December 22, 2021 | Lea Wentworth
Staff Picks: Best of 2021
As Library workers, books, movies and music are kind of our thing. At the end of each year, we compile all of our favorites from that year to share. These brought us joy or diversion, or made us think, or enhanced our lives in some way through another tough year.
All titles listed were released in 2021 and are available for free checkout through the Library in either a physical format that you hold in your hand (a book, a CD, a DVD) or in a virtual format that read, watch or listen to with your phone or tablet (like an ebook or downloadable music).
BOOKS
Nonfiction and History
Cole, Mel D. American Protest: Photographs 2020-2021
Defoe, Gideon. An Atlas of Extinct Countries
Dyja, Thomas. New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess and Transformation
Green, Elon. Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust and Murder in Queer New York
Haig, Matt. The Comfort Book
Hannah-Jones, Nikole. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
Hubbard, Harlan. The Watercolors of Harlan Hubbard
Zimmerman, Jess. Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology
Biographies, Memoirs and Essays
Brown, Kelly Williams. Easy Crafts for the Insane: A Mostly Funny Memoir of Mental Illness and Making Things
Brunson, Quinta. She Memes Well
Cunningham, Bill. I Was Born When I was Very Young
Didion, Joan. Let Me Tell You What I Mean
Grohl, Dave. The Storyteller
Hough, Lauren. Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing
Morton, Andrew. Elizabeth and Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters
Pfeifer, Joseph. Ordinary Heroes, A Memoir of 9/11
Ruffin, Amber and Lacey Lamar. You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey
Sedaris, David. Carnival of Snackery
Trejo, Danny. Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood
Tyson, Cicely. Just As I Am
Vitale, Tom. In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain
Zauner, Michelle. Crying in H-Mart
Food, Garden and Home
Blakeney, Justina. Jungalow: Decorate Wild
Bruce, Alexandra. Sustainable Style: 27 Garments to Sew for a Considered Closet
Martin, Rachel Louise. Hot Hot Chicken: A Nashville Story
Michel, Quita. Just a Few Miles South: Timeless Recipes from Our Favorite Places
Tucci, Stanley. Taste: My Life Through Food
Fiction
Benedict, Marie. The Personal Librarian
Boyle, T.C. Talk to Me
Charlier, Marj. The Rebel Nun
Davidson, Ash. Damnation Spring
Flanagan, Erin. Deer Season
Franzen, Jonathan. Crossroads
Hannah, Kristin. The Four Winds
McConaghy, Charlotte. Once There Were Wolves
Morris, Heather. Three Sisters
Peters, Torrey. Detransition, Baby
Reid, Taylor Jenkins. Malibu Rising
Rowley, Steven. The Guncle
Shipstead, Maggie. The Great Circle
Snicket, Lemony. Poison for Breakfast
Strout, Elizabeth. Oh William!
Suzuki, Izumi. Terminal Boredom
Towles, Amor. The Lincoln Highway
Whitehead, Colson. Harlem Shuffle
Mystery and Suspense
Bell, David. Kill All Your Darlings
Bohjalian, Chris. The Hour of the Witch
Cosimano, Elle. Finlay Donovan is Killing It
Dean, Abigail. Girl A
Glover, Michael. St. Sebastin: Stone Roses
Harper, Jane. The Survivors
King, Stephen. Billy Summers
King, Stephen. Later
Romance
Hazelwood, Ali. The Love Hypothesis
Henry, Emily. The People We Meet on Vacation
McQuiston, Casey. One Last Stop
Rocha, Kit. The Devil You Know
Graphic Novels
Lai, Lee. Stone Fruit
Powell, Nate. Save It for Later
Teens
Colbert, Brandy. Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
Lee, C.B. Clash of Steel
Lim, Elizabeth. Six Crimson Cranes
Lo, Malinda. Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Moskowitz, Hannah. The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe
Moulite, Maika. One of the Good Ones
Polydoros, Aiden. The City Beautiful
Sharpe, Tess. The Girls I’ve Been
Sutanto, Jesse Q. The Obsession
Thomas, Angie. Concrete Rose
Kids
Bassi, Sandro. Alien Nation
Flintham, Thomas. Supper Rabbit Boy Team Up Trouble
Lucas, Chad. Thanks a Lot, Universe
Lukoff, Kyle. Too Bright to See
Medina, Nico. Who is RuPaul
Pilkey, Dav. Captain Underpants and the Tyrannical Retaliation of the Turbo Toilet 2000
Taylor, Jazz. Meow or Never
Tellegen, Toon. I Wish
West, Tracey. Howl of the Wind Dragon
Early Readers
Brown, Peter. Fred Gets Dressed
Cherry, Monica. The Husky from Kentucky
Clark, Carla. You Be Daddy
Diaz, Lucky. Paletero Man
Feder, Tyler. Bodies are Cool
Gauld, Tom. The Log Princess and the Wooden Robot
Ghigna, Charles. Once Upon Another Time
Gormon, Amanda. Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem
Hannah-Jones, Nikole and Renee Watson. Born on the Water
Juck, Lee. One Day
Marlow, Layn. Noah’s Seal
Morales, Yuyi. Bright Star
Ode, Eric. Larry Gets Lost in the Library
Reynolds, Emma. Amara and the Bats
Todd, Traci N. Nina
VanSickle, Vikki. Anonymouse
Wall, Phoebe. Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
Williams, Schele. Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History
MOVIES AND TV
Scooby Doo Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
MUSIC
Adele. 30
Baker, Julien. Little Oblivions.
Black Keys. Delta Kream
BTS, Butter (Megan Thee Stallion Remix)
DMX. Exodus
Doja Cat. Planet HER
Eilish, Billie. Happier Than Ever
Fleck, Bela. My Bluegrass Heart
Japanese Breakfast. Jubilee
Parks, Arlo. Collapsed.
Shires, Amanda. For Christmas
Silk Sonic, An Evening with Silk Sonic
Swift, Taylor. Red (Taylor’s Version)
Twice. Formula of Love
Tyler the Creator. Call Me If You Get Lost
West, Kanye. Donda
