Author: John Steinbeck 

Genre: Sentimental Fiction 

This book by John Steinbeck is definitely one of his more optimistic works — rather than a dramatic plot, the novel takes a deep look at the residents of a town as they throw a party for “Doc”, a kindhearted marine biologist. I loved this book for its beautiful imagery and sincere portraits of a variety of characters. Cannery Row clearly harps on the importance of empathy and kinship, and the shortcomings and virtues of the common man. 

Author: M. Chris Fabricant

Genre: Nonfiction

Despite being nonfiction and full of legal content, Junk Science captivated my attention as it explained the depth of corruption in the justice system as perpetuated by faulty forensics. It begins by tackling the flaws of dental forensics, and how “expert” testimonies have been used to target the black population in poorer neighborhoods, and from there led to other areas such as blood splatter and fire analysis. It points out the glaringly problematic laws we have in place, and shows how many men put to death were later found to be innocent. The author works for the Innocence Project, which has been aiding the wrongfully convicted and has exonerated 9 people in 2023. Junk Science was able to point out shocking details about the justice system that I had been largely unaware of before reading.

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Murder Mystery

One of Agatha Christie’s most famous murder mysteries, Murder on the Orient Express follows the eccentric detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder on a train stuck in a snowstorm, where the other passengers are all suspects. Christie is my favorite author, so of course I had to include her in this list. It was a tough decision, but I finally chose this one because it includes some phenomenal plot twists and has the perfect snowy backdrop for December. If you want an even more festive book, I recommend A Holiday Murder, in which a tense Christmas eve party is disrupted by a very Knives Out-esque murder. 

Author: George Mikes

Genre: Comedy

This jovial book is actually a collection of three, and each one consists of sections only a few pages long, which makes it a great choice for reading before bed. George Mikes explains what he’s learned about England since immigrating from Hungary using the dry humor that has been perfected by the British, and as the books have been written over many years, the reader can track how the country has developed since the Second World War. Considering the often disheartening state of the world right now, I’ve quite enjoyed reading a lighter and more optimistic book. 

Author: Richard Feynman

Genre: Memoir

Richard Feynman wrote one of the few memoirs that has captured my attention from cover to cover. The theoretical physicist takes the reader through the course of his turbulent life, from his experience at anti-semitic Princeton to the Manhattan Project and Los Alamos to Brazil. Throughout the story, he weaves in his wit, sentiments and life lessons as his book humbly showcases one of the brightest minds of the twentieth century.

Author: Michael Crichton

Genre: Fiction/ Sci-fi

Readers are able to imagine the terror of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park by reading this book even more than by watching the movie. It’s the perfect blend between sci-fi and action, with the inclusion of scientific terms that don’t confuse the reader, as well as dialogue and action that will keep your eyes glued to the page. This book is worth the read regardless of whether or not you’ve seen the movie, considering all the differences in the plot.

Author: Max Brooks

Genre: Dystopian fiction/ Sci-fi

I was still thinking about this book weeks after I finished it, and for good reason. World War Z describes a zombie apocalypse through the lens of many interviews from around the world, all of which when combined paint the picture of an incredibly unique take on the genre. The novel depicts how different countries respond to the zombies and each other, and how people of different occupations, religions, and cultures try to survive. The story eventually focuses on America, but the author fulfills his claims of a World war. When I read this book, I was struck by how realistic this hypothetical apocalypse felt, from “the great panic” to the Battle of Yonkers. This book was also adapted into a movie, which is so different from the original book that by watching or reading one won’t spoil the other. 

Author: Ernest J. Gaines

Genre: Historical Fiction

A Lesson Before Dying tells the story of a young black man put to death row after being dehumanized by his own attorney in court, and a teacher who is asked to convince him to be proud of his manhood before the date of his execution. Set in Louisiana in the 1940’s, this book showed the heart-rending growth of not just Jefferson, the man behind bars, but Grant Wiggins, the teacher. There is not a single character in this book that isn’t deeply nuanced, and no subject matter that isn’t profoundly discussed. The novel argues the importance of solidarity, pride and strength by showing us how desperate we are without it. Unlike some of the other books on this list, this novel is far from a light read, but it is one I would read again. 

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Fiction

Librarian Valerie Blain’s pick follows the journey of two friends over the span of 30 years as they work together to launch a video game. The writing style shifts to incorporate multiple narratives and focuses particularly on video games, although Blain said that despite herself not being interested in video games, she still found herself engaged by those parts of the book.  

Author: Jeff Lemire

Genre: Graphic novel

Jillian McCoy recommended the second trilogy on this list — one that they described as an exploration of family, love and grief. The novel takes place in rural Ontario, Canada and is told through stories about topics varying from hockey to aspirations to be a superhero to a nurse. It has won 3 separate awards, with it’s beautiful storytelling and art style. An added bonus is that it is available in the Library.