Thanks to MM Jones for today’s list of Favorite Books read in 2024. It’s fun to see what others have enjoyed during the reading year. I’m sure others will enjoy the list, too.
Category – DEBUT
Sleeping in the Sun by Joanne Howard
Two visitors arrive at a home in India where an American missionary family is living during the British Raj. Truths unravel, disrupting life and challenging the family’s sense of home. A unique historical angle.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A remarkable debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago. Loneliness and hope.
Category – MYSTERY/SUSPENSE
The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy
This is the only book I’ve read by this author, he notes it is unlike anything else he’s written. Definitely unlike any book I’ve read.
David Asha wants to tell you a story about three people: Elliott Asha, his son; Ben Elmys, a surrogate father and David’s trusted friend who might also be a murderer; Harriet Kealty, a detective determined to find the truth.
The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas
The best-selling author of detective novels, Emilia Ward is plunged into a nightmare when someone starts mimicking the plots of her books in real life. Culminating in the murder of someone she knows in the same way as a victim in the book she’s currently writing.
Category – NONFICTION
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon
A myth-busting, eye-opening account of how humans evolved, offering a paradigm shift in our thinking about the pivotal role in human evolution.
Category – AUDIO
The Searcher (2020) and The Hunter (2024) by Tana French
The story of Cal Hooper, a former Chicago police officer, as he investigates the disappearance of a teenager in a rural Irish village. The novel explores what we risk if we don’t search for truth and what we sacrifice in the process. Wonderful dialogue.
Thank you, MM!
Another great list!
Thanks for your list MM. I recently purchased Sleeping in the Sun, based on your post a while back. Now that I know it’s on your list of favourites I’ll have to get to it sooner rather than later!
Both Remarkably Bright Creatures (one my older daughter raved about too) and The Other Side of Night sound as though they might be emotionally draining, so I’ll have to pick my moment carefully to read them.
Sounds like some good books. I’ve heard of a couple, but the others were new to me.
Thanks for the recommendations, MM. I also thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was a great read and very much enjoyed The Searcher. Haven’t moved on to The Hunter yet, but I own it, so I’ll get to it.
Good list. Thanks. I haven’t read any of them, but there are more than a couple that sound really interesting. One of the beauties of these different lists is seeing how many different authors, styles and books there are out there. Looking forward to the rest of the lists.
Thanks for the opportunity to review my year Lesa. I was in a rare reading slump at the time, so a look-back on how many books I enjoyed was just the boost I needed.
And thanks to everyone for their kind words and Thursday book suggestions. This group makes reading even more enjoyable.
Thank you, MM, for taking the time to put the list together. The rest of us readers enjoy seeing the lists. Thank you!
Thank you for your list, MM. The only one I’ve read is Remarkably Bright Creatures, which I loved.
Great list! I added a couple to my list. Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to everyone. I was really disappointed when the secondary novel list that the district is considering for next year, picked Educated instead of Remarkably Bright Creatures for high schoolers to read.
Thanks so much for sharing your list! I am a big Tana French fan and enjoyed the two you mention.
What a great list MM! I haven’t read any of these and I’ll be looking for quite a few of them now. Sleeping in the Sun, The Other Side of Night, The Woman Who Lied, and both of the Tana French books look especially interesting,
Lists are so much fun to read – thank you for taking the time to put yours together.
What variety! I want to read Remarkably Bright Creatures and I am sure I will get to The Searcher and The Hunter someday.
Thank you, again, MM, for sharing your Favorites!