Top 20 Books That I LOVED In 2024

I’m a sucker for a good list! I love to write book reviews, even when I don’t love the books. Here is a list of my favorite books that I read last year. Some were published in 2024, and some were published much earlier. I will put the link to my original review, if I wrote one. If you need help finding a book to read this year, hold on to this list.

What Order Are They In?

The first book was my favorite book of the whole year. Except for this book, the list is in the order that I read them. IF you haven’t read the first book, please do. It is incredibly good.

My List:

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
- You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/424yfgl
- My review: https://judiholst.com/the-borrowed-life-of-frederick-fife-a-heartfelt-review/
- My Why: This book made me laugh out loud so many times.
- Genre: Fiction & Humor

2. The Women by Kristin Hannah

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/3Wass5n
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6114916987
My Why: I laughed, cried, and felt all of the feels while reading this book. It was wonderful historical fiction. You have to love a strong female character.
Genre: Historical Fiction

3. Iron Flame (The Empyrean Book 2) by Rebecca Yarros

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/3PrTMrV
My Why: This is the second book in the series. Yes, you should read The Fourth Wing first. The third book in the series comes out this month, and I’m incredibly excited to read it. The first book in this series started my new appreciation of the fantasy genre.
Genre: Fantasy

4. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/409VS4q
My Why: This book had everything. It was probably my second favorite book of the year, and in my top ten of all time. People of all ages would love this book. It was a heartwarming story that still hangs out in my mind.
Genre: Fiction

5. The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/425ELU1
My review: https://judiholst.com/book-tours/ (You will need to scroll down to find it)
My Why: This book touched my heart, and at times, it was hard to read. It would be a great book for discussion in a high school and/or college classroom. I read many, many books about The Holocaust and WWII, but this one really stuck with me. It was a little bit of a different take than other books I have read.
Genre: Historical Fiction

6. The #1 Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4gJ4eHp
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6336292828
My why: I loved that it mixed a courtroom drama with a mystery. It started a wee bit slow, but then I ended up loving it.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

7. The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/3BLUnBG
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6341193555 – You can find it on my blog, but you would have to scroll to find it. https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
My Why: UGLY FACE CRY! If you are looking for a beautifully-written love story, you will love this book. It did hit me personally in many ways, but it is an incredible book.
Genre: Fiction

8. Made For You by Jenna Satterthwaite

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4j4X1mI
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6341194354 or you can scroll down on my blog: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
My Why: This book was funny, mysterious, but what I liked most of all was that it made me think. I love books that have to do with AI, and then this also pulled in pop culture.
Genre: Science Fiction / Mystery

9. Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/3Ppkl0G
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6341194954 or on my blog.
My Why: This was her last book in her Nantucket series, and it was my favorite one. You should read these books in order. She references many things in her previous books. This book has more mystery than usual. It includes friendship, family drama, and romance. However, my favorite part is always the characterization in HIlderbrand’s novels.
Genre: Fiction

10. The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/40oftzh
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6341197630 or on my blog
My Why: You are going to relate to this book if you are an administrator, office staff, nurse, counselor, custodian, or teacher. I laughed throughout the book and related to so many incidents in the book.
Genre: Fiction / Humor

11. Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4jlh9RR
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6396367134 or on my blog
My Why: I was incredibly sad when I finished this book because I didn’t want it to end. It was like saying goodbye to my all-time favorite character once again. Moran’s thorough research showed what was actually real in the movie The Sound of Music. It also revealed what wasn’t.
Genre: Historical Fiction

12. My Daughter’s Lies by Julia Roberts

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/409twri
My Review: https://judiholst.com/book-tours/ (scroll down)
My Why: This book explores the bond within a family. It delves into the love between best friends. Additionally, it unveils the secrets that can tie all of them together. It’s a good mystery.
Genre: Mystery

13. The Family Experiment by John Marrs

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4h17sFY
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6494887305 or on my blog
My Why: I can’t stop thinking about the story. This mixes two of my favorite topics right now: AI and reality tv. It is a book filled with drama, comedy, suspense, and science fiction. It is part of a series, but you can read this as a standalone book.
Genre: Science Fiction / Suspense

14. Feral Maril & Her Little Brother Carol by Leslie Tall Manning

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/3PpOTj2
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6510285929
My Why: This book will have you feeling all of the feels. It made me laugh, cry, get mad, and be happy, sometimes all in one chapter. It sheds light on the foster care system in our country, which sometimes works well and sometimes it doesn’t. Isn’t the cover cute?
Genre: Fiction

15. The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4gEDsQu
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6576924514
My Why: This is listed as a YA book. However, I think it’s more of an adult book. This is due to the issues involved in the story. It’s a great clash of fantasy meets real world, and it’s beautifully written.
Genre: Fantasy

16. Catch The Sun by Jennifer Hartmann

You can buy the book at: https://amzn.to/4j3Cdfp
My Review: https://judiholst.com/catch-the-sun-by-jennifer-hartmann-a-captivating-coming-of-age-love-story/
My Why: Maybe it’s the coming-of-age love story that made me enjoy this book so much. It could be the well-developed characters or the intense storyline at times. All I know is that I didn’t want this book to end. My husband loved this book also.
Genre: YA / Fiction

17. The One by John Marrs

You can buy this book at: https://amzn.to/3ZZ4dYQ
My Why: This is the first book in the series for the book The Family Experiment. I’m not sure which one I loved more, but Marrs really makes you think, “What If…?” There is a show on Netflix that is based on this book, but it wasn’t the same at all. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the show.
Genre: Science Fiction

18. Lies He Told Me by James Patterson and David Ellis

You can buy the book at: https://amzn.to/40otRYm
My Review: https://judiholst.com/why-lies-he-told-me-is-a-must-read-thriller-by-james-patterson-and-david-ellis/
My Why: I read this book in two days because there were so many surprises throughout the story. The characters were relatable, and I would switch back and forth between cheering them on.
Genre: Psychological Thriller / Mystery

19. The Final Orchard by CJ Rivera

You can buy this book at: https://amzn.to/4204XzB
My Review: https://judiholst.com/the-final-orchard-a-must-read-sci-fi-debut-by-cj-rivera/
My Why: If you are a fan of The Fourth Wing series, The Maze Runner series or the show “The Black Mirror,” then you are going to love this book too. The characters are well-written and believable. I cheered on so many of the characters, and I wasn’t sure who was the antagonist at times.There are themes of friendship, love, family, evil, and scientific advancements.
Genre: Science Fiction

20. Christmas in Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey

You can buy this at: https://amzn.to/3DXZG1e
My Why: I needed a heartwarming book to read before Christmas and this was perfect. I actually waited a year to read it. It is the 4th book in the Peachtree series. Yes, you should read them in order. If you are a fan of The Gilmore Girls or stories about sisters, you will like this book.
Genre: Fiction / Romance

I’m excited to come across my favorite books in 2025! If you are someone who loves reading, or you are just starting out and hoping to find a good book, I hope this list will be helpful. What was your favorite book of 2024?