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It goes without saying that I spend a lot of time thinking about and discovering new books. I mean, it’s literally my job. And I love every bit of it, from watching niche debuts explode to keeping tabs on major releases from beloved authors. Plus, I’m a know-it-all by nature, so there’s nothing I love more than casually remarking things like “Oh, yeah, her new book is dropping in three weeks” or “Yes, this is his YA debut, but he’s written multiple adult novels before.” Sue me.

But even I get whiplash sometimes. Millions of new books were published in 2025 alone! And the recency bias is real. Books that were on every list 10 years ago—heck, even two years ago—have faded from memory by now. The machine moves fast, and we readers have to run to keep pace.

All of this is to say, my TBR (“To Be Read” list, for the uninitiated) frequently feels unwieldy, but that’s in my blood. My grandmother once said (rather lightly) that she isn’t concerned about eventually dying; she’s just upset she won’t get to all the books she wants to read. (Now that’s some real talk.)

But as I was thinking about my colossal list, I realized none of us should feel guilty about large TBRs. In fact, I think we should celebrate them. What an incredibly hopeful act it is to add a book to our “someday” list. It’s an action we take with the intention that weeks, months, years, whatever, from now, we’ll be here, and we’ll be reading, and we’ll be enjoying wonderful stories that continue to challenge and delight us.

So today I want to give you a look into the depths of my TBR, and the books that kind of snuck onto it. For some of these, the holdup is a months-long wait on Libby (looking at you, Love Junkie), and others I keep having to push aside to keep up with new releases. I’m also sharing, when I can, how each book made it onto this list, because I think finding out how someone discovered a title can be just as fun as getting the recommendation itself. Amazing hidden gems and book recommendations are hiding everywhere; we just have to keep our eyes—and our TBRs—open.

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Fantasy

Let’s kick things off with a little intra-Pix influence! Marlon James’ bestselling fantasy landed on my TBR thanks to this edition of Bookstore Pix, featuring recommendations from the booksellers at horror bookstore The Twisted Spine. Lachlan’s infectious enthusiasm caught my attention, but the promise of African mythology and Tolkien-level worldbuilding sealed the deal. The story follows a legendary hunter who joins a band of misfits to find a missing boy, only to encounter deadly creatures, dangerous secrets, and a mystery far bigger than he bargained for.

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Historical Fiction

I first heard about this WWI-set love story when it came out in 2023, but since I’m not typically a war novel kind of gal, I passed. That changed earlier this year when, while writing about what to read after seeing Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, I found myself reminiscing about—and then craving something like—Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles. Turns out, the internet agrees that In Memoriam, another heartbreaking love story about two young men caught in a devastating war, is the perfect follow-up. Next time I’m in the mood to have my heart ripped out, I know what I’m reading.

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Nonfiction

Back in January, a neighbor recommended this nonfiction bestseller about owls. As a gesture of goodwill, I added it to my Libby saves, then promptly forgot about it. Then, months later, I watched Wild Inside, a gorgeous documentary about Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo and lived freely in Manhattan for a year. It reignited my fascination with these mysterious birds, and lo and behold, I already had the perfect book saved! And now that a family of barn owls has moved into my neighborhood, I think it’s finally time to read it.

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Literary Fiction

Have you ever heard of Ann Petry? Yeah, neither had I. Which is a shame, because her 1946 debut novel, The Street, is the first novel by an African-American woman to sell more than a million copies. She was a trailblazer who has somehow been all but forgotten by contemporary readers. Earlier this year, I found this fantastic piece by Tayari Jones, an author I love, calling for a Petry revival. Of course, Jones had me sold. As she so aptly puts it: “Petry is the writer we have been waiting for, hers are the stories we need to fully illuminate the questions of our moment, while also offering a page-turning good time.”

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Biography

I had the pleasure of working with Mary Gabriel on Ninth Street Women, so I know firsthand her gift for uncovering extraordinary women’s stories hiding in plain sight. And lately, there’s one extraordinary woman I’ve been eager to learn more about: Madonna. When her Confessions II dropped in July, I realized how little I understood her cultural significance, despite how much of the pop music I love owes a debt to her. A biography of an icon I want to understand, written by a biographer I deeply respect? A gift from the universe! I’m thinking audiobook for this one, supplemented by plenty of Madonna’s tunes.

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Horror

As a rule, I’m a huge wuss. I can barely watch horror movie trailers, you guys. But I love Halloween, and I love reading with the season. Last October, for instance, I read Dracula for the first time (and spoiler alert: I was super disappointed? But that’s a conversation for another day…). This bestseller came recommended by my sister, who knows exactly how much I hate being scared but assured me its blend of horror, humor, and badass women would be right up my alley. And if you’re still looking to cultivate a spooky vibe, consider this your reminder that the time is nigh!

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Humor

When Amy Sedaris says she’s read a book multiple times and it still makes her laugh “really hard,” it’s game over for me. Automatic TBR add. I wish I had more to say, but knowing that one of my favorite comedians (and celebrities, period) adores this book, and that I love every other book she recommends in this Instagram post, was all the convincing I needed. Long out of print and only recently reissued by New Directions, Love Junkie also sounds like exactly the kind of unhinged, off-the-wall New York story I live for. Set in the “heady heyday of gay New York at the dawn of the AIDS epidemic,” it follows a bored Westchester housewife who finds new purpose in Manhattan’s gay scene, where she befriends a porn star and helps run his…unconventional…business.

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Literary Fiction

Sometimes, the smallest interaction can spark my interest in a book. I was watching Leigh Bardugo give recommendations on Read with Jenna’s Instagram when she mentioned Pulitzer Prize winner Louise Erdrich’s debut novel, Love Medicine. From behind the camera, a producer chimes in, “Oh, I love that book.” That tiny moment of shared passion—and the way Bardugo lights up—grabbed me! Spanning six decades and multiple generations of Ojibwe families on two fictional reservations, Love Medicine explores all the complicated ties that bind families together. My only holdup? As far as I can tell, there’s no ebook edition available, which is shocking to me. What’s going on, Harper Perennial? Can we prioritize this, please? Thanks so much in advance.

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Genevieve Nierman is an editor, writer, and interviewer with over a decade of experience in books and publishing, including roles at Little, Brown and Company and Alfred A. Knopf. She is currently Senior Books Content Manager at Pix Media, where she runs the flagship newsletter Book Pix. She lives in New York City with her orange cat, Oscar, and an ever-growing stack of books.