My favorite books of 2024

We're well on our way into 2025 and there are so many books I want to read. They just keep coming! I wish I were a faster reader and could get through a good story every few days but things like my job, my family and all the other good things in my life tend to get in the way. With all that in mind, I try to read thirty books a year but last year I fell short of that goal as I spent a lot of my extra time working on my own novel. These six books were my favorites from last year and if you haven't read any of them yet, maybe my review will talk you into cracking one of them open very soon!

1. The Women: I think it's safe to say that Kristin Hannah has turned into a household name in women's fiction. Her writing and storytelling has only gotten better over the years and this book is no exception. This newest title was immersive in that it seemed like I could feel the heat and grime of the wartime hospital in Vietnam. I was there with the characters for all the pain, fear, joy and compassion that fill every corner of the book. There are so many stories and movies about the war vets but I'd never heard a rendition about the women who served and all that they endured. Volunteering to work in a war zone and all the trauma it promises and then returning home to a country that is not glad you served... I'm not giving anything away, I promise. We all know the basic history of Vietnam but you've never heard this story before. It's a must read book and I loved it from beginning to end.

2. Bad Summer People: The scene is set with a wealthy group of people who summer on an island on the east coast of the United States. They leave behind their real lives in New York City and spend their days playing tennis, drinking and gossiping. The thing about a summer place is you can be whoever you want to be and people don't need to know what you're hiding back home, the mistakes you're currently making and what you're trying to forget. But at some point, when enough pressure is applied, the glossy facades people cast start to melt and there's nothing to hide behind. It's basically a tried and true recipe for a good scandal.

3. By Any Other Name: I loved this book and its premise. The author builds a strong case to support a theory that Shakespeare was not the author of the works credited to him. This story is about a woman in England in the 1600s and a woman in New York City in the present day. One is trying to survive, the other, trying to find success and significance. Both risk everything in the stories they tell and each take a journey that makes for such a good read. I have to admit that the 1600s character was my favorite. Her love stories and heartache kept me turning the page. It was a book I was sad to finish.

4. Fourth Wing: My sister in law told me about this book last year and if I'm honest, she lost me at dragon's and fantasy. I've never been that interested in fantasy novels and dragons are not my mythical reptile of choice. Until now. There is a reason this book has had such huge success... like HUGE. The characters are fantastic and I'll just say this: The spice level is insane. For some, that can mean super raunchy details but what I mean when I say this is that the romantic tension is strung tight and the author delivers. It was so so good. And the world she creates feels real. This book is absolutely a stunner and if you haven't read it yet, try it! You might find out you love romantasy just as much as I apparently now do. (I'm not sure on the rest of that category but this series... I'm all in!)

5. Hello Stranger: Imagine you're a portrait artist. Not the cheesy one doing caricature in Central Park but the truly classic artist who can paint a picture that looks like a photograph. Now imagine that you end up with face blindness. I didn't know it was something to be worried about but it's a real thing. The main character now has to navigate her social life and the future of her art career. Let's just say she fumbles but it turns out to be the best thing to ever happen to her. I'd honestly read this one again.

6. America For Beginners: A mother in India goes on a hair brained trek to America to find her son. She is worried and determined to figure out where he went. With characters that feel like they're right in front of you, as real as can be, you will travel across the country, seeing it all for the first time and by the end, you'll be cheering for everyone to be happy and find what they're looking for. It was such a beautiful story!

What were your favorite books from the last year? I'd love to know!

That's all I've got for now. It's snowing outside and I've got people waiting for me to do something more interesting than stare at my laptop screen!

xo Bon