Melinda’s Top 10 of 2024

It’s that time again! All week, your favorite library staff will be sharing their Top Ten Books of 2024. From horror to memoir to fantasy to romance, we have a wide range of book to recommend. Be sure to keep checking back – there will be new Top Ten lists every day this week!

Click on the book cover to request a print copy of the book, or check out Libby or Hoopla for eBook and eAudiobook offerings.

In no particular order, here are my Top Ten!

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at a reformatory for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory. Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

In a mysterious town hidden in our collective subconscious there’s a department store that sells dreams. Each floor specializes in a specific type of dream: childhood memories, food dreams, ice skating, dreams of stardom.

Full review here.

Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

Joining HEBE, a luxury skincare/wellness company, 29-year-old Sophia Bannion is soon addicted to her HEBE lifestyle, especially youthjuice, the fatty, soothing moisturizer she’s been asked to test, but when she learns the gruesome secret ingredient, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to stay beautiful forever.

Full review here.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

The book begins with one woman’s personal, particular heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes. With the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

Nestled in New York’s Hudson Valley is a luxury retreat boasting every amenity: organic meals, private fitness trainers, daily massages–and all of it for free. In fact, you’re paid big money to stay here–more than you’ve ever dreamed of. The catch? For nine months, you cannot leave the grounds; your movements are monitored, and you are cut off from your former life while you dedicate yourself to the task of producing the perfect baby.

A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter

The story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

At eighteen, Brian, like so many other promising young gay men, arrived in New York City without much more than a love for the freedom and release from his past that it promised. But within six short years, AIDS would claim his lover, his friends, and his future. With nothing left in New York but memories of death, Brian decides to write his mother a letter asking to come back to the place, and family, he was once so desperate to escape.

Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold

When Gracie Gold stepped onto center stage (or ice, rather) as America’s sweetheart at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she instantly became the face of America’s most beloved winter sport. Now Gold reveals the exclusive and harrowing story of her struggles in and out of the pressure-packed world of elite figure skating: the battles with her family, her coaches, the powers-that-be at her federation, and her deteriorating mental health.

Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert

As coma patients are trapped in a world full of evil mythical creatures of sleep, which is linked to an old train tunnel around town, one troubled man finally acts upon the voice in his head called Mr. Lullaby who wants him to kill all the coma patients he can find.

Full review here.

Dolls of Our Lives by Mary Mahoney & Allison Horrocks

Combining history, travelogue, and memoir, Dolls of Our Lives follows Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney on an unforgettable journey to the past as they delve into the origins of this iconic brand.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Summer Scares

Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash

Summer is in full swing! Step aside beach reads, scary summer stories are hitting the shelves hard this season. Here are a selection of horror titles from legendary authors and newcomers alike. Whether you like to read with the lights on or surround yourself in spooky vibes, this summer has a book for you!

House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias

A group of young men seek vengeance after one of their mothers is murdered in a Puerto Rican slum;

Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

A 29-year-old copywriter realizes that beauty is possible–at a terrible cost–in this surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

A chilling horror novel about a haunting, told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.” 

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie

A famous 80s slasher director sets out to shoot the most terrifying horror movie ever made using an occult camera that might be (and probably is) demonic.

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.
But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination.

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trias

In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. Inland, a secretive corporation churns out the only food anyone can afford–a revolting pink paste.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

A man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend–and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

If you enjoy reading all things spooky and scary, check out our upcoming book discussion, Reading in the Dark. For more details, click here: https://events.rrpl.org/event/10328357

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Book Review: Youthjuice

Gut healing supplements, anti-aging night cremes, and questionable wellness practices lie at the heart of youthjuice. Imagine a world where Devil Meets Prada is crossed with Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop and you’ve got HEBE, a fictional luxury wellness company run by New York City it girl Tree Whitestone. When Sophia lands herself a job on the Storytelling team at HEBE, she’s ready to embrace the cult of wellness with open arms. Living in the shadow of a beauty blogger roommate, the radiating youthful glow of the interns and employees at HEBE call out to Sophia as she tries to blend into the world of colonics, concoctions, and connection. When Tree offers Sophia a tester of HEBE’s newest moisturizing product, youthjuice, Sophia jumps at the chance to prove her loyalty. Especially when the moisturizer gives her painful (and shameful) nail-bitten hands new life. But with all things, HEBE’s glittering facade might just be hiding a darker underworld…and Sophia’s about to dive right in.

Former beauty editor E.K. Sathue takes the reader on a journey into beauty culture that is sure to delight fans of the horror genre. This campy yet cunning exploration of the body horror subgenre could be a bit of a queasy-filled journey, but ultimately the world of pseudo-wellness lures you back. Readers will relate to Sophia’s desire to balance the all-consuming need to get ahead with her moral compass. This book is great for anyone who likes a little gore with their glam.

youthjuice comes out on June 4. Request a copy here.

Happy reading!

*I received a review copy from Soho Press and Edelweiss. This is my honest review. 

-Melinda