James by Percival Everett (reviewed by Mary Kinser, collection development librarian)
A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes by Anthony Bale (reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian)
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (reviewed by Paul Fullner, Everson and Sumas branch manager)
Held by Anne Michaels (reviewed by Mary Vermillion, community relations manager)
For book lovers, December means perusing the plethora of “best of” lists, adding to our stacks of TBR (to-be-read) books and delighting in discovering gems that we missed hearing about during the year.
What books did Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) library staff love the most this year? Several of our favorite reads from 2024 are highlighted below; find the complete list by visiting wcls.org and searching lists for WCLS Staff Favorites 2024.
Mary Kinser, WCLS collection development librarian, said, “Hands down, my favorite book of 2024 is ’James’ by Percival Everett. In this retelling of ’The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,’ Percival Everett gives voice to Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huck on his adventures. The result is an unforgettable, thoroughly American story of a man who lives between two worlds, and who finds liberation in being wholly himself.”
In November, “James” was announced as the winner of the 2024 National Book Award and was also shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.
WCLS nonfiction selector Emma Radosevich’s favorite book this year was “A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes by Anthony Bale,” about which she wrote: “‘Travelers in the Middle Ages weren’t just pilgrims and merchants; they were also tourists! This medieval travelogue contains packing lists, safety advice and stories from real-life people with wanderlust.”
“The author is more interested in what medieval people believed than in debunking first-hand accounts, so some stories feel more like tavern gossip than historical record. This only adds to the authenticity. I feel more connected to human history when I travel now; like me, pilgrims loved to buy souvenirs!”
Written for a teen audience, “The Last Cuentista” by Donna Barba Higuera is a story equally capable of holding the interest of adults. This was the favorite book of Everson and Sumas Library branch manager Paul Fullner, who provided this synopsis: “Faced with impending extinction, humanity makes a desperate bid to colonize the stars. Thanks to her scientist parents, young Petra Peña is part of that first and only wave. Her most precious cargo? A lifetime of stories she has heard from her abuelita.”
“But what good will Earthly stories be as humans venture into a new reality without Earth? And what chance does Petra have against forces that want nothing more than to leave that dark and complicated Earthly past behind? A fantastic Newbery-winning page-turner from the author of ’Lupe Wong Won’t Dance.’”
Finally, for readers who love lyrical language, Mary Vermillion, WCLS community relations manager, suggests “Held” by Anne Michaels, a novel that “considers the magic in a moment and how love endures.”
Mary shared that among all her favorite reads during the past year, “Held” continues to haunt her, calling to be read again. She describes the reading experience as being “like a cold-water plunge — brief, invigorating. Gorgeous language, vivid character sketches — a meditation on love, loss, life.” “Held” is another title that was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.
Check out the WCLS Staff Favorites 2024 list to find dozens more library staff suggestions. They look forward to seeing you in the library soon to hear about the books you have read and loved. Happy reading!
Lisa Gresham is the collection services manager for the Whatcom County Library System, wcls.org.
(Orginally published in Cascadia Daily News, Sunday, December 15, 2024.)