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BPL Staff Picks: January 2025

Every month staff from across the Boston Public Library system recommend their favorite books for all ages across a variety of genres. We hope this list inspires you to keep reading! Some of these titles may be available in other formats or languages. Check our catalog for availability. Place a hold or check one out today and enjoy a good book! #BPLStaffPicks

18 items

  • Mystery/Romance. Cooper is an FBI agent when he's attacked by a werewolf and gets transferred to the Bureau of Special Investigations and partnered with Oliver, a werewolf he begins falling for. This series gets better and better with each…
    eBookCarina Press, 2018
  • Thriller. Perfect for true crime podcast junkies! This dual-perspective novel brings together maybe-murderer Lucy (she doesn't remember!) and podcaster Ben, both determined to find out what really happened to Lucy's best friend Savannah…
    eAudiobookMacmillan Audio, 2024
  • Fiction. This literary thriller is more than a mystery. It's a story about a friendship spanning decades, it's a love story, it's a story about hope, and it's oh so beautifully written. I wish I could read this one again for the first…
    BookNew York : Crown, 2024. — FICTION WHITAKER C
  • Cozy Mystery. The third in the Baker Street Mystery series! Our protagonist Maddy Montgomery must face her former nemesis, but this time with all the friends and self-confidence she's built up since moving to New Bison. I loved seeing…
    eAudiobookRecorded Books, Inc., 2024
  • Fantasy. I highly recommend listening to Andy Serkis's narration of "The Fellowship of the Ring!!" He does an amazing job giving each character a distinct voice/personality. It really comes alive! Great for long road trips or just…
    eAudiobookRecorded Books, Inc., 2021
  • Fantasy. I tend to prefer realistic fiction, but this cozy, low-stakes fantasy with a sapphic subplot is one of my all-time favorites. The prequel to the immensely popular "Legends & Lattes," this book is perfect for reading curled up with…
    BookNew York, NY : A Tor Book, published by Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Publishing Group, 2023. — SCIFI FANTASY BALDREE T
  • Teen Romance. When Joaquin's family decides they want an excuse to celebrate him and to get the whole family together, they plan a "queerceañera" for him. Joaquin doesn't love being the center of attention so he's nervous from the start,…
    BookNew York, NY : HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2024] — TEEN FICTION CRESPO A
  • Fiction. I am HERE for a novel with footnotes! This queer coming-of-age story follows a young gay Black man during the AIDS crisis. He finds himself crossing paths with many of the real life heroes and villains of NYC in the 1980s.…
    BookNew York : Flatiron Books, 2022 — Newson, R.
  • Fantasy. This short, two-hour long audiobook is the first in a series of short novels centered around the wandering cleric Chih. In this book, they visit the long-hidden home of a former Empress in order to document its belongings. The…
    eAudiobookTantor Media, Inc, 2020
  • Autobiography. A quick read about the life and career of the world's most famous drag queen, RuPaul. I enjoyed learning more about this creative person, and their road to stardom. - Shane J., Charlestown Branch Library
    BookNew York, NY : Dey St., an imprint of William Morrow, [2024] — PN1992.4.R86 A3 2024
  • Endurance

    Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

    Lansing, Alfred
    Nonfiction. When feeling cold in January - just remember you could be colder. Much colder. - Karie S, Central Library
    eAudiobookBlackstone Publishing, 2008
  • Children's Picture Book. This book will teach some of our youngest citizens how to work together in pursuit of justice! At the same time, you can enjoy adorable animal illustrations and mouth-watering descriptions of noodle dishes in this…
    Picture BookBrooklyn, New York : Enchanted Lion Books, 2020. — J PICTURE KRAMER J
  • Knife

    Meditations After an Attempted Murder

    Rushdie, Salman
    Nonfiction. In 2022, Rushdie was brutally stabbed at a literature festival by a would-be assassin acting on a decades-old fatwa. This thoughtful and mordantly witty memoir reflects on his experience of the attack, his difficult recovery…
    eBookRandom House Publishing Group, 2024
  • Lirael

    Daughter of the Clayr

    Nix, Garth
    Teen Fiction. I was a teen when this series was released, but didn't read them at the time. As an adult, I think they're excellent, even twenty years after they were published. Nix is great at creating a world similar to our own, then…
    BookNew York : HarperTrophy, 2002, c2001. — PZ7.N647 Li 2002
  • Teen Fiction. This novel focuses on the story of Angel, a teenage girl, as she relocates to Brooklyn, New York from California to pick up the pieces of her life following an incident. Browne does a great job of outlining the various…
    eAudiobookBooks on Tape, 2022
  • Fiction. This book was sometimes ridiculous, sometimes stressful, sometimes loving, and I was always along for the ride. I love a novel about a messy woman figuring out adulting, and this one delivered. - Ayelet R, Jamaica Plain Branch…
    eBookHarperCollins, 2024
  • Children's Picture Book. "Noodlephant" is a ridiculously weird and funny take on organizing and civil disobedience. A great way to talk to kids about justice, and full of humorous nods to adult readers. - Madeleine W, Central Library
    Picture BookNew York : Enchanted Lion Books, 2019. — J PICTURE KRAMER J
  • One Week in January

    New Paintings for An Old Diary

    Ellis, Carson, 1975-
    Memoir. What a gift to peek into a week of Ellis’s diary from when she was just starting out at the dawn of the 21st century. She weaves her art with thoughtful observations on life, friendship, love, and music, and this poignant…
    BookSan Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2024] — NC975.5.E45 A2 2024