The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 522 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Half a Soul

Caitlin Rozakis ❤️ loved this book because...

I'm always a sucker for a good Regency romance, and a good historical fantasy, and Atwater nails both. Better yet, the dialogue crackles with wit!

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Emotions
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Olivia Atwater,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Half a Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

“Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm” (India Holton), Olivia Atwater’s delightful debut will transport you to a magical version of Regency England, where the only thing more meddlesome than a fairy is a marriage-minded mother!

It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment—an unfortunate condition that leaves her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season—but when Elias Wilder, the strange, handsome,…


Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My 2nd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Goblin Emperor

Caitlin Rozakis ❤️ loved this book because...

You wouldn't think a court intrigue novel that starts with an airship explosion and follows a brand new emperor as he tries to consolidate power could be classified as "cozy", and yet. Much of this book is about how said goblin wrestles with how to continue to be a good person even when given near absolute power. He's trying so hard, and it's so very difficult to handle power ethically. And this poor cinnamon bun slowly manages to change the tenor of his court by repeatedly choosing the right thing, even when it's excruciatingly difficult. It's a balm to the soul (and a clever mystery at the same time).

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Katherine Addison,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Goblin Emperor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The youngest half-goblin son of the Emperor lived his life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court. But when his father and the three sons in line for the throne die in an "accident," he must take his place as the only surviving heir. Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any time. Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naive new emperor, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to…


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Book Eaters

Caitlin Rozakis ❤️ loved this book because...

Dean has created such an interesting set of monsters here; they're like nothing I've seen before. And the protagonist is both very much a monster but also one who desperately loves her child, despite the fact that he's even more of a monster. It's tense, original, and a fascinating exploration of what we're willing to do.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Originality 🥈 Story/Plot
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Sunyi Dean,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Book Eaters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NO. 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'I devoured this' V.E. Schwab 'A vampire-themed Handmaid's Tale, with effective thrills that are intensified by social commentary' Guardian

A gorgeous new fantasy horror - a book about stories and fairy tales with family and love at its dark heart...

A gorgeous new fantasy horror - a book about stories and fairy tales with family and love at its dark heart...

Hidden across England and Scotland live six old Book Eater families.

The last of their lines, they exist on the fringes of society and subsist on a diet of stories and legends.

Children…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Dreadful

By Caitlin Rozakis,

Book cover of Dreadful

What is my book about?

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something. It’s much worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav has a looming castle, a tasteless wardrobe, a lot of goblin minions, a kidnapped princess, and an evil plan he can no longer remember. But as he fakes his way along with his own scheme, he has to face the hardest question of all—does he even want to do this anymore? Dreadful is about the nature of evil, second chances, toxic masculinity…and moat squid.