Best of 2024: Staff Picks for AdultsLike this list

22 items

• Anyone's Ghost

  Thompson, August,

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  A moody and inventive gay romance a la "My Own Private Idaho" but starring two teenage New England metal-heads. Tragedy piles on as the story follows them into adulthood. I didn't read that many new books this year but of the 2024 ones, this was…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Bad Cree

  a Novel

  Johns, Jessica,

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  There is a gritty reality to these characters. They aren’t heroes, charging after monsters, but they aren’t superficial portrayals of ordinary humans either. Overall, as a family story of grief with a side of slow, creeping dread and a garnish of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Creative Act

  a Way of Being

  Rubin, Rick,

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  Sure, I picked this book up as a fanboy expecting anecdotes of the stars that he’s worked with. Instead, it’s a series of brief meditations on what it means to live creatively and work through blocks from a man who’s helped countless artists achieve…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ella Minnow Pea

  a Progressively Lipogrammatic Epistolary Fable

  Dunn, Mark, 1956-

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  A short novel, written in the form of correspondence between the inhabitants of a fictional island in which letters of the alphabet are systematically banned from use. It feels incredibly light-hearted and humorous despite being a dystopian novel. I…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Floating Hotel

  Curtis, Grace,

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  A slow pace allows the reader to meet a host of beautifully drawn characters. Recommended by Collection Development Specialist Lisa.

• Frieren, Beyond Journey's End. Volume 1

  Yamada, Kanehito

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  A fantastical story about an Elf learning about humanity. After defeating the Demon King, the Hero's party returns home to celebrate. They then all go their separate ways with a promise to reunite in 50 years. They meet up again just before the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Heavenly Delusion. Vol. 1

  Ishiguro, Masakazu, 1977-

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  This is adult sci-fi horror, an older title just translated into English. Great action with a huge mystery behind why the world changed so much. Crazy cool monsters and crazy scary humans. Recommended by Librarian Stacey.

• Hirayasumi. Vol. 1

  Shinzo, Keigo

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  Enjoyed the intergenerational story line and learning more about the Japanese culture especially the food! Recommended by Librarian Colleen.

• I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons

  Beagle, Peter S

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  Veteran fantasy author Beagle shows why he is considered a grand master of the art! Recommended by Collection Development Specialist Lisa.

• The Kamogawa Food Detectives

  Kashiwai, Hisashi, 1952-

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  A father-daughter team offer patrons at their restaurant a chance to relive nostalgic dishes from their pasts. Recommended by Collection Development Specialist Lisa.

• Lavender Clouds

  Comics About Neurodivergence and Mental Health

  Ollerton, Bex,

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  This adult graphic novel contains short comics about daily life with neurodiversity, super cute and cozy. Recommended by Librarian Stacey.

• Legends & Lattes

  a Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes

  Baldree, Travis, 1977-

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  An Orc barbarian mercenary retires to start a coffee shop and find a place to call home. Recommended by HR Specialist Sean.

• The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

  Chambers, Becky,

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  Suggested alongside “A Psalm for the Wild Built,” described together as two different flavors of hopeful futurism by Becky Chambers, both full of new friends and tea. Recommended by HR Specialist Sean.

• Oshi No Ko. Vol. 1

  Akasaka, Aka

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  Gorou is an ob-gyn with a life far removed from the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry--the world of his favorite idol, rising star Ai Hoshino. But when the two are unexpectedly brought together, their fates become intertwined in ways…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Psalm for the Wild-built

  Chambers, Becky,

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  Suggested alongside “The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet,” described together as two different flavors of hopeful futurism by Becky Chambers, both full of new friends and tea. Recommended by HR Specialist Sean.

• A Small Change

  Finding the Joy in Everyday Things

  Kim, Rae-hyeon

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  A cute new adult manhwa (Korean graphic novel) about a woman making small but impactful changes as she grows into a new adult. Recommended by Librarian Stacey.

• Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You. Vol. 1

  Jinushi,

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  Office worker Sasaki couldn't be more exhausted from work. His only comforts are cigarettes and the friendly smile of supermarket cashier Yamada. When Sasaki can't find Yamada after a particularly trying day, he stops to smoke outside the store. A…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Someone You Can Build a Nest in

  Wiswell, John, 1981-

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  A queer cozy horror romantasy about a shape shifting monster that falls in love with a human that is hunting her. This book is equal parts scary, romantic, and hilarious. There’s a bit of body horror crunching and squishing so it’s not for the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Somewhere Beyond the Sea

  Klune, TJ,

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  In the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, Arthur Parnassus, headmaster of a strange orphanage, and the other inhabitants of Marsyas Island must fight to save the dangerous and magical children of the orphanage or risk the entire island falling…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Undoing Project

  a Friendship That Changed Our Minds

  Lewis, Michael (Michael M.)

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  This story about the workings of the human mind is explored through the personalities of two fascinating individuals so fundamentally different from each other that they seem unlikely friends or colleagues. In the process they may well have changed,…Read moreRead more of this annotation