2 . We are barely a quarter into 2024, and it is already shaping up to be an impressive year for literature lovers everywhere. With new releases spanning various fields, readers are bound to find something to bury themselves in.

Forever and Always

By Brittany J. Thurman (Author), Shamar Knight-Justice (Illustrator)

Publication date: January 16, 2024

Worry and love go hand in hand in this children’s picture book. Olivia waits anxiously for her dad to come home from work, so she makes him something to make the time go by. School Library Journal reviewed, “This book gives oxygen to all the unstated fears, perhaps burning them off, offering a reality right out of the headlines, but by leaving it child-sized has a huge impact.”

A Calamity of Souls

By David Baldacci

Publication date: April 6, 2024

Jack Lee, a white lawyer from Freeman County, has never done anything to raise his voice against racism, but this time he does. He makes the decision to represent a black man named Jerome Washington, who is accused of murdering a wealthy white couple. However, Lee doubts his decision as there are fewer chances of winning. Desire, a black lawyer from Chicago, has always fought for justice and equality, and she partners with Lee to face the legal battle against the best lawyer. Both of them fight together for a fair trial and justice.

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years

By Shubnum Khan

Publication date: January 9, 2024

When Sana and her dad move into Akbar Manzil, Sana can’t help but be fascinated by the house there. She endlessly explores the rooms, trying to unearth the house’s mysteries. But Sana is most curious by the locked room, which once belonged to a woman named Meena, the long-dead wife of the original owner of Akbar Manzil. Within the room’s walls also lives a sorrowful djinn who now watches Sana as her interest in Meena and the house’s mysteries turns into obsession.

5 . Growing up. Mychal Threets fell in love with reading at Fairfield Civic Center Library (FCCL) in California. Now, at age 33, he is the supervising librarian of FCC Land has gained a following of more than 740,000 people who enjoy watching the video she posts about libraries on social media.

Threets was mostly homeschooled by his mother. They spent hours at FCCL and it became a home lo him, he said. But he didn’t see many people who looked like him cm ploy cd there and didn’t consider becoming a librarian until age 23, when he was hired to shelve books at a different Fair field library. That’s when “my librarian journey began,” he said. Threets took librarian education courses and worked his way up to the position he now holds.

About two years ago, he began sharing what he calls his “library joy” on TikTok and Instagram. He posts videos about being a librarian as well as tips on using a library card, book recommendations, and stories about children who have discovered their love of reading at the library. And with hundreds of thousands of followers across Instagram and TikTok, he spreads awareness far and wide about the numerous positive impacts libraries have on their communities.

Last year, he was among 10 librarians chosen by the American Library Association to win the I Love My Librarian Award for outstanding public service. “He has touched many people in a positive way and has created a place for all to know they are cared about and loved.” one of his nominators (提名人) wrote. “His devotion, innovation, and impact have improved our library to new heights, strengthening its role as a center for growth and learning.”

It seems clear that Threets will continue to inspire the next generation of librarians. The message he has for young people is to remember to visit their own local library. “When life gets tough.” Threets said, “you can always find a library card.”

6 . The Best Books of the Year

Poverty by Matthew Desmond

Hardcover: $14.8

Paperback: $6.5

“In his powerful book, Matthew Desmond exposes the realities of inequality in the world. His writing takes readers on a journey through the lives of those struggling to make ends meet. Desmond’s book is a powerful call to action, urging readers to demand change and work towards a more just and fair society. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the root causes of inequality and the urgent need for transformative solutions.” — Lindsay Powers

King: A Life by Jonathan Eig   

Hardcover: $15.5

Paperback: $7.2

“Eig’s book dives into the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr., providing an in-depth and comprehensive account. This book offers deep insights into the life of one of the most influential figures in American history, revealing the hardships and heroics of a man who changed the world.” — Al Woodworth

The Wager by David Grann

Hardcover: $18.5

Paperback: $5.4

“This true story is a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It is a story of human ambition, greed, and the continuous pursuit of adventure, all set against the backdrop of the vast and unforgiving ocean. Journey into a world of adventures, where fortunes are made and lost, and lives hang in the balance. Witness pursuits of power and wealth. Experience the dangers and uncertainties of life on the high seas, where anything can happen and no one is safe.” — Al Woodworth

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Hardcover: $17.6

Paperback: $4.5

“Emily Henry’s latest has all the feels! More than your standard second-chance romance, Happy Place is about the beauty, pain, and joy that come with biological families, chosen families, growing up and apart, and how — as adults — we deal with this thing called life.” — Kami Tei

8 . Grace Cogan’s favorite quote comes from American founding father Thomas Jefferson: “I cannot live without books”. The 14-year-old from Weston, Missouri thinks the same thing.

Grace was born with a disease that affected her skin and eyes, and caused kidney (肾) problems. Doctors told her parents she might not live.___________, she made it. However, she was often sick. During these 14 years, she had 22 operations and a lot of doctor’s ___________.It was reading that_________her in doctors’ waiting rooms or during long drives to appointments. “I always make sure to have a___________with me,” she said.

When Grace was little, her mother, Kelly, read Little House on the Prairie to her. Her dad, Brian,___________her more difficult historical novels like The Red Badge of Courage. Then Grace, though she had serious eye problems, started reading on her own, with her nose usually___________in a book. That’s where she sees most___________. “She wanted to know how things worked. She was so curious,” said Joyce Burch, Grace’s aunt. Maybe because of those early books, or maybe because of where she lives—a farmhouse that’s been home to five_________of her father’s family — Grace came to love history.

She asked her parents to take her to different historical places. She read historical novels, from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to 1776. She even wrote a book, The Historical House, to _________the history of the farmhouse. Because of her disease, Grace can’t go to a public school. But her____________for history meant she came in fifth in the country for the National History Day competition this summer. Grace’s grandmother said that she was not really____________when Grace called to tell her the news. “That girl does not__________.We knew she would do something great,” she said. Apart from reading, Grace also plays the piano and loves musical theater. She would like to work in theater someday. If she can’t, she wants to be an author, ____________writing about history. Grace’s bravery has____________others. “The time with Grace has been an____________journey and adventure,” said Lennie Medcalf, Grace’s private teacher. “I look forward to seeing this world with Grace Cogan in it.”