Sponsored by East Baton Rouge Parish Library

As winter winds whip and holiday lights twinkle, there’s no better companion than a great book. The East Baton Rouge Parish Library has curated the perfect lists to warm your heart and spark your imagination this season.

While compiling these lists, librarians noted that digital reading continues to grow – some eBook titles hit nearly 3,000 checkouts, while top print books reached several hundred. Whether you’re a romance enthusiast, thriller lover or parent looking to inspire a child’s love of reading, the top books of 2025 have something special for you.

For adults:

Calling all romance and thriller fans! Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life tops the adult circulation list, followed by Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere and Carly Fortune’s One Golden Summer. Freida McFadden’s The Tenant and The Housemaid will keep thriller enthusiasts on the edge of their seats, while John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis stands out as the sole nonfiction title in the Top 10.

For teens:

Suzanne Collins returns with Sunrise on the Reaping, thrilling readers who grew up with the Hunger Games. Meanwhile, classics like Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief sit alongside fresh voices like Lauren Roberts’ Fearless, offering something for every young reader’s taste.

For children:

Dav Pilkey leads with Dog Man: Big Jim Begins and Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers, joined by beloved authors like Eric Carle, who continues to charm with classics like Mister Seahorse and Walter the Baker.

How to explore

Visit any East Baton Rouge Parish Library location or download instantly on Libby (Libbyapp.com) with your library card. Want to share your reading adventure? Join one of the library’s book clubs, which meet monthly at various locations. Visit ebrpl.com for more information about the library’s services, events and classes and to connect to the Digital Library.

Top 10 book lists for adults, teens and children

Adults

1. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
2. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
4. Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
5. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
6. The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
7. The Tenant by Freida McFadden
8. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
9. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
10. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Teens

1. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
2. Fearless by Lauren Roberts
3. The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
4. Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
5. The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
6. Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft
7. Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi
8. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
9. Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
10. Tales From a Not-So-Bratty Little Sister by Rachel Renée Russell

Children

1. Dog Man: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey
2. Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers by Dav Pilkey
3. One Chicken Nugget by Tadgh Bentley
4. Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd
5. Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
6. Walter the Baker by Eric Carle
7. Little Elephant Thunderfoot by Sally Grindley
8. Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo
9. Are Pirates Polite? by Corinne Demas
10. Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman

Season’s Readings, Baton Rouge!