2023 was a year of discovery for many of us. We danced and sang along to new music from iconic artists. We cheered for the heroes in exciting new movies. And some of us discovered new ways to think, laugh and cry while reading books that managed to connect with us so deeply. There’s never a bad time to find a life-changing book or listen to your favorite musician for the first time, so hopefully this list of our favorite things from 2023 can help you find something amazing!
Books for Kids
Big by Vashti Harrison
Why We Liked It: This beautifully illustrated book demonstrates how negative words can have a strong impact on us, then goes on to show us how empowering it can be when we grow strong enough to love ourselves the way we are.
Submitted by Christina M., Children’s Services Librarian
The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
Why We Liked It: Rick Riordan returns to his original demigod character, Percy Jackson, in a not-too-high-stakes adventure. It’s time to apply to college, and he needs three letters of recommendation (from gods). Since the gods are unwilling to give him credit for any of the world-saving he’s already done, this means a new quest to recover Zeus’s goblet. Adventure follows (with a pretty entertaining Duran Duran reference along the way), and the story has some unexpectedly thoughtful moments. Stay tuned, though, because there are still two letters to go…
Submitted by Sarah D., Children’s Services Librarian
Dear Stray by Kirsten Hubbard, illustrated by Susan Gal
Why We Liked It: A child adopts a kitten who seems to be all claws and no cuddle, thinking that “maybe we needed each other.” This book reminded me of my own adopted cat, who hissed at a visiting family member who tried to share some Thanksgiving turkey. The illustrations feature thick, scribbly, expressive lines and occasionally an imaginary tiger with the kitten’s stripes and personality. The child, as well as the kitten, can struggle with feelings and behavior—but tries hard to recognize the good along with the bad—and understands the kitten as a fellow creature worthy of love. The story ends with the kitten beginning to cuddle and purr.
Submitted by Sarah D., Children’s Services Librarian
Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo
Why We Liked It: This is a book about a classroom of kids who think the sandwich is their teacher. I laughed out loud through the whole book.
Submitted by Christina M., Children’s Services Librarian
The Skull by Jon Klassen
Why We Liked It: This creepy yet somehow heartwarming story of a girl and her skull friend is one of my favorite folk tale retellings to come out in a while.
Submitted by Christina M., Children’s Services Librarian
Very Good Hats by Emma Straub, illustrated by Blanca Gómez
Why We Liked It: Before this book, I never realized the endless possibilities of hats. I now know better and am happier for it.
Submitted by Christina M., Children’s Services Librarian
You Are Here: Connecting Flights edited by Ellen Oh
Why We Liked It: Twelve authors collaborated to create this book of linked short stories and through their diverse characters, offer unique perspectives on what it’s like to be an Asian American kid in today’s world.
Submitted by Joyce, Children’s Services Manager
Graphic Novels
Bloom Into You by Nio Nakatani
Why We Liked It: A beautiful sapphic romance that explores the nuances of love, the future and identity.
Submitted by Ruby, Adult & Teen Services Specialist
Insomniacs After School by Makoto Ojiro
Why We Liked It: I loved this manga so much when I started reading it last year that I had to read it in person—and then reread it after the anime came out as well. Any high school romance makes me positively happy, but I always enjoy it when they add something different in terms of content and themes. Here, the voyage into insomnia, shared trauma and other serious themes set this manga apart from others. If a book can shove in something educational seamlessly as this one did, it instantly makes the experience more worthwhile. Astronomy’s cool!
Submitted by Alex, Teen Services Specialist
Invincible by Robert Kirkman
Why We Liked It: The story and artwork are very engaging and keep you hooked from start to finish. Some of the storylines were some of the best that I read, and I felt like I was a part of the world itself. This series is currently being animated on Amazon Prime and is currently on a break. For those who can’t wait and want to keep going, the entire series is made available through our collection.
Submitted by Daniel, Adult & Teen Services Specialist
Star Trek: Godshock by Ramon Rosanas, Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Why We Liked It: Godshock takes place 3 years after the end of my favorite Trek franchise, Deep Space 9. It follows Captain Sisko’s return from his time with the Prophets and puts together a crew of incredible characters, including old favorites Scottie (The Original Series), Dr. Crusher (The Next Generation) and Tom Paris (Voyager). It’s a fantastic addition to Trek lore and fits so well into established canon while giving some depth and continuation to a favorite character, Benjamin Sisko.
Submitted by Eyan, Adult & Teen Services Specialist
Music & Movies
Christmas by Cher
Why We Liked It: Cher is a legend, and this album is epic! My favorite songs are DJ Play a Christmas Song, Please Come Home for Christmas, I Like Christmas, Drop Top Sleigh Ride and perhaps my most favorite, Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart. This is a versatile album, and each song is a little different, including Cher’s iconic techno/dance song, while some are more blues, pop, and even a hip-hop number featuring Tyga. We have this as both a music CD and vinyl record in our collection.
Submitted by Christina T., Collection Services Manager
The Maybe Man by AJR
Why We Liked It: It’s emotionally devastating
Submitted by Hayley, Teen Services Lead Specialist
Phantomime by Ghost
Why We Liked It: This is an EP of cover songs by Ghost. Imagine if a metal band took you to a goth church. They have become my favorite band of 2023. The music is the perfect combo of glam metal and 80s rock. They have a super fun gothic-pope aesthetic, and the costumes are amazing! I have been listening to all their albums non-stop. I highly recommend the song See No Evil.
Submitted by Monica, Studio Services Specialist
Shin Ultraman by Shinji Higuchi
Why We Liked It: I saw it as a limited release in theaters this past January. I’m very glad this finally came out after several years of delays. I am very happy the tokusatsu genre is getting wider Western releases like anime has now.
Submitted by Jay, Adult Services Librarian
Fiction
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Why We Liked It: Murderbot, the name an android composed of artificial and organic parts has given to itself, is about as scared of people as it assumes they are of it; the only problem? People aren’t actually scared of it. Turns out Murderbot has some serious trauma and guilt, both things that shouldn’t happen to AI constructs. I love the character and the world, and have never related so closely to a non-human character.
Submitted by Eyan, Adult & Teen Services Specialist
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Why We Liked It: This book tells the story of a woman who loses everything to create a new life. Beautiful story of family secrets, betrayal and a shared recipe. Are the secrets we keep helping us or hurting us and the ones we love most?
Submitted by Aysha, Readers Advisory Librarian
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Why We Liked It: This is the first romance book I’ve read (ever?), and I loved the witty dialog and strong storyline. It’s a cute romance with people who love books—what more could you want?
Submitted by Aysha, Readers Advisory Librarian
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown
Why We Liked It: Light Bringer‘s audiobook returns to Tim Gerard Reynolds as narrator—who is incredible—and returns the Red Rising series as a whole back to the fast-paced, high-stakes series we know and love. Light Bringer has all the intensity of a penultimate entry into a saga and re-establishes why I love Darrow as a character so desperately much.
Submitted by Eyan, Adult & Teen Services Specialist
The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher
Why We Liked It: Fencing, fighting, kitten scratches, skulduggery, cat-people, one really big monster (and some smaller ones), high-altitude escapes, a treacherous ex, magic… Jim Butcher returns to the steampunk world of Cinder Spires (last seen in 2015 with book 1, The Aeronaut’s Windlass) with Captain Grimm’s airship arriving at a diplomatic gathering, which quickly devolves into duels, poisoning and an unusual new approach to mind control.
Submitted by Sarah D., Children’s Services Librarian
Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
Why We Liked It: I really loved this super spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance because of its amazing characters and witty banter. The characters really complimented each other, and the marriage-of-convenience trope is always a favorite of mine. I recommend listening to the audiobook because it also has great narrators to boot.
Submitted by Melissa, Communications Manager
Nonfiction
Black AF History by Michael Harriot
Why We Liked It: It’s such an engaging (and funny) book of history that I learned something on every page.
Submitted by Aysha, Readers Advisory Librarian
Blood Memory by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns
Why We Liked It: I think bison are the most amazing creatures on the planet. With contributions from leading indigenous scholars, ecologists, and historians, this book and Ken Burns’ documentary are based on highlight the relationship between the land, the people, and the buffalo. They were once revered, vital to the physical and spiritual health of Great Plains peoples, and so numerous they covered entire prairies. After 10,000 years of thriving on the American continent, westward expansion saw them commercialized, politicized, and hunted to near extinction in a span of less than a hundred years. Great book, but be prepared for tragedy and incredible violence.
Submitted by Andy, Adult & Teen Services Specialist
Every Goddamn Day by Neil Steinberg
Why We Liked It: This book is a time capsule of Chicago history, written for each day of the calendar year. I didn’t grow up in Chicago, so this was a great way to learn about interesting events on the day they occurred. Even if you were born and raised in the city, this book will introduce you to something new! This book has it all! Sports, movie stars, tragic accidents, politics, weird coincidences. Almost every entry will take about one minute to read. A couple might take about five minutes. I had this on my bedside table for a few weeks so I could read a few entries before going to bed. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it!
Submitted by Debra, Adult & Teen Services Manager
Graceland Cemetery by Adam Selzer
Why We Liked It: I love this book! The author offers free virtual tours online of the cemetery site, so it was perfect to watch during the cold months.
Submitted by Debra, Adult & Teen Services Manager
Tremendous: The Life of a Comedic Savage by Joey Diaz
Why We Liked It: Joey Diaz has been a favorite comedian of mine for years and the anticipation leading up to this book was well worth the wait. It’s a book that’ll make you laugh, cry and feel inspired by the end.
Submitted by Ramon, Outreach Services Specialist
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Why We Liked It: I am a huge fan of memoirs, and this one didn’t disappoint. The author writes about her experience going through life after her divorce, taking care of herself and her children, trying to make sense of why her life took this turn and what she could have done differently to save a marriage while having her own career and personal experience outside of the relationship. Throughout the pain and sadness, the author manages to find beauty and love in life and reminds us that we can make something new, something beautiful, even after a deep loss.
Submitted by Tana, Outreach Services Manager