With the purgatorial gap between Christmas and the New Year upon us, I thought I'd share my top five books I read in 2024. As an author with a debut novel coming out in the next few months, I made a resolution to read a lot of new releases over the last year. I read a total of 61 books, and while many of these were mid and I DNFed a handful, these five have stuck---and will stay with me---for a long time. Please note -- these are not books that were published in 2024, but that I read in 2024. Now that we've clarified that point, here they are:
#5 - The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2024)
This book has it all - historical fiction, a murder mystery, family drama and a healthy dose of romance between a husband and wife. I really enjoyed the author's voice and would have loved for the story of Martha Ballard to continue beyond this novel. I read this book within a week several days ago, and will definitely be checking out the author's back list!
#4 - Middletide by Sarah Crouch (2024)
Middletide is a literary mystery which I devoured in two days, although the atmospheric writing should be properly savored. Again, this is a murder mystery (blame my up-brining on Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Mary Stewart) with dashes of police procedural and romance. Middletide was Sarah Crouch's debut, and I can't wait for her next novel!
OH, this book stole my heart! I read The Bodyguard back in June in a single night and it was the first book I read all year which literally made me laugh out loud. A local Houston author, Katherine Center has wickedly funny wit, and her pacing and humor are unmatched. She is undoubtedly the queen of sweet romantic comedies, and this one ticked every single box for me -- even my need to have some twists and turns in the plot! This was my first KC book and after consuming all her backlist (all fun, all uplifting), I can say that this book is the run-away favorite for me. Keep an eye our for her next book, The Love Haters, releasing in 2025.
Long Bright River had me in a choke-hold over the two days I read it (and it is not a short book). An expertly-crafted literary suspense novel, the story follows two sisters---one a police officer, and the other a prostitute--on the streets of Philadelphia. The twists, turns and pristine telling of the story held me captive the whole time. Liz Moore had another book release this year, but her voice in Long Bright River truly shines, and is my preferred of the two. Buy it or borrow it from the library, you will not be disappointed (although you might need to scream, cry, or enter therapy---or all three---by the end of the book.)
A prison book-club, parrots, and a girl who finds herself a stranger in her hometown. I can't say too much more other than this is the best book I've read in years. It doesn't have a perfectly tied-up ending, the characters are beautifully flawed, and every. single. sentence. is chock-full of gems. It's an exquisite read, and a book I know I'll re-visit again and again. Read it, read it, read it.
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