We recommended 50+ books to you in 2024. But which were our favorites? Below find each of our top choices. Plus, be sure to check out the FabList of our all-time favorite books, broken out by genre (only the best of the best make it to this list). It’s a great list to go back to any time you are looking for a great read.
Of those we read this year, here are each of our top picks:
Chrissie
In no particular order….
- Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung. Inspired by true events, this historical novel is about a mother who escapes China from the Communists with her small children.
- The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan. A Malaysian housewife becomes an unsuspecting spy in WW2.
- The Women by Kristin Hannah. About a S. Cal woman who travels to Vietnam as a nurse and her experiences in war and after she returns home to a country not supporting those who fought in the war.
- All The Glimmering Stars by Mark Sullivan. Historical novel based on the true lives of two teenagers in 1980’s Uganda who are kidnapped by the fanatical African warlord Kony.
- A Wild Idea by Jonathan Franklin. Amazing story of adventurer/entrepreneur/conservationist Doug Tompkins who founded The North Face, ran Esprit, and then dedicated the second half of his life to land conservation in South America.
- Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta by Richard Grant. The author moves from NYC to the poorest part of the Delta and finds a very different life awaiting him there.
- This is Happiness by Niall Williams. The story of an Irish boy on the cusp of adulthood and a pivotal few months in his life as electricity is about the enter the village. Listen to it (rather than read it) if possible!
- The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. About two friends in Iran and the different paths their lives take over the course of 50 years before, during and after the revolution.
- Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan. A fun read about the excesses of the ultra-rich!
- James by Percival Everett. My top pick of the year. Huck Finn retold from the perspective of the slave Jim (aka James).
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach. A woman flees her husband/life and finds herself as the only non-invited wedding guest at a hotel. As she befriends the bride and family her life takes a turn.
- Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. The continued fun series about a group of retirees in an English retirement community who consistently find themselves solving murders.
Joanne
I get most of my book recommendations from Chrissie and most of her favorites are my favorites! Some other books I enjoyed in 2024:
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I loved rereading this story about a woman who stands up for herself, makes her own choices, and refuses to conform to societal expectations, and being reminded that this book was released in 1847! And, I had forgotten about the mad woman in the attic!
- Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan. The story of an introvert who pushed herself to become an extrovert over the span of a year. I totally related to this since I’m an introvert and loved her stories of stepping outside her comfort zone.
- The Guncle and The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley. Warm and deeply funny novels about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him caring for his niece and nephew.
- Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout. We are back in the small town of Crosby, Maine with the beloved cast of characters—Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess, and more—as they deal with a shocking crime in their midst.
- What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci. Another fun read by the actor Stanley Tucci, who records twelve months of eating—in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself.
- Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. Ina’s memoir and an interesting walk through her life from birth to the present.
- We Solve Murders by Richard Osmon. Author of the Thursday Murder Club series mentioned above, this is a brand new mystery with a new detective duo and a thrilling new murder to solve.
- All Fours by Miranda July. I didn’t love some of the language in this book but I continue to think about the story so I guess it stuck with me. A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, checks into a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in an entirely different journey.
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I decided to reread this when I started James mentioned above since James is a retelling of the story from slave Jim’s perspective. I liked the pace of James better but it was interesting to revisit this classic.
