Every year, in late November, booksellers huddle around together in the offices of their stores to discuss the best books of the year, comparing notes with all manner of publications from The Economist, to the Boston Globe to the best-seller list your great-aunt Jean scribbled together while taking a bath back in May.

It is a joyous time, where discourse is in the air. Booksellers spar with one another, armed to the teeth with their favorite title of choice, ready to repost, jab, duck, dodge, dive and weave their way to ensure that their favorite title is the crown jewel of the holiday season.

After a year full of excellent titles, we felt we should throw our hat in the ring and share our favorite books published in 2024. The beauty of these lists is that they catalyze discourse and mark time with publishing of ideas. They stir literary conversation, bring forth preferences and signify what was going on or won the minds of readers, authors, and publishers.

Though some lists would rank their books, we felt sharing our favorites was a more democratic avenue. While we certainly have views on quality and how the value of a text is weighed, the choice of what you read in the privacy of your own home or listen to in the car to work is yours and yours alone!

To be alone with yourself, and in the company of a magnificent story that stirs your soul and electrifies your thoughts is among the great treasures and joys of life, something to be protected tooth and nail. Whatever you love to read, its value is as self-evident and universal as any best-seller or award-winner on the simple basis that it fulfills something within you.

Now, without further adieu, here are The Toadstool booksellers’ favorite books of 2024. 

“Ministry of Time,” by Kailane Bradley (Chosen by Anna Schroeder)

The debut novel of Bradley hits all the beats. Incredible comedic timing, romance, propulsive story, and deeply thought-provoking. A surefire hit for years to come.

“And Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music,” by Joe Boyd (Lowell Morris)

From our master of music, Lowell Morris, to the masses of ravenous fans (both of Morris and his musical taste) this history took more than a decade simply to compile.

For the music-lovers near and far to those that count the years with cultural references, this is as thorough and erudite as any broad ranging history of music out there.

“God of the Woods,” by Liz Moore (Emerson Sistare)

A new take on the classic summer camp mystery. Moore’s deft hand ties up loose ends and posits questions so provocative the answers propel the story better than any cliff-hanger could. As compelling a psychological thriller as any in circulation today.

“Impossible Creatures,” by Katherine Rundell (Pete Bascom)

Destined to be a classic, this coming-of-age fantasy drama does the impossible in putting a fresh facelift on the themes and story arcs that made “Harry Potter,” “The Hunger Games” and “His Dark Materials” cultural touchstones of a generation.

“The Riddle of the Sphinx,” by Anna Shechtmann (Nadia Bhatti)

A fascinating deep dive into the history of crossword puzzles and word games. Tracing the integral work of women in the popularization of what is now the default choice for words and puzzles, this is an accessible and insightful history in the vein of Mark Kurlansky’s “Salt.”

“Demon of Unrest,” by Eric Larson (Lowell Morris)

Larson infuses the defining turning point of our nation’s darkest moment, the Civil War, into something that reads like a suspense thriller. With a cast of characters running from Lincoln to spies in the vein of “Bond, James Bond,” Larson is at the height of his talents and in full mastery of his powers.

“What the Chicken Knows,” by Sy Montgomery (Pete Bascom)

Two words: Sy Montgomery. Sy is the translator of the fascinating nuances and details of our natural world to the layman. She takes the ordinary, and through her ever-enthusiastic eyes and singular wit, transforms the outside world into our world, fully inhabited and fully wonderful.

“Sandwich,” by Catherine Newman (Oriana Camara)

Catherine Newman’s voice is inimitable. She writes with an insight that always shocks the mundane alive with humor. She is the defibrillator that shocks us out of our daily stupor and infuses our newfound lives with simply the funniest, wisest commentary on contemporary womanhood and life you can picture.

Every new book by Newman is one that should be read the day it publishes; she is simply that good.

“A Walk in The Park,” by Kevin Fedarko (Selinda Chiquoine)

An edge-of-your-seat narrative nonfiction detailing what it takes to walk the 750 miles along the base of the Grand Canyon, a feat completed by fewer adventurers than have walked on the moon. In a time where billionaires are diving to the Titanic and discussing commercial space travel, the unexplored wonder of our natural world and planet remain as enthralling as any piece of speculative fiction.

“The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore,” by Evan Friss (Emerson Sistare)

Need we say more as to why we loved this book than that it is a history of the American independent bookstore? Capturing the beauty and charm of indies around the country and through America’s history, Friss even manages to sneak in a mention of your local Toadstool (albeit on the very last page).

Special thanks to the original owners of The Toadstool, Holly and Willard Williams, for creating a space worthy of such a mention.

“Blood over Bright Haven,” by M.L. Wang (Anna Schroeder)

A standalone dark fantasy in the same ballpark as “Babel,” by RF Kaung. We have a simple rule in The Toadstool -- if Anna recommends a fantasy novel to you, you must read it.

“The Mighty Red,” by Louise Erdrich (Selinda Chiquoine)

It’s Louise Erdrich. She is singular, seminal and a treasure to read. Don’t think twice.

That’s it! Those were our favorites of the year! As always, it is imperative that we at The Toadstool express to you how we feel every day – we are the luckiest booksellers in the world.

Thank you for making our store what it is, what it has been, and for what it will always be – an enchanting place full of wonderful books, movies, music and more.

Emerson Sistare is owner of The Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough.