My Top 24 Books Read in 2024

Getting to the end of another year of reading is always exciting for me — looking back at my list of books I’ve read is almost like flipping through a slideshow from a trip abroad. I have flashbacks of books both good and bad, and an irresistable urge to tell the world all about it. And this urge isn’t just limited to my own “best of” list. I enjoy scrolling through recaps from other readers just as much! In case you are just like me and can’t get enough reading recommendations from end-of-year book lists, I pulled together my top 24 books that I read in 2024.

Historical Fiction

It’s interesting, because up until a few years ago, I wasn’t even sure that I enjoyed historical fiction. I wasn’t a big fan of history class in school, and I’d probably slogged my way through one-too-many novels that preferred to tell and not show. In the right hands, however, historical fiction shines like no other! Once I found my way to a few tried-and-true historical fiction authors, I soon came to find that this genre dominates my “best of the year” lists, time and time again. 2024 was no exception, with several of my favorites landing in this category.

PERSONAL FAVORITE HISTORICAL FICTION

The Frozen River — by Arielle Lawhon

Martha holds an important role in her community, as a long-standing midwife with a perfect track record of mothers surviving the births she oversees. When Martha's family becomes part of a scandal involving a dead body found frozen in the river, she finds herself working to defend those she cares for most.

Exquisitely written and immersive from beginning to end — I loved every minute spent in midwife Martha Ballard's 18th-century life. While this is an emotionally charged book with some very ugly moments (check the trigger warnings if you have any sensitivities), it was an eye-opening reminder of what life was like, especially feminine life, for many of our forbears.

The Last Blue

— by Isla Morley

The Last Blue successfully blends meaningful, well-developed characters with a shocking slice of history, all delivered with captivating and engaging writing.

A photographer travels to a remote Appalachian town in the 1930s and makes an astonishing discovery: a family with blue skin. Initially reluctant to have anything to do with the photographer, the family begins to warm to him after a surprising turn of events. What will be the long-lasting implications of opening their inner circle?

Based on a true story, "The Last Blue" runs deep with themes of judgment, racism, loyalty, and love. This was a beautiful novel that I'll likely be thinking of for a long time.

The Women

— by Kristin Hannah

The Women is a no-holds-barred, emotional look at the role of women in the Vietnam War, as well as the fallout when their contributions were scorned or minimized. Frankie, a California woman barely in her 20s, is seeking to win her parents' approval. Following her older brother's footsteps, Frankie decides to enter the Vietnam War as a nurse. What follows is a harrowing and very real look at the impacts and fallout of war — both physically and mentally.

I was immediately drawn into Frankie's world and connected easily with the characters. While I’d love to say this was a home-run for me, there were some plot decisions I didn't agree with, which put a bow on it maybe a little too neatly. That said, I enjoyed every second of Frankie’s story.

Go as a River 

— by Shelley Read

Beautiful, poignant, and immersive, Go as a River is both heavy and uplifting, sometimes simultaneously.

This is the coming of age story for Victoria, who has always lived on her family’s peach farm in rural Colorado. At just 17, she is largely running the household following her mother’s death. When she comes across a young stranger on her way to town one day, she unwittingly kicks off a series of events that will span across decades.

Shelley Read is a master of lyrical writing, and I wanted to savor some lines over and over. Her writing is doubly impressive when you consider that this book — winner of multiple awards — was her debut.

The Lion Women of Tehran

— by Marjan Kamali

A beautiful tribute to friendship, the deep impacts of war, and the immense costs incurred in the fight for human rights. The Lion Women of Tehran felt like a deeply personal read, thanks to Marjan Kamali's wonderful character development.

Young Ellie is just seven when she meets and befriends Homa, a girl who Ellie’s mother sees as below them in social class. When events cause Ellie’s family to move, the two girls’ lives and experiences begin to diverge.

This novel evokes powerful messages of human imperfection, resilience, and forgiveness — all culminating in a touching and ultimately heartbreaking ending.

Eleanore of Avignon

— by Elizabeth DeLozier

Eleanore is a midwife in 1324, just as the Black Plague is beginning to emerge in France. Though she yearns to become a physician, this profession is reserved only for men during her time. After a doctor witnesses her skill in action, he ignores tradition and public criticism by taking her on as his apprentice — a role that becomes more and more important as the illness takes a firm grip on their city.

Eleanore of Avignon delivers a slice of history often overlooked in fiction. In this debut novel, Elizabeth DeLoizer delivers an impressive blend of careful research, convincing characters, and engaging tension throughout.

Mercury — by Amy Jo Burns

When young Marley arrives in Mercury, one of the first things she sees is a family of roofers. It isn’t long before she is swept into the family, and finding her place within it.

At its heart, Mercury is a portrait of a family that is learning to lean on each other and learning to love openly. Family expectations can sometimes become a crippling weight, however, and this seems to be especially true for the women in this novel.

Amy Jo Burns touches on themes of mental health — including codependency, depression, dementia, and identity struggles — as well as patriarchy and motherhood. Mick, who in many ways was the most flawed character, is the one we come to know the least, and that's the only complaint I have for this exceptional novel.

Mysteries and Thrillers

Thrillers and mysteries have long been my favorite genre, from my tween years and on, so it’s no surprise to see several gracing my “best of the year” list. I feel many of these are from authors who haven’t received as much buzz as they deserve, so I hope you’ll consider picking up a few even if the name is new to you!

FAVORITE MYSTERY/THRILLER OF THE YEAR •

ALL-AROUND FAVORITE OF THE YEAR

All the Colors of the Dark — by Chris Whitaker

"Patch" is a one-eyed thirteen-year-old when girls begin to go missing in his town. When he rescues the daughter of a wealthy family, the latest target in the crime spree, he inadvertently kicks off a tidal wave that ripples for a lifetime.

This book is billed as both a crime novel and a love story. It encompasses romantic love, yes, but also the gruff love of a neighbor, the fearful love of a parent, the loyal love of friendship, and so many more shades in between. I highly recommend this book for fans of Demon Copperhead and Ordinary Grace, and other books with rich character development and slow-burn intrigue.

The Return of Ellie Black

— by Emiko Jean

The Return of Ellie Black is a gritty thriller and police procedural, following the return of a missing teen years after her disappearance. Emiko Jean has done a commendable job of creating well-rounded characters that are intensely flawed and yet simultaneously likable — perhaps because each has their faults firmly rooted in the best of intentions and a deep loyalty to others.

There is no slow burn here; we're dropped straight into the action immediately when Detective Calhoun gets the call that a missing person from one of her cold cases has surfaced. From there, the tension doesn't let up, navigating through alternating POVs and flashbacks.

The novel touches on themes of hope, loyalty, misogyny, found family, kidnapping, abuse, and trauma recovery. Fair warning — this is a dark and gritty book that some sensitive souls will find difficult to read.

The Last Verse — by Caroline Frost

Twyla is a nineteen-year-old aspiring musician, living with her strict mother and stepfather. Buckling under the weight of her mother's religious expectations, Twyla decides to head to Nashville with little but the guitar on her back. There, Twyla is swept up into a crime and circumstances wholly outside of her nature. Working to process the trauma, she writes a song and sings it to what she thinks is an empty bar. Weeks later, she hears another woman performing it on the radio — and it's an instant hit.

The book reverberates across three distinctly different women, each seeking to redeem themselves in a world stacked against them — Twyla, the woman who stole her song, and the female detective who circles around them. Their circumstances are fundamentally at odds with each other, but there is a deeply universal female experience in each of their stories.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder — by Kerryn Mayne

I went into this expecting a light, fluffy cozy mystery — instead, I came away rewarded with a deep character study layered with trauma and satisfying personal growth. Lenny Marks is a teacher in her late 30s, firmly rooted in routines, personal rules for life, and quiet existence enriched by games of Scrabble with her imaginary flatmate.

Her orderly life is shaken up when she receives a letter in the mail from the parole board. Slowly, her past is revealed, and you begin to understand how much of Lenny's unique character traits are shaped by her past trauma. Lenny is a character that's easy to root for, and I enjoyed seeing her find friendship in those around her. A solid debut for Kerryn Mayne.

Pony Confidential — by Christina Lynch

Oh, how this one surprised me. Pony is, well, a pony, once beloved by his owner Penny before being given away. He’s on a quest to track her down, determined to take his revenge for the lifetime of children’s birthday parties that he’s cursed with following her departure. Now an adult, Penny finds herself falsely accused of murder, with a past quickly coming back to haunt her. Are their paths fated to cross once again?

I honestly wasn't sure I liked Pony Confidential to begin with, but I quickly came to fall for Pony, his sassy attitude, and his deep devotion to Penny. This is a cozy mystery, but it has a deliciously sharp and quirky edge. Recommended for fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Contemporary

PERSONAL FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY

The Wedding People — by Alison Espach

Despite its dark underbelly, The Wedding People is laugh-out-loud funny, with characters I loved and was reluctant to part ways with at the end.

Phoebe, a recently divorced woman in midlife, is deeply depressed and raising the white flag. After her cat passes away, eliminating her only remaining companion in life, Phoebe decides to check herself into a swanky hotel, where she has every intention of ending her life. There, she discovers that every other guest is there for a wedding. She makes the mistake of admitting to the bride that she plans to kill herself that evening, and from that moment on, she cannot escape the gravitational pull of the bride and her slightly dysfunctional family.

I absolutely adored Phoebe's dry wit and humor. With nothing left to lose but the life she’s already given up on, she has virtually no verbal filter. This brutal honesty is not only hilarious at times, it's also cathartic to those she is around.

How to Age Disgracefully — by Clare Pooley

How to Age Disgracefully is not Clare Pooley’s first time tackling the theme of lonely souls, thrown together as strangers. Here, she returns to this strong point with a charming cast of characters, both young and old, navigating ageism and their search for belonging.

When a senior citizen social club discovers that their building is soon to be sold by the city council, they decide to team up with the daycare next door to try and save the aging building. Can they pull together and set aside their differences to achieve their mutual goal?

I enjoyed every minute and appreciated the concept that everyone has their own faults to declare. This is a cozy contemporary novel that reads breezily but still delivers some satisfying depth.

PERSONAL FAVORITE ROMANCE

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern — by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Augusta Stern has long worked at the pharmacy, but now that they've realized she's nearly 80, the administration has gently nudged her out the door. Newly retired, she moves into a senior living community, where she promptly runs into Irvin — who broke her heart many, many years before. Sixty years later, Irving seems to want to work his way back into Augusta's heart, but she's not sure she can ever forgive him. As the truth of their shared history slowly unfolds, Augusta finds herself turning to recreating the love potion her great aunt Esther concocted many years prior. As it did once before, the elixir can both clarify feelings and lead to unexpected twists.

The plot delivers satisfying themes of independence, feminism, and having the confidence to stand outside social norms. Augusta chose her professional life over a domestic one at a time when this was well outside of the expectations of women. This is a warm, cozy hug in book form.

Sci-Fi and Fantasy

PERSONAL FAVORITE SCI-FI NOVEL

Into the Drowning Deep — by Mira Grant

I was delightfully surprised by this book, which sucked me in immediately and never let go. Into the Drowning Deep is a tense read, with a pervasive and growing sense of unease as you watch the characters move toward what feels to be an inevitable conclusion.

Several years ago, a ship set out to create a "mockumentary" along the Mariana Trench to investigate the existence of mermaids — none of the crew returned. Now, a second expedition will set sail to the same site. Some of them are scientists, others are part of the television company that's returned to redeem itself, and one is the sister of a crew member from the first expedition, there to reconcile with her loss. Upon arriving at the site of the last ship's trouble, the crew quickly fall into trouble.

Mira Grant's writing is impressive, as this was a well-crafted book throughout. It's worth noting: I had not read the prequel to this book before diving into it (nor was I even aware there was one) and Into the Drowning Deep stood on its own just fine.

The Humans — by Matt Haig

In The Humans, an extraterrestrial has taken over a human's body, here to wipe out any record of the man's mathematical discovery that will irrevocably change the universe. With little preparation and many misunderstandings about the true nature of humans, the alien must learn quickly to prevent detection. The Humans is the alien's report back to the alien nation, an account of both human behavior and the alien's time on Earth.

Haig has put much of his bewilderment over the human experience into The Humans and translated it into an extraterrestrial's own existential crisis. The result is a heartwarming, touching appreciation of all the best characteristics of humankind, contrasted against the most puzzling parts of our collective behavior. For anyone who has ever felt frustrated with humankind or their place in it, this is an encouraging book to pick up.

PERSONAL FAVORITE FANTASY NOVEL

The Black Witch — by Laurie Forest

The Black Witch takes us directly into a world previously divided by war. Elloren is a Gardnerian attending university to learn apothecary skills. She arrives there as a legend, as the granddaughter of the infamous Black Witch. Prophesy states that a powerful witch from her heritage will soon rise, but Elloren has been tested repeatedly and declared powerless. As she explores her coursework and new relationships at school, Elloren soon discovers she must question everything she’s been told.

This is a young adult novel filled with first love, first kisses, and first steps into an independent self. While the novel is firmly rooted in a fantasy world, it contains realistic themes of race relations and social conflict. Bigotry and racism are frequently portrayed, though not endorsed, used as plot devices to help Forest’s flawed characters learn to shift their perspectives. This series is recommended for fans of The Fourth Wing.

A Sorceress Comes to Call — by T. Kingfisher

A Sorceress Comes to Call quickly became my favorite T. Kingfisher work to date. Immediately immersive, the novel tells the story of Cordelia, a young woman who lives an isolated existence with her odd and restrictive mother. Cordelia’s mother has the unique ability to place Cordelia under her complete control, unable to move or speak for herself. She only feels free from her mother’s influence when she is riding Falada, the white horse that her mother has allowed Cordelia to befriend.

When a mysterious death occurs in their villiage, her mother whisks them away in the middle of the night to move in with a wealthy man. Will this provide Cordelia with the chance to finally escape her mother’s control?

As a reimagining of a Brothers’ Grimm story, Goose Girl, A Sorceress Comes to Call has the same eerie tone and dangers-hiding-in-plain-sight that’s befitting of the original.

Nonfiction and Memoir

PERSONAL FAVORITE NONFICTION

Good Inside — by Dr. Becky Kennedy

This book came highly recommended to me, and I pass along the same high praise to you. Dr. Becky Kennedy brings her experience as a parenting expert into a practical guide for raising emotionally resilient kids.

Even if you don't have children, Good Inside has a wealth of great content to reflect on when it comes to the child you once were and how the way you were raised may still have ripple effects on you now. And if you do have children, you’ll find it a reaffirming and encouraging source of wisdom to apply to virtually any behavioral issue you may encounter in your home.

I listened to this on audiobook and immediately bought a hard copy for my husband to read and for me to reflect on.

The Many Lives of Mama Love — by Lara Love Hardin

The Many Lives of Mama Love is Lara Love Hardin’s memoir of “lying, stealing, writing and healing.” Lara and her husband became addicted to heroine, and turned to credit card theft as a way to support their habit. Eventually, she is caught and convicted of 32 felonies. Lara works diligently to serve her time in jail, regain custody of her son, and become a successful ghostwriter for some of the most promiment public figures of our time.

This memoir offers an eye-opening, chilling, and yet heartwarming tale of crime and redemption. It is a reminder not only of how addiction can strike anyone — and that its knife cuts very deep — but also that even those who have made grave mistakes can reinvent themselves. Hardin is honest both about her transgressions and how her own privilege allowed her to rebound from them.

Estrogen Matters — by

Arum Bluming and Carol Tavris

This should be required reading for every woman in their 40s or 50s! Estrogen Matters is an eye-opening read on the science — and politics — behind hormone therapy and how bias has prevented generations of women from seeking the medical care they need. Spoiler alert: it's not risky for the vast majority of women and actually is beneficial beyond menopausal symptoms.

I had little idea that hormone therapy could be so potentially impactful on preventative medicine, and it's frustrating that this book was published back in 2018 and still took until now to come across my radar. You don't need to be considering hormone therapy to read this book, but absolutely consider it a must-read if you want a deeper understanding of the female body and how it has been impacted by modern medicine. Nearly everything I was previously taught on this subject was wrong.

The Book of Joy — by Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama, and Douglas Abrams

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World offers deep wisdom from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama — two remarkable spiritual leaders who, despite representing different religions, are also dear friends. Their conversations throughout the book are insightful and lighthearted, balancing thought-provoking discussions with a genuine sense of admiration and respect.

The book is structured around what the pair has termed the Eight Pillars of Joy: perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. These chapters provide practical, meaningful reflections that make the book not just enjoyable, but also a life-enriching experience.

Middle Grade

I read plenty of children’s books in my personal life, but each year I’m sure to read more than a few simply for my own personal enjoyment and to identify great read-alouds for parents. Truly great middle grade novels are easily enjoyed by readers of all ages!

Impossible Creatures — by Katherine Rundell

Given all the hype, Impossible Creatures took a little longer for me to get into than I expected, but it delivered in the end! This is a thrilling, imaginative adventure that transports readers into a beautifully crafted world of magic and mythical creatures.

When Christopher goes to stay with his grandfather in Scotland, he’s warned to stay away from a mysterious hill — so, naturally, curiosity gets the best of him. What he discovers is beyond his wildest dreams: his family is the guardian of the Archipelago, a secret realm filled with unicorns, dragons, and other legendary beings. The magic that sustains this world is fading, and it’s up to Christopher and Mal, a brave girl from the Archipelago, to set things right.

With an engaging mix of adventure, mystery, and danger, Impossible Creatures keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The characters are relatable and easy to root for, making this an ideal read for young fans of epic fantasy.