Last year, I read 195 books. Frankly, that’s an excessive amount. Some were total misses (we’ll circle back to these in another post), and some were absolute rock stars that I’m still thinking about months later. To start 2025 on a high note, I’m going to reflect on my favorite books I read in 2024—nay, not just my favorites, but the ones that, in my opinion, could do no wrong.
If any of you are math people—first of all, what are you doing here? Just kidding, but if anyone is curious, here’s some data to put this list into context for my reading year. My average rating was four stars (out of five), but only 16 books were five stars for me. That means that less than 10% of my total reads (8.2% to be exact) received the accolade that we consider to be the pinnacle of good books: five stars. From there, it was surprisingly easy to pare down even my five-star reads to get to my top 8. I did aim for my Top 10, but that was simply too much information to process for even the most intrepid of readers, so sacrifices had to be made.
Obviously, this is just one person’s opinion and not everyone is going to agree with my takes here, so keep that in mind. I’m not trying to convince anyone of one thing or another, just share my feelings about books that I personally loved. The list below is in no particular order, mostly just vibes.
So, let’s talk Top 8!
The Shining by Stephen King – To be clear, I am not a horror girl. I had to stop watching Stranger Things halfway through the second episode because the Demogorgon scared the heck out of me. The Shining wasn’t my first Stephen King book, but out of NOWHERE, it’s taken the top spot in my Stephen King rankings. It might even be my favorite book of all time now. It’s action-packed, but not overwhelming in pacing, and while parts of it are unarguably creepy, it wasn’t as flat-out scary as I anticipated. I enjoyed this book so much that I split my reading between hard copy and audiobook because I didn’t want to put it down when I went for runs, and the audiobook (free on Spotify!) motivated me to run my fastest 10k to date. The movie is also very different from the book, so if you’ve watched the film, the ending of the book won’t be spoiled for you.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston – This ranking is a hot take, I know. Most people love her book, The Seven Year Slip, and to them, A Novel Love Story was a letdown, but I was the opposite. I brought this book to my best friend’s wedding in the Smoky Mountains, and maybe I just stumbled upon the perfect circumstances to fall in love with it, but fall in love with it I did. The main character, Eileen, lives every reader’s dream when she somehow gets stranded in the fictional town from her favorite book series. As much as I’m obsessed with that concept, it was the personal journey that A Novel Love Story took me on that landed it a spot in my Top 10.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – Kristin Hannah, you devious creator. If you’ve read any of her other books, you’ve probably bawled your eyes out (I’m looking at you, The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, and Night Road), and while The Great Alone will definitely yank HARD on your heartstrings, there’s so much more to it. This book tackles really tough topics, including PTSD, domestic abuse, and single-motherhood, but leaves you feeling hopeful after the last page. Throw in the backdrop of the Alaskan frontier for a touch of [surrealism], and you get a killer book that takes you through the entire span of human emotions in less than 600 pages.
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas – I feel I need to preface this with a disclaimer: if this book had been a standalone, it wouldn’t have been a five-star read. It’s not a perfect book on its own by any means. HOWEVER, I think it was the perfect wrap-up (and potential set-up for more books??) for the Crescent City series. Bryce Quinlan is my idol and I would read 1000 pages about her doing laundry. Yes, there was a lot going on, but I love the world of Lunathion so much that it didn’t matter to me.
One Dark Window and Two Dark Crowns by Rachel Gillig – If I had to choose one niche genre to read for the rest of my life, it would be atmospheric fantasy. I’m a sucker for a clever magic system (powers or gods tied to cards? sign me up!), and if there’s a tendril of mist floating anywhere in the land, I am so there. One of my favorite trilogies of all time is the Caraval series, and this duology is like if Caraval and Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson had a baby. There’s character development. There’s a spooky monster in the main character’s head. There’s an evil king. What more could a girl need???
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – Okay, I’ll fess up. I went in thinking this book was overhyped. At the very least, I expected to be bored reading it. Boy, was I wrong. While the material isn’t exactly relatable to me (I am not a woman in STEM by any means), I was laughing aloud whenever I wasn’t fighting off sobs. Elizabeth brings girl power to a whole new level, and I am so here for it!!!! I haven’t watched the TV show on AppleTV yet, but it’s for sure on my list after how buoyed I felt by the final pages.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote – The human fascination with true crime is a little concerning if you think about it, but that will never stop me from bingeing documentaries about the Zodiac Killer or reading books like In Cold Blood. This is one of the first true crime books that I’ve read that spends more time discussing the killers than the victims, and I thought that was a really interesting perspective. Capote humanizes these, for lack of a better word, villains, but he doesn’t absolve them of their crime and makes no excuses for their actions. In Cold Blood is truly a trip through the human psyche.
Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore – I originally picked up Clare Gilmore’s book Love Interest because the author has the same name as a girl from my high school. Well, it turns out the author IS the girl from my high school, which is SO cool. I really liked Love Interest, so when I saw that Perfect Fit, her latest novel, takes place in Austin—the city I live in!!—and the main character, Josie, is from Nashville—the city I’m from!!—I knew I had to read it. Outside of the geographical connections, Josie speaks to my soul. Burnout is real, even when you’re doing something you love, and Perfect Fit is a perfect reminder that if your life isn’t making you happy, change it.
Well, that’s a wrap on my top 8 reads of 2024! Again, these are all based on personal preference. Everyone’s reading journey is different, whether by genre, writing style, or topic, so just remember that. You may loathe a book I loved or vice versa, and that’s totally okay! Differing opinions are what keep life interesting.
I’m always looking for book recs, so feel free to add some of your favorite books you read last year in the comments. Cheers, and happy reading!
Sequels and Scribbles 