2023 has been an amazing year for books, movies, music, and more! As this year wraps up, we want to share some of Memorial Hall Library staff's favorites of the year. We have picks for all types of readers - even those who might want to take a reading break and relax with a movie! Whether you are looking for a funny graphic memoir about a Mexican-American kid, a moving collection of poetry, or a new take on Kafka's Metamorphosis, we have picks for you. Make sure you scroll all the way through for picks for kids and teens.
Happy reading and we can't wait to see what great new books 2024 brings!
Staff Favorite Titles for Adults
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From award-winning director Ben Affleck, it reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son's immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time. Loved by Library Director Barbara! |
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We were once a family : a story of love, death, and child removal in America
by Roxanna Asgarian NONFICTION: This shocking expose of the foster care and adoption systems that continue to fail America's most vulnerable children recounts the murder-suicide of a white married couple and their six Black children, revealing, a pattern of abuse and neglect that went ignored with fateful consequences. Loved by Library Director Barbara! |
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Barbie
To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken. Loved by Library Assistant Virginia (and many others)! |
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BlackBerry It's 1996, and Mike Lazaridis and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin are on the edge of creating the world's first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning businessman Jim Balsillie agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Seemingly overnight the three men revolutionize the way people work, communicate, and connect. Celebrities, politicians, and businessmen are now addicted to their Blackberrys. The company's value skyrockets, yet within a few short years shady business dealings, personal grievances, and, perhaps most dangerously, the iPhone, threaten the company's incredible success. Coordinator of Technology Services Theo says, "Smart, funny look at the rise and fall of one of the first smartphones. Blackberry tells a fascinating story, has great performances from the leads, and doesn't shy away from some of the less glamorous aspects of the tech industry." |
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The postcard
by Anne Berest HISTORICAL FICTION: Fifteen years after the arrival of an anonymous postcard with the names of her maternal great-grandparents and their children—all killed at Auschwitz—Anne Berest is moved to discover who sent it and why and embarks on a journey to learn the fate of the Rabinovitch family. Loved by Reference and Cataloging Librarian Lisa! |
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In love : a memoir of love and loss
by Amy Bloom MEMOIR: Amy and Brian's world was changed forever with his diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's. Forced to confront the daily frustrations and realities of the disease and its impact on their lives and marriage, Brian resolved not to let it dictate his life and instead asked himself: What makes life meaningful, and how do I want to live the rest of mine? His decision led them to learn about Dignitas and to fly to Zurich for a peaceful ending of Brian's life. In Love is the illuminating story of a marriage, of the gradual awareness that something was deeply wrong, and of a disease's effect on a man, a woman, a family. What were the signs that Brian and Amy brushed aside, and how did they cope when they could no longer ignore the truth as confirmed by an MRI? Why, in retrospect, did Brian decide to retire from his architecture practice earlier than he had planned? Bloom goes on to recount their search for a dignified and kind solution to the pain of Brian's life, and their discovery of Dignitas in Zurich, where the choice for a dignified end of life can be realized. In this moving memoir, Bloom also writes of their life together before Alzheimer's, and of a love that runs so deep that they were willing to work to find a courageous way to part. Loved by Library Assistant Paula! |
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Enchanted to meet you
by Meg Cabot Chic boutique owner and witch Jess is asked to help mentor a local teen who might be the Chosen One in the first novel of a new series by the best-selling author of The Princess Diaries series. Loved by Library Assistant Virginia! |
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The secret lives of country gentlemen
by KJ Charles HISTORICAL ROMANCE: The leader of the Doomsday smuggling clan, Joss Doomsday, to save his sister from a hanging offense, blackmails Sir Gareth with the secret of their relationship to force him to recant, but is unable to stary away from this well-mannered gentleman—and the danger and mystery he brings. Teen Services Librarian Anna says, "This has everything a good historical romance should have: smuggling! gold! secret heirs! SMOOCHING!" |
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Sea change
by Gina Chung CONTEMPORARY FICTION: Ro is stuck. She's just entered her thirties, she's estranged from her mother, and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at a mall aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (mountain dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeno). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ro's only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ro's last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager. When Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor intent on moving her to a private aquarium, Ro finds herself on the precipice of self-destruction. Wading through memories of her youth, Ro has one last chance to come to terms with her childhood trauma, recommit to those around her, and find her place in an ever-changing world. Coordinator of Technology Services Theo says, "Quirky novel about loss, family, the challenges one faces in their early 30s, and a mutant octopus." |
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The last thing he told me : a novel
by Laura Dave THRILLER: When her husband of a year disappears, Hannah quickly learns he is not who he said he was and is left to sort out the truth with just one ally--her husband's teenage daughter, who hates her. Loved by Assistant Head of Circulation Gerry! |
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A heart that works
by Rob Delaney MEMOIR: The co-creator and co-star of the hit series Catastrophe presents a deeply personal memoir about the death of his young son from a brain tumor and takes readers through the grief and pain that followed. Loved by Library Assistant Paula! |
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The measure : a novel
by Nikki Erlick SCIENCE FICTION: When every person, all over the globe, receives a small wooden box bearing the same inscription and a single piece of string inside, the world is thrown into a collective frenzy, in this novel told through multiple perspectives that introduces an unforgettable cast of characters. Loved by Assistant Director Kim! |
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The lonely hearts book club
by Lucy Gilmore CONTEMPORARY: Sloane Parker lives a small, contained life as a librarian in her small, contained town. She never thinks of herself as lonely...but still she looks forward to that time every day when old curmudgeon Arthur McLachlan comes to browse the shelves and cheerfully insult her. Their sparring is such a highlight of Sloane's day that when Arthur doesn't show up one morning, she's instantly concerned. And then another day passes, and another. Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden...and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur's gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart--and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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The last remains
by Elly Griffiths MYSTERY: When the remains of a woman leads to the discovery of other missing women– all linked to a spiritual wellness retreat, Dr. Ruth Calloway infiltrates an archaeology club to help DCI Harry Nelson find the truth, which places her life in danger and forces Nelson to face his feelings for her. Loved by Assistant Director Kim! |
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Your driver is waiting : a novel
by Priya Guns CONTEMPORARY FICTION: For the first time ever, Damani, who drives for an app, starts dating a white girl with money, but when their romance intensifies and she finally lets her guard down, her girlfriend does something unforgivable, setting off an explosive chain of events. Reference and Cataloging Librarian Tricia says, "A sharp, biting satire about class, activism, and privilege. This is an author to watch." |
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The Paris daughter : a novel
by Kristin Harmel HISTORICAL FICTION: As World War II ends, Elise returns to Paris to reunite with her daughter only to find that her friend Juliette, the woman she entrusted her daughter with, has seemingly vanished without a trace, which leads Elise on a desperate search to New York--and to Juliette--one final, fateful time. Loved by Assistant Head of Circulation Gerry! |
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Black sheep
by Rachel Harrison HORROR: A cynical twentysomething must confront her cultish family in this fiery, irreverent novel from the national bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle. Vesper Wright is in hell. The night she gets fired from her unglamorous restaurant job, she comes home to find an envelope waiting on her doorstep. There's no return address, but she knows exactly who it's from-her estranged family. Inside the envelope is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper's cousin and childhood best friend, Rosemary, the oneperson she regrets losing touch with. She's getting married at the family home. A home that, according to the rules of her strictly religious family, Vesper shouldn't be allowed to return to. But Vesper has always been an exception to the rule, and something inside her is telling her she has to attend the wedding, even if it means suffering through a weekend in the staunchly religious community she defected from. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen. When Vesper's homecoming exhumes a horrifying family secret, she's forced to reckon with her family's fanatical beliefs and her own unexpected identity. This haunting novel explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to define our own separate identities. Reference and Cataloging Librarian Tricia says, "A delicious twist is revealed early and makes the story much more compelling. Dark sense of humor required." |
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Lou Reed : the King of New York
by Will Hermes BIOGRAPHY: The most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master Lou Reed, whose stature grows every year. Reference Librarian Justin says, "I loved the way that Hermes was able to show Reed as more than just a grumpy old crank (although he could be that) and rightfully placed him as a central figure in American pop culture at the intersection of art, poetry, queerness, and pop music.” |
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The forever witness : how DNA and genealogy solved a cold case double murder
by Edward Humes NONFICTION: After 30 years, Detective Jim Scharf arrested a teenage couple's murderer-and exposed a looming battle between the pursuit of justice and the right to privacy. When Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle in the 1980s, detectives had few leads. The murder weapon was missing. No one witnessed any suspicious activity. And there was only a single handprint on the outside of the young couple's van. The detectives assumed Tanya and Jay were victims of a serial killer-but without any leads, the case seemed forever doomed. In deep-freeze, long-term storage, biological evidence from the crime scenes sat waiting. Meanwhile, California resident CeCe Moore began her lifetime fascination with genetic genealogy. As DNA testing companies rapidly grew in popularity, she discovered another use for the technology: solving crimes. When Detective Jim Scharf decided to send the cold case's decades-old DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, he hoped he would bring closure to the Van Cuylenborg and Cook families. He didn't know that he and Moore would make history. Anyone can submit a saliva sample to learn about their ancestry. But what happens after the results of these tests are uploaded to the internet? As lawyers, policymakers, and police officers fight over questions of consent and privacy, the implications of Scharf's case become ever clearer. Approximately 250,000 murders in the United States remain unsolved today. We have the tools to catch many of these killers-but what is the cost? Loved by Library Director Barbara! |
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Quietly hostile : essays by Samantha Irby ESSAYS: In this much-anticipated new collection of hilarious essays, the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author takes us on another outrageously funny tour of all the gory details that make up the true portrait of a life behind the screenshotted depression memes. Reference and Cataloging Librarian Tricia says, "Whenever I need to laugh, I read Irby’s essays. This one did not disappoint!" |
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Never been kissed
by Timothy Janovsky ROMANCE: Wren Roland, who has never been kissed, but wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything, wonders if he'll get his chance when his #1 pre-coming-out-crush helps him on a special project to save his struggling drive-in for good. Loved by Library Assistant Virginia! |
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The dead take the A Train
by Cassandra Khaw URBAN FANTASY: Trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, Julie, a coked-up, burnt-out 30-year-old, finds her desperation for a quick fix to break the dead-end grind and help save her best Sarah setting off a deadly chain of events that puts them all directly in the path of annihilation. Teen Services Librarian Anna says, "A gory mix of cosmic horror and an anti-capitalist and anti-gig economy manifesto, this is a fun ride into the dark side of wealth and power!" |
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Prom Mom : a novel
by Laura Lippman THRILLER: Drawn back to Baltimore where she's known as“Prom Mom”—the girl who allegedly killed her baby on the night of the prom after her date—Joe Simpson, abandoned her, Amber Glass is unable to stay away from Joe and vice versa until he asks her to help him do the unthinkable.
Loved by Library Director Barbara! |
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Just another missing person
by Gillian McAllister MYSTERY/THRILLER: While investigating the disappearance of 22-year-old Olivia, Julia, the detective heading up the case, discovers, to save her own family, she must not find out what happened to Olivia and must frame somebody else for her murder. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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People collide : a novel
by Isle McElroy From the acclaimed author of The Atmospherians-"a Fight Club for the Millennial Generation" (Mat Johnson)-a gender-bending, body-switching novel that explores marriage, identity, and sex, and raises profound questions about the nature of true partnership. Reference Librarian Justin says, "This is a wild, surreal novel that feels like a modern telling of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, but with gender swapping spouses instead of a man turning into a cockroach." |
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Silver nitrate
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia MYSTERY: Helping a cult horror director shoot the missing scene from his magic film that was never finished to lift a curse, sound editor Montserrat and her best friend Tristán start seeing strange things and must unravel the mystery of this film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city. Teen Services Librarian Anna says, "A perfect spooky mystery for film fans and those fascinated by the occult. One to read with the lights on!" |
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The last devil to die
by Richard Osman When a dangerous package goes missing on Boxing Day, the Thursday Murder Club, when one of their own is murdered, take on their most deadly opponents yet. Loved by Assistant Director Clare! |
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Our Flag Means Death This series follows the misadventures of gentleman-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet and his crew aboard the pirate ship Revenge as they try to make a name for themselves as pirates and cross paths with famed pirate captain Blackbeard. Reference Librarian Justin says, "This starts out as a fairly silly pirate comedy, only to take a swift turn into a truly beautiful expression of queer love and resilience, while at the same time remaining a fairly silly pirate comedy." Borrow our Roku streaming media player with HBO Max to watch this series. |
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Past lives
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life. Loved by Library Assistant Dianna! |
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The best minds : a story of friendship, madness, and the tragedy of good intentions by Jonathan Rosen NONFICTION: An acclaimed author investigates the forces that led his closest childhood friend, a paranoid schizophrenic with brilliant promise who defied the odds and graduated from Yale Law School, to kill the woman he loved, in this exploration of the ways in which we understand—and fail to understand—mental illness. Loved by Assistant Director Clare! |
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The guncle : a novel
by Steven Rowley CONTEMPORARY FICTION. When Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) for short, takes on the role of primary guardian for his young niece and nephew, he sets “Guncle Rules,” but soon learns that parenting isn’t solved with treats or jokes as his eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility. Children's Library Assistant Carol says, "It's a fun book with laugh out loud moments while at the same time making a point about family and relationships." |
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Above ground : poems by Clint Smith POETRY: Clint Smith’s vibrant and compelling new collection traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood, and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. There are poems that interrogate the ways our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions. There are poems that revel in the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of your children, as they discover it for the first time. There are poems that meditate on what it means to raise a family in a world filled with constant social and political tumult. Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith’s lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children’s lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up—through the changing world of which we are all a part. Loved by Reference and Cataloging Librarian Lisa! |
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Congratulations, the best is over! : essays
by R. Eric Thomas ESSAYS: The best-selling author of Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America presents a collection of relatable and humorous essays that explore his return to his hometown of Baltimore. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "R. Eric Thomas is one of my favorite humor writers! These deeply relatable essays had me laughing out loud." |
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The bodies keep coming : dispatches from a black trauma surgeon on racism, violence, and how we heal
by Brian H. Williams NONFICTION: Narrating the grief and anger as a Black doctor on the front lines, a trauma surgeon recounts the events that thrust him into the spotlight in 2016, which forced him to rethink everything he thought he knew about medicine, injustice and what true healing looks like. Loved by Reference and Cataloging Librarian Lisa! |
Staff Favorite Titles for Kids and Teens
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Good night, baby : say good night in 15 languages!
by Little Bee Books BOARD BOOK: This endearing board book, filled with photos of sleepy children, introduces simple bedtime routines while teaching toddlers how to say“good night” in 15 languages, including English, Chinese, French, Korean, Navajo and Russian. Children's Library Assistant Heather says, "See babies all over the world getting ready for bed and say good night to them in 15 of the world's most spoken languages!" |
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Wonderful seasons
by Emily Winfield Martin BOARD BOOK: This delightful celebration of the seasons, from Springtime fun to cozy Winter, shows a diverse cast of babies enjoying the joy and wonder around them. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Twelve dinging doorbells
by Tameka Fryer Brown PICTURE BOOK: A cumulative all-holiday carol packed to the brim with family, food, love, and Black joy, especially perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, graduations, and all family celebrations. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld PICTURE BOOK: Agreeing to take a hike with Grandpa, grumpy Finn explores the elements of nature and discovers that things—and people—are often more then they appear on the surface. Children's Library Assistant Heather says, "Turn a bad mood around with Finn and his grandfather!" |
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The fantastic Bureau of Imagination
by Brad Montague PICTURE BOOK: Delivering the mail at the Fantastic Bureau of Imagination, special figment agent Sparky must recruit more agents to share their dreams, songs and stories with the world after disaster strikes the Cave of Untold Stories, threatening to topple the whole bureau. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Oh no, the aunts are here
by Adam Rex PICTURE BOOK: This hilarious take on family reunions follows one girl's relatable visit from her overwhelming and overly enthusiastic aunts, who cause merry mayhem! Children's Library Assistant Heather says, "For anyone who can get overwhelmed during big family gatherings" |
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Real to me
by Minh Le PICTURE BOOK: When its real-life best friend disappears, leaving it to wander alone, an imaginary friend struggles with its feelings, in this gentle story about first friendship, the sadness when it's lost and the wonder of new friends. Children's Library Assistant Heather says, "A twist on the traditional imaginary friend story." |
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The artivist
by Nikkolas Smith PICTURE BOOK: Realizing the magnitude of injustice, a young boy who is determined to do more brings together the different parts of himself "the artist" and the "activist"to become an Artivist, vowing to change the world one painting at a time. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Tokyo Night Parade
by J. P. Takahashi PICTURE BOOK: The night parade is about to begin. The ground thunders in Tokyo. A gust of wind blows. The pitter patter of paws and claws draws closer. The air is thick with swirling, swooping demons. It's Eka's favorite evening of the year, the one night she refuses to miss. But it's become harder to travel to Japan now that she's living across the world in New York. Unsure of when she can return next to see her yokai friends, Eka tries to forget that this could be her last parade for some time. Instead, she'll march, sing, dance, hoot, and screech until sunrise. Because on this night, there's no time to waste--the night parade awaits. Children's Library Assistant Heather says, "A beautifully illustrated story about Eka's favorite day of the year, the night parade!" |
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Nell plants a tree
by Anne Wynter This gorgeous picture book follows a young girl named Nell whose careful tending of a pecan tree creates the living center of a loving, intergenerational Black family. Children's Library Assistant Heather says, "Why not take inspiration from this story about three generations coming together around their pecan tree, and grow a special tree with your family?" |
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The apartment house on Poppy Hill
by Nina LaCour MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: Determined to make two new tenants feel welcome, bighearted, curious and mischievous 9-year-old Ella, who knows all the neighbors except for the mysterious Robinsons who live on the top floor, hopes a special celebration will change that. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Camp Sylvania
by Julie Murphy MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Dumplin' and Dear Sweet Pea comes a hilarious and spooky middle grade summer-camp story that takes a bite out of fat camp as it follows Magnolia“Maggie” Hagen to Camp Rising Star, where the reputed“camp ghost” may be the least scary thing about the place. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Hoops by Matt Tavares MIDDLE GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL: Inspired by a true story, this graphic novel about the ongoing battle of women striving for equality in sports follows the Wilkins Regional High School girls' basketball team in 1975 Indiana, as they push through to improbable victory after improbable victory despite their disadvantages. Loved by Head of Children's Services Beth! |
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Elf dog & owl head
by M. T Anderson MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: Quarantined with his family as a global plague ravages the world, Clay retreats to the woods where he meets a special little dog who leads him on surreal adventures where choosing the wrong path could cause them both to lose their way forever. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "MT Anderson is such an incredible author to me because each book he writes is very different from the last, but somehow his intensely curious, humane worldview always shines through. Elf Dog and Owl Head is a lovely, moving exploration of the impact the COVID lockdowns had on families and also has an incredible magical dog." |
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Free lunch
by Rex Ogle MIDDLE GRADE/TWEEN: A distinctive new voice: Rex Ogle's story of starting middle school on the free lunch program is timely, heartbreaking, and true. Free Lunch is the story of Rex Ogle's first semester in sixth grade. Rex and his baby brother often went hungry, wore secondhand clothes, and were short of school supplies, and Rex was on his school's free lunch program. Grounded in the immediacy of physical hunger and the humiliation of having to announce it every day in the school lunch line, Rex's is a compelling story of a more profound hunger -- that of a child for his parents' love and care. Compulsively readable, beautifully crafted, and authentically told with the voice and point of view of a 6th-grade kid, Free Lunch is a remarkable debut by a gifted storyteller. Loved by Assistant Director Clare! |
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Dear Mothman
by Robin Gow TWEEN FICTION: To deal with the death of his best friend, young trans boy Noah writes to his favorite cryptid Mothman, which leads to unexpected friendship and danger as he risks everything to prove to his small Poconos town that Mothman is real. Teen Services Librarian Anna says, "This sweet novel in verse is about friendship and grief and believing in the unknown. It made me want to give all my friends - including Mothman! - a hug!" |
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Don't want to be your monster
by Deke Moulton TWEEN FICTION: Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it's morally acceptable to eat people. Well, not so much eat . . . just drink a little blood. They're vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family. Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in his life (well, immortal life) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family. Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it's too late? Loved by Reference and Cataloging Librarian Lisa! |
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The Manifestor prophecy
by Angie Thomas TWEEN FANTASY: When her dad, a great Manifestor, is imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, 12-year-old Nic Blake, along with her hellhound and two friends, hunts for a powerful magical tool that could save him. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "I love Nic Blake! It's so fun to see her magical world and how she navigates it in her own way." |
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The blood years
by Elana K. Arnold TEEN HISTORICAL FICTION: Based on the author's grandmother's true experiences during the Holocaust in Romania, this harrowing story follows Rieke Teitler as she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "Harrowing, lovely, exploration of the hope that endures through some of humanity's worst moments." |
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Funeral songs for dying girls
by Cherie Dimaline TEEN FICTION: To save her father's job at the crematorium and the only home she's ever known, Winifred and her con-artist cousin start offering ghost tours until Winifred meets an actual ghost who causes her to question everything she believes about life, love and death. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "Funny, spooky, moving. Recommended for anyone who's ever dragged their family on a ghost tour." |
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The scarlet alchemist
by Kylie Lee Baker TEEN HISTORICAL FANTASY: In an alternate Tang Dynasty China, aspiring royal alchemist Zilan, who has the ability to resurrect the dead, arrives in the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country and becomes drawn into the dangerous political games of the royal family. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "This fantasy novel really kept me turning the pages! It's rare that I'm truly surprised by a book's twists and turns but this one really got me." |
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Everyone wants to know
by Kelly Loy Gilbert TEEN FICTION: When one of her best friends leaks their private conversation to a gossip site, Honor, a member of the famous Lo family, works to repair the damage under claustrophobic public scrutiny, forcing her to decide between loyalty and the life she wants. Teen Services Librarian Renata, "Perfect for readers who, like me, have a dark fascination with reality television families." |
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Sunshine
by Jarrett Krosoczka TEEN GRAPHIC MEMOIR: The author shares his extraordinary experiences as a counselor at Camp Sunshine, a camp for seriously ill kids and their families, where he met campers and fellow counselors who forever changed the course of his life. Loved by Reference and Cataloging Librarian Lisa! |
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Mexikid
by Pedro Martin TEEN GRAPHIC MEMOIR: Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity in this moving and hilarious graphic memoir. Teen Services Librarian Renata says, "This book is hilarious! The detail-rich art brought to mind Richard Scarry, and Martín's feelings of not quite fitting in with his family are relatable to all kinds of kids, not only Mexikids." |
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A first time for everything
by Dan Santat TEEN GRAPHIC MEMOIR: In this feel-good coming-of-age memoir, the best-selling author and Caldecott Medalist shares his life-changing middle school trip to Europe during which he experiences a series of firsts, including first love. Loved by Reference and Cataloging Librarian Lisa! |
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The infinity particle
by Wendy Xu TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL: Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin's assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots--she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there's something about Kye that feels almost too human. When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye's growing independence and won't allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn't he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye's future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free--even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for. Teen Services Librarian Anna says, "Robots have always been a way to hold up a mirror to humanity and this is an especially great example of that trope. Not only does the book discuss thorny issues like AI and ethics but the art is gorgeous and the variety of different robots are really adorable!!" |