My Favorite Books of 2024

Though readers are an increasingly rare breed, publishers are putting out more books than ever. And of the countless thousands of books published this year, it’s almost impossible to pick what’s “best,” because even the most obsessive reader consumes only a few hundred books a year, many of them not published in that specific calendar year. So it’s kind of suspicious when nearly every best-of-the-year book list reads the same. Usually, those lists encompass “literary works that got the most publicity and weren’t horrible.” But being a reader is a very personal thing, where individual tastes should apply more than to any other art form. Here’s where my individual tastes led me this year:

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo: Bardugo, perhaps best known for her young-adult novels set in the Grishaverse, weaves a story of Jewish magic and romance in her newest. Luzia Cotado is a servant in Inquisition-era Madrid, thrust into court intrigue once her employer discovers her magic skills. Luzia must learn to wield her power while dodging discovery of her Jewish roots and also her burgeoning feelings for tutor Santángel. Spicy, messy royal intrigue with spells? Sign me up. 

The God of the Woods, Liz Moore: This is both thriller – two missing children, 14 years apart – and a deep exploration of class, family, and freedom. That means it’s the best sort of thriller, where plot, character and world-building all mesh to make deeper themes evident but not didactic. Moore takes us deep inside the rich, dysfunctional Van Laar family and the coterie of blue-class workers who populate their world, anchored at a sleepaway camp in the Adirondacks. Moore traces stifling expectations on multiple fronts, heading towards a surprising and satisfying conclusion. 

The Hollywood Assistant, May Cobb: Look, I will happily read anything Cobb writes, because she is the mistress of women making poor but wildly entertaining choices. You can look forward in 2025 to the Starz series based on The Hunting Wives, which wrapped filming in the summer. Her latest, drawn in part from her own years as a Hollywood assistant, finds young Cassidy with a gig supporting the Sterling family, director Nate (hot, smart) and wife Marisol (hot, likes her adult beverages). Cassidy’s poor self-image combusts with this self-involved pair to create a co-dependent tangle. We know from the beginning that someone in this novel is dead, and Cobb leads us down a few cul-de-sacs of misdirection before the reveal. Witty, immersive fun.

This American Ex-Wife, Lyz Lenz: Lenz mixes memoir with journalistic research to detail the price too many women pay for staying married. Her book illuminates a familiar lament over the enduring imbalance of emotional labor, and she shares the implosion of her own marriage with vulnerability and candor. The book has spawned a podcast, now in its second season. Whatever stage of coupling or singledom you’re at, this chronicle of our cultural devotion to marriage–and Lenz’s devoted rejection of the institution–will encourage you to expand your view of life goals. 

House of Bone and Rain, Gabino Iglesias: I reviewed this novel earlier in the year, and it continues to be on my most-recommended list for people wondering what to read next. Equal parts revenge fable, coming-of-age story, and monster tale, this book takes readers deep into the lives of five Puerto Rico teens, bound together by their lives and their hunt for a murderer. I remain captivated by the characters and the complexity of their world.