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Can we all just agree that February is the new Happy New Year energy and January has been 1,000 days long?! 😂 I’m FINALLY getting to my best fiction books of 2024—all my top favorite reads of the year—and it’s been so fun to look back on all the great books I read.
Some of the books surprised me, some were inevitable, but all of them were impactful in some way.
A lot of these books were on my most anticipated books of 2024 list, but some of them came out of nowhere and really stole the show!
Many of them were also on my best book club books of 2024 list. I can’t wait to see which titles from my new 2025 book releases will become favorites!
PSST: If you don’t know me, HEY. 👋 I’m a book blogger and professional freelance editor, so books are my world. Happy you found me! I read pretty diversely—mostly “book club books” or domestic fiction, but you’ll see lots of literary fiction, romance, and thrillers on my nightstand. Stick around if you’re looking for your next read!
Best Fiction Books of 2024 to Read ASAP
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
I had a feeling I would love The Cemetery of Untold Stories when I learned the premise. A writer buries all her unfinished manuscripts and they “come to life”? Are you serious?! But the prose, the characters, the complex storytelling. . . . I was blown away by the whole reading experience.
And maybe I shouldn’t have been. I mean, it is Julia Alvarez, after all. But still. This is a slice of Dominican history. It’s a magical realism book that explores how the stories of our lives ripple out into others’ stories—and how none of us is ever truly finished growing and changing.
Julia Alvarez plays with the Mexican proverb “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.” The whole story is poignant, striking, and clever.
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
You guys know how I felt about Same As It Ever Was (here’s the full review!) and Claire Lombardo in general. Wow. What a book. It was such a chunker, but I still didn’t want it to end. The characters were so well drawn; every scene felt so intimate.
While the characters were flawed and I had some major issues with Julia Ames, our main protagonist, I still rooted for her. Perhaps it’s because I’m a mom and every raw depiction of motherhood feels like something to be honored, but I just couldn’t get enough of this story.
I also think there’s something to be said for stories that capture the Messy Middle. Love stories that have more to do with forgiveness, clawing out of the depths, and weathering together . . . when you can put that on paper? You know it’s something special.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
As you know by my Margo’s Got Money Troubles review, this was my most surprising read of 2024 that I loved. I can’t lie: The synopsis had me questioning if it would be for me. But so many readers I trust were telling me to pick it up, and it did not disappoint.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is the story of Margo, a young woman who navigates single motherhood with an infant, unemployed. She creates an OnlyFans account as a last-ditch effort to make some cash, and what follows is a hilarious, deeply moving story of a young woman figuring out who she is and what she has to offer in this crazy internet-obsessed world.
Margo’s estranged father, Jinx—who happens to be a famous ex-pro wrestler, because why not?—comes into the picture, and their relationship is my favorite.
If you haven’t given this book a chance yet, please reconsider. It’s got everything you could love in a book: Quirky characters, beautiful prose, complex POVs and storytelling, interesting plot, romance, and that big-hearted quality that just makes you melt.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
I know I’m not alone here! You know from my The God of the Woods review that this was one of my favorite books of 2024 because of the multilayered characters, mystery, setting, and captivating prose.
Liz Moore can do no wrong in my eyes. Well, okay, every author can do wrong, but I’m telling you, her books live up to the hype.
The God of the Woods isn’t thriller-y, necessarily, but it has everything a good literary mystery should. The timelines felt complex at first—a bit of a slow burn—but once the story gets going it was so compelling I couldn’t put it down.
If you like a sufficiently creepy, atmospheric summer camp book with family secrets, intriguing characters, and a chilling mystery unraveling with slow and deliberate tension that will simply MAKE YOUR STOMACH HURT . . . yeah. You need to read this one.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Funny Story is definitely one of my favorite Emily Henry books. It was closest to Book Lovers, I’d say, but it had the friendships and self-discovery of Happy Place and the banter of Beach Read.
In my Funny Story review, I mentioned how the story itself was fun and charming, and I love how Emily Henry flips a romance trope on its head and always offers classic rom-com vibes with so much substance.
Funny Story was one of my favorite books of 2024, and I have to say, I think it’s because Miles was her best love interest/boyfriend yet. He’s lovable and still flawed, and they definitely had a little sunshine-and-grump dynamic (with Daphne as the grump).
If you haven’t read Funny Story yet and you’re a romance reader, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. But if you’re hesitant to stick your toes in, let me just say, it’s worth it.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
The Heiress was one of my first reads of 2024, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the year. This is such a fantastic gothic suspense mystery, and the epistolary format made it a 5-star read for me.
Maybe it’s because the book was set in the Blue Ridge mountains (close to where I live), but I just couldn’t get enough of this book. It’s a dark family inheritance story full of secrets and betrayal and scandal . . . I was paranoid the whole time reading!
Ruby is one of the strongest characters I’ve read, and I was deeply invested for the whole story. The twists and turns at the end of the book delighted me, and I think most mystery and thriller readers would find this book entertaining.
My Favorite New-to-Me Books I Read in 2024
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
I knew this book was a favorite for many of my reader friends, but I was not prepared for how much I was going to love this backlist book! I think it’s the perfect book club book, and the characters and plot are so unique.
I mean, we get a POV from an octopus?! I was not sure how that was going to go, but I absolutely adored it.
This heartwarming story has it all, including intergenerational friendship and found family. The mystery and how everything ties together was unexpected and beautiful.
At its heart, Remarkably Bright Creatures is about the resilience of the human heart, the power of persevering in grief, and the joy of discovering what lights us up.
The interconnected themes, the writing style, and the characters I’ll think about for a long, long time were what made this book a top favorite for me.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I finally read The Secret History and, my God, it was as beautiful as everyone said it would be. It did put me in a bit of a reading slump—it was so sad!—but I appreciated it so much. Donna Tartt basically invented the dark academia genre, and adding this to my fall reading list couldn’t be more perfect.
The dreamlike, atmospheric quality paired with Donna Tartt’s beautiful writing and bizarre but intriguing characters kept me engaged the whole time.
If you haven’t read this classic and you like that dark academia aesthetic, you should give it a go. It’s not for everyone, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. But I enjoyed it so much.
The Storied Life of. A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Will I ever tire of the curmudgeonly, pretentious character who falls in love and sees the world through fresh, softer eyes? Never. Especially when the love he stumbles into isn’t romantic love. Sure, there’s romance in this book, but it’s so much more than that.
This is a story about a cranky, grieving, lonely bookstore owner who finds himself raising a baby girl he can’t help but almost instantly love. Plus, it’s an ode to story in its own right—you’ll see what I mean.
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is a heartwarming story about second chances and the life-changing power of literature. It’s about how books unite us in unlikely ways, naming what we love long after we’re gone.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
This was my first experience reading Patti Callahan Henry and definitely won’t be my last.
Pssst: She has a new book coming out this spring, and it’s one of our book club picks for No Thanks We’re Booked. Join us, won’t you?!)
The Secret Book of Flora Lea is another book about the beauty of story (I’m sensing a theme!), and it’s a lovely historical fiction book with unforgettable characters and a tear-jerking plot.
I was immersed the whole time, which isn’t surprising, given the level of research. She really does so much work to ground the reader in this specific time and place.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea is part mystery, historical fiction, and even a little fantasy. It’s a WWII dual-timeline novel about Operation Pied Piper and two sisters who use their imaginations and a secret fairy tale to cope with everything happening around them.
The quaint English countryside was idyllic, and the whimsy and beauty of Whisperwood kept me turning pages.
I’d love to know what your best fiction books of 2024 were—or your favorite new-to-you reads of last year. Personally, I thought it was a pretty great reading year, and I can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring!
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