It has been a busy year at the Hoboken Public Library. We’ve begun preparing for our renovations of the third floor Children’s Department. We opened our new Toybrary, in the Annex. and the Learning Center. There have been lots of great programs including our Library Fair in June. Our blog reached 300 posts last month. Thanks to all our library patrons here in Hoboken and all our readers world wide for joining us this year and celebrating the written word. We wanted to wrap up 2019 with a look at some of the favorite books our staff enjoyed this year. They include fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, a picture book, and a book of poetry!
Throw Me to the Wolves
by Patrick McGuinness
In this murder mystery set in Britain, two detectives are starkly different in age, temperament, and policy. The suspect is a boarding school teacher known to one detective from his school days. Two parallel stories about the murder investigation and about events of times past converge. The story feels contemporary because of current events (Brexit, fatberg) and deals with the role of tabloids, social media, and the internet in society today. I liked everything about Throw Me to the Wolves: the plotting, the observations, the language, and the humor.
~Victoria Turk, Reference Librarian
Soft Science
by Franny Choi
My favorite book this year was Soft Science by Franny Choi. It’s a poetry collection inspired by the Turing test and it’s a true testament to how creative poetry can be. There are poems in the form of a glossary, a computer code and even a collection of Twitter insults run through Google Translate several times.
~Samantha Evaristo, Outreach Assistant
The Starless Sea
by Erin Morgenstern
I was eagerly looking forward to Erin Morgenstern’s follow up to her fantastic first novel, the New York Times bestselling The Night Circus. The Starless Sea happily exceeded my expectation and was my favorite book of 2019. I enjoyed the metafiction aspects of it which included stories within stories set in both our world and an underground world where a mysterious magical library exists. Fans of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere will enjoy this novel.
~Aimee Harris, Head of Reference
Serpent and Dove
by Shelby Mahurin
This is a great YA read published in 2019. Serpent and Dove is a story about a rebellious witch named Lou who left her coven to become a thief. She then, meets Reid a witch-hunter and they fall for each other. In a tale, of forbidden love, they show plenty of courage and have a lot of loyalty in this series. This book is a must read!
~Michelle Valle, Circulation Assistant
Mooncakes
Written by Suzanne Walker and Illustrated by Wendy Xu
Mooncakes is my pick for Graphic Novel of the year. The story focuses on a witch living in New England who just reunited with her childhood crush. School Library Journal says, “This sweet, spellbinding story will appeal to fans of magic and romance.” I was impressed that it was lgbtq inclusive with a diverse group of characters.
~Steph Diorio, History Librarian
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
Written by Sonia Sotomayor and Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Kids are different! In this book, by United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, kids are celebrated for being exactly who they are! Just Ask encourages compassion, empathy, understanding, and curiosity. It is also beautifully illustrated! Great for all ages. It is one of my favorite picture books of 2019.
~ Ashley Hoffman, Children’s Librarian
The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee Who Became the Duchess of Windsor
by Anna Pasternak
The Real Wallis Simpson is a kinder and more historically accurate portrayal of an often misunderstood historical figure.
~Lindsay T. Sakmann, Reference Librarian
How to Be an Antiracist
by Ibram X Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi is one of America’s most important public intellectuals. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi combines a memoir of his life with a clear guide on how readers’ can confront the structural racism that still plagues America. Kendi’s book is destined to become a classic on high school and college reading lists.
~Karl Schwartz, Young Adult Librarian
The Borgias
Written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and illustrated by Milo Manara
I am excited to read The Borgias, a graphic novel, since I am such a fan of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s movies such as Holy Mountain and Endless Poetry.
~Sacha Chavez, Reference Assistant
What was your favorite book of 2019? Share it in the comments!
For gamers, checkout BCCLS list of the Best Games of 2019! My son’s faves have been Super Mario Maker 2 and Pokemon Shield.
Would you like to discuss great books in 2020? We have Science Fiction/Fantasy, History, and Mystery Book Discussion Groups at HPL!
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 
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