My Favorite Reads of 2024
For when life is hard and you need to escape into a good book.
The world seems kind of tough right now. With a lot happening in the American landscape as we enter a new presidency, as well as tragedies and natural disasters continuing to be top of mind, not to mention personal heartbreaks, times can be tough.
When I was an academic advisor, I used to tell my students all the time — “Life doesn’t stop just because you have a class to go to, a large project to finish, or a final to study for.” And it’s the same within our careers. Big meetings still require our attendance, even if the world is crashing down around us. Important projects and deadlines loom, even if you have to grapple with a new normal in your family life. Grief, anxiety, and concern control our minds, even if we’re doing our best to concentrate on the task before us.
I’ve often found solace in a book during hard times - personally, within my friend group, or globally. So, I felt it relevant to share some of my favorite reads from 2024 with you, in case you need some inspiration for your Kindle or next trip to the library.
In 2024, I read/listened to 56 books with 31 pieces of fiction, 25 works of non-fiction, and the majority coming from the library. Below I’ve included ten of my favorites from the year, all for different reasons and fit for different moods. I hope wherever you are, you will find interest in one of them.
Ladies of the Canyons - Lesley Poling-Kempes
Women in new territory has always been a subject that fascinates me. Whether it be women in the 9-5 working era, young females launching into college at a time when they’re supposed to be getting their MRS degree, I find it very interesting. This book covers a group of women who made the American west their home in the early 1900’s. It touches on the relationships between the Natives and the settlers, the government and Native schooling, how women travelled between outposts, and the types of folks who established homes, hotels, and businesses in these small “towns” across the west. I’d never read anything like this, and just appreciated a different perspective on the “American” expansion out west.
The Bonjour Effect - Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau
As a reformed French major, who can pretty much only say “My name is Skylar, I live in New York, and my car is black,” I enjoyed their take on the social impact of how the French speak. It was very anthropological/sociological as opposed to how to conjugate verbs. One of my biggest takeaways is that the French always say “Bonjour,” before breaking out into conversation because the “Bonjour,” acts as the introduction and subsequent agreement that we’re going to have a conversation. This is something I’ve always innately done, a hello, good morning, how are you, before going into business, so I enjoyed reading their perspective. (I was watching a thrift hall on YouTube over winter break and at one point the person went right up to the sellers and said, “Do you have a spot I can put this stuff?” The visceral reaction that I had to her not saying, “Hello, nice sale you have going, thank you so much for opening this up,” before she launched into her question, was strong. Whatever happened to pleasantries? I guess we still have a lot to learn from les francophones.)
Portrait of a Scotsman - Evie Dunmore
A regency-era romance in the style of the many romance books that fill today’s bookstore shelves — I don’t read a ton of romance, but really enjoyed the backstory of finding one’s purpose and pursuing things that matter. “Going toe-to-toe with a brooding Scotsman is rather bold for a respectable suffragist, but when he happens to be one's unexpected husband, what else is an unwilling bride to do?” It’s a good one.
Eight Hundred Grapes - Laura Dave
I love a dynamic family story with each sibling bringing their own trials and tribulations into a common problem. The story primarily follows a bride-to-be who leaves her life to come home to the family vineyard and finds that everything is different. Together, they must grapple with the state of the family business and what comes next — both personally and collectively. It’s messy, loving, and a really thoughtful read about being surrounded by the people who know you best, even when they annoy you to your bones.
Never Give Up - Tom Brokaw
My husband and I listened to this on a road trip earlier this year. It’s on the shorter side, so it was easy to listen to a chapter or two, take a break, turn it back on … etc. It profiles his parents roots and his upbringing in the Midwest, and is truly a love story to modest upbringings and working hard for what you have.
Romney - McCay Coppins
This was another audiobook listen on one of our many U-Haul truck drives this summer, and it was such an important read. For someone who was the face of the Republican party over a decade ago to step from outside that umbrella to speak about the political landscape is really moving. It was really focused on the Mitt Romney we’ve come to know in the past six-ish years, compared to his early career as a management consultant and politician. It was well-written with some great sources in addition to Romney himself.
The Guncle - Steven Rowley
As the aunt to my beloved niece and nephew, this book really hit home for me. It follows a man grieving his sister-in-law and best friend, who ultimately takes in his niece and nephew for the summer to allow their dad/his brother/the widow opportunity to heal and focus on other things. The writing is so smart and funny and sarcastic, while also being incredibly touching. I cried and laughed out loud while I was reading it. What makes it so special is the connection that the author conveys between the uncle and his niece and nephew and the transformative bonds that exist in that relationship.
The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians - James Patterson & Matt Eversmann
Everything from weird things people do in the back of the book annex to the requests librarians have received to ban literature, this is a compilation of various stories, experiences, pathways, and reflections from librarians (school and public) and booksellers (independent and corporate) on the communities they serve, the books that bring them joy, and the power that reading has on the future of our country and the world.
Small Admissions - Amy Poeppel
After her boyfriend dumps her, the protagonist chooses to wallow, forgoing her job, her friendships and much else. As she approaches rock bottom, and after much cajoling from her sister, she learns of a job opportunity at a private school on their admissions team. The story follows her in her attempt to pull herself out of a slump, and the characters that she comes across in the cut-throat and highly competitive world of NYC private schools. We see her grapple with her heartbreak, learn about the meaning of friendship, and figure out more of who she is without a man beside her. Amy Poeppel is one of my favorite authors, as she is able to bring complex stories and interesting people together in a creative and intertwined fashion that keeps you interested in the narrative.
On Christmas Avenue - Ginny Baird
This was my one holiday book I read this year, and it was everything that a Hallmark-movie-loving gal would look for in a book. It follows the protagonist to a small town where she has to develop a PR campaign and fundraiser via the town Christmas parade to release some of the debt the town as acquired in recent years. Along the way, she encounters a less-than-thrilled sheriff and many other speedbumps on her way to being the premier “Christmas Consultant.” A very light-hearted read, especially if you want to capture the spirit and excitement of the holidays in a small town.
As I shared, these are just a snapshot of some of the books I read in the past year, but I really enjoyed them or found them interesting in different ways. I’m currently reading Essentialism by Greg McKeown which I would highly recommend if you’re on a “Year of No,” or the pursuit of less in your life. Have you read any good books lately or have a favorite from last year? I’d love to hear — feel welcome to add your thoughts in the comment section.
If you enjoyed this list, I’d appreciate you sharing or sending it to a friend who may be looking for some books to add to their TBR pile. Whether life is sunshine and rainbows or dark clouds for you, please know I’m holding space for that and sending only the best exclamation points your way!
All my best,
Skylar