Ledding Library Staff Favorites of 2025

Books that Ledding Library's staff enjoyed in 2025, new or old!

Updated December 30, 2025
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About Grace : a novel
Doerr, Anthony
Paper Book
The first novel by Anthony Doerr, the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning author of Cloud Cuckoo Land, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning #1 New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See, one of the most beautiful, wise, and compelling debuts of recent...
Abundance
Klein, Ezra
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2025 * NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2025 * KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOKS OF 2025 * NPR BOOKS WE LOVE 2025 "A must-read for progressives who want a blueprint for reforming...
Atmosphere : A Love Story
Reid, Taylor Jenkins.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go...
The bewitching
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Three women in three different eras encounter danger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic. "In Silvia Moreno-Garcia's sure hands, every uncovered secret is...
Blazing eye sees all : love has won, false prophets and the fever dream of the American new age
Sottile, Leah
Paper Book
In this "unflinching and wildly entertaining" investigation of the modern New Age movement in America, a journalist aims to understand how women like Amy Carlson (the leader of Love Has Won) and others become devoutly invested in their beliefs (Talia Lavin, author of Culture Warlords)....
The blanket cats
Shigematsu, Kiyoshi
Paper Book
Is three days with a cat enough to change your life?The troubled and anxious of Tokyo are desperate to find out. They all have their problems - and they all want to believe that a temporary feline companion from a unique pet shop can help them find a solution. Or at least provide a few days'...
Blue sisters
Mellors, Coco
Paper Book
'IT MOVED ME DEEPLY' LIV LITTLE 'DEEPLY POIGNANT' HARPERS BAZAAR 'GORGEOUS' RAVEN LEILANI THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF CLEOPATRA AND FRANKENSTEIN 'It will make you laugh, cry deeply, and want to call your siblings'...
Bunny
Awad, Mona
Paper Book
THE TIKTOK SENSATION, NOW REISSUED AS A BEAUTIFUL SPECIAL EDITION FEATURING BUNNY SPRAYED EDGES Meet BUNNY: the darkly funny, spellbinding trip of a novel that EVERYONE is talking about 'No punches pulled, no hilarities dodged, no meme unmangled. O Bunny...
Burn : a novel
Heller, Peter
Paper Book
From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars and The Last Ranger, a novel about two men-friends since boyhood-who emerge from the woods of rural Maine to a dystopian country racked by bewildering violence Every year, Jess and Storey have made an annual pilgrimage...
Children of time
Tchaikovsky, Adrian
Paper Book
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars....
Compound fracture
White, Andrew Joseph
Paper Book
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book A queer Appalachian thriller that pulls no punches--following a trans autistic teen who's drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them. The INSTANT New York Times, USA Today, and Indie...
Cover story
McFarlane, Mhairi
Paper Book
A Guardian Book of the Year! A Spotify Romance Book of the Year! Bel's joined the tiny Manchester office of a national paper from her indie podcast. Thirty-something Connor is going to back to the start as the new intern. The latest office news? They...
Crenshaw
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times-bestelling author of ODDER, WISHTREE and THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, an unforgettable and magical story about an unhoused family, friendship, and resilience. Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much...
Custodians of wonder : ancient customs, profound traditions, and the last people keeping them alive
Stein, Eliot
Paper Book
Named one of the best travel books of the year by National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Afar "Eliot Stein's quietly powerful new book celebrates the kind of singular, site-specific expertise that's endangered by globalization and technology...smart, genial and...
Dan in Green Gables : A Modern Reimagining of Anne of Green Gables
Terciero, Rey/ Aguirre, Claudia (ILT)
Paper Book
In this modern reimagining of Anne of Green Gables, effervescent extrovert Dan Stewart-Álvarez is surprised to find home and community in rural Tennessee. Despite a life on the road with his free-spirited mother, fifteen-year-old Dan Stewart-Álvarez has always wanted...
Disappearing Earth
Phillips, Julia
Paper Book
One of The New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year National Book Award Finalist Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize Finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Finalist for the New York Public Library's Young Lions...
Doppelganger : a trip into the mirror world
Klein, Naomi
Paper Book
What if you woke up one morning and found you'd acquired another self--a double who was almost you and yet not you at all? What if that double shared many of your preoccupations but, in a twisted, upside-down way, furthered the very causes you'd devoted your life to fighting against? ...
Dungeon crawler Carl
Dinniman, Matt
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series--now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition. You know what's worse than breaking up with your...
Ends of the Earth : journeys to the Polar Regions in search of life, the cosmos, and our future
Shubin, Neil
Paper Book
**Shortlisted for the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize** The bestselling author of Your Inner Fish takes readers on an epic adventure to the North and South Poles to reveal the secrets locked in the ice about life, the cosmos, and our planet's future. ...
Ferris
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! The beloved author of Because of Winn-Dixie has outdone herself with a hilarious and achingly real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother, and growing up. It's the summer before fifth grade, and for...
Forts
Venit, Katie
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . A lyrical ode to all the secret spaces in our world, this gorgeous picture book inspires imagination, creativity, and wonder. The world is filled with forts. Tiny worlds within this world, safe as coat pockets. ...
Generation X : tales for an accelerated culture
Coupland, Douglas
Paper Book
Generation X is Douglas Coupland's classic novel about the generation born from 1960 to 1978 --a generation known until then simply as twenty somethings. Andy, Claire, and Dag, each in their twenties, have quit pointless jobs in their respective hometowns to find better...
The great believers
Makkai, Rebecca
Paper Book
PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK OF 2018 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER ALA CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER THE STONEWALL BOOK AWARD WINNER Soon to Be a Major Television Event, optioned by...
Great big beautiful life
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry. As...
The harder I fight, the more I love you : a memoir
Case, Neko
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN APPLE BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH Singer-songwriter Neko Case paints a vivid portrait of an extraordinary life--one forged through a poverty-stricken childhood, obsessive desire, bursts of comedy, and...
Hemlock & Silver
Kingfisher, T.
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher, Hemlock & Silver is a dark reimagining of Snow White steeped in poison, intrigue and treason of the most magical kind.'A new favourite! Masterful storytelling with creepy magic, and a fantastic cat!'- Sarah Beth Durst,...
Hijab butch blues : a memoir
H, Lamya
Ebook
How y'all doing? : misadventures and mischief from a life well lived
Jordan, Leslie
Ebook
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Viral sensation and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordan regales fans with entertaining stories about the odd, funny, and unforgettable events in his life in this unmissable essay collection that echoes his droll, irreverent voice. When actor...
I cheerfully refuse : a novel
Enger, Leif
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A BARNES & NOBLE BOOK CLUB PICK * A career defining tour-de-force from New York Times bestselling, award-winning and "formidably gifted" (Chicago Tribune) author of Peace Like a River Leif Enger. "A rare, remarkable book to be kept and...
Lilac Girls A Novel
Kelly, Martha Hall.
Ebook
Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this powerful debut novel reveals an incredible story of love, redemption, and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades.   New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French...
Llama destroys the world
Stutzman, Jonathan
Paper Book
Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you. He also loves cake, and that's where our story begins. On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats. On Tuesday, Llama...
The lost library
Stead, Rebecca
Paper Book
Now a New York Times bestseller and a #1 Indie Bestseller, readers won't want to miss this story of a little free library guarded by a cat, and a boy who takes on the mystery it keeps. A TODAY SHOW Kids' Read Pick! * The Amazon #1 Best Book for Kids * "A...
The memory police
Ogawa, Yōko
Paper Book
*** 2019 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST *** *** LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE AND THE 2020 TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD *** *** NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF THE YEAR *** A haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the...
Minor Mage
Kingfisher, T.
Ebook
Oliver was a very minor mage. His familiar reminded him of this several times a day.He only knew three spells, and one of them was to control his allergy to armadillo dander. His attempts to summon elementals resulted in nosebleeds, and there is nothing more embarrassing than having your elemental...
Nom nom paleo. Let's go!
Tam, Michelle
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling creators of Nom Nom Paleo are back with a new collection of internationally-inspired, umami-packed dishes--including keto-friendly, Whole30, and plant-based recipes. With step-by-step photos, fun cartoons, and a dash of snarky humor, ...
North woods : a novel
Mason, Daniel
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR A WASHINGTON POST TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR * FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD A sweeping novel...
Old blue is my home
Judge, Lita
Paper Book
This poignant yet reassuring picture book follows a family and the van that provides them with safety, warmth, and togetherness amidst economic and housing insecurity An old blue van may not look like much, but it holds everything this family needs--shelter, a place to sleep,...
Orbital
Harvey, Samantha
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024 * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **New York Times Book Review Book Club Pick** **Stephen Colbert's The Late Show Book Club Pick** Winner of the 2024 Hawthornden Prize Shortlisted for the 2024...
Outside in
Underwood, Deborah
Paper Book
A 2020 Caldecott Honor Book From the New York Times best-selling author behind The Quiet Book comes a mindful contemplation on the many ways nature affects our everyday lives, even when we're stuck inside. Five starred reviews!
Raising Hare: The heart-warming true story of an unlikely friendship
Dalton, Chloe.
Paper Book
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING WINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION, HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST...
Remarkably bright creatures : a novel
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Soon to be a Netflix Film A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today "Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately...
The road to tender hearts : a novel
Hartnett, Annie
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush--bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death--by the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely...
A rover's story
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller * Best Book of the Year from The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library The One and Only Ivan meets The Wild Robot in this unique and deeply moving middle grade novel about the journey of a fictional Mars...
The school for good mothers : a novel
Chan, Jessamine
Paper Book
Longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence | Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | Selected as One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of the Year! In this New York Times...
Sea of Tranquility
Mandel, Emily St. John
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time travel, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years...
The secret book of Flora Lea : a novel
Henry, Patti Callahan
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. In the war-torn London of...
The secret life of groceries : the dark miracle of the American supermarket
Lorr, Benjamin
Ebook
Shark heart : a love story
Habeck, Emily
Paper Book
A New York Times Editors' Choice A USA TODAY Bestseller A Booklist Editor's Choice A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee A "beautifully written" (Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We...
Solito : a memoir
Zamora, Javier
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller * Read With Jenna Book Club Pick as seen on Today * Winner of the Los Angeles Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiography * Winner of the American Library Association Alex Award * A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century
The starlit wood : new fairy tales
Parisien, Dominik
Paper Book
An all-new anthology of cross-genre fairy tale retellings, featuring an all-star lineup of award-winning and critically acclaimed writers. Once upon a time. It's how so many of our most beloved stories start. Fairy tales have dominated our cultural imagination...
The story of Gumluck the wizard
Rex, Adam
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2023  A 2023 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book  FIVE STARRED REVIEWS!    "Adorable."--Shelf Awareness, starred review
The story of Gumluck and the dragon's eggs
Rex, Adam
Paper Book
The story of Gumluck continues! Introducing the second installation in a laugh-out-loud and critically acclaimed chapter book tale from New York Times bestselling author Adam Rex. Readers, be warned! This book contains three precious eggs, one confused...
Tahini baby : bright, everyday recipes that happen to be vegetarian
Grinshpan, Eden
Paper Book
An irresistible celebration of veg-forward Middle Eastern- and Mediterranean-inspired recipes guaranteed to bring fresh flavors and liven up your table, from the beloved TV personality, cookbook author, and creator of Eden Eats. For Eden Grinshpan, everyday cooking means...
The third Gilmore girl : a memoir
Bishop, Kelly
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Goodreads Choice Awards Winner "Come for the Gilmore Girls anecdotes, stay for the revealing truths about what it takes to build a lifelong career in and out of Hollywood" (The A.V. Club) in...
Tilt : a novel
Pattee, Emma
Paper Book
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice A USA TODAY Bestseller A Best Book of 2025 for Vogue Named one of Time...
Tiny beautiful things : advice from Dear Sugar
Strayed, Cheryl
Paper Book
NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * An anniversary edition of the bestselling collection of "Dear Sugar" advice columns written by the author of #1 bestseller Wild--featuring a new preface and six additional columns. ...
True biz : a novel
Nović, Sara
Paper Book
'Original, tender, thoughtful and true. Can't wait for people to read!' Reese Witherspoon 'Part tender coming of age story, part electrifying tale of political awakening, part heartfelt love letter to Deaf culture, True Biz<...
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire
Martin, Don
Paper Book
WELCOME TO FOXFIREThe rules here are simple:Don't look in the trees.Don't whistle in the woods at night.Don't answer if you hear yourname called.And remember . . . everything wants.Verity Vox is a witch-in-training who has never met a problem her spells can't solve. But when a cryptic plea for help...
We all live here
Moyes, Jojo
Paper Book
Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A recently broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Not to mention a once promising writing career that is now in freefall. So when her real dad - a man she has barely...
The wedding people : a novel
Espach, Alison
Paper Book
The runaway New York Times bestseller with over one million copies sold A Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick, New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, and a #1 Indie Next Pick Named a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian, Time,...
Where the wild ladies are
Matsuda, Aoko
Paper Book
In this "delightfully uncanny" collection of feminist retellings of traditional Japanese folktales (The New York Times Book Review), humans live side by side with spirits who provide a variety of useful services--from truth-telling to babysitting, from protecting castles to fighting crime....
Wild chocolate : across the Americas in search of cacao's soul
Jacobsen, Rowan
Paper Book
2025 JAMES BEARD AWARD FINALIST "Inspiring." -MARK BITTMAN "One of the best stories under the sun." -JOSÉ ANDRÉS From James Beard Award-winner Rowan Jacobsen, the thrilling story of the farmers, activists, and chocolate makers...
William Shakespeare's Get thee back to the future!
Doescher, Ian
Ebook
In the iconic film by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, teenaged Marty McFly travels back in time from the 1980s to the 1950s, changing the path of his parents' destiny...as well as his own. Now fans of the movie can journey back even further--to the 16th century, when the Bard of Avon unveils his...
The yellow bus
Long, Loren
Paper Book
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller A #1 Indie Bestseller With stunning illustrations and an inspiring, universal message, The Yellow Bus from #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Loren Long is a tender and hopeful...
You and I eat the same : on the countless ways food and cooking connect us to one another
Ying, Chris
Ebook
Winner, 2019 IACP Award for Best Book of the Year in Food Matters Named one of the Best Food Books of the Year by The New Yorker, Smithsonian, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, and more MAD Dispatches: Furthering Our Ideas...

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