The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 1,348 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?

Steven Clark Cunningham ❤️ loved this book because...

This is an important book. It helps explain the populist backlash we are now living through: how Trump came to power, why Brexit happened, etc. It is a very strong case, I think, for teh value of labor and the value of humility.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Outlook 🥈 Thoughts
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Michael J. Sandel,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A TLS, GUARDIAN AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020

The new bestseller from the acclaimed author of Justice and one of the world's most popular philosophers

"Astute, insightful, and empathetic...A crucial book for this moment" Tara Westover, author of Educated

These are dangerous times for democracy. We live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds are stacked in favour of the already fortunate. Stalled social mobility and entrenched inequality give the lie to the promise that "you can make it if you try". And the consequence is a brew of anger and frustration that has…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Terrace Story

Steven Clark Cunningham ❤️ loved this book because...

This a magical-realism novel is very well written. The author accomplished a lot in a short but complete novel. Multiple levels of meaning. It explores the literal and figurative space that we humans inhabit. Other themes include loss, love, and time.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Writing 🥈 Thoughts
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Hilary Leichter,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From the author of the acclaimed novel Temporary, an intimate exploration of time, a fable about love, an epic daydream for a broken-hearted world

Annie, Edward, and their young daughter, Rose, live in a cramped apartment. One night, without warning, they find a beautiful terrace hidden in their closet. It wasn’t there before, and it seems to only appear when their friend Stephanie visits. A city dweller’s dream come true! But every extra bit of space has a hidden cost, and the terrace sets off a seismic chain of events, forever changing the shape of their tiny home, and the…


My 3rd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Shadow of War

Steven Clark Cunningham ❤️ loved this book because...

In our current political climate, this narrative history of the Bay of Pigs and following nuclear crisis was, odd as it sounds, refreshing. The finesse with with John F. Kennedy handled the crisis was remarkable. I fear what would happen today with our current leaders.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Teach
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Jeff Shaara,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Shadow of War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1961, the new president John F. Kennendy, inherited an ill-conceived, poorly executed invasion of Cuba that failed miserably and set in motion the events that put the U.S. and the Soviet Union on a collision course that nearly started a war that would have enveloped much of the world.

Extensively researched and vividly imagined, The Shadow of War brings to life the many threads that lead to the building crisis between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1962.

Told from a multitude of perspectives and voices, from the Russian engineer attempting the near impossible task of building…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

It's Considerate to Be Literate about Religion: Poetry and Prose about Religion, Conflict, and Peace in Our World

By Steven Clark Cunningham, Susan Detwiler (illustrator),

Book cover of It's Considerate to Be Literate about Religion: Poetry and Prose about Religion, Conflict, and Peace in Our World

What is my book about?

It’s Considerate To Be Literate about Religion: Poetry and Prose about Religion, Conflict, and Peace in Our World is a book of nonfiction poems and prose for all readers, teen to adult.

Written as part of Dr. Cunningham master's degree program in religion, this book describes and illustrates in Part I the main tenets of religious literacy as endorsed by the American Academy of Religion. Then, Part II uses this lens of religious literacy to examine several conflicts around the globe that have revolved around religion. Part III puts it all together in a succinct and cross-referencing summary.

The lyrical nature of the poems and the very engaging pencil illustrations by Susan Detwiler give each topic traction, and the prose "Learn More" sections allow a deeper dive into the issues raised in the poems.

In addition, a lively preface explains the joy of creating words, such as “poemenclature”; a helpful introduction welcomes readers to the concept of religious literacy; a fulsome glossary defines terms used in the book; and a reading-group guide includes questions and topics for discussion and suggested further reading.

Book cover of The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?
Book cover of Terrace Story
Book cover of The Shadow of War

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