At the beginning of 2024, one of my resolutions was to read more and scroll less. I realized that since having my son, I hadn’t been reading for pleasure as much. I looked at my average screen time and saw a pattern: most of my screen time was taking place after his bedtime and before mine. I decided to re-download the Goodreads app and set a goal for myself: I would read 40 books in 2024. I met (and exceeded) my goal by reading 43 books.
In no particular order, these were my top ten favorites:
1. Beach Read by Emily Henry
I may have been late to the Emily Henry party, but after reading this book, I’m a big fan! January Andrews is a romance author and Augustus Everett writes literary fiction. After they both experience grief and loss, they find themselves in neighboring beach houses struggling with writer’s block. They challenge each other to write a novel in the other’s genre over the course of the summer.
2. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
I found myself cheering for Poppy and Alex from the beginning. They have nothing in common, but after sharing a car home from college, they become best friends. Every summer, they take a weeklong vacation together. One vacation causes a rift, which leaves them not speaking for two years. Poppy convinces Alex to take one last trip with her with the hopes to mend their friendship.
3. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I loved this enemies-to-lovers rom-com! Nora is an ambitious literary agent who reluctantly agrees to a vacation in a small town with her sister. She runs into Charlie, a book editor she’s been avoiding since their first meeting which was disastrous. They keep bumping into each other and find themselves working together on a project.
4. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
This is a thriller about Evie Porter who works for an anonymous employer who assigns her identities, locations, and targets. There were so many different twists in this novel, which is why I finished it in two days!
5. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
I love Kristin Hannah. The Nightingale is one of my all-time favorite novels. While I enjoyed The Great Alone, there were some parts that I struggled to get through. Leni’s family relocates to a remote area of Alaska to live life off the grid. Her father is a Vietnam War veteran struggling with (undiagnosed) PTSD and is hoping the move to the wilderness will heal him. Leni is caught between her parents’ sometimes volatile relationship all while trying to find herself and survive the Alaskan wilderness.
6. The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
Elin Hilderbrand is one of my go-to authors for a beach read, and this one did not disappoint. Hollis Shaw is a food blogger who is struggling after her husband’s tragic death. Hollis hears about a “Five-Star Weekend” and decides to host her own Instagram-worthy weekend at her house on Nantucket. She invites four friends from different periods of her life – her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and her midlife. She hoped for a weekend full of girl-time and comfort, but the weekend was full of unexpected twists and turns.
7. Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey
“The Peachtree Bluff” Series by this author was one of my favorites a few years ago, so I was excited to find this title by her. Childhood friends Amelia and Parker are each dealing with their own private struggles. They begin to find comfort in each other and realize the importance of selfless giving. There are some heavier issues in this book, but the author addresses them with care.
8. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
This psychological thriller is like nothing I have read before. Two very different women cross paths again…and again. One of them unexpectedly disappears leaving the other to uncover that her life is in danger. After reading this one, I added other titles by this author to my “Want to Read” list. SO GOOD!!
9. The Wedding People by Alison Espach
It took me a few pages to get into this one, but I’m so glad I stuck with it because I LOVED IT. This novel had me laughing and tearing up page after page. The author covers heavy topics, such as self-harm and infertility, in such a graceful way. The main character, Phoebe, shows up at the Cornwall Inn as the only guest not there for a wedding. This is much to the bride, Lila’s, dismay. These two strangers continue to confide in each other. There were so many pieces of wisdom and quotes about what happiness truly means.
10. “Part of Your World” Series by Abby Jimenez
Okay, I may have cheated on this one because it includes three books (Part of Your World, Yours Truly, and Just for the Summer), but I couldn’t leave any of them out! Between the romance and the humor, I read them one after another and could not put them down. The characters in each book are connected to each other in some way, so it’s best to read them in order.
