Announcing the 2026 Libby Book Award finalists
Award season is here and it’s time to roll out the red carpet for the Libbys! The third-annual Libby Book Awards recognizes the best books from 2025 in 20 categories, selected by librarian staff at Libby, and then voted on by over 1,600 librarians and library workers across North America. Plus, for the first time ever, readers get a vote in the new Readers’ Choice award!
Who made this prestigious list? See the top two finalists in each category below. Winners will be announced at the first ever live Libby Book Awards ceremony on March 3. For everyone at home, tune in to Libby socials to see the authors walk the red carpet or watch the full ceremony on YouTube and Kanopy on March 7.
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📕 Book of the Year – Adult Fiction
📘 Book of the Year – Adult Nonfiction
📗 Book of the Year – Young Adult Fiction
🎧 Audiobook of the Year
✍️ Debut Author of the Year
💬 Best Book Club Book
💥 Best Comic/Graphic Novel
🍳 Best Cookbook
✨ Best Fantasy
🕰️ Best Historical Fiction
👻 Best Horror
☀️ Best Memoir & Autobiography
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
by Omar El Akkad
Best Memoir & Autobiography Finalist
⭐ Best Middle Grade Book
🔍 Best Mystery
💪 Best Personal Improvement
🖍️ Best Picture Book
💗 Best Romance
💖 Best Romantasy
🪐 Best Science Fiction
😱 Best Thriller
✅️ Readers' Choice
*Title availability may vary.
👇 While you wait for this year’s winners, browse last year’s picks on the Libby app and find your next great read!
RELATED READ: The winners of the 2025 Libby Book Awards
Published Jan 29, 2026
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