2024 in Books
Like many years before, I aimed to be an avid reader in 2024 - and this time I actually succeeded! I finished 50 books across nearly 17,000 pages this year. Looking at my StoryGraph stats, it’s clear that my reading habits continue to evolve and grow.
Statistics
A few interesting breakdowns from my reading year, courtesy of The StoryGraph:
- Read 50 books total (up 6% from 2023!)
- The pace was split pretty evenly between medium (56%) and fast (44%)
- September was my most prolific month with 2,251 pages read
- July brought my highest average ratings at 5.0
- I explored works from 37 new authors this year, including David Grann, Michelle McNamara, and Bee Wilson
- 14 of the books were part of series
Best of the Best
Best Fiction
All the Light We Cannot See is a historical novel that follows a blind French girl and a German boy whose lives intersect amidst the devastation of World War II. It emerged as my favorite fiction read of the year. The interweaving narratives and masterful prose created an unforgettable reading experience that stayed with me long after turning the final page.
Best Nonfiction
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness stood out as the most impactful nonfiction book I encountered this year. Its insights into modern challenges and practical wisdom make it essential reading for understanding our current moment. It has been widely (and rightfully) praised as a transformative work that courageously confronts the emotional undercurrents of our time.
Must Reads
Here’s a curated selection that I think deserves special attention:
Must Read for Parents
The Anxious Generation provides crucial insights for anyone raising children in today’s complex world. While potentially uncomfortable at times, it offers practical frameworks for supporting the next generation. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the emotional challenges of raising children in today’s world, and it lives up to the hype you’ve probably heard about it.
Must Read for Spiritual Seekers
Comedy Sex God might seem like an unusual recommendation for spiritual reading, but its unique perspective on faith, meaning, and personal growth makes it a standout choice for anyone exploring their spiritual path.
Must Read for Americans
The Small and the Mighty offers essential stories that reshape our understanding of American history through the lens of overlooked change-makers. It’s the kind of book that makes you question what else you might not know about our shared history.
Highly Recommended
While there weren’t many books I truly disliked this year, several stand out as particularly worthy of recommendation:
C.S. Lewis’s Short Stories Even as someone who has read much of Lewis’s work, these stories surprise me. They showcase his mastery of narrative while carrying the same philosophical weight we expect from his other works.
Magic Pill This book flips our assumptions about health and wellness on their head. It strikes a balance between being scientifically sound and profoundly human.
Turn the Ship Around Having witnessed my fair share of organizational shifts, I found this book hitting home. It’s not your run-of-the-mill business book—it’s a guide to leading meaningful change while holding onto what truly matters.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Perhaps the most inventive premise I encountered this year. The story’s meditation on memory, legacy, and what makes a life meaningful is haunting in the best possible way. The fact that 568,701 other StoryGraph users shelved this book suggests I’m not alone in my appreciation.
The Three-Body Problem Science fiction at its finest - thought-provoking, expansive, and deeply original. While the concepts can be challenging, the payoff is more than worth the mental investment.
Killers of the Flower Moon Reading this before watching the film adaptation proved to be the right choice. David Grann’s meticulous research and compelling narrative style bring this tragic piece of American history to life in a way that demands attention.
Finders Keepers A thriller that manages to be both a page-turner and a meditation on the nature of storytelling itself. It’s rare to find a book that succeeds both as entertainment and as literary commentary.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m already building my to-read list. The stats show I had a good balance of fiction and nonfiction this year, but I might try to push myself into some new genres. According to StoryGraph, my highest-rated reads tended to be reflective, informative, and adventurous with a slower pace - something to keep in mind as I choose my next books.
I’m particularly interested in exploring more works from the authors I discovered this year. Among the 37 new-to-me authors, several have extensive backlists I’m eager to dive into.
💡 A huge “thank you” to The StoryGraph - an independent alternative to Goodreads from Nadia Odunayo that helps me track all of these great books and statistics.
Remember, these are just my personal picks based on my own journey with these books. I’m really curious to know what you read in 2024 and what’s on your radar for 2025—drop your suggestions in the comments below!
All Books
Books Read in 2024
January
- The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
- The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
- Lessons for Living by Phil Stutz ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ⭐⭐⭐
- Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam M. Grant
- Day by Day with Saint Joseph by Ken Lasch, Joseph Champlin
- Finders Keepers by Stephen King ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
March
- End of Watch by Stephen King
- Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek ⭐⭐⭐½
- Sex Talks by Xander Marin, Vanessa Marin
- Radical Candor by Kim Malone Scott
April
- The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
- The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Art of Writing and the Gifts of Writers by C.S. Lewis
May
- I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Masters of Greek Thought by Robert C. Bartlett
- Dust by Hugh Howey ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
June
- The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Magic Pill by Johann Hari ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
- Short Stories by C.S. Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
- Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney
July
- Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia
- A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
- The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu
- Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
- Comedy Sex God ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August
- 1923: The Crisis of German Democracy by Mark William Jones
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab ⭐⭐⭐⭐¾
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
- Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- After Steve by Tripp Mickle
September
- Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk ⭐⭐⭐¾
- The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes ⭐⭐⭐½
- First Bite: How We Learn to Eat by Bee Wilson ⭐⭐⭐
- The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn ⭐⭐⭐¾
- Death’s End by Cixin Liu ⭐⭐⭐½
October
- Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
- Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
- The Power of Myth by Bill Moyers, Joseph Campbell ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- If We Break by Kathleen Buhle
- A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Deadline: Essays by Jill Lepore
November
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace
December
- Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐