PLDL Most Popular Titles May 2026

Portage Lake District Library Most Popular Titles May 2026

Updated June 2, 2026
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1

Cold victory : a novel
Marlantes, Karl
Paper Book
AN AMAZON TOP 10 BOOK OF THE MONTH From New York Times bestselling author Karl Marlantes comes a propulsive and sweeping novel in which loyalty, friendship, and love are put to the ultimate test Helsinki, 1947. Finland teeters between the Soviet Union and the...

2

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)....

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

Five
Bannister, Ilona
Paper Book
"[A] sizzling summer thriller . . . a kind of morality tale, a Rorschach test for all of us."--The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) Five lives. Five stories. Four will live--one will die. Who it will be? In this slow-burn masterpiece of psychological fiction, the...

7

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...

8

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...

9

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...

10

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...

11

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...

12

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...

13

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...

14

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...

15

Second chance at Sunshine Inn
Clipston, Amy
Paper Book
ECPA BESTSELLER! "There is absolutely nothing I love more than discovering a new-to-me author . . . Amy Clipston is one of those discoveries." --Sherryl Woods, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Magnolias series "Readers won't be able to resist this." -...

16

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." ...

17

The Counting Game
Nolan, Sinead
Paper Book
Into the woods. Count to ten. Only one of us comes home again. When a teenager disappears from her small Irish town and a therapist is brought in to break the silence of the only witness, old wounds are opened in a search that becomes a race...

18

The Insomniacs
Scotch, Allison Winn
Paper Book
"An unlikely romance blooms in this captivating tale of chosen family."--People The lives of four sleepless strangers intersect late at night as they attempt to solve not just their own anxieties but also the mysterious disappearance of one of their own, from New York Times...

19

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"...

20

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. ...

21

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...

22

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...

23

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...

24

A walk in the woods : rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bryson, Bill.
Paper Book
A laugh-out-loud account of an outrageously rugged hike--by the beloved comic author of Lost Continent and Notes from a Small Island. Published in the 75th anniversary year of the Appalachian Trail. Father's Day merchandising.

25

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...

26

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...

27

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...

28

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...

29

Ambush of the heart
Connealy, Mary
Paper Book
When bandits strike in the wilderness, can love and faith overcome the shadows of danger? As Owen Riley and his fellow Marshals escort Delaney Bridger, her brother, and an escaped prisoner to Fort Russell, a gang of outlaws ambushes them, bringing death and devastation to their...

30

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

31

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...

32

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...

33

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...

34

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...

35

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...

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

Defiance : a memoir of awakening, rebellion, and survival in Syria
Mrie, Loubna
Paper Book
"Defiance takes my breath away. A nail-biting tale of astonishing courage." --Jeannette Walls #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle "A heartbreaking account of a young woman's struggle for freedom against the rampaging forces of fanaticism...

40

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...

41

Ghosts of Sicily : the true story of the naval intelligence agents who courted the mob to fight Nazis in America and the battlefields of Italy
Harmon, Mark
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Absorbing history of an unlikely alliance." - Kirkus Reviews From the New York Times bestselling authors of Ghosts of Honolulu comes their most harrowing true story yet. It's 1942, and New York City...

42

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...

43

GOOD JOY, BAD JOY
BRAMMER, MIKKI.
Paper Book
"Uplifting, charming, and wonderful, it will make you call your oldest friend to say 'I love you, I'm so glad you're alive, and also, please read this book.'" --Annie Hartnett, author of The Road to Tender Hearts From the bestselling author of The Collected...

44

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...

45

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,...

46

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. ...

47

Into the Midnight Wood
McCollum, Alexandra
Paper Book
A whimsical queer romance about two mismatched roommates whose fragile--and definitely not romantic at all--balance is upended by an impending family wedding and an otherworldly danger in the nearby enchanted wood. There are at least 100 things wrong with Meredith...

48

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 ...

49

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...

50

John of John
Stuart, Douglas
Paper Book
AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, TIME, Oprah Daily, and Vogue "Douglas Stuart brilliantly weaved a layered, compelling and yet so intimate a story...

51

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...

52

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...

53

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...

54

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...

55

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." --...

56

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...

57

Lieutenant Hornblower
Forester, C. S.
CD
In this gripping tale of turmoil and triumph on the high seas, Horatio Hornblower emerges from his apprenticeship as midshipman to face new responsibilities thrust upon him by the fortunes of war between Napoleon and Spain. Enduring near-mutiny, bloody hand-to-hand combat with Spanish seamen, deck...

58

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...

59

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!" --<...

60

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...

61

Lonesome Dove : a novel
McMurtry, Larry.
Paper Book
The Pulitzer Prize­-winning classic of the American West that follows two aging Texas Rangers embarking on one last adventure. An epic of the frontier and rich with complex characters, Lonesome Dove is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness. ...

62

Lord of the flies
Golding, William
Paper Book
NOW A NETFLIX SERIES William Golding's profound tale of stranded youth, survival, and the shadowy depths of human nature, with an afterword by Lois Lowry "Lord of the Flies is one of my favorite books. I still read it every couple of years."--Suzanne Collins,...

63

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 old,...

64

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...

65

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...

66

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....

67

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...

68

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...

69

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...

70

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...

71

Now I surrender
Enrigue, Alvaro
Paper Book
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST AND LITHUB! "This gifted Mexican writer ... delivers novels that are steeped in history and have a hallucinatory sense of pageantry ... He's one of the best we have." -Dwight Garner, The...

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