The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 627 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Apeirogon

David Kerr ❤️ loved this book because...

It highlighted the deep union of two fathers whose daughters were killed by 'the other'. The true story of an Israeli and a Palestinian; their suffering and healing, and their quest for peace in the midst of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Emotions 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Colum McCann,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Apeirogon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIX FEMINA AND THE PRIX MEDICIS SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSBORO BOOKS GLASS BELL AWARD WINNER OF THE PRIX DU MEILLEUR LIVRES ETRANGER WINNER OF THE 2020 NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARDS CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF 2020 BY THE SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER, GUARDIAN, i PAPER, FINANCIAL TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, SCOTSMAN, IRISH TIMES, BBC.COM, WATERSTONES.COM 'A wondrous book. It left me hopeful; this is its gift' Elizabeth Strout 'An empathy engine ... It is, itself, an agent of change' New York Times Book…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of People of the Book

David Kerr ❤️ loved this book because...

The author transported me back into the ancient world in a style that I loved - rich, evocative, and lively.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Immersion 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Geraldine Brooks,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked People of the Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bestselling novel that follows a rare manuscript through centuries of exile and war, from the author of The Secret Chord and of March, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called “a tour de force” by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century Spain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this…


My 3rd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Our Exodus: Leon Uris and the Americanization of Israel's Founding Story

David Kerr 👍 liked this book because...

It illuminated a part of history in which I have a passion. Insightful, challenging and most helpful in gaining a deeper perspective.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Teach 🥈 Thoughts
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By M. M. Silver,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Our Exodus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Despite the dramatic circumstances of its founding, Israel did not inspire sustained, impassioned public discussion among Jews and non-Jews in the United States until Leon Uris's popular novel Exodus was released in 1958. Uris's novel popularized the complicated story of Israel's founding and, in the process, boosted the morale of post-Holocaust Jewry and disseminated in popular culture positive images of Jewish heroism. Our Exodus: Leon Uris and the Americanization of Israel's Founding Story examines the phenomenon of Exodus and its largely unrecognized influence on post-World War II understandings of Israel's beginnings in America and around the world.

Author M. M.…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Wall of Tears: The Human Face of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

By David Kerr,

Book cover of Wall of Tears: The Human Face of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

What is my book about?

'Wall of Tears is an extraordinary book. Author David Kerr has successfully straddled that most bitter of divides, the Israel-Palestine imbroglio, to create a novel of both warmth and wisdom. Told through the eyes of Uri, the son of a Holocaust survivor, Wall of Tears explores the creation of modern Israel at a human level, through the experiences of a Jewish family and their Arab neighbours. There is conflict, love, betrayal, loss and a shattering conclusion--essential elements of a compelling read. And through it all there is a sense that the author has a deep understanding of and respect for the history and complex issues that continue to rob Israelis and Palestinians of peaceful co-existence.' Nick Hartgerink - writer, former editor of Illawarra Mercury and media consultant.

'In Wall of Tears, David Kerr compellingly achieves the delicate task of revealing the heart and humanity of both Israelis and Palestinians through the fictional narratives of endearing, unforgettable characters from both groups. He further interweaves a thoroughly researched historical backdrop into this page turner to give a higher perspective of a system plagued by horrific collective trauma and the inevitable aftermath that continues to overwhelm both sides. David Kerr's compassionate humanizing of his characters, gives a model of higher understanding and hope as viable building blocks of deeply needed peace.' Cyntha Gonzalez - counselor, international speaker and seminar leader, writer.

'This novelised account of the Arab/Israeli conflict that followed the creation of Israel after the Holocaust is one of the best I've read. Even-handed in its telling of a desperate situation, it is full of human stories, both joyful and tragic. It is gripping, shocking and heartbreaking, yet at the same time full of love. Though hard-hitting, this is a very readable story, and it is a clear and affecting account of a complex situation. The experiences of all sides are shown with humanity and compassion. Highly recommended.' Barbara Scott Emmett - author of Delirium: The Rimbaud Delusion.

'Wall of Tears has many levels--political, historical, interpersonal, social, national, religious and driven by the author's style. The Jewish/Muslim animosity is graphically and emotionally portrayed. A well-researched novel--a seminal book.' Dr Rob McMurdo.

'Many books and novels have been written on the Palestinian-Israeli situation. Most of them focus on the mega picture of "Palestinians" and "Israelis" and few go to the depth of understanding the deep personal aspects that influence the collective. In his novel, Wall of Tears, David Kerr, takes us to the core, to the point of pain and trauma, that in it and through it, a healed and true understanding of peace can be envisioned.' Sami Awad -founder, Holy Land Trust, Bethlehem, West Bank