It’s the end of 2024 which means my Goodreads “Year in Books” is here!
I read 28 books — a little more than 10,000 pages — this year. It wasn’t quite as much as recent years, but still a decent amount given all I had going on this calendar year.
With that said, I didn’t read quite as many books that really stuck with me as I did in 2023. I remember it being a challenge to only pick my nine favorites of last year, and this year felt like a bit of a stretch to pick nine favorites.
If I’d read fewer travel memoirs and popcorn thrillers in favor of more contemporary fiction, maybe my list below would have looked a bit different?
However, every single one of these books does have “New York Times Bestseller” or “Bestselling Author” scribbled across the front, so even if I do (for whatever reason) feel guilty about presenting you a list with not one, but two thrillers on it, I am apparently not alone in my positive reviews of what’s usually (to me, at least) an underwhelming genre.
Coincidentally, too, every single book on my highlight list this year was written by a female author. Neat!
Without further ado:
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“The Women” by Kristin Hannah. This poignantly-written historical fiction explores the trauma and PTSD faced by a female veteran during and after the Vietnam War.
“The Wedding People” by Alison Espach. This cast of characters is so likable, despite all of the flaws, and this contemporary fiction book has a heartwarming ending.
“Funny Story” by Emily Henry. This formulaic romance novel of two roommates set in a charming northern Michigan town is just the right amount of cheesy and heart-warming.
“Bright Young Women” by Jessica Knoll. This reimagining of the Ted Bundy victims puts the victims — several “bright young women” at the forefront of the story in an effort to make readers understand that their killer wasn’t quite the “brilliant and charismatic” man a bungled investigation (and the subsequent media coverage) was made out to be.
“Weyward” by Emilia Hart. This intense historical fiction explores the generational trauma many women carry with them as three powerful protagonists work to free themselves from the abusive men in their lives as nature intends.
“The Grace Year” by Kim Liggett. This young adult fiction’s powerful feminist themes carried me through to a very satisfying ending.
“First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston. This thriller is full of unexpected twists and turns and ends on a satisfying (and almost believable) note.
“The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore. This historical thriller was a pleasant read with just the right number of twists and turns to carry me through.
“Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah. This historical fiction, set during the 1941 Siege of Leningrad, brought me to tears with its heartbreaking plot and redeeming ending.
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Leave your book suggestions in the comments! I’m already building out reading list for 2025.
