The year of 2024 has finally come to an end. I can't say I'm sad to see it go. In a lot of ways, 2024 was better than the years before it. But just because it wasn't the worst year ever doesn't mean it was an amazing year.
My reading year was the biggest it has ever been. I read 51,808 pages across 133 books. My best reading year prior to that was in 2019 with 43,643 pages across 138 books. So while I read less books this year compared to 2019, my page count was a lot higher.
I read a lot of great books this year...and I also read a lot of middle-of-the-road books. I found my tastes tended towards books that were easy to fall into with addicting stories that felt familiar. I didn't branch out too much from romance, fantasy, or why choose.
The books I've chosen for this list, though, are truly the standout reads of the year. The ones I think back on frequently with fond memories. It was actually really hard to rank them over one another. For the sake of not having the list completely taken over by a single author, I have grouped series together into one listing. Additionally, I don't include rereads or fanfictions in my favorite reads of the year even though I did reread some amazing books and found some great fanfics in 2024.
Before I begin, I wanted to give some honorable mentions to a few books that didn't quite muscle out over the ones on this list but still were ones I enjoyed and consider new favorites. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong, and Lights Out by Navessa Allen were also addicting books I couldn't put down. But, without further ado, let's get into my top 10 books of 2024...
Coming in at the tenth spot, we have The Spellshop by Sarah Best Durst. This year had a lot of cozy reads and this is, by far, one of the coziest. I absolutely adored this fantasy book. It felt like a warm hug, like a nostalgic time in childhood that you can't quite grasp anymore, like comfort in the form of paper. The setting was vivid, the characters engaging, the story one I never wanted to leave. I am so excited to read more from this author as this was just...so perfect.
At number nine, we have Cherished by Emilia Emerson. While I loved the entire series this standalone book is set in, this one grabbed me even harder than the others. It's an addicting, multi-faceted story. I am a sucker for a why choose omegaverse and this one had all my favorite things. We had developed characters, plot outside of the romance, realistic conflicts and progression, and so much more. I can't wait to get a copy for my bookshelves the next time I go to read this one.
Number eight goes to Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver. When I tell you I was addicted to this from page one and couldn't put it down I mean it. It was funny but dark, gruesome but romantic...it was everything it had been raved about. I, personally, really enjoy a funny book that had dark themes. Two serial killers in competition with each other? Sign me up! I truly loved this book and am looking forward to rereading it in the future as well as diving into the last book in just a few weeks.
You can read my full, non-spoiler review here.
Number seven is for The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe. This book is an adult sci-fi space opera and it. was. so. good. This series has one of the most interesting concepts I've come across with insane implications. I was rooting for all of the characters and I just knew she was gonna break my heart. It was also surprisingly creepy and suspenseful at times. One of my main goals for 2025 is to continue with this trilogy because it's just so good.
For number six I have all of the Ali Hazelwood books I've read this year. This is a case where, even though they're not all in the same series, I didn't want the list to be taken up solely by Ali. I read five of her books this year: Bride, Love Theoretically, Check & Mate, Not In Love, and Love on the Brain. It was one of my goals to get through her backlist romances after reading The Love Hypothesis years ago but not keeping up with her releases. Let me tell you, Ali Hazelwood never misses. I loved every single one I read this year. While I would rank some higher than others, all of these were addicting, fun, enjoyable reads. I am majorly looking forward to everything Ali decides to write in the future, particularly Deep End which is coming out very soon.
My book review for Check & Mate can be found here.
Number five goes to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. I had this book on my TBR for years but I got into a cycle of wanting to only read it during fall but then not reading it before fall was over...rinse and repeat. This year, I finally read it and it was everything to me. Cozy fantasy is definitely a genre I plan on reading more in because the ones I read this year were just phenomenal. Secret Society was perfection. Found family, cozy atmosphere, stakes just high enough to be invested, well-developed and nuanced characters, a budding romance...I adored it. I cannot wait to reread this in the future as well as pick up more books by this author.
Spot number four goes to His Tesoro by Emilia Rossi. This is a mafia romance from the same author as Cherished and it was phenomenal. I don't read a lot of mafia romance but the ones I do read I tend to really enjoy. This is by far my favorite mafia romance I've ever read and it fully cemented Emilia as one of my new auto-read authors. I just adored the main character and how the romance slowly blossomed into what it became. Truly one of my new all-time favorite books that I can't stop thinking about. I am very much looking forward to the standalone sequel that's coming in 2025 following a character we met in this one.
Number three goes to A Pack for Autumn by Emilia Emerson and A Pack for Winter by Eliana Lee, the first two books in the Cozyverse series. This is a cozy omegaverse world with books set in each season of the year. I read both of these when they came out and they were...delightful. I cannot describe how much I loved these books. I know that these will forever be seasonal reads for me. They're addicting, the spice is on point, and the setting is just perfection.
Number two is for the Pack Darling duet by Lola Rock. I read this not once but TWICE in 2024. It's a hate-to-love omegaverse duology with badass characters and an addicting storyline. I'm a sucker for romances where the characters have to work for it like in hate-to-love or enemies-to-lovers or arranged/forced proximity. This series does it so well and it truly has become a comfort series this year. I know I'll be rereading it often in the future.
You can find my full, non-spoiler review here.
And my number one spot goes to Relever and Glisser by Jane Washington, books four and five in the Ironside Academy series. Jane is one of my auto-read authors and has been for almost ten years at this point. This series is an interesting take on the traditional omegaverse structure and I am absolutely obsessed (and have been). These two were recent releases I hadn't read yet and I found them to be just as addicting as the previous books. I particularly loved getting to develop one-on-one relationships between the main character and her love interests as well as seeing the stakes get a bit higher. Overall, just phenomenal and I am both scared and excited to see how the final book is going to go.
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren
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