Readers & Writers
Readers & Writers
Portland is a City of Readers! The Library is your partner to explore, research, and share the love of reading and writing. We love recommending what to read next, what’s popular and what’s lesser known, and to spread the word about what’s going on in the library and in the community for readers and writers.
Are you looking for new ideas for Your Next (Great!) Read? We can help! Our Reader’s Advisory staff is ready to put their professional book-matching skills to work to find the right book for you. Simply fill out this short form and we will email you a list of personalized book suggestions.
Featured Book List
Reflecting on another year of great books, here are the top 50 fiction & nonfiction titles with the highest number of holds at PPL in 2019.
Looking for more book suggestions? Our Reader’s Advisory staff has curated dozens of great lists just like this one. Explore the wealth of topics and genres here.
Additional Resources
Book Group Sets
Our book group sets include multiple copies of the same title in regular print, large print, & audio formats. You can request a book group set with your library card, just like any other library material.
Book Lists
Looking to browse topics & genres to find your next great read? Check out these frequently-updated adult fiction & nonfiction lists curated by PPL Reader’s Advisory staff.
Books & Authors
Browse title recommendations and reading lists for genre fiction and essential non-fiction through this database.
eAudiobooks
Explore eAudiobooks available with your library card through the cloudLibrary app and free to all in the public domain.
eBooks
Explore eBooks available with your library card through the cloudLibrary app and free to all in the public domain.
LibraryReads
The monthly nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction — a great way to stay up-to-date with the hottest books!
NoveList Plus
The premiere database of expert reading recommendations, reviews, articles, lists and more.
Portland Public Library is seeking short fiction and nonfiction essay, story, or poetry submissions for a Valentine’s Day-themed reading, and we want to hear from you! Interested writers may email their pieces to pplwritersmeetup@gmail.com by Friday, February 7th. All are welcome to attend the reading on February 13th.
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Our Book of the Week project is created by Reader’s Advisory staff and is focused on sharing one great book from the library’s collections each week. The book might be fiction or nonfiction, a new title or an older gem from the stacks. You can see a photo of each new book of the week and a list of the books in our library catalog here.
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The third annual Portland Public Library Reading Challenge is here! We have selected 24 book prompts and we challenge you to read one book from each category throughout the year. That’s just two books a month – will you accept the challenge?
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Join one of our ongoing book groups at our branches, or let us help your book group with suggestions for what to read, book sets you can borrow, advice on book group strategy, and extra copies to supply you.
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Our Literary Lunch Series is held at noon the third Wednesday of each month. We host New England authors with recently-released work in conversation with a literary friend, colleague or critic. Bring your lunch and join us!
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Portland Public Library hosts nationally touring authors at the Spotlight Series. Authors talk about newly released work followed by audience Q&A and a book signing. The series is co-hosted by Portland Public Library and sponsored by the Press Hotel and Bangor Savings Bank.
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Looking for help with reading suggestions? Would you love to get a personalized list of ideas based on your own reading interests? Our Reader’s Advisory staff is here to help! We’re ready to put our professional book-matching skills to work.
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Calling all writers! Are you looking for someone to critique your work? Interested in meeting other writers? Searching for inspiration and collaboration? Meet up with like-minded locals at Portland Public Library to discuss authors and ideas and listen to and inspire one another!
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The Portland Poet Laureate is an honorary position given every 2-3 years to a resident of the Greater Portland area who is both an accomplished poet and an excellent ambassador within the community. Portland’s current poet laureate is Linda Aldrich.
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Linda Aldrich, Portland’s Poet Laureate, hosts a series of poetry readings that feature a range of local voices through varying themes and collaborations of poets.
Learn More »Up Next at the Library:
From the PPL blog:
We at the library have a LOT of pets. In January, our furry friends share their fave picks from PPL. More »
PPL staff members share picks from the library's collections. More »
In November, our staff members celebrate a cornucopia of library resources. More »