Books are back, in Greater Philadelphia and around the country.
The industry saw modest revenue growth the last four years in a row, an Association of American Publishers report found. Brick-and-mortars saw more than twice the growth of online retail in 2025, and hardcovers outpaced ebooks.
Many Philly-area booksellers said they’re feeling the surge.
But what are they reading? Sixteen booksellers told us their favorites of 2026 so far.
-
Angel by Elizabeth Taylor and The Princess of 72nd Street by Elaine Kraf — Ariel Censor, Little Yenta Books in South Philly
-
Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. — Alex Schneider, A Novel Idea in East Passyunk
-
Discipline by Larissa Pham — Richard De Wyngaert, Head House Books in Queen Village
-
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel — Jackie Botto, Capricorn Books in Jenkintown
-
Message to the Blackman in America by Elijah Muhammad — Shaykh Anwar Muhammad, The Black Reserve Bookstore in Lansdale
-
Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson — Charity Herndon, Austen’s Shelf in Bordentown
-
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver — Elizabeth Young, Commonplace Reader in Yardley
-
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon — Shawn Clark, Glenside Book Garden
-
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence — Ian Stowers, CLC Bookcenter in Wyncote
-
Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer — Anthony Long, Thrillerdelphia
-
Steelborn by Taylor J. LaRue and Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser — Lisa Strohl, Bookmarks in West Chester
-
Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski — Krisy Elisii, Doylestown & Lahaska Bookshops
-
The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry — Buffy Hastings, Farley’s Bookshop in New Hope
-
The Wedding People by Alison Espach — Janine Flanigan, Barnes & Noble
-
Whidbey by T Kira Madden — Christina Rosso-Schneider, A Novel Idea in East Passyunk
-
Whistler by Ann Patchett — Kathy Morrison, Newtown Bookshop
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.