The Books Most Enjoyed by Library Staff in 2024: Part 1 - Adult Fiction

Anyone who knows a librarian will likely ask at some point for a book recommendation. We asked the staff at the library to choose the top three books from everything they read in 2024. Here are the fiction titles that made the list.

Among the wide range of fiction books enjoyed by staff, only one book was recommended by more than one reader. That was The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng, read by both Christine and JAM, who were both amazed at the beautiful writing. The story follows an episode in the life of W Somerset Maugham when he visited Penang in 1921 on the hunt for new ideas for his stories.

It seems librarians often like a book that takes them to another place and time, such as Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck. This novel was super interesting according to Christine, about a relationship between a young student and an older (married) man and set in former Eastern Berlin, as the wall was coming down.

We hop across to New York for Rules of Civility by Amor Towles which takes us back to the 1930s. Three bright young things meet on New Year’s Eve and we follow their progress through society, their jealousies and secrets. JAM found it heartbreaking in some places, and with terrific characters, it was a brilliant snapshot of a time and place.

Meanwhile Miss Moneypenny recommends the Ashmore Castle series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles – three books so far and beginning with The Secrets of Ashmore Castle. Giles Tallant inherits the Castle when his father dies suddenly in a hunting accident. It’s 1901 and Giles has to save the family home from financial ruin and the only viable solution is by marrying a fortune. Perfect reading for when you’re waiting for the next episodes of Bridgerton, says Miss M.

With By Any Other Name Jodi Picoult has written a novel that spans two time-frames, first of all taking us to 1581, where Emilia aims to bring her plays to the stage the only way she can, by taking the name of a man. She decides on the nom de plume: William Shakespeare. In modern-day Manhattan playwright Melina writes a play based on her ancestor Emilia’s life. This novel made Sassenach’s top three reads of the year.

Always a Clare Chambers fan, JAM was not disappointed with the author's latest: Shy Creatures. This novel is set at an English mental asylum where Helen works as an art therapist. She gets involved with an unusual patient who has an amazing artistic talent. Set in 1964, the book was a wonderful mixture of an intriguing situation, characters dealing with their own issues and an interesting social period.

Taking the prize for the most unusual narrator would be Fox 8 by George Saunders. Yes, the story really is told by a fox. Eva found the story both sweet and sad, and very reminiscent of the sad post-WWII children’s books she read as a kid. Saunders' fox has learnt to speak ‘Yuman’ from hiding outside houses and listening to children’s bedtime stories.

What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama made Miss Moneypenny feel “warm and comforted”. This bestselling Japanese novel shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a reader’s life. Sounds like an ideal read for any book lover.

Continuing with more “feel-good” reads, Amy discovered the joy of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. “A brilliant display of humanness” she says. The story follows two friends who come together to collaborate on a creating a video game. A book about love, but not like any others you might have read, says Amy. The imagery, both internal and external, was brilliant. Then there was THAT scene that had her reaching for the tissues. And we always remember a book that does that.

Speculative fiction is one genre that gave us some stunning reads this year, beginning with last year’s Booker Prize winner, Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. This dystopian novel is set in a modern Ireland where citizens’ rights are being slowly eroded over time. Here, a mother fights to save her family. A really engrossing novel, according to Christine.

Fiona really enjoys a good fantasy novel, particularly if it features dragons, so the Empyrean series by Rebbeca Yarros was just the ticket. The first book, Fourth Wing, follows young Violet who was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet, bookish life. Only she ends up having to train as a dragon rider instead. The follow-up book, Iron Flame continues her story and Fiona can’t wait for the next book.

Eva loved Paladin’s Hope by T Kingfisher, which is the third in the generally terrific Saint of Steel series, which is described by its publisher as darkly whimsical fantasy. This novel’s the best so far, according to Eva - the “baddie” is so interesting, and you learn heaps about Gnolls.

Network Effect by Martha Wells is the fifth in her Murderbot sci-fi series about an android designed to kill, that discovers it has a degree of consciousness. Eva read this fifth book in the series and enjoyed the way it dealt with “the ethical dilemmas around AI”.

Quite a few of the library staff enjoy mysteries – there’s always another batch coming through. Our top mysteries are a good mix of popular favourites and new authors on the block. One endlessly popular author is Ann Cleeves, whose latest Vera Stanhope mystery made Sassenach’s top three for the year. The Dark Wives has Vera curious about the link between a man found dead by a dog walker and a girl missing from a home for troubled teens.

Sassenach also loved the latest Linda Castillo novel which follows the caseload of formerly Amish Kate Burkholder, now a Chief of Police at a Painter’s Mill, a town with a significant Amish population. The new book, The Burning, begins with an appalling murder of an Amish man, but it’s hard to get witness statements from a community which prefers to handle problems themselves.

Kristen's top three were all mysteries, beginning with Guilty by Definition, a debut novel by Susie Dent. “Set in Oxford, England in the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary, a mystery presents itself when a coded letter arrives alluding to the summer a decade ago where a staff member went missing. I found myself thinking about this book whenever I wasn’t reading it, I had to know when the next letter was going to arrive and where it was going to take our group of lexicographers. I hope there will be more!”

And like many library staff, Kristen was enthralled by the first book in the new series by local booksellers Gareth and Louise Ward: The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone. Here’s Kristen’s review: “When a mystery package arrives at Sherlock Tomes bookshop, ex-police turned booksellers husband and wife Garth and Eloise are drawn into the decades old mystery of a missing schoolgirl. I ended up reading this book in one night because I just could not put it down! Set in Havelock North, there were so many Easter eggs for locals that I would message people I knew and ask if they recognised this location or this person etc. While I had lots of potential suspects, I still enjoyed the big reveal and am eagerly awaiting the next book.”

And a list of mystery recommendations wouldn’t be complete without a good Aussie Noir mystery. Kristen picked The Creeper by Margaret Hickey. Here’s what she says: “For years, the small town of Edenville has been defined by the brutal murders of five hikers on Jagged Ridge. As the 10-year anniversary draws nearer, the new lone police officer finds herself drawn into the mystery - was the right person held accountable? I always enjoy Margaret’s outback noir style and this book did not disappoint. I felt like I was there, experiencing the terrain, meeting the key players and drawing my own conclusions. At the peak of the book I was scanning each page so quickly that I could only pick up a line here or there because I NEEDED to know how it ended.

18 December 2024

Back to Library Blog