Alameda County's 2025 Top ReadsLike this list

20 items

• Atomic Habits

  Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results : An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

  Clear, James,

  Add Atomic Habits to your for later shelf

  The problem isn't you; it's your system. Learn how to transform your life by focusing on the science of tiny changes, proving that you do not rise to the level of your goals, but fall to the level of your systems.

• James

  a Novel

  Everett, Percival,

  Add James to your for later shelf

  Percival Everett audaciously rewrites "Huckleberry Finn" from the perspective of James (Twain's Jim), revealing him as an erudite, strategic thinker who has mastered a shuffling persona to survive white society. This is a brilliant narrative where…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Anxious Generation

  How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing An Epidemic of Mental Illness

  Haidt, Jonathan,

  Add The Anxious Generation to your for later shelf

  This data-backed investigation contrasts the resilience of "play-based" childhoods with the anxiety of modern life, showing how instant gratification and constant peer judgment from smartphones have radically rewired young minds. Haidt offers…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Fourth Wing

  Yarros, Rebecca,

  Add Fourth Wing to your for later shelf

  At the elite and fatal Basgiath War College, Violet is hunted by classmates who hate her family while simultaneously navigating a forbidden attraction to the son of a rebellion leader her mother executed. This suspenseful and steamy debut fantasy…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Waiting

  Connelly, Michael, 1956-

  Add The Waiting to your for later shelf

  When Detective Renée Ballard’s gun and badge are swiped while she’s surfing, her desperate search to recover them uncovers a plot far more dangerous than a simple theft: an extremist cell planning a massive attack. With the clock ticking and her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Let Them Theory

  a Life-changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About

  Robbins, Mel, 1968

  Add The Let Them Theory to your for later shelf

  Stop trying to change difficult people or compare yourself to others. This lucid self-help guide teaches you that accepting reality is not surrendering, but freeing yourself to channel all your power into the deliberate actions that will actually…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Wedding People

  a Novel

  Espach, Alison, 1984-

  Add The Wedding People to your for later shelf

  Severely depressed and planning to end her life at a luxurious hotel, Phoebe Stone is derailed by the arrival of a lavish, six-day wedding and its headstrong bride, Lila. This dark comedy follows Phoebe as finds a new lease on life amid the chaos of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Great Big Beautiful Life

  Henry, Emily,

  Add Great Big Beautiful Life to your for later shelf

  When journalist Alice Scott gets a shot at writing a biography on a reclusive media heiress, she finds herself in a month-long, high-stakes competition with a Pulitzer Prize-winning rival, Hayden Anderson. Forced into close proximity on a remote…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nightshade

  Connelly, Michael, 1956-

  Add Nightshade to your for later shelf

  Meet Detective Stilwell: a low-key, principled lawman who found peace on Catalina Island until a young woman’s body rose from the seabed. In this gripping series launch, Connelly’s newest hero must untangle a knot of small-town corruption and elite…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Say You'll Remember Me

  Jimenez, Abby,

  Add Say You'll Remember Me to your for later shelf

  Samantha and Xavier find an undeniable connection and a lifeline of hope amidst their shared struggles with complex family issues, including elder care and past trauma. Abby Jimenez expertly balances hilarious, heartfelt romance with the real-life…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Strangers in Time

  Baldacci, David,

  Add Strangers in Time to your for later shelf

  Set against the terrifying backdrop of the final year of World War II, this is a sweeping tale of resilience and the enduring power of human connection. From the posh gardens of the elite to the rubble-strewn alleys of the East End, three lost souls…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Careless People

  a Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism

  Wynn-Williams, Sarah,

  Add Careless People to your for later shelf

  This explosive tell-all, from a former Facebook insider, details seven years of the company's moral failures and hypocrisy. The book reveals how Meta actively courted authoritarian regimes, and ignored hate speech for profit while demonstrating…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Onyx Storm

  Yarros, Rebecca,

  Add Onyx Storm to your for later shelf

  The action shifts from Basgiath War College to a continent-spanning road trip as Violet races against time to save Xaden and secure alliances against the venin. While action and fantasy warfare take the lead, the story remains grounded in the deep…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nobody's Fool

  Coben, Harlan, 1962-

  Add Nobody's Fool to your for later shelf

  Haunted by a botched career and a woman he believes he murdered, Sami Kierce is given a terrifying second chance when his "victim" suddenly resurfaces. In a world of nondisclosure agreements and long-buried crimes, Sami must decide if he’s hunting…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• 25 Alive

  Patterson, James, 1947-

  Add 25 Alive to your for later shelf

  After the shocking murder of their friend Warren Jacobi, the Women's Murder Club unites to finish the investigation he started. This is a high-stakes chase where the line between justice and revenge blurs,

• The God of the Woods

  Moore, Liz, 1983-

  Add The God of the Woods to your for later shelf

  When the daughter of the Adirondacks’ most powerful family goes missing, a massive manhunt ignites a powder keg of tension between the "haves" and the "have-nots." To find the truth, a determined female investigator must navigate a maze of family…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The First Gentleman

  a Thriller

  Clinton, Bill, 1946-

  Add The First Gentleman to your for later shelf

  A dogged journalist claims to have the "smoking gun" that proves the First Gentleman is a cold-blooded killer, but the deeper he probes, the deadlier the truth becomes. Packed with red herrings and sleek political maneuvering, this taut thriller…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Housemaid

  McFadden, Freida,

  Add The Housemaid to your for later shelf

  An unassuming housekeeper meticulously cleans the home of the wealthy Winchesters while secretly watching the family's strange dysfunction and growing obsessed with the husband. As her desire to live the wife's perfect life intensifies, she realizes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Writer

  Patterson, James, 1947-

  Add The Writer to your for later shelf

  When a celebrity writer is accused of the ultimate crime, Detective Declan Shaw must determine if she’s a cold-blooded killer or the victim of a perfectly executed frame-job. In this shocking, high-stakes mystery, the evidence shifts with every…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Housemaid Is Watching

  McFadden, Freida,

  Add The Housemaid Is Watching to your for later shelf

  Millie Calloway has finally traded her cleaning bucket for a set of keys to her own suburban dream home, but the transition from housemaid to homeowner isn't as perfect as it seems. On this street, the picket fences hide more than just gardens, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation