The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 2,415 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Kevin G. Chapman ❤️ loved this book because...

The rich language here emphasizes the magnificent accomplishments of the young men from Washington. The author paints the picture of the world in the early 30s, from the Dust Bowl and the desperation of the many unemployed to the burgeoning threat of Hitler in German - the host of the '36 Olympics. The global scope of the story coexists with the individual stories of the boys in that boat. It brings tears to my eyes, and this was my second time through it. Skip the movie and read this amazing book.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Emotions 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Daniel James Brown ,

Why should I read it?

18 authors picked The Boys in the Boat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph in Nazi Germany-from the author of Facing the Mountain.

Soon to be a major motion picture directed by George Clooney

For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times-the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Needles and Pins

Kevin G. Chapman ❤️ loved this book because...

Anna Willett is one of my favorite independent authors. She has the ability to weave together elements of horror, suspense, mystery, police procedurals, and romance in compelling narratives. Needles and Pins leaves you with goose-bumps. The subject matter is difficult, but Ms. Willet's characters are so real and compelling that you sympathize and empathize. It makes you think, it tugs at your heartstrings, and it entertains all at the same time.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Thoughts 🥈 Story/Plot
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Anna Willett ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Needles and Pins as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A female detective sails close to the wind when a murder is discovered.

Detective Veronika Pope is enjoying an idyllic holiday at a beach house on the Coral Sea, when her detective partner asks for help with a cold case.

Arthur Tetley has been missing for ten years. When his body is found wrapped in plastic and buried in the rainforest, the marks it bears are hard to misread.

The business tycoon met a horrific end at the hands of someone who clearly wanted him to suffer in death.

Detective Pope has a hunch someone close to the victim knows…


My 3rd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

Kevin G. Chapman 👍 liked this book because...

I had some problems with this book's plotting, but the characters and story were so compelling that I found myself enjoying it despite my issues. This was a book club read and generated a ton of discussion on many levels. Any book that can do that is worth praise.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Originality
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Matthew Sullivan ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When a bookshop patron dies by suicide, his favorite store clerk must unravel the puzzle he left behind in this "shocking, charming, thrilling" (Associated Press) and award-winning debut novel.

Lydia Smith lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she leads a meticulously ordered existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues, and the BookFrogs—the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day browsing the overwhelmed stacks.

But when a young BookFrog, Joey Molina, hangs himself in one of the upper rooms of the store, Lydia's life comes unglued. Inside one of Joey's pockets is…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

The Other Murder

By Kevin G. Chapman ,

Book cover of The Other Murder

What is my book about?

Sometimes, the most dangerous thing . . . is the truth.
For disgraced cable news producer Hannah Hawthorne, covering the shooting of a pretty NYU sophomore is a chance for redemption. When the story snowballs into a media circus, Hannah’s reporting fans the sensationalistic flames and earns her acclaim. The tragic murder, seemingly the result of random urban gun violence, prompts protests and vigils that further magnify the story.

Meanwhile, Paulo, a reporter for a small online neighborhood newspaper, is following the other murder in Washington Square Park that same night – a Hispanic teen. He discovers an unexpected connection that is political dynamite. When Hannah and Paulo team up, they uncover disturbing facts, leading them to question everything they thought they knew. Their reporting also leads them to the man who might be the killer.
When the story is ready to explode, the truth may be hotter than anyone can handle. Breaking the next scoop could ruin Paulo’s paper and wreck Hannah’s career – and it could get them both killed.

Book cover of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Book cover of Needles and Pins
Book cover of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

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