New Reading Rainbow Host Selected as National Library Week Honorary Chair

It is my joy to celebrate libraries, thank library staff, and visit libraries. There are still many library kids and library adults who have not fully embraced the joy of libraries. I’m really looking forward to them. I am confident that when they enter the world of libraries and stories, they will not only find the joy of libraries, but also the courage to believe in their own stories and maybe even share them with others.

Readers’ Holiday Gift Guide from Publishers Weekly

If you are still struggling with uncertainty about what to buy for readers in your life; Publishers Weekly was able to help with the annual gift guide. The list is divided into the following categories for your convenience: Illustrations and art books. Children’s fiction, poetry, and manga. And non-fiction. PW doesn’t say why these books are gift-worthy, but since they are all 2025 releases at first glance and appear to be very diverse in subject matter, it’s easy to assume that these are books that the person receiving the gift is unlikely to have read yet, and that PW is trying to cover ground for all kinds of readers. Highlights include The Book of Cats by Ursula K. Le Guin (illustrated books and art books), The Legendary Frybread Drive-In by Cynthia Reichic Smith (children’s books and YA), What a Time to Be Alive by Jade Chan (fiction, poetry, and comics), and So Many Stars by Caro de Robertis (nonfiction). Check out our complete guide to help you complete your holiday shopping spree.

In fact, does less social media equal reading more books?

in works for new yorkerJay Caspian Kang writes that spending less time on social media has brought us no closer to attacking the archives, and explores the broader question of what literacy looks like for a population that primarily reads a lot of text on screens but less books, and whether the digital world is a tool to hone our reading lives or a blindfold. You won’t find a firm answer here, but I agree with his point that the concept of literacy needs more nuance than we get from the dire, dark conversations about how social media is wreaking havoc on reading.

The biggest book club is wrapping up 2025 with these books – join us!

If you want to end the year of reading with a party, read with a community or two. Here are our final picks for this year’s book club. There are some great options from major and prominent book clubs. We have titles for all kinds of readers, including books on every book club’s reading list and 18th century historical fiction. Find the list here.