APLD Favorites of 2023 - Adult

Welcome to our 2023 Staff Favorites reading list!

These are the books that we loved last year and wanted to share them with the community. The books were chosen by library staff working in all areas of the library.

ADULTS

We hope you'll find some great reads and enjoy them as much as we did!

2023 STAFF FAVORITES

Violeta

by Isabel Allende Great historical fiction with a generational storyline that was very emotive

Linda B., West

The Personal Librarian

by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray This book features a sumptuous depiction of working in JP Morgan’s NYC library & unflinchingly depicts the racism & class inequality of early 20th century.

Ali L., Santori

The Hacienda

by Isabel Cañas I loved that it was spooky and used great description for the home & the setting. It also featured a forbidden love!

Kathy M., Santori

Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke There are aspects of mystery, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, and more. I loved how the main character described their inbetween-world with a child-like lens.

Ali L. Santori

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende The Immortals of Maluha by Amish Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas Gods of Want: Stories by K-Ming Chang

ADULTS

2023 STAFF FAVORITES

State of Terror

by Hillary Clinton & Louise Penny This book was terrifying! The lived experience of the former Secretary of State matched with the mystery prowess of the Inspector Gamache series author made for a thrilling book I couldn’t put down!

AUDIO PICK!

Jordan L., Santori

Ship Wrecked

by Olivia Dade This book wrecked me in the best possible way! The romance between two actors on A Game of Thrones-like TV show had me swooning and laughing. Add in positive plus-size rep, a fearless heroine, a delicious hero, and oh, the pining! Squee!

Love, Theoretically

by Ali Hazelwood Love the brilliant women in STEM careers that find their perfect match!

Yiota P., Santori

Becky C., Santori

VenCo

by Cherie Dimaline Who doesn’t want to discover they come from a lineage of powerful witches and save the world?

Carey G., Eola

River of Teeth

by Sarah Gailey A classic western cowboy novel--but with hippos! In 1910, a congressman introduced a bill to import hippos to Louisiana to combat invasive water hyacinths. That didn’t happen, but this book imagines what if it had passed.

Jessica W., Eola

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby Blacktop Wasteland by S.A Cosby Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave Snobs by Julian Fellowes Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Starling House by Alix E. Harrow The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand Verity by Colleen Hoover The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuin

ADULTS

2023 STAFF FAVORITES

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro I let a silly TikTok filter pick my next book & this was the winner. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful, heart-warming, & heart-breaking books I ever read! I’m not a quick reader, but I finished it in under 24 hours.

Miranda C., Santori

Then She Was Gone

by Lisa Jewell So much action & surprises that make you keep turning the pages--you think you have it figured out until you don’t!

AUDIO PICK! Miriam M., Santori

Severance

by Ling Ma There’s more than one way to become a zombie at the end of the world.

Megan C., Eola

Hello Beautiful

by Ann Napolitano I loved getting to know the Padavano family!

Wendy L., Eola

Sign Here

by Claudia Lux Find yourself on Team Demon while watching The Good Place or reading Good Omens? Fan of The Office? You’ll love this tale of a guy who works in Hell, on the verge of a big promotion if he can get one more person to sell their soul. It’s funny--in Hell, the bars only serve Jagermeister--and a little dark too, with a twist at the end!

Michaela H., Santori

The Club by Ellery Lloyd The Housemaid by Freida McFadden Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny Going Postal by Terry Pratchett Evil Eye by Etaf Rum A Bakery in Paris by Aimie Runyan The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

ADULTS

2023 STAFF FAVORITES

Dust Child

by Phan Qué̂ Mai Nguyẽ̂ n I was a young child during the Vietnam War but vividly remember watching it on the news. The book takes you back & forth to that time & present day, where people continued to suffer from living the war, its aftermath, and the forgiveness that had to take place.

Kim G., Santori

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

by Brandon Sanderson Sanderson’s first love story took me by surprise. The genuine relationship between Yumi & the Nightmare Painter steals the show in Sanderson’s perfectly paced adventure in a gorgeously realized world.

Zeel P., Eola

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

by Benjamin Stevenson It delivers on the title!

Patti B., West

The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles This book is a love letter to adventure before there were phone maps! The characters were so rich and textured and I love a story with a precocious child.

Stef C., Santori

Three Miles Down

by Harry Turtledove I enjoyed the deep characterization of the main character and the weaving together of science fiction and real historical fact into a narrative with the feeling of truth.

Elliot W., Santori

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells Dark Knights: Death Metal. The Darkest Knight by Scott Snyder The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono Rat Queens by Kurtis Wiebe Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia

ADULTS

2023 STAFF FAVORITES

How to Care for a Human Girl

by Ashley Wurzbacher A soft read that pulled me in because of its sensitivity when dealing with the interconnectedness of motherhood, sisterhood, and the intensity & exhausted nature of being an adult.

Milan W., Santori

Fourth Wing

by Rebecca Yarros Fly or die!

Becky C., Santori

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin The author made me care so much for the characters that I thought about them for a long time after I finished the book. The “book hangover” was very real!

AUDIO PICK! Leila M., Santori

Finding Me by Viola Davis The Last Real World Champion: The Legacy of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair by Tim Hornbaker There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge) by Linda Akeson McGurk Mala’s Cat: A Memoir of Survival in World War II by Mala Kacenberg The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse by Dungeons & Dragons Promises of Gold / Promesas de oro by José Olivarez Ringmaster: Vince McMahon & the Unmaking of America by Abraham Riesman Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty The Mountain Is You: Transforming SelfSabotage into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest

ADULTS

2023 STAFF FAVORITES

Democracy in America

by Alexis de Tocqueville Even though this was written in 1835, it still had fresh insights and observations about American government, politics, and society.

Is it a good thing that a 19th century Frenchman had our number in such an enduring way? I don’t know, but I do enjoy knowing that such a modern perspective existed nearly 200 years ago.

Michaela H., Santori

Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World

by Lauren Fleshman This book brought to light the barriers female athletes face, particularly in the sport of running. It also came from an athlete who didn’t quite meet all her goals in the sport, but found ways to empower other women through coaching and running.

The 5 Years Before You Retire: Retirement Planning When You Need It Most

by Emily Guy Birken A thought-provoking read that touched on the pitfalls you may face in retirement & how to avoid them. It outlined other benefits you may qualify for I hadn’t considered.

Emily P., Eola

Courtney N., Outreach

Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever

by Matt Singer Siskel & Ebert transcended the role of film critics.

It’s nostalgic of a time where two people could disagree on an issue for 30 minutes, shake hands at the end, and agree to do all it again tomorrow.

This book is a tribute to the two legendary Chicago journalists, their syndicated show, and their legacy lives on.

Leigh M., Santori

How to Keep House While Drowning

by KC Davis As someone who needs some major cleaning & organizing motivation, I really liked the approach of “You don’t work for your home, your home works for you.” Compassionately inspiring.

Leigh M., Santori