City of Staunton
Home MenuReading Suggestions
Click the icon above to browse books, place holds, and check your account using the Valley Libraries online catalog.
Request Personalized Suggestions
Are you ready to dive into another good book? You may fill out this form to receive book suggestions from our team by email. Our team of librarians will do their best to offer you ideal book selections tailored to your tastes.
Not sure what you're in the mood for? Fill out a "Surprise me!" request to select a curated bundle of materials.
For all other questions, please contact us at 540.332.3902 or by email at library@ci.staunton.va.us.
Reading Suggestions Quick navigation:
- Adult Book Lists
- Children Book Lists
- Middle Grade Book Lists
- Teen/YA Book Lists
- NoveList Plus
- Valley Libraries Radio Reference
Librarians have curated the following book lists.
For Adults
- Adventure Nonfiction
- Adventure Fiction:
- Antiracism
- Armchair Travel
- Art and Art History Fiction
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices in Fiction
- Beach Reads
- Biographical Fiction
- Black Voices:
- Christian Fiction
- Cook This Tonight! New and Delicious Cookbooks
- Cozy Reads
- Epistolary Fiction: Books Told Through Letters, Interviews, Documents, and Diaries
- Espionage
- Fiction in Translation
- Fiction: Mythology and Folklore Retold
- Fiction set in Paris
- Fiction Over 500 pages
- Fiction Under 250 pages
- Heist Novels
- Hispanic Heritage: Latino/a Voices in Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Horror
- Humorous Fiction
- Inspiration & Spirituality Nonfiction
- Jane Austen-themed Fiction
- LGBTQ+ Voices:
- Literary Fiction: Recent Award Winners
- Military Fiction
- Mysteries
- Cozy Mysteries
- For Fans of Louise Penny
- Historical Mysteries
- International Intrigue: Mysteries, crime, and thriller novels that take place around the globe
- Scandinavian & Nordic Mysteries
- Sherlock Lives On
- Quirky Crime
- Native American & Indigenous Voices
- Novels with a Secret
- Romance
- Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Science & Mathematics Nonfiction
- Set in Virginia
- Shakespearean Fiction
- Short Non-Fiction (PDF)
- Short Stories
- Sports Fiction
- Staff Picks
- Adult Books selected by Ali, Public Services Librarian
- Adult Fiction picks from Sarah, Director of Library Services
- Favorites of Christine, Community Engagement Librarian
- Fiction & Graphic Novels selected by Lizzy, Librarian
- Sci Fi, Fantasy and Horror selected by Carrie, Librarian
- Under the Radar Titles Our Staff Enjoyed
- Thrillers
- Time Travel
- Urban & Street Lit
- Virginia Authors
- Western Settings
- Winter Holiday Fiction
Discover Read-alike books by searching for your favorite author or book in NoveList:
For Children Ages 0-8
- Alphabet & Counting Books
- Antiracist Reads
- Bilingual Books
- Christian Picture Books
- Dinosaur & Monster Picture Books
- Diverse Reads
- Early Chapter Book Series (AR Reading Level 1.0 – 2.9)
- Early Graphic Novel Series (AR Reading Level 1.0 - 2.9)
- Emotions & Tough Topics
- Inclusive Titles
- Learning to Read! (AR Reading Level 0.1 – 1.0)
- Native & Indigenous Voices
- Neurodiversity in Picture Books
- Princess Books
- Spanish Language Books
- Things That Go!
- Unicorn, Fairy, & Mermaid Books
- Virginia Authors & Illustrators
Discover Read-alike books by searching for your favorite author or book in NoveList:
For Children Ages 8-12
- Action Adventure
- Animal Books
- Antiracist Reads
- Christian Fiction
- Diverse Fiction
- Early Chapter Book Series (AR Reading Level 3.0 - 3.9)
- Fantasy
- For Fans of the Boxcar Children
- For Fans of Harry Potter
- For Fans of Magic Tree House
- For Fans of Percy Jackson
- Funny Fiction
- Gamer Fiction
- Great Graphic Novels
- Historical Fiction
- Inclusive Titles
- Mystery & Spy Fiction
- Native American & Indigenous Voices
- Neurodiversity Representation
- "Rick Riordan Presents" Series
- Scary Fiction
- Science Fiction
- Spanish Language Books
- Sports Fiction
- Virginia Authors / Set in Virginia
For Teens
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of Divergent
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of Harry Potter
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of The Hunger Games
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of Twilight
- 10 YA Novels for Fans of The Way I Used To Be
- Action & Adventure
- Christian Fiction & More
- Dragon Fiction
- Fantasy
- Gamer Fiction & More
- Graphic Novels
- Historical Fiction (Pre-1900)
- Historical Fiction (1900-1950)
- Historical Fiction (1950-2000)
- Horror
- Inclusive/LGBTQ+ Titles
- Inspired by Mythology
- Mental Health Matters
- Mysteries & Thrillers
- Native & Indigenous Voices
- Nonfiction
- Romance (Fantasy)
- Romance (Realistic)
- Science Fiction
- Shakespeare Retellings
- Spanish Language Books
- Sports Books
- Superhero Stories
- Teen Librarian’s Favorites
- Verse Novels
- Virginia Authors / Set in Virginia
NoveList Plus
Book lists and book recommendations to help you find your next favorite read.
Valley Libraries Radio Reference
Since September of 2017, the three area libraries have collaborated on weekly radio spots on Staunton’s very own independent radio station 106.3 WQSV. We often feature a minimum of three titles based around a specific theme and titles range from picture books to adult audiobooks. View the archived list of suggestions on listly. Selections are also tagged in the catalog as ‘valley libraries radio reference,’ which is a searchable phrase.