Hey hey, 2025! As we roll into the first week of the new year, I’m taking a look back at what we read in 2024. With physical books and audiobooks combined, I made it through 52 books in 2024. That’s a huge number for me, and I can’t believe I made it through an average of one book per week!
Whether you hit your reading goal or not (or you don’t even set reading goals), I hope you have a few standouts from the year that made you feel all the feels while you read them. I know I have a few!
So, let’s just jump right in. Here are a few of the LQ contributors’ favorite reads of 2024. Here’s to a fantastic reading year in 2025!
Cathy
Peaches & Honey: These Immortal Truths and Pits & Poison: These Godly Lies by R. Raeta
I adored this duology, loved the characters, loved their development, loved the author’s take on immortality and loved the author’s writing. I started listening to my audiobook of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as the story is similar but I noticed that I like R. Raeta’s duology more because of the protagonist’s, Anna, attitude toward immortal life – she’s a bit more proactive, doesn’t seem to feel so down all the time about her immortality which gives the story a slightly more positive vibe throughout.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts
Another book that I absolutely adored and is 100% now one of my all time favourites (having had time to reflect since I read it in August). I love the feel-good vibe to this story, and I love that the characters found what they were looking for under Ms. Komachi’s guidance. I’m a sucker for a happy ending.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Immersion: A Linguist’s Memoir by Linda Murphy Marshall
I’ve read two of Linda Murphy Marshall’s memoirs and I liked this one more than the first. I like it because I also studied foreign languages at uni and find it fascinating to read about what people who studied the same / similar subjects have gone on to do in their careers. Murphy Marshall has had a really interesting career as a linguist in Africa and she shared some insights into each country she spent time in that I probably wouldn’t have read about otherwise. The content, combined with her engaging writing style, make this one of my top reads this year.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal
This book was better than I was expecting it to be. I had expected the tone to be more down and depressing as the protagonist is dealing with the sudden death of her husband. But it was actually quite upbeat and optimistic – really fun and easy to read. I loved the author’s descriptions of Spain – they felt so intimate and animated, like you were actually there with Teresa as she searched for answers about her sudden levitation. It also had some light comic relief and some genuinely touching moments which just made this book perfect for me.
Read my full review of We Need No Wings.
Bookshop.org | Goodreads | Amazon
Jessica
Covenants by Lorna Freeman
I think this was my only stayed-up-all-night, finished-in-under-12-hours read of the year, which should automatically put it at the top of the list. It’s a good ol’ elves and dragons fantasy romp with a fun POV character, solid and humorous prose, and, honestly, just a good time. I’m already itching to read it again!
Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
On the scifi side, I finally picked up a book by Scalzi – who you may have seen in a bookstore recently, on the cover of Starter Villain – and he’s now on my list of authors I’d suggest buying simply on strength of the name. Collapsing Empire was funny and fresh, but it was also one of those books with enough delicately balanced complexity going into presenting a slick and seamless suspense story to showcase some serious writing chops. It gets bonus points for being a book I knew I’d enjoy from the very first sentence.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Joli
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
I listened to The God of the Woods and it quickly became one of my favorite-ever mystery reads. I loved the characters, especially the lead female detective and the disappearing-in-the-woods girl who feels like she has to act so badass. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the summer camp setting…it was all just a great, entertaining listen/read.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
What an incredible book this is. Jennette tells such a vivid story of her childhood, and she somehow puts the reader right smack dab into her pre-teen mind in order to fully demonstrate what her understanding was of her situation at the time. To an adult reader, it’s clear that what her mom was doing to her was incredibly abusive. But to pre-teen Jennette? It wasn’t so clear. And she manages to put you, the reader, into that thought process. Just…wow, you should definitely read this book.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
I listened to The Berry Pickers pretty early in the year, and I could tell it would be a standout no matter what else I liked for the rest of the year. It’s a coming-of-age story of heritage, belonging, and family, and it was beautifully told.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Moth Presents: Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible by Catherine Burns
If you’ve ever listened to an episode of The Moth, then you’re already familiar with the occasional magic you hear in all those stories. I just wish there was a way to make all humans read or hear these true stories told by other humans in many different life situations, from all different backgrounds. Some are humorous, some are raw, some are harrowing…some are all of those. Highly recommend listening to and/or reading stories like these.
Statistically Speaking by Amanda Peters
This sweet little surprise of a book came to me at the very end of the year. Needing something a little bit lighter (but not cheesy), I picked this audiobook from NetGalley. I fell totally in love with it! The narrator was just a perfect choice for the book, there was some cuteness without venturing into cheesy land, and the writing was just quaint and to die for.
Read my full review of Statistically Speaking.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Molly
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women by Balli Kaur Jaswal
I picked this up expecting a nice book club read and ended up loving it way more than I thought I would. Nikki is the perfect embodiment of a young twenty-something just trying to figure out who they’re supposed to be. I had no idea about the mystery aspect going in and was really drawn into the community and the young women going missing. And of course, I loved the widows, their stories, and the way they took Nikki in.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Definitely lives up to the hype! Lyrical, imaginative, and heartbreaking all at once.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers
I absolutely adore everything Becky Chambers writes. These books are so fun, with lovable characters and excellent world-building.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
An unexpected 5 star read for me, as I’d heard mixed reviews. I loved the classic fantasy tropes and the found family aspect. Like Chambers, Kaner uses queer-normative world building which I find really enjoyable.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Harrow is one of my favorite authors, and her latest book was the perfect spooky season read. A haunted house, corrupt businessmen, and creepy ghost creatures in a rust belt town all come together to create an atmospheric setting for a slow-burn romance between plucky Opal and mysterious Arthur Starling.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
This was a really interesting take on time travel and also a fun read. You wouldn’t think that blending sci-fi, mystery, and romance would work, but Bradley somehow pulls it off pretty seamlessly. She explores some pretty serious topics (like government corruption) but keeps it engaging and entertaining at the same time.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Weyward by Emilia Hart
This is one of those books with an irresistible cover that I just had to pick up, but the story lived up to the dust jacket. A beautiful multi-generational tale about three resilient women with a cottagecore/green witch aesthetic.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Renee
Saturnalia by Stephanie Feldman
The occult controls what is left of Philadelphia in this dystopian novel set in a future where the east coast has been ravaged by climate change. Against this backdrop is Saturnalia, the celebration of the winter solstice, bringing about a night full of debauchery and revelry. And by morning, some of the most highly-recognized and influential figures in the city will be dead.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Based on real events mostly involving Ted Bundy, this book spans 4 decades of two women, Pamela and Tina, trying to get justice for their friends who were killed. This book made me consider the effects that true crime podcasts can have when those who were involved don’t participate in them, and the kind of turmoil that speculation can bring to their lives, even years or decades later.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Now You See Us by Bali Kaur Jaswal
This book weaves together the stories of Cora, Angel, and Donita, three women from the Philippines who are living in Singapore as domestic workers. They work for very different families, but they mostly blend into the background. When a woman is found dead and her Filipino helper, Flor, is accused, the 3 women know their friend wasn’t responsible. But they have to prove her innocence without drawing attention to themselves. Beautifully written and woven together to tell the stories of domestic workers in one of the world’s wealthiest cities.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera
This was my favorite audiobook that I listened to all year. It’s framed through an investigative podcast in which Lucy Chase agrees to participate, trying to figure out what happened the night 5 years ago when her best friend Savvy was murdered. Lucy has long been considered a person of interest, but she was a victim in the attack too. She just can’t remember what happened. As podcaster Ben Owens interviews Lucy about her experiences, she starts to remember bits and pieces that might help them get the answers they need.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne
Narrated by the author, this was a very close 2nd in audiobooks for me this year. It’s a fantastic memoir. Griffin Dunne is the son of journalist Dominick Dunne and the nephew of writers John Dunne and Joan Didion. Although a significant part of the book is framed around his sister Dominique’s murder, this is not a heavy book. On the contrary, I laughed out loud quite a bit. I loved the literary celebrity of this memoir with anecdotes about Truman Capote and other writers of the time, whom Dunne encountered through his family’s parties. An actor in his own right, Griffin writes of struggling to make it while still eschewing fame. I also loved how endearingly he wrote of his friendship with Carrie Fisher. Family dynamics (whether blood relatives or found family) loom large in this book.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
That’s our list! What were your favorite reads of 2024?
