# Year-End Wrap Up
Can you believe it's almost the end of another year? So far, 293 customers read at least 12 books of the 16 Jax Stacks challenge categories and won a prize. But don't worry, there's still time. If you're stuck on a category, explore the amazing book recommendations by your friends and neighbors on StoryGraph.
Before we officially wrap up this year and announce the next set of reading challenge categories, let's take a look at some of the top books and categories chosen by Jax Stacks winners (as recorded on their completed bookmarks). You might just see a book or two you'd like to pick up!
Top 5 Most Popular Books, Chosen By Winners
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The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman
- First Book in a Series, A Mystery Set Outside the U.S.
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This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
- An Anthology or Book with Two or More Authors
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The Maid, by Nita Prose
- A Book Featuring a Neurodivergent Character
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Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann
- A Book About a Minority Group or Person
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Artemis, by Andy Weir
- A Book About a Heist, A Book Read by a Library Book Club in 2025
Top 5 Most Picked Categories
- First Book in a Series
- Book Published Before 2000
- A Book Written for Children
- A Mystery Set Outside the U.S.
- A Book from a Library Display
5 More Top Books by Category
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A Book by a 2025 Lit Chat Author
- Cradles of the Reich, by Jennifer Coburn
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A Book Read by a Library Book Club in 2025
- The Five Star Weekend, by Elin Hilderbrand
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A Book About Music
- The Violin Conspiracy, by Brendan Slocumb
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An Epistolary Book or Diary Format
- Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple
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Retelling of a Book of Story
- James, by Percival Everett
What Books Made Your List?
If you haven't completed the 2025 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge, there's still time! You have until December 31 to submit your completed list to jplprograms@coj.net to claim your prize (while they last). Get the complete rundown at jaxlibrary.org/jaxstacks.
Need more? Click here for Jax Stacks Staff Picks.
Pro Tip: Having trouble crossing off one of the challenge categories? Call in a book recommendation expert! Did you know you can request a Personalized Booklist from one of our librarians? Of course, you can use this any time (not just for Jax Stacks). It's also a great way to find books your kids or gift ideas for the book lovers in your life.
DIY Book Recommendations
- Find recommendations from other readers on the Jax Stacks StoryGraph Challenge
- Add books to the group bookshelf on our Jax Stacks Goodreads Challenge
- Sign up for The Book Hookup and get recommendations via email from popular genres
- Use the free tools on Novelist Plus to find read-alikes for your favorite titles and authors
- See Forthcoming Books, New Fiction and New Nonfiction in the Library's catalog
# Looking (and Planning) Ahead
If you missed out on your preferred piece of Jax Stacks swag or you're just excited want to join us again for year five, stay tuned! We'll be announcing our 2026 challenge categories soon, along with some starter recommendations. So, be sure to follow us on Instagram. We're keeping the same prizes (apparently, you really like them). Just be sure to pick up your bookmark at the end of December or early January and start reading right away! Supplies are limited.
Love Meeting the Authors Behind your Favorite Books?
Spoiler alert: "A Book by a Lit Chat Author" is one of the 16 challenge categories every year. So, if you're planning your TBR for 2026, go ahead and bookmark jaxlibrary.org/litchat or sign up for email newsletters. Your favorite author might just be visiting a Jax Library near you.
Get Completely Booked
Catch a 2025 Lit Chat Interview you might have missed (or want to revisit) by checking out this YouTube playlist. If podcasts are more your vibe, subscribe to Completely Booked (using the podcasting app of your choice) for audio-only replays. Note: Some interviews are only available for a limited time.
