Blog: Fiction

Project Hail Mary Read-Alikes

He used to be just Ken. Now it seems like he's just a high school teacher stuck in an old David Bowie song. Ryan Gosling stars in the sci-fi hit "Project Hail Mary," and if that sounds cool to you, there are some books you should read.

O Canada Week: The Best Canadian Romance

It may be cold in Saskatchewan, but it’s heating up here in Toledo where we’re celebrating O Canada Week the best way we know how – with Canadian romance authors.

Happy 100th Birthday to Black History Month

Founded exactly 100 years ago, Black History Month was never designed to constrain attention within a limited 28-day span, but rather to drill down on a fundamental history that should otherwise be studied all year long.

All Things Dragons!

Who is your favorite literary dragon? Whether you’re a fan of Wings of Fire or Dragons Love Tacos, celebrate your favorite fire-breathing, scaly, flying beast with these great reads for youth of all ages!

Happy 250th Birthday, Jane Austen!

She was born around the same time as the Declaration of Independence, but Jane Austen's novels about men, women, families, and economics are so fresh and funny they might have been written yesterday.

Witch Hunts: Persecuting the Marginalized

Witch hunts have never been about facts or evidence, but about fear of the unknown. Join us to discuss the ways women were and are targeted for not fitting into society's ideals of womanhood.

10 of the Scariest Doubles You Never Want to Meet

Throughout history, there has been a variation on the duplicate, body double, double-walker, spirit double, whatever one may call it. While positive examples of this may exist, most stories I've seen don't have happy endings

Embrace the Shadows: Dark Academia Fantasy

If you prefer your back-to-school season to have more of moody, gothic twist, then put down that Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper and grab a grimoire: these fantasy novels are for you!

Find Fantastic Short Reads in the Best American…. series

These "best-of" anthologies are wonderful way to find new authors, read about new ideas, and have a range of some of the best writing to come out each year in a variety of topics. There's literally something for everyone - take a look!

Youth Books to Celebrate Pride

This is the essential “Celebrate Pride” book list geared towards young audiences! A little bit of history, some uplifting narratives, and a handful of fictional stories with captivating LGBTQIA+ characters will fill your Pride month with education and celebration!

10 Weird and Wild West Books

Here are some of the least traditional Westerns found in our collection — full of fiends, magic, mysticism, and nightmares.

Middle Grade Horror

Dive into the delightfully dreadful with these spine-tingling reads for 3rd-6th grade.

Celebrating National Sisters Day!

National Sisters Day, celebrated Aug. 3, is a perfect time to read about sisters! Dive into these stories of sisters to celebrate the unique relationship and bond between them!

25 Years of X-Men on the Big Screen

Get your Wolverine costume out of storage and dust off your Cyclops visors—one of the most important superhero films of the 21st century is 25 years old, and Professor X needs YOU.

10 of the Actual Worst Places in Fiction to Work

You think your job is bad? You're not alone. Whether you're looking for the perspective of a grunt in the lowest echelons of a corrupt corporation to a well-standing employee in a government entity

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is April 22! Roll up your sleeves and do the work to keep our planet healthy!

The Best Comics for Vietnam War Veterans Day

We may be a half century removed, but the Vietnam War still looms large over American History. We’ve picked some must-read comics about the war and the people whose lived it changed forever.

Swoony Sports Romances

Romances with one or both of the main characters as athletes (or athlete-adjacent) continue to be super popular. Here are some great new/er titles for those who enjoy a great romance with a sporty slant.

Top Thrillers With Neurodivergent Perspectives

Neurodivergent people are those whose brains process information in a way that is not typical of most individuals. There are many wonderful mysteries and thrillers with characters on this spectrum that provide a unique and fascinating perspective in problem-solving and investigation.

Rachel Recommends: Autumn Reads

Autumn means mugs of cider, supermoons, accessories with the color palette of a 1970s kitchen and, of course, a pile of good books.

D-Day for Young Readers

The 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings is June 6th. Here are 10 books for curious minds to learn more about it and the war in general.

100 Years of Summer: 1945-1964

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 1945-1964. You're sure to recognize some of these classics!

15 Books for New Dog Owners

To all the dog parents out there, here are some recommendations for you and your kiddos on raising your newest addition to the family!

10 Youth Novels Written in Verse

Celebrating National Poetry Month by reading poetry? Out. Celebrating National Poetry Month by reading entire novels told via poetry? In. (Actually, reading poetry is still in, but you know what I mean).

Who Ya Gonna Call? TLCPL!

In case you're in for spooks, specters, or ghosts-- TLCPL has you covered! Check out our inventory of all things Ghostbusters!

Ten Quick Reads for the Shortest Day of the Year

The winter solstice marks the start of winter and is referred to as the shortest day due to the limited hours of daylight. In celebration of our shortest day, check out one of these very short books.

15 New Cute and Cozy Holiday Mysteries

Few things go together like murder and the holidays. Here are the newest cozy mysteries with a chilling holiday theme. And some of the punniest titles ever!

World Hello Day

Hi, there! How do you say, “Hello?” Do you sing, “Hello, hello?” Do you yell, “HELLO, HELLO?” What will you do for World Hello Day on November 21?

Hey, That’s My Picture Book!

November is National Picture Book Month! Picture books are meant to a shared reading and visual experience. What picture books are your favorites?

Found in Translation: Literature in Other Languages

Gifted translators like Edith Grossman break through language barriers to introduce readers to the great literature of the world, so you can finally find out what people mean when they talk about Don Quixote and windmills.

Food Friends!

It's a food frenzy! Check out these funny books with food as characters. We hope you'll find them a-peeling!

Dyslexia-Friendly Books for Juvenile Readers

Fact: Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities to affect children. Here is a selection of juvenile fiction about dyslexia, some even written in dyslexia-friendly typeface.

Meet Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur!

One of Marvel's newer comics, it's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur! Being a girl superhero is already hard enough: fight the bad guys, save the city, basic stuff, right? Well, add in a T-Rex companion and face off a gang of space villains, all before class starts!

10 Best Flash Comics

Get ready for the Flash’s first solo movie with these 10 great comics featuring the Scarlet Speedster.

History of Crayons

Crayons have been around for a long time! Here are some great titles featuring crayons and their history.

10 Books for Judy Blume Fans

Are you there Judy? It's us, your readers, and we know you have some new projects in the works, but these books are pretty good too.

Knock at the Cabin and 10 Creepy Reads

Did you read the novel "Knock at the Cabin" is based on? Did it leave you feeling unsettled, aghast, consumed with despair about human nature? Here are ten books to keep those feelings flowing.

Leaving Funky Town: So Long, Winkerbean

The newspaper comic strip Funky Winkerbean has been telling stories about its Ohio-based characters day by day for fifty years. But at the end of this month, that all changes.

8 Best Doom Patrol Comics

Before you watch the fourth season of the TV show, make sure to check out some of our favorite Doom Patrol comics!

Top 10 Worst Schools in Books

By now everyone's gone back to school for fall. Which is sad. But at least you're not at one of these schools. So that's something.

10 Fun and Quirky Comics for D&D Nerds

Whether you're a TTRPG veteran, looking forward to your first campaign, or Stranger Things just has you curious, these comic and manga series are sure to get you ready for adventure.

Pride for Quiet Gays: Great Reads

If you find parades and crowds overwhelming, there are still a lot of ways to celebrate Pride! Here are some great ideas for quiet gays (or introverts in general).

9 Books to Read If You Like Better Call Saul

The Breaking Bad saga is wrapping up with the final season of Better Call Saul. If you're looking to recapture the edge of your seat twists and turns that show provides, these are the books for you.

5 Books with Terrible Hotels

Have you ever listened to friends complaining about a disappointing hotel or a vacation spot? Well, the people in these books have entered the chat.

6 Must-Read Ms. Marvel Comics

Ms. Marvel debuts on Disney+ and these are the comics you need to read to get caught up on the adventures of Kamala Khan.