This year we decided to ask staff what they thought were the best books of the year. Check out our favorites from 2013!
Instructions for a heatwave
Maggie O'Farrell
FICTION Ofarrell Maggie
When a recently retired family patriarch clears out his bank account and disappears during a sweltering summer in 1976, his three children converge on their mother's home for the first time in years and track clues to an ancestral village in Ireland, where they uncover illuminating family secrets.
Cooked : a natural history of transformation
Michael Pollan
641.3 /Pollan
"In Cooked, Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements--fire, water, air, and earth--to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. In the course of his journey, he discovers that the cook occupies a special place in the world, standing squarely between nature and culture. Both realms are transformed by cooking, and so, in the process, is the cook"--
The unforgettable photograph : 228 ideas, tips, and secrets for taking the best pictures of your life
George (Photographer) Lange
770.1 /Lange
Walking home : a poet's journey
Simon Armitage
914.2 /Armitage
Describes the author's travels as he walked the Pennine Way through England and stopped each night to give a poetry reading in a different village in return for a place to sleep.
The riddle of the labyrinth : the quest to crack an ancient code
Margalit Fox
487.1 /Fox
An intellectual detective story follows the quest to unlock one of the great secrets of human history--the decipherment of Linear B, an unknown script from the Aegean Bronze Age.
The real Jane Austen : a life in small things
Paula Byrne
BIOGRAPHY Austen, Jane
This new biography explores the forces that shaped the interior life of one of the most beloved novelists in the English language. Each chapter begins by evoking an object that conjures up a key moment or theme in Austen's life and work. The woman who emerges is far tougher, more socially and politically aware, and altogether more modern that the conventional picture. The book looks at the biographical influence on her work, as well as her boundless wit and energy--jacket.
How to slowly kill yourself and others in America : essays
Kiese Laymon
814.6 /Laymon
"A collection of essays on family, race, violence, celebrity, music, writing, and other topics"--
Going clear : Scientology, Hollywood, and the prison of belief
Lawrence Wright
299.936 /Wright
"Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with both current and former Scientologists--both famous and less well known--and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative skills to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology: its origins in the imagination of science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard; its struggles to find acceptance as a legitimate (and legally acknowledged) religion; its vast, secret campaign to infiltrate the U.S. government; its vindictive treatment of critics; its phenomenal wealth; and its dramatic efforts to grow and prevail after the death of Hubbard"--From publisher description.
Zealot : the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth
Reza Aslan
232.901 /Aslan
Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry--a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews. And few figures better exemplified this principle than the charismatic Galilean who defied both the imperial authorities and their allies in the Jewish religious hierarchy.
The telling room : a tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and the world's greatest piece of cheese
Michael Paterniti
641.373 /Paterniti
In the picturesque village of Guzmán, Spain, in a cave on the edge of town, there is a cramped limestone chamber known as "the telling room." This is where villagers have gathered for centuries to share their stories and secrets--usually accompanied by copious amounts of wine. It was here, in the summer of 2000, that Michael Paterniti found himself listening to a Spanish cheesemaker as he spun an odd and compelling tale about a piece of cheese. Made from an old family recipe, Ambrosio's cheese was reputed to be among the finest in the world, and was said to hold mystical qualities. But then, Ambrosio said, things had gone horribly wrong. Paterniti was hooked. Soon he was fully embroiled, relocating his young family to Guzmán in order to chase the truth about this fairy tale-like place. What he ultimately discovers is nothing like the idyllic fable he first imagined. Instead, he's sucked into the heart of an unfolding mystery, a blood feud that includes accusations of betrayal and theft, death threats, and a murder plot.--From publisher description.
Humans of New York
Brandon Stanton
779.092 /Stanton
"In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton set out on an ambitious project: to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. Armed with his camera, he began crisscrossing the city, covering thousands of miles on foot, all in his attempt to capture ordinary New Yorkers in the most extraordinary of moments"--
Lean in : women, work, and the will to lead
Sheryl Sandberg
650.1082 /Sandberg
In "Lean In", Sheryl Sandberg -- Facebook COO and one of "Fortune" magazine's most powerful women in business -- looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale. She draws on her own experiences working in some of the world's most successful businesses, as well as academic research, to find practical answers to the problems facing women in the workplace.
Slow getting up : a story of NFL survival from the bottom of the pile
Nate Jackson
796.332092 /Jackson
"Nate Jackson's Slow Getting Up is an unvarnished and uncensored memoir of everyday life in the most popular sports league in America-- and the most damaging to its players-- the National Football League. After playing college ball at a tiny Division III school, Jackson, a receiver, signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers, before moving to the Denver Broncos. For six seasons in the NFL as a Bronco, he alternated between the practice squad and the active roster, eventually winning a starting spot-- a short, tenuous career emblematic of the average pro player. Drawing from his own experience, Jackson tells the little known story of the hundreds of everyday, "expendable" players whose lives are far different from their superstar colleagues. From scouting combines to training camps, off-season parties to game-day routines, debilitating physical injuries-- including degenerative brain conditions-- to poor pensions and financial distress, he offers a funny, and shocking look at life in the NFL, and the young men who risk their health and even their lives to play the game" -- from publisher's web site.
Drama high : the incredible true story of a brilliant teacher, a struggling town, and the magic of theater
Michael Y. Sokolove
LARGE PRINT 370.92 Volpe
"The true story of an extraordinary drama teacher who has changed the lives of thousands of students and inspired a town"--
Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Rowell Rainbow
"Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits--smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try"--
The 5th Wave
Richard Yancey
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Yancey Richard
"Cassie Sullivan, the survivor of an alien invasion, must rescue her young brother from the enemy with help from a boy who may be one of them"--
Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Rowell Rainbow
Cath struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words, and worrying about her fragile father.
All our yesterdays
Cristin Terrill
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Terrill Cristin
"Em must travel back in time to prevent a catastrophic time machine from ever being invented, while Marina battles to prevent the murder of the boy she loves"--
Steelheart
Brandon Sanderson
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Sanderso Brandon
At age eight, David watched as his father was killed by an Epic, a human with superhuman powers, and now, ten years later, he joins the Reckoners--the only people who are trying to kill the Epics and end their tyranny.
Inheritance
Malinda Lo
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Lo Malinda
When teens Reese and David are kidnapped after revealing that they were adapted with alien DNA, Reese is forced to reconcile her new love for David, a human, with feelings for Amber, an Imrian, and make a world-changing choice.
This song will save your life
Leila Sales
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Sales Leila
Nearly a year after a failed suicide attempt, sixteen-year-old Elise discovers that she has the passion, and the talent, to be a disc jockey.
More than this
Patrick Ness
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Ness Patrick
Awakening inexplicably in the suburban English town of his early childhood after drowning, Seth is baffled by changes in the community and suffers from agonizing memories that reveal sinister qualities about the world around him.
Blue plate special : an autobiography of my appetites
Kate Christensen
641.013 /Christensen
"In the tradition of M.F.K. Fisher, Laurie Colwin, and Ruth Reichl, [this book] is a narrative in which food--eating it, cooking it, reflecting on it--becomes the vehicle for unpacking a life. Christensen explores her history of hunger--not just for food but for love and confidence and a sense of belonging--with a profound honesty, starting with her unorthodox childhood in 1960s Berkeley as the daughter of a mercurial legal activist who ruled the house with his fists"--Dust jacket flap.
Still foolin' 'em : where i've been, where i'm going, and where the hell are my keys?
Billy Crystal
BIOGRAPHY Crystal, Billy
"Billy Crystal is turning 65, and he's not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. In humorous chapters like "Buying the Plot" and "Nodding Off," Crystal not only catalogues his physical gripes, but offers a road map to his 77 million fellow baby boomers who are arriving at this milestone age with him. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life, from entertaining his relatives as a kid in Long Beach, Long Island, his years doing stand-up in the Village, up through his legendary stint at Saturday Night Live, When Harry Met Sally, and his long run as host of the Academy Awards. Readers get a front-row seat to his one-day career with the New York Yankees (he was the first player to ever "test positive for Maalox"), his love affair with Sophia Loren, and his enduring friendships with several of his idols, including Mickey Mantle and Muhammad Ali. He lends a light touch to more serious topics like religion ("the aging friends I know have turned to the Holy Trinity: Advil, bourbon, and Prozac"), grandparenting, and, of course, dentistry. As wise and poignant as they are funny, Crystal's reflections are an unforgettable look at an extraordinary life well lived"--
Etched in sand : a true story of five siblings who survived an unspeakable childhood on Long Island
Regina Calcaterra
362.733 /Calcaterra
Calcaterra and her siblings endured a series of foster homes and intermittent homelessness in the shadow of the Hamptons. She managed to rise above her past while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together. An unforgettable reminder that, regardless of social status, the American dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.
The pinecone : the story of Sarah Losh, forgotten romantic heroine--antiquarian, architect, and visionary
Jennifer S Uglow
720.92 /Losh
"A biography: A thrilling portrait of Sarah Losh, a forgotten architectural genius of the nineteenth century"--
Jim Henson : the biography
Brian Jay Jones
BIOGRAPHY Henson, Jim
A comprehensive biography of the life and accomplishments of the famous puppeteer and creator of the Muppets.
My story
Elizabeth Smart
364.154 /Smart
"For the first time, ten years after her abduction from her Salt Lake City bedroom, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime On June 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life. Now for the first time, in her memoir, MY STORY, she tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving. Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served. In the nine years after her rescue, Smart transformed from victim to advocate, traveling the country and working to educate, inspire and foster change. She has created a foundation to help prevent crimes against children and is a frequent public speaker. In 2012, she married Matthew Gilmour, whom she met doing mission work in Paris for her church, in a fairy tale wedding that made the cover of People magazine"--
Sing
Joe Raposo
jE Raposo
An illustrated presentation of the classic Sesame Street song about self-expression and the celebration of music.
The day the crayons quit
Drew Daywalt
jE Daywalt
When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them.
Hank finds an egg
Rebecca Dudley
jE Dudley
Hank finds an egg on the ground while walking in the woods, discovers the nest from which it fell, and tries his best to return it.
Mister Max : the book of lost things
Cynthia Voigt
jFICTION Voigt Cynthia
"When Max's parents leave the country without him, he must rely on his wits to get by, and before long he is running his own--rather unusual--business"--
The year of Billy Miller
Kevin Henkes
jFICTION Henkes Kevin
Seven-year-old Billy Miller starts second grade with a bump on his head and a lot of worries, but by the end of the year he has developed good relationships with his teacher, his little sister, and his parents and learned many important lessons.