"When you finish a book, sometimes you’re ready to move on and jump right into reading the next one on your list. It’s not that it was a bad book, but it might have left you feeling just a bit “meh.” Maybe the characters didn’t resonate with you, the story dragged on in places, or the genre just wasn’t your jam. These are the books you probably won’t recommend or the ones you may forget about in a year or two.
Your favorite books, however, leave you with a hangover that you actually don’t mind. After you turn that final page, you’re left in a blissful haze, still thinking about the world you just left behind. You’ll want to return to its pages almost the moment you finish. You’ll tell everyone you know (and maybe even unsuspecting strangers) that they absolutely need to read this book immediately. It will stick with you for life and has earned a permanent spot on your shelves—and in your heart.
You don’t often come by favorite books, but when you do, it’s like meeting a friend you’ll have for life. This year, our team has been fortunate enough to add several books to their lists of favorites. We polled our team on their top three books of the year, their favorite genres, and how many books they read this year. Collectively, we read over 357 books—but there were a few that stood out. These are the books we’ve read in 2024 that made a lasting impression:
Meet Our Editors
EMMA GINSBERG
Associate Editor
Favorite Genre: Literary Fiction
GARRI CHAVERST
Senior Managing Editor
Favorite Genre: Fantasy
MADELINE GALASSI
Senior Fashion Editor
Favorite Genre: Thriller
JOSIE SANTI
Podcast Host
Favorite Genre: Memoir
JESSICA FRIEDHOFF
Senior Living Editor
Favorite Genre: Romance
HAILEY BOUCHE
Associate Editor
Favorite Genre: Romance
LAUREN BLUE
Lifestyle Staff Writer
Favorite Genre: Literary Fiction
CASSANDRA MCCOOK
Social Media Editor
Favorite Genre: Historical Fiction
ABIGAIL MOSEMAN
Social Media Assistant
Favorite Genre: Nonfiction
JULIA POULTER
Senior Managing Editor
Favorite Genre: Thriller
KATHY SISSON
Senior Editor
Favorite Genre: Historical Fiction
STEPH ALLEVA-CORNELL
Branded Content Editor
Favorite Genre: Romance
Romance
Romance was our editors’ most-loved genre in 2024 by far. From classic romance authors delivering yet another big hit (like Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry) to new breakout authors, we absolutely devoured romance authors this year. Here were our favorites:
1. Funny Story by Emily Henry
Several editors absolutely loved Emily Henry’s Funny Story this year. Personally, it’s been years since I read a fun, silly romance book (yes, I understand the terrible optics of that), but Emily Henry has gotten so much buzz the past few years, I had to pick this one up. I completely understand the hype now, and my goal in 2025 is to consume the entirety of Emily Henry’s catalog before her new release drops.
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. He really was good at telling it… right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Now, Daphne is starting a new story, and kicks it off by proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a fake-relationship plan.
2. Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Two of our editors put this book at the top of their favorite books of the year for one big reason: It was unputdownable. It reignited both of their interests in reading after a slump, was the perfect blend of fantasy and romance, and got both of them totally hooked on Ali Hazelwood. “It had delicious tension and a plot that kept me at the edge of my seat: all in all, the perfect combo,” said Steph.
Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres. Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory… alone with the wolf.
3. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Between her past novels, In Five Years and One Italian Summer, Serle has quickly become one of our team’s go-to authors. Her latest, Expiration Dates, was just as fun to read. The story follows Daphne, a 30-something woman looking for love in LA, and incorporates magical realism in her quest for the one. “The twists and turns of this story were so unexpected—I loved every minute!” said Julia.
Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake. But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful.
Other romance books we loved:
Thriller
Several members of our team are huge thriller fans, so it’s no surprise that thriller was the second-most-loved genre by our editors in 2024. However, even editors who prefer romance or nonfiction picked up thrillers this year, packing this category with some total must-reads.
1. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Our Senior Fashion Editor, Madeline Galassi, has famously read nearly every popular thriller novel since 2015, and she was starting to feel like they were all the same… until she read The God of the Woods. This was not only her top book of the year but also reached the #1 spot for a few other editors as well. “I have forced about 15 people in my life to read this, and not one has been disappointed. If you pick up one thriller in the near future, let it be this,” said Madeline.
Early morning, August 1975: A camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any 13-year-old: She’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished 14 years ago, never to be found.
2. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
If you remember our favorite books list from 2023, you remember that Bright Young Women was a favorite for several team members. It turns out this thriller stands the test of time because even more editors loved it in 2024. “I found the characters deeply relatable and authentic, and the story’s realism made it so terrifying,” said Lauren.
Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Bright Young Women opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. Determined to find justice, two of the killer’s survivors join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.
3. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Another rave review from our Senior Fashion Editor (AKA thriller expert) earns this thriller a spot in the top three. While the story is based around a kidnapping, it intertwines tropes of friendship and loss and persistence in ways that make it shockingly beautiful.
1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the smalltown of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer.
Other thrillers we loved:
Literary Fiction
Listen—it was a big year for Lit Fic. Sally Rooney dropped a new novel, Miranda July’s perimenopause novel was absolutely everywhere, and we all re-read Normal People because of the Paul Mescal renaissance. If you’re a certified sad girl who likes brooding, these are for you.
1. All Fours by Miranda July
If you were anywhere on the internet that does “serious” book reviews this year, you know that All Fours was completely inescapable. Is it weird that I, as a 24-year-old, am totally obsessed with this novel about a perimenopausal woman having a total mental breakdown and cheating on her husband? Perhaps, but All Fours was so undeniably good; it has to rank as my top book of the year.
A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, checks into a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in an entirely different journey. All Fours tells the story of one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom.
2. Wellness by Nathan Hill
This book ended up pulling our Social Media Assistant out of a months-long reading slump. If you find yourself fascinated by the placebo effect, health trends, and manifestation, this book is for you. In Abi’s words, “You should add this to your TBR right now.”
When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the gritty ’90s Chicago art scene, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in the thriving underground scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward 20 years to suburban married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter the often-baffling pursuits of health and happiness from polyamorous would-be suitors to home-renovation hysteria.
3. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
My Brilliant Friend offers an unparalleled character study of two friends, Elena and Lila, following their tumultuous lives from childhood to old age, set against the backdrop of an impoverished neighborhood near Naples, Italy. Ferrante’s prose is so raw and intimate that you feel as though you truly know these characters, and you can’t help but become deeply invested in their journeys. “I couldn’t put the books down and have been raving about them to everyone I know,” said Lauren.
Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost 60 years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship.
Other literary fiction books we loved:
Nonfiction
In a somewhat shocking upset, nonfiction was one of our editors’ most-loved genres of the year. From classics like All About Love to historical deep-dives to buzzy new social commentaries, nonfiction ruled our editors’ TBRs in 2024. These were our favs:
1. all about love by bell hooks
It may be “basic,” but all about love is a classic for a reason. According to McKenna, our Branded Content Editorial Assistant, this book will completely shift your perspective on what love looks like. “The girls were right about this little book right here,” she said.
Here, at her most provocative and intensely personal, renowned scholar, cultural critic, and feminist bell hooks offers a proactive new ethic for a society bereft with lovelessness—not the lack of romance, but the lack of care, compassion, and unity. People are divided, she declares, by society’s failure to provide a model for learning to love.
2. Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink by Veronique Highland
If the iconic Devil Wears Prada monologue was a long-form piece of content (with a bit more nuance), you would get this book. From Elle Magazine’s fashion features director, this series of essays breaks down why we wear what we wear and what it means. From political campaigns to feminist movements to workplace dynamics, clothing plays an integral part.
Why does fashion hold so much power over us? Most of us care about how we dress and how we present ourselves. Style offers clues about everything from class to which in-group we belong to. Bad Feminist for fashion, Dress Code takes aim at the institutions within the fashion industry while reminding us of the importance of dress and what it means for self-presentation.
3. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
As editors on the internet, all of us are chronically online, so The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt was a huge wake-up call for many of our editors. “A deep examination of how smartphones and social media have ‘re-wired’ childhood, I think this book should be required reading for anyone (which is everyone) who owns a smartphone,” said Cassandra, our Social Media Editor.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s.
Other nonfiction books we loved:
Fantasy
At last, the category that many of you were probably waiting for: fantasy and romantasy. Fantasy is, notoriously, the genre that holds many of our editors’ favorite books of all time. Though it may not have been one of our teams’ top genres of the year, the fantasy books we loved this year were absolute bangers.
1. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Our Senior Managing Editor, famously a fantasy and romantasy aficionado, ranked this book as her favorite of the entire year, so you know it’s a page-turner. “I literally have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it. It was tense, dramatic, and compulsively readable,” she said. If you love fantasy but want to read one that incorporates social commentary, this is for you.
For 20 years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry. When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam, she finds her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome. Working with her assistant, Sciona uncovers an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.
2. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
Yet another one of Garri’s favorite fantasy books of the year, The Unmaking of June Farrow is true romantasy. “This is the most beautifully romantic story I’ve read in some time. It was compelling, beautifully written, and a story I wish I could read for the first time again,” she said. If you love a star-crossed lovers trope, you’ll love this book.
It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.
3. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Queen of Shadows, smack-dab in the middle of Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series, is chock-full of action, unlikely friendship, slow-burn romance, and sweet vengeance—and the payoff at the end is extremely satisfying. “If you’ve been thinking about reading Throne of Glass but aren’t sure if you want to commit to an eight-book series, this book alone makes it worth it,” said Jessica.
Celaena Sardothien has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
Other fantasy books we loved:
Historical Fiction
Historical fiction has been coming out of the woodwork in 2024, and we’re here for it. Our editors’ favorite historical fiction books of the year spanned from ancient Greece to the Vietnam War. Each of these reads had our team totally hooked.
1. The Women by Kristin Hannah
Several of our editors read and loved The Women this year. Like Hannah’s other works, her characters are layered and complex. They will break your heart, put it back together, break it again, repair it, repeat until the end. “I read this book in 48 hours. I could not put it down. Then I gave it to my mom, who finished it in a day,” said Kathy.
Women can be heroes. When 20-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
2. James by Percival Everett
A reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view, James was a brilliant and adventure-packed story. It was one of the most anticipated books of the year, and it sure did deliver. “I found it to be equal parts serious and thought-provoking while having slivers of humor from James’ inner dialogue. This book was a 10 for me,” said Cassandra.
When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive promise of the Free States.
Science Fiction
The dark horse genre of 2024? That would be science fiction, which landed two books in our favorites of the year. These two picks pleasantly surprised our team of sci-fi skeptics, so you know they’re really that good.
1. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Sea of Tranquility spans three characters across vastly different timelines, from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a colony on the moon 500 years in the future. Each character, living separate lives, encounters a strange anomaly: the sound of a violin and the hum of a bustling airship terminal, both occurring where they shouldn’t exist. “It’s a surprisingly touching story of humanity alongside quirky, scientific world-building,” said Lauren.
When Gaspery-Jacques Roberts, a detective in the black-skied Night City, is hired to investigate an anomaly in the North American wilderness, he uncovers a series of lives upended: The exiled son of an earl driven to madness, a writer trapped far from home as a pandemic ravages Earth, and a childhood friend from the Night City who, like Gaspery himself, has glimpsed the chance to do something extraordinary that will disrupt the timeline of the universe.
2. Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang
A barely-getting-by chef is offered a chance to escape the postapocalyptic smog that’s settled over most of the human race by a wealthy family who wants her to cook in residency at their farm atop an Italian mountain. Though this book is technically science fiction, this is one I would recommend to anyone who also loves literary fiction and doomed love stories.
A chef escapes her dying career in a dreary city to take a job at a decadent mountaintop colony seemingly free of the world’s troubles. Her enigmatic employer and his visionary daughter have built a lush new life for the global elite. In this atmosphere of hidden wonders and cool, seductive violence, the chef’s boundaries undergo a thrilling erosion.
Emma Ginsberg, Associate Editor
Emma is a writer, editor, and podcast producer who has been creating at The Everygirl since 2021. She writes for all sections on the site, edits the Entertainment and Community sections, and helps produce The Everygirl Podcast. With a degree in American Studies, Emma is especially passionate about evaluating the impact pop culture and internet culture have on the day-to-day lives of real women.