Earlier this year, we looked at the most popular books checked out of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.

The list wasn’t surprising, all things considered — lots of blockbuster fiction and Baltimore-related nonfiction books, including “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”

Popularity is only one measure, though. As someone with a stacked “to be read” pile and a voracious appetite for a book that’ll be hard to put down, I also wanted to know what folks’ favorite read of the year was. Read on for answers from the mayor, notable authors in town, a reality TV star and more.

Mayor Brandon Scott — ‘The Autobiography of Malcom X’ and ‘Malcolm X Talks to Young People’

Scott had a busy year, between a surprise wedding, the announcement of a second child and clinching a rare second term. Still, Baltimore is “The City That Reads,” so we wanted to include the mayor’s favorite.

Here’s what he said about his favorite books, after saying it was a tie.

“‘The Autobiography’ details how someone can come from nothing, be on the wrong side, and change their life to make a difference for their community. More importantly, it shows how a true leader can show discipline stand on their beliefs no matter the consequences.

‘Malcolm X Talks to Young People’ shows how he purposely spent time investing in the next generation, which is something I model after him.”

Pratt Library CEO Chad Helton — ‘Miles: The Autobiography”’

The Pratt Library hired a new CEO this year. Helton has said he views libraries as places “of social impact” and follows Heidi Daniel, who held the CEO position for seven years.

Like Scott, his favorite read was an autobiography.

“One of my favorite books about one of my favorite musicians. I love the stories of how Miles began, how he viewed his role as a bandleader, and how he transformed his sound to influence all genres and generations.”

Laura Lippman — The work of Claire Keegan

Local star of the literary world Laura Lippman told me she had to cheat, and that’s OK. There are no hard and fast rules for talking about your favorite books of the year, and if anyone gets to color outside the lines, it’s Lippman.

Especially in 2024. This is the year one of her books, “Lady in the Lake,” took off in an Apple TV+ series starring Natalie Portman. Lippman said she started reading Claire Keegan’s work in 2023 and finished “everything in print” from her this year.

“They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but the fact is, it was the superb packaging of Keegan’s slender little books that prompted me to pick up a copy of ‘Foster’ in The Ivy Bookshop. Her work has a heartbreaking clarity and economy. I can’t even think about ‘Foster’ or ‘Small Things Like These’ without tearing up.”

Netflix’s Brittany Wisniewski — ‘Did I Ever Wake Up?’ by Mod Sun

If you watched the latest season of “Love is Blind” — the Netflix reality series where couples see if they can get married “sight unseen,” you’ll recognize Wisniewski.

Though the latest season was ostensibly based in D.C., several contestants, including Wisniewski, had ties to Maryland or Baltimore. She told me her favorite books are those she can learn or grow from.

“‘Did I Ever Wake Up?’ by Mod Sun. It is like a modern version of ‘The Secret’ and a great reminder of the power of positive thinking. ‘Did I Ever Wake Up’ is a quick read that will remind you to take back your power and get your life moving in the direction you most desire.”

Del. Dana Jones — ‘The Water Dancer’ by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Del. Dana Jones was the driving force behind Maryland’s “Freedom to Read Act,” which prohibits public and school libraries from removing books just because of an author’s background. It came as groups attempted to ban books in parts of the state.

Jones said it was extremely difficult to pick a favorite read from the last year, but landed on ”The Water Dancer,” the first novel published by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Matthew Norman — ‘World Within A Song’ by Jeff Tweedy

Baltimorean and author of “Charm City Rocks” said he’d usually pick a novel as his favorite read of the year, but a memoir he read in 2024 was “too perfect to deny.”

“Jeff Tweedy’s joyous memoir — organized loosely around the songs that shaped the Wilco frontman’s life and music — inspired me, made me laugh out loud, and left me weepy on vacation in front of my kids. It’s just over 200 pages long, but I could’ve read a thousand more.”

Answers from readers

A few months ago, I asked readers what they most enjoyed in the last year. Here are some of the answers.

“’Lessons in Chemistry.’ I have selected this book as my favorite because it is so laughing out loud funny.” — Mary Bird

“One of the best books I’ve read, and checked out at The Pratt, was ‘My Government Means to Kill Me.’ It chronicles the adventures of a 19-year-old gay Black man living in 1980s Harlem. We follow his work as an activist during the HIV/AIDS epidemic and get more insight into the life of young people in the 1980s.” — Taylor Corporal

“‘Looking for Jane,’ by Heather Marshall — a very timely book about underground abortion providers and the human stories of the people who needed them.” — Kate Powers

“I’m late to the party, but finally read ‘Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom,’ by David Blight. Baltimore plays a distinguished role in this story. Blight puts Douglass’s life story in the context of national and world events and politics. Worth every one of over 800 pages.” — Karen Conner

“‘James,’ by Percival Everett, the retelling of “Huckleberry Finn” from Jim’s point of view. I read it along with re-reading ‘Huckleberry Finn,’ by Mark Twain. ‘James,’ as told by Everett, a Black man, gives depth to the character that Mark Twain, as a white author, was not able to fully realize. ‘James’ is a brilliant retelling of the story of Jim. I can’t recommended it more highly.” — Linda Chandlee

My favorite reads — ‘Martyr!’ and ‘Nuclear War’

I try to read a lot at home, so it’s always hard for me to pick just one favorite from the year. There are a few books that I’m still thinking about, though.

One is Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel “Martyr!” which I read in February. I can’t stop thinking about the ending so if you’ve read it please email me — I need more people to talk with about it. Another fiction standout for me was “Chain-Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.

Far and away my favorite nonfiction book this year was “Nuclear War: A Scenario” by Annie Jacobsen — though I admit “favorite” may be an odd word choice here. I have a morbid fascination with the bomb, and Jacobsen’s book is a deeply reported look at just how fast and furious nuclear war would be.

Another nonfiction book that I can’t stop thinking about from this year is “The Heat Will Kill You First,” by Jeff Goodell, which examines how higher temperatures from climate change will affect our planet. It inspired me to examine the heat-related deaths Maryland saw in 2024.

Happy 2025, y’all — here’s to a year of fun stories, great books and meeting your reading challenges.