Everything I Read in 2024

Fiction

The Top 10

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway I didn’t expect any middle-grade fiction to make my top 10, but this enjoyable, moving, and relevant story about a tween who goes to live with her aunts deserves it.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger A weird but unforgettable climate-dystopia novel about a musician who sets sail on Lake Superior after a series of unfortunate events.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach My favorite book of 2024. Phoebe, an unhappily divorced academic, goes to her dream Rhode Island resort intending to end her life. It turns out she’s the only person at the hotel not there for a wedding, and when the bride shoves her way into Phoebe’s life, things do not go as planned.

Hestia Strikes a Match by Christine Grillo Another near-future, somehow lighthearted dystopia about a woman’s everyday life in the middle of a new American civil war. I found Hestia really likeable and her circumstances scarily believable.

Funny Story by Emily Henry The newest EmHen is in my top three of her books. Daphne and Miles find themselves unexpected roommates after their respective fiances run off together. This is already being adapted for a movie – yay!

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez The conclusion to another Jimenez-verse trilogy that made me want to go back and reread the first two. Emma and Justin share the “curse” of being the last person people date before finding The One. While she’s in town as a traveling nurse, they decide to date solely to break the curse for each other. You can guess how it ends up!!

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett During the pandemic, a former actress turned Michigan cherry farmer tells her three adult daughters the story of the summer she dated a famous actor. My second-favorite book of 2024. This novel is everything.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell I was lucky to get an ARC of Rainbow’s latest. It bounces around in time with Shiloh and Cary, old friends who have been circling each other romantically for 14 years. I was pretty annoyed with Shiloh at a few points, but I understood her and still loved this.

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson Another weird novel, but if you’ve read any other Kevin Wilson, you know if you get him or not. In a small Tennessee town, in summer, in the 90s, two artistically inclined loners meet and create something together that changes everything. Bonus points for the accurate Memphis references and some events happening in my actual neighborhood.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros You know… the dragon college romantasy thing. Is it worth the hype? Well, as soon as I finished it I went to Target and bought the sequel.

Everything Else

• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
  The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady
  The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
  The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton
  Birds of California by Katie Cotugno
  The Real Deal by Caitlin Devlin
  The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland
  You, With a View by Jessica Joyce
  This Impossible Brightness by Jessica Bryant Klagmann
  While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi
  You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg
  House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
  Friends in Napa by Sheila Yasmin Marikar
• Inheritance by Katharine McGee
  Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter
  Sandwich by Catherine Newman
  You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
  The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
  Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
  Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
  One Last Summer by Kate Spencer
  I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
  Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Nonfiction

The Top 10

The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi Kendra has said repeatedly that this is the book she was born to write, and as a longtime Lazy Genius follower, I agree. One to revisit.

Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley This memoir of loss took me by surprise. In the summer of 2019, Sloane experienced a traumatic burglary and lost her best friend to suicide in the span of a month. The way she processes it all is really deep and thought-provoking.

If You Can’t Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter A memoir of food and family. So so good. Better than her first book, which was already fantastic.

The Woman They Wanted: Shattering the Illusion of the Good Christian Wife by Shannon Harris As a woman who came of age in the late 90s evangelical church, I had popcorn ready for this memoir by the ex-wife of Mr. I Kissed Dating Goodbye. I did not expect her to be such an eloquent writer. I’m thankful she shared her story and glad she’s finding peace. She deserved better.

Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones Leslie is so cool. Here she tells her own story and pulls no punches.

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy This memoir/cultural commentary by the host of the podcast Be There in Five is an enjoyable ramble through nostalgia.

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen Our first church book club pick for 2024 and it was a DOOZY. I may have set a new personal record for Kindle highlights.

Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum Another advance read for me, this is a thorough history going back to radio and the beginning of TV. And yes, she goes there about how reality TV unfortunately led to our current actual reality.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears After reading this, I firmly believe Britney’s whole family should be in jail, and I judge her for nothing. Let her do whatever she wants.

Congratulations, the Best is Over! by R. Eric Thomas A new essay collection from an American treasure. I read most of this on a plane, laughed out loud many times, and didn’t care who looked at me weirdly. Love love love.

Everything Else

Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith by Sarah Bessey
This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan
Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself: 5 Steps to Banish Guilt and Beat Burnout When You Already Have Too Much to Do by Dr. Morgan Cutlip
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
Oh Crap! I Have a Toddler: Tackling These Crazy Awesome Years by Jamie Glowacki
Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
Splinters by Leslie Jamison
How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived by Leslie Jordan
How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key
The Cure by John S. Lynch
The Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary L. McBride
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski (re-read)
It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway: And Other Thoughts on Moving Forward by Elizabeth Passarella
XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness by Cody Rigsby
Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives by Sami Sage and Emily Amick
Let’s Talk About Hard Things by Anna Sale
The Secret Lives of Colour by Cassia St. Clair
Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories by Gabrielle Union
Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn’t Want Kids by Taylor Wolfe

2024 Book Total: 65

PS: this list of published works obviously does not include fanfic. If we counted fanfic, my total would be well over a hundred. I thought about linking some of my favorites of the year, but 1. I don’t have time for all that and 2. as I saw on a sticker on Etsy, my AO3 history is between me and God.