Staff Picks 2024 Fiction

Recommended reads from the staff at Puke Ariki, the Community Libraries and Museum

Updated February 26, 2025
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Broken light
Harris, Joanne
Ebook
A bold and timely novel that explores how women can feel invisible as they grow older--and what happens when they decide to take back control. Bernie Moon's ambitions and dreams have been forgotten by everyone, even Bernie herself. At nineteen she was full of promise, but now,...
Sorrow and Bliss: A BBC Two Between the Covers pick
Mason, Meg.
Ebook
Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction! "Brilliantly faceted and extremely funny. . . . While I was reading it, I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realized that I wanted to send it to everyone I know." -- Ann Patchett The...
Here One Moment
Moriarty, Liane.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the beloved author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband's Secret comes a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world. "The premise is irresistible--a woman on...
The bee sting
Murray, Paul
Paper Book
One of The New York Times Top 10 Books of the Year Winner of the An Post Irish Book of the Year, the Nero Gold Prize, and the Nero Book Award for Fiction Shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Writers' Prize for Fiction ...
The Coast Road: 'A perfect book club read' Sunday Times
Murrin, Alan.
Ebook
"I loved this novel. All the female characters are complex and fascinating, and full of anger and hope. I found it an addictive read."--actor Gillian Anderson A poignant debut novel about the lives of women in a claustrophobic coast town and the search for independence in a society that...
Enlightenment
Perry, Sarah
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Telegraph, Washington Post, The New Yorker. LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE. "Like A.S. Byatt's Possession, Enlightenment is a baroque, genre-bending novel of ideas, ghosts and hidden histories. A richly layered epic....a heartfelt paean to the consolations of...
Bear
Phillips, Julia
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * From the celebrated author of Disappearing Earth comes a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods--"a mesmerizing story about hope, sisterhood, and survival with a truly shocking twist at the end" (People, Book of the Week). ...
Long Island
Tóibín, Colm
Paper Book
* OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * * NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY TIME MAGAZINE, THE NEW YORKER, WASHINGTON POST, VULTURE, GLAMOUR, FRESH AIR, NPR, THE GUARDIAN, THE ECONOMIST, THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, THE TIMES ...
Birnam Wood
Catton, Eleanor
Paper Book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time, Financial Times, Slate, The Chicago Public Library, Kirkus, The TelegraphA...
Pet
Chidgey, Catherine
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR The Washington Post・The New Yorker ・Slate・CrimeReads・Good Housekeeping・Amazon Book Review A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE A suspenseful new psychological thriller from the Women's Prize for Fiction...
Home Truths
Norman, Charity.
Ebook
Good material
Alderton, Dolly
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK * From the best-selling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love: a story of heartbreak and friendship and how to survive...
The last summer
Swan, Karen (Writer)
Ebook
The stolen hours
Swan, Karen (Writer)
Ebook
The Ministry of Time
Bradley, Kaliane.
Paper Book
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF SUMMER 2024 * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR SCIENCE FICTION * A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, VANITY FAIR, ESQUIRE, VOX, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING,...
The book of doors
Brown, Gareth (Novelist)
Paper Book
A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown...
Arrival
Chiang, Ted
Paper Book
From the author of Exhalation, an award-winning short story collection that blends "absorbing storytelling with meditations on the universe, being, time and space ... raises questions about the nature of reality and what it is to be human" (The New York Times). ...
The Black Witch
Forest, Laurie
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling series! "Maximum suspense, unusual magic--a whole new, thrilling approach to fantasy!" --Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author Powerful magic. A deadly legacy. A world at the edge of war....
The Bright Sword
Grossman, Lev.
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A New York Times Editors' Choice * The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES,...
Dragon rider
Matharu, Taran
Ebook
New York Times bestselling author Taran Matharu's debut adult fantasy series introduces an immersive story written in the tradition of the viral cultivation genre. Discover a rich world of magic, warriors, and dragons, in which a fearless orphan and an ambitious handmaiden flee from the...
Circe : a novel
Miller, Madeline
Paper Book
This #1 New York Times bestseller is a "bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story" that brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey (Alexandra Alter, TheNew York Times). In the house of Helios,...
The book of form and emptiness
Ozeki, Ruth
Paper Book
Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction "No one writes like Ruth Ozeki--a triumph." --Matt Haig, New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library "Inventive, vivid, and propelled by a sense of wonder." --TIME "If you've lost your...
Inheritance
Roberts, Nora
Paper Book
Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts--a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations. 1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness....
The invisible life of Addie LaRue
Schwab, Victoria
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER THE WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER Recommended by Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, NPR, Slate, and Oprah...
Project Hail Mary : a novel
Weir, Andy
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING RYAN GOSLING AND DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER LORD AND PHIL MILLER From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this "propulsive" (Entertainment...
Her perfect twin
Bonner, Sarah
Paper Book
ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR! With echoes of Gone Girl and My Lovely Wife, Sarah Bonner's debut novel introduces an exciting new voice in twisty thrillers.   HER PERFECT TWIN....
Going zero
McCarten, Anthony
Paper Book
TWO HOURS TO VANISH. ONE CHANCE TO ESCAPE. ZERO ALTERNATIVES. Ten Americans have been carefully selected to Beta test a ground-breaking piece of spyware. FUSION can track anyone on earth. But does it work? For one contestant, an unassuming Boston librarian named...
The housemaid
McFadden, Freida
Paper Book
Over 2 Million Copies Sold and Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture Starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried! Don't miss the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller and addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that's burning...
The guest
Paris, B. A.
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller readers everywhere with Behind Closed Doors. Now she invites you into another home full of heart-pounding secrets, in The Guest. Some secrets never...
The truth about the Devlins
Scottoline, Lisa
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA Today Bestseller Lisa Scottoline, the #1 bestselling author of What Happened to the Bennetts, presents another pulse-pounding domestic thriller about family, justice, and the lies that tear us apart. TJ...
The next Mrs. Parrish : a novel
Constantine, Liv
Paper Book
Daphne and Amber Parrish are thrust back into each other's lives upon the resurgence of a long-forgotten threat, forcing a vicious game of cat and mouse where everything is on the line, in this thrilling sequel to the million-copy-bestselling Reese's Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish.<...
The midnight feast
Foley, Lucy, (Novelist)
Paper Book
"Sharp, stylish and stunning...Foley's best yet." -- Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark "It is an absolute bonkers delight (and I haven't even mentioned the local bird cult yet ...)." -- NPR, Best Books of the Year  ...
The spy coast : a thriller
Gerritsen, Tess
Paper Book
A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after...
The Blue Hour
Hawkins, Paula.
Paper Book
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK "The best Paula Hawkins yet - by a tense and haunting mile." - Lee Child "An atmospheric, stylish puzzle box of a thriller... truly exceptional." - Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods "A masterful...
The frozen river : a novel
Lawhon, Ariel
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GMA BOOK CLUB PICK * AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha...
Prophet song
Lynch, Paul
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023 * INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER Winner of the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalist for the 2024 Kirkus Prize "A prophetic masterpiece." -- Ron Charles, Washington Post On a dark, wet...
Home Is Where The Bodies Are
Rose, Jeneva
Paper Book
A New York Times and USA Today bestseller From New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn't Have Come Here comes a chilling family thriller about the (sometimes literal) skeletons in the closet. After their mother passes, three estranged siblings...
James
Everett, Percival
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER * A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST * ONE OF...
The dressmaker & the hidden soldier
Gold, Doug
Ebook
The women
Hannah, Kristin
Paper Book
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times! From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women--at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a...
The invincible Miss Cust : a novel
Haw, Penny
Ebook
The woman at the wheel : a novel
Haw, Penny
Ebook
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
McBride, James
Paper Book
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the...
Lady Tan's circle of women : a novel
See, Lisa
Paper Book
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!* From "one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot" (The New York Times Book Review) an immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China--perfect for fans of...
There are rivers in the sky
Shafak, Elif
Paper Book
From the Booker Prize finalist, author of The Island of Missing Trees, an enchanting new tale about three characters living along two great rivers, all connected by a single drop of water. "Make place for Elif Shafak on your bookshelf. Make place for her in your heart too...
A map for the missing
Tang, Belinda Huijuan
Ebook
Longlisted for the Center for Fiction's 2022 First Novel Prize! "Belinda Huijuan Tang's debut novel is a beautifully drawn, sensitively rendered portrait of a man desperately searching for his father--and for reconnection to the past and people he once knew and loved. Both rich in...
Martyr!
Akbar, Kaveh
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD * ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF THE YEAR * A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and...
Raven black
Cleeves, Ann
Ebook
The basis for the hit series "Shetland" now airing on PBS. Winner of Britain's coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award, Ann Cleeves's Raven Black introduces a dazzling suspense series to U.S. mystery readers. It is a cold January morning and Shetland lies...
Black wolf
Gómez-Jurado, Juan
Paper Book
International bestselling sensation Antonia Scott, along with Jon Gutierrez, return in the much anticipated sequel to Red Queen, now a top ten streaming series on Prime Video! Antonia Scott has an unusually gifted mind, able to see what others miss, able to solve the...
Slow horses
Herron, Mick
Paper Book
THE BOOK BEHIND THE FIRST SEASON OF SLOW HORSES, THE APPLE ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING GARY OLDMAN IN HIS EMMY-NOMINATED ROLE AS JACKSON LAMB. Welcome to the thrilling and unnervingly prescient world of the slow horses. This team of MI5 agents is united by one common bond:...
A good girl's guide to murder
Jackson, Holly
Paper Book
THE MUST-READ MULTIMILLION BESTSELLING MYSTERY SERIES--NOW ON NETFLIX! * This is the story about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect. Everyone in Fairview knows the story. Pretty and popular high...
All fours
July, Miranda
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP 10 FICTION BOOKS OF 2024 ONE OF NPR'S "BOOKS WE LOVE" 2024 NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: THE NEW YORKER &...
Midnight Creed
Kava, Alex
Ebook
The last devil to die
Osman, Richard
Paper Book
The fourth installment in the beloved and New York Times bestselling series from Richard Osman, also author of We Solve Murders "The best Murder Club book yet. . . A poignant complement to both the fair-play mystery plot and the characters' lively humor."...
Deadly animals
Tierney, Marie
Paper Book
Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chillingly beautiful mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a desperate town from the savagery within. Ava Bonney is a compassionate and studious fourteen-year-old girl with a dark...
All the Colors of the Dark
Whitaker, Chris.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that "hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel" (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl). Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as...

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