My Favorite Books of 2024

Welcome back to my annual post detailing the books that I read and loved this year. This year I read/listened to a 74 books and 28k pages, surpassing my goal of 60 books around October. A large part of this is because of the volume of audiobooks I listened to, especially while spending hours and hours at the ceramics studio.

Once again, I was pretty light on the nonfiction and heavier on the mystery, romance, fantasy and general fiction novels. I am (unsurprisingly) drawn to reading as an escape and there is something so lovely about shifting into a different world for awhile. I don't think I'm remotely alone in this feeling.

Reading this volume of books didn't really feel like much of a stretch, but next year I may go more for quality over quantity. There were definitely some books I listened to that felt like a bit of filler. That being said, looking back at what I read I am actually quite happy with how well I still remember most of the books -- a lot of them really stuck with me, even months later.

Anyways, here is a list of the books I read and loved this year, roughly in order of when I read them. As always, feel free to tell me your thoughts and please share any great books you read this year!

My Favorite Books of 2024

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

This was one of the first books I finished in 2024, and it was one of the books that reintroduced me to audiobooks. It follows two women gladiators in a depraved prison system fighting for their freedom for the entertainment of the world. It was incredibly intense and the world-building was amazing. I particularly liked that there were some side characters (the news anchor, protestors, the couple watching the show, executives at the Criminal Action Penal Entertainment aka CAPE) in addition to all of the various gladiators of course. 

Some of the chapters about people spectating made me reflect on my own forms of entertainment (hockey, reality TV). Obviously they’re not nearly as brutal (or quite as exploitative) as watching incarcerated people fight each other to the death, but it wasn’t a dystopian world that felt that far off from where we are right now (especially with the horrible, but more hidden in some cases, state of our prisons). 

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

I was chatting to a coworker recently about how we wanted to read more books that were not romance/smutty, but also were light and uplifting. This book follows Patrick aka GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick), who is unexpectedly tasked with caring for his niece and nephew after their father goes to rehab and their mother passes away. This was the perfect palate cleanser and I genuinely rooted for everyone in this book. It was such a lovely portrayal of grief that managed to be both realistic and complex, while also somehow light and comforting. (Thank you to Shelby for the recommendation!)

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Despite this book having been on my reading list for years, I didn’t really know what it was about (and I have a weird aversion to reading synopses ahead of time). The murder at the very beginning of the book is horrible and honestly it doesn’t get much better from there, but it’s been months since I read it and I can still see the scenery and characters vividly. I loved how Ojibwe traditions were woven into the story and the nuance with the main character being an unenrolled tribe member. It was gripping and though it was a little unrealistic in some parts, I ultimately really enjoyed it.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

I love a storylines that follow multiple generations, and this was no exception. This book weaves together stories of three women across many generations -- in the 1600's, 1930's and present day. I did expect it to be a bit more supernatural/witchy than it was, but I loved the womens’ connection to the earth & animals and their ability to use that for their protection. 

Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison

I haven’t experienced many post-apocalyptic novels or movies/shows that are told solely through the eyes of a woman. There were so many things that had never really occurred to me — for example, how do women maintain their bodily autonomy or more simply, where do they find tampons? Reproductive freedom and safety is such a scary, very topical issue, and I appreciated how this book explored this from the various identities of our “unnamed midwife.” (TY Christine for the recommendation!) 

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

Unsurprisingly, this book about a childless, early-thirties woman really resonated with me (not to be confused with the show Ghosts, which is also fabulous). Though I’m not single, I do sometimes find myself having a hard time directly relating to close friends going through life stages that are different from my own. I found the description of the narrator’s dad’s dementia to be heartbreaking, and I found it interesting that her being ghosted by a lover was used as an allegory for no longer having her dad present. 

One thing that really stuck with me was her description of her friends and family as “memory keepers” and how much that history can inherently strengthen your bond. It made me very grateful for my friends who have been around for many, many years. 

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Dark, disturbing and gut wrenching. A super interesting exploration of mother/daughter relationships and how deeply painful yet necessary they can be. It tells the story of Ingrid, a poet imprisoned for murder, and her daughter Astrid. I almost wish there was more time spent with adult Astrid reflecting on her various foster families during her teenage years and the trauma she endured. (Again, thank you Christine for the rec!) 

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

Another more fun read about a woman who mistakenly gains access to all of her coworkers’ emails and uses the information she gathers to save her job and make inroads with her colleagues. The main character was a bit unhinged, but I kind of loved it. Definitely a fun twist on a rom com that reminded me a lot of the Office (which I absolutely loved). I read this while on vacation with friends, and it was a perfect, light book to bring to the beach or fall asleep to after a night of exploring.

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

Ugh. This book follows two individuals (in and out of a relationship) as they mature and evolve their identities over years. It was viscerally tender. You can feel how much Ming wants to be accepted (while trying to keep a confident façade) and how Tom badly wants to be supportive (while being naturally very awkward). I loved both of the main characters so much, but they were both so frustrating and kind of heartbreaking. A really interesting exploration of trans identity and a relationship as it changes over time. 

I don't know if I'd recommend the audiobook version of this. One of the narrators read everything like it was a question, which may have been intentional but I found it grating.

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

This book follows Nahr, a Palestinian refugee who is slowly radicalized and ends up living in solitary confinement. It was quite H E A V Y, but I am very glad that I read it. Reading it felt like living through a war as a political prisoner, and it honestly made me better understand and empathize with how people become radicalized because of their dire circumstances. The main character does whatever she has to in order to survive and that made for a captivating story. The woman who both takes Nahr under her wing (only to later exploit her) was a standout character for me.

Alive by Piers Paul Read

I recently recommended the show Yellowjackets to my mom recently (go watch this if you haven’t already — and then come talk to me about it) and she told me that she read Alive for school in 7th grade. This book, about the 1972 plane crash with an Uruguayan soccer team on board, has really stood the test of time.

I particularly appreciated that it was not sensationalized and approached the experience of the survivors with an immense amount of empathy. Their ability to survive was frankly astonishing. It was a pretty lengthy read, but well worth it in my opinion. If you don't want to commit to the full book, I highly highly recommend this episode of You're Wrong About which covers the same story.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

I love the supernatural elements that this author always weaves into her characters’ love stories. This one is centered around a burnt out book publicist (Clementine) who encounters an unexpected hot chef subletting her aunt's apartment. The twist: he's living there seven years in the past.

My favorite romance books spend a lot of time developing the characters as individuals. Clementine struggles to overcome a standstill career and the recent loss of her aunt. In the afterword, it was revealed that the author was also dealing with the unexpected loss of a family member while writing this, and that truly came through in the way she depicted grief. (Thanks Ty for the recommendation!)

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

 After reading this book, I read a review that said that this book was “light on plot, all vibes” and it made me laugh because it was not entirely inaccurate. This book follows the titular Rachel, a now-married and pregnant woman who is reflecting back on a formative year of her life when she befriends one of her coworkers, a young gay man named James.

It is an interesting exploration of morality and how it can impact close friendships over time. I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook, because the narrator’s Irish accent was absolutely delightful. Also, bonus points for one of my favorite covers of the year.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

I am a sucker for a story about women during wartime (see also The Women) and this one about British code breakers at Bletchley Park during WWII was well-researched, mysterious and exciting. It is based loosely on real people and events, though obviously the author takes some liberties to make it a more detailed story (which she outlines in the author's note).

Despite it being relatively long, it was an immersive page-turner. I loved the distinctive experiences of the three main characters and the exploration of their efforts to climb the ladder in their careers -- and of course, their relationships with each other.

Aaron Falk series (The Dry, Force of Nature, Exiles) by Jane Harper

I burned through this mystery trilogy at the end of the year, both because I was spending hours at the ceramic studio and because of my inability to put any of the books down (or rather…pause the audiobooks). The follow Aaron Falk, a federal investigator in Australia from a small town. 

The third book was my favorite, followed closely by the first and then the second. Though it’s not required, I would recommend reading them in order because the character building in the first book lends more depth to the subsequent stories. I found myself wishing that there were more books following this character. (AGAIN, thank you Christine for the recommendation).

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading my ramblings about reading. I adore receiving recommendations, so please reach out if you've read any books you loved recently. Also, your mileage may vary, so even if you didn't like these books I want to hear your thoughts!

See you next year!