Ledding Library Staff Favorites of 2023 - Books

Books that Ledding Library's staff enjoyed in 2023, new or old!

Updated January 2, 2024
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Mrs. Nash's ashes
Adler, Sarah
Paper Book
Normal rules don't apply : stories
Atkinson, Kate
Paper Book
A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life which offer the gimlet eye and delightful social critique that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time. ...
I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki
Paek, Se-h i
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling therapy memoir translated by International Booker shortlistee Anton Hur. PSYCHIATRIST: So how can I help you? ME: I don't know, I'm-what's the word-depressed? Do I have to go into detail? Baek...
The fire next time
Baldwin, James
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The book that galvanized the nation, gave voice to the emerging civil rights movementin the 1960s--and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. * "The finest essay I've ever read." --Ta-Nehisi Coates At once a powerful evocation of James...
A history of my brief body
Belcourt, Billy-Ray
Paper Book
The youngest ever winner of the Griffin Prize mines his personal history in a brilliant new essay collection seeking to reconcile the world he was born into with the world that could be. For readers of Ocean Vuong and Maggie Nelson and fans of Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot,...
Unlikeable female characters : the women pop culture wants you to hate
Bogutskaya, Anna
Paper Book
"A fresh feminist appraisal of the pop culture canon." -Publishers Weekly How bitches, trainwrecks, shrews, and crazy women have taken over pop culture and liberated women from having to be nice. Female characters throughout history have been burdened by the moral trap that...
Rez dogs
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation...
Sylvester's letter
Burgess, Matthew
Paper Book
From the superb, creative duo behind Drawing on Walls, A Story of Keith Haring comes this heartfelt story about the loss of a beloved grandparent that yet centers enthusiasm, adventure, and an ebullient creativity rarely seen in books about loss. Some letters can't be...
Four thousand weeks : time management for mortals
Burkeman, Oliver
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Provocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time." --Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty,...
Parable of the sower
Butler, Octavia E.
Paper Book
From a celebrated, award-winning author, a modern classic about a young girl fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and...
The underworld : journeys to the depths of the ocean
Casey, Susan
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From bestselling author Susan Casey, an awe-inspiring portrait of the mysterious world beneath the waves, and the men and women who seek to uncover its secrets "An irresistible mix of splendid scholarship, heart-stopping adventure...
Lessons at the school by the sea
Colgan, Jenny
CD
The measure : a novel
Erlick, Nikki
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! "A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope--read with us." -...
The day of the Jackal
Forsyth, Frederick
Paper Book
NOW A PEACOCK ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING EDDIE REDMAYNE--THE CLASSIC THRILLER FROM #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR FREDERICK FORSYTH "The Day of the Jackal makes such comparable books such as The Manchurian Candidate and The Spy Who Came in from the...
The collector
Fowles, John
Paper Book
These olive trees
Ghanameh, Aya
Paper Book
The story of a Palestinian family's ties to the land, and how one young girl finds a way to care for her home, even as she says goodbye. It's 1967 in Nablus, Palestine. Oraib loves the olive trees that grow outside the refugee camp where she lives. Each harvest, she...
The murder of Mr. Wickham
Gray, Claudia
Paper Book
A summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Jane Austen's Mr. Wickham--one of literature's most notorious villains--meets a sudden and suspicious end in this brilliantly imagined mystery from a New York Times bestselling author featuring Austen's leading literary...
Book lovers : amor entre libros
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
SI ADORAS LOS LIBROS, ÉSTE NO TE LO PUEDES PERDER Un verano. Dos rivales. Un giro de guion que no vieron venir... Un fenómeno mundial de TikTok. Más de 100 semanas en la lista de los libros más vendidos del New York Times. Eran rivales. Ahora coinciden todo un...
Happy place
Henry, Emily
Stand-alone player
People we meet on vacation
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
NOW A NETFLIX FILM! * From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Funny Story comes a sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall...
The will to change : men, masculinity, and love
hooks, bell
Paper Book
Bell Hooks has been called one of America's leading public intellectuals. Created in response to her in-depth discussions with men The Will to Change challenges men to reclaim the sensitivity and love that today's embattled masculinity has forsaken. With her trademark candour and fierce intelligence...
The fifth season
Jemisin, N. K.
Paper Book
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times) This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time. ...
The obelisk gate
Jemisin, N. K.
Paper Book
Essun's missing daughter grows more powerful every day, and her choices may destroy the world in this "magnificent" Hugo Award winner and NYT Notable Book. (NPR) The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold night. Essun -- once...
The stone sky
Jemisin, N. K.
Paper Book
Humanity will finally be saved or destroyed in the shattering conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed NYT bestselling trilogy that won the Hugo Award three years in a row. The Moon will soon return. Whether this heralds the destruction of humankind or...
Quackery : a brief history of the worst ways to cure everything
Kang, Lydia
Paper Book
What won't we try in our quest for perfect health, beauty, and the fountain of youth? Well, just imagine a time when doctors prescribed morphine for crying infants. When liquefied gold was touted as immortality in a glass. And when strychnine--yes, that strychnine, the one used in rat poison--was...
Nettle & Bone
Kingfisher, T.
Paper Book
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller An Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022 A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022 An NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022 A...
Demon Copperhead. a novel
Kingsolver, Barbara
Software
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE - WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION New York Times Readers' Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century - An Oprah's Book Club Selection - An Instant New York Times Bestseller - An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller - A #1 Washington Post...
Recommended by 2 staff members!
The house in the Cerulean Sea
Klune, TJ
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, INDIE and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER! A 2021 Alex Award winner! The 2021 RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner! An Indie Next Pick! One of Publishers Weekly's "Most Anticipated Books of...
Shadow divers : the true adventure of two Americans who risked everything to solve one of the last mysteries of World War II
Kurson, Robert.
Paper Book
In the tradition of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm comes a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery–and make history themselves. For John...
The golden ratio : the story of phi, the world's most astonishing number
Livio, Mario
Paper Book
Throughout history, thinkers from mathematicians to theologians have pondered the mysterious relationship between numbers and the nature of reality. In this fascinating book, Mario Livio tells the tale of a number at the heart of that mystery: phi, or 1.6180339887...This curious mathematical...
Freewater
Luqman-Dawson, Amina
CD
Debut author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children's escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada,...
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 Amy...
Western Lane
Maroo, Chetna
Paper Book
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Named a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian, NPR, and Kirkus A taut, enthralling first...
The butcher boy
McCabe, Pat
Paper Book
Funny, you don't look autistic : a comedian's guide to life on the spectrum
McCreary, Michael
Paper Book
Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn't "look" autistic. But, as he's quick to point out in this memoir, autism "looks" different for just about everyone with Autism Spectrum...
Don't you forget about me : a novel
McFarlane, Mhairi
Paper Book
"Don't You Forget About Me is one of those books I couldn't put down. Crackling with energy and wit, I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud. Mhairi McFarlane's voice is as clear as a bell--she makes you laugh, but she also makes you feel. I adore her!" -- Sally Thorne ...
Homecoming
Morton, Kate
CD
A breathtaking mystery of love, lies and a cold case come back to life, told with Morton's trademark intricacy and beauty. Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand and mysterious house, a local deliveryman makes a...
Anger : wisdom for cooling the flames
Nhá?t H?nh, Thích.
Paper Book
The Nobel Peace Prize nominee and internationally bestselling author shares the tools and power for overcoming anger. Thich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout. He is a scholar of immense intellectual capacity. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to...
Devotions : the selected poems of Mary Oliver
Oliver, Mary
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A READ WITH JENNA PICK * From the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver, a definitive and enduring collection of her best work "No matter where one starts reading, Devotions offers much to love. . . . Perhaps more important, the...
Heartstopper. V. 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to...
Heartstopper V. 2
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
*Acclaimed live-action Netflix series* 'Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book.' - Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor & Park 'The queer graphic novel we wished we had at high school.' - Gay Times ...
Heartstopper. Volume 3
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
The third volume in the poignant and sweet Heartstopper series, featuring beautiful two-color artwork! Now streaming on Netflix! Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Nick has even found the courage to come out to...
Nobody needs to know : a memoir
Pagonis, Pidgeon
Paper Book
From intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis comes a candid and life-affirming true story of identity, lies, family secrets, and the healing power of truth. Pidgeon Pagonis always felt like their life was a constant attempt to fit in with other girls--a feeling that was only exacerbated...
Tom Lake : a novel
Patchett, Ann
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America's finest writers. "Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than...
Fierce kingdom : a novel
Phillips, Gin
Paper Book
One of the New York Times Book Review's Best Crime Novels of 2017 "Warning: you'll finish this in one sitting." --TheSkimm   "Expertly made thriller . . . clever and irresistible." --The New York Times An electrifying novel about the primal and...
Winter solstice
Pilcher, Rosamunde.
Paper Book
Elfrida Phipps, once on the London stage and retired at 62, never anticipated going off with a man. But after a devastating tragedy, church organist Oscar Blundell asks for her companionship. So with her brown-and-white dog in tow, Elfrida begins her journey, not knowing that joining her and Oscar...
Dunce
Ruefle, Mary
Paper Book
FINALIST FOR THE 2020 PULITZER PRIZE IN POETRY A finalist for both the 2019 National Book Critics Circle Award and a the LA Times Book Award, and longlisted for the National Book Award. Through her many projects across numerous genres, Mary Ruefle has proven herself a...
The labors of Hercules Beal
Schmidt, Gary D.
Stand-alone player
Great circle
Shipstead, Maggie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK * The unforgettable story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life, at any cost: an "epic trip--through Prohibition and World War II, from Montana to London to present-day Hollywood--and...
Romantic comedy
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Stand-alone player
Recommended by 2 staff members!
Business or pleasure
Solomon, Rachel Lynn
Paper Book
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES' BEST ROMANCES OF THE YEAR! "Intimate and unflinching."--New York Times A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! An Indie Next Pick A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick One of Amazon's Best Romances of July ...
The woman in me
Spears, Britney
CD
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - MORE THAN 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD! - GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST MEMOIR - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY PEOPLE Named a Best Book of the Year by Elle, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, NPR, ...
Loteria
Valenti, Karla
Stand-alone player
Remarkably bright creatures
Van Pelt, Shelby
Stand-alone player
My murder
Williams, Katie
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER  NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND GLAMOUR! "One of those rare emotionally intelligent books that are also fun reads... Going to keep readers turning pages late into the night." -The New York Times ...
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Zevin, Gabrielle
Stand-alone player
Recommended by 2 staff members!

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