Reading Recommendations

Your Next Good Read

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Your Next Good Read
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  • The Gilded Age

    You may be waiting for the second season of the drama series The Gilded Age, which premieres (Max) on Sunday, October 29. If you have not yet seen the first season,

  • Barbenheimer @ Your Library

    You may have already been to see the movies released a few weeks ago; you may be waiting for entertainment industry issues to resolve before you buy tickets. If you

  • April is National Poetry Month

    In 1996, the Academy of American Poets dubbed April National Poetry Month, which celebrates the art of poetry and the important role that poets have in our culture and society.

  • Black History Month: Books About Passing

    We celebrate Black History Month in February. It’s a short month to recognize and wrestle with a complex history so long it predates the United States as a nation (Nicole

  • Kwanzaa Celebration 2022

    Pasadena Public Library and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Pasadena Alumnae Chapter Presents: Virtual Kwanzaa Celebration 2022 Tuesday, December 27, 2022 Here are images and this year’s program. Introduction and Library Greetings:

  • Books we’re thankful for

    ‘Tis the season for reflection and giving thanks, and there are many things to be thankful for—family, friends, experiences that have enriched our lives, challenges that have changed our lives,

  • 6 books to read for National Hispanic Heritage Month

    From September 15 to October 15 we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates the histories and cultures of Americans whose ancestry can be traced back to Spain, Mexico, Central

  • Celebrate Pride!

    We are celebrating Pride this month! There are plenty of events and happenings all around the City.  Here are a few more recent titles to check out, by LGBTQIA+ authors

  • 7 Autobiographies and memoirs by AAPI authors

    I never really cared much for reality TV shows and watching semi- or rather pseudo-celebrities acting out their day-to-day lives in front of a camera and thinking that their emotional

  • Reading about Ukraine

    Russia’s aggression against its neighbor Ukraine has dominated world news for the past couple of months. As images and videos of explosions, tanks, ruined buildings, dead bodies, soldiers, and refugees

 

 

Select Reads

Explore lists of new library books grouped by genre. You can also sign up to receive these lists in your email each month.

Search the Catalog

See if the library has the items you’re looking for by searching in our online catalog.

If it doesn’t look like we have what you’re looking for, try filling out a Suggestion for Purchase form to see if the library might purchase a copy.

Additional Resources

Book Groups
Learn more about the book groups offered through the Pasadena Public Library system. Find meeting times and contact information. Have your own book group? Learn about the Book Group Kits that the library has available for check out.

One City, One Story
Learn more about Pasadena Public Library’s annual shared reading celebration. Our guide has plenty of good reads to suggest, among the annual selections and short-list nominees.

PPL Book Lists

We honor cultural heritage months annually with events and programs; we also create and update book lists around those and other topics These lists are by no means comprehensive, but contain some suggested reads you can find in the Pasadena Public Library colletions.

 

Teen Book Suggestions

Find great reads for teens recommended by staff and organized into themed booklists.

Children’s Book Suggestions

Find great reads for kids recommended by staff and organized into themed booklists.

NoveList Plus

Search this online resource for information about book titles and series; reviews from professional journals; reading suggestions based on title, author, or series; recommended reading lists and more. Make sure to have your library card number handy to sign in to use this resource.

NoveList K-8 Plus

Search this online resource for information about book titles and series; reviews from professional journals; reading suggestions based on title, author, or series; recommended reading lists and more, all tailored specifically to readers grades K-8. Make sure to have your library card number handy to sign in to use this resource.

BookBrowse

Look through this online resource that has in-depth book reviews; handpicked “if you like this, try these” recommendations; browsing by genre, time period, geographical setting and theme; advice on starting and running a book club, and much more. Make sure to have your library card handy to sign in to use this resource.