Chelmsford Library Staff Picks: Best Books From 2023!

2023 was a great reading year for the staff at the Chelmsford Library! We read a huge variety of new releases in fiction and nonfiction, we checked out some back list titles, and we borrowed cookbooks, picture books, and YA novels. Personally, the second half of the year was really strong for me, since three of my top picks for the year were released after the midway point. If you’re looking to see what we read throughout last year, check out the list below:

Jianna:

The haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro (fiction)

Endangered Eating by Sarah Lohman  (nonfiction)

Mike H:

Dead Fall by Brad Thor

Vickie:

The Wager by David Grann (nonfiction)

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (fiction)

Eileen:

Homecoming by Kate Morton

Games & Rituals – stories by Katherine Heiny

Jeff:

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (I think Julia really liked this too!)

Leviathan Falls b y James S.A. Corey

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (also one of Lesley’s faves)

Julia:

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link

Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Biography of X by Catherine Lacey

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Apeirogon by Colum McCann

Lindsey:

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Lesley:

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat

Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead

The Deep Sky by Yumi Kitasei

I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore

Nonfiction:

Milk Street Noodles by Christopher Kimball

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On by Franny Choi

Wound is the Origin of Wonder by Maya Popa

Pub in 2022 but I read in 2023 and they deserve attention 🙂

Sorcerer of Pyongyang by Marcel Theroux

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (I think Jeff maybe submitted this already)

Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

Andrea:

Once Upon a Chef Weeknight/Weekend by Jennifer Segal

That’s the top-rated bibliobites book this year!

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Fabulous full-cast audio.  Just thinking about it makes me want to listen to it again.  All of the voices are so perfect and really bring the characters to life.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers  by Jesse Sutanto

Just a fun romp!  Lots of Asian and ageist stereotyping, but hilarious all the same.  Written by an Asian author so I guess the stereotyping is OK.

Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

Third (fourth?) in a series that takes place in 1920s India.  The protagonist is based on India’s real-life first female lawyer.  Our intrepid heroine, Perveen Mistry, is drawn into crime-solving and uses her legal training in the pursuit of justice.  Lots of evocative description creates a vivid sense of time and place.  Ongoing subplots involving the Mistry family and a love interest for Perveen.  Oops– that’s two titles in the Mystery category!  Or we could call this one historical fiction.

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis

I think I got this title from one of your displays or lists.  (She did! This was an unexpected delight for me in 2023! -Julie) Though I rarely read sci-fi, one of my favorite books ever is Willis’ earlier title, Passages, so I decided to try this one.  I was not disappointed!  This is a plot-heavy tale of alien abduction with a cast of your basic quirky characters, and a hero who may or may not be what he seems.  A nice subtext about not rushing to judgment when encountering someone (or something) that you’ve never seen before/don’t understand.

Jess H:

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes