Welcome, or welcome back, to the Recommendation News, an occasional publication featuring recommended recreational reading with the latest booklist updates from our SJPL Librarians. It's been quite some time since our Winter 2026 update, and I will admit, it has yet again been a little longer than I intended since I last sat down to highlight some reading lists to explore. This doesn't mean there haven't been updates to report, however. Our librarians have been hard at work updating favorite genre guides and creating new niche lists. Let's take a look at which lists have updated reads on them to help you browse for new additions to your TBR list.
Highlighted Updates
If you're a BookTok follower, you'll know that certain trends come and go with reading as they do in any other part of popular culture. In the first half of 2026, Romantasy has continued to be a strong trend, but we've also seen a resurgence of interest in Project Hail Mary due to the film adaptation, so I've included Sci-Fi for all ages. The Summer also saw the release of The Odyssey in theaters, which helped boost interest in Mythological fiction as well. Finally, major sporting events in San José plus an uptick in interest of the Heated Rivalry series enticed readers to engage with Sports reads, as well.
For Adults
If you're looking for steam and sorcery check out these Romantasy reads, where romance meets fantasy and enchanted has two meanings. Enemies to lovers...fated mates...forced proximity...forbidden love...your favorite romantic fantasy is here in one of these fantasy romances. Romantasy titles with varying levels of spice, perfect for fans of Fourth Wing or Court of Thorns and Roses looking for a new read. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
While we are seeing incredible technological advances in the present day, sometimes that just isn't enough. Other times, we wonder deeply on a "What if...?", hoping to follow a thought, no matter how ludicrous, to it's end. These science fiction reads will speak to that innate sense of curiosity that drives us to new and unimaginable futures, both near and far. Maybe the future is really written in one of these tomes...or just as likely, a relevant cautionary tale. Recent notable Sci-fi novels for adults, selected by SJPL Librarians. Don't forget your towel, after all, it is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.
Fickle gods, breathtaking adventures, and unforgettable heroes/heroines inspired by mythology and folklore from all parts of the globe. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
For readers who happen to love the player AND the game, these titles are sure to be a slam dunk. Filled with courtside courtships, benchwarmers finally shooting their shot, and sweet celebrations over first base, sports romance fans will woo(!) and be wooed by these reads (some of which may even end up in the steam room). Sports romance in mixed formats, with some great suggestions for Heated Rivalry fans; many of these books are part of series but can be read as stand-alones. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Many of us in our youth dreamed of becoming a professional athlete, but the road to renown often takes more time, dedication, and determination than we're able to give. There's always more to the story that making practice or listening to your coach; here are tales of those that kept to the path to emerge at the top of their games, deep dives into prominent figures in athletics, highlight reels, or chronicles of how a sport came to be. Sports history and life stories, selected by SJPL Librarians.
For Teens/Young Adults
Robots like humans, alien romances, apocalyptic events, Big Brother governments, intergalactic travel...what will the future hold? The possibilities are certainly infinite, and you can explore them all through Science Fiction (Sci-fi). Sci-fi is largely concerned with where society is headed, whether that be a technologically loaded Earth 2.0, a space-faring crew lost in the black void of space, or a ragtag group of survivors dealing with the fallout from present day decisions; but it can also be about preventing paradoxes in the past. From mind-bending time loops from history to adventures in the final frontier, this list contains a broad cross-section of Sci-fi for young adults, selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Sometimes the best stories are the ones that we've been telling for millennia. In this list, myths of old gain new life, heroes return, fabled creatures roam, and gods walk the Earth. Each of these novels features a story influenced by or based on different mythologies and folklores from around the world. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Time out and huddle up! If you enjoy characters with their heads in the game while your nose is in their book, these reads won't call foul; so grab your whistle and get ready to referee some team drama, and real life drama, too. Each of these books will revolve around sports and all the highs, lows, and goals, that comes with competing, as well as where sport and life intersect. So, get on the offensive and check out how these athletes' stories play out...or perhaps how their plays story out. Ready? BREAK! Includes graphic novels. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
For Children
01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100000 01110010 01100101 00101101 ...I mean...hello, readers. If you're tired of down to Earth books and looking for a great read to space out with, look no further than this selection of Science fiction reads. Experience first contact protocols, intergalactic travel, technology beyond imagination, time travel and loops, parallel dimensions...who knows, you may even catch a glimpse of what's in store for humankind in few hundred years. This selection of Science fiction chapter books is roughly for children in grades 3-7. Grade level/interest approximation and/or AR levels included in notes. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Sometimes the best stories are the ones that we've been telling for millennia. In this list, myths of old gain new life, heroes return, fabled creatures roam, and gods walk the Earth. Each of these fantasy novels features a story influenced by different mythologies or folklore from around the world. Grade level interested approximation in notes as available. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Time out and huddle up! If you enjoy characters with their heads in the game while your nose is in their book, these reads won't call foul; so grab your whistle and get ready to referee some team drama, and real life drama, too. Each of these books will revolve around sports and all the highs, lows, and goals, that comes with competing, as well as where sport and life intersect. So, get on the offensive and check out how these athletes' stories play out...or perhaps how their plays story out. Ready? BREAK! Sports fiction chapter books for students in approximately grades 3-7. Grade level interest and/or AR reading level in notes as available. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Latest Updates
A whole lot more booklists had new entries added to them these past 6 months. Find a selection of the latest booklist updates guaranteed to have new additions below, which have all been worked since our last Rec News update.
For Adults
For Teens/Young Adults
For Children
Browse Better With Booklists
There are a ton of upcoming observances, holidays, and celebrations you might choose to theme your reading around. You can search our catalog for our librarian-curated booklists using the instructions below to find reads for any occasion. If you're looking for an Indigenous Peoples Day read, why not try searching for "Indigenous" to see what kind of reading we recommend?
All our curated lists start with "SJPL Picks" or "SJPL Recommends"; this makes finding lists we make easy.
- You can search for lists to browse curated picks! In the top-right corner of this page you will see our search bar. You need to change "keyword" to "list" from the dropdown menu to search for booklists.
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Type SJPL Picks to pull up San José's lists first, and then try a genre or search term after. For example, let's try searching for a book for Indigenous Peoples' Day coming up in October.
- Hit the magnifying glass to search and you will pull up our related lists. To see the results of the Green Reads list search above you can click this link, opens a new window. You will see our booklists relating to Indigenous Voices for different age groups returned first, as well as some other lists from San José's librarians. Try this search strategy for a heritage month, your favorite genre, or even that niche subject or theme you are looking for, and you'll be able to check out related lists in a jiffy.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Try looking at the profiles that host all our lists to browse everything we have on offer. Check out links that take you directly to our profiles in our Quick Links section at the end of this blog.
Of course, we also curate some pretty specific lists which may have unique titles quite like Green Reads used as our example above, and you may not know the term for it; if this is your situation, check our solution, directly below↓
SJPL 5forU, opens a new window
If you're looking for further recommendations and aren't in the mood to browse, let us do the browsing for you! San José Public Library's 5forU team offers personalized recommendations via email. You can also fill in the profile on someone else's behalf and we can find just the right titles - perfect for caregivers looking to recommend books to their children, for book clubs stumped on what to discuss next meeting, or if you're hoping to give the gift of literature. Just fill in the profile and we'll do the rest - and remember, the more information you give us in the profile, the better and more tailored your recommendations will be! Hearing exactly why you love or hate a book gives us more clues to find your new favorite- it just so happens to be what we love to talk about, too, so don't hold back. Ready to begin your 5forU journey?
Start your 5forU Request!, opens a new window
SJPL Picks: Quick Links
If this month's featured reads aren't quite what you're in the mood for, or you're looking to expand your browsing further, try checking out any and all of the lists from our librarians on our SJPL Picks team. All our lists will be labeled "SJPL Picks" or "SJPL Recommends".
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