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BPL Staff Picks: February 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

24 items

  • Fiction. This heartwarming little book proves that cats -- and books -- are the best medicine ever! This is part of a specific subset of cozy, vaguely magical Japanese fiction that I find so endearing, and it delivered on every front. I…
    BookNew York : Berkley, [2024] — FICTION SYOU I
  • Fantasy. My favorite thing about Cho's writing is her dialogue, and it is absolutely on point in this book. I can practically hear the lines when I read them. I especially love that she trusts the reader to figure out the non-English words…
    eBookPenguin Publishing Group, 2021
  • Mismatched

    a Modern Graphic Retelling of Emma

    Camlin, Anne,
    Teen Graphic Novel. This modern day graphic novel retelling of Jane Austen's "Emma" is the perfect read for February! It does a great job of bringing the humor and romance of "Emma" into a high school setting. I still think the movie…
    Graphic NovelNew York : Little, Brown and Company, 2024. — Mismatched
  • Fantasy/Romance. A silly, fun, tropey (and trope-subverting) romp with a good heart. This book started as a series of TikTok videos and retains that humorous episodic tone, while adding a surprisingly compelling character-driven story. It…
    Downloadable AudiobookTantor Media, Inc, 2023
  • Nonfiction. This slim but impressively packed book, presented in a Q&A format, provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of bookselling from the unique perspective of Yamazaki, who has been the principal buyer at the historic City…
    BookChicago : Ode Books, A collaboration between the Seminary Co-Op Bookstores and Prickly Paradigm Press, [2024] — Z280 .Y353 2024
  • My Damage

    The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor

    Morris, Keith
    Nonfiction. Morris, founding member of Black Flag and Circle Jerks, shares his experiences in the late '70s-'80s Southern California hardcore punk rock scene. First show I ever saw was Circle Jerks at the Channel in 1986, I think it was.…
    eBookGrand Central Publishing, 2016
  • Fiction. Wry humor, smart, and sharp all at once. - Karie S., Central Library
    BookNew York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. — FICTION AKBAR K
  • The Skies Belong to Us

    Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking

    Koerner, Brendan I.
    Nonfiction. Did you know that you could once buy hijacking insurance to compensate you for time lost while your flight got diverted to Cuba? This was a fascinating look into the '60s and '70s in America. The main story following Roger…
    BookNew York : Crown Publishers, [2013] — HE9803.Z7 H545 2013
  • Children's Fiction. Stevie is by far the tallest kid in seventh grade and gets quite a lot of unwanted comments about her height from family, friends, classmates, and strangers. I loved reading about Stevie's journey to feeling more…
    BookNew York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2024. — J FICTION WYMAN C
  • Fiction. Theo and Robin are still mourning the loss of Aly, the wife of Theo and mother of Robin, who died in a traffic accident two years ago. Both Theo and Robin are having difficulty in navigating their lives without her, and while for…
    Downloadable AudiobookBooks on Tape, 2021
  • Fiction. I loved this powerful and inspiring follow-up to "The Girl With The Louding Voice." It follows Adunni and her new friend Tia through another harrowing nightmare as Adunni learns just how powerful and important her louding voice…
    Book[New York] : Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House, [2024] — FICTION DARE A
  • Teen Romance. This sapphic romance has tons going for it: women in STEM, Chinese American rep (even featuring some Mandarin), freshman-year-of-college nostalgia, winter sports, excellent character development, and more! Beloved romance…
    BookNew York : Quill Tree Books, 2024. — Li, C.
  • Dangerous Fictions

    the Fear of Fantasy and the Invention of Reality

    Gold, Lyta,
    Nonfiction. This book delves deep into different forms of media and how it divides us. Are book banners actually concerned with content? What's the difference between a film and a two-hour long advertisement? And why do we think that a TV…
    BookNew York : Soft Skull, 2024. — PN3347 .G65 2024
  • Fiction. This book was one part "A Man Called Ove," one part gothic romance, and one part dark comedy. Espach delivers wit and care for all of the novel's characters, even the most difficult personalities. - Ayelet R, Jamaica Plain Branch…
    Downloadable AudiobookMacmillan Audio, 2024
  • Horror. I liked this dark, twisted reimagining of the Cinderella story because it was very compelling. The story moved at a good pace. I never got bored, right up to the end. - Shane J., Charlestown Branch Library
    BookNew York : Crooked Lane, 2024. — FICTION GORMAN W
  • One Small Spark

    a Tikkun Olam Story

    Spiro, Ruth,
    Children's Picture Book. This book explains the concept of 'tikkun olam' which is the Jewish concept of repairing the world. It's a beautiful way to explain how doing small acts of goodness can help our global community. - Maggie L.,…
    Picture BookNew York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024. — J PICTURE SPIRO R
  • Children's Fiction. A heartwarming story for any age about a girl and a whale, who just want to be understood and included. - Nicole R., North End Branch Library
    BookNew York : Delacorte Press, [2019] — J FICTION KELLY L
  • Children's Picture Book. My daughter and I love to read this book regularly. The titular character, Daniel, walks through his neighborhood on his way to Grandma's house and greets a few of his neighbors, vendors, and workers along the way.…
    Easy ReaderNew York : Nancy Paulsen Books, [2019] — J PICTURE ARCHER M
  • Children's Picture Book. Growing up, "Picky Mrs. Pickle" was one of my favorite books. Mrs. Pickle’s hilariously over-the-top picky habits kept me hooked, and the rhyming text was so catchy I still remember some of it today. The colorful,…
    Picture BookNew York : Walker and Co., 1999. — SCHNEIDER C
  • Historical Fiction. During the reign of Louis XIV, Marie D'Aulnoy presides over a Parisian salon where contes de fées -- fairy tales -- are told. Among the guests is Charles Perrault who would later publish well-known collections of tales,…
    BookNew York, NY : Avid Reader Press, 2024. — FICTION POLLARD C