2026 Libby Award Finalists

Celebrating the best in digital reading, the Libby Awards recognize outstanding ebooks and audiobooks across a variety of genres, highlighting the most compelling, thought-provoking, and widely loved titles of the year. The finalists were announced by OverDrive on February 4. Winners will be announced at the first ever live Libby Book Awards ceremony on March 3.

For more information, check out the Overdrive website.

Book of the Year – Adult Fiction

ATMOSPHERE: A LOVE STORY by Taylor Jenkins Reid and narrated by Julia Whelan and Kristen DiMercurio (DB 129909, BR 26357 IN PROCESS, en español DB 132477 EN PROCESO)
BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan (DB 132250, LB 0007624)

Book of the Year – Adult Nonfiction

FLOWER TRAVELED IN MY BLOOD: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE GRANDMOTHERS WHO FOUGHT TO FIND A STOLEN GENERATION OF CHILDREN by Haley Cohen Gilliland (DB 132040)
MARRIAGE AT SEA: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, OBSESSION, AND SHIPWRECK by Sophie Elmhirst (DB 131217)

Book of the Year – YA Fiction

SISTERS IN THE WIND by Angeline Boulley (DB 132294, BR 26561 IN PROCESS)
SUNRISE ON THE REAPING by Suzanne Collins and narrated by Jefferson White (DB 127954, BR 26205)

Audiobook of the Year

KATABASIS by R. F. Kuang (DB 132323, BR 26579 IN PROCESS)
MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman (DB 129483, BR 26313)

Debut Author of the Year

ALCHEMISED by SenLinYu (DB 133250)
CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans (DB 129105, en español DB 132482 EN PROCESO)

Best Book Club Book

BOG QUEEN by Anna North (DB 133593 IN PROCESS)
WRECK by Catherine Newman (DB 133592 IN PROCESS)

Best Fantasy

ALCHEMISED by SenLinYu (DB 133250)
BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL by V. E. Schwab (DB 130243, BR 26386 IN PROCESS, LB 0005773)

Best Historical Fiction

ANTIDOTE by Karen Russell (DB 128240, BR 26309 IN PROCESS)
ISOLA by Allegra Goodman (DB 127226, BR 26597 IN PROCESS, LB 0002549)

Best Horror

BEWITCHING by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (DB 131290, LB 0005631)
BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 128581, BR 26200 IN PROCESS)

Best Memoir & Autobiography

ONE DAY EVERYONE WILL HAVE BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El-Akkad (DB 127850, LB 0001346)
RAISING HARE by Chloe Dalton (DB 128243)

Best Middle Grade Book

ALL THE BLUES IN THE SKY by Renée Watson (DB 129740)

Best Mystery

LIBRARIANS by Sherry Thomas (DB 132690)
MURDER TAKES A VACATION by Laura Lippman (DB 131701)

Best Personal Improvement

SHIFT: MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS – SO THEY DON’T MANAGE YOU by Ethan Kross (DB 131630, LB 0001314)
WE CAN DO HARD THINGS: ANSWERS TO LIFE’S 20 QUESTIONS by Glennon Doyle (IN PROCESS)

Best Picture Book

DON’T TRUST FISH by Neil Sharpson (DB 130282)

Best Romance

THESE SUMMER STORMS by Sarah MacLean (DB 131056, BR 26501 IN PROCESS)
IT HAD TO BE HIM by Adib Khorram (DB 133198)

Best Romantasy

KNIGHT AND THE MOTH by Rachel Gillig (DB 130050, BR 26391 IN PROCESS)
ONYX STORM by Rebecca Yarros (DB 127035, BR 25749 IN PROCESS, en español DB 127448)

Best Science Fiction

DEATH OF THE AUTHOR by Nnedi Okorafor (DB 127592, BR 26389 IN PROCESS)
WHAT WE CAN KNOW by Ian McEwan (DB 133247 IN PROCESS, LB 0005874)

Best Thriller

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD by Liann Zhang (DB 129576, LB 0008599)
GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark (DB 133889 IN PROCESS)

Readers’ Choice

ONYX STORM by Rebecca Yarros (DB 127035, BR 25749 IN PROCESS, en español DB 127448)
GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Emily Henry (DB 129103, BR 26246, LB 0003604, en español DB 132355)

10 Most Popular Thriller Books downloaded from Libby during September

Libby is a free app from OverDrive that lets you borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines from your local public library using a library card. You can use the app to browse, borrow, and read or listen to titles on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Libby is much like the BARD app with one crucial difference: In many cases, when using Libby, you will have to place a hold on more popular books. But you don’t need to wait for books on BARD! You can download and listen to them immediately.

Below are the top 10 thriller books downloaded from Libby during September. It’s an interesting mix with settings ranging from suburbia to Los Angeles. So, no matter your favorite setting, you should find something to tingle your spine here.

10. PERFECT MARRIAGE by Jenova Rose (DB 113854)
9. NIGHTSHADE by Michael Connelly (DB 130298, LB 0005038)
8. TENANT by Frieda McFadden (DB 129492, LB 0005347)
7. DON’T LET HIM IN by Lisa Jewell (DB 131308)
6. PERFECT DIVORCE by Jenova Rose (DB 129724)
5. HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty (DB 123831)
4. LISTEN FOR THE LIE by Amy Tintera (DB 119654)
3. HOUSEMAID’S SECRET by Frieda McFadden (DB 117095, LB 0005003)
2. BEAUTIFUL UGLY by Alice Feeney (DB 126338, LB 0002874)
1. HOUSEMAID by Frieda McFadden (DB 114201, BT 0000083, LB 0001198)

10 Most Popular Horror Books downloaded from Libby during September

Libby is a free app from OverDrive that lets you borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines from your local public library using a library card. You can use the app to browse, borrow, and read or listen to titles on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Libby is much like the BARD app with one crucial difference: in many cases, when using Libby, you will have to place a hold on more popular books. But you don’t need to wait for books on BARD! You can download and listen to them immediately.

Below are the top 10 horror books downloaded from Libby during September. It’s an interesting mix including a couple of Stephen King’s more recent books as well as a horror classic published over a century ago.

10. ONE BY ONE by Frieda McFadden (DB 121242, LB 0001113)
9. HIDDEN PICTURES by Jason Rekulak (DB 108427)
8. HOLLY by Stephen King (DB 116600, BR 25169, en español DB 118128)
7. YOU LIKE IT DARKER: STORIES by Stephen King (DB 121659, BR 25495, LB 0000702)
6. SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES by Grady Hendrix (DB 99550, BR 23373)
5. DRACULA by Bram Stoker (DB 31869, BR 08277, en español DB 40864)
4. WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix (DB 126950, BR 25753 IN PROCESS, LB 0002960)
3. WITH A VENGEANCE by Riley Sager (DB 130305)
2. NEVER FLINCH by Stephen King (DB 130236, BR 26240 IN PROCESS)
1. WE USED TO LIVE HERE by Marcus Kliewer (DB 122928, LB 000312)