PLDL Most Popular Titles May 2026

Portage Lake District Library Most Popular Titles May 2026

Updated June 2, 2026
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1

Handle with care : a novel
Picoult, Jodi
Paper Book
When Willow is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, her parents are devastated--she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. In this provocative story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, "Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance" (Stephen King...

2

More Than Friends: A Sweet, Low-Spice Contemporary Romance
Hunter, Denise
Paper Book
Who knew that returning home after a broken engagement could be the best decision you ever made Denise Hunter is back with another heartwarming contemporary romance with a sweet friends-to-more story, featuring a saltwater cowboy. Perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Hallmark...

3

The lumber baron's wife
Austin, Lynn N.
Paper Book
When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin. 1873.After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she'd...

4

Death times seven
Perry, Anne
Paper Book
Two violent crimes challenge the investigative skills of young Daniel Pitt and his wife, Miriam, in the final novel of iconic mystery writer Anne Perry's beloved Daniel Pitt series. "A towering achievement from a towering talent--superb!" --Jeffery Deaver, author of the Colter Shaw...

5

Felicia's Favorites
Steel, Danielle
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A mother bestows a life-changing legacy on her five adult daughters in this profoundly moving novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel. After the unexpected death of their mother, Felicia Morgan Weston, her five...

6

Judge Stone : a novel
Davis, Viola
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller! Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis and the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson's Judge Stone "delivers first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped...

7

Killing Me Softly
Jones, Sandie
Paper Book
What do you do when love turns deadly? THE PERFECT COUPLE Charlie and Freya used to be the picture-perfect couple. Happy and in love, Freya enjoyed a rewarding job heading up a charity's fundraising efforts, and Charlie was fast becoming one-to-watch on the London...

8

Last One Out
Harper, Jane
Paper Book
THE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL BESTSELLER!"A memorable journey that will pull at the heart, stiffen the spine, and thrill the reader. No one can ask for more than that." --David Baldacci From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry...

9

Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton: A Novel
Smiley, Jane
Paper Book
From the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, a rousing novel that follows two young women fleeing a divided America: one running toward a dazzling future and the other running from a troubled past Christmas, 1857. America's future is precarious; civil war looms on the...

10

Mrs. Benedict Arnold
Parry, Emma
Paper Book
Benedict Arnold is perhaps one of the most famous stories of American treason. Lesser known is the story of his wife, Peggy Shippen, her former love for a British soldier, and how her keen, strategic mind led him to become a turncoat. Peggy Shippen is torn between two sides. While many are aligning...

11

My husband's wife
Corry, Jane
Paper Book
"Winter's must-read thriller. . . My Husband's Wife has an ending that will change the way you view marriage forever."- Bustle "If you loved Gone Girl and The Talented Mr. Ripley, you'll love My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry. It's got every thriller's...

12

Planet money : a guide to the economic forces that shape your life
Mayyasi, Alex
Paper Book
Hello, and welcome to Planet Money! Millions of listeners trust the world's leading economics podcast to explain the mysterious inner workings of the global economy and the forces that affect nearly every decision we make. Through expert research and delightful stories the Planet Money hosts help...

13

Robert B. Parker's Big Shot
Farnsworth, Christopher
Paper Book
Police Chief Jesse Stone finds himself in the crosshairs of a rich hedge fund manager dead set on making Paradise Jesse's personal hell, in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker's beloved series. Fresh off an acquittal in a multibillion-dollar fraud case, Ramsey Devlin...

14

Someone we know
Lapena, Shari
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! USA Today's top 100 books to read while stuck at home social distancing  "No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena--this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end." ...

15

THE INSOMNIACS [LARGE PRINT]
Scotch, Allison Winn
Paper Book

16

The keeper
French, Tana
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A New York Times Best Book of the Year (So Far) · A People Best Book of March From the iconic crime writer who "inspires cultic devotion in readers" (The New Yorker) and has been called "incandescent"...

17

The News from Dublin: Stories
Toibin, Colm
Paper Book
From Colm Tóibín, "one of the world's best living literary writers" (The Boston Globe), comes a brilliant collection of nine short stories, many never-before-published, set across Ireland, Spain, and America--about the complexities of family, longing, loss, and love. ...

18

The Paris match
Clayborn, Kate
Paper Book
"The most engrossing love story. A 2026 must-read."--Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of Love and Other Words AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER ∙ AN AMAZON BEST OF ROMANCE PICK FOR APRIL ∙ A LIBRARY READS HALL OF FAME PICK FOR APRIL...

19

This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone
Mack, Catherine
Paper Book
The third in the witty and captivating series following bestselling author Eleanor Dash, who once again has to swap her sun hat for her detective hat, when a body is found at a murder mystery writing conference in the Bahamas. The first edition hardcover of This Weekend Doesn't...

20

100 Hikes of a Lifetime U.S.A.: The Country's Ultimate Scenic Trails
Pearson, Stephanie
Paper Book
From a bucket list trek on the Pacific Crest Trail to a day hike up Virginia's Old Rag, discover the best hikes across the United States to add to your bucket list. In this sequel to the best-selling 100 Hikes of a Lifetime, discover the best trails, day hikes, and...

21

26 beauties
Patterson, James
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller! From the world's #1 bestselling author, the Women's Murder Club goes searching for 26 Beauties--young women missing in San Francisco. SFPD's Sergeant Lindsay Boxer's best friend, Claire Washburn, is...

22

A walk in the woods : rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bryson, Bill.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The classic chronicle of a "terribly misguided and terribly funny" (The Washington Post) hike of the Appalachian Trail, from the author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body  ...

23

A world appears : a journey into consciousness
Pollan, Michael
Paper Book
The Instant New York Times Bestseller "Pollan's real genius--the word is not too strong--remains intact. That is his uncanny ability to scent the direction in which the culture is headed. He did it with food and psychedelics, and now, though A World Appears focuses on...

24

Absolute power
Baldacci, David.
Paper Book
In this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller, a burglar, Luther Whitney, breaks into a Virginia mansion, and witnesses a brutal crime involving the president--​a man who believes he can get away with anything. In a heavily guarded mansion in the...

25

Agnes Sharp and the Wedding to Die for
Swann, Leonie
Paper Book
The Agnes Sharp mystery series ends with a bang in this explosive finale from the author of Three Bags Full. The octogenarian housemates at Sunset Hall are busy preparing for the wedding of one of their own, the blind and blushing bride Bernadette, but as the big day...

26

All your perfects : a novel
Hoover, Colleen
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Reminders of Him, It Starts with Us, and It Ends with Us--whose writing is "emotionally wrenching and utterly original" (Sara Shepard, New York...

27

Ambush of the heart
Connealy, Mary
Paper Book

28

American fantasy
Straub, Emma
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "American Fantasy has everything we need right now: '90s nostalgia, humor, and it is a great escape." --Jenna Bush Hager on NBC Today Show "Vividly conjured and frequently hilarious." --Wall Street Journal

29

And then there was you : a novel
Cousens, Sophie
Paper Book
She's found the perfect man . . . There's just one big twist. Stuck in a Production Assistant job and living at home with her parents after a painful breakup, thirty-one-year-old Chloe Fairway isn't where she wants to be in life. The last thing she needs is to face the people who...

30

Are you mad at me? : how to stop focusing on what others think and start living for you
Josephson, Meg
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller * Named One of the Best Books of the Year by New York magazine * A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Nonfiction * A Best Audiobook of the Year by Audible and Spotify From...

31

Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History
Burstein, Andrew
Paper Book
The deepest dive yet into the heart and soul, secret affairs, unexplored alliances, and bitter feuds of a generally worshipped, intermittently reviled American icon. Perhaps no founding father is as mysterious as Thomas Jefferson. The author of the Declaration of Independence...

32

Bloodlust
Brown, Sandra
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a new signature sexy suspense about a detective seeking justice for his murdered wife with the help of a psychotherapist ... while fighting an undeniable attraction to her. Two years ago...

33

Camino ghosts
Grisham, John
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Will an ancient curse darken the skies over Camino Island? Bruce Cable and Mercer Mann are about to find out. Don't miss John Grisham's forthcoming thriller, The French Illusion! Mercer Mann, a popular writer from...

34

Cat on a Hot Tin Woof: A Chet & Bernie Mystery
Quinn, Spencer
Paper Book
THE INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! Join Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of fiction" (Boston Globe), and his human partner Bernie as they scramble to solve a case exposing the dark side of internet fame. Chet the dog is less than...

35

Clawed and dangerous
Brown, Rita Mae
Paper Book
When a series of suspiciously similar deaths begin to pop up across Crozet, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen must connect the dots with the help of her beloved cats and dogs in the latest mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown. The leaves have fallen in...

36

Cold zero : a thriller
Thor, Brad
Paper Book
From #1New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor and USA TODAY bestselling author Ward Larsen, comes a heart-pounding thriller of survival, espionage, and global brinkmanship, where the frozen Arctic becomes the deadliest battlefield on Earth. A vanished...

37

Daughter of Egypt
Benedict, Marie
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER INSTANT INDIE BESTSELLER Known for her "delightful blend of historical fiction and suspense" (People), New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict, returns with a sweeping...

38

Daughter of mine : a novel
Miranda, Megan
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A USA TODAY BESTSELLER Her father was the town detective. Her mother its most notorious criminal. Now the secrets of Mirror Lake are coming to the surface...and changing everything. "[A] stunning...

39

Famesick: A Memoir
Dunham, Lena
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In this rowdy, frank reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, the remarkable mind behind the hit series Girls and the bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl asks whether fulfilling her creative ambitions has been...

40

Go gentle : a novel
Semple, Maria
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB * "For all those who crave a good page-turner, this is one wild ride of a story that carries equal parts wit and wisdom. I learned so much about Stoicism--I laughed out loud for real. And underneath the humor there was...

41

Good people : a novel
Sabit, Patmeena
Paper Book
"A thrilling tour de force of a novel. I'll be recommending this book to everyone."--ANN PATCHETT "[A] gorgeous and powerful debut."--TOMMY ORANGE, The New York Times "A stunning read."--KHALED HOSSEINI "Utterly addictive, Good People will have...

42

Heart the lover : a novel
King, Lily
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD AND THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Harper's Baazar, NPR, Vogue, Oprah Daily, People Magazine,...

43

Hope rises
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
Walter Nash began a journey down a dark path of seemingly no return, and now he  finds himself questioning everything that got him there in this thrilling sequel to Nash Falls from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. ...

44

How to Cheat Your Own Death
Perrin, Kristen
Paper Book
From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series Some secrets...

45

It's not her
Kubica, Mary
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "A gripping thrill ride." --Jeneva Rose "Tantalizing, terrifying and all too real." --Shari Lapena "Cancel your plans, you won't be able to put this one down." --Chris Whitaker ...

46

Jigsaw
Kellerman, Jonathan
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The iconic thriller series that inspired the upcoming streaming show on Prime Video, in development now! Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis, the most beloved duo in American crime fiction, return in this electric novel from...

47

Just for the summer
Jimenez, Abby
Paper Book
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick! This witty, slow-burn rom-com is the perfect beach read. Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates...

48

Keeper of lost children
Johnson, Sadeqa
Paper Book
*INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER* In this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve, one American woman's vision in post WWII Germany will tie together three people in unexpected and soul-stirring ways. Ethel...

49

Kill for a Million
Dailey, Janet
Paper Book
For one prestigious Texas ranching family still reeling from the murder of their powerful patriarch, the aftershocks continue amid the most prized reining event of the year --and so does the infighting and scandalous romance from legendary author Janet Dailey! Frank...

50

Kin
Jones, Tayari
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR  OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A magnificent new novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of An American Marriage--Tayari Jones has written an unforgettable novel that sparkles with wit...

51

Kutchinsky's Egg: A Family's Story of Obsession, Love, and Loss
Kutchinsky, Serena
Paper Book
A riveting, heart-stopping family memoir that blends art, obsession, and love as the author searches for the spectacular jeweled egg that consumed her father's dreams--and spelled her family's downfall. When she was eleven years old, Serena Kutchinsky's life changed forever. Her...

52

Lady Tremaine
Hochhauser, Rachel
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * IndieNext Pick * LibraryReads Pick "With transporting prose and a galloping plot, this wholly original take on Cinderella recasts the wicked stepmother...a riveting, complex paean to women's strength." --...

53

Last Night in Brooklyn
Gonzalez, Xochitl
Paper Book
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 BY TIME, OPRAH DAILY, USA TODAY, PEOPLE, ELECTRIC LIT, HARPER'S BAZAAR, VULTURE, LITHUB, BOOK RIOT, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, THE BOSTON GLOBE, TOWN & COUNTRY, SHE READS, LIBRARY JOURNAL, AND...

54

Lieutenant Hornblower
Forester, C. S.
Paper Book
Hornblower gets his first independent command in this installment of C. S. Forester's beloved series, "the most popular modern saga of the days when ships were wood and men were iron" (New York Times Book Review). In this gripping tale of...

55

Life: A Love Story
Berg, Elizabeth
Paper Book
A warm, intimate novel that reminds us of the richness that can be found all throughout our lives--by the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House "This gentle story of appreciation for the people and things that make...

56

Listen for the lie
Tintera, Amy
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller * A Good Morning America Book Club Pick * An NPR Best Book of the Year * A Washington Post Best Thriller of 2024 "I read this in one sitting! Such a fun and engaging read, with an ending that blew my mind!" --<...

57

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the bestselling, prizewinning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which...

58

Lonesome Dove : a novel
McMurtry, Larry
Paper Book
The 40th anniversary edition of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic of the American West, with a new foreword by Yellowstone cocreator Taylor Sheridan. An epic of the frontier, Lonesome Dove is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness. "My...

59

Lord of the flies : a novel
Golding, William
Paper Book
Before The Hunger Games there was Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely...

60

Lost: Amelia Earhart's Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life
Hartigan, Rachel
Paper Book
Unravel one of history's greatest mysteries in this spellbinding narrative, filled with compelling images, that explores the three leading theories of Amelia Earhart's tragic disappearance. When Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared in 1937, the clues poured in, attracting wild...

61

Mad Mabel
Hepworth, Sally
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who's not done breaking the rules just yet. Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years...

62

Man one
Estleman, Loren D.
Paper Book
Hard-boiled Private Investigator Amos Walker races to save a beautiful widow in the latest mystery from Loren D. Estleman-master of the noir PI novel and recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award. "Loren D. Estleman is my hero"-Harlan Coben "Hanging out with Walker...

63

Medicare 101: From Your Initial Enrollment Period to Parts A, B, C, and D, an Essential Primer on the Government Healthcare Program
Lankford, Kimberly
Paper Book
Navigate your health care future with confidence and learn the ins and outs of the Medicare system with Medicare 101, an essential guide that transforms complex health care jargon into easily digestible knowledge. Medicare 101 simplifies the complex Medicare...

64

Meet me at the lake
Fortune, Carley
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A random connection sends two strangers on a daylong adventure where they make a promise one keeps and the other breaks, with life-changing effects, in this breathtaking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After....

65

More than enough : a novel
Quindlen, Anna
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Quindlen is as observant and as wonderfully readable as ever, attuned to women's lives and the nuances of their voices."--Jennifer Weiner, The New York Times Book Review A woman confronts the surprising results of an ancestry test and begins...

66

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Forester, C. S.
Paper Book
Horatio Hornblower, only seventeen years old, gets his sea legs in this "absolutely compelling" (San Francisco Chronicle) first installment of C. S. Forester's classic naval adventure series. The year is 1793, the eve of the Napoleonic...

67

The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle
Miller, C L
Paper Book
The third novel in the "delightful, page-turning" (Tom Ryan, USA TODAY bestselling author) Antique Hunter Series finds Freya, Aunt Carole, and friends searching for a missing colleague in picturesque Scotland. Hot on the heels of an art forger, a member of...

68

No one would do what the Lamberts have done : a novel
Hannah, Sophie
Paper Book
The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable? Both? Or something else altogether? You think it will never happen to you. The doorbell. The policeman. The words that turn your world inside out: I'm afraid there's...

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