December 23, 2020 | Devin Cook
The Best of 2020 Staff Picks!
We never thought this dumpster fire year would end, but here we are–we did it, you guys! We made it through 2020. We’ve seen some things…and read a bunch, too! Every year, the folks here at McLib share their favorite books, movies, music, and more, so we thought we’d share some of our favorite titles with you. These picks really pulled their weight in getting us through a tough year.
All of these titles are available for you to place on hold or check out digitally! Click the title to learn more, and get it in your hands ASAP.
From your well-read bookies, here were our favorite Adult Fiction Titles.
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Anxious People by Fredrick Backman
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet
The Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth
The City We Became by N.K. Jemison
Devolution by Max Brooks
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey
The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow
Piranesi by Susannah Clarke
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card
This Town Sleeps by Dennis E. Staples
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
The Truants by Kate Weinberg
The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg
Make sure to click around on our virtual shelves below, featuring our Staff Faves — titles that were nominated by multiple staff members!
adult-fiction-staff-faves-1Here are our favorite Adult Non-Fiction titles that you’ll be sure to learn a thing or two from!
The Adventurer’s Son by Roman Dial
The Answer is: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
Break Your Glass Slippers by Amanda Lovelace
Broken Faith: Inside the World of Faith Fellowship, One of America’s Most Dangerous Cults by Mitch Weiss
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace
Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Enro Rubik
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From The Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong
Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton
Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood’s Zen Rebel by Joseph Atkins
HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Systle by Eliabeth Holmes
Jimmy Page the Anthology by Jimmy Page
Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo
A Life On Our Planet : My Witness Statement And A Vision For The Future by David Attenborough
Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band by Willie Nelson
My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me by Jason B. Rosenthal
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford
One Life by Megan Rapinoe
Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms by Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law
Skincare: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide by Caroline Hirons
The Secret of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria
What Cats Want: An Illustrated Guide For Truly Understanding Your Cat by Yuki Hattori
Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon? By Peggy Noe
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
adult-non-fiction-favesWant to enjoy some art AND read? Here are our Manga and Graphic Novels staff picks of 2020.
Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotoge
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
The Sacrifice of Darkness by Roxane Gay and Tracy Lynne Oliver
Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo
Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi
Yorick and Bones by Jeremy Tankard
graphic-novel-staff-picksNeed some new tunes to get into? Not only is our staff full of well-read bibliophiles, we have quite a few musicophiles with excellent taste as well! Check out our favorite music of 2020.
All Thoughts Fly by Anna Von Hausswolff
Californian Soil (Maya Jane Coles Remix) by London Grammar
Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1 by Sturgill Simpson
Damage by H.E.R.
Dreamland by Glass Animals
Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
Folklore by Taylor Swift
Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa
Gaslighter by The Chicks
Ho, Why is You Here? By Flo Milli
Homegrown by Neil Young
Industry Games by CHIKA
Long Violent History by Tyler Childers
Map of the Soul: 7 by BTS
Never Will by Ashley McBryde
RTJ4 by Run the Jewels
SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama
Sigma Oasis by Phish
The Slow Rush by Tame Impala
The Speed of Now Part 1 by Keith Urban
Suga by Megan Thee Stallion
They’ll Never Keep Us Down by Kelsey Waldon
Ungodly Hour by Chloe x Halle
YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny
music-staff-favesTV shows and movies are a great way to escape the stress and general “blah” of 2020. Though many of our favorites are available only through streaming, we have quite a few titles to share that you can check out at the library! Check out our DVD shelf below for what we liked the most.
Our favorite video game of 2020 was clear! The Last of Us Part 2 has everything for any gamer to enjoy.
Untitled-designCheck out what we loved for Young Adult Fiction!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Parachutes by Kelly Lang
Paradise Island: A Sam and Colby Story by Sam Goldbach
Shine by Jessica Jung
We Were Promised Spotlights by Lindsey Sproul
Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
ya-fiction-staff-picksFor Juvenile Fiction, we’ve got these to keep your little ones entertained.
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker
The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean
Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
juvenile-fiction-staff-picksHere’s our Juvenile Non-Fiction picks, chock full of fun facts to get your kid’s thinking cap on!
50 Adventures in the 50 States by Kate Siber
On the Horizon by Lois Lowry
Stamped: Antiracism, Racism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
kids-nonfiction-staff-picks-1And finally, for your littlest ones, our picks for Early books!
Auntie Uncle: Drag Queen Hero by Ellie Royce
Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Redd
The Bug Collector by Alex Griffiths
Fresh Princess by Denene Millner
Heroes Wear Masks: Elmo’s Super Adventure by Lillian Jane
Robobaby by David Weisner
A Stopwatch from Grandpa by Loretta Garbott
While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin
Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
early-books-staff-picksThis year has been chaotic, but we found comfort in these titles and we hope you do the same. Escaping into other worlds through reading is one of our specialties, and we’re here to help you during these tough times! We may be closed to the public for the time being, but give us a call if you have any questions, or need assistance placing any of these titles on hold or checking them out digitally. Just call (270) 442-2510 ext. 119 or email [email protected] — we’ll try our best to help!
Stay safe during the holidays and remember–2021 is nearly here! Let’s do our best to make it better than 2020.
