WCLS Staff Favorites 2023Like this list

55 items

• Let Us Descend

  a Novel

  Ward, Jesmyn,

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  Mary K says: "This visceral novel of a young enslaved woman slips seamlessly between the world of the living and that of the spirits. It's a hard read, but a beautiful one, haunting and unforgettable."

• The Whole Town's Talking

  a Novel

  Flagg, Fannie

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  Lisa N says: "A heartwarming intergenerational story of a small town where the people buried in the local cemetery can talk to each other. They get to follow their loved ones' lives and the happenings in the town when the newly departed join them…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

  Stevenson, Benjamin,

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  Christine P says: "I just zipped through this book and thought it was super clever and entertaining - modern Australian Agatha Christie whodunnit with a snarky protagonist."

• Babel

  or the Necessity of Violence : An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

  Kuang, R. F. (Rebecca F.),

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  Rheannan P says: "I loved every minute of the audio. It has to be one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I'm all about dark academia type settings and this definitely scratched the itch for it. This is a story about how magic can…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hell Bent

  Bardugo, Leigh,

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  Tessa says: "I'm a massive fan of Leigh Bardugo, so the best book I read this year was Hell Bent which is the sequel to her book Ninth House. I loved the setting in the first book and this one explored that much more. If you're in the mood for a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Rose Quartz

  Poems

  LaPointe, Sasha taqʷšəblu,

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  Neil says: "Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe's poetry collection Rose Quartz serves as a companion piece to her memoir, Red Paint. The stories she tells in the memoir are present in her poems and having read the memoir first, I was able to feel the poems…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Making It So

  a Memoir

  Stewart, Patrick, 1940-

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  Hana says: "I know and love Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard and Professor X, but was less familiar with his story, his history with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and acting in general. I started by reading only a chapter a day but once I got…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Emotional Labor

  the Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power

  Hackman, Rose,

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  Dana says: "In 2015 Hackman's editor at The Guardian assigned her an article on the topic of the unpaid labor of women, which went viral, and spawned much discussion on the pervasive and entrenched injustices resulting from the intersections of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Urban Watercolor Sketching

  a Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color

  Scheinberger, Felix,

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  Amy J says: "This book is packed with expert advice on how to use watercolors to capture the world around you and beautiful examples of the author/illustrator's loose, flowing drawing style. Truly inspiring!"

• Atlas of the Heart

  Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

  Brown, Brené,

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  Christine Q says: "This is an amazing book! It was a selection for my book group, so I'm not sure I would have chosen this otherwise. It has given me a wonderful feeling of deeper understanding of how to describe emotions well, and how to understand…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Legends & Lattes

  a Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes

  Baldree, Travis, 1977-

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  Suzanne says: "I loved this! I've been surprised by how long the main character, Viv has continued to hang around in my head. I'm generally drawn to D&D-esque stories anyway, but she's inspiring enough I might have to make my next D&D character a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Marriage Portrait

  O'Farrell, Maggie, 1972-

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  Alix says: "This was my favorite - an immersive historical read with beautiful language."

• The Comfort of Crows

  a Backyard Year

  Renkl, Margaret,

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  Mary V says: "For anyone navigating transitions. For lovers of the natural world. It might simultaneously break and heal your heart. Ann Patchett's book blurb says it best: 'A howling love letter to the world.'"

• Tom Lake

  a Novel

  Patchett, Ann

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  Jackie says: "I am an Ann Patchett super fan, and Tom Lake did not disappoint. It's the first book I've read that's set in the time of COVID but isn't a giant bummer. Like all her books, it was a cozy and heartening read."

• Morgan Is My Name

  Keetch, Sophie,

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  Rhiannon L says: "This first part of a trilogy tells the story of Morgan le Fay from her own perspective. Morgan has been depicted as everything from a wise fairy sorcerer to an evil villain and everything in between, depending on the perspective…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

  Parker, K. J.,

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  Paul says: "I love a good rogue story, and this is a doozy. A conniving, vindictive, self-serving, deeply cunning second-class citizen bluffs, schemes, and double-crosses his way into power in an effort to save the imperial city that oppresses him…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black AF History

  the Un-whitewashed Story of America

  Harriot, Michael,

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  Elizabeth says: "I love a good history book that takes the narrative you are familiar with and shifts it on its axis so completely that you can't help but look at the world differently after reading it. Black AF History by Michael Harriot is that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Checkout 19

  Bennett, Claire-Louise,

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  Rem says: "My favorite book this year was Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett, about a young woman who becomes a writer. Bennett's movement between fairy tales, metaphors, and real-life encounters took my breath away."

• Again and Again

  a Novel

  Evison, Jonathan,

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  Lisa G says: "I just finished reading it recently so it hasn't withstood the test of time in my memory yet, but I really loved this story in about a crotchety 105-year old man reflecting back on his life from his assisted living apartment - and not…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Last Devil to Die

  Osman, Richard, 1970-

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  Carmi says: "This is the 4th installment of the Thursday Murder Club series, which checks all my boxes. The mysteries are twisty and hard to predict, and the characters are likable and humorous in that British deadpan way. They do each have their…Read moreRead more of this annotation