My Top Reads of 2024
Out of 108 books, these were my favorites
I read 108 books in 2024. (We can talk about that another time.) Here are my all the books I rated 5 stars out of those 108 books.
In no particular order:
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus. This middle-grade historical fiction story is about 3 orphaned siblings who are bounced from home to home during WWII. They have each other but would love a mother who believes they can hang the moon. It was tender and sweet and I just felt happy after I finished it.
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt. Hercules Beal has lost both his parents and is being raised by his older brother. At his new school, his military-esque teacher assigns each student an individual year-long project, and Hercules is assigned “labors” a la Hercules from the myth. He gets to choose, but has to write a check in each month. The adventures are funny and interesting, the relationships are wonderful and emotional. I loved loved it.
Simon Sort of Say by Erin Bow. Simon’s family has moved to one a National Quiet Zone, with no internet or radio waves allowed. Simon is famous for being the only survivor of a school shooting, and is happy to go somewhere where no one knows that piece of his life story. Despite the dark premise, the book is funny and sweet and emotional. I loved Simon’s friends, and his parents, and the hard conversations that happen are important and real.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. The US cover of this is misleading—it is an incredible story about a woman dedicated to the science she loves, and how she makes a name for herself in male-dominated fields and society. I went in expecting that all the male characters in th story were going to be the worst (for the most part I was right), which helped me to focus less on the terrible things men do and see the amazing things that women do. It is so good, and I will read it again.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. This won the Newberry years ago, and I had never read it. It is absolutely wonderful and deserves all the praise. In 1968, Holling Hoodhood is the only students stuck in school once a week while his classmates go to religious classes. His teacher, Mrs. Baker, assigns him to read Shakespeare during these sessions, and their relationship builds. It is funny, heartfelt, and just so good.
Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Geimenhart. The sequel to Coyote Sunrise, which is one of my favorite books that I’ve read aloud with my older kids. It picks up Coyote’s story during the pandemic, and it was almost as good as the first (but just shy). Still, we read it in about a day and laughed and cried our way through. Read them both!
The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon. This retelling of what happened to Butch Cassidy after he disappeared and before he died was great, full of romance and history that was really interesting. The landscapes are somewhat familiar since it is set in Utah, and I really wanted this to be the true story.
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff. What an emotional experience this was. I learned more about the events of 9/11 than I understood when it happened (I was 14.) These firsthand accounts tell the story in great detail, in horrible detail, but important detail. I listened to it and found the experience transformative. Highly recommend!
James by Percival Everett. This is on every end-of-year list for a reason. The writing is incredible, the story opens a whole new and significant perspective into the Huck Finn story, and James is such a moving character to follow. I think this one has incredible staying power and will become a classic.
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck. This is a love story about a man who receives a devastating diagnosis—he is slowing transforming into a great white shark. His new wife is on this journey with him, even though they know the end. The writing is absolutely beautiful. The second I finished reading I wanted to start again, and I can’t wait to read it again. Suspend your disbelief (the science of it is irrelevant) and give it a go.
Tom Lake by Ann Pachett. Ann Pachett has long been one of my favorite writers, and this is a masterpiece. The story goes between the pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home, and the past, when the main character Lara starred for the summer in a production of Our Town and fell in love with a now-famous actor. The gorgeous setting builds up these beautiful characters. I listened to it, read by Meryl Streep, which enhanced the experience.
Hera by Jennifer Saint. Hera is one of the least-liked Greek gods, and for good reason—she quite terrible in most myths. But Saint takes the tales and adds context and chronology that made me want to be in Hera’s corner. It is so well done, I loved everything about the experience of reading it.
Conclave by Robert Harris. What a book! What sounds like a dull religious exercise is intense, almost thriller-level. The writing propels everything forward so well. I think my jaw physically dropped multiple times while reading. There is a bit of a twist at the end that threw me initially, but months later I’m still recommending it to everyone so obviously it didn’t ruin the experience for me. (The movie is also excellent, and I look forward to awards season to see whether it gets the accolades it deserves.)
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus. Jay Gardiner’s father Mitt has recently died, and Jay feels responsible to try and find his father’s body in the ocean. While scuba diving and searching, Jay is accidentally swallowed whole by a sperm whale. He has about 90 minutes of oxygen to figure out how to escape the literal belly of the whale. The descriptions are DISGUSTING-and I couldn’t put it down. There is a psychological component to the story and to his relationship with his dad that is really the most important thing. Incredible writing.
From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. I really enjoy celebrity memoirs, but this one was special. Lisa Marie and her daughter both have such fascinating lives, full of trauma but also full of love. I think that Riley’s insight into her mother’s life and experiences made the experience better. I cried several times. The audio, read by Julia Roberts as Lisa Marie and Riley as herself, was perfect.
I reread Atonement by Ian McEwan and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, both old 5 star reads that still 100% hold up. I listened to the Harry Potter series on audiobook, which was fabulous. I read The Hunger Games series out loud with my older kids, an amazing read that I am so glad we shared.
Honorable mentions:
The Island of Missing Trees by Eliot Shafek
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jessie Q. Sutanto
Such a good list. Whalefall and Sharkheart were huge on mine, as well as Tom Lake! I need to do a roundup of my five stars!