February 2025 - Author Linnea Hartsuyker (The Half-Drowned King)

 "Lovers of epic rejoice! Hartsuyker illuminates these old stories with authority and visceral detail, bringing to life the adventure, bleak beauty, and human struggle that lie at their heart. A vivid and gripping read." -- Madeline Miller, author of THE SONG OF ACHILLES


In February and March we have three events surrounding the Golden Wolf Saga trilogy by Linnea Hartsuyker. Come back to this page for updates.

Please join us in the library's Community Room for a meet-the-author event on February 19, 2025, at 5:30pm.  Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Golden Wolf Saga, an epic tale of 9th century Norway, will be at the library to discuss her novels and related aspects of Viking culture. Books will be available for purchase (and signing) at the event, courtesy of MainStreet Bookends of Warner.

Earlier on Feb. 19, at 1pm, our monthly book group will be discussing the first book in the saga, The Half-Drowned King. Anyone may join. Books are available to borrow at the library. Call ahead to reserve a copy.
 
We are also welcoming Ms. Hartsuyker back to the library on March 9th for an afternoon of Viking craft - a discussion of fiber arts and some hands-on activity. Stay tuned for more details.
 
Resources:
 (more resources to come)


 

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Our Top Checkouts, and Year-End Book Lists 2024

Hopkinton Town Library's Top Check Outs in 2024

Compare our list to the New York Public Library's www.nypl.org/spotlight/top-checkouts-2024 (We have one building and about 6,000 residents; they have 92 branch libraries across Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island!)

 

The value of year-end book lists. 

Lately, as I've been generating the lists above and planning our "what's the best thing you read in 2024" meeting, I've been reading about year-end book lists. If you're also into that kind of thing, here are some interesting reads:

  • Book critic and blogger Jan Harayda talks about being wary of anything titled "best books": jansplaining.substack.com/p/why-you-cant-trust-years-best-book  Please do read the whole post, but here's a brow-raising quote: It’s also striking that eight of 10 books¹ on the Times list come from Penguin Random House imprints. Is PRH really issuing 80% of America’s best books?
  • Similarly, this piece by NPR questions the value of "top ten" type book lists, specifically library checkout records. www.npr.org/2024/12/29/nx-s1-5234258/most-borrowed-library-books-2024 To me, this was an important point from this article: Year-end lists are fun to parse, but it's important to keep perspective, said Brian Bannon, the Meryl and James Tisch Director at the New York Public Library. He oversees the 88 neighborhood branches of the nation's largest library system. "Even though we published our top ten, none of these books made up more than 1% of our overall circulation," he said.
  • And this post by blogger "Modern Mrs. Darcy" explores the book influencer's own distinction between favorite and best and the natural subjectivity of both labels: I gather my “favorite” books, which aren’t necessarily the “best” ones, and either way those assessments are personal and subjective. When I call a book a favorite, I mean that it delivered a memorable, enjoyable reading experience. I’m drawn to books with emotional resonance, I like discussion-starters, I appreciate craft. I’m also inclined to value a book that meets the moment: when I read the right book at the right time, it’s likely to end up here. On the flip side, I read many very good books that might have deserved a place on a “best of” list, but not on my list of personal favorites. (HTL's previous blog post gave pointers on reflecting on your own reading journey, so I won't repeat that here.)

Thoughts?

If, like I do, you find best of lists still valuable, albeit with the above caveats, here are a few:

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January 2025 - Show and Tell


In concert with the library's "The Best Thing You Checked Out" survey, our book group will discuss favorite reads from the past year. (The books don't have to have been published in 2024.)

Join us Wednesday, January 15, at 1pm and/or 5:30. Bring copies, or just the titles/authors, of your "bests" and tell us what worked to make them memorable. You'll leave with a whole list of recommendations for your TBR list (to-be-read).  

Below are questions to guide a reflection of your reading year. Below that is a list of suggestions for setting reading goals for 2025. 

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2024 Year-End Reading Reflection

If you are interested in understanding what your reading year reveals about your interests and perspectives throughout the year, start with these reflection questions based on the books you read in 2024 (if you kept track):

  • Patterns: Which genres did you gravitate towards? Were there recurring themes, settings, motifs, or plotlines in your list?
  • Favorite authors: Were there authors you discovered or revisited this year? What qualities of their books work for you? What about their writing style did you like?
  • Personal connection: How did the books relate to your own life experiences? Is that kind of connection important to you when choosing/enjoying a book?
  • Personal growth: Which books challenged your perspectives or provided new insights into the world or your own experiences? Did any books significantly change your mind about or understanding of a topic? Did any prove applicable to your current situation?
  • Relatable Characters: Which characters stayed with you? Did you feel kinship with any? Which viewpoints offered you a “mirror” versus a “window”?
  • Rejected reads: What books did you abandon? What didn’t work for you?
  • Biggest impact or “best” books: Think about the five or so titles that most worked for you this year. What about them left the strongest impression on you? Was it the story? Writing style? A particular character? Or maybe the way it met you where you are (in that moment, in life, etc.)?

Use this reflection to inform your future TBR lists or reading goals. Maybe the exercise solidified what you know about your reading interests, but maybe it also revealed some tendencies you didn’t previously realize.

If you enjoy this kind of introspection, check out these resources:

www.onbookstreet.com/blog/reading-year-reflection-and-new-years-intentions

www.onceuponabookclub.com/blogs/ya/the-power-of-reflection-learning-from-what-we-read

www.journalreview.com/stories/reflecting-on-a-year-of-reading,103834

lib.d.umn.edu/research-collections/find-what-read-next/reflection-questions

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Set Reading Goals for 2025

For example, your goals might include items like…

 Start a reading reflection journal:

  • This post: www.anythinklibraries.org/blog/year-books, might inspire you to pick up a pen and write more (more words, more often, more thoughtfully) about the books you read.
  • While reading -- Jot down thoughts, feelings, key takeaways, quotes/lines that resonate, and questions that arise. 
  • When you finish -- Write about worked for you (or didn’t) in the book. List the themes, your favorite scene or character. It’s ok if each entry is different in size, scope, or tone.

 Create (more than one) TBR list:

  • Choose themes, authors, or settings, etc., that you want to explore in 2025 and make a short TBR for each.
  • Read more from authors you know you enjoy.
  • Pick up a new-to-you series, so you’ll always have something to read next, or in between other reads.
  • Work off someone else’s list – maybe choose a few books from the NYT “100 Best Books of the 21st Century” list or from Tookie’s List in the back of The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich.
  • This post: www.apartmenttherapy.com/reading-list-guide-37016621 has some helpful prompts for creating your TBR, like: lists for different moods, decide which unread books should rollover, and mix in short stories.
  • Make a short list and a long list. The short list is less negotiable – you want to read these books, and soon. The long list is more like, “maybe this year,” or just “maybe.”

Accept a reading challenge:

Schedule (more) reading time:

Discuss books more often:

  • Join (or start!) a book group. HTL’s group meets monthly on the third Wednesday. Talk to us if you want advice on starting a group (here or at your home) or connecting to an existing local group.
  • Initiate a regular meet-up with friends or co-workers to talk about what you’ve been reading. Trade favorites.
  • Write short reviews of books you borrowed from HTL. We’ll post them on the shelf so others might benefit from your reflection.
  • Attend an author event, like HTL’s evening with Linnea Hartsuyker (Feb. 19).


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