Staff Favorites from 2024

Our behind-the-scenes staff aren't as visible to customers, but they love to read and watch, too! Get lots of good ideas to add to your reading or watch lists with this wide-ranging favorites of 2024. 

Kathryn, Cataloging and Processing

The Burning by Linda Castillo starts with a gruesome murder, follows a twisty trail through Anabaptist history, and piles on challenges both personal and professional for Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. This was a suspenseful and action-packed entry into Castillo's Kate Burkholder Amish mystery series.
 

Luma, Collection Development

My favorite book this year is Still Life With Bones by Alexa Hagerty, an anthropologist who recounts her time in Guatemala and Argentina working alongside human rights forensic teams and families of victims who are investigating and uncovering crimes against humanity. Hagerty expertly weaves her intimate experience working with bones of the deceased and stories from victims’ families and those of the local communities. It is a look inside the unimaginable horrors people can inflict on one another together with humans’ relationship to grief, ritual and justice. It was powerful to read the stories of people who persisted in their pursuit for freedom knowing they were putting their lives on the line, and to see communities coming together in their grief and rage. I still think about this book regularly and cannot recommend it enough.
 

Douglas, Adult and Community Engagement

Sarah Chapelle created the Taylor Swift Style blog and Instagram account to document the fashion choices worn by this favorite icon.  Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through the Eras chronicles each era with beautiful full color photographs and showcases how Swift chooses an aesthetic for each album, creating timeless and classic styles that are often repeated by her fans.  Perfect for any Swiftie!
 

Amanda, Youth and Family Engagement

I love all things horror, and one of my favorite reads this year has been Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman (author of Bird Box). I chose to listen to the audiobook, which is narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill. She reads from the narrator's perspective (8-year-old Bela) in the voice of a young child, which only adds to the eeriness! I was hooked completely by the end of the first page, which describes Bela saying goodnight to her parents, then greeting "Other Mommy" as she comes out of her closet.
 

Alexa, Cataloging and Processing

In Just for the Summer, author Abby Jimmenez hooks you in with a funny story about two people who suffer from the same love curse. They are determined to break them and find their true love right after dating "Just for the Summer". Then Jimmenez breathes life into her characters through hilarious banter, relatable family issues, and a hard path of self-love. I fell in love with all her characters and their relationships, and I know you will too! I cant wait to read more from Jimmenez in 2025. 
 

Zeke, Regional Manager

I loved God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer: A Novel by Joseph Earl Jones. It's about an Iraq War veteran now working in an emergency room in North Philly. It was a raw, visceral read and unlike anything I've ever read before.

 

Angelique, Collection Development

Twinkling Watermelon, a Korean television drama, surprises you with its perfect mix of whimsy, humor, and emotional depth. The series taps into the essence of youth and nostalgia, reminiscent of Back to the Future , that adds a playful twist that keeps you hooked. Sweet, heartwarming, and comforting, this K-drama gradually draws you in, making you truly care about the characters and their journey. This winter, let Twinkling Watermelon warm your heart and leave you smiling. 
 

Kristen, Cataloging and Processing

James Rolfe's gonna take you back to the past—his past to be specific with A Movie Making Nerd. With his love of movie making, James achieved internet stardom with his web show, The Angry Video Game Nerd, and later, a feature film based on his character. I can't help but love his passion for making movies, especially horror movies, and using his childhood memories of all the terrible games he played to make a funny web series enjoyed by many (myself included). I also have to mention, despite being known as "The Angry Video Game Nerd", James is actually a very nice guy.
 

Lori, Adult and Community Engagement

They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar is the story of Bonnie and Mansour, finding their way in the global music industry in the late 1960s. Keep reading: it's about how our identity is handed down over generations, the American Dream, the immigrant experience, the Black diaspora and the myth of monolithic identity, and a timeline which slides back and forth over decades—all of which melds into an immersive story with the most elegant prose I’ve had the pleasure to read this year.

The author, Mai Sennaar, grew up in Baltimore and in Senegal and her experiences as African American and Sengalese are reflected in this narrative. 
 

Tayla, Collection Development

That Time I got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming is my favorite book of the year! In a town protected by a goddess from demons every 15 years the goddess’ power wains and sometimes demons slip into the protective barrier. So what happens when a drunk spice trader named Cinnamon (Cinn) on her way home, hears someone calling out for help in the woods? Well she finds them, helps them, and to her surprise sees the person she saved is a demon. Cinn now aware of the terrifying situation she’s in begins to run for her life. Finally reaching her home, where she comically enough grows cinnamon, grabs a stalk and whacks the demon’s face with it and he falls unconscious. Upon waking up the next day Cinn and her family meet the demon, Fallon, and he tells them that their goddess is actually a lich queen and has held the demons as prisoners for many centuries. Fallon then asks for Cinn’s help to destroy the lich queen and free his people. Thus begins a journey that changes everything! This book was so much fun to read! Cinn is hilarious and her personality is radiant. She truly embodies a southern black woman in the best ways. Fallon’s obvious flirts and somewhat immature behavior compliments Cinn well as she’s often the one to wrangle Fallon in. Their adventures are full of whimsiness and funny characters that you could easily fall in love with. This is book one in the series and the two that follow are just as silly and enjoyable to read.
 

Micah, Cataloging and Processing

Trouble Boys is the biography of the beloved rock band, The Replacements (affectionately called "the Mats," as in placemats, by their longtime fans). Mehr's incredibly detailed and exhaustively researched book delves into and deconstructs the band's infamous legacy as a ragtag, self-destructive band of misfits who never quite got the fame they both longed for and resented. It's a funny, harrowing, sometimes frustrating (in a good way!!) glimpse into one of the most influential musical acts to come out of the1970s/1980s Minneapolis music scene (the book features a particularly fun anecdote about the band's lead singer and songwriter, Paul Westerberg, meeting Prince). I highly recommend the book to music fans—you don't have to be familiar with their music to enjoy this book, though I guarantee you will start listening once you've finished it (we have some of their music at BCPL, too!).
 

Zachary, Youth and Family Engagement

Meems & Feefs, Volume 1: Ferrets from Planet Ferretonia by Liza N. Cooper is hands-down, the best graphic novel I read this year. Two curious, fun-loving  ferrets end up trapped on Earth while trying to solve the mysteries of the universe! Teaming up with a friendly, teenaged girl named Liza, our heroes Meems and Feefs attempt to return home to save their world- and possibly ours! Adorable artwork, an engaging story, and the first in a new series, this book will appeal to anyone who loves animals, fantasy stories, or fun. Oh, did I mention the chili-pepper-powered space/time traveling machine? Be sure to check this one out, from your local library!
 

Noel, Collection Development

This year I found my new favorite character of all time! The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston introduced the world and me, to Frederick Fife. He is loveable, so kind, and an absolute hoot.  If you love stories that will melt your heart, then this is a book for you!

This novel follows 82-year-old Frederick. He used his life savings to make sure his wife got all the treatment she needed while she battled cancer, but sadly she passed away.  Now Frederick is alone and homeless. One day fate intervenes, when he witnesses an elderly man in a wheelchair, fall while feeding seagulls, during a nursing home outing. Frederick attempts to help, but the man who is clearly deceased falls into the river and is washed away along with Frederick’s wallet. Shockingly, Frederick resembles this man closely enough to pass for him. Despite his protests and explanations, Frederick is whisked into his wheelchair, onto the bus, and into the man’s room and pajamas.

Frederick soon discovers that the man seems to have no family left either. Can Frederick borrow his life and have a place to live out his days or will everyone discover that Fred is a fraud?
 

Cheryl, Adult and Community Engagement

My favorite read this year was Starter Villain by John Scalzi. I loved the quirky characters (including the non-human ones) and the story was interesting. It was just what I needed: light, funny, and kind of wacko. There is a bit of language, but I appreciate smart dialogue married to a creative concept.

 

Anita, Cataloging and Processing

This year has absolutely been A'ja Wilson's year and before she was awarded the WNBA MVP for the third time and won an Olympic gold medal, I had the pleasure of reading Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You, an essay book in the form of letters. A'ja talks about growing up and weathering things like grief, racism, imposter syndrome, and the pressures of competing at a high-level. Seeing A'ja on the court killing it on the Aces in the WNBA is always special but hearing how she approaches her life,  job, and all that it took to get her where she is was such a treat. Some of my favorite letters were the ones about her draft day outfit, her grandmother growing up during segregation, her first year in the W, and her relationship with basketball icon, Dawn Staley.

This book is so important for those who are new to watching the W since it experienced massive growth this year with rookies like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Cameron Brink who helped shine a light on the league in 2024. But A'ja reminds us that black athletes are, and have always been, the foundation of the league and they need to be heard. Everyone should hear what she has to say, even if you're not a basketball fan. Note for audiobook listeners, she reads the book, and it makes the experience even better!
 

Todd, Collection Development

In The Heart that Fed: A Father, A Son, and the Long Shadow of War, a searing graphic memoir, author/illustrator Carl Sciacchitano weaves together memories that he shared with his battle-scarred father, David. A college dropout in the 1960s, David volunteers to go to Vietnam as a mechanic in the Air Force. Soon, he realizes that he signed up for more than he bargained for and spends time surviving both the Viet Cong and his commanding officers. He's first posted to Da Nang, and later at the brutal Tet Offensive, before transferring into the State Department and experiencing the fall of Saigon. Hand-lettered text and sepia tones appropriately fit the memoir, along with exceptional technical and mechanical illustrations.

Carl’s often tense relationship with his father is evocatively depicted in the moments when David’s PTSD overtakes him. A trove of photographs and letters David sent to his sister during the war, which she saved for decades, helped Carl make sense of how his father lived through the chaos. The book is notable in how it portrays the generational consequences of war. When Carl takes David back to Vietnam for the first time in early 2020, the veteran of the war finally returns to the country he left decades earlier and gets to experience how much it has changed in the intervening years.
 

Maura, Cataloging and Processing

The book I enjoyed most was Lexington: the Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens. The intersection of horse racing and America's mid-19th century social-political atmosphere are brought to life in this narrative that focuses on Lexington—a small, nearly blind, spirited stallion who is an ancestor of the majority of present-day American thoroughbred race horses. Readers will follow Lexington throughout his racing career and are introduced to the people who guided him to champion status as well as a gang of outlaws who could have put Lexington's life to a sudden end.

Thoughtfully, the author doesn't assume all readers are familiar with horse racing jargon and takes time to explain the meanings of these terms. Fans of horse racing, history, sport and beyond will find themselves rooting for Lexington throughout this thought-provoking yet steadily-paced read.
 

Maureen, Collection Development

This Motherless Land by Nikki May is a decolonial retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park set over the course of two decades beginning in 1986 that explores themes of identity, culture, race and love. Nine-year-old Funke is happy in Lagos, Nigeria. She loves her brilliant, bohemian British mother, Lizzie, her Nigerian professor father and even her annoying little brother. They are a happy family until tragedy strikes and Funke is sent to her mother’s relatives in England, who are cold and unwelcoming. But her loving cousin Liv is the one kind person in Funke's new life. Liv is determined to shield Funke from the resentment and anger her mother, Margot, has cast over the family. Liv’s warmth and kindness give Funke a place to heal and the girls grow into adulthood as the closest of friends. But when a second tragedy occurs will their bond be sustained?