The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 1,531 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024

Book cover of James

Sarah P. Blanchard ❤️ loved this book because...

This book offered a fascinating perspective on the enigmatic character of Jim, the runaway slave from Huckleberry Finn. Wonderful writing--I'd expect nothing less from Everett.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Originality 🥈 Character(s)
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Percival Everett,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2024


'Truly extraordinary books are rare, and this is one of them' - Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha

James by Percival Everett is a profound and ferociously funny meditation on identity, belonging and the sacrifices we make to protect the ones we love, which reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. From the author of The Trees, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Erasure, adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction.

The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Backyard Bird Chronicles

Sarah P. Blanchard ❤️ loved this book because...

I've always loved Amy Tan's nonfiction pieces. This is stellar writing, close-up immersion into a rarely seen world with perspectives on the rest of the tumultuous universe we live in.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Writing 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Amy Tan,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Backyard Bird Chronicles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight, written and illustrated by the best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club • With a foreword by David Allen Sibley

“Unexpected and spectacular” —Ann Patchett, best-selling author of These Precious Days

"The drawings and essays in this book do a lot more than just describe the birds. They carry a sense of discovery through observation and drawing, suggest the layers of patterns in the natural world, and emphasize a deep personal connection between the watcher and the…


My 3rd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Happiness Falls

Sarah P. Blanchard ❤️ loved this book because...

A quirky mystery on the surface -- a man goes missing -- but ultimately a deep dive into the human condition, with all the flaws and inconsistencies that suggests. Charming, funny, gut-wrenching.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Originality
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Angie Kim,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Happiness Falls as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek.

Belletrist Book Club Pick • Finalist for the New American Voices Award • “This is a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”—Jodi Picoult

One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Season: The New York Times • Los Angeles…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Drawn from Life

By Sarah P. Blanchard,

Book cover of Drawn from Life

What is my book about?

Life-changing tragedy. Conflicting memories. Is she a killer or a victim?
Emma Gillen is haunted by guilt. Almost a decade after surviving a deadly car crash, she’s held hostage by long-term damage to her body and no recollection of that tragic event. Then her volatile cousin Lucy returns, needing money and bringing chaos. Emma must decide if she should bargain with the beautiful, untrustworthy Lucy—a possible witness to the crash—to uncover their shared past.
All bargains carry risk. As Lucy grows more desperate and greedy, Emma suspects there’s more at stake than just money. Struggling with shame, night terrors, and an unreliable memory, Emma accepts help from a compassionate detective. But the choice remains hers alone: Can she find the strength to free herself from the danger of her cousin’s destructive power, or will Lucy bring everything crashing down?
If you like vivid characters, dark themes, and high-stakes psychological mysteries, you’ll love this thrilling tale of redemption, resilience, and courage.

Book cover of James
Book cover of The Backyard Bird Chronicles
Book cover of Happiness Falls

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