Looking for a great read to add to your 2024 list? Start the year with Sequim Library staffs’ favorite reads of 2023.
Public services specialist Patrick Driggers recommends “No One Goes Alone” by Erik Larson.
“I was really impressed with the way Larson insisted that you need to listen to scary stories, so he only released the novel on audio. It worked,” Driggers said.
Adapted from the publisher: Psychologist William James leads an expedition to a remote isle in search of answers after a family vanishes. Was the cause rooted in the physical world … or were there forces more paranormal and sinister at work?
“The Dawn of Everything,” by David Graeber and David Wengrow, is one of public services specialist Liz Duval’s top picks.
“It made me smarter and I haven’t stopped thinking about it for months,” she said.
Adapted from the publisher: A dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution.
Photo courtesy of North Olympic Library System Sequim Library staff member Patrick Driggers recommends the audiobook “No One Goes Alone” by Erik Larson.
Public services lead Annie Brooker recommends anything by Catriona Ward, particularly “Little Eve,” because “it’s creepy with a good twist.”
Adapted from the publisher: On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.
Librarian Charlotte McGrew recommends “The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today,” written and illustrated by Hitsuji Yamada.
“It is a quirky manga series about a cat named Yukichi who has grown larger than his human and does all the cooking and cleaning in the house,” McGrew said. “(It’s) weird and hilarious, especially if you love cats.”
Public services specialist Ellen Schvetz’s pick of the year is “Sister and I in Alaska,” written and illustrated by Canadian artist Emily Carr.
“It is a humorous look at her trip to Alaska in 1907 with her sister” Schvetz said. “The pictures accompanying the text are a pure delight. A must read for anyone planning a trip to Alaska.”
Librarian Corrina Desmarais recommends the “Vera Stanhope” series by Ann Cleeves.
“I love the Northern England atmosphere and the dynamic characters of Detective Vera Stanhope and her investigative team,” Desmarais said. “This series is the inspiration for the British television series, ‘Vera.’ So, when I’m not reading a book, I can watch an episode.”
Public services specialist Alisa Weiss recommends “Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk,” by Buddy Levy.
From the publisher: The true, harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who came to define it.
Public services specialist Dana Seevers enjoyed “Lonesome Dove,” by Larry McMurtry.
“It will take you on an amazing adventure that you’ll wish would never end,” Seevers said.
From the publisher: This Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic of the American West follows two aging Texas Rangers embarking on one last adventure.
More information
Stop by the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., to find your next great read.
For more information, visit nols.org, call 360-683-1161 or email to discover@nols.org.
Charlotte McGrew is the Youth Services Librarian with the North Olympic Library System.
