent.

In early 1944, the German Army marched on Budapest, by summer, they were being bombed by Allied forces, and at the end of the year, the Red Army had the city under siege. The city swirled with spies and refugees, soldiers, everyday people, aristocrats and cabaret singers, before descending into unimaginable carnage, destruction, hate and anarchy. With newly uncovered sources and survivor interviews, "The Last Days of Budapest" by Adam LeBor recreates life in the city during the war.

In "The Pecan Sheller" by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Petra dreams of college, but after her father suddenly dies, the thirteen-year-old drops out of school and gets a job shelling pecans to make enough money for her family to survive. Faced with terrible conditions and threatened cuts to already meager wages, Petra must decide if she wants to risk her job to join a strike in this middle grade novel based on the 1937’s six-week pecan sheller's strike in San Antonio.

Candace Fleming’s gripping and immersive "Death in the Jungle" introduces teen readers to Jim Jones, the People’s Temple and the tragic murder-suicide of 918 people in the Guyanese jungle. This deeply researched and thoughtful account not only shows what happened, but how and pays particular attention to the stories of the victims and survivors of the families.

Place Your Holds Now!

Celebrate Earth Day With These Great Book Lists.

Find practical guides to living with less waste, sewing techniques for transforming old clothes and how to reduce chemical pollution.

Sustainable Living

Learn about migratory birds, animals from the Kalahari Desert and the geological foundations of the earth with these audio books.

Listening to Nature






















Download the Library App