“The Libbys” showcase librarian favorites like “House of Flame and Shadow,” “Funny Story” and “The Spellshop” alongside other crowd favorites

CLEVELAND – March 5, 2025 – While film and television have the Oscars and the Emmys, the literary world has “The Libbys.” OverDrive, the creator of the Libby app, proudly announces the winners of the 2nd annual Libby Book Awards, honoring the top librarian-recommended books of the year. Based on more than 1100 responses from librarians and public library staff worldwide, the 2025 Libby Book Awards celebrate literary excellence across 20 categories and recognize the stories and authors that captivated readers and earned the highest praise from some of the most trusted voices in the book community.

From gripping thrillers to thought-provoking memoirs and enchanting mysteries, this year’s Libby Book Awards honor the stories that inspired readers and dominated to-be-read lists. The 2025 winners highlight an incredible range of storytelling from debut novels to beloved authors like Emily Henry and Sarah J. Maas. The winning titles of this year’s awards were gathered based on the votes of thousands of librarians and library staff members from Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Romania and Puerto Rico. 

Here are the winners of the 2025 Libby Book Awards, organized by genre:

“The Women” by Kristin Hannah and “Funny Story” by Emily Henry—both among OverDrive’s top-circulating books of 2024—earned top honors in their respective categories, solidifying their status as reader favorites. This year also saw double wins for “The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Larson, which claimed both the Adult Non-Fiction and Audiobook awards, and for debut author Kaliane Bradley, whose “The Ministry of Time” was recognized in both the Debut Author and Science Fiction categories. Chosen by thousands of librarians worldwide, these winning books represent the stories that left a lasting impact.

Powered by OverDrive, Libby is the leading digital content platform for libraries and schools worldwide, providing readers access to their local library’s extensive digital collection, including popular ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, comics and more. Through these partnerships, Libby is increasing access to literary resources and igniting the love of reading. To get started with Libby, library patrons can download the Libby app and sign in with a valid library card or sign up for one directly in the app.

Readers can view the full list of nominees for the 2025 Libby Book Awards here.

 

About OverDrive 

OverDrive is a mission-based company that supports libraries and schools. Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive serves more than 92,000 libraries and schools in 115 countries with the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, video, and other content. OverDrive empowers libraries and schools by expanding access for all through tireless industry advocacy and consistent innovation. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby library reading app, the Sora student reading platform, Kanopy, the leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges, and TeachingBooks, which offers one of the largest catalogs of supplemental materials that enhance literacy outcomes. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. www.overdrive.com. 

 

Contact:

Madison Stoneburner

OverDrive

mstoneburner@overdrive.com

+1 216-573-6886 ext. 1389

Kalie Griffin

Uproar by Mobust for OverDrive

kalie.griffin@moburst.com

(407) 360-8538