Ledding Library Staff Favorites of 2023 - Books

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

Updated December 20, 2023
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Mrs. Nash's ashes
Adler, Sarah
Paper Book
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023! A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love. ...
Light from uncommon stars
Aoki, Ryka
Paper Book
Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki's Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful adventure set in California's San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts. Hugo...
Normal rules don't apply
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
Baek, Sehee
Paper Book
The internationally bestselling therapy memoir translated by International Booker Prize shortlisted 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. [online electronic audiobook]
Baldwin, James, 1841-1925
Audiobook
At once a powerful evocation of his early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice to both the individual and the body politic, James Baldwin galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil rights movement with his eloquent manifesto. The Fire Next...
A history of my brief body : a memoir /
Belcourt, Billy-Ray
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE HUBERT EVANS NON-FICTION PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE JIM DEVA PRIZE FOR WRITING THAT PROVOKES FINALIST FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD FOR NON-FICTION FINALIST FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR GAY MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY NATIONAL BESTSELLER ...
A minor chorus : a novel /
Belcourt, Billy-Ray
Paper Book
*WINNER OF THE 2023 BC AND YUKON ETHEL WILSON PRIZE* *LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE* NATIONAL BESTSELLER An urgent first novel about breaching the prisons we live inside from one of Canada's most daring literary talents. ...
This wound is a world : poems /
Belcourt, Billy-Ray
Paper Book
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 is...
Small game : a novel
Braverman, Blair
Paper Book
A gripping debut novel about a survival reality show gone wrong that leaves a group of strangers stranded in the northern wilds  Four strangers and six weeks: this is all that separates Mara from one life-changing payday. She was surprised when reality TV producers came...
Rez dogs /
Bruchac, Joseph, 1942-
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...
Four thousand weeks : time management for mortals /
Burkeman, Oliver
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   "This is the most important book ever written about time management."  --Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of WorkLife What if you stopped trying to do...
Parable of the sower. [online electronic book]
Butler, Octavia E.
Ebook
A New York Times Notable Book: In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future. "A stunner." --Flea, musician and actor, TheWall Street Journal   ...
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...
The bodyguard.
Center, Katherine
Paper Book
Katherine Center's The Bodyguard is "My perfect 10 of a book. As funny and sweet as all the very best nineties rom-coms, but with Center's signature heart-tugging depth. I wish I could erase it from my mind just to read it again for the first time. A shot of pure joy."--Emily Henry, #1...
Recommended by 2 staff members!
Lessons at the school by the sea
Colgan, Jenny
Paper Book
The summer holiday brings new passion and new challenges in the enchanting third book of Jenny Colgan's utterly delightful School by the Sea series, set at a girls' boarding school in Cornwall. School is out, following a bit of saucy scandal at Downey House... Beloved...
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." --Jenna Bush Hager ...
What my bones know : a memoir of healing from complex trauma
Foo, Stephanie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo, investigating the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it has shaped her life "Achingly exquisite . . . providing real hope for those who long to heal....
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
From New York Times-bestselling author Claudia Gray--a summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature's most notorious rakes, finally gets what's coming to him in this brilliantly imagined murder mystery featuring Jane Austen's leading literary...
Book lovers
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
"One of my favorite authors."--Colleen Hoover An insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Oprah Daily ∙ Today ∙...
Happy place
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "The beach-read master hooks us again."--People Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by BuzzFeed ∙ Paste Magazine ∙ Elle ∙ Southern Living ∙ SheReads ∙ Culturess ∙...
People we meet on vacation
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers and Beach Read 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...
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
Paper Book
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, 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 Spring 2020"...
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...
When the angels left the old country
Lamb, Sacha
Paper Book
Stonewall Book Award Winner Sydney Taylor Award Winner Michael L. Printz Honor Book National Jewish Book Award Finalist AudioFile Earphones Award Winner BEST OF THE YEAR NPR · New York...
Slonim Woods 9 : a memoir
Levin, Daniel Barban
Paper Book
An "extraordinary" (Nylon) firsthand account of the creation of a modern cult and the costs paid by its young victims- a group of college roommates "Intense . . . a tale of hard-won survival, and creating a life after the unimaginable."-Salon ...
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...
Sea of tranquility.
St. John Mandel, Emily, 1979-
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER "One of [Mandel's] finest novels and one of her most satisfying forays into the arena of speculative fiction yet." --The New York Times  "Mandel's sensational sixth novel offers immense pleasures of puzzle box plotting and...
Western Lane.
Maroo, Chetna
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK * A taut, enthralling first novel about grief, sisterhood, and a young athlete's struggle to transcend herself. "Few novelists write this simply and richly....
All this could be different
Mathews, Sarah Thankam
Paper Book
2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST ONE OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES' TOP 5 FICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR ONE OF TIME AND SLATE'S TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR Named one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2022 by NPR, Vogue, Vulture,...
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 Disorder...
Don't you forget about me.
McFarlane, Mhairi
Paper Book
Preorder Mhairi's new novel COVER STORY - coming soon! You always remember your first love. Don't you...? 'I loved it! So funny and warm. A delicious read' Marian Keyes 'Hilarious, warm and life affirming' Jenny Colgan It began with four words. 'I love...
Homecoming : A Novel.
Morton, Kate
Paper Book
The highly anticipated new novel from the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Clockmaker's Daughter, a sweeping saga that begins with a shocking crime that echoes across continents and generations. Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve,...
Homeland : my father dreams of Palestine
Moushabeck, Hannah
Paper Book
A father and his daughters may not be able to return home . . . but they can celebrate stories of their homeland! As bedtime approaches, three young girls eagerly await the return of their father who tells them stories of a faraway homeland--Palestine....
Our missing hearts. [large print]
Ng, Celeste
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller * A New York Times Notable Book * Named a Best Book of 2022 by People, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, Los Angeles Times, and Oprah Daily, and more * A Reese's Book Club...
Devotions : the selected poems of Mary Oliver
Oliver, Mary
Paper Book
Now a Read With Jenna Book Club Pick Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver presents a personal selection of her best work in this definitive collection spanning more than five decades of her esteemed literary career. "No matter where one starts reading, Devotions<...
Heartstopper. Volume 1. [graphic novel]
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. Volume 2. [graphic novel]
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
The second book in the delightfully sweet Heartstopper series, featuring beautiful two-color artwork! Now streaming on Netflix! Nick and Charlie are best friends, but one spontaneous kiss has changed everything. In the aftermath, Charlie thinks that he's made a horrible...
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 his...
Heartstopper. Volume 4
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
The fourth volume in the wonderfully sweet Heartstopper series, featuring gorgeous two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Charlie and Nick's relationship has been going really well, and Charlie thinks he's ready to say those three little words: I love you. ...
Just Another Missing Person : A Novel
McAllister, Gillian
Paper Book
"Twisty and complex, with unexpected turns...and characters you really root for."--Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author From the author of the Reese's Book Club Pick and the New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes a new heart-stopping thriller in which...
The monsters we defy
Penelope, L.
Paper Book
"[P]itch perfect, with wit, romance, and a lovable found family." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes!" ―T.L. Huchu NPR...
Fierce kingdom.
Phillips, Gin.
Paper Book
An electrifying literary thriller introduces an unforgettable mother and son, whose simple trip to the zoo one afternoon is transformed into three hours of terror and survival after gunshots ring out. What would you do to protect the ones you love? After school on a late October...
Winter solstice.
Pilcher, Rosamunde
Paper Book
In Winter Solstice Rosamunde Pilcher brings her readers into the lives of five very different people.... Elfrida Phipps, once of London's stage, moved to the English village of Dibton in hopes of making a new life for herself. Gradually she settled into the comfortable...
Conquering the Pacific : an unknown mariner and the final great voyage of the Age of Discovery
Rese?ndez, Andre?s
Paper Book
The story of an uncovered voyage as colorful and momentous as any on record for the Age of Discovery--and of the Black mariner whose stunning accomplishment has been until now lost to history   It began with a secret mission, no expenses spared. Spain, plotting...
The creative act : a way of being
Rubin, Rick
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestseller. "A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning...
The lost ticket
Sampson, Freya
Paper Book
One of Amazon's Best Books of September! Strangers on a London bus unite to help an elderly man find his missed love connection in the heartwarming new novel from the acclaimed author of The Last Chance Library. When Libby Nicholls arrives in London,...
A first time for everything : a true story
Santat, Dan
Paper Book
*Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature* A middle grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life. Dan's always been a...
The labors of Hercules Beal
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill a seemingly impossible school assignment--and learns about friendship, community, and himself along the way....
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 : a novel
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A comedy writer thinks she's sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions--a "smart, sophisticated, and fun" (Oprah Daily) novel from the author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep....
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
Audiobook
Named a Best Book of the Year by Elle, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, NPR, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, and more! "In Britney Spears's memoir, she's stronger than ever." --The New York Times Over 2 million copies sold of...
This time tomorrow
Straub, Emma
Paper Book
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER "The pages brim with tenderness and an appreciation for what we had and who we were. I could not have loved it more."--Ann Patchett "One of the most moving and intelligent time travel novels I have ever read. Nostalgic, wise, funny, and filled with...
It came from the closet : queer reflections on horror
Vallese, Joe
Paper Book
Through the lens of horror--from Halloween to Hereditary--queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences. ...
Remarkably bright creatures : a novel
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 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 feel-good but deceptively...
Late bloomers : a novel
Varadarajan, Deepa
Paper Book
An IndianAmericanfamily is turned upside down when the parents split up thirty-six years into their arranged marriage​in this"heartwarming journey of self-discovery" (Southern Living). "Touching . . . both funny and moving-a family drama the entire family can enjoy."-...
Thank you for listening : a novel
Whelan, Julia
Paper Book
From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan's uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator--who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident--and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate...
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
Paper Book
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES' BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER * A JIMMY FALLON BOOK CLUB PICK In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends-...
Recommended by 2 staff members!

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