Your Next Good Read
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On the Shelf RSS
- 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
- “Green” books to read in March
March is unofficially a green month. Just like how February is a red month, October an orange month, and November a brown month. March is green mostly because of St.
- Romance and Romanticism: 5 English Romantic poets to read on Valentine’s Day!
Poetry has always been associated with love and courtship, and nothing is more romantic than sharing a poem with that special someone on the most romantic of days, which is
- Write here, write now!
If you’re a writer or just someone who loves to write, then you probably have heard all about National Novel Writing Month by now. In fact, you might already be
- Book Face Friday – Halloween Edition
Our staff and Library friends are putting the “Boo!” in Book Face Friday this week, with some suggested spooky reads to send you into the Halloween weekend. All of these
- ‘Tis the season to be scared – library staff pick their favorite scary book to read for Halloween!
Halloween is fast approaching, a day when the world of the living converges with the world of the dead and when our imagination merges fantasy with reality. It’s a holiday
- Banned Books Week, September 26 – October 2, 2021
Humans have always valued books and the stories and knowledge they embody. The high regard we have for them is rooted in the distant past when they were rare, expensive,
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
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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.
- Black History Month 2022 (February 1-28)
- Black History Month Authors (February 1-28)
- Women's History Month 2022 (March 1-31)
- Women's History Month 2021 (March 1-31)
- Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May 1-31)
- Pride Month (June 1-30)
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (September 15-October 15)
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2020
- Native American Heritage Month 2021 (November 1-30)
- Native American Heritage Month 2020
- Social Justice & Anti Racism
Find great reads for teens recommended by staff and organized into themed booklists.
Find great reads for kids recommended by staff and organized into themed booklists.
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.
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.
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.