Looking to add some books to your reading list this year? Trying to find something new to watch or listen to? Check out some of these picks from 2023 and other all-time favorites from YPL staff!
Favorite Adult Fiction
- Things We Found When the Water Went Down by Tegan Nia Swanson
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
- Holly by Stephen King
Favorite Adult NonFiction
- How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis
- How to Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea by Tristan Gooley
- Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia
- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
- What If? by Randall Munroe
- Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont by Robert Bilott
- The Mosquito Bowl by Buzz Bissinger
Favorite Romance
- Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- Virgin River Book 1 by Robyn Carr
- Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
- Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
- The Magic of Sea Glass by Jenny Hale
Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- Babel by R.F. Kuang
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu
- The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein
- Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Favorite Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
- None of this is True by Lisa Jewell
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- Full Immersion by Gemma Amor
Favorite Historical Fiction
- Booth by Karen Joy Fowler
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Favorite Movie
- M3gan
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Kingdom of Heaven
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- The Boy and the Heron
- Barbie
Favorite CD
- Unreal Unearth by Hozier
- The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monae
- Chant
- Chemistry by Kelly Clarkson
Favorite Children's Picture Book
- Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
- The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
- Hot Dog by Doug Salati
- Just Because by Matthew McConaughey
- Knight Owl by Christoper Denise
Favorite Children's Easy Reader
- What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins
- Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
- Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Favorite Children's Board Book
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- Bye Bye, Binary by Eric Geron
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Bake Shop by Eric Carle
Favorite Children's Fiction
- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
- The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
- The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali
Favorite Children's Nonfiction
- Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
- Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief by Dr. Janina Ramirez
Favorite Adult Graphic Novel
- Maus by Art Spiegelman
- The Adventure Zone Volume 5 by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Carey Pietsch
- Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley
- Last on His Feet by Youssef Daoudi and Adrian Matejka
Favorite Children's Graphic Novel
- Apple Crush by Lucy Knisley
- The Bad Guys (Series) by Aaron Blabey
Favorite YA Graphic Novel
- Lights (Sheets #3) by Brenna Thummler
- Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
- Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
- On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
- If You'll Have Me by Eunnie
- Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga) by Hiromu Arakawa
Favorite YA Fiction
- I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
- This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang
- Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart
- The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
- Borrow My Heart by Kasie West
Favorite YA Nonfiction
- Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Unaccompanied: Stories of Brave Teenagers Seeking Asylum by Tracy White
- Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
Favorite Other/Category We Missed?
- Galatea: A Short Story by Madeline Miller
- The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On (Poetry) by Franny Choi
- How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Horror)
- Our Flag Means Death Season 2 (TV Show)
Stay warm this winter by cozying up with a good book and joining YPL’s Winter Reading Warmup Challenge!
Yonkers Public Library invites readers of all ages to expand their knowledge by reading and learning this winter. Participants can log books through March 15, 2024. For every book that you log, your name will be entered into a drawing for an Amazon gift card. Each library branch will host its own drawing. You can register on Beanstack on your phone or your Internet browser here.
You can also check out other Staff Recommendations on our website, or ask a librarian at your local branch for more specific suggestions!
Happy Reading!
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She is pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.