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Must-Read Books December 2023 |
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Flores and Miss Paula : a novel
by Melissa Rivero
A 30-year-old living with her Peruvian immigrant mother in a Brooklyn apartment after her father's passing discovers a weird note under his urn that forces the pair to confront their complicated past.
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| Day by Michael CunninghamPulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham's long-awaited new novel takes place on the same day (April 5) in three different years (2019, 2020, and 2021) as a married Brooklyn duo, their two kids, and the couple's two brothers navigate endings, beginnings, the pandemic, and more. Read-alikes: Daniel Mason's North Woods; Paul Murray's The Bee Sting; Gary Shteyngart's Our Country Friends. |
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| The Reformatory by Tananarive DueSet in Jim Crow-era Florida and inspired by real events, this disturbing historical horror novel chronicles the hardships faced by young Black boys at an abusive reform school haunted by monsters both human and supernatural. For fans of: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen. |
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Here in the dark
by Alexis Soloski
A former actress and junior theatre critic turns into an amateur detective after granting an interview and becoming the last person to see the reporter alive in the new novel from a prize-winning New York Times journalist.
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| The Frozen River by Ariel LawhonIn 1789 Maine, a man accused of rape is found frozen in the river while his partner, a judge, has disappeared. Midwife Martha Ballard (who's based on a real person) investigates it all in this intricate tale that combines history, mystery, and courtroom suspense. Read-alikes: Sam Thomas' Midwife mysteries; Eleanor Kuhns' Will Rees mysteries; Eliot Pattison's Bone Rattler mysteries. |
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| The Berry Pickers by Amanda PetersWhile a Mi'kmaq family from Novia Scotia picks blueberries in 1962 Maine, four-year-old Ruthie goes missing. Her disappearance reverberates for decades, as seen in the narration of Joe, Ruthie's brother who never gets over the loss, and Norma, a lonely only child with a connection to Ruthie. Read-alikes: A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power; Stealing by Margaret Verble. |
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Like thunder
by Nnedi Okorafor
Reuniting with his best friend, a shadow speaker girl named Ejii Ubaid, to complete the epic and mystical quest they started years ago, rainmaker Dikéogu Obidimkpa, more powerful than ever, soon discovers that nothing will ever be the same again.
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60 songs that explain the '90s
by Rob Harvilla
In this companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify, a Ringer music critic reimagines all the iconic hits Gen Xers pine for with vivid historical storytelling, sharp critical analysis and personal ruminations on the songs we both regret entirely and miss desperately.
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| Check & Mate by Ali HazelwoodMallory Greenleaf’s unexpected win against the chess world champion “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer reignites her love for the game that cost her family everything. Are Mallory and Nolan a perfect match? Fans of author Ali Hazelwood’s popular adult rom-coms will flock to her swoony YA debut. |
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| When The Stars Came Home by Brittany LubyAfter moving to the city, Anishinaabe kid Ojiig misses the starry night skies. But when his mom gives him a star quilt and stories of his ancestors, Ojiig realizes that home is more than a place. This poetic, poignant tale is sure to resonate with many families. |
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| Mabuhay! by Zack SterlingFilipino American siblings JJ and Althea are used to hearing their mom’s magic-infused folktales while they help with the family food truck, but they’re still shocked when those tales are proved true. Bold, energetic artwork makes this exciting graphic novel fantasy stand out. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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