It’s the most anticipated list of the year: The Top Most Memorable Reads of 2024.
2024
Most Memorable Reads:
I’m linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl: Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Favorite Books of 2024
(5 most memorable + 5 honorable mention + 2 favorite seasonal)
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
It is been fabulous fun this week reading through top ten lists. The variation is striking, demonstrating that reading is a personal experience and that no two readers read the same book!
I mostly love the angst of creating top-ten lists! Although it can be a daunting task, it’s my most anticipated post of the year! First, let me remind you that this list is subjective. It’s comprised of books I’ve read this year (there are always so many more great ones that I didn’t get to), and each one has made it onto this list because the reading experience was enjoyable, memorable, emotional, and gave me a “book hangover.” These are truly unforgettable books that I’ll think about months and years later. If I can’t envision remembering a book on this list years from now, it doesn’t belong on the list.
2024 Disclaimer
Despite setting a new personal best for number of books read (154), you will not find ten titles in my year-end list because I’m labeling 2024 as my year of “the elusive five-star read.” I did have an over-abundance of four-star reads. For any other year, it’s a challenge to LIMIT my most memorable books of the year list to ten.
Many of my most 2024 anticipated reads turned out to be underwhelming and disappointing. A few of the year’s highly buzzed books, I elected not to read because they didn’t match my reading tastes. Even though I read some wonderful four-star books, they did not reach “memorable” status or have that “wow” factor that a five-star rating requires. Reading year-end lists and listening to podcasts, I realized I’m not alone. Many reviewers and podcast hosts report a mostly underwhelming reading year. Did you have the same experience?
Titles are links to my reviews (which contain Amazon affiliate links).
All titles in this post were published this year.
Thanks for sharing great reads with me this year!
Top Five Most Memorable Reads of 2024
Based on the qualities of enjoyment, engagement, compelling, unputdownable, memorable, page-turning, and book hangover.
#1
James by Percival Everett
(Literary Historical Fiction)
Superlative: “Most Powerfully Told”
WHY: This reimagining of Huckleberry Finn from the enslaved Jim’s point of view is emotional and powerfully told. I can’t imagine reading HF without James as a companion read. I have created a FREE Book Club Kit for your book club here. Enjoy!
By the largest margin, I chose James as my #1 read of the year because I love “own voices” authors and diverse, thought-provoking literary fiction.
#2
The Berlin Apartment by Bryn Turnbull
(Historical Fiction)
Superlative: “Most Page-turning Suspense”
WHY: A change from WWII is refreshing! The Berlin Wall was erected and fell in my lifetime so this story is interesting to me historically. I loved the page-turning suspense, and this is most definitely my number 2 memorable read of the year.
#3
By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley
Superlative: “Most Amazing Untold Story”
(Biographical Historical Fiction)
WHY: I love an untold story of a real-life amazing woman.
#4
Hidden Yellow Stars by Rebecca Conolly
(Historical Fiction, WWII, Belgium)
Superlative: “Most Bravery and Determination in WWII”
WHY: A story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the most difficult circumstances….especially saving innocent children…always makes an emotional impact.
#5
The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest For Glory by Thomas Fuller (Journalistic/Narrative Nonfiction)
Superlative: “Most Compelling and Educational”
WHY: I have personal connections to this story: (1) It takes place in Southern California (where I live) and was local news; (2) I once lived near California School for the Deaf and volunteered there for one semester; (3) I took a variety of ASL (American Sign Language) classes for years and developed friendships in the Deaf community. I considered myself “conversational” in ASL at the time (very rusty now). The author brilliantly weaves history of ASL, Deaf culture, and sports into one cohesive story. The Boys of Riverside is Amazon’s 2024 Book of the Year.
The Most Memorable Seasonal Reads of 2024
Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot
5 Honorable Mention
(Plus, the two seasonal titles above)
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Heroes (Middle Grade/Young Adult) by Alan Gratz
The Answer is No (short story) by Fredrik Backman
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
Links to Previous Best-of-Year Posts
Most Recommended Reads of 2017
QOTD:
Share your best read of the year in the comments! Please?! I’d love to hear!
Happy Reading Book Worms
โAh, how good it is to be among people who are reading.โ
~Rainer Maria Rilke
โI love the world of words, where life and literature connect.โ
~Denise J Hughes
โReading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.โ
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
โI read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places weโve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.โ
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
Happy New Year!
Wishing you a year of good health, happiness, and a tall stack of 5 Star, unputdownable, and memorable reads!
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Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
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Congratulations on a great year of reading. Thanks for sharing your favourites!
Wishing you a happy new year ๐ฅณ
Thanks Shelleyrae! Happy new reading year!
I havenโt seen one negative thing from bookish folks I follow about James. Iโm curious about it but am definitely overbooked. ๐ฉ
Itโs TBR worthy! ๐
This is the second list Iโve seen James on so far. You have a book buddy out there somewhere. ๐
Itโs fun to have a clear winner for that #1 spot!
Fab list Carol! I always struggle to make a list as well, so normally don’t join in.
Thanks Nicki! Itโs a year end challenge I enjoy but this year was more difficult than other years.
While you may not have had a lot of five star reads in 2024, it looks like you did find some pretty good books. I will be adding The Boys of Riverside to my TBR, as I love learning more about sports. I hope you have a wonderful 2025!
๏ปฟPam @ Read! Bake! Create!
๏ปฟhttps://readbakecreate.com/my-twelve-favorite-reads-of-2024/
I hope you enjoy Boys of Riverside if you do pick it up! Happy 2025 reading! I’m hopping over to read your post.
Mark Twain’s work was one of the driving forces in my love of reading as a kid. I really want to read James soon. As for my most memorable book? Probably Starter Villain by John Scalzi. It wasn’t profound or inspiring or anything except ridiculous as all get out. And it’s stuck with me just because it’s very quotable. Oh, and the cover is fantastic. ๐
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
James is tbr worthy! Thanks for sharing your most memorable read! Happy new reading year! ๐๐ฅ
I’ve actually heard/seen a number of readers saying the same thing about those elusive 5-star reads. My year has been the same – tons of 4-star reads, but only a few 5-star. I’m notoriously stingy with my stars, but still…I think the best book I read this year was TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA by Brandon Sanderson. The most entertaining was WE SOLVE MURDERS by Richard Osman and the last two books in Benjamin Stevenson’s Ernest Cunningham mystery series.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Hoping our 2025 has an over abundance of 5 star reads! Thanks for sharing your favs! ๐๐ฅ
“Many of my most 2024 anticipated reads turned out to be underwhelming and disappointing.” Same for me! I’m putting the football book on my list of possible gifts for my son.
It was an odd reading year! Canโt go wrong with inspirational youth sports! ๐
I really do need to get to James in 2025! Looks like you read some terrific books this past year — here’s to many more!
Itโs tbr worthy!
[…] Don’t miss my Most Memorable Reads of 2024 post here. […]
I’ve read only 2 of these, Carol, but you recommended By Her Own Design for 12 Friends 12 Books so I will definitely be reading it this year. Nice list! Happy New Year!
Thanks! Enjoy OwnDesign!
I’m looking forward to it.
[…] See this post for my most memorable reads in 2024. […]
[…] love the way Sarah and her guests talk about and review books. One of my most memorable books of 2024 came to me as a result of this episode. Every other […]
I felt like it was a lackluster year, too, but on the other hand, I have given out MORE 5 stars than either last year or the year before! What gives? For some reason, I think I was being more generous, or giving stars for different reasons, like, it’s an important subject. And most of my highly anticipated novels by favorite authors DID live up to the hype—-for instance, The River We Remember, by WK Kent, How to Read a Book by M Wood, Tell Me Everything by E Strout, I Cheerfully Refuse by L Enger, and We Solve Murders by R Osman. I also discovered some new authors like Claire Lombardo for Same As It Ever Was, and Anna Quindlen for After Annie! So, I don’t know why, every month, I could hardly decide on a favorite book for the month, I felt like it wasn’t stellar. Maybe because I read 109 books, there were too many clunkers in there?
Interesting reading year for you! I need to read the new Enger book! I loved How to Read a Book (characterization is amazing, plot is unique, and writing is stellar!). The age gap romance was a bit off putting which kept it from being a WOW read. Thanks for sharing your favs! Happy new reading year! ๐ฅ
James seems to be everybody’s favorite. I guess that means I need to read it. ๐
Itโs tbr worthy, memorable, well written, and powerfully told. ๐
[…] Don’t miss my Most Memorable Reads of 2024 post here. […]
[…] Don’t miss my Most Memorable Reads of 2024 post here. […]
[…] See this post for my most memorable reads in 2024. […]
[…] but the last two years have been lean. Last year (2024), I couldn’t make a list of ten (see my top five). I’ve heard other reviewers comment on their lack of five-star reads as well. Previous posts […]
[…] James by Percival EverettI’ve created a FREE Book Club Kit for James for your book club!See my complete list for the year here: Most Memorable Reads of 2024. […]