My Favorite Books from 2024

Inspired by the year-end survey hosted by Perpetual Page Turner

2024 Stats

You can also reference my previous Year in Review posts here:
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Best in Books

Note: My answers pertain to books I read this year, no matter when they were published.

1. Best Book You Read in 2024?

Nonfiction
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

I expected to learn about the benefits of exchanging my comfortable lifestyle and technology for the discomfort and challenges of the outdoors, but I got way more than I bargained for. Easter offers science-backed insights on exercise, nutrition, solitude, silence, addiction, stress, and more. The Comfort Crisis is a one-stop shop for how to live a healthier, more peaceful life. It's one of the most important, practical books I've read.

Fiction
The Green Mile by Stephen King

King originally released The Green Mile as a serial novel in six segments, but you can now purchase it as a single book. You'll find some of King's most emotional scenes and memorable characters in this book, including several inspiring acts of kindness. It quickly became one of my favorite novels.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love But Didn’t?

Poor Charlie's Almanack by Peter Kaufman
I've wanted to read this book for years, but it's been hard to find. I think the book went out of print for a long time, so the only copies I could find were used ones for $60 or more. So when I randomly stumbled across a new version of this book in a Barnes & Noble, I was stoked. The book was okay (3/5), but nowhere near as good as I expected based on how many people I've heard rave about this book. It contains some great wisdom from Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett's right-hand man) but it's also extremely repetitive and too long.

3. Most Surprising Book You Read (in a Good Way or Bad Way)?  

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Damn, this book is gruesome. It's been getting a lot of hype so I figured it would be jarring in some way, but Bazterrica pushed the limits beyond what I expected—and that's coming from someone who usually loves dark and twisted books. The graphic nature of this book is intended to get a point across (that's all I'll say so I don't spoil anything), but by the end, I felt self-conscious to even be seen holding this book.

4. Book You Pushed the Most People to Read?

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
I've loved Haidt for a long time, and his newest book is his best. It's a timely exploration of loads of data about how phones and social media have impacted younger generations. Haidt also offers dozens of potential solutions for parents, schools, etc.

5. Best Series You Started This Year? 

"The Carls" two-book series by Hank Green
Thanks to my buddy Alex for this recommendation! Hank Green's An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (book #1) and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (book #2) are two of the deepest, most thought-provoking novels I've read in years. Green wrestles with soooo many big topics: social media, technology, fame, equality, etc., and tells a page-turning sci-fi/fantasy story along the way.

6. Best Book from a Genre Outside Your Comfort Zone?

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
I don't read many murder mysteries, but this one was fun. Stevenson's writing is witty, humorous, and self-aware.

7. Most Action-Packed/Unputdownable Book of the Year?

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I can't believe I just heard about this book this year. It came out 20 years ago and became an international sensation shortly thereafter. It's a fascinating story about a group of college students who follow a charismatic liberal arts professor's ideas to dangerous conclusions—in both mind and body.

8. Book You Read This Year That You Are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

Your Music and People by Derek Sivers
Sivers was my favorite author from 2023, and I've continued to pound his books. They're all super short (150 pages or less) and packed with wisdom. This one masquerades as a book about music, but it's really for anyone trying to build an audience for something they've created (writing, art, products, etc.). I walked away with dozens of ideas for how to package, position, and market my writing.

9. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read This Year?

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
King wrote this short story collection in 1985, and it contains several of my favorite stories, including "The Monkey" (the basis for a movie coming out in February 2025), "The Mist," and "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet."

10. Most Memorable Character?

John Coffey from The Green Mile
At the beginning of the book, the reader meets convict John Coffey: a large, intimidating man condemned to die in the electric chair for the murder of two young girls. Coffey is the emotional soul of the book, and you learn there's a lot more going on with Coffey than meets the eye.

11. Most Beautifully Written Book?

Atonement by Ian McEwan
Atonement is the haunting story of a 13-year-old girl who makes a mistake she regrets for her life. McEwan brilliantly explores love, war, sadness, social classism, and forgiveness.

12. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book?

The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Easter's story prompted me to make several immediate changes to my daily routines.

13. Most Unique Book?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
Thompson's book is a ridiculous, drug-addled romp through the Las Vegas desert. This classic shows why Thompson became known for his over-the-top "Gonzo" journalism.

14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited Until This Year to Read? 

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Many schools read this as required reading, but I just read it now as an adult and loved it. I was blown away that such a young author could write a book of such emotion and depth. (Hinton wrote most of the novel when she was 16!) I also got to see the Tony-winning musical production of The Outsiders this year on Broadway, which was a treat.

"The Outsiders" Broadway cast (Image: Matthew Murphy, Source: Entertainment Weekly)

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read This Year?

From Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
The Slow Productivity philosophy "rejects busyness, seeing overload as an obstacle to producing results that matter, not a badge of pride. It also posits that professional efforts should unfold at a more varied and humane pace, with hard periods counterbalanced by relaxation at many different timescales, and that a focus on impressive quality, not performative activity, should underpin everything."

From Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
"Some of the most important questions to ask yourself are: Who has the right answer, but I ignore because they're inarticulate? And what do I believe is true but is actually just good marketing?"

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read This Year?

Shortest: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers (88 pages)
Longest: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (661 pages)

17. Favorite Book from an Author You’ve Read Previously?

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

18. Best Book You Read This Year Based SOLELY on a Recommendation from Someone?

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Author Ryan Holiday recommended this book, and it's fantastic. Walter Lord invites you onboard the world's largest and fanciest ship. You'll feel the excitement of The Titanic's 1912 maiden voyage, blissful ignorance while the ship scrapes an iceberg, and an icy chill when you plunge into 28°F water. I didn't know it was possible to write a historical book so short (182 pages) yet so impactful.

19. Best Debut Book You Read in 2024?

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Housel's book offers counter-cultural advice about saving, investing, avoiding greed, and learning from others' financial mistakes.

20. Best World-Building/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

World War Z by Max Brooks
Brooks's "oral history of the Zombie War" is a novel told in short interviews with people worldwide who've been impacted by a mysterious virus. It's an interesting and vivid way to tell a story.

21. Book that Put a Smile on Your Face/Was the Most FUN to Read?

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

22. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry This Year?

March trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
U.S. Representative John Lewis led a remarkable life before passing away in 2020. Before he died, Lewis partnered with writer Andrew Aydin and illustrator Nate Powell to create this awesome 3-book graphic novel series that chronicles his lifelong fight for racial justice and desegregation—including joining the march on Selma, helping coordinate the 1963 march on Washington, and getting arrested dozens of times while fighting for what was right.

23. Hidden Gem of the Year?

Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
My book club read this horror/mystery novel last month, and I loved it. After a vivid nightmare, the protagonist awakes with a dead crow in her hand, and she realizes that her dreams are impacting her reality. The book is a gripping story of love, loss, friendship, and sisterhood.

24. Favorite New Author You Discovered This Year?

Budd Schulberg
Schulberg's 1941 novel What Makes Sammy Run? follows the budding career of Sammy Glick, a ruthlessly ambitious kid trying to become a star in Hollywood. Schulberg's writing is poignant, and the book quickly became one of my all-time favorites. Next year, I'm looking forward to reading Schulberg's 1947 novel The Harder They Fall.

25. Author You Read the Most This Year?

Stephen King. He's my favorite novelist of all time, and I had the chance to visit his hometown of Bangor, Maine, this October. Below you'll find a picture of me in front of his iconic house.

I got to read the following Stephen King books this year:

In front of Stephen King's house

26. Overall, What Were Your Favorite Fiction and Nonfiction Reads This Year?

Non-Fiction Highlights

  1. The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
  2. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
  3. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory by Tim Alberta
  4. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
  5. The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
  6. Ideas, Influence, and Income by Tanya Hall
  7. Your Music and People by Derek Sivers
  8. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
  9. Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday
  10. Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell
  11. Kill Anything That Moves by Nick Turse
  12. Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout
  13. Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly
  14. On the Edge by Nate Silver
  15. Number Go Up by Zeke Faux

Fiction Highlights

  1. The Green Mile by Stephen King
  2. What Makes Sammy Run? by Brad Schulberg
  3. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
  5. Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
  6. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (The Carls #1) by Hank Green
  7. Atonement by Ian McEwan
  8. Cujo by Stephen King
  9. Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
  10. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
  11. Night Shift by Stephen King
  12. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
  13. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  14. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls #2) by Hank Green
  15. Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get to This Year But Will Be Your Top Priority Next Year?

The Tiger by John Vaillant

2. Books You Are Most Anticipating Next Year?

3. Sequel You Are Most Anticipating Next Year?

Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games novel) by Suzanne Collins

This is more of a prequel, but I'm excited for this one. I loved the original Hunger Games series.

4. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish in Reading & Blogging Next Year?

From 2023 to 2024, I tripled my website traffic. I hope to do the same thing again in 2025.

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1 Comments

  1. Anne Bennett on December 20, 2024 at 3:19 pm

    Let’s see…this will involve a lot of going up and down on your post….
    1. First, I like that you are still using the format I introduced you to several years ago. That makes me smile. In fact, I like your tweaks so much I’m thinking of stealing it back. Ha!
    2. The Carls. I liked the first book so much better than the second. I was really high on it and found it very clever and then a little disappointed with the second.
    3. The Outsiders. I hadn’t read it as a teen either, but felt the need to read it as a teen librarian. I was very moved by it. I think the students read it in 8th grade so my copies didn’t circulate much in the library. Sometimes I think as soon as adults think a book is good for kids, kids don’t want to read it anymore.
    4. I am not much of a horror reader so have by-in-large avoided Stephen King. But I read his novella/short story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” last month and was reminded what a good writer he is.
    5. I fell in love with Donna Tartt and her book The Goldfinch. Now I want to read The Secret History. I know it shows up on a lot of best books lists. Goldfinch is the #46th best book of the 21st century on the NYT list and #4th on the NYT Readers reaction list. For some reason I thought The Secret History was on it, too, but I see it was published in 1992 so wouldn’t make these lists.
    6. Adding Everyone On This Train is a Suspect to my TBR.
    7. I was really irritated by Yellowface. It reminded me too much about The Plot. I liked Kuang’s Babel so much better. Have you read it?
    8. All the King’s Men is one of the last past Pulitzer Prize winners I still want to read. Huey Long factored greatly in Rachel Maddow’s book about Nazism in America prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Prequel.
    9. I had Walter Lord’s book in my library but never read it. Must do something about that.

    Have a wonderful holiday in Boise. Say hi to K. and her family for me. Sorry I missed the visit last Sunday. I had to stay behind, had church responsibilities. Love, Love, Anne

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