Top Fiction Books by Circulation at the Bethel Library in 2024
A short summary of the top most checked out fiction titles from the Bethel Library in 2024
Tied for The Third Most Checked Out Title:
Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks
Dreamland is an emotional story that follows a farmer with a passion for music, an aspiring singer, and a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage with her young son. This love story explores the theme of risking everything to pursue a dream and questions whether it is truly possible to leave the past behind.
The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring
Set in Dalton, Maine, in 1990, this novel explores life in small-town America. When a local makes an unthinkable decision, the community is shaken. In the aftermath, personal issues come to light, revealing that no one is quite who they seem.
The Second Most Checked Out Title:
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Elizabeth Zott is a self-assured research chemist in 1960s California whose career takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the star of a popular TV cooking show. Lessons in Chemistry combines humor and keen observations with a vibrant cast of characters while also portraying the unique challenges of early feminism.
The Most Checked Out Title:
Welcome Home, Stranger by Kate Christensen
This novel explores grief, love, and family complexities through the journey of a woman in her fifties who reluctantly returns to Maine after her mother’s death. It raises the question: Can you ever truly go home again? Lively and emotionally resonant, it captures the essence of the human experience.
Staff Picks October 2024
A few books our staff really enjoyed recently!
Caralyn’s Pick: This Other Eden by Paul Harding
An enduring testament to the struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of intolerence and injustice. Great characterization and prose.
Lee’s Pick: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Post-apocalyptic but somehow hopeful; the story shows the power of the human/animal bond and how humans need others.
Nancy’s Pick: Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Unusual plot and beautifully written story that addresses reintroducing wolves to Scotland. Themes of family and relationships. Great for nature lovers and those interested in complex families.
Kelcy’s Pick: Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
This book was sad, creepy, mysterious, and romantic all at once. Told from alternating perspectives of one wife who takes a journey under the sea and the other wife who was left behind. I downloaded the audiobook version on cloudLibrary and couldn’t stop listening!
Recommendations if you like short, cozy, translated books
As the autumn and winter seasons approach the library receives more requests for cozy books. Here are some of our favorite short, cozy, translated reads.
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyam
This book, translated from the original Japanese, tells the narratives of five interconnected individuals. Each character visits the library at a point in their lives where they are looking for a renewed sense of purpose and direction. This short novel is an insightful and inspiring read. The simple yet elegant prose beautifully captures the essence of the human experience—an ode to the transformative power of literature and the sanctity of libraries.
The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
This enchanting Korean bestseller takes readers on a journey through a department store that specializes in selling dreams, offering a unique perspective through the eyes of a new employee named Penny. As Penny explores the store's various floors, each dedicated to selling different kinds of dreams, we are introduced to the department store’s eccentric employees. The novel's exceptional world-building weaves together a magical and thought-provoking narrative that is sure to captivate the imagination.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
This novel is the story of four individuals and their motivations for wanting to travel back in time temporarily; from wanting to correct a mistake, seek closure, or address a regret. The rules of time travel from the small Tokyo cafe are stringent, deterring many people, including a rule that the time traveler must return to the present before their coffee gets cold. Despite this, these four individuals decide that the journey through time is worth undertaking, even though it will not alter the present. It is a concise and introspective novel that delves into the intricacies of human relationships, while also prompting reflection on regret, closure, and missed opportunities.