What I Have on Hold at the Library Right Now

Having moved and done a lot of book purging, I am doing my best to not pre-order books right now and lean into library holds. I am also, however, also trying to read what I have. These are in direct conflict as we head into the big release months of September and October. But…here we are.

Here’s what I have on hold at the library right now:

• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie--I am trying to read one Agatha Christie book this year, and I picked this one! It’s in transit on it’s way to me to hopefully read within the next month.
• Freedom to Read by Lisa Cline-Ransome–This is a book to discuss for Capitol Choices, so I put it on hold! It looks like a great picture book, and it’s still on order at my library.
• Gus the Mushroom Dragon by Tracey West–Having read all 32 Dragon Master books, I now feel contractually obligated to read the slightly younger graphic reader series she’s doing. This is book 2 and it’s still on-order at my library, but I’m first in line!
• Hazy the Cloud Dragon by Tracey West–And this is book 3 in the series. Still on order.
• The Library of Memories by Barbara Perez Marquez–This graphic novel was recommended by an Instagram book person I trust, and so I placed it on hold because I like to lie to myself and tell me I have time for graphic novels even more than I have time for other books. Likely story. It’s still on order, just released this week I think.
• Lucy Lancaster Wants a Rematch by Willow Coven–I think this is a new Lucy Lancaster book, in the Heidi Hecklebeck universe, and so I don’t think I have read it yet, but I could be wrong. It’s a short chapter book so of course I have the time for it, right?
• Stella & Marigold: Past and Presents by Annie Barrows–Similar thought process to above, but this one hasn’t come out yet. These books are always adorable!
• The Weather Keeper by Nelly Buchet--Another picture book that was recommended on Instagram!
• Besties: Crush It by Kayla MiIler–I love this series, it’s so readable and the illustrations are just my speed. Cannot wait to read this new one, which is still on order and I’m third in line. No rush on this graphic novel, hopefully.
• Hollywood Ending by John Green–There is a fine art in putting books on hold early. I am a professor of this art. I am third in line on this one, which comes out on September 22nd.
• Samantha: The Next Chapter by Fiona Davis--I may end up doing this one on Audio, but I’m fourth in line for this one that comes out in mid-October! My DAR book club is discussing it in November.
• Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang–Another early hold success. I have an e-ARC of this but I think I’ll end up waiting to read the hard copy. I am fifth in line for this one that just came out.
• The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters–Peters’ first book was my Carnegie Fiction winner a few years back, so I cannot wait to read this one. I’m 11th in line, and it came out on the 1st of September.
• Baby-Sitters on Board by Raina Telgemeier and Gale Galligan-Another graphic novel series I read every time there is a new one. I’m 17th in line for this one, which comes out on September 15th because I am fast, but tween girls obsessed with BSC are faster.
• Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros–I finally read Onyx Storm, so I allowed myself to put this short story collection on hold. I’m 29th in line, lol.
• A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J Maas--I may be honest with myself later and not end up reading this one, but right now I feel committed to the bit. But I’m 30th in line so by the time it’s my turn I might not care anymore. I am NOT doing a re-read of any of ACOTAR, I didn’t finish CC book 3 and I’ve read no Throne of Glass so…
• Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult–Having read By Any Other Name last month, I think I’ve read all 29 of her other books. I’m now 31st in line for this one. I have it on audio too, but prefer to read her books physically if I can!
• The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon–I loved Frozen River, so I put this one on hold, even though the subject matter interests me less. Not the same for others though, because I’m 36th in line.
• Information Desk: An Epic by Robyn Schiff–This won some award years ago and I just remembered it existed, so I put it on hold and should be able to breeze through this poetry collection.
• A Guardian and A Thief by Megha Majumdar--This was the 2026 Carnegie Fiction winner, and one of my goals this year is to read it. So I guess I should get it, shouldn’t I?
• Empire by Sabaa Tahir–Despite my anti-fantasy stance most of the time, I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, Heir, and so I’d been waiting and checking for this book to be on order at the library. I’m first in line!
• The Swifts: Garden of Vipers by Beth Lincoln–I still haven’t read the first two books in this series, but I PLAN to this month, so I went ahead and put book 3 on hold. It comes out on September 22nd, like every other book being published this year it feels like.
• Reasons to Be Loved by You by Hannah Brown–I remember when the drama fictionalized by this book went down, and I suspect this will be a quick read, so I am allowing myself to put this on hold, though I’ve “paused” the hold through mid-October.
• Bodies of Magic by Freya Markse--This dark academia fantasy medical school book was recommended to me on Instagram, I think, and now I’m eighth in line on hold. It also comes out in September, so I “paused” the hold to resume in mid-October as well.

That’s….that’s my hold list. I know it’s crazy. But I tell myself if I have reading months like I had in August it’ll be fine. Of course, I also know August was an out of the ordinary reading month. But library holds cannot hurt me, so let’s be hopeful about how this will go. What do you have on hold at your library?