The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 325 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024…

Book cover of The Keeper of Stories

John T. Hancock I ❤️ loved this book because...

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Story/Plot 🥈 Character(s)
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Sally Page,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'I absolutely loved it! So different, clever, funny and charming' Sunday Times bestseller Katie Fforde

'Funny, wise, moving and full of lovely moments...The characters are endearing and unforgettable' Hazel Prior, author of the Richard & Judy Book Club Pick Away with the Penguins

'Janice is a wonderful woman whose authenticity pulls you along...the breadth and originality of supporting characters makes this debut an immersive delight' Dorset Magazine

'Absolutely spellbinding...a warm-hearted, thoughtful, funny and yet deeply poignant' Celia Anderson, author of 59 Memory Lane

'A treasure of a book. Beautiful, emotional and heartfelt with a cornucopia of characters you'll love spending…


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

My 2nd favorite read in 2024…

Book cover of A Woman in the Polar Night

John T. Hancock I ❤️ loved this book because...

What an amazing story, and to think it was true. Incredible when you consider when it happened.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Immersion 🥈 Teach
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Christiane Ritter,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked A Woman in the Polar Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Conjures the rasp of the skin runner, the scent of burning blubber and the rippling iridescence of the Northern Lights..." Sara Wheeler, author of Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica

"Ritter manages to articulate all the terrible beauty and elemental power of a polar winter" Gavin Francis, author of Empire Antarctica

In 1934, the painter Christiane Ritter leaves her comfortable life in Austria and travels to the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen, to spend a year there with her husband. She thinks it will be a relaxing trip, a chance to "read thick books in the remote quiet and, not least,…


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2024…

Book cover of To a Mountain in Tibet

John T. Hancock I ❤️ loved this book because...

Thubron is an amazing travel writer, and this was extremely interesting. I knew nothing about this before I picked up this book, at a holiday rent. Thanks to the owners who left a shelf of great books. I really enjoyed this journey into the Tibetan mountains.
  • Loved Most

    🥇 Teach 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Colin Thubron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked To a Mountain in Tibet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Animal Welfare in a Pandemic: What Does COVID-19 Tell Us for the Future?

By John T. Hancock, Ros C. Rouse, Tim J. Craig

Book cover of Animal Welfare in a Pandemic: What Does COVID-19 Tell Us for the Future?

What is my book about?

Animal Welfare in a Pandemic explores the impact of COVID-19 on a wide array of animals, from those in the wild to companion and captive animals.

During the height of the pandemic, a range of animals were infected, and many died, but this was hard to predict, even using up-to-date bioinformatics. Lockdowns around the world had, and continue to have, a major effect on animals' welfare, influencing pet ownership and care, as well as impacting the work of conservation institutes due to the lack of visitors and funding and lack of tourist presence in the wild which impacted on anti-poaching efforts.