Book Lists
Curated content from our librarians in a variety of genres. This page is home to book lists for adults - you can also find book recommendations for kids and for teens.
See our Racial Equity Resources for curated lists of not just books but also videos, local organizations, podcasts, etc. put together by our librarians with suggestions from groups working on racial equity and social justice in Madison.
- Learning to Read with Dyslexia - Books and Resources for Families, Educators and Elementary Students updated Oct 2023
- 2022 Cozy Mystery Titles updated Oct 2022
- 2023 Naturalist-in-Residence Inspired Book List for Adults updated Aug 2023
- 2024 Naturalist-in-Residence Inspired Book List for Adults updated Jun 2024
- African American Fiction updated Jan 2024
- African American History & Culture; with Memoirs, Essays, and More updated Jan 2024
- Asian American Fiction updated Jun 2023
- Asian Pacific American History & Culture; with Memoirs, Essays and Poetry updated Mar 2021
- Best Books of 2021 updated Dec 2021
- Best Books of 2022 updated Jan 2023
- Best Books of 2023 updated Jan 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Fall 2023 updated Oct 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Fall 2024 updated Oct 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Spring 2023 updated Apr 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Spring 2024 updated Apr 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Summer 2023 updated Jul 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Summer 2024 updated Jul 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Winter 2023 updated Jan 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Fiction, Winter 2024 updated Jan 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Fall 2023 updated Oct 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Spring 2023 updated Apr 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Spring 2024 updated Apr 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Summer 2023 updated Jul 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Summer 2024 updated Jul 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Winter 2023 updated Jan 2023
- Beyond Bestsellers - Nonfiction, Winter 2024 updated Jan 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers -Nonfiction, Fall 2024 updated Oct 2024
- Beyond Bestsellers: The Best of the New updated Jan 2022
- Birding Books updated Aug 2022
- Black Women's Wellness updated Aug 2024
- Book List for Parents of Advanced Learners in conjunction with the Madison Metropolitan School District updated Oct 2024
- Care & Repair updated Jul 2024
- Completed Fantasy Series updated May 2021
- Contemporary Romance updated Feb 2022
- Cookbooks & Food Writing updated Jul 2020
- Cozy Mystery Authors updated Oct 2019
- Crime in Translation updated Nov 2023
- Dystopian, Apocalyptic, and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction updated Apr 2020
- Early Madison updated Jul 2020
- Fiction Recommendations from Madison Public Library Book Clubs updated Jul 2020
- Gardening Books updated Sep 2024
- Gerrymandering Book List updated Feb 2021
- Graphic Novel Memoirs and Biographies updated Jul 2023
- Graphic Novels for Black History Month (And All Year Long) updated Feb 2023
- Historical Romances updated May 2021
- Latino Fiction updated Sep 2023
- Latino History & Culture; with Memoirs, Essays, and Poetry updated Aug 2023
- Latino LGBTQ+ Reads updated Sep 2022
- LGBTQIA+ History and Experiences updated May 2023
- LGBTQIA+ Reads for Black History Month (and any other time of year!) updated Feb 2021
- LGBTQIA+ Recommended Fiction updated May 2023
- LGBTQIA+ Romances updated Jun 2023
- Mental Health Awareness updated May 2021
- Muslim Authors in Adult Fiction, Memoirs, Poetry and Graphic Novels updated Mar 2022
- Narrative Nonfiction Library Staff Picks updated Jun 2020
- Native American and Indigenous Fiction updated Oct 2023
- Native American and Indigenous History & Culture; with Memoirs, Essays, and Poetry updated Oct 2023
- Naturalist-in-Residence Book List for Kids and Teens (2023) updated Aug 2023
- Naturalist-in-Residence Inspired Book List updated Sep 2022
- Picture Books that Celebrate Hispanic and Latine Heritage for Kids and Families updated Sep 2024
- Racial Equity Resources updated Jun 2020
- Remarkable Women: Fiction, History, and Memoirs to Celebrate Women's History Month updated Mar 2021
- Summer Reads for 2021: Buzzed-About Fiction updated May 2021
- Summer Reads for 2022 updated Jun 2022
- Summer Reads for 2023 updated Jun 2023
- Time Travel, Alternate Histories, & Parallel Universes updated May 2022
- True Crime updated May 2021
- Wisconsin Fiction Authors updated Oct 2022
- Wisconsin Film Festival Films on DVD and Blu-ray updated Mar 2019
- Wisconsin Literary Awards updated May 2022
- Women Sleuths updated Nov 2019