LPL’s Best Books of 2024

How High We Go in the Dark

"This book DESTROYED me. I think about the roller coasters daily. In this book of short stories linking hundreds of years of Earth’s near-future, you are thrust into a world where melting permafrost has unleashed a heart-breaking disease." - Angela, Program Coordinator

Assistant to the Villain

"The infamous “Villain” needs someone to get his office under control so he can keep doing the real work–plaguing the royal guard. He stumbles upon a sunny outcast who desperately needs to get a job to support for her ailing father and young sister. These two and a lovable crew of misfits will need to work together to find the identity of the true villain of the story. If you want a nice light dip into romantasy, these books are perfect." - Angela, Program Coordinator

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

"I wanted to crawl inside this book and live there. Don’t pray to the gods who answer after dark. You might be granted complete freedom and immortality, for the low price of being forgotten the second a person leaves the room." - Angela, Program Coordinator

Man's Search for Meaning

"A short book with a dual nature. In part one the author imparts a moving autobiographical account of the experience of life in the concentration camps during World War II. In part two Frankl presents an outline of his psychotherapeutic approach, called Logotherapy, which emphasizes the role of meaning in the approach to psychological issues. Rational discourse with the patient and engagement with the meaning they can find or make in their life is the central feature of this approach. Readers should not be put off by the potentially discomforting subject matter. This is the most intensely uplifting book I have read this year. The nobility of the human spirit finds much needed support in this 20th century classic." - Aaron, IT Supervisor

This Is Happiness

"A beautifully written coming of age novel set in a small town in Ireland in the 1950s. Electrification is on the horizon, and with it, sweeping changes to the social structure of the community. An engaging plot, laugh-out-loud situations, and a delightful cast of characters. You’ll be sad to bid farewell to this sweet old world when you reach the last page." - Tricia, Collections & Technology Manager

The Invention of Nature

"Although it was published in 2015 it was my favorite read of 2024. It recounts the life and travels of the German naturalist and explorer Alexander Von Humboldt (1769-1859) who was one of the first scientists to postulate nature as a unified, interconnected system." - Gregor, Book Van Assistant

Small Things Like These

"Keegan manages to break your heart with tenderness in so few pages and with such simple language. Everything I’ve read of hers is astonishing." - Terese, Information Services Librarian

Tokyo These Days

"After the cancellation of his long running manga, Kazuo Shiozawa, a middle aged editor, quits his job and tries to start fresh. But his passion for manga can’t be left behind so easily and he soon starts to enlist his favorite creators to make his dream magazine. A thoughtful and understated character study that is just incredibly illustrated. I can’t overstate how much I adore Matsumoto’s style." - Ian, Materials Handling Supervisor

ADHD 2.0

"Hallowell is a game-changer. I first came across Hallowell as a guest on a podcast I love, which led me to pick up the audiobook on Libby. Unlike many experts, Hallowell dives deeper than surface-level quirks—he compassionately explains the way the ADHD brain works while offering real, practical insight. With over 40 years of experience studying ADHD (and living with it himself), his approach felt personal, as if the book were written just for me. It’s also the first time I’ve used Libby’s notes feature to bookmark and jot down key ideas—there was that much to take away. Whether you have ADHD or care about someone who does, this book is a must-read." - Heather, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine

"This is a powerful and illuminating read I picked up this summer. Khalidi, a historian and Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, draws from untapped archives and the firsthand accounts of his family—mayors, judges, scholars, diplomats, and journalists—spanning Gaza, the West Bank, and the diaspora. As a descendant of Jerusalem’s mayor (circa 1899), Khalidi weaves personal narrative and lived experience with historical analysis. The book avoids portraying Palestinians solely as victims, acknowledges missteps by their leaders, and recognizes the rise of national movements on both sides. It’s also written for people like me who started out knowing nothing about this history. It gave me a clearer understanding of a conflict that’s still going on today." - Heather, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

The God of the Woods

"This book is full of revelations and twists, a plot so well executed but somehow still upstaged by the depth of the characters. It is SO difficult to pull off this many timelines involving this many people, but Moore accomplished it flawlessly. This was one of the most layered mysteries I've ever read and it held me in thrall from beginning to end." - Leah, Readers' Services Technician

Ace

"Chen weaves together informative text with anecdotal illustrations and prompts the reader to think more deeply about relationships in general, but also the nature of desire and sexuality in a way that I thought was fascinating. While I don’t agree with all of her takes, her illustration of various viewpoints and her historical overview of sexuality and our societal perception of it was really thought provoking." - Grace, Youth Services Assistant

Platonic

"Franco breaks down the various components of friendship and tight knit community in a way that was very pleasing to my ‘how does it work, tho’ brain. While it’s sort of marketed to the ‘attachment theory’ crowd, I didn’t find that to be an overwhelming facet of the book. It made me think more deeply about the types of relationships I have, and how I want to show up in each of them." - Grace, Youth Services Assistant

Raising Human Beings

"Greene’s approach to behavioral issues with kids is compassionate and flexible, giving parents a framework and the confidence to adapt to their kids needs. While the book doesn’t specifically address kids with ADHD/Autism diagnosis, Greene does a good job of providing a framework that is accessible by creating a mindset of parent/child interactions that lets parents deal with the kid they have rather than their idea of who the kid is. I found his perspective really helpful in reshaping the way that I view difficult interactions with my kid." - Grace, Youth Services Assistant

The Morningside

"The Morningside by Téa Obreht is a complex, thought-provoking, and ultimately hopeful coming-of-age adventure quest featuring climate refugees in a flooded urban island which reflects Slavic folklore and family heritage to connect environmental and social justice. Notably, Obreht teaches creative writing and champions Percival Everett as one of her best teachers." - Shirley, Readers' Services Assistant

Big in Sweden

"During a drunken evening with her BFF, Paulie Johansson, lover of Pippi Longstocking, applies to a Swedish reality show she later discovers is nicknamed “The Crying Americans.” It’s a show where Americans compete to win a family reunion with their Swedish relatives. Through the various competitions and experiences, Paulie undergoes a roller-coaster of emotions and has a life-changing metamorphosis. This is a sweet and funny book with some self-reflection thrown in. I needed some comfort & this was a perfect read for me. As a bonus to a great story, Meg Ryan narrates the audiobook, making it even more comforting and endearing." - Traci, Materials Handling Asisstant

North Woods

"This was the best book I read all year. If you’ve ever enjoyed daydreaming about the people who lived in your apartment or house before you, this book takes that line of thinking to the next level by telling the stories of the people who inhabit a specific spot in western Massachusetts over the course of several hundred years. It also features several trees as crucial actors in the plot, a mountain lion, and a sex scene between insects. Reads a little like David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas if it were written by David Attenborough." - Dan, Childrens' Collection Development Librarian

Immortal Dark

Impossible Creatures

"I imagine it must be quite thrilling and even more intimidating to repeatedly hear your name in the same sentence as fantasy greats Tolkien, Lewis, Pullman, and Rowling, but that’s the company Katherine Rundell keeps these days. Impossible Creatures is not her first book, but it’s certainly made the biggest splash. It’s a wholesome, touching, and wonderful story that follows two children, one from modern England and another from a hidden magical kingdom called the Archipelago where magical beasts still roam, on an adventure you won’t soon forget." - Ian, Materials Handling Supervisor

A collection of staff favorites that we read in the year 2024!

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