Our exploration of what library users read and loved this year continues with part 3. (Parts 1 and 2 are linked below.)

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman (Available through Link+)

"If you like your fairytale retellings in the style of The Princess Bride this book is for you! You have magical sisters, an arranged royal wedding, a princess in disguise, a distant and mysterious cursed kingdom, a demanding stepmother, and twelve identical huntsmen in masks for some reason. I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't stop laughing. It is both a love letter and a send-up of all things fairytale as well as one of the best books I've read in years!"-Sara

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

"I am a huge TJR fan, and an even bigger fan of her audiobooks narrated by Julia Whelan. This book is her best yet. As a kid growing up in the 80s, women were told we could be anything. Female astronauts made us believe this was true. Unfortunately, we weren't told that you can't have everything. My heart ached during this book for a better, more accepting world for Vanessa and Joan."-Karen

The Names by Florence Knapp

"This book is haunting, poignant, and so emotional. The author does an incredible job with the multiple storylines, and I can't believe this is their debut novel. This book stayed with me long after reading."-Kinnera

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

"This romantasy was so much fun to read! Sera Swan was expelled from the witches' guild, and you will root for her as she cleverly carries out her plan to be readmitted. Meanwhile her enchanted inn serves as a refuge for lost souls, including Luke Larsen and his autistic sister Posy. Everyone at the inn forms bonds of caring and compassion that I wish could exist more often in the real world. Sera and Luke become close friends, and then more."-Jennifer

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

"I think this book has good character development, suspense, and a very interesting and surprising plot. It takes place on a very remote island, and the family in the story has become extremely resourceful. I liked the element of the seed library and the biology references. There are many themes that intertwine in the story such as climate change, protection and lack of protection for animal species, love and loss, and parental responsibilities. It is a wonderful book."-Patricia

"The setting of the island was captivating and vividly described by the author. The bird life and marine mammals, as well as the plant life, added to the story. The story of the family and the interloper held me through the novel, and the climate change aspect added a charged atmosphere. I'm taking a trip to the island this January, that inspired the author after reading the book."-Else

Held by Anne Michaels

"Gorgeous prose from a former Canadian Poet Laureate connecting themes of loss and love through four generations. Her novel was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, and I found it worth reading a second time for its poetic lyricism."-Stephen

The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller

"It's rare these days to read a book that actually moved me to tears. All through the book, the protagonist is a strange, misanthropic man, rather difficult to like, but by the end, he and his beloved dog moved me profoundly."-Michael

Alyte by Jérémie Moreau (Available on Link+)

"The journey of a midwife toad from hatching out of its egg to adulthood, Alyte encounters many new friends in the wildlife. Moreau's vibrant colors and pacing had me shed a tear or two. And guess what, Alyte just got an English translation thanks to Milky Way Picture Books!"-JB

Breath by James Nestor

"Revelatory. Knowledge of indigenous peoples from thousands of years and forgotten in the last century is slowly being resurrected. The simple act of properly breathing can improve health, sports performance, and quality of life and at zero cost! Well, if you get the book from the library. Nestor gives the subject fascinating context to drive home the impact of breathing correctly."-Michael

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North (Available on Link+)

"This book is about a man whose life regenerates on the same day each time he dies. He finds there are others like him, living in different eras or times, and that they have ways of communicating with and helping each other. Eventually, someone Harry knows decides to try to do something that will be catastrophic to the world itself and Harry has to stop it. Amazing book!"-Madison