NYPL's Best Books of 2024

Updated November 27, 2024
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Any duke in a storm /
Howard, Amalie,
Paper Book
Historical romance takes to the high seas. Famed spy Lady Lisbeth Medford is on a ship bound for the West Indies, and the only thing more dangerous than her mission is the elusive Duke she's trying to capture. Lady Lisbeth Medford, Countess of Waterstone and famed international spy, is...
Bride /
Hazelwood, Ali
Paper Book
#1 Indie Next Pick! A Hall of Fame LibraryReads pick! One of People's Best Books to Read in February A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the...
Challenger :
Higginbotham, Adam
Paper Book
Winner of the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction * Winner of the 2024 Kirkus Nonfiction Prize * Shortlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction * A New York Times Notable Book of 2024 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Stunning.....
The Coin
Zaher, Yasmin
Paper Book
Finalist for the Gotham Book Prize Shortlisted for the Swansea Dylan Thomas Prize A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice A bold and unabashed novel about a young Palestinian woman's unraveling as she teaches at a New York City middle school, gets caught up in...
A Daughter of Fair Verona
Dodd, Christina
Paper Book
I'm the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn't die in the tomb. They're alive and well and living in fair Verona with their six wildly impetuous children and me, their nineteen-year-old daughter Rosaline... Knives Out<...
The dead cat tail assassins /
Clark, P. Djáelâi,
Paper Book
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. Nor do they have tails. But they are most assuredly dead. Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins. ...
The God of the Woods
Moore, Liz
Paper Book
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLER OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2024 PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF NPR'S "BOOKS WE LOVE" 2024
The familiar /
Bardugo, Leigh.
Paper Book
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * #1 INDIE BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "An immersive, sensual experience." --The New York Times "Essential." --The Washington Post GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FINALIST * A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR:...
Horror movie :
Tremblay, Paul.
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller! PLEASE NOTE: the limited edition with red stained edges is sold out, but we invite you to purchase an unstained one -- same haunting story, same chilling twists! A chilling twist on the "cursed film" genre from the bestselling author of The...
Hum
Phillips, Helen
Paper Book
A Most Anticipated Book for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Goodreads, LitHub, and Book Riot A Best Book of the Summer for Esquire, Electric Lit, and Town & Country A People Book of the...
The last murder at the end of the world /
Turton, Stuart
Paper Book
"A gripping tale that reads like a Sherlock Holmes novel set in a broken future...Turton is an exciting writer with a knack for strange tales that push the envelope, and this strange story of murder, survival, and the importance of memory might be his best work yet." --Gabino Iglesias for NPR ...
The light eaters :
Schlanger, Zo?e,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New Yorker's Best Books of 2024 * TIME's 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 * New York Magazine's 10 Best Books of the Year * Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction of 2024 * Smithsonian's 10 Best Science Books of the Year * ...
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...
The mercy of gods /
Corey, James S. A.
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER From the New York Times bestselling author of the Expanse comes a spectacular new space opera that sees humanity fighting for its survival in a war as old as the universe itself. ...
Nuclear war :
Jacobsen, Annie
Paper Book
Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These projects are vital to how we understand the world we really live in: where one nuclear missile begets one in return; where the...
Sacrificial animals :
Pedersen, Kailee,
Paper Book
Inspired by Kailee Pedersen's own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up alongside her family's farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology. The last thing Nick Morrow expected to receive...
Smoke Kings :
Mayfield, Jahmal
Paper Book
Nate Evers, a young black political activist, struggles with rage as his people are still being killed in the streets 62 years after Emmett Till. When his little cousin is murdered, Nate shuns the graffiti murals, candlelight vigils, and Twitter hashtags that are commonplace after these senseless...
A sunny place for shady people :
Enriquez, Mariana,
Paper Book
BRAM STOKER AWARD FINALIST * A diabolical collection of stories featuring achingly human characters whose lives intertwine with ghosts, goblins, and the macabre, by "Buenos Aires's sorceress of horror" (Samanta Schweblin, The New York Times) "Entertaining, political and...
There's always this year :
Abdurraqib, Hanif,
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A "powerful" (The Guardian) reflection on basketball, life, and home--from the author of the National Book Award finalist A Little Devil in America "Mesmerizing ....
You dreamed of empires /
Enrigue, Alvaro,
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF 2024 A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR "Short, strange, spiky and sublime." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Funny, ghastly, eye-opening, marvelous." --Wall Street Journal
Age 16
Fung, Rosena/ Mcmahon, Serah-marie (TRN)
Paper Book
Best Books of 2024 lists: NYPL, The Globe and Mail,Quill & Quire * Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024, Ms. magazine * Kids Indie Next Pick A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about how mothers and daughters pass down--and rebel against--standards of size, gender, race, beauty, and...
Black girl you are atlas /
Watson, Renâee.
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renée Watson. In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writes about her experience...
Bright red fruit /
Elhillo, Safia
Paper Book
An unflinching, honest novel in verse about a teenager's journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relationship that could threaten all her dreams. From the award-winning poet and author of HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY. A MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR BOOK * A CALIBA...
Chronically dolores /
Van Wagenen, Maya
Paper Book
Winner of The Schneider Family Book Award, for excellence in portraying the disability experience! Maya Van Wagenen, bestselling author of Popular, tells Dolores's story with humor, heartache, and an occasional bit of telenovela flair. "A striking...
The color of a lie /
Johnson, Kim,
Paper Book
In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a "Whites Only" town in the suburbs. Caught between two worlds, a teen boy puts his family at risk as he uncovers racist secrets about his suburb. A new social justice thriller from the acclaimed author of This Is My America!
A crane among wolves /
Hur, June,
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today's world, based on a true story from Korean history....
The deep dark
Ostertag, Molly,
Paper Book
From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator of the New York Times and ABA Indie bestselling The Witch Boy trilogy and The Girl from the Sea, comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic. Everyone has secrets. Mags's has teeth. Magdalena...
Four Eids and a funeral /
áAbâikâe-âIyâimâidâe, Faridah,
Paper Book
Ex-best friends must work together in this romantic story of rekindling and rebuilding, from award-winning authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades) & Adiba Jaigirdar (Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating)! When Said Hossain's favorite hometown...
Gachiakuta.
Urana, Kei,
Paper Book
With an anime adaptation from the studio behind Mob Psycho 100 and the writer behind Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga, Gachiakuta is the dystopian action manga critics are calling "the next big shonen series!" In this gritty hit, a young boy is framed for...
Icarus /
Ancrum, K.
Paper Book
"The sparse prose in this unconventional, must-read of a trauma-infused borderline thriller is packed with emotional breadth." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "In this intimate poetic reimagining of the Icarus myth, Ancrum crafts a subversive triumph that is a love letter...
The Judgment of Yoyo Gold
Blum, Isaac,
Paper Book
A National Jewish Book Award finalist! A smart and powerful story set in the Orthodox Jewish community about what it means to fit in, break out, and find your own way, by the award-winning author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen. This book is Gossip Girl + My Name Is...
Kindling /
Chee, Traci,
Paper Book
From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a standalone fantasy set against a war-ravaged world where kindling warfare--the use of elite, magic-wielding teenage soldiers--has been outlawed. In this rich and evocative novel, seven kindlings search for purpose and...
Looking for Smoke /
Cobell, K. A.
Paper Book
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK In her powerful debut novel, Looking for Smoke, author K. A. Cobell (Blackfeet) weaves loss, betrayal, and complex characters into a thriller that will illuminate, surprise, and engage readers until the final word. A must-pick for readers who enjoy books by...
Lunar New Year love story
Yang, Gene Luen.
Paper Book
An NPR Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Best Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Booklist Best Book of the Year A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year A Horn Book Best Book of the Year...
On the bright side /
Sortino, Anna
Paper Book
A hopeful novel about love, disability, and the inevitability of change by the author of Give Me a Sign. "Poignant, romantic, and deeply heartfelt." --Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be Ellie's Deaf...
Rebel skies /
Sei Lin, Ann,
Paper Book
Ann Sei Lin's enchanting and action-packed debut, first in a series, will sweep readers away to an aerial world of magic, danger and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Lim, Kalynn Bayron and the films of Studio Ghibli. Kurara has never known any other life than...
Shackled :
Cooper, Candy J.,
Paper Book
2025 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist CCBC Choices 2025 2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers The New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2024 Here is the explosive story of the Kids for...
Snowglobe /
Park, Soyoung
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The groundbreaking Korean phenomenon that Entertainment Weekly called "The Hunger Games meets Squid Game"--now in English for the first time! A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR * A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST...
Wildfire :
Anderson, Ferin Davis,
Paper Book
"Fire is part of nature. It's just like the rain, the sunrise each day. It's a natural occurrence, a part of nature necessary to complete lifecycles of different plants and animals." -John Waconda, director of the Nature Conservancy's Indigenous Partnerships Program "Every time you put a...
Accidental Demons
Edge, Clare
Paper Book
NYPL Best Book for Kids 2024 People Magazine Best Kids Book of 2024 Conjuring demons seems like something you should totally not be able to do by accident, right? Well, normally it isn't. But Bernadette Crowley is the perfect storm of magical...
Across so many seas /
Behar, Ruth,
Paper Book
NEWBERY HONOR WINNER "As lyrical as it is epic, Across So Many Seas reminds us that while the past may be another country, it's also a living, breathing song of sadness and joy that helps define who we are." --Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee<...
Aloha everything /
George, Kaylin Melia,
Paper Book
Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature An ALA Notable Children's Book ★ "A stunning tribute to Hawaiian culture and identity."-starred review, Kirkus New York Public Library Top Ten Best Kid's Book of 2024
Anzu and the realm of darkness /
Nguyen, Mai K.,
Paper Book
5 Worlds meets Spirited Away in this tale of a girl fighting her way back home after getting trapped in the spirit world. Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. Ever since her obaachan died,...
Barracoon /
Hurston, Zora Neale
Paper Book
In the first middle grade offering from Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi, young readers are introduced to the remarkable and true-life story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the Atlantic human trade, in an adaptation of the internationally bestselling and...
Being home /
Sorell, Traci,
Paper Book
From Sibert Honor-winning author Traci Sorell and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Michaela Goade comes a heartwarming picture book about a Native American family and the joy of moving back to their ancestral land. Today is a day of excitement-it's time to move! As a young Cherokee...
Everywhere beauty is Harlem :
Golio, Gary.
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year A Kirkus Best Picture Book Biography CCBC Choices 2025 A Kirkus Reviews Most Anticipated Book of 2024 The New York Public Library Best...
A flicker of hope /
Harmony, Cynthia,
Paper Book
A heartwarming tale of a girl waiting for her beloved Papa to return when the monarchs fly south to their home in Mexico. Lucia loves to watch the monarchs' migration from her home in Mexico with Papa. But this year, the monarchs' journey north holds extra weight; Papa is heading...
The girl who loves bugs /
Murray, Lily,
Paper Book
A humorous, sweet story about what happens when a passionate girl brings her outside interest indoors. From the author-illustrator team of A Dress With Pockets comes The Girl Who Loves Bugs.   Evie LOVES bugs, but no one around her seems to...
The girl who sang
Nadel, Estelle,
Paper Book
A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl's fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother's love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable. Born to a Jewish family in a...
Go forth and tell :
McDaniel, Breanna J.,
Paper Book
Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Kirkus Best Books of the Year Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year New York Public Library Best Books of the Year ALSC Notable Children's Books Horn Book Fanfare BolognaRazzi Award...
The iguanodon's horn :
Rubin, Sean,
Paper Book
Highlighting the role of artists in the scientific process, this crowd-pleasing look at dinosaurs explores how new discoveries deepen our understanding of the world. AN ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 2024 KID'S BOOK AWARD WINNER A HORN BOOK FANFARE TITLE ...
Impossible creatures /
Rundell, Katherine.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Two kids race to save the world's last magical place in the first book of a landmark new fantasy series, from "a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination." (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass) *This...
Island of whispers /
Hardinge, Frances.
Paper Book
A remarkable and ultimately heartwarming story of grief, family, kindness, and being true to yourself. Multiple starred reviews and a rave from the New York Times Book Review, which praised it as "incredibly hopeful." Part gothic thriller and part seafaring...
The last stand /
Eady, Antwan,
Paper Book
The author of Nigel and the Moon, delivers a tender intergenerational story inspired by his childhood in the rural south. Here's a farm stand that represents the importance of family, community, and hope. A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKPAGE, and SCHOOL...
Log life /
Hevron, Amy,
Paper Book
A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2024 A Junior Library Guild Selection Discover the tiny, fascinating world of nurse logs in this first book in an illuminating picture book series that explores how even the smallest habitats play big roles in nature.<...
Lost Words :
Boukarim, Leila/ Avedikian, Sona (ILT)
Paper Book
Based on a true family story, this inspiring picture book about the Armenian Genocide shares an often-overlooked history and honors the resilience of the Armenian people. What is it like to walk away from your home? To leave behind everything and everyone you...
Magnolia Wu unfolds it all /
Miller, Chanel,
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor book and instant New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestseller! Award-winning author and artist Chanel Miller tells a fun, funny, and poignant story of friendship and community starring Magnolia Wu, a ten-year-old sock detective bent on...
My Antarctica :
Neri, Greg.
Paper Book
Follow Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author G. Neri to the end of the world in a captivating travel memoir that explores Antarctica through the curiosity and wonder of his inner child--the kid who dreamed of one day becoming an explorer. Antarctica is a land of extremes--the...
My daddy is a cowboy /
Seales, Stephanie,
Paper Book
Tall. High as the clouds. Strong as a horse's back. Like a cowboy. In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and...
My lost freedom :
Takei, George,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . A CALIBA GOLDEN POPPY AWARD WINNER . A moving, beautifully illustrated true story for children ages 6 to 9 about growing up in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II-from the iconic Star Trek actor, activist, and author of the New...
Next stop
Fong, Debbie
Paper Book
Get ready for a graphic novel road trip with more than just a few bumps in the road! Middle schooler Pia is dealing with grief as she finds herself on the biggest adventure of her life--a bus tour stopping at weird and wacky roadside attractions. Inspired by a real life road trip and...
Not quite a ghost /
Ursu, Anne.
Paper Book
Named one of the Best Books of 2024 by the Chicago Public Library, New York Public Library, and NPR! From the award-winning author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy comes an unforgettable and deeply personal story of the ghosts that surround us--and the ones we carry inside. ...
The ocean gardener /
Anganuzzi, Clara,
Paper Book
Ayla notices that the once-vibrant corals in the reef near her beautiful island home have turned pale. She and her mom decide that they need to save the corals--but is it too late? Ayla lives on a beautiful tropical island surrounded by a coral reef. Her mom is a marine biologist...
Red Bird danced /
Quigley, Dawn
Paper Book
With lyrical verse and powerful emotion, Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) tells the story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight. Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city's intertribal housing complex all...
School for invisible boys /
Hutchinson, Shaun David.
What would you do if no one could see you? In this surreal adventure, a boy who is used to being overlooked literally becomes invisible, only to realize there may be far more dangerous threats in his school than bullies. Sixth grade takes a turn for the weird when Hector...
Viewfinder /
Chung, Christine D. U.,
Paper Book
A young space traveler happens upon Earth in the future in this gorgeous wordless adventure for fans of Shaun Tan. A transportive graphic novel for ages 6 to 9, perfect for Earth Day. A young space traveler visits Earth on a whim and finds a planet empty of people. She happens...
We are big time /
Khan, Hena.
Paper Book
SWISH! Cheer courtside for a Muslim teen in this graphic novel--inspired by a true story--as she joins an all-girls, hijab-wearing basketball team and learns that she's much more than a score. Aliya is new to Wisconsin, and everything feels different than Florida. The Islamic...
We are definitely human /
Fang, X.
Paper Book
WINNER of the Ezra Jack Keats Best New Illustrator Award * An American Library Association Notable Children's Book A hilarious alien invasion story with a feel-good message about what it means to be human. Perfect for earthlings of all ages. When three mysterious...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.