Staff from the Boston Public Library recommend their favorite books of 2019, from adult fiction and nonfiction to graphic novels, children’s fantasy, and everything in between. We hope this list inspires you to keep reading, so check one out today and enjoy a good book!
#BPLStaffPicks
Juvenile Fantasy. Cuban-American culture, alternate realities, and magic come together in this hilarious book about grief, friendship, and the meaning of family. Sal has been pulling things through holes in reality ever since his mother…
Nonfiction/Cookbook. This book is inspiring, funny, heartfelt, and filled with easy to follow, delicious recipes. This is the kind of book that you want to take to bed with you to read as if it were a nonfiction book and not want to put…
Juvenile Nonfiction. Browse through the book, or dip a bit deeper into topics on two-page spreads covering everything from ice itself to the animals, plants, and peoples who have adapted to the coldest places on the planet. Photographs,…
Nonfiction. Keefe, an award-winning New Yorker staff writer, uses the notorious 1972 abduction and murder of Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, as the starting point for this compulsively readable account of the…
Graphic novel. Gorgeous illustrations tell the story of a boy who runs away from home to escape his abusive father. On his journey he joins a circus and makes new friends. This story keeps you interested and engaged. This is just book one…
Memoir. In 2015, Chanel Miller was the victim of a high profile sexual assault. In this searing, unforgettable memoir, Chanel paints a chilling portrait of the often unspoken but relentless effects of assault, the insidious culture of…
Graphic novel/Memoir. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society as asexual and…
Science Fantasy. Gideon Nav is an indentured servant to the Ninth House, and she’s ready to make her escape. Unfortunately, before she can do so, she gets roped into becoming cavalier to Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the Reverend Daughter of her…
Fiction. For a moment in 2019, Sally Rooney and Normal People seemed to be featured on every magazine and social media channel available. IMHO, for good reason. Rooney's unique voice and writing style carries the reader into the thoughts…
Picture Book. "Greet the sun, bold and bright! Tiny hands up! / Peek-a-boo--hands up! / 'Morning, baby. Time to get dressed, hands up.'" Each spread of this joyous picture book captures a scenario, beautiful in its ordinariness, in which a…
Fiction. The book opens on Melodie's coming of age party held at her grandparents' home. The white dress she wears is being worn for the very first time, even though it had been custom made for Melodie's mother, 16 years earlier. From…
Memoir. In this deeply introspective memoir, comedian, tv host, writer, and activist Chelsea Handler realizes that rage has been dictating her life. She embarks on a journey of self-discovery with a psychiatrist, exploring her issues…
Romance. Fans of The Kiss Quotient, rejoice: the sequel is even better. Khai Diep, who believes his autism renders him incapable of truly feeling love, is horrified when his mother brings him a potential bride from Vietnam. Esme Tran,…