Everything you need to know for this year’s book smackdown.
March is on the horizon, and at Russell Library that can only mean one thing — the Tournament of Books has returned! Make a bracket, vote for your favorite books, and help decide the 2026 Tournament of Books Champion!
Last year, from a crowded field full of memoirs, literary nonfiction, and romantasy, it was Kristin Hannah’s The Women which emerged victorious in the 2025 Tournament of Books. Will The Women be able to defend its title? Or will new a champion be crowned this year?
Predict the Winner in the Bracket Contest
Think you know how your fellow Middletown readers will vote? Make your bracket starting this week, and submit it by Monday, March 2nd before voting begins. Try your best to predict all four rounds of matchups; the owner of the highest scoring bracket will receive a $50 “Downtown Middletown” gift card and an “I [heart] Russell Library” tumbler.
Voting begins Tuesday, March 3rd, and each round of voting will last from Tuesday to Sunday. Through four rounds of voting, the field of sixteen books will be narrowed down until only one remains — the 2026 Tournament of Books Champion!
Brackets are available for pickup and submission in the first floor of the lobby of the library. You can also print out a bracket at home from our Tournament of Books webpage.
You’ll definitely want to subscribe to the newsletter for a link to voting every Tuesday morning in March. Alternatively, cast a vote when you stop into the Library!
The 2026 Books
The NFC (Non Fiction Conference)
1. The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins
2. The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt
3. Be Ready When the Luck Happens – Ina Garten
4. The Third Gilmore Girl – Kelly Bishop
5. From Here to the Great Unknown – Lisa Marie Presley
6. Everything Is Tuberculosis – John Green
7. **Framed – John Grisham and Jim McCloskey
8. **Careless People – Sarah Wynn-Williams
The AFC (Adult Fiction Conference)
1. The Wedding People – Alison Espach
2. Onyx Storm – Rebecca Yarros
3. The Women – Kristin Hannah
4. All The Colors of the Dark – Chris Whitaker
5. The God of the Woods – Liz Moore
6. James – Percival Everett
7. **Atmosphere – Taylor Jenkins Reid
8. **My Friends – Fredrik Backman
**Librarian Picks
How were this years books selected? With a healthy combination of statistics and professional judgment, of course! This year, the field consists of eight nonfiction and eight fiction books. Within each category, 6 of the 8 were the top circulating books at Russell Library last year.
The remaining books were carefully selected by our authoritative Librarian Selection Committee. During the rigorous and deliberative selection process, a panel of 8 librarians and library staff picked two books each for fiction and nonfiction (dubbed “Librarians Picks”) to qualify for the Tournament. These books were not only popular, but are highly recommended by your local librarians; if you haven’t read them yet, definitely add them to your list!
Brackets are now available to pick up in the library. You can also print out a bracket from home and bring it in whenever you’re able. All brackets must be in before 8pm on Monday, March 2nd.
Happy Bracket-ing!
The Library Vault 
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