The West Des Moines Public Library Staff is sharing their favorite adult fiction picks from the year below! You can put the books on hold by clicking the titles, or you can stop by the display in front of the Accounts and Checkout Desk and see them in-person.
Check out our other lists!
General Fiction
Title: All Fours
Author: Miranda July
Why I loved it: Half the time I was thinking “What is happening”, but it never dissuaded me from continuing to read. I wanted to find out where this journey would go, even if I wasn’t totally sure what the deal was.
Recommended By: Traci
Title: All the Colors of the Dark
Author: Chris Whitaker
Recommended By: Jen
Why I Loved It: After Whitaker's outstanding first book, I was worried about "sophomore slump." But this book was just as good as his first. He has a deft way of handling dark subject matter and creating characters that break your heart (because you get just that invested in them).
Title: All the Sinners Bleed
Author: S.A. Cosby
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: The Book of Doors
Author: Gareth Brown
Recommended By: Jen
Why I Loved It: I liked the dark magical realism and found the characters compelling.
Title: The Briar Club
Author: Kate Quinn
Recommended By: Jenna
Title: The Bright Sword
Author: Lev Grossman
Recommended By: Shirley
Title: Demon Copperhead
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Recommended By: Shirley
Title: Disclaimer
Author: Renee Knight
Recommended By: Suchitra
Title: The Examiner
Author: Janice Hallett
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Fabled Earth
Author: Kimberly Brock
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Foster
Author: Claire Keegan
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: The Frozen River
Author: Ariel Lawhon
Recommended By: Shirley
Title: The Ghost Cat
Author: Alex Howard
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Glorious Exploits
Author: Ferdia Lennon
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: The God of the Woods
Author: Liz Moore
Recommended By: Jenna & Shirley
Title: The Gone World
Author: Tom Sweterlitsch
Why I loved it: It's a police procedural mystery with time travel and the end of the world.
Recommended by: Nate
Title: Haunting of Hecate Cavendish
Author: Paula Brackson
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Heiress
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: Horse
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Recommended By: Shirley
Title: The Housemaid
Author: Freida McFadden
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: How To Age Disgracefully
Author: Clare Pooley
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Hunter
Author: Tana French
Recommended By: Amy
Title: The Husbands
Author: Holly Gramazio
Recommended By: Amy
Title: James
Author: Percival Everett
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: Interior Chinatown
Author: Charles Yu
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: Intermezzo
Author: Sally Rooney
Why I loved it: The thoughtfulness that Sally brings to her two protagonists, two brothers, is extremely thoughtful, nuanced, and down to earth. Their struggles both individually and in the way they connect (or don’t) with each other are so relatable.
Recommended by: Traci
Title: Martyr!
Author: Kaveh Akbar
Why I loved it: Absolutely riveting. This is a must-read book by an Iowa Writer’s Workshop grad!
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: My Murder
Author: Katie Williams
Recommended By: Shirley
Title: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Author: Janice Hallett
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Nightbitch
Author: Rachel Yoder
Recommended By: Courtney
Title: One Perfect Couple
Author: Ruth Ware
Recommended By: Jen
Why I Loved It: I enjoy how Ware can give her spin on the "locked room" mystery; in this case, everything takes place on an island. There's a fantastic twist I didn't see coming, which made it a fun read.
Title: The Other Einstein
Author: Marie Benedict
Recommended By: Suchitra
Title: The Other Valley
Author: Scott Alexander Howard
Why I loved it: Another time travel book, but this one has more to do with relationships, the moral implications of tampering with the past, and time loops.
Recommended by: Nate
Title: The Seminarian
Author: Hart Hanson
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The September House
Author: Carissa Orlando
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Slow Dance
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Recommended By: Jenna
Title: Small Things Like These
Author: Claire Keegan
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Street
Author: Ann Petry
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: Soldier Sailor
Author: Claire Kilroy
Recommended By: Andrea
Title: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Recommended by: Suchitra
Title: Tom Lake
Author: Ann Patchett
Recommended By: Jenna & Shirley
Title: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Recommended by: Suchitra
Title: The Women
Author: Kristin Hannah
Recommended By: Andrea, Dee and Jenna
Why I Loved it: A small window into the trauma of war and the selflessness of the nurses in the battlefield; the strong bonds developed during the war and the difficulties fitting in after returning home.
Title: Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Author: Gillian McAllister
Recommended By: Amy
Title: Yellow Wife
Author: Sadega Johnson
Recommended By: Andrea
Mystery
Title: A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer
Author: Maxie Dara
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: Blind to Midnight
Author: Reed Farrel Coleman
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop
Author: Emeline Duncan
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Curse of Penryth Hall
Author: Jess Armstrong
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Grey Wolf
Author: Louise Penny
Recommended By: Jenna
Title: How To Solve Your Own Murder
Author: Kristen Perrin
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Murder Most Owl
Author: Sarah Fox
Recommended By: Christine
Title: New Lease on Death
Author: Olivia Blacke
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Washing Away of Wrongs
Author: G.M. Malliet
Recommended By: Christine
Title: We Solve Murders
Author: Richard Osman
Recommended By: Christine
Title: What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust
Author: Alan Bradley
Recommended By: Christine
Romance
Title: A Christmas Duet
Author: Debbie Macomber
Why I Loved It: Sweet Christmas love story
Recommended By: Alana
Title: Birding with Benefits
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: By the Book
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: Dial A for Aunties
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Funny Story
Author: Emily Henry
Recommended By: Jenna & Maggie
Title: The Holiday Cottage
Author: Sarah Morgan
Recommended By: Jenna
Title: Lies and Weddings
Author: Kevin Kwan
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: My Roommate is a Vampire
Author: Jenna Levine
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: Romantic Comedy
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
Recommended By: Jenna
Title: Summers at the Saint
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Recommended By: Maggie
Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Title: A Very Scalzi Christmas
Author: John Scalzi
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Bloodsworn Trilogy
Author: John Gwynne
Why I loved it: It's a sword and sorcery fantasy, but it takes more inspiration from Norse mythology and history instead of the usual British flavor.
Recommended by: Nate
Title: Candle and Crow
Author: Kevin Hearne
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
Author: P. Djeli Clark
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Dreadful
Author: Caitlin Rozakis
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
Author: Heather Fawcett
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Good Omens
Author: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Recommended By: Shirley
Title: Last Gifts of the Universe
Author: Riley August
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Service Model
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Spellshop
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Author: T.J. Klune
Why I Loved It: The House in the Cerulean Sea is a warm hug that brings you joy, and this sequel is a whisper of comforting hope in a time of strife. I laughed, I cried, my heart broke and was remade again. I can't recommend these books enough.
Recommended By: Jacilyn & Christine
Title: The Teller of Small Fortunes
Author: Julie Leong
Recommended By: Christine
Title: Unexploded Remnants
Author: Elaine Gallagher
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Why I loved it: This gave me The House in the Cerulean Sea vibes in the best way! Absolutely charming. Love, love, love.
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Author: Katherine Arden
Recommended By: Christine
Title: What Feasts at Night
Author: T. Kingfisher
Recommended By: Christine
Title: What We Sacrifice for Magic
Author: Andrea Jo DeWerd
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: The Witch's Heart
Author: Genevieve Gornichec
Why I loved it: The Witch's Heart has my heart. I ADORED this Norse Mythology retelling.
Recommended By: Maggie
Title: The Witch’s Lens
Author: Luanne G. Smith
Recommended By: Christine
Title: The Witchstone
Author: Henry H. Neff
Recommended By: Christine