This is my favorite post to write each year, as I get to re-live my love for books that I read over the past year. Here are my favorite books read in 2024.
Favorite Books by Authors I’ve Loved Before
The Dead Cat Tail Assasins, P. Djèlí Clark. Loved, loved, loved this book. The World building was lavish, detailed – I feel this is something the author does really well based on the other books I’ve read. And of course, I expect a book with an assassin as the main character … an undead assassin at that … to be action packed – and we got that in spades!
A Sorceress Comes to Call, T. Kingfisher. Talk about a book that you wont want to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed this fairytale retelling of The Goose Girl. Cordelia’s mother is a poor sorceress with a mean streak, even towards her own daughter. She’s out to snag a rich husband for herself and Cordelia, but Cordelia’s finally had enough, and has some allies to help her stop her mother. The story was just so deliciously layered with a touch of fantasy, drama, mystery, horror, friendship, family dynamics and suspense.
Run, Blake Crouch. Hang on because this is one fast paced, wild ride and I loved every minute of it. It follows Jack and his family when all hell has broken loose in the World. People have gone crazy and are killing anyone mentioned on a kill list … and his name has just been mentioned! In Run, the action is non-stop, but the story is also well developed. Also recommend reading the Afterword for some history of this novel.
Two Can Keep a Secret, Karen McManus. This was such a fun book to read and McManus does a great job of getting us into the characters head, their personalities and what drives them, plus gives us non-stop, unending drama. Ellery and her twin brother Ezra head back to their mom’s home-town, Echo Ridge, to stay with their grandma for a while. This is the town where their mom’s twin sister was murdered 15 years ago … and then there’s a murder in the town while they’re there – well, first a hit-and-run which they discover while they’re driving back from the airport … and then a murder of a high school student. Ellery is a true-crime junkie, and can’t resist being all in the business trying to solve the murder.
The character development is so good – there’s a lot of characters, each quite different, and quite a few story lines, which helps the book feel rich with detail. And of course, since the twins are in high school, this book is not without it’s high school drama. I’m not usually one to like books that feature teenage angst, but the author didn’t focus on this too much, and it was wrapped up in the larger story – so just a well done, interesting, entertaining read.
Books from “New to Me” Authors
Starling House, Alix E. Harrow. The character development was my favorite thing about this novel. The main protagonist, Opal, I could feel how much she loved her brother and would do anything for him, as well as the desperate cycle of her impoverished circumstance. Same for Arthur, the current resident of Starling House. Their meeting, developing connection … everything felt authentic. I was held spellbound for much of the story.
Bride, Ali Hazelwood. I devoured this book in 2 days – my first by Hazelwood. This vampyre – werewolf book gave me everything … a quirky vampire with trust issues (rightly so), an alpha werewolf with trust issues, species that don’t get along and a tense, drama filled standoff.
Blood Orange, Harriet Tyce. I was intrigued, I was annoyed, I was surprised – all elements of a good book because I got all the feels. It also had an ending that I didn’t see coming, people in it who were sympathetically unsympathetic, and it kept me upside down for much of the book. I wanted to dislike the main character, Allison, as she was making so many bad decisions and we’re set up to feel sympathetic for her husband, but he’s also exhibiting “dickish” behavior. So many complex dynamincs in this book – the characters are messy! and the book is unputdownable.
The Hype Is Real
Yellowface, R. F. Kuang. This book completely lived up to the hype and good press. It’s about internet trolling, racism and cancel culture in the literary community, and it’s done in such a smart way. June steals her friend Athena’s manuscript on her death, refines it and passes it off as her own. Athena is Chinese-American and her book is about a part of Chinese-American history. June justifies the book as her own to herself (and others) in a number of ways. I won’t say much more, but the story unfolds in such a train wreckish way where you just can’t look away or stop reading (see also 4 Popular Books Worth the Hype [Vol. 1]).
Favorite Series Continuation
The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike #7), Robert Galbraith. This is probably my favorite book of the series – but I’ve really loved them all. 900 pages and I have no complaints about it being too long. I was prepared to be immersed into their World and that’s exactly what happened. This was such a clever plot and wonderfully written to show intrigue and suspense. You don’t have to read the books in order, but I’m going to suggest that you do if possible.
So Nice I Read Books by The Same Author Twice
All the Sinners Bleed, S.A. Crosby. I loved it so much that I immediately read another book by Crosby immediately after, Razorblade Tears … and loved that one too! Both make my “best books read this year” list. Also shoutout to the audiobook narrator of Razorblade Tears, Adam Lazarre-White (who is also a talented actor). He brought the main characters to life! Unbelievable that he is the voice of both of them – he captured the essence of Derek and Buddy Lee perfectly. And of course, the book itself is brilliant. Wow did Cosby get it right with such a complex story – fathers regrets, race, homophobia, complex family dynamics, and action – lots and lots of action. All the Sinners Bleed is good, fantastic, brilliant … periodttt. This is a crime thriller with spot on pacing, excellent flow and although I feel this story is more plot than character driven … the author is a sneaky bastard that somehow got every nuance of Sheriff Tutus just right. The first black Sheriff in a town with a racist past and present, a school shooting, a discovered serial killer, drugs and an author that weaves it all together with a deft hand.
Silence for the Dead, Simone St. James. There is really no surprise that after starting the year off with a fantastic read from St. James, that I would then go on to read her latest release, Murder Road. No surprise because I’ve loved the other books I’ve read by this author! Murder Road is just a beautifully written solid murder mystery with more than a smattering of the supernatural. The author did a wonderful job teasing out this story with a solid pacing and writing complex characters. Silence for the Dead is set in 1919 and it has a historical horror vibe with being set in a haunted house which has been turned into an asylum for war veterans. St. James delivers on this creepy setting by giving us a story that’s just a perfect periodic piece with intrigue, a creepy setting and ghostly vibes.
Shout Out to Cozy Fantasy
The Very Secret Society of Magical Witches, Sangu Mandanna. A very cute cozy fantasy novel with adorable characters, witty banter, interesting plot, a little twist or 2 and just written very well with spot on pacing. Mika as a character was a delight to read about, even as she is always doubting herself. Her found family is also quirky and the romance elements just flowed with the story.
Tress of the Emerald Sea, Brandon Sanderson. Another cozy fantasy book that’s just a pleasure to read. I can’t describe this any other way. It gives fairytale vibes, but Tress is just so damn likeable, the adventure so unwinnable, and yet so doable, and I just wanted to go along for the ride.
Fave Debut Novel
Maeve Fly, C.J. Leede. This book is horror … horrific … down to all the gory details and I loved every minute of it. Maeve knows she’s got a rage inside her and that she doesn’t have feelings like everyone else, but she fakes the funk on the outside, while we’re privy to her inner monologue. We’re privy to her escalation as her routines start to slide, and with it, her grip on any semblance of normalcy. There are some serious acts of depravity committed against others, so if you can’t handle reading about that – do not get this! But it is written so brilliantly that we really get to know Maeve and the other characters in her life, and all the graphic stuff that goes down.
2024 Book Bracket Winner for Book of the Year
For the first time, I did a book bracket this year, picking just one winning read for the month, and then pitting the winners against each other. I shared the details in another post, but I of course wanted to also share here the book that came out on top … The Reformatory, Tananarive Due. This was book was absolutely brilliantly done and unforgetable. It’s set during slavery times, and the descriptions are graphic! It’s a horrific time, and the author’s skill with words makes for vivid imagery. But the story is also compelling, blending together injustice, death, hauntings, grief and so much more. This is a tough read, but so, so worth it. Empathy starts with seeing … and this book lays it bare.
There you have it – my favorite reads of the year. Have you read any of these books? What book was your favorite read for the year?
