Julie's Journal : My Favorite Reads from 2024

It's hard to believe that 2024 is winding down.  This year was pretty eventful for me and the library stayed busier than ever, so the time has flown by. 

I've managed to get quite a bit of reading in, and it will surprise nobody that I keep pretty extensive statistics on the books I read.  I'm a bit of a nerd!  So far this year I've read 108 books.  Of those, 91 were written by women, 17 were re-reads, 102 were e-books, and I would recommend 88 of them.  The average publication year was 2017 and they total 37,745 pages.  I keep a simple spreadsheet and mark my favorite titles with an asterisk.  I hope to add a few more by the end of the year.  So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorites of the year. 

Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty.  I usually enjoy Ms. Moriarty's books, and this one was no exception.  Cherry is a widow in her early 70's.  She is someone who doesn't stand out in a crowd.  She is well-dressed, well-behaved, and unexceptional in every way.  One day, on a short flight, she stands up on the plane and works her way down the aisle, predicting the age and manner of death for each person she encounters.  She has no memory of the event after it happens.  At first people just write it off as a quirky experience, but then some of her prophecies come true.  The passengers begin wrestling with their fates.  Can the mother whose son was told he would drown at age 7 change his fate by enrolling him in swimming lessons?  Can the newlyweds change the predicted violent end to their marriage?  How accurate is Cherry, now known as the "Death Lady"?  This is the third book I've read over the last few years that discusses how life would change if we knew when we would die.  I think of the three, I enjoyed this one the most. 

The Teller of Small Fortunes, by Julie Leong.  Tao is a fortune teller.  She lives in her wagon and travels from place to place, only telling small fortunes.  Her fortunes always come true.  Only once, has she told a larger fortune, and she deeply regrets it.  She lives and travels alone, and tries to draw very little attention to herself.  Eventually she finds a sort of family in Mash and Silt, who are searching for Mash's lost daughter, and Kina, a baker of delicious, but ugly pastries.  Together they continue the search for Mash's daughter, and eventually Tao must use her fortune telling ability for the good of her kingdom.  I would classify this book as a cozy fantasy and I would like to see more like it.  It's not too stressful, and leaves the reader with a good feeling at the end.  

People We Meet on Vacation, by Emily Henry.  Poppy and Alex are best friends.  Every year they take a vacation together, something they look forward to all year long.  Two years ago they had a falling out on their vacation and have hardly spoken since.  This year's trip might be their last chance to save their friendship.  However, they each have to wrestle with what they really want from the relationship and whether they dare to reach for something more.  I have enjoyed Emily Henry and her romances this year.  I think I've read everything she's written.  She does romantic yearning really well which I enjoy.  Be aware, though, that her books will have scenes that are not meant for young readers.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher.  Cordelia's mother is a sorceress, and not the good kind.  She can control Cordelia by taking over her mind.  The only freedom Cordelia has is in her rides on her mother's horse, Falada.  When Cordelia's mother attempts to trick a squire into marriage, Cordelia and the squire's sister, Hester, team up to put a stop to the sorceress, once and for all.  T. Kingfisher is my go-to author to recommend to anyone looking for a fantasy.  I just love the way she writes.  I read several others by her this year and I haven't found one yet that I didn't like.

Adult Assembly Required, by Abbi Waxman.  This is a sort-of sequel to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.  Laura is a grad student and moves into a boarding house peopled with an interesting cast of characters.  Laura is trying to work through some past trauma and deal with an overbearing family.  She finds a community in the bookshop and in the boarding house, makes new friends, and falls in love.  This is another one that leaves the reader with a peaceful feeling at the end.

Other favorites from this year that I've mentioned in earlier blog posts include, The Frozen River, The Last Flight, and A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking.  

I expect to finish a few more books this year.  I just checked out The Husbands, by Holly Gramazio.  We'll see how it goes!  Let me know what your favorite reads this year have been!

Julie's Journal : A Day in the Life of a Librarian

I'm ashamed to say that, as a student, I never considered becoming a Librarian as a career choice.  It just didn't occur to me.  If I had thought about it, even a little, I might have seen how perfect a career it would be for me.  When I did come into Librarianship, starting out in part-time work and moving into the Assistant Director's position, it quickly became clear how perfect a job it is for me.  

If you've ever taken personality tests, you will know how many different categories people can be sorted into.  One distinction that I find very interesting is that people, especially in the job market, are often sorted into Specialists and Generalists.  A Specialist is someone who becomes an expert in their field, sometimes even a very narrow area within their field.  They can be very good at what they do, but don't often venture beyond the borders of their expertise.  A Generalist on the other hand is someone who's interests vary widely.  They don't necessarily become experts in any one field, but can function well across many different types of work in many different areas.  Both types of people make valuable contributions to a workplace.  

It should come as a surprise to no one that I function well as a Generalist.  When I was studying accounting in college and interning during the summers, I learned that I became bored very quickly.  I still like accounting and business, but I don't want my work life to be solely focused on that.  At the library, I can do all kinds of different things within the course of a week, and sometimes within a single day.  Anything that I am interested in can be relevant at the library.

Over the course of the last few days, here are a few things I have done....

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  Taught a one week seminar on Digital Living for Seniors.  This class is geared towards Senior Adults and gives information about the myriad of different ways that technology can be helpful in daily life.  I will try to offer it again early next year.
  

• Taught Kid Crochet.  I've been doing this for several years now and am always delighted by the interest it gets.  We've just started up again for this year and I have several students brand new to crochet.  They are just learning their first chain and single crochet stitches.  Another student has started learning the granny square and still another is making her first stuffed animal.  One student's mother is also interested in learning, so as I have time, I am showing her the basics as well.  
  

• 
  I had a nice conversation with a gentleman just getting into raising chickens.  I've had chickens for years, so it's nice when that hobby bleeds into the library.

• Attended the monthly meeting of our Plot Twist Book Club.  We discussed non-fiction.  Next month's topic is fantasy.
  

• Made many, many book recommendations.  I do this across all areas of the library, but in conjunction with next month's book club topic, I was asked yesterday for several fantasy recommendations.  My go-to's are anything by T. Kingfisher and assorted fairy-tale retellings!

• Shopped for books!  Always a fun chore - I make recommendations to Lisa for books to purchase for our collection and I am in charge of maintaining our e-book collection for Libby.
  

• Offered tech help to patrons.  You can make an appointment with me or any library staff for help with your phone or tablet or laptop.  This week I have helped with organizing email, setting up new earbuds, figuring out why an iPad wasn't working, and connecting a phone to a vehicle via bluetooth.

• Held a newborn baby while her mother wrangled her three siblings.  This was both duty and pleasure!

• 
  Helped with patrons needing to print.  So much printing!
  

• Facilitated our Creative Hands program.  We meet weekly and people bring whatever project they are working on.  We visit and help one another with our projects.

• Attended virtual trainings on a variety of topics from the Association for Rural and Small Libraries.

And the thing is - we all do these things and more.  Lisa is our director.  She keeps us within the lines of our budget, plans programs, purchases books and materials, sees to the building maintenance needs, and so much more.  Christian and Jeltje are our front line staff.  They check people in and out, reshelve materials, and make sure the library shelves are neat and organized.  They keep up with what patrons are checking out and make purchase recommendations based on that information.  Christian makes library cards for new patrons, keeps our plants alive, and makes sure our bulletin board and outside sign are up to date and looking good.  Jeltje puts new books in the system (a never ending chore), makes sure we have a new dad joke for the globe every week, and comes up with new ideas for programming and promotion.

It takes us all to keep the library running and in good shape.  Come in and see all the things we have to offer!

Julie's Journal : What I've Been Reading (plus our Puzzle Exchange)

Lately, I've been cursed with an overabundance of books to read and not enough time to finish them all.  I currently have 32 books on hold on Libby.  I need to clear some out, but I'm always finding new stuff I want to read and add to it!  

I've been on a bit of a T. Kingfisher kick lately.  I've always liked her stuff, but earlier this year I read The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and recommended it to everybody.  It's so fun.  One of the characters, Bob, is a sentient sour dough starter with personality!  I followed it up with Minor Mage, Illuminations, and Nine Goblins.  All are short, magical stories that I really enjoyed.  Next on my list by her is A Sorceress Comes to Call.  It is a retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale.

Another science fiction book I read recently was The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.  This was on the New York Times list of the best 100 books of the 21st century, and I had only read a few from the list.  This is a very different book, and it took me a little while to figure out the timeline.  I may read the rest in the series, (I have the second one on hold on Libby), but it's pretty involved so I may have to be in the right mood for it.

The Last Flight by Julie Clark was recommended in our Plot Twist Book Club.  It tells the story of two women who are both looking to change their lives.  One is running from a powerful and abusive husband.  The other has gotten caught up in an illegal lifestyle and wants to leave it.  They switch plane tickets at the last minute and the repercussions are huge.  I marked this as one of the best books I've read this year! 

Another author whose books I try to always read is Heather Webber.  Her latest, In the Middle of Hickory Lane, was very enjoyable.  Emme has moved to live near her father's family and try to put down roots for the first time in her life.  Her cousin Cora Bee is dealing with some demons of her own, and their grandmother, Glory, is beginning to struggle with her health.  All three women have to come to terms with their pasts in order to move forward in life.  I love the subtle magical element all of Heather Webber's books include.  In my opinion, this is one of her better books.

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Did you know that Franklin County Library has a puzzle exchange?  Bring a puzzle, leave a puzzle!  We had two big donations last week, so there are plenty to choose from!

Julie's Journal : What I've Been Reading Plus Some of My TBR

Right now, I'm reading Dark Corners by Megan Goldin.  This is the third book by this author that I have read and the second featuring podcaster, Rachel Krall.  Rachel has developed a reputation as a reporter/investigator who can prove the innocence of those wrongly convicted.  Now she's delving into the behind-the-scenes world of influencers.  A girl is missing and Rachel may be the next target of a serial killer.  So far it's living up to the hype!

I just finished The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and I highly recommend it.  It's already on my list of favorites for this year.  It is the fictionalized story of real-life 18th century midwife Martha Ballard.  The story takes place in Maine, over the course of one brutal winter.  It contains difficult topics including sexual assault, child loss, and the powerlessness of women during this time period, but still manages to stay hopeful.  I loved the depiction of the marriage between Martha and her husband Ephraim.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman is another book I finished recently.  Nina is an introvert with very little family.  She has built a life she loves working in a small bookstore and going to trivia nights with her team.  Her world gets turned upside down when she learns that the father she never knew has named her in his will.  Along with an inheritance, she also learns that she has brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews and some of them want to welcome her to the family.  Further complicating her simple life is a budding new romance with the leader of a rival trivia team and the financial difficulties that make the survival of the bookstore questionable.  Nina must overcome her anxiety to let some new things and people into her life.  The book was a little predictable, but it was a sweet, quick read.

For awhile I have been eyeing The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, and I finally picked it up.  It is set on the island of Jeju in the Korea Straight.  Women on the island have been making a living diving into the ocean for generations.  Young-sook is our main character and she and her friend Mi-ja are taking their place in the diving collective.  Young-sook and Mi-ja are young during the years of Japanese colonialism and Mi-ja is somewhat ostracized because her father was a Japanese collaborator.  Over the years, they marry and have families, but a betrayal rips their friendship apart.  I was interested in the book because I had heard of the diving women, but this book focuses not just on the women but the greater political affairs that were affecting their island.  We follow them through WWII and the Korean war, all the way to current times.  I realized that my knowledge of Asian history is lacking.  This was a difficult book.  The women and their families go through horrors that I can't imagine.  

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Last year, I started keeping a notebook of books I want to read that either aren't available to me right now or I just don't have time for.  When I run out of things to read, I consult the book to see if I can get anything on the list.  I've found it to be a lot of fun and helpful as well.  

Right now on my To-Be-Read (TBR) list, in addition to books in my notebook, are several physical books that have been given to me lately.  I tend to read e-books more than physical books, so I need to put down my devices and concentrate on these books.  Right now I have copies of The Fury by Alex Michaelides, Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister, and two books by a new-to-me author, Will Dean.  I'm assured that Dean does twists in his stories very well.  I'm excited to pick one of these up for my next read!  

Julie's Journal : What I've Been Reading

I have a few recommendations today and one book that I really did NOT like!

Going Zero, by Anthony McCarten.  This was the last book I read in 2023 and I have been recommending it ever since.  Kaitlyn Day is a contestant in a game, hoping to win $3,000,000.  She must stay undetected, off grid and under the radar, for 30 days, while Fusion, a giant tech company, is hunting her and 9 other contestants.  Fusion has a lot riding on the outcome of the contest - if they can find all the participants they will secure an enormous government contract.  But Kaitlyn has more at stake than the prize money and she will be a more formidable opponent than Fusion realizes.    

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty.  Amina is a middle-aged mother, and a retired pirate.  She has no plans to venture back onto the high seas, until the mother of one of her former crew members comes calling.  She offers Amina an enormous sum to bring back her kidnapped granddaughter.  Amina agrees, but quickly discovers that not all is as it seems, and this adventure may be more than she bargained for.  This fantasy kept my attention with lots of action and humor.

The Measure, by Nikki Erlick.  One morning, everyone in the world, aged 22 and above, receives a box.  Inside the box is a string.  The strings are of all different lengths, and it quickly becomes clear that the string represents the length of the owner's life.  The story follows the lives of several different people, some with long strings and some with short strings.  Through their stories, we see how the very fabric of society is changed by people's knowledge of the length of their life.  New biases appear overnight.  People are suddenly ineligible for certain positions of power if they have a short string.  I liked this book.  Some library patrons thought there were too many characters to keep up with, but I found the story thought provoking.

Starter Villain, by John Scalzi.  This was fun.  Charlie is between jobs and in a pseudo-fight with his half-siblings over his father's house, which he has been living in.  When his estranged uncle passes away without any heirs, he is asked to represent the family at the funeral.  The funeral quickly turns weird when an assortment of characters turn up all wanting to verify that Uncle Jake is in fact actually dead.  Things just get crazier from there as Charlie discovers he is his uncle's heir and he has inherited more than just a family business.  I know people are going to look sideways at me for recommending this one, but I thought it was a fun, quick read.

Prisoners of the Castle, by Ben Macintyre.  Non-fiction.  I had never heard of the Nazi prison at Colditz.  Colditz is a castle and town in eastern Germany and was used to house prisoners of war who had attempted to escape from other prisons or camps.  It housed Dutch, French, Belgian, Polish, and later a few American prisoners.  Immediately on arrival, many of the prisoners started trying to escape again.  There were a number of obstacles to escaping from Colditz, but no shortage of inventive ways to try.  The prisoners quickly formed a society of sorts in the prison, in large part based on the class systems they were used to in military life.  I had never read about this part of WWII before and it was very interesting.

And now for the book I did NOT like.....

Vaster Wilds, by Lauren Groff.  The synopsis of this book sounded interesting.  A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement and attempts to find another colony to settle in.  And truly, the book delivers on that premise for awhile.  She is wandering through the wilderness surviving with just her wits and a few small things she was able to bring with her.  But.....  I won't tell you what spoiled the book for me, but by the end I wanted to throw it at the wall!  It's been quite a long time since a book has made me that mad!  If you read it, let me know what you think.