Jul 28, 2025 - News
Indy's most popular books of the summer
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Here's one more way to make the most out of what's left of summer: spend it with a good book.
Driving the news: The Indianapolis Public Library released the most popular books of the summer — tales of a changing America and dragon riders and some of the darkest parts of Hoosier history.
Why it matters: Books teach us new things, excite us and unite us — especially popular titles that we can talk with our friends and neighbors about.
- Plus: Libraries are air-conditioned, which make them a very cool place to hang out in the summer.
Here are the library's most borrowed books of the summer:
👭 Adult Fiction
- "The Women" by Kristin Hannah
- "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore
- "Happy Place" by Emily Henry
- "The Housemaid is Watching" by Freida McFadden
- "Sandwich: A Novel" by Catherine Newman
📚 Adult Non-Fiction
- "A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them" by Timothy Egan
- "Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson
- "The New Menopause: Navigating your Path Through Hormonal Change With Purpose, Power, and Facts" by Mary Claire Haver
- "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World" by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- "We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life's 20 Questions" by Glennon Doyle
🤓 Adult Biographies
- "Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir" by Ina Garten
- "Elon Musk" by Walter Isaacson
- "The Tell: A Memoir" by Amy Griffin
- "Cher: The Memoir. Part One" by Cher
- "I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy
🔥 Teen Fiction
- "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins
- "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
- "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
- "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
- "The Inheritance Games" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
🕊️ Children's Picture Books
- "The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!" by Mo Willems
- "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" by Mo Willems
- "The Pigeon Needs a Bath!" by Mo Willems
- "The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!" by Mo Willems
- "Pete the Cat Screams for Ice Cream!" by Kim Dean
📖 Children's Fiction
- "Dog Man 13, Big Jim Begins" by Dav Pilkey
- "Hot Mess" by Jeff Kinney
- "Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder" by Dav Pilkey
- "Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea" by Dav Pilkey
- "Kristy and the Walking Disaster: A Graphic Novel" by Ellen T. Crenshaw
🎧 e-Books/Audiobooks
- "The Tenant" by Freida McFadden
- "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros
- "Funny Story" by Emily Henry
- "Caught Up" by Navessa Allen
- "Great Big Beautiful Life" by Emily Henry