2024 Staff Picks

  • 12/11/2024
  • 10:23
  • Jackie Kolb

Staff Picks 2024 Picks featuring a graphic with book jackets for suggested books.

Whether you are looking for a book to cozy up with on a cold winter day, or a gift for the booklover in your life, Seymour Library staff have you covered with our favorites from 2024! These titles include a mix of books published in 2024 and a couple that finally made it off our To-Be-Read pile.

Seymour Library’s Staff Favorites

Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End by Alua Arthur (Nonfiction)

“In this beautifully written memoir, Alua Arthur shares her journey, from working as a lawyer to becoming a death doula after the loss of a close family member. Through her honest and heartfelt storytelling, she reveals how confronting mortality helped her heal from a personal battle with depression, and guided her to find her true calling. It’s a raw and deeply personal look combined with experiences from her line of work. Alua interweaves her story, along with the stories of her clients, to emphasize how to lead a life filled with purpose and intention.” — Maureen

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Cozy Fantasy)

“Librarian Kiela and her sentient spider plant Caz flee the library with their special collection of magic books while the rest of the stacks burn behind them during a political revolution. Fearing the repercussions, Kiela escapes to her childhood home on a remote island. As she readjusts to a quiet life in hiding, Keila comes to understand the importance of magic on the people, but how can she share the knowledge and magic found within her books, while keeping herself safe from those in power? The Spellshop, while containing some tension and threats, is as warm and welcoming as a familiar hug or a comfy warm drink on a cold day. Perfect for fans of cozy fantasy!” — Mary

Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts) by Serj Tankian (Memoir)

“For those unfamiliar with late nineties/early aughts metal music, System of a Down is one of the most popular heavy metal bands from the era. In his memoir, lead singer Serj Tankian writes about more than just his life leading up to the creation of System of a Down in 1994 and the usual shenanigans of being a rockstar. In the first half of the book, Tankian delves into the tragic history of his family’s experience during the Armenian genocide that occurred in the early 20th century and how that led to his birth in Lebanon. While in stark contrast, the second half  is the expected explanation of how the band came to be, their break-up, and comeback. This is a must read for anyone interested in the music scene of the early 2000s or musical activism!” — Olivia

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Fantasy)

“A Fantasy-Mystery mashup featuring an eccentric detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities—and her long-suffering assistant who is magically altered to possess a perfect memory. The two must cooperate to solve the murder of an Imperial officer—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. The author’s world-building provides an alternate Roman Empire where giant creatures attack on a regular basis. The characters are a unique take on the Holmes and Watson dynamic with elements of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. ” — Bill

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry (Historical Fiction)

“Being part of a historical fiction book club, you end up reading A LOT of WWII books! For me, The Secret Book of Flora Lea is right up there with my favorites, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Hazel and her little sister Flora are one of many children sent from home during the war, to find safety in the English countryside. At the mercy of complete strangers, the sisters build their own secret magical world-Whisperwood-an escape during the uncertain times. This world is shattered when young Flora disappears, the loss rippling across the decades, until a book entitled Whisperwood and the River of Stars, falls into Hazel’s lap. Could her sister still be alive? Beautifully written and packed with emotion- I could not put this book down!” — Jackie

& More Staff Picks

  • Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
  • The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
  • Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
  • I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going to Anyways) by Chelsea Devantez
  • This Ordinary Stardust: A Scientist’s Path from Grief to Wonder by Alan Townsend
  • The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
  • The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI by Ray Kurzweil
  • Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
  • The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

Picture Books & Young Adult:

  • Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language by Joanna Que and Charina Marquez
  • What Happened to You? by James Catchpole
  • Much Too Busy by John Bond
  • The Yellow Bus by Loren Long
  • Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten by Michelle Knudsen
  • Scurry by Mac Smith

All these books are available to borrow with your Seymour Library card!