Top Reads of 2024
Hi readers!
After another bountiful year of reading, it’s time for a wrap up of the best books read in 2024. These are the stories that resonated the most deeply, even in a sea of incredible (and not so note-worthy) stories. From literary fiction, memoirs, sci-fi, fantasy, and romance, here are the books that elicited the most laughs, tears, and struck closest to the heart as either a friend or a lesson.
**Disclaimer: These books were not necessarily published in 2024, but were read during the year. Afterall, books and their stories shouldn’t be disregarded just because they’re not new and shiny.**
Carrie Soto Is Back (2022) by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.”
What does it mean to be the “greatest”? For Carrie Soto, it’s being the best tennis player in the world, that is, until a career-ending injury ends her streak of holding the most Slam titles. Six years later, at the age of thirty-seven, Carrie decides to come out of retirement and finds herself in a world where she is no longer the youngest and strongest, and she must do everything in her power to claw her way back to the top. With the coaching of her father, and a man she almost once loved, Carrie will have to overcome adversity and scrutiny from the public and herself in an epic comeback to reclaim her title and redefine what it means to be a champion.
Carrie is, on the surface, an unlikeable character. She’s rude and brash, hot-headed and unsportsmanlike, her inner monologue and sudden outbursts most certainly “unladylike.” And yet, through her inner monologue, it is clear who Carrie really is at her core -- ambitious with an unapologetic need to be the best and an unrelenting determination to prove herself in a world where her best will never be good enough. Full of heart and grit, Carrie learns how to be a fierce competitor while also embracing the complexities of love, family, and friendship.
When Breath Becomes Air (2016) by Paul Kalanithi
“Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living.”
What does one do when confronted with an impending end? This is the struggle Paul Kalanithi faces as he is about to reach the end of his training as a neurosurgeon and is diagnosed with IV lung cancer. This memoir recounts Kalanithi’s life from his beginnings as a naive medical student to the end of his life when he is faced with the daunting question of what it means to be alive. As his health declines, Kalanithi faces difficult decisions, such as the desire to have a child and his continued commitment to saving lives even as his own lies in the balance.
Kalanithi’s reflection as both a doctor and a patient is a raw and transparent reflection of his brutal yet fulfilling life as a healthcare worker, husband, and father. Despite his failing health, Kalanithi’s dedication to his work and his loved ones is an inspiring example of selflessness and the strength to be vulnerable. Gut-wrenching and introspective, When Breath Becomes Air is a reminder to remember what is most important in life and to cherish it, even in the face of death.
The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood
“Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”
In the dystopian regime of the Republic of Gilead, births are declining and women are seen as nothing more than vessels to repopulate society. For Offred, this means she doesn’t belong to herself, but the Commander she lives with, whom she lies on her back for and prays to become pregnant to prove that she still has worth. Women are no longer allowed to read, write, or carry a life of their own, though, Offred still remembers her life before, her freedom and job, her husband and daughter, and it is all she can do to wonder what has happened to them and how she will carry on.
The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a harrowing warning of a world where the government seizes control of women’s bodily autonomy through political subjugation. Even though the novel was written 40 years ago, the themes are disturbingly similar to the challenges women face today.
Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir
“Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.”
The end of the world is coming and it’s up to middle-grade science teacher Ryland Grace to save humanity. The only problem is he’s woken up alone on a spaceship with no recollection of his mission or even what his name is. The sole-survivor of his crew, it’s a race against time as he hurtles through space to prevent the extinction of all life on Earth. By putting the pieces together, Ryland must solve this mystery all on his own to save Earth, or perhaps with the help of an extraterrestrial being named Rocky.
Project Hail Mary has all the components of a gripping and heartfelt sci-fi novel; witty, comedic, and suspenseful with just the perfect touch of humanity. Weir is a craftsman of seamlessly mixing science and fiction, immersing readers in a world that feels so undeniably real. More than the average “alien apocalypse” novel, the only thing the aliens in this story will do is make you cry and laugh from one page to the next.
The Seven Year Slip (2023) by Ashley Poston
“Nothing lasts forever. Not the good things, not the bad. So just find what makes you happy, and do it for as long as you can.”
Clementine has her priorities straight; she’s a successful book publicist in New York City and she has no time for love and distractions, even as she feels herself drowning from work. However, everything changes when her aunt passes, leaving Clementine her treasured apartment. And when Clementine moves in, she finds a strange, but kind man in the kitchen, and she finds herself falling for him, even if he’s everything she won’t allow herself to have. The only problem, he lives seven years in the past and she lives in the present, their lives only briefly brushing past each other in the apartment, but never meeting, unless she opens her heart and allows them to.
The Seven Year Slip is a feel-good romance about finding love in the tumultuous balance of leading a successful career, but also leaving time to foster those precious personal relationships, which are so often cast aside in the pursuit of success. Even though there is a bit of magic (hint: the apartment), Clementine’s desire to be both independent and loved is one that many people can relate to and perhaps learn from.
More Reads
The above are only five of the nearly 40 books I read last year, and there were truly so many incredible books to go through. Since I can’t help, but give more recommendations, here are more books that I thoroughly enjoyed! Entertaining and simply a fun time, my 2024 honorable mentions go to:
Good Girl Bad Blood (2020) by Holly Jackson
The second book in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, and dare I say the best of the three. Jackson really finds the flow and rhythm in this book early on, whereas I found the first book in the series dragging until the last third. I often find thrillers predictable and, therefore, shallow. However, Jackson’s depiction of the characters’ inner motives and vulnerability convincing and it is truly what drives the story.
None of This is True (2023) by Lisa Jewell
None of This is True is a thriller that you will want to devour in one sitting. A solid thriller, and this is coming from someone who’s fairly picky with mysteries, every page had me wanting to flip to the next.
Normal People (2018) by Sally Rooney
If there were ever unlikable characters who shouldn’t be together, it’s Connell and Marianne. Yet, I couldn’t help but root for them. They are perfectly imperfect characters who remind us that characters don’t have to be groundbreaking heroes. Sometimes, they’re just like us — human. Plus, Rooney’s lack of quotation marks really immerses readers in the story, even if it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Did the character say a line out loud? Was it just a thought? May the world ever know.
11/22/63 (2011) by Stephen King
A romance disguised as a historical fiction, 11/22/63 is gripping and surprisingly moving reimagination of JFK’s assassination. While the overarching plot is time traveler Jake Epping’s insane journey to prevent the assassination of JFK, it’s not really the main point of Epping’s story. The interpersonal relationships will draw you in for this fast, albeit a bit long (over 800 pages long…), read.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000) by Stephen King
At this rate, I will have read every Stephen King novel except his famed horror novels. On Writing is a dense and informative dedication to the craft of writing. Although it’s not a huge book, each page is jam-packed with a wealth of knowledge from King’s decades of experience. You may not agree with all of his writing tidbits, but it is undeniable that King loves his work and more than anything, this short but quality memoir is inspirational for any aspiring writer to read.
What’s Next in 2025?
I am incredibly excited for this year’s TBR list (that is infinitely growing). I’m currently conquering Brandon Sanderson’s Mistobrn: The Final Empire, which is taking a longer time, but I’ve already several books that I have a feeling will make it into my favorites.