If thrillers, literary or historical fiction are more your speed, here’s a list of reads set on or around New Year’s Eve! If romances make your heart sing, enjoy our list of New Year’s romances.

White Teeth

By Zadie Smith

Large Print   |   Spoken CD   |   eAudiobook   |   eBook

White Teeth is a modern literary classic, and its central story starts on New Year’s Day. On New Year’s morning, 1975, Archie Jones tries to kill himself. After his life is saved by a stranger, Jones is given a second chance at life. This modern classic is told from the perspective of two friends in London and richly weaves together a story of modern society.

The Hunting Party

By Lucy Foley

eBook   |   eAudiobook   |   hoopla audio   |   hoopla eBook

For fans of atmospheric, twisty thrillers, this one is for you! Foley’s most recent book, The Guest List, has been at the top of TLCPL’s most requested books since this summer. In The Hunting Party, a group of thirtysomething gather an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands to celebrate the New Year. After a blizzard closes off any contact with the outside world, tensions are high amongst the group of lifelong friends. On New Year’s Day, someone is dead…and someone else is responsible.

The Rules of Civility

By Amor Towles

Spoken CD   |   eAudiobook   |   eBook

On the last night of 1937, Katey Kotent and Tinker Grey meet at a dingy jazz bar. This chance encounter spins a web of New York high society that catches Katey in its trap. Read for Towles’s beautiful imagery, complex characters, and addicting plotlines.

The Long Way Down

By Nick Hornby

Large Print   |   eBook   |   eAudiobook

Last – and maybe least – four strangers meet on the roof of London’s most infamous building, infamous for being the final stop for those choosing to end their lives. Through four unique voices and points of views, Hornby writes an intense and surprisingly humorous New Year’s tale. (This title also served as inspiration for the much-maligned film, A Long Way Down.)

Enjoy these reads, and maybe get a head start on your 2021 reading goals. Happy New Year!