PLDL Most Popular Titles November 2025

Portage Lake District Library (Houghton, MI) Most Popular Titles November 2025

Updated December 3, 2025
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1

Atonement : a novel
McEwan, Ian.
Paper Book
On the hottest day of the summer of 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching Cecilia is their housekeeper’s son Robbie Turner, a childhood friend who, along with Briony&...

2

My friends : a novel
Backman, Fredrik
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A Fallon Book Club Pick WINNER OF THE 2025 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS FOR BEST FICTION A Most Anticipated Book of 2025: Goodreads * USA TODAY * Marie Claire * BookPage * Literary Lifestyle * Book Riot * Sunset...

3

Beautiful ugly
Feeney, Alice
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of His & Hers, now a #1 Netflix show, and the hit bestseller My Husband's Wife! "Her best book yet." --Harlan Coben The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists...

4

Cinder house
Marske, Freya
Paper Book
Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske--a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher. An instant USA Today bestseller! Ella is a haunting.

5

Gone before goodbye
Witherspoon, Reese
Paper Book
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  In this unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben, a woman is trapped in a deadly...

6

Into the ice : the Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-year-old mystery
Synnott, Mark
Paper Book
Only a few hundred vessels have ever transited the Northwest Passage, stretching through Canada's north from Maine to Alaska - and substantially less have completed the treacherous journey on their own boat. But Mark Synnott was determined to be add his name to the list, and in doing so, also...

7

Mate
Hazelwood, Ali
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller! A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride. Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind....

8

Remain : a supernatural love story
Sparks, Nicholas
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A one-of-a-kind novel that grapples with the supernatural mysteries of life, death, and human connection--an unprecedented collaboration between the globally bestselling author of love stories like The Notebook and the renowned writer and director of...

9

The book of lost hours
Gelfuso, Hayley
Paper Book
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! For fans of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library, a sweeping, "astounding debut" (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) novel following two remarkable women moving between postwar and Cold War...

10

The intruder
McFadden, Freida
Paper Book
"A dark and stormy night. An isolated cabin in the woods. A runaway child with a mysterious past...Thriller fans, buckle up!" -- Jason Rekulak, New York Times bestselling author of The Last One at the Wedding There's someone at your front door - should you let them in? Find out in a...

11

The list
Berry, Steve
Paper Book
In the vein of David Baldacci, John Grisham, and Harlan Coben--this is Steve Berry like you've never read him before.   After a ten-year self-imposed exile, Brent Walker is returning home to Concord, a quaint town in central Georgia nestled close to the Savannah...

12

The Picasso heist
Patterson, James
Paper Book
Instant New York Times bestseller! "Weeks before thieves broke into the Louvre, James Patterson started promoting an upcoming jewelry heist novel. The Picasso Heist is now ripped-from-the-headlines relevant." --USA Today...

13

The twelve topsy-turvy, very messy days of Christmas
Patterson, James
Paper Book
Move over, Dickens--America's favorite storyteller has written a modern Christmas story for the ages, destined to become as treasured as A Christmas Carol. "A delightful Christmas story to be shared by the whole family" --Kirkus Reviews

14

107 days
Harris, Kamala
Paper Book
For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, former Vice President Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history. Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer. You are the first woman...

15

15 minute Indian : one-pan recipes using minimal steps and ingredients
Devi, Anjula
Paper Book
15-Minute Indian teaches you the game-changing way to eat fresh and flavoursome Indian food. Each recipe takes under 15 minutes to make and is cooked in one pan using minimal steps and ingredients.  With over 90 fuss-free recipes you'll be amazed at what you can...

16

A ferry merry Christmas : a novel
Macomber, Debbie
Paper Book
A delayed ferryboat brings people together in the best of ways during the holiday season in this enchanting Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. Avery and Reed Bond grew up sharing a close-knit relationship, weathering life's storms...

17

A guardian and a thief
Majumdar, Megha
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE * Megha Majumdar's electrifying new novel, following her acclaimed New York Times bestseller A Burning, is set in a near-future Kolkata, India in which two families seeking to protect their children...

18

Apostle's Cove : a novel
Krueger, William Kent
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling Cork O'Connor Mystery series--a "master class in suspense and atmospheric storytelling" (The Real Book Spy)--continues with Cork O'Connor revisiting a case from his past and confronting mysterious deaths in the present. A few nights...

19

Back of beyond
Box, C. J.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestselling Author, An Edgar®, Anthony and Macavity Award-winning Author -- Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks...

20

Being mortal : medicine and what matters in the end
Gawande, Atul
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern times,...

21

Boleyn traitor
Gregory, Philippa
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA Today) Philippa Gregory returns with a dazzling historical novel of ambition, betrayal, and survival in the court of Henry VIII. "Gregory skillfully captures the lust for power and wealth that overcomes those who serve...

22

Boy from the North Country : a novel
Sussman, Sam Evan
Paper Book
A fiction finalist for the 75th National Jewish Book Awards "This portrait of a young man caring for his mother is a rare combination of boldface intrigue and profound emotion." --Oprah Daily, The Best Fall Books of 2025 "Come for the riveting father-son mystery,...

23

Captain Kidd : a true story of treasure and betrayal
Marquis, Samuel (Novelist)
Paper Book
2025 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Gold Medal-winner 2025 American Book Fest Best Book Award Finalist A breakneck adventure of war, romance, and politics in the golden age of piracy. Captain William Kidd stands as one of the most notorious...

24

Death at the sign of the rook
Atkinson, Kate
Paper Book
THE INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER (SUNDAY TIMES, UK) * The highly anticipated return of "irresistible" (New York Times) private eye Jackson Brodie in the newest installment of the bestselling series hailed as "unputdownable" by Time "How delicious...

25

Empire of wild : a novel
Dimaline, Cherie
Paper Book
"Deftly written, gripping and informative. Empire of Wild is a rip-roaring read!"--Margaret Atwood, From Instagram "Empire of Wild is doing everything I love in a contemporary novel and more. It is tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive--all the while telling a...

26

Funny story
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A shimmering, joyful novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry. A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2024 Named a Must-Read Book of 2024 by...

27

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

28

In the time of five pumpkins
McCall Smith, Alexander
Paper Book
In this newest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe takes on a number of perplexing situations, and while she tries to maintain her usual impartiality, it's difficult when one of the cases involves someone so close to her heart. ...

29

Kiss her goodbye
Gardner, Lisa
Paper Book
A New York Times bestselling author returns with the latest installment in the addictive Frankie Elkin series, in which Frankie is called to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan refugee, whose friend suspects she is in grave danger--before it is too late. "Timely and...

30

Leader of the pack
Rosenfelt, David.
Paper Book
Over the course of his legal career, Andy Carpenter has lost a few cases. But that doesn't mean he forgets his clients. Andy has always been convinced that Joey Desimone, a man convicted of murder nine years ago, was innocent and believes that Joey's family's connections to organized crime played...

31

Listening to the law : reflections on the court and constitution
Barrett, Amy Coney
Paper Book
From Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a glimpse of her journey to the Court and an account of her approach to the Constitution Since her confirmation hearing, Americans have peppered Justice Amy Coney Barrett with questions. How has she adjusted to the Court? What is it...

32

Mistakes that made me a millionaire : how to transform setbacks into extraordinary success
Perell, Kim
Paper Book
The award-winning entrepreneur and best-selling author - with a proven track record of starting and selling companies and having invested in more than 100 businesses - is renowned for having the Midas touch. But a career spanning two decades has not been without pitfalls, failures, and setbacks....

33

Moon of the turning leaves : a novel
Rice, Waubgeshig
Paper Book
"Waubgeshig Rice's stories are good medicine. Moon of the Turning Leaves is a restorative balm for my spirit." -- Angeline Boulley, New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter In this gripping stand-alone literary psychological thriller set in...

34

Morbidly curious : a scientist explains why we can't look away
Scrivner, Coltan
Paper Book
What makes us peek at a car wreck or binge-watch true crime shows late into the night? Why are some of us drawn to horror movies while others shudder at the thought? In Morbidly Curious, scientist Coltan Scrivner takes readers on a thrilling journey into the psychology of morbid curiosity,...

35

Mrs. Endicott's splendid adventure : a novel
Bowen, Rhys
Paper Book
Blindsided by betrayal in pre-WWII England, a woman charts a daring new course in this captivating tale of resilience, friendship, and new love by the bestselling author of The Rose Arbor and The Venice Sketchbook. Surrey, England, 1938. After thirty devoted years of...

36

Stone yard devotional
Wood, Charlotte
Paper Book
Festschrift in honor of Gendhon Humardani, 1923-1983, Javanese dance pioneer.

37

Neighbor law : fences, trees, boundaries & noise
Paper Book
Resolve neighbor conflicts and get peace of mind Don't let a neighborly nuisance turn into a nasty lawsuit. Learn your rights and responsibilities with Neighbor Law, the plain-English guide to the laws behind common neighbor disputes. Neighbor Law is more than a legal...

38

Never whistle at night : an Indigenous dark fiction anthology
Hawk, Shane
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST EDITED ANTHOLOGY . BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN AN ANTHOLOGY . LOCUS AWARD FINALIST A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question- "Are you ready to be un...

39

Night watch
Phillips, Jayne Anne
Paper Book
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION * A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * From one of our most accomplished novelists, a mesmerizing story about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War--and a...

40

Pictures of you : a novel
Grey, Emma
Paper Book
A National Bestseller A PEOPLE Magazine's Best Book of November 2024 A November 2024 Book of the Month Selection What would you do if you could start over? Imagine having a second chance with the one you never forgot. ...

41

Clive Cussler Quantum Tempest
Maden, Mike
Paper Book
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon face a ghost ship, deadly assassins and a threat from Cabrillo's own past in their race to stop the launch of the world's deadliest machine in this electrifying new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. There's a tempest...

42

Realm of ice and sky : triumph, tragedy, and history's greatest Arctic rescue
Levy, Buddy
Paper Book
Two-time National Outdoor Book Award-winning author Buddy Levy's thrilling narrative of polar exploration via airship―and the men who sacrificed everything to make history. Arctic explorer and American visionary Walter Wellman pioneered both polar and trans-Atlantic...

43

Sandwich : a novel
Newman, Catherine
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us of all the wonder there is to be found in life."--Ann Patchett, New York Times...

44

Sugar and spite
Beaton, M. C.
Paper Book
Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin--the star of her own hit T.V. series--is back on the case again. When a series of deaths within the small Cotswolds birdwatching community begins to unravel her village, Agatha and her...

45

The black wolf
Penny, Louise
Paper Book
The 20th mystery in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Armand Gamache series. Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding. Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a...

46

The body keeps the score : brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma
Van der Kolk, Bessel A.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller "Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society." --Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies A pioneering researcher...

47

The buffalo hunter hunter
Jones, Stephen Graham
Paper Book
Selected as One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2025 A Barack Obama Summer Read A Time, The Washington Post, NPR, Shelf Awareness, Toronto Star, and Publishers Weekly Best of the Year...

48

The Christmas ring
Kingsbury, Karen
Paper Book
Sometimes love is just a shop away. This heartwarming and emotional small-town romance from beloved author Karen Kingsbury shows that love the second time around can be found in unlikely places, often alongside healing and hope. As romance blooms between a military widow and the antique dealer...

49

The correspondent : a novel
Evans, Virginia
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as "A cause for celebration"--an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love. "The...

50

The covenant of water : a novel
Verghese, Abraham
Paper Book
OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in...

51

The edge of lost
McMorris, Kristina
Paper Book
"On a cold night in October 1937, searchlights cut through the darkness around Alcatraz. A prison guard's ten-year-old daughter--one of the few civilians who lives on the island--has gone missing. Tending the warden's greenhouse, convicted bank robber Tommy Capello waits anxiously. Only he knows the...

52

The elements : a novel
Boyne, John
Paper Book
From bestselling author John Boyne, a gripping and profound exploration of guilt, blame, trauma, and the human capacity for redemption. In The Elements, acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne has created an epic saga that weaves together four interconnected narratives,...

53

The frozen people
Griffiths, Elly
Paper Book
"A pleasure from finish to start." --Anthony Horowitz "Fresh and exciting, with both humor and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park!" --Shari Lapena Some murders can't be solved in just one lifetime. Ali Dawson and...

54

The Gardener's Plot : A Mystery
Benoit, Deborah J.
Paper Book
A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day. After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she's happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many...

55

The girl from Devil's Lake
Jance, Judith A.
Paper Book
Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady solves her biggest case yet, from a body in the desert to crimes spanning decades and countries, in the thrilling latest installment in the New York Times bestselling suspense series. Sheriff Joanna Brady is looking forward to the...

56

The grave artist
Deaver, Jeffery.
Paper Book
Perfect couples are his perfect victims. Now he's hunting those hunting him in a riveting thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Isabella Maldonado. A wedding reception is coming to a close in the...

57

The great white hoax : two centuries of selling racism in America
Kadish, Philip
Paper Book
A provocative new history of the forgeries, bogus science, rigged data, and fake news that keep American racism alive "Anyone interested in the intersection of race, politics, and public lies in America will want to read this book." --David S. Reynolds, Bancroft Prize-winning...

58

The gun man Jackson Swagger : a western
Hunter, Stephen
Paper Book
Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter, "a true master at the pinnacle of his craft" (Jack Carr), returns with a classic Western--gunfights, horses, saloons, and looming above, the ominous presence of the railroad--about a Civil War veteran investigating the dark reality of a prosperous ranch....

59

The kingdom, the power, and the glory : American evangelicals in an age of extremism
Alberta, Tim
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of the Year An Economist and Air Mail Best Book of the Year "Brave and absorbing." -- New York Times "Alberta is not just a thorough...

60

The lost hours
White, Karen
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novelsdelivers a gripping tale of family, fate, and forgiveness. When Piper Mills was twelve, she helped her grandfather bury a box that belonged to her grandmother in the backyard. For twelve years, it remained...

61

The lost story of Eva Fuentes
Cleeton, Chanel.
Paper Book
A 2025 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee "This captivating story is an ode to book lovers!"--Woman's World A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women--and their secrets--in this...

62

The mad wife
Church, Meagan
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build--and the lies we live. They called it...

63

The possession of Alba Díaz
Cañas, Isabel
Paper Book
In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiance, Carlos, to his family's isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent...

64

The proving ground
Connelly, Michael
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl. Following his "resurrection walk" and need for a new direction,...

65

The river we remember : a novel
Krueger, William Kent
Paper Book
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and "a work of art" (The Denver Post). On Memorial Day...

66

The wilderness : a novel
Flournoy, Angela
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE KIRKUS PRIZE FOR FICTION FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITIC CIRCLES AWARD FOR FICTION LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE ...

67

This bird has flown : a novel
Hoffs, Susanna
Paper Book
This delightfully funny and steamy novel about music, fate, and love from beloved songwriter and Bangles co-founder Susanna Hoffs is "a total knockout" and "the smart, ferocious rock-star redemption romance you didn't know you needed" (New York Times Book Review).

68

This land is their land : the Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the troubled history of Thanksgiving
Silverman, David J.
Paper Book
Ahead of the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving, a new look at the Plymouth colony's founding events, told for the first time with Wampanoag people at the heart of the story.In March 1621, when Plymouth's survival was hanging in the balance, the Wampanoag sachem (or chief),...

69

Tom's crossing : a western
Danielewski, Mark Z.
Paper Book
While folks still like to focus on the crimes that shocked the small city of Orvop, Utah, back in the fall of 1982, not to mention the trials that followed, far more remember the adventure that took place beyond municipal lines. For sure no one expected the dead to rise, but they did....

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