By Director of Library Operations Pam Parker
Curated by our librarians, this ‘Best of 2024’ list includes some of the worthiest books published this past year. Our list includes both critically acclaimed literary picks, readers favorites and award-nominated reads.
We strive to offer options across cultures and continents, encouraging a broad approach to reading. You can find more reading ideas for free online at NPR, Kirkus Reviews, The Guardian, Reddit and Goodreads, among others.
Download a copy of The Community Library’s Best of 2024 here.
Fiction
Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson | FICTION Axelsson ~ Indigenous Cultures, Family
All Fours by Miranda July | FICTION July ~ Midlife Crisis
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan | FICTION Sullivan ~ Gothic
Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford | FICTION Spofford ~ Historical/Speculative
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner | FICTION Kushner ~ Thriller/Espionage
The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao | FICTION Rao ~ Love, Family
Fire Exit by Morgan Talty | FICTION Talty ~ Contemporary
Funny Story by Emily Henry | FICTION Henry ~ Romance
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore | FICTION Moore ~ Thriller
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow | YA FIC CAD ~ Coming-of-Age, Poverty
Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham ~ FICTION Cunningham ~ Political, Social
James by Percival Everett | FICTION Everett ~ Historic Fiction/Literary
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai | FICTION Kashiwai ~ Family, Food
Long Island by Colm Toibin | FICTION Toibin ~ Historical, Family
Loot by Tania James | FICTION James ~ Historical, Colonial
Playground by Richard Powers | FICTION Powers ~ Speculative, Nature
Piglet by Lottie Hazell | FICTION Hazel ~ Weddings, Relationship
Prima Facie by Suzie Miller | FICTION Miller ~ Criminal Justice, Legal
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe | FICTION Thorpe ~ Life Experience
Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar | FICTION Akbar ~ Literary Fiction, LGBT
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich | FICTION Erdrich ~ Native American
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley | FICTION Bradley ~ Science Fiction
Real Americans by Rachel Khong | FICTION Khong ~ Contemporary, Magical Realism
The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden | FICTION Wouden ~ Period (‘60s), Holland
Salmon Moon by Julie Weston | MYSTERY Weston ~ Western/Local Interest
Shock Induction by Charles Palahniuk | FICTION Palahniuk ~ Dystopian, Education
Swift River by Essie Chambers | FICTION Chambers ~ Coming-of-Age
Table for Two by Amor Towles | FICTION Towles ~ Short Stories/Novella
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout | FICTION ~ Olive Kitteridge Series
Time of the Child by Niall Williams | FICTION Williams ~ Family, Ireland
The Women by Kristin Hannah | FICTION Hannah ~ Period (’60s), Viet Nam
You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue | FICTION Enrigue ~ Speculative, Mexico
Nonfiction
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | 305.23 HAI ~ Psychology, Childhood
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan | 813.54 TAN ~ Author Memoir, Nature
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten| Biography 920 Garten ~ Chef Memoir, Abuse
Bone of the Bone: Essays by Sarah Smarsh | 305.562 SMA ~ Poverty, American Culture
Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher | 338.47 SWI ~ Tech Memoir, Journalism
Challenger: …Disaster on the Edge by Adam Higginbotham | 363.124 HIG ~ Space Exploration
Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik | 813.54 ANO ~ Author/Artist Memoir
Freedom: Memories 1954-2021 by Angela Merkel | Biography 920 Merkel ~ Political, Europe
Memories of Distant Mountains by Orhan Pamuk | 894.35 PAM ~ Memoir, Writing/Arts
Here After: A Memoir by Amy Lin | 155.937 LIN ~ Loss & Grieving
How to Win an Information War by Peter Pomerantsev | 979.4 MAR ~ Period (WW II)
John Lewis: A Life by David Greenberg | Biography 920 Lewis ~ Civil Rights
John Lewis: …Beloved Community by Raymond Arsenault| Biography 920 Lewis ~ Civil Rights
Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman by Sonia Purnell | 973.9 PUR ~ Historical, Influencer
Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie | Biography 920 Rushdie
The Last Fire Season: A Personal History by Manjula Martin | 979.4 MAR ~ Memoir, Environment
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates | 070.92 COA ~ Social History, Journalism
My Beloved Monster: Masha by Caleb Carr | 636.8 CAR ~ Pets/Cats, Aging
Nexus: …Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari | 001.09 HAR ~ Technology
Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen | 355.021 JAC ~ Military Policy, Warfare
Patriot by Aleksie Navalny | Biography 920 Navalny ~ Russian, Political Prisoner
Power Metal by Vince Beiser | 333.85 BEI ~ Resources, Economics
The Showman: …Zelensky by Simon Shuster | 947.708 SHU ~ Current Affairs, Biography
The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon | 920.02 MCM ~ Women’s History
Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories by Amitav Ghosh | 338.473 GHO ~ Opium Trade
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey| 594.38 BAI ~ Nature, Aging
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg | 153.6 DUH ~ Communication, Business
An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearn Goodwin | Biography 920 Goodwin ~ Period (‘60s)
Unshrinking by Kate Manne | 305.908 MAN ~ Weight, Discrimination
Who’s Afraid of Gender by Judith Butler | 305.3 BUT ~ Sociology, Gender
The Wide Wide Sea: …Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides | 910.92 SID ~ Historical
War by Bob Woodward | 973.934 WOO ~ International Affairs, Current Events
Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa | 978.98 TAF ~ Memoir, Native American
Graphic Novels
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road by Manu Larcenet | Graphic Novel 741.5 LAR
The Examiner by Janice Hallett | Graphic Novel FICTION Hallett
Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah | Graphic Novel FICTION Noah
Past Tense: Facing Family Secrets by Sacha Mardou | Graphic Novel 362 MAR
The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain by Kazuo Ishiguro | Graphic Novel 782.42 ISH
Poetry
Latino Poetry: the Library of America Anthology by Rigoberto Gonzalez | 811.6 GON
No One Will Know You Tomorrow by Najwan Darwish | 892.71 DAR
Note: Some of these titles are still held in our NEW BOOKS area and many are checked out, so you may need to place a hold.
