We started off the year with books on the brain and we’re wrapping it up with—what else? Along with writing, we also do a lot of reading here at Libby Life, and that small dent we made in our TBR lists paved the way for some truly memorable reads. Out of all the books that graced our e-readers and Airpods this year, these were our stand-outs. Some were published in 2024, and others are older, but finally made their way to us. We laughed, we cried, and now we’re recommending them to you.

Before you close the book on 2024, load your Libby with one of our favorites, free from your library.

“My favorite book this year was Solito by Javier Zamora. This deeply touching, heart-wrenching, and incredibly important memoir left a lasting impact on me. It follows the extraordinary journey of 9-year-old Javier as he migrates with strangers from El Salvador to the United States to reunite with his parents.” - Nahomy O.

“It was a fantastic year for contemporary romance and my favorite book of the year was no exception. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez was the slow burn rom-com of my dreams, all the while addressing tough topics with humor and grace. This book was the motivation I needed to read the rest of Abby's backlist that I hadn't yet tackled. I got the chance to chat with her on the Professional Book Nerds podcast and meet her IRL at Toledo Library's Romance-Con this fall.” - Emma D.

“My favorite of the year was James by Percival Everett. The use of language as a tool of resistance, the humor and the horrors of this retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were fantastic. It remained faithful to the original story while taking a look at the ‘adventures’ through the eyes of Jim, the enslaved man who got roped into caring for a reckless boy. It won the National Book Award." - Kristin R.

“Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo is a modern-day Veronica Mars story and I love how Adamo explores the (very) complicated relationships between teenage girl friends and examines how society treats young women it believes ‘deserve’ their trauma.” - Jill G.

"My favorite was Pox Romana by Colin Elliott. It's a book about the Antonine Plague, the first ever global pandemic." - Shelia M.

“The Housekeepers by Alex Hay was a fun historical heist novel about power, gender, and class from a British viewpoint. Booklist called it ‘an Ocean's 11-style heist set in London in the early 1900's by an all-female gang of thieves.'" - Audrey W.

“After falling in love with Maggie Smith's "Good Bones," I followed it up with her memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful and Goldenrod, a book of poems. Her poetry is stunning and her lines about parenthood resonate with me right now.” - Annie S.

“I loved, loved, loved Funny Story by Emily Henry. I already wrote a whole blog post about this book so I'll try not to repeat myself too much but I think Emily Henry has a beautiful way of writing characters that make you feel like they're real people you know and care about. I ended up reading this one and listening to the audiobook and Julia Whelan's narration is just so perfect.” - Melissa M.

“I couldn't put The Wedding People down. I listened to it; such a great audiobook! It was funny, relatable, clever dialogue, and I loved the end. It deals with divorce, weddings, relationships, college friends, how we grow together, and grow apart. Just excellent and highly recommend!” - Jen L.

“I also loved The Wedding People! It was a nice break from my usual thriller, mystery, or standard romance. I loved the characters and how relatable they were. The author did such a great job of covering a heavy topic while somehow also being a laugh-out-loud funny book at times.” - Molly M.

“Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li shared a Japanese approach to nature that promotes health and happiness.” - Audrey W.

“I basically devoured Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir in two days. It’s one of the best sci-fi/fantasy series I’ve read in a long time with so many twists and turns. I was listening to the audiobook at the grocery store and gasped out loud a couple times because I was that hooked.” - Fiona S.

“Not only was Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook one of my favorite books of the year, but it has become one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. From advice on how to properly season dishes to temperature management, El-Waylly's tried-and-true techniques have undoubtedly improved my cooking. My kale is crispier, my polenta creamier, and I can now cook any type of egg thrown my way... even poached!” - Marissa G.

“I couldn't get enough of The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang. SO beautifully written, a solid 8 on the spicy scale, and epic storytelling and plot-twists. I had to read it in snippets between mom and work responsibilities, but I tore through it—so good!” - Gabriela M.

“I’ve never related to a book the way I relate to There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib. It’s hard to explain what it’s like to grow up in the city and the role basketball can play in the social hierarchy—how you’re defined by your ability to stay on the court when playing wherever you can find a free hoop, with whatever ball you can find.

I've never loved a book passage the way I love this one:

'There is a reality of loving ball in a place where people don’t have money. A place where sacrifices are made to keep the lights on, to keep food on the table….we knew how to navigate the aftermath of neglect. Which side of court dipped slightly and which crack in the surface might send the rock careening toward the baseball diamond, which, depending on the day, might be housing a little league game and a throng of concerned parents who never made it to our side of town, eyeing the players on the basketball court with their loud, echoing foul language and the music sometimes spilling out of a small boombox at the court’s edge,' Abdurraqib writes.

Abdurraqib reaches middle age and looks back at his childhood and neighborhood from fresh eyes. Now understanding the love-hate relationship with the neighborhood and the struggle that you can leave the neighborhood, but you can’t “leave” the neighborhood.

As a 90s kid in Ohio, I see the role LeBron James played, and still plays, in our ecosystem—how he was us, how he was ours, how we were there first. But it’s beautiful how he focused on the “other” LeBrons—the superstars in your neighborhood who didn’t make it. Our neighborhoods had their own LeBrons, and if the wind blew another way, maybe they’d be LeBron today as well.

All I can say is this: This book will make you understand people better.” - Jeff R.

*Title availability may vary by library & region.

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