The Year of the Audiobook

The Year of the Audiobook

Did you hear? 2024 was the year of the audiobook, and it looks like 2025 will be more of the same: Simon & Schuster just launched an audio-first imprint that will focus on content from self-published authors, and Ronan Farrow has signed a multi-project deal with Audible. Plus, here are 15 of the best audiobooks coming out in January. What’s playing in your Libby app?

Book Club Picks

Oprah just made her 110th book club selection—A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle—and it’s a title that she first selected for her book club in 2008. She says it’s the most important book she’s ever read, which is quite an endorsement, and yet, I think Oprah is the only person who could get away with picking the same book twice for their book club. Are the other celebrity book clubs going to follow suit? (If you’re not like Oprah and are looking for new titles to read, take a peek at these other major book club selections for January.)

Book Tracking: Yay or Nay?

If you’re starting the year looking for more book tracking options, Barnes & Noble has you covered, but you may want to take a closer critical look at Fable: they put their foot in their AI-generated mouth when their end-of-year summaries accused their users of being too woke. But if you’re not sure about book tracking, don’t forget that you’re the only one tracking your reading, and maybe (just maybe?) you don’t actually need to read more in 2025. You do you! (But if you do want to read more, here are different strategies for establishing a reading habit.)

Romance Reads to Warm Up Your Winter

Baby, it’s cold outside! Here are a few romance reading lists to keep your reading life warm and toasty:

• 10 contemporary spicy romance novels where consent is HOT.
• 10 immersive queer historical romances.
• 8 cozy fantasy romance books to warm your heart.

The Impact of the L.A. Wildfires

The L.A. wildfires have wreaked unprecedented havoc, and not surprisingly, they’ve taken their toll on bookstores and libraries. Multiple bookstore owners have had to evacuate, and the Palisades Branch Library was destroyed, along with much of the Palisades region. It’s heartbreaking to see so much destruction, and I can’t imagine what it will look like when the smoke finally starts to clear.