Find a Read

Looking for some reading inspiration? Browse our selection of curated booklists to find your next read.

Quick Reads 2025

Discover the joy of reading with Quick Reads. Short books and great stories by bestselling authors.

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Big Sporting Read

The Big Sporting Read is a collaboration between national charity The Reading Agency and BBC Arts, aiming to use the power of sport to inspire readers across the UK – highlighting the links between sporting excellence, reading, health and wellbeing.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running bookcover

The Boys In The Boat: An Epic Journey to the Heart of Hitler's Berlin bookcover

Jessica Ennis: Unbelievable - From My Childhood Dreams To Winning Olympic Gold: The life story of Team GB's Olympic Golden Girl bookcover

Our Life on Ice: The Autobiography bookcover

Coming Up for Air: What I Learned from Sport, Fame and Fatherhood bookcover

A Woman's Game: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Women's Football bookcover

Unseen Academicals: (Discworld Novel 37) bookcover

The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph bookcover

Western Lane: Shortlisted For The Booker Prize 2023 bookcover

Beryl: In Search of Britain's Greatest Athlete, Beryl Burton bookcover

Coffee First, Then the World: One Woman's Record-Breaking Pedal Around the Planet bookcover

Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women bookcover

A Fan for All Seasons: A Journey Through Life and Sport bookcover

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WWF Nature and Wellbeing Booklist

These books were chosen to inspire young people to connect with and learn more about nature to benefit their own wellbeing and mental health.

Guardians of the Planet: How to be an Eco-Hero bookcover

Wild City: Meet the animals who share our city spaces bookcover

National Trust: Look What I Found in the Woods bookcover

Nature Trail: A joyful rhyming celebration of the natural wonders on our doorstep bookcover

Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature bookcover

October, October: WINNER OF THE YOTO CARNEGIE MEDAL 2022 bookcover

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet bookcover

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Summer Reading Challenge 2024 – Marvellous Makers

Explore your creative side with this year’s Marvellous Makers books collection!

Recycle and Remake: Creative Projects for Eco Kids bookcover

Fantastically Great Women Artists and Their Stories bookcover

Music and How it Works: The Complete Guide for Kids bookcover

Maddy Yip's Guide to Life: A laugh-out-loud illustrated story! bookcover

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom: Book 1 bookcover

Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City bookcover

Grimwood: Laugh your head off with the funniest new series of the year bookcover

Ballet Bunnies: Trixie is Missing bookcover

Monster Max and the Marmalade Ghost bookcover

Little Gems – Elisabeth and the Box of Colours bookcover

Izzy the Inventor and the Unexpected Unicorn: A beginner reader book for children. bookcover

Rani Reports: on The Missing Millions bookcover

The Spectaculars: The Four Curses bookcover

Heroes of the Pirate Ship: Magic Faces #1 bookcover

Michael the Amazing Mind-Reading Sausage Dog bookcover

Poetry Prompts: All sorts of ways to start a poem from Joseph Coelho bookcover

Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees: From West Africa to the Caribbean (Book 1) bookcover

I am the Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere bookcover

A Year of Black Joy: 52 Black Voices Share Their Life Passions bookcover

The Book That No One Wanted to Read bookcover

Pablo and Splash: the hilarious kids' graphic novel bookcover

Frida the Rock-and-Roll Moth: A story about finding your confidence bookcover

Sounds Good!: Discover 50 Instruments bookcover

This Book Will Make You An Artist bookcover

All the Wonderful Ways to Read bookcover

Dreamweavers: Roar of the Hungry Beast bookcover

How I Feel: 40 wellbeing activities for kids bookcover

Red Sky at Night; Poet's Delight bookcover

A Midsummer Night's Drama: A book at bedtime for little bards! bookcover

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Reading Well for dementia

Reading Well for dementia recommends helpful reading for people living with dementia, their family, friends and carers.

Dementia Essentials: How to Guide a Loved One Through Alzheimer's or Dementia and Provide the Best Care bookcover

Take Care, Son: The Story of My Dad and his Dementia bookcover

Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia: A Guide for Families bookcover

The Memory Activity Book: Practical Projects to Help with Memory Loss and Dementia bookcover

The Songaminute Man: How music brought my father home again bookcover

Coping with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): A Guide to Managing Memory Loss, Effective Brain Training and Reducing the Risk of Dementia bookcover

Remember Me?: Discovering My Mother as She Lost Her Memory bookcover

Slow Puncture: Living Well With Dementia bookcover

Why Dementia Makes Communication Difficult: A Guide to Better Outcomes bookcover

United: Caring for our loved ones living with dementia bookcover

How to Help Someone with Dementia: A Practical Handbook bookcover

Unforgettable: Rugby, dementia and the fight of my life bookcover

The Memory Book: A reassuring story about understanding dementia bookcover

The Practical Handbook of Living with Dementia bookcover

My Book about Brains, Change and Dementia: What is Dementia and What Does it Do? bookcover

What You Really Want to Know About Life with Dementia: Real stories and expert advice for family, friends and people with dementia bookcover

The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) bookcover

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November 2024 Booklist – Spine-tinglers and Nail-biters

As we enter the cold and dark months, we have created a booklist filled with our favourite spine-tinglers and nail-biters to captivate readers who enjoy suspense, mystery, and supernatural adventures.

The Inheritance Games: TikTok Made Me Buy It bookcover

The Book of Mysteries, Magic, and the Unexplained bookcover

Benita and the Night Creatures bookcover

Are You a Sleepy Monster?: Volume 2 bookcover

GHOSTS: The Button House Archives: The instant Sunday Times bestseller companion book to the BBC’s much loved television series bookcover

The Reappearance of Rachel Price bookcover

The Book of Forgotten Witches: Dark & Twisted Folklore & Stories from Around the World bookcover

Spooky Poems Aloud: 25 Poems to Frighten and Delight bookcover

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September 2024 Booklist – Debuts

The debut authors and/or illustrators’ booklist features an exciting array of new voices in publishing, spanning genres from humorous children’s stories to gripping adult thrillers.

Kyan Green and the Infinity Racers bookcover

Steady For This: the laugh-out-loud and unforgettable teen novel! bookcover

The Kingdom Over the Sea: The perfect spellbinding fantasy adventure for holiday reading bookcover

The Legend of Ghastly Jack Crowheart bookcover

Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes bookcover

Look Out! Hungry Snake (Look Out! Hungry Animals) bookcover

Central Park West: the unmissable debut legal thriller by the former director of the FBI bookcover

Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI bookcover

Kala: 'A spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans' bookcover

The Light That Blinds Us: TikTok made me buy it! A dark and thrilling fantasy not to be missed bookcover

River East, River West: Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2024 bookcover

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August 2024 Booklist – Escape with a Book

Summer is a time for adventures and immersive experiences, so we have created a booklist perfect for readers looking to escape into captivating stories.

Journeys in Creative Writing: A Different Adventure Every Time! bookcover

Murdle: #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: Solve 100 Devilishly Devious Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles bookcover

The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish bookcover

Can You See the Stars Tonight? bookcover

Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly! bookcover

Secret FACTopia!: Follow the trail of 400 hidden facts [Britannica] bookcover

Spice: The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World bookcover

Summer Romance: the must-read love story that will steal your heart this year bookcover

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Quick Reads 2024

Quick Reads will be gifted for World Book Night 2024. They aim to bring the joy and benefits of reading to everyone, including less confident readers.

Those People Next Door: Quick Reads 2024 bookcover

Game On: Can you love the player, if you hate the game? bookcover

Without Warning and Only Sometimes: Quick Reads 2024 bookcover

The Jealousy Man: Quick Reads 2024 bookcover

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April’s Booklist – Nature and Conservation

Earth Day 2024 was on 22 April. To celebrate, we have collated a booklist with a mix of poetry, fiction and non-fiction books with strong themes of nature and conservation.

The Truth of Things (4) – Lark bookcover

Diary of a Young Naturalist: WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2020 bookcover

Landlines: The No 1 Sunday Times bestseller about a thousand-mile journey across Britain from the author of The Salt Path bookcover

My Heart Was a Tree: Poems and stories to celebrate trees bookcover

Be a Birder: My love of birdwatching and how to get started bookcover

Little Guides to Nature: Hello Trees bookcover

Leila and the Blue Fox: Winner of the Wainwright Children’s Prize 2023 bookcover

Uprooting: From the Caribbean to the Countryside – Finding Home in an English Garden bookcover

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March 2024 booklist – Wonder Women

To mark International Women’s Day, we have created a booklist that tell the stories of wonder women and girls.

Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape bookcover

Into the Dark Forest: The Wildsmith #1 bookcover

How To Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir bookcover

The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship bookcover

Where the Heart Should Be: The Times Children's Book of the Week bookcover

The Liverbirds: Our Life in Britain's First Female Rock 'n' Roll Band bookcover

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February 2024 booklist – LGBTQ+ History Month

Our booklist this month is to celebrate stories with strong LGBTQ+ representation or that are by LGBTQ+ creators.

Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow: The most joyful book you'll read this year! bookcover

No Shame: a queer life in suburbia bookcover

Queer Up: An Uplifting Guide to LGBTQ+ Love, Life and Mental Health bookcover

Out of the Blue: A heartwarming picture book about celebrating difference bookcover

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World Book Night 2023

In 2023, The Reading Agency will be gifted over 68,000 books to organisations across the country to give to people who don’t regularly read for pleasure or with limited access to books.

Making It: How Love, Kindness and Community Helped Me Repair My Life bookcover

Dear Edward: The heart-warming New York Times bestseller bookcover

Lift Your Vibe: Eat, breathe and flow to sleep better, find peace and live your best life bookcover

Pulling Through: Help for Families Navigating Life-Changing Illness bookcover

Superheroes: Inspiring Stories of Secret Strength bookcover

Feel Good Food: Over 100 Healthy Family Recipes bookcover

This Monk Wears Heels: Be Who You Are bookcover

Game Over: Rise of the Raid Mob bookcover

One False Move: a thrilling pageturning race against time bookcover

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Big Eurovision Read

The Big Eurovision Read is for book-lovers and Eurovision fans to be ‘United by Music’. To get the conversation started, librarians across the UK have chosen twelve great books which have the power of music at their heart, and which will encourage readers to suggest other great titles with a musical theme.

Space Opera: HUGO AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST NOVEL 2019 bookcover

The Music Shop: An uplifting, heart-warming love story from the Sunday Times bestselling author bookcover

Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far bookcover

Utopia Avenue: The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller bookcover

Broken Greek: A Story of Chip Shops and Pop Songs bookcover

Musical Truth: A Musical Journey Through Modern Black Britain bookcover

Soul Music: (Discworld Novel 16) bookcover

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January 2024 booklist – New Year, New Adventures

To kick off 2024 we have picked books that will either help you learn something new or will take you away on new adventures.

Science Experiments at Home: Discover the science in everyday life bookcover

Iconicon: A Journey Around the Landmark Buildings of Contemporary Britain bookcover

The Last Devil To Die: The Thursday Murder Club 4 bookcover

Remarkably Bright Creatures: Curl up with 'that octopus book' everyone is talking about bookcover

The 169-Storey Treehouse: Monkeys, Mirrors, Mayhem! bookcover

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December 2023 booklist – The Reading Agency’s Books of the Year!

At The Reading Agency, we have read a lot of brilliant books over the past year; books that have made us laugh, cry and left us with a lot to discuss. Members of our team have picked the books that have stood out for them in 2024.

Size Wise: From Colossal Squids to Snowflakes, a Life-Sized Look at Nature bookcover

Death of a Bookseller: the instant and unmissable Sunday Times bestseller and one of the biggest debuts of 2023 bookcover

Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945 bookcover

Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire bookcover

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts bookcover

Time Shelter: Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023 bookcover

Big Girl: A BBC Radio Two Book Club Pick. 'Absolutely incredible' Candice Carty-Williams bookcover

Greenwild: The World Behind The Door bookcover

Black Butterflies: Shortlisted for the Women's Prize 2023 bookcover

SH!T BAG: a darkly funny story about life with an ostomy bag bookcover

The Square of Sevens: The Times and Sunday Times Best Historical Fiction of 2023 bookcover

Thieves' Gambit: The Waterstones prize-winning enemies to lovers heist bookcover

No Worries: How to Deal With Teenage Anxiety bookcover

Prophet Song: LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023 bookcover

Sharks! Sharks! Sharks!: Sharks are Cool and So is This Book. Fact. bookcover

People Need People: An uplifting picture book poem from legendary poet Benjamin Zephaniah bookcover

Garth Marenghi's Incarcerat: Volume 2 of TERRORTOME the SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER bookcover

The Myth Keeper: The Unmorrow Curse #2 bookcover

Pageboy: A Memoir: The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller bookcover

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November 2023 booklist – Debuts

November marks National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo (as it’s more commonly known). We want to celebrate some of our favourite debut authors/illustrators of 2023.