Lydia Wacasey, Deputy Director

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession

This was my first book of 2024, and its characters have continued to live in my head all year. Leonard and Hungry Paul are best friends in their thirties who live at home, look after their parents and move through the world with gentle kindness. It's a quirky and sweet celebration of unheralded folks, friendship and the beauty found in silence. It's on my list to read again in 2025.

James by Percival Everett
 

James is a retelling of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn narrated by Jim, an enslaved man, on an odyssey to gain freedom for himself and his family. Jim's voice is unforgettable, and his story is necessary in its own right.

Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures by Wally Koval

This book packs the whimsy and and quirkiness of a Wes Anderson film into 360 pages of colorful adventure locations. Photos of of trains, sky trams and even a location in Silverton are framed in appreciation of Anderson's signature style.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a beautifully illustrated journal of Amy Tan's musings and drawings of birds spotted in her own backyard. It encourages everyone to observe nature in their own surroundings to find beauty, inspiration and solace.