Brooklyn Public Library releases New Year's book list for 2023 - Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza. Wikimedia photo by Ajay Suresh

The Brooklyn Public Library System released a New Year's-themed book list– the list features a wide range of titles and authors, with good reading for people of all backgrounds and ages. BPL emphasizes the list's elements of renewal, adventure and opportunity. 

"A woman who changed her life for love (or maybe let love change her life). Hard choices and endless possibilities, fearless elders and meditative runners and one brave girl in Fairyland," said Librarian Jess Harwick.

"This time of year is one of reflection and potential change. If you're looking for inspiration, motivation, or just permission to be vulnerable, these characters and humans just might give you the hope that you need to take the leap."

The list includes several books which explore the theme of opening doors and windows, including Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, winner of the BPL Book Prize, and the aptly named The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. In whimsical tale titled The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, the resident of a nursing home tries to escape his own birthday party.

"The ten thousand doors of January" by Alix E. Harro. Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library

In the nonfiction category, Untamed by Glennon Doyle offers advice about how to manage the many hard things we may encounter in the next year, from caring for family members to setting boundaries with friends to fighting for justice. Haruki Murakami's writes about the power of taking small steps and establishing a routine whether you want to run or start anything new in What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

In the fiction category, readers will meet a twelve-year-old girl named September who discovers her life is far from ordinary, a man who realizes regrets can lead to possibilities, and characters moving forward against all odds.

Here's a list of the titles that the library is showcasing in its release (annotations courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library): 

• "The ten thousand doors of January" by Alix E. Harro: A book about stories and how they shape us, what it means to chase hope, and what happens when we truly believe that our lives have endless possibilities. Stunning and necessary for anyone who has ever hoped for more.
• "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle: Glennon Doyle's memoir started a movement of people who decided to embrace the mantra – "We can do hard things." With this acknowledgement – that things are hard, but even hard things are possible – Glennon implores her readers to truly begin living their lives.
• "The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson: If there's a single message in this book, it's that there is always time to go on new adventures. If you liked A Man Called Ove, you'll love this under-the-radar gem of a novel about defying expectations and finding new possibilities at any stage of life.
• "Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid: Another book about doorways of possibility, this book asks us to consider if we would step into the unknown in order to save ourselves and our families. Heavy on metaphor, this book explores relationships, fear, and new beginnings.
• "The girl who circumnavigated Fairyland in a ship of her own making" by Haruki Murakami: Whether you're starting the new year with a resolution to be more physically active or not, this slim, meditative look at running is an inspiration. Murakami writes about the power of routine and the effects of pushing ourselves and the way that small steps make for big progress in the long run.
• "Under the whispering door" by TJ Klune: Perfect for fans of The Midnight Library, Klune reflects on what it means to have regrets and the possibilities that they can create. In a life that can only be lived forward, this book admits that many of us will deal with regret at some point, but they shouldn't stop us from going after what we truly want.
• "Year of yes" by Shonda Rhimes: Ultimately, Rhimes's memoir is about the way that unexpected opportunities have the power to transform our lives – if we let them. Perfect for fans of Shondaland and nonfans alike, Rhimes writes to inspire us to take chances whenever we can.
• "The storied life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin: Who doesn't love a book set in a bookstore? A.J is a character who will live in your heart as well as remind you that change is a little less scary when we're able to do it with the support of people we love.
• "Reincarnation blues" by Michael Poore: What would you do if you had only 5 more lives to achieve enlightenment, but doing so means being separated from your one true love? In this darkly funny, sometimes twisted book, Poore asks us to consider what choices we'd make if we knew we were running out of time.
• "Daring greatly: how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead" by Brene Brown: Brown explores what it means to be vulnerable and the power that vulnerability has to radically change our lives. Daring Greatly balances social science with selfhelp, memoir with accredited studies, and fear with possibility
  
• "When the angels left the old country" by Sacha Lamb: In this Good Omens inspired, laugh-out loud funny novel, the characters leave the "old country" for a new life. Along the way, they consider what it means to leave a life behind (the good and the bad) as well as what it means to find home in a new place.

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