Another year come and gone! How is it possible? I feel like I was just writing this post for last year not all that long ago!
I’m sure I’m so baffled in part because I didn’t keep up with this blog very well this year, and for that I do apologize. Team Henry had a lot going on in 2024 and I fell behind on a lot of things. But my New Year’s Resolution is to keep up with my writing commitments better! So hopefully you’ll be seeing me a bit more on the regular in 2025. Wish me luck!
I also could have done a little better with reading in 2024. I didn’t have as much time and zest for it as I normally do, and I even ended up taking a long hiatus from both reading and writing all together in the later half of the year. Struggling with a little burnout, I used the time for travel and catching up around the house instead. However, the reading chair wasn’t completely vacant, and I did stumble across some truly remarkable works. Some classics that I was way overdue to read, some lesser-knowns I had never heard of before, and some new releases that were high up on my TBR. Although some reads that I had high expectations of did disappoint me this year, there were still a lot of stand-outs in unexpected places. Reads that taught me lessons, hit on some hot topics, struck me right in the feels, and one that even felt like a hello from my departed and very much missed grandmother.
Below, in no particular order, is a list of some of my favorite reads from 2024. Let me know about your favorites in the comments!
Roots – Alex Haley
Wow, and I mean that on many fronts. First – it’s a “wow” that it took me this long to pick up this amazing piece of literature, following the story of Kunta Kinte, captured by slave catchers in Africa, shipped to America, and sold into slavery. The epic tale also includes the stories of his enslaved daughter Kizzy and his descendants through her. I had seen the series (starring LeVar Burton) in junior high, but I never quite got around to actually reading the book. Until now. From page one, I was completely sucked into the story and I can see why it became such an iconic classic. Read this amazing, gripping, heart-wrenching, but ultimately inspiring book to learn about the evils of slavery and racism, and how important it is to do our part in stamping it out for good.
Nine Perfect Strangers – Liane Moriarty
It isn’t the first time Ms. Moriarty has found her way onto this list. Her books are just highly entertaining page-turners, and I reached for this one in the winter doldrums when I needed something to re-spark my reading fire. Following the strange goings-on at an even stranger health and wellness resort, this book introduces us to some truly entertaining and quirky characters like Frances, a successful writer who is struggling to come to terms with middle age and losing her influence. We also meet the Marconi family, wrapped up in grief and struggling to move forward from their traumas. We meet Ben and Jessica, who won the lottery but lost out on a lot of other more important things. All of these characters and more are overseen by Wellness guru Masha, who may or may not have a secret or two up her sleeve. Not to mention an agenda of her own. A truly intriguing tale, this book definitely snapped me out of my reading slump. Not to mention, it came with a Hulu miniseries that did a pretty bang up job capturing the vibe of the book.
Dopesick – Beth Macy
I had heard about the Opioid Crisis through various news articles and stories over the years. But thankfully, I have little to no direct experience with the dangers of these drugs, and the devastating effects they have had on certain communities, especially in rural America. So, I didn’t know too many of the gritty details. Perhaps that’s why I picked up Beth Macy’s book on the subject. Because it’s always important to educate ourselves, and my oh my, did I learn. From the questionable motives of the unscrupulous people who birthed Oxycontin, to the pharmaceutical propaganda that had a devastatingly far and wide reach, to the first round of victims of overdose and addiction, to the disturbing patterns of addiction and crime waves, to the current legal battles to punish those responsible – Dopesick covers it all in shocking and intense detail. If you do read the book and are looking for a follow-up, the Hulu adaptation of the same name is an outstanding (and often times horrifying) look into the damage these drugs have wrought.
Killers of the Flower Moon – David Grann
“Hm, that looks interesting.” That’s what I said when I saw the first trailer for the highly anticipated movie Killers of the Flower Moon. However, Scorsese’s pictures tend to come with a bit too much violence for me (not to say they aren’t excellent, I just usually need my TV and movies to be lighter). So, I proceeded with caution and decided to read the book first. Always a wise choice, in my humble opinion. The story of the Osage, their oil wealth, and the mysterious string of violent murders it provoked was indeed a very intriguing tale, and a good reminder of the greed and corruption that often times follows a fortune around. Especially when racism is thrown into the mix. The story was so chilling that I finished the page-turner of a book in just a few short days. As for the movie – well, I confess I haven’t seen it yet. But I’ll get around to it, I promise.
This Tender Land – William Kent Krueger
I’d seen this book around for quite some time, but it wasn’t until this year that I finally decided to pick it up and give it a read. I’m very glad I did so. Following the (mis)adventures of Odie O’Bannion and his older brother Albert, this story opens with the two of them being the only white children in the horribly abusive Lincoln Indian School – one of the many questionable boarding schools that Native American children were forced to attend. When an altercation between Odie and one of the teachers ends with that teacher’s accidental death, Odie, Albert, their friend Mose, and an orphaned girl named Emmy escape the school and take to the river using a beat up old canoe. In hopes of reaching far away St. Louis to connect with their only remaining family, Odie and Albert end up taking Mose and Emmy on a series of twists and turns that only a raging river and a life on the run can provide. I highly recommend this book that put me very much in mind of my favorite novel – “the Grapes of Wrath.”
The Angel Tree – Lucinda Riley
Despite her quite successful writing career before her passing in 2021, I had actually never read anything by Lucinda Riley until I saw this book sitting on a neat winter display shelf in the library. It was definitely a little outside my usual genres of choice, but I decided to give it a go, and I really ended up enjoying it. The story begins with Greta – who is suffering from amnesia after a terrible accident. When she goes home for Christmas for the first time in years, she finds the grave of her long-dead son, whom she doesn’t even remember. And so begins a quest to recapture her lost memories. The story then introduces us to a much younger Greta and her life of some interesting ups and terrible downs, which eventually includes a troubled daughter Cheska, and a granddaughter, Ava. All threaded together by a long-time friend and love interest – David. In the end, this book was perfect for curling up on the couch with, and it was a great way to pass a terrible ice storm in January!
Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng
Nothing beats a good family drama novel. I’ve been known to pick up one or two every year. This one opens with a house fire, and this is how we meet the seemingly picture-perfect Richardson family, one of the better known names in the town of Shaker Heights, Ohio. As the Richardsons – mother Elena, father Bill, and children Lexi, Trip, and Moody – watch their house burn to the ground, the story jumps back a ways to show us when the first fissures appeared in the family’s perfect life. Some of them were started by daughter Izzy, the undisputed “wild card” of the family. But most were started when Elena let the family’s rental home out to artist Mia and her daughter Pearl – two people of mystery who haven’t enjoyed nearly the same privilege as the Richardsons. As Pearl weaves herself into the fabric of the Richardson home, jealousies and tensions crop up between the siblings, and when Elena starts nosing around in Mia’s past, more powder kegs get put into place. What is the match that sets it off and burns down the house? Read and find out. Bonus points that the book takes place in the 1990s.
Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf
I picked up this book solely on the recommendation of a friend, and it ended up being a favorite of the year. In part because Addie, one of the two main characters, made me think a lot about my dearly departed grandmother. In other part because the book was so good (and such a short, easy read) that I finished it in a single morning. In this brief but potent story, we meet Addie and Louis, two widowed elderly neighbors living in the quiet town of Holt, Colorado. When Addie proposes that they keep each other company at night by sleeping next to each other, it sparks an incredibly deep and meaningful relationship between the two. A relationship where they recapture some youth and feel free to examine their lives, but a relationship that is ultimately misunderstood by their friends, family, and the entire town. The book was turned into a film in 2018 starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, and I have every intention of watching it. As well as picking up more books by Kent Haruf.
Powers and Thrones – Dan Jones
This list simply wouldn’t be complete without some representation from the historical department! This year’s highlight was undoubtedly Powers and Thrones, an incredible one-stop-shop that somehow covers the entirety of the Middle Ages from the collapse of Rome, all the way to the Black Death and the social reshuffling that followed it. I picked the volume up for research purposes in my own writing endeavors, and I don’t think I’ve learned more from a single volume. The writing is just perfect, put in simple terms that one doesn’t need an advanced degree or deep knowledge of the era to understand. The coverage is thorough and complete, discussing everything from social order, technology of the era, the rise and falls of many powers, and the constant changing of the maps. I was so blown away by all that Jones managed to fit into a single volume that this book, from the start, seemed like a shoo-in for this year’s top ten. If you need any information on the Middle Ages, I highly recommend it.
Wild – Cheryl Strayed
When my husband and I lived in California, we were quite avid hikers. So much so that we briefly entertained the idea of hiking the John Muir trail in Yosemite Valley, a challenging 200+ mile trek that takes you through some of the area’s most stunning places. But can anyone really complete that much hiking? For Cheryl Strayed, the answer is not only yes, but probably more along the lines of – “200 miles? Hold my beer and watch this.” A book that spent some well-deserved weeks on the NYT best seller list when it came out, “Wild” follows the incredible journey, both emotional and physical, of Cheryl Strayed, a real woman who made the very real decision to hike the famous Pacific Crest Trail – spanning all the way from Southern California to the tippity top of Washington. And just to make things really interesting, she decided to hike it by herself. The book is a powerful testament to strength and endurance, and Cheryl has a way of writing that makes you feel like you’re on the trip right along side her. I enjoyed this read so much not only as a former hiker, but also as a struggling human who sometimes needs the thorough cleansing that only a “wild” adventure can provide. Two thumbs way up for this book, and the movie isn’t so bad either.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Ready Player Two – Ernest Cline
Ready Player One was a big favorite, so reading the sequel seemed like a no-brainer. Even if it did take me some time to get around to it. The whole nerdy gang, now world famous and uber-rich for winning the first quest, are back for this wild virtual tale that involves a second quest to find the mysterious Seven Shards. What they unlock is a mystery that takes the gang some brain power to unravel – and believe me, the time is short and the stakes are high. Read it for the nostalgia references alone.
Yellowface – R.F. Kuang
Publishing is probably one of the harder businesses to break into, unless you’re Athena Liu, a gifted writer of Asian ancestry whose career has really taken off. When she unexpectedly dies, her white and not-so-accomplished friend steals her latest manuscript and publishes it as her own. Which is never a good idea, and will NEVER have good results. As this book potently reminds us.
The One – Jonathan Marrs
Another book picked up on the recommendation of a friend, and another book that I plowed through at warp speed. This book weaves a world where our DNA tells us who are one “perfect match” is – even if that person is all the way on the other side of the world. Or already married. Or already deceased. I mean really, what could go wrong? Lots. I really enjoyed this story, and am plowing through another book by the same author as we speak.
What were your top reads for 2024? Please share them in the comments below!
And if you’re looking for a new read in 2025 – my second novel comes out in March 4, 2025! Click here to learn all about it!
See my Top 10 Lists from other years: