Jax Stacks Staff Picks: Book Recommendations to Get You Started

Friday, January 5, 2024

Jax Stacks Staff Picks

#The Jax Stacks Reading Challenge is Back!

We've got 16 new categories - along with some great book recommendations to get you started. Start with the categories that interest you most and see how far you get!

If you read just one book this year, you're a Jax Stacks reader! To officially complete the challenge, read at least 12 books from 12 of the categories listed below. If you need help keeping track, pick up a Jax Stacks Reading Challenge bookmark - available at your local library. If you complete the challenge before December 31, 2024: Snap a picture of your completed bookmark and send it to jplprograms@coj.net to claim a prize!

More recommendations will be posted each month. So, be sure to check back often!

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1. A book by a 2024 Lit Chat author

Lit Chat Interviews and Author Talks bring authors from far and near to talk with you about their books and writing process (as well as some delightful tangents)! Check out the events calendar to find all the authors coming this year and then, grab a book by one of them to read!

A collage of book covers

2. A book with an eye-catching cover

Some covers just call to you from the shelf, whether they’re beautiful, trendy, weird, or all of the above. Pick one up and read it!

A collage of book covers

3. A book published the year you were born

Celebrate your birthday with a book the same age as you and see which one of you has aged better.

A collage of book covers

4. A book you read as a child

Revisit your childhood favorite or give a second chance to a book you didn’t like the first time around.

A collage of book covers

5. A book of poetry, essays, or short stories

Short on time? Check out a collection of shorter works! Read one in a waiting room or during breakfast. Or you can binge them all in one sitting, we won’t judge! It might just be your new favorite format!

A collage of book covers

6. A book read by a Library Book Club in 2024

Our Library Book Clubs read widely and bring together great folks for conversation and community. Check out our events calendar to see what’s coming up and pick out a book to read from the list. Then, go ahead and join us at a meeting to share your opinions!

A collage of book covers

7. A sci-fi or alternate history book set in Asia

Take your reading to another continent, the future, and even another universe with this category!

A collage of book covers

8. A book with an LGBTQIA+ protagonist

Representation matters! See yourself or a loved one reflected in the pages of a book! From romance to mystery to a classic coming-of-age tale, this category has a plethora of titles to offer.

A collage of book covers

9. A nonfiction graphic novel or comic

A picture is worth a thousand words. From memoirs to humor writing to academic topics, learn something new with fabulous illustrations.

A collage of book covers

10. A Pulitzer Prize-winning book

With categories including fiction, drama, history, biography, memoir, poetry, and nonfiction, you’re sure to find a book you’ll love somewhere in the 107 years' worth of prizes that have been awarded.

A collage of book covers

11. A book by a Jacksonville author

Read local and check out a book by a Jacksonville author! You can support up-and-coming self-published authors in our Local Author Collection or one of the many nationally renowned authors who have called Jacksonville home. We're counting anyone who ever lived in Jacksonville (for a significant amount of time), whether they grew up here, moved here, or wrote a book here and then left.

A collage of book covers

12. A book in translation, written in the 21st century

Whether it’s the latest Nordic noir, a popular new manga, or the hottest summer beach read, any book translated from one language to another counts!

A collage of book covers

13. A horror or dystopian novel

Classic or modern; scary, funny, or dread-inducing – pick a book that leaves you a little bit spooked! It doesn’t have to be gory or oppressive to count; anything that’s a bit existentially terrifying is a good fit.

A collage of book covers

14. A cookbook

Switch up the dinner routine, explore a new culture, or maybe find your new favorite recipe! Everybody has to eat – why not have fun with it? We have A LOT of cookbooks at the Library. Start exploring!

A collage of book covers

15. A book by a debut author over 50

Creative inspiration comes at all ages! Check out an author who picked up the pen later in life!

A collage of book covers

16. A book based on mythology

Check out some new twists on ancient tales.

A collage of book covers


Get more book recommendations

  1. Attend the Jax Stacks (Virtual) Book Club live on Zoom on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Each meeting will focus on one or two different categories from the bookmark. Note: No specific book is required to be read for this book club. 
  2. Read more of these "Jax Stacks Staff Picks" articles (posted on the Library's blog throughout the year) to see what your librarians are reading and recommending!
  3. Sign up for The Book Hookup and get book recommendations related to several popular categories.
  4. Track your progress and make recommendations on the Jax Stacks StoryGraph Challenge.
  5. Add books to the group bookshelf on Goodreads!
  6. Ask to join our Library U Facebook Group
  7. Request a Personalized Booklist from your local book recommendation experts (librarians)! 

Personalized Booklist

We will try to avoid these but cannot guarantee there will not be something unacceptable to you.