It’s time to reveal the best books of the year 2024! I’ve read 130+ books this year, including 66+ books published in 2024. This list breaks down all my favorite new fiction and nonfiction of the year, from thriller to romance, memoir, and beyond! Since many of my own top picks won GoodReads Choice Awards based on readers’ votes for favorite books of the year, I’ll also note those accolades in specific book reviews below.
You’ll uncover my full top ten bracket down to my #1 pick, and get a bracket template of your own to share for this year (or next), so let’s get literary!
Best Books of the Year 2024: My Bracket & Templates For You
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Reviews of My Most Highly Recommended Fiction and Nonfiction of 2024
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
I describe All the Colors of the Dark with two words: haunting and transcendent. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s darn near close. This book blends genres and themes unlike any I’ve read and pours them out into luscious literary prose.
Set in 1975, Missouri, this novel follows the aftermath of a thwarted abduction, where teen Patch saves Misty Meyers but is taken himself, alongside the disappearance of another girl, Callie Montrose. Patch’s friend, Saint, leads a relentless decades-long quest for answers, unraveling mysteries involving missing persons, a serial killer, and themes of love, justice, and resilience. Spanning decades, the story shows the enduring impact of trauma and the pursuit of light amid darkness.
Reading Tip: I preferred the print version to the audio version. Digital would also work well, as this is a physically big book to hold.
Related Post: Book Review For All the Colors of the Dark
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (#1 Best Book of the Year)
In The God of the Woods, it’s August 1975, and a teenager disappears from her Adirondack summer camp, throwing the camp and the surrounding community into turmoil.
As the daughter of the camp’s wealthy owners, her disappearance stirs up old wounds, mainly because her older brother vanished under similar mysterious circumstances fourteen years earlier. The ensuing search reveals hidden secrets and tensions within both the affluent owners and the working-class locals employed by the camp.
I read its nearly 500 pages in two days. It’s fast-paced, completely immersive, and oh-so-twisty. Short chapters with cliffhangers are a bonus!
Additionally, the characters are nuanced, and the narrative has much to say on several themes, from class to gender, survival, and so much more. I woke up early just to finish it, which was the most indulgent feeling. This was an easy choice for my book of the year.
Related Post: The God of the Woods Book Review | Ending of The God of the Woods | The God of the Woods Discussion Questions
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Just For the Summer proves that Abby Jimenez’s books can continue to deliver everything her readers love.
Justin feels cursed. Every woman he dates finds her soulmate just after breaking up with him. In a twist of fate, he meets Emma, who is similarly “cursed.” Together, they create a plan to date each other and break up so they can go on to live happily ever after with someone else.
Emma and Justin connect deeper than expected over their “mommy” issues (trigger warning), and they just may be the perfect pair. But, the chaos left by Emma’s mom seems too complicated to make the plan work.
This book features my favorite couple in Abby Jimenez’s books. They are quirky, loveable, have great chemistry, and support each other through difficult life issues. There is also one spicy scene for steamy romance lovers! It’s one quick and very enjoyable romance read that I haven’t stopped thinking about.
Related Post: Just For the Summer Book Review
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is not just one of my favorite books of the year but also one of my favorite audiobooks (narrated so realistically by actress Elle Fanning). It’s about a college student who drops out after being impregnated by her teacher. To get by, she starts an Only Fans account and lets her former pro wrestler dad into her life.
Thorpe is one of my favorite writers, so I had high expectations for this novel, and it delivered. This book says a lot about modern motherhood while never being too preachy. I devoured it.
Fun Fact: Audiobook narrator Elle Fanning is set to star in the adaptation, and trust me when I say this screenplay will write itself. This book is perfect for film!
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
Have you ever heard the advice not to blend family and work or love and work? The Joseph family broke all these rules in Mercury, and the tensions simmered like a pressure cooker about to pop throughout this dramatic and intricately woven tale.
In the 1990s, a teen named Marley and her single mother roll into the Rust Belt town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. There, she begins to date the oldest of the three Joseph brothers, Baylor, but when the relationship goes sour, she turns to his younger brother, Waylon. This act changes the family forever.
The Baylor family is spearheaded by Mick, a hardheaded, selfish roofer who insists on his boys joining the flailing business, and Elise, who’s lost herself in her roles as wife and mother. The eldest Joseph brothers are constantly at odds, and the youngest, Shay, struggles with self-acceptance. Marley’s own role in the family is… complicated.
Did I mention there’s also a dead body?! Early on, a dead body is found near the roof of the town church, and there’s an ominous sense there’s much more to the story and the Josephs’ connection to it. This mystery works as a great thread for the overall narrative, which centers on how this family got to this point, why, and where they will go from here.
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand (her final novel) introduces an extravagant new couple, the Richardsons, to Nantucket. But before summer’s end, their flashy multi-million dollar estate burns to the ground, and their personal concierge goes missing.
I always find stories that begin with a house burned to the ground immensely propulsive, and this one certainly did not disappoint. Elin Hilderbrand blended everything her readers crave into one final narrative: characters we know and love, Nantucket references, pop culture references, summer fun, drama, romance, mystery, and “rich people problems.”
In addition, she incorporated the most extravagant parties I’ve ever read about. The pink and white party utterly captivated me!
Reading Tip: The final chapter was especially exquisite. I’m tearing up just thinking about the last few sentences!
Related Posts: Swan Song Book Club Questions | Elin Hilderbrand’s Best Books | Elin Hilderbrand Books in Order | Elin Hilderbrand’s Nantucket Series
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
The Third Gilmore Girl is the memoir of the woman behind the famous role of Emily Gilmore. Actress Kelly Bishop reflects on her illustrious career, from winning a Tony Award in A Chorus Line to starring in Dirty Dancing and, of course, Gilmore Girls.
Through personal stories, she recounts her transition from dance to acting, her relationships, her advocacy for women’s rights, and so much more.
Bishop’s status as a Hollywood icon shows in this forthright memoir of a long life in show business. She’s as headstrong as Emily but far more warm-hearted. She openly reveals deep secrets with confidence in her truths, and she shares all her greatest Gilmore Girls moments, from her favorite episode to her favorite Gilmore “guys.”
Reading Tip: The audiobook is very well narrated by Kelly Bishop herself, but the hardcover contains a section with full-color images. Choose wisely based on this information! I listened but skimmed through the photos at a bookstore.
Related Post: Review of The Third Gilmore Girl
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Wedding People brings together two unlikely women at fancy Rhode Island nuptials. Phoebe, the only hotel guest not attending the wedding, is there to end her life after a terrible divorce. The problem is that this imposes on spoiled Lila’s perfectly planned day.
Lila and the other guests begin to confide in Phoebe, which thwarts her plans. While this may sound sad and depressing, it’s not! This book is so sharply written, and the cast of wedding guests is a joy to get to know.
It has so much humor and heart alongside its contemporary takes on life and love.
What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella
At just over 100 pages, Kinsella’s What Does It Feel Like? makes a big impact with fewer words than usual. It’s her most daring work yet, fictionalizing a brain cancer diagnosis, which she, too, recently experienced in real life.
A celebrated novelist named Eve is confronted with a life-altering diagnosis after waking up in a hospital with no memory of her recent tumor removal surgery. She faces the challenge of relearning simple tasks, all while grappling with the weight of her condition. She reflects on walks with her husband and family traditions and finds a renewed sense of meaning, love, and even humor.
Eve’s story, based on Sophie’s, blew me away! It feels like fiction and truth at the same time, and this allows Kinsella to tell such a story uniquely. It was raw and real while also attempting to find humor in the darkness. Such is the bittersweet nature of life, isn’t it?!
I wish Kinsella the best and hope to re-read this brief masterpiece again soon.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Women is a Vietnam War story about women’s experiences during and after the War. It’s one of Kristin Hannah’s best books to date.
In The Women, Hannah excels at covering just about every major issue surrounding the Vietnam War. She does this through the eyes of Frankie, a duty-driven young American woman who enlists as a nurse.
There, the realities of war are more horrific than she could have imagined. Back in America, however, not only is she not deemed a hero but she’s also discarded and mistreated as a veteran. This affects her physical, mental, and emotional health and demands a reckoning.
The reader walks away with both a comprehensive understanding of the controversial nature of this War and a profound respect for the women (and men) who served in it. Not just beloved by me, it’s easily been one of the most popular and beloved books of the year globally so far.
Reading Tip: The audiobook version, read by the beloved narrator Julia Whelan, was an especially immersive experience. It brought the reader closer to the action and Frankie’s emotions about her shocking experiences.
Related Post: The Women Book Club Questions
What Was Popular In 2024 Book Releases
Popular Genres: Fantasy, romance, and romantasy (fantasy + romance) book genres were most popular with readers worldwide in 2024. Credit for this goes to social media!
Popular Authors: The authors we heard most about in 2024 were romantasy writers Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, romance writer Emily Henry, and historical fiction writer Kristin Hannah.
Most Read/Best Selling Books: Some of the best selling 2024 book releases include The Women by Kristin Hannah and James by Percival Everett. Both had wide audiences and general acclaim.
Recap
The best books of the year include an array of popular new fiction. If you read only one, make it my top pick, the mystery book The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. I couldn’t put it down!
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
I just stumbled upon your blog and I Love It!!! You are a wealth of information. I am really enjoying your emails. Thank you very much!
Thank you for these kind words! I appreciate your readership.
Just here to say how much I love your blog and appreciate your work! I found The Literary Lifestyle exactly one year ago and it drastically improved my reading this past year, particularly through the Rory Gilmore reading challenge, but also through your other book recommendations which align so well with my own reading style. Thank you so much!
This is so very kind, Laura! I’m so glad you improved your reading life.