10 Best Books of the Year: 2024 Favorites
Are you an avid book reader? At the end of the year, I like to look back at the books I read during the year and review my favorites. It’s like a trip down memory lane with old friends. Here are my 10 best books of the year.
I’ve been a book lover for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, my favorite class was Library. We had a blissful hour of reading time. Even the boys had to be quiet and pretend they were reading.
My friends will tell you that I am never without a book. Having a stack of two or three books on my nightstand in the queue makes me happy. There is always a new adventure to look forward to.
I’m reading two new books right now. One is the latest Vince Flynn spy book and the other is a murder mystery. Who knows where they will land on my 2025 list?
If you are like me and are always looking for the next great read, I hope you find a book or two that intrigues you. Maybe you will be inspired to order a new book. I have two new ones arriving this week.
Keep this list handy for reference. It’s Bluesky Browsing #169.
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Book Reading Inspiration
Nothing has to inspire me to read. But this month’s Veranda cover reminded me how much I love reading. I wish I had a room devoted to reading – that’s called a library.
My favorite places in the world (besides a beautiful flower garden or a beach) are a library or a book store. Wherever we travel, I look for bookstores.
On our most recent trip overseas to London, I could have spent hours in several of the most wonderful bookstores we visited. My favorite was Hatchards on Piccadilly, the oldest bookstore in the UK.
How Do You Read?
These days, there are multiple ways to read a book, such as Kindles, devices or audiobooks. I am an old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool real book reader. I love to hold a real book in my hands. I love the feel and smell of paper and turning the page. I love placing a pretty bookmark between pages.
Which is probably the reason we have so many books in our house. Upstairs, downstairs, living room, bedrooms, the kitchen, and my office. Seeing a favorite book on the shelf gives me happy memories of a story and characters.
That’s not to say we don’t get rid of books occasionally. Every February, our church’s library has a book sale. I always try to donate a couple dozen books to the sale. On the flip, I’ve been known to buy a dozen.
What Kind of Books Do You Read?
Books come in all sizes and hundreds of subjects. My favorite genre is historical fiction – using historical events as a background for the author’s fictional account of real or invented characters to live, die, influence or be influenced by, those events.
As history lover, I love learning about history through the lives of characters imagined by the author.
I do love pure fiction, mystery, spy and espionage stories. On the side of non-fiction, I enjoy biography, autobiography, history, and memoirs.
I love any time frame of historical fiction, but my favorite has to be World War II, with an emphasis on women in WWII.
Since about 2001, I have kept a list of all the books I have read. I began by going through our home and writing down every book in our home, including the author and the type of book. I then created a spreadsheet to record the author, title, and genre.
As I went forward with reading new books, I added columns for the month and year I finished the book and the source of the book (Did I own it, check it out from our church’s library, or did I borrow it?).
Here is a look at the first page of my book reading list. Where there are missing dates, it’s because I didn’t know the dates when I first began the list twenty-three years ago. I reread Little Women in 2020.
There are currently 864 books on the list. I know I’ve read books from high school and college (I was an English major) that are not on the list. (I just realized that Huck Finn, Tom Jones, Tom Sawyer, Tristam Shandy, among many others, are not on the list. I estimate that my lifetime reading list is at least 1000.
What Great Books Didn’t Make the List?
Among the books that did make the 10 best books of the year were a mix of mystery, spy, memoir and fiction.
Sweet Shark and I are big fans of the Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp and Daniel Silver/Gabriel Allon series and we read a new one every year. I also read Book Eight of the Diane Gabaldon Outlander series. A couple of Elin Hildenbrand and one Ruth Ware were also in the mix.
The memoir that I read was Hillbilly Elegy. As soon as President Trump announced J.D. Vance as his running mate last summer, I ordered a copy of his memoir. I loved his story and found it fascinating that this man grew up in such a dire environment, overcame his childhood, joined the military, attended and graduated from college in 2 1/2 years, and then graduated from Yale Law School is a testament to his determination and resolve.
My Favorite Books of 2024 – the Top Best Books
This year I read twenty-six books. The list is a mix of historical fiction, fiction, mystery, and one memoir. There were new authors and ones that I have read before and love on the list.
This list is in alphabetical order by author. I hope you enjoy the list and read everyone of these books in 2025.
The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr
The genre is historical fiction, the story of a young wife caught in the crossroads of Nazi-occupied Poland.
The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling story of a Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret. Before Lena Browning became a Hollywood legend, she was Bina Blonski, a wealthy Polish Jew whose life and prominent family were destroyed by the Nazis. Imprisoned with the rest of Warsaw’s Jews in a ghastly ghetto, she was determined to fight back. The beautiful, blonde Aryan-looking Bina becomes a spy and an assassin, gaining information and stealing weapons outside the Warsaw ghetto to protect her family and fellow Jews.
This is my first Lisa Barr book, but it definitely will not be the last. Beautifully told with emotion and detail, the amount of research and dedication that must go into writing an historical book such as this is impressive. The details in this book were incredible.
This is a gripping page-turner (One reason I want to read real books!) filled with what-happens-next anticipation. The characters are carefully crafted and the settings come alive. Spanning through decades, locations, emotions, Barr has created an emotional and intriguing story of a time of chaos when one woman dared to stand up for her beliefs and people.
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
The genre is historical fiction, but could also be called a mystery.
I have read several Marie Benedict books (in fact, I read two this year.) This one was so interesting both in terms of the subject and the way that the book is constructed. It’s a fascinating story about the mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926 of the number one mystery writer of all time, Agatha Christie.
Benedict gives her own interpretation of where and why Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days and then reappeared with no explanation. Using the point of view of both Christie and her husband, the story keeps you wondering about the reason for her disappearance and what the outcome will be.
If you like mysteries, then The Mystery of Mrs. Christie should be on your reading list.
Last Dance of the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird
Sarah Bird is a new author for me, although she is a prolific author that I plan to explore more. She has written a sweeping novel that brings to life the enthralling worlds of both dance marathons (Anyone remember the Jane Fonda movie, “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” ) and the family-run empire of vice that was Galveston, Texas in Depression-era 1930’s.
Last Dance of the Starlight Pier is more than fiction than history.
Evie Grace Devlin is a heroine you will love. Trying to raise herself above her terribel childhood growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, she yearns to become a nurse. Despite being a top student and a scholarship winner, Evie faces setbacks and twists from unforgettable characters that reveal her indomitable spirit.
Bird did extensive research and discovered that a large marathon was held in Galveston, Texas, a city of dark glamour in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She weaves the background of the times with Evie as the main character and a supporting cast of interesting characters.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Does anyone not read the novels of Kristin Hannah? Last year I read The Four Winds and absolutely loved its characters and the amazing study of the Dust Bowl.
The Women centers on a time in American history just as devasting – the Vietnam War – and another heroine dedicated to survival and service.
This historical fiction novel tells the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young girl from a well-to-do family in San Diego. When her older brother leaves for service in Vietnam, she defies her parents, gets a nursing degree, and follows him across the world, into a hell she never imagined.
To be honest, at first I wasn’t sure I liked Frankie. I thought her decision to defy her parents and head off to Vietman with very little experience in the real world or in nursing was immature and naive. But I came to admire Frankie’s determination to overcome adversity, the loss of friends and lovers, and struggles she never imagined.
Like so many of my generation, I really don’t remember much of Vietnam. This novel isn’t just about a young girl’s harrowing experiences against the backdrop of a horrible war, but as an in-depth study of a devisive time in American history.
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
Another new author for me, Pam Jenoff worked in the State Department in Poland, covering Holocost issues. Although not her first novel, The Lost Girls of Paris explores the morally ambiguous world of espionage (one of my favorite types of fiction). Set between 1943 and 1946, the novel follows the experiences of three women – Marie Roux, Eleanor Trigg, and Grace Healey – to depict the final days of World War II and its aftermath.
Marie and Eleanor are spies for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), and their stories are set amid the war, while Grace Healey, investigates their activities after the war. The novel alternates between these dual timelines.
Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a wartime department created by Winston Churchill (think MI6). The SOE’s mission is to support resistance movements in Nazi-occupied countries by engaging in sabotage, gathering information, and providing weapons. In 1943, Elenor advises the Director of SOE to use female agents, arguing that they will blend in more effectively. The SOE Director gives Eleanor the job of running the female unit.
This story dives into the personal backgrounds of several of the “lost girls”, but focuses on the training and experience of Eleanor, Marie, and other young women who have volunteered to be radio operators (speaking fluent French was a prerequisite) deep in Nazi territory. These women’s lives are in constant danger as they decipher messages and move around to escape detection. Some don’t succeed.
In alternating chapters, the story moves between the wartime experiences of Eleanor and her “girls” and the post-war experience of Grace. She accidentally discovers a suitcase in Grand Central station containing the photographs of 12 young women – the lost girls. Grace tries to discover their identities and what happened to Eleanor.
Although the characters are fictional, they are based on real life British women spies. Their sacrifice to the cause of freedom is awe inspiring. There is mystery and intrigue, betrayal and bravery as you explore this piece of history.
The story shines a light on a mostly-forgotten sacrifice by a small group of women, a sacrifice that gets lost in general histories of World War II.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
In October I joined our church’s book club. The Frozen River was the chosen book for November. It’s a deep dive into the real life experiences of midwives in colonial America. Our heroine is and I loved her for her bravery, guts, and devotion to her family and community.
I read a Ariel Lawhon book (I Was Anatasia) in 2018, but I really don’t remember it. I’m so glad that this book was a book club choice. This book is the sixth of Lawhon’s historical fiction novels, all of which center on notable female protagonists. She is known for writing “biographical fiction” that adheres closely to the truth of her heroines’ lives.
The book is a historical fiction thriller following Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife in Maine, as she leverages her standing as a medical professional to investigate two crimes: a murder and a rape. Although Martha Ballard is a real person and the time frame is thoroughly researched, much of the characterization is Lawhon’s imagination.
Martha Ballard did write a journal of her life and her midwife experiences. Using Martha Ballard’s life, as recorded in her journal, and the biography written by Laura Thatcher Ulrich – A Midwife’s Tale (1990) – as loose guidelines, Lawhon explores themes of women in colonial America, the system of justice at the time, especially concerning women, and the day-to-day lives of colonial women.
The story is told in first person by Martha, so her actions and thoughts are Lawhon’s. (You can access Martha’s original journal via Ulrich’s book (I bought it.) in her own hand-writing, you’ll see that Martha’s reflections are short, primarily focusing on her midwife cases.
Lawhon makes Martha come alive as she recounts her family life, her relationships with her husband and children, her on-going sadness at the loss of some of her children, and her devotion to her patients. Of course, there is a lot to explore about the lives of colonial women and justice.
Martha is a fascinating character and you will learn so much about what it was like being a woman at this time in history.
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
After I finished The Frozen River, I jumped on another Ariel Lawhon book. Also based on a real life person, Code Name Hélène takes place during World War II. It is a fascinating tale story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.
Hélène was the code name of Nancy Wake, an Australian journalist living in Paris at the outbreak of WWII. She meets, falls in love, and marries a dashing and successful French businessman Henri. Sounds like a love story. And it definitely is. That’s not all the story.
The bulk of the story is about Nancy’s experience as the unsung French Resistance leader who was #1 on the Gestapo’s most-wanted list by the end of the war. Nancy was first recruited to secretly transport Jews and escaped pilots out of Nazi-occupied France. Her roll in the Resistance grows until she becomes a major force in the movement.
The real Nancy was larger than life; bold, bawdy, and brazen—a woman who, as the only female among thousands of French men, was not only respected as an equal but revered as a leader.
The story is told in interweaving timelines and the riveting plot is full of descriptive intrigue.
There was an immense amount of research made regarding this memorable woman. Other biographies have been written about Nancy Wake, but I’m glad this was written as historical fiction and not as a biography.
Nancy Wake was the most decorated women spy in WWII. I loved her for her guts, fearlessness, and devotion to the cause of freedom. Highly recommend.
The Prague Sonata by Bradford Morrow
I picked up this book for two reasons: Sweet Shark and I traveled to Prague a few years ago on a river cruise and we loved the city; secondly, I loved the premise of the story. I am not musical and had to look up what a sonata is.
I was not familiar with Bradford Morrow, although he certainly has extensive literary chops. He is the recipient of the Academy Award in Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He extensively researched this “masterpiece” of a tale. Told in interweaving timelines from World War II to the present, the riveting plot is full of descriptive intrigue.
The Prague Sonata is both a musical mystery and haunting tale of love and devotion to family.
The story begins in 2001 when the pages of a worn and weathered original sonata manuscript – the gift of an elderly Czech immigrant living out her final days in Queens – come into the hands of Meta Taverner, a young musicologist whose concert piano career was cut short by an injury. To Meta’s discerning ear, the music rendered there is commanding, hauntingly beautiful, clearly the undiscovered composition of a master. But there is no indication of who the composer might be.
The gift comes with the request that Meta attempt to find the manuscript’s true owner – a Prague friend the old woman has not heard from since they were forced apart by WWII – and to make the three-part sonata whole again.
Thus begins a journey of discovery and sacrifice, revealing characters from the past who draw Meta into a present day harrowing experience.
Another mystery fueling by motives and characters, both good and evil. A great read.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
I literally finished this book last week on the drive from Atlanta to Nashville. It is the January book choice of my church book club. I started it in Dallas and carried it to Atlanta for the Christmas holidays. I couldn’t put it down.
I didn’t remember the name Lisa See until I looked at my book reading list. I discovered that I had read her Peony in Love in 2009. This latest book is one of my all time favorites.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is the true story of the life of Tan Yunxian, a female physician who lived in imperial China during the Ming dynasty (1400’s) and whose collection of her cases is the earliest surviving Chinese medical text written by a woman.
Tan Yunxian was a real historical figure who published a book about her career as a physician, but little is known about her personal life. Fortunately for us, See makes the story feel like a fairy tale about a young girl who follows in her grandmother’s footsteps to learn medicine and administer to the women in her large aristocratic household.
We begin when Yunxian is seven as she deals with the early death of her mother and follow her through her life; from adolescence and marriage at fifteen, becoming a mother, and navigating marriage to a high-ranking merchant. Along the way she becomes acquainted with a lower class midwife and the young girls become friends for life.
Life isn’t easy for women in China at this time, even among the very wealthy and high class. They were subservient to their fathers and husbands, knew little of the world outside the family compound, had no say in who they married, and were subjected to the practice of foot binding.
Although the story is about Yunxian (and you will be fascinated by her telling of the tale), the revelations of life in China are just as interesting. She is person who stepped outside the limited boundaries of life set for her. Along the way her devotion to medicine has benefited women for centuries.
Table for Two by Amor Towles
This collection of related short stories in Amor Towles fourth book. I’ve read them all and loved everyone of them. I’m usually not a short story reader, but this collection exhibits Towles’ signature wit, humor, and sophistication.
In Table for Two, Towles, shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella set in Los Angeles. The New York stories, most of which are set around the turn of the millennium, cover topics from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego, to the fateful consequences of brief encounters, and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages.
I hated when they ended. I wanted the stories to keep going.
In the novella “Eve in Hollywood” set in Los Angeles in 1938, we again meet Evelyn Ross, who was featured in Towle’s first book Rules of Civility, as she leaves New York City with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself – and others – in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age.
Throughout the stories, two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next.
I loved these stories. My recommendation is to read Rules of Civility first, then Table for Two. I can’t wait until Towle’s next book comes out.
For more of my favorite books, shop my Favorite Books.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite reads this year. If you want more best book recommendations, check out my favorite books of 2023.
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