Shannon’s Top Ten of 2022

It’s that time again! All this week, your favorite RRPL librarians will be sharing their Top Ten best books of 2022. I read a lot of good books this year, so it was tough to pare down my list to just ten titles – but here they are, my best of the best for 2022!

Click any of the book covers below to be taken to our catalog, where you can request a copy of the book with your library card number and PIN.

Cover image and RRPL catalog link
10. Chainsaw Man
(continuing series)
by Tatsuki Fujimoto
cover image and RRPL catalog link
9. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfeld
cover image and RRPL catalog link
8. Iron Widow
by Xiran Jay Zhao

cover image and RRPL catalog link
7. The Jasmine Throne
by Tasha Suri
cover image and RRPL catalog link
6. Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
by R. F. Kuang
cover image and RRPL catalog link
5. Siren Queen
by Nghi Vo

cover image and RRPL catalog link
4. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
by Kate Beaton
cover image and RRPL catalog link
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
cover image and RRPL catalog link
2. Nettle & Bone
by T. Kingfisher

And my favorite book of 2022 is:

cover image and RRPL catalog link
1. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

For those that may remember my first Top Ten list waaaay back in 2020, this choice for my favorite book of 2022 should not be much of a surprise. I love Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb series, and the first book, Gideon the Ninth (often delightfully described as “lesbian necromancers in space”) was my number one favorite book back in 2020. I actually preordered this book and was so excited to read it when it came in the mail, and it did not disappoint in the slightest.

Tamsyn Muir’s latest addition to the series is about a new character, Nona, who is possibly the sweetest person on any planet. All she wants for her birthday is to have a party with all of her friends and her favorite dogs, but intergalactic politics keep getting in the way. And there’s an ominous blue entity hanging in the sky above the city where she lives, which definitely isn’t good. I can’t say more without spoiling the plot, but Muir has outdone herself once again. This book made me laugh, cry, and want to throw it across the room – all in the best way, of course! Muir’s books are always challenging, deep, and deeply felt, and once again her characters have stolen my heart. A note – while you technically could pick this up and read it as a standalone, it will be extremely confusing. Go back and read the first two books, then try this one. If you aren’t addicted after that, this series just isn’t for you.

So that’s a wrap on 2022! Be sure to keep checking back – there will be new Top Ten lists from our librarians out every day this week!

Short on Time? Pick Up a Short Book!

We’ve all been there. It’s January 1st and we think we can read 100 (or 24, or 52) books in the new year. We set lofty reading goals and have every intention of reaching them…

…and then all of the sudden it’s December and you’re coming up a few books short. I may be speaking from personal experience here. If your heart is set on reaching your reading goal, here’s a pro tip: start reading shorter books. Shorter books can help with short attention spans, reading ruts, or those mad dashes to reach 85 books in the next four weeks. If you need to add a few more books to get closer to your reading goal, here are a handful of titles to consider.

Under 200 Pages

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Tokyo resident Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart,” she finds peace and purpose in her life. In the store, unlike anywhere else, she understands the rules of social interaction–many are laid out line by line in the store’s manual.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Told in a series of vignettes-sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous-Sandra Cisneros’ masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery.

How To Be A Good Creature by Sy Montgomery

This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of thirteen animals–Sy’s friends–and the truths revealed by their grace. It also explores vast themes: the otherness and sameness of people and animals; the various ways we learn to love and become empathetic; how we find our passion; how we create our families; coping with loss and despair; gratitude; forgiveness; and most of all, how to be a good creature in the world.

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

Trudy has betrayed her husband, John. She’s still in the marital home–a dilapidated, priceless London townhouse–but John’s not there. Instead, she’s with his brother, the profoundly banal Claude, and the two of them have a plan. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf’s inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis’s wife. Addie and Louis have long been living alone in houses now empty of family, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with.

Under 300 Pages

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King

A reclusive bookseller begins to feel the discomfort of love again. Two college roommates have a devastating middle-aged reunion. A proud old man rages powerlessly in his granddaughter’s hospital room. A writer receives a visit from all the  men who have tried to suppress her voice. 

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Leah is changed. A marine biologist, she left for a routine expedition months earlier, only this time her submarine sank to the sea floor. When she finally surfaces and returns home, her wife Miri knows that something is wrong. Barely eating and lost in her thoughts, Leah rotates between rooms in their apartment, running the taps morning and night. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura

Almost every afternoon, the Woman in the Purple Skirt sits on the same park bench, where she eats a cream bun while the local children make a game of trying to get her attention. Unbeknownst to her, she is being watched–by the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, who is always perched just out of sight, monitoring which buses she takes, what she eats, whom she speaks to.

And if you’re not inspired or don’t have time to panic-read, here’s a reminder that it’s okay to not reach your reading goals. We set our goals but life can get in the way. Enjoy the next book you pick up and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. After all, reading is meant to be enjoyable, not a chore. If your challenge is no longer bringing you joy, say goodbye to the pressure and enjoy savoring the story.

-Melinda

Shannon’s Top Ten of 2021

It’s the end of the year (where did the time go??), and there’s been a lot of really great books published in 2021! My list is of course very science fiction and fantasy heavy, but what can I say? I’m a lady who likes spaceships and unicorns.

Without further ado, here is my top ten of 2021 – click any of the book covers below to be taken to our catalog, where you can request a copy of the book with your library card number and PIN.

The Last Graduate book cover and RRPL catalog link
10. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Hench book cover and RRPL catalog link
9. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
The Witness for the Dead book cover and RRPL catalog link
8. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

Broken (in the Best Possible Way) book cover and RRPL catalog link
7. Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson
The Hidden Palace book cover and RRPL catalog link
6. The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker
Sorrowland book cover and RRPL catalog link
5. Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Light from Uncommon Stars book cover and RRPL catalog link
4. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
The Empress of Salt and Fortune book cover and RRPL catalog link
3. The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
She Who Became the Sun book cover and RRPL catalog link
2. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

And last but not least, my favorite book of 2021:

The Kingdoms book cover and RRPL catalog link
1. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

Time travelling alternate history queer love story – plus naval battles and the Napoleonic Wars… what’s not to love? You can read my review of this excellent novel here. You can also find all of these titles by searching in our digital library.

Well, that’s a wrap on 2021 for me. Be sure to check out the top ten lists of other staff members this week!

Nicole’s Top Ten of 2021

Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley– An iconic work of early English literature is updated in Headley’s feminist adaptation, bringing to light elements never before translated into English.

A Hawk in the Woods by Carrie Laben– A suspenseful, dark tale of family trauma, abuse of power, and the bonds of sisterhood that centers on supernaturally gifted twins Abby and Martha Waite and follows Abby’s choices after she discovers she has been diagnosed with late stage melanoma.

The Push by Ashley Audrain– A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family and one woman’s deeply affecting and difficult story of motherhood, womanhood, grief, and guilt.

Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith– Haunting and inspired, this novel looks at the stories of three women in Vietnam, weaving together Vietnamese folklore and themes of national and racial identity, women’s bodies and their burden, and sweet revenge.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca– A standout novella featuring an interesting combination of atypical structure, beautiful writing, and body horror about two women who meet in a queer chat room. This book, and the ending in particular, will keep you thinking long after you finish this short work.

Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft by Samantha Silva– An amazingly well-crafted and beautiful historical fiction novel of Mary Wollstonecraft – arguably the world’s first feminist and one of the world’s most influential thinkers. Inspiring and enlightening.

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel– Perhaps my most favorite book of the year, this heartbreaking and remarkable novel is inspired by the life of McDaniel’s own mother. Set in rural Ohio during the 50s, readers follow Betty Carpenter, as she endures terrible discrimination, violence, loss, and love in this luminous and often emotionally difficult book.

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling– A beautifully written gothic romantic thriller with a dash of magic and horror. Drawing inspiration from such classics as Bluebeard and working the dangerous bridegroom trope, Starling delivers an engaging and tense tale.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo– A skillful and fantastical reimagining of The Great Gatsby that reimagines Jordan Baker as a queer Vietnamese immigrant, embellishing upon Fitzgerald’s original plot  with commentary on gender, race, and  sexuality, set in a magical Jazz Age New York.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke– A timely and moving meditation on isolation and longing, both as individuals and as a society, delivered in a beautiful graphic novel.

December Holiday Films on Kanopy

Did you know that Kanopy has a great selection of films for the holidays? You can look at their curated collection of seasonal films available for home streaming here. From classics to comedies, ballet performances to holiday horror (yes, that’s a thing and its awesome) there is something for everyone on Kanopy this December. Take a look below to see my top 5 picks for holiday viewing- including the aforementioned classic Christmas slasher (Black Christmas, 1974) and a documentary all about the weird and wonderful world of Christmas music (Jingle Bell Rocks!, 2013). Hot chocolate and cookies are not required for viewing, but highly recommended. *wink wink*

Enjoy and happy holidays to you and yours this season!

Staff Picks- August

One of the best things about working in a public library is being exposed to so many different books! I know I can be guilty of sticking to my reading comfort zone, but thanks to the eclectic readership we have on staff, I’m always hearing personal recommendations and reviews from my amazing colleagues, including a wide variety of genres.

This month Adult Services staff shared some current favorites, including a discussion worthy nonfiction title, an updated classic with a fantasy twist, and a stand-out autobiography. Take a look below for our five staff picks!

Hop on over to our digital library to snag one of these titles now! Ilhan Omar narrates the audiobook version of This is What America Looks Like, which was highly recommended by our staff, so if you are an audiobook fan don’t miss out on this great title.