01.20.2026

Our 2025 “Most Read”

Chosen by our members themselves, these most-circulated titles of 2025 celebrate the curiosity, passion, and wide-ranging tastes of the Athenaeum community. From transporting novels to illuminating works of history and memoir, this list honors the shared conversations, discoveries, and moments of delight sparked by the books our members loved most.

Top 12 Fiction Books

  • James: A Novel by Percival Everett PZ4.E9424
  • Intermezzo : a novel by Sally Rooney PZ4.R77533
  • Tell me everything : a novel by Elizabeth Strout PZ4.S9186
  • Great big beautiful life by Emily Henry PZ4.H5219
  • The lion women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali PZ4.K1493
  • The ghosts of Rome by Joseph O’Connor PZ4.O1857
  • Dream count : a novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie PZ4.A225
  • Best detective stories of the year PZ1.B47
  • Our evenings : a novel by Alan Hollinghurst PZ4.H738
  • Midnight in Vienna by Jane Thynne PZ4.T56
  • Three days in June by Anne Tyler PZ4.T979
  • Midnight and blue by Ian Rankin PZ4.R1944

Top 12 Nonfiction Books

  • Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Natalie Dykstra CT275.G199
  • What I ate in one year : (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci TX649.T83
  • Kingmaker : Pamela Harriman’s astonishing life of power, seduction, and intrigue by Sonia Purnell CT275.H3709
  • The golden road : how Ancient India transformed the world by William Dalrymple DS423 .D35
  • After lives : on biography and the mysteries of the human heart by Megan Marshall CT275.M3764
  • The loves of my life : a sex memoir by Edmund White CT275.W53396
  • Rot : an imperial history of the Irish famine by Padraic X. Scanlan DA950.7 .S34
  • The book forger : the true story of a literary crime that fooled the world by Joseph Hone Z1024 .H66
  • British dandies : engendering scandal and fashioning a nation by Dominic Janes GT733 .J36
  • Careless people : a cautionary tale of power, greed, and lost idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams HM743.F33 W95
  • Rick Steves Italy by Rick Steves DG416 .S75
  • Baskerville : the biography of a typeface by Simon Garfield Z250.5.B37 G37

Top 10 eBooks

  • James: A Novel by Percival Everett
  • Great big beautiful life by Emily Henry
  • The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
  • Long Island Compromise: A Novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
  • The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
  • Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell
  • The Hunter by Tana French
  • Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
  • Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips
  • Tell me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Top 10 Audiobooks

  • James: A Novel by Percival Everett
  • Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
  • Tell me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
  • The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
  • Great big beautiful life by Emily Henry
  • Orbital by Samantha Harvey
  • We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
  • A Marriage at Sea by Sophia Elmhirst
  • All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
  • The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Check out our catalog to grab these books for yourself, or read more about eBooks and audiobooks at the Boston Athenaeum.

12.17.2025

Member Favorite Books of 2025

Athenaeum member reading in cozy nook

We asked Athenaeum members to share their favorite page turners of 2025, and they delivered a list packed with recommendations, from cinematic classics to sharp contemporary critique.

Here’s what our members were loving this year:

After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart, by Megan Marshall, 2025

Available in print and CloudLibrary ebook

“This collection of essays covers an extraordinary range of topics and time periods, and is a fascinating glimpse into the work and experiences of a brilliant biographer.”

Art Work: On the Creative Life, by Sally Mann, 2025

Available in print

“Mann is not only a great photographer, she’s also a gifted writer. Her text is honest, poetic and sometimes funny. I loved seeing how she transforms the ordinary into haunting photos.”

Christmas at Thompson Hall: A Tale, by Anthony Trollope, 1894

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, CloudLibrary ebook, and print anthology

“All the best of Trollope, funny, witty, insightful, and just lovely!”

The Correspondent: A Novel, by Virginia Evans, 2025

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“The main character—our writer of letters—felt like a good (sometimes cranky, always insightful) friend.” Recommended by Ellen N.

The Frozen River: A Novel, by Ariel Lawhon, 2023

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“A gripping mystery story, meticulously researched with interesting descriptions of the early legal system in America, and rich characters and details of colonial life in a small town in Maine. Small town gossip and an ending you don’t see coming!” Recommended by Fiona N.

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves, by Sophie Gilbert, 2025

Available in CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“Sophie Gilbert’s Girl on Girl challenges nostalgic views of late-1990s and early-2000s pop culture, arguing that the era shaped today’s worsening gender climate. Through incredibly researched chapters (with references!) the book shows how media, fashion, film, and technology sold girls and young women a set of damaging messages…” Recommended by Alex C.

James: A Novel, by Percival Everett, 2024

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn turned inside out.” Recommended by Julie K.

Jane Austen in 41 Objects, by Kathryn Sutherland, 2025

Available in print

“Well chosen objects. Described in clear direct prose.” Recommended by Kirk C.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, by Sylvie Cathrall, 2024

Available in print

“An underwater world conjured in epistolary form; lovingly portrayed neurodivergent characters; grief, sisterhood, apocalypse; queerness everywhere. What more could you want?” Recommended by Kat

Loved and Missed, by Susie Boyt, 2021

Available in and CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“This book is extraordinary. The most sensitive, cutting, precise depiction of parent-child relationships I’ve ever read. Devastating in the best way: it made me laugh and cry, I stayed up late reading it and gave it to my mom the next day. I recommend it constantly!” Recommended by Zoe W.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad, 2025

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“It is a passionate cri de coeur against the genocide in Gaza.” Recommended by Ken W.

Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blitzen), 1937

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, CloudLibrary ebook, and audio cassette

“Poignancy combined with beautiful writing, or the other way around.”

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, by Robert A. Caro, 1974

Available in print, CloudLibrary audiobook, and CloudLibrary ebook

“Incredibly well written. Explains so much about politics in general and how it works.” Recommended by Jeanne S.

The Slip: A Novel, by Lucas Schaefer, 2025

Available in print

“Such a cast of characters wandering through Austin, TX, with connections to each other and commentary on American history and American social and sexual politics, and all wrapped up in a rollicking journey that leaves the reader breathless and oddly optimistic.” Recommended by Mark T.

When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s, by John Ganz, 2024

Available in print, and CloudLibrary audiobook

“Illuminating pre-history of Trumpism in ’90s U.S.” Recommended by Ken W.

07.02.2025

A Beach Reading List

beach reading list summer vacation book recommendations set in new england

If you’re dreaming of salty air, screened porches, lobster rolls, and the hum of cicadas in the distance, this booklist is your passport to a perfect New England summer escape. Whether you’re stretched out on a beach towel or simply craving that sun-drenched, coastal charm from home, these novels and nonfiction gems are steeped in the kind of seasonal magic that smells like sunscreen and nostalgia. From the bittersweet intimacy of Happy Place and Summer Sisters to the elegant unraveling of family secrets in The Paper Palace and Eden, each title transports you to windswept shorelines, clapboard cottages, and the messy beauty of love, loss, and reinvention. Add in evocative nonfiction like The Outermost House or The Big House, and you’ll find yourself wandering Cape Cod dunes or peeking into the soul of a summer home that has seen generations come and go.

If you’re yearning for a literary vacation—or the next best thing—these books promise a sunlit escape that lingers long after the final page. Explore the full list, or stop by to see our curated book selection on the shelves of the first-floor Bow Room.

See a title you’d like to read? Select the link to visit our catalog where you’ll find the call number to locate the book yourself, or simply choose “Pick up at Circulation,” log in with your last name and six-digit member ID, and we’ll have it ready for you!

Every morning our librarians pull requests bright and early to keep your reading list moving. If you’re placing a hold later in the day and hoping to grab your book by lunch or after work, just give us a call at 617-720-7626. We’ll do everything we can to get it ready in time.

Set in New England

Non Fiction

  • The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home by George Howe Colt F72.C3 C57 2003
  • The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod by Henry Beston Cutter IZ64C .B468 .ou

General Beach Reads

06.24.2025

A Pride Reading List

A selection of pride month books

June is a time to honor LGBTQ+ history, culture, and voices, so we’ve curated a reading list to celebrate stories of resilience, joy, and love across genres and generations. From classics like Giovanni’s Room to to new and notable works like Blessed Water, these books will help cure any summer reading slump. Explore the full list, or stop by to see our curated book selection on the shelves of the first-floor Bow Room.

See a title you’d like to read? Select the link to visit our catalog where you’ll find the call number to locate the book yourself, or simply choose “Pick up at Circulation,” log in with your last name and six-digit member ID, and we’ll have it ready for you!

Every morning our librarians pull requests bright and early to keep your reading list moving. If you’re placing a hold later in the day and hoping to grab your book by lunch or after work, just give us a call at 617-720-7626. We’ll do everything we can to get it ready in time.

Fiction

Children’s & Young Adult Books

06.17.2025

A Juneteenth Reading List

Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, and has been celebrated as a “second independence day” since its first anniversary. For generations, the legacy of Juneteenth has inspired authors across a variety of genres, so we invite you to find a new or known voice with this Juneteenth reading list. Celebrate by memorizing a poem, learning a new fact, crafting a new cocktail or recipe, or being inspired by art and life stories.

Fiction

Culture

History

Biography and Autobiography

Children’s Books

02.14.2025

A Valentine’s Day Card from Boston

[Valentine, L. Prang & Co. 1893. Chromolithograph]

While the tradition of giving valentines dates back to medieval England, it was not until the 1860s, thanks to Boston printer Louis Prang, that multicolored romantic greeting cards were mass-produced by machine. You may recognize the name Louis Prang from the street, named after the German Emigrant in the Fenway neighborhood. Before Prang perfected the chromolithographic process, which involves transferring colored lithographic ink drawings directly onto stones and then pressed onto paper, multicolored prints were hand drawn. With his new innovation, Prang could print up to 20 colors onto his valentines. In 1860, Prang fled Prussia to Boston, where he and a partner set up a Boston-based printing company specializing in lithographic prints of buildings and towns around Massachusetts. While his legacy is better known as the “Father of the Christmas Card” (by 1882, he sold five million Christmas cards annually), Prang began manufacturing and selling valentines as early as January 1868. L. Prang and Company merged with another business to become the Taber-Prang Company in 1897 and moved to Springfield, Massachusetts.

Prang popularized the use of chromolithography for valentine production in the U.S.; however, he was not the country’s first distributor of valentines. Another resident of Massachusetts, Esther Allen Howland, is recognized as the “Mother of the American Valentine.” After receiving an intricate card from her father’s business associate at her Worcester home in 1849, Howland became inspired to create her own. Employing single women and widows, Howland created an assembly line of handmade valentines. In 1881, Howland sold her business to George C. Whitney, who expanded the company to develop a variety of themed holiday cards.

["Prang's valentines. On the warpath." L. Prang & Co. 1885, chromolithograph]
[“Prang’s valentines. On the warpath.” L. Prang & Co. 1885, chromolithograph]
01.29.2025

Our 2024 “Most Read”

A collage of book covers

In 2024, Boston Athenaeum readers favored new and notable books, including prize-winners, buzzy bestsellers, and a few authors who visited the Athenaeum in 2024.

Top 5 Fiction Books

  • James: A Novel by Percival Everett (2024)
  • The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (2023)
  • Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022)
  • Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (2023)
  • North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason (2023)

Top 5 Nonfiction Books

  • Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Natalie Dykstra (2024)
  • Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury by Drew Gilpin Faust (2023)
  • The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann (2023)
  • Master Slave, Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo (2023)
  • The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, with Neil Strauss (2023)

Top 5 eBooks

  • James: A Novel by Percival Everett (2024)
  • The Hunter by Tana French (2024)
  • North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason (2023)
  • Long Island Compromise: A Novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (2024)
  • All Fours by Miranda July (2024)

Top 5 Audiobooks

  • Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten (2024)
  • Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Natalie Dykstra (2024)
  • 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Weiwei (2021)
  • Camille Pissarro: The Audacity of Impressionism by Anka Muhlstein (2023)
  • The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann (2023)

Top 5 Children’s Fiction Books

  • The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé (2015)
  • Lumberjanes by Noel Stevenson (2015)
  • Yasmin the Librarian by Saadia Faruqi (2021)
  • Dog Man by Dav Pilkey (2019)
  • Twins by Varian Johnson (2020)

Top 5 Children’s Picture Books

  • Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer (2016)
  • Gustavo, The Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago (2020)
  • Hot Dog by Doug Salati (2022)
  • 5 Minute Princess Stories (2019)
  • Ducks Away! by Mem Fox (2018)

Check out our catalog to grab these books for yourself, or read more about eBooks and audiobooks at the Boston Athenaeum.

12.19.2024

Our Librarian’s latest Book Recommendations

Our Librarians share what was on their holiday list this year.

Carolle

The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance

Color Charts: A History

The Literary Almanac: A year of seasonal reading

The Artist’s Palette

Bedside Companion for Travel Lovers: An anthology of intrepid journeys for every night of the year

Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World

Anne of Green Gables: The Complete Novel, Featuring the Characters’ Letters and Mementos, Written and Folded by Hand

Elizabeth

Mythos: The stunningly iIllustrated story

Classic Christmas Crime Stories

Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write

Ten Restaurants That Changed America

Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie

London: An Illustrated Literary Companion

Mythos: The stunningly iIllustrated story

Classic Christmas Crime Stories

Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write

Ten Restaurants That Changed America

Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie

London: An Illustrated Literary Companion

Mary

The Best Short Stories 2024

Third Persephone Book of Short Stories

Dictionary of Fine Distinctions: Nuances, Niceties, and Subtle Shades of Meaning

Read These Banned Books: A Journal and 52-Week Reading Challenge from the American Library Association (2022)

Slow Birding Journal

Not For Tourists Guide to Boston 2025 [pub. date 11/5/2024]

OMFG, BEES!: Bees Are So Amazing and You’re About to Find Out Why

The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar

Shay

My First Book of Patterns

Life-Size Animals

I’m Going to Build a Snowman

The 12 Days of Christmas

My Art Book of Love

Truck Maker: A Mix-and-Match Book

Orris and Timble: The Beginning

The Secret Library

Houses with a Story: A Dragon’s Den, a Ghostly Mansion, a Library of Lost Books, and 30 More Amazing Places to Explore

Will

Armchair Explorer: Discover the Best Music, Film, and Literature from Around the World

Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums

A History of the Railroad in 100 Maps

New England Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes from the Northeast

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition

England: A Natural History

Dogpedia: A Brief Compendium of Canine Curiosities

Literary Journeys: Mapping Fictional Travels Across the World of Literature

The Driving Machine: A Design History of the Car

Moon Baseball Road Trips: The Complete Guide to All the Ballparks, with Beer, Bites, and Sights

A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries

Keep Calm and Carry On: The Truth Behind the Poster

.

07.31.2024

Only at the Athenaeum: George and his Steed

Plaster statue of George Washington on his horse.

By George, I’m seeing double! Many have admired the Public Garden’s stately bronze George Washington on horseback, but did you know you can get even closer to George (and his trusty steed) at the Boston Athenaeum?

Sculptor Thomas Ball completed his plaster study for the equestrian statue in 1858, a year before the larger statue was commissioned.

07.31.2024

Only at the Athenaeum: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Excuse

Ralph Waldo Emerson photo

Where’s Ralph Waldo Emerson? Ralph Waldo Emerson was a frequent visitor to the Boston Athenaeum, even as late as 1875.

Often accompanied by his daughter Miss Ellen Emerson, who carried his papers and books in her satchel, they would settle into chairs by one of the windows overlooking the Granary Burying Ground. Here, they would plan their day in the city, with Miss Emerson occasionally persuading her father to join her on social calls.

He declined often, saying there were things he needed to look up at the Athenaeum. Feel free to use the same excuse!